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Organizational Barriers To Effective University Student Mental Health Services, Felicia Evans-Edwards Jan 2022

Organizational Barriers To Effective University Student Mental Health Services, Felicia Evans-Edwards

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study was focused on organizational barriers to effective university student mental health services access in the department of student resources (DSR) at a for-profit university in the northeastern United States. Once such barriers are addressed, faculty may be more successful in reaching out to students needing mental health services who are not self-identifying as needing these services. The Baldrige excellence framework guided this descriptive case study to examine the organizational barriers that prevent university leadership from creating clear policies and procedures for faculty to refer students to mental health services. Data sources included interviews with the behavioral health leader …


The Correlation Between Laura’S Law And The Incarceration Of The Mentally Ill In A Southwestern State, Aaron Alarcon-Bowen Jan 2022

The Correlation Between Laura’S Law And The Incarceration Of The Mentally Ill In A Southwestern State, Aaron Alarcon-Bowen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Assisted outpatient treatment and involuntary outpatient treatment laws refer to the power of the court system to order community-based treatment without hospitalization to individuals with a mental illness diagnosis. Studies have linked these laws to a decrease in the use of incarceration among this population. The effectiveness of the assisted outpatient treatment law in a Southwestern state, known as Laura’s Law, has not been studied. With a theoretical foundation based on the social contract and multiple streams analysis theories, a quantitative, casual, comparative study using an independent t test was centered on determining whether the mean numbers of incarcerated individuals …


Using Integrated Staff Education To Increase Medication Adherence In A Mentally Ill Population, Tiffany Dawn Burke-Lott Jan 2022

Using Integrated Staff Education To Increase Medication Adherence In A Mentally Ill Population, Tiffany Dawn Burke-Lott

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Failure to adhere to medication regimens is a serious problem that affects both the patient and the health care system. Psychiatric patients have the lowest rates of adherence, as low as 24%. The evidence shows that nonadherence to medication is a global challenge in the field of mental illness and is linked with a poor prognosis. Patients who are nonadherent to medications experience exacerbations of their mental illness, which can lead to rehospitalization, poor psychosocial outcomes, relapse of symptoms, reduced effectiveness of subsequent treatment, wastage of limited health care resources, increased substance abuse, poor quality of life, and increased risk …


Development Of A Capacity Building Program To Promote Trauma-Informed Services, Juan Miguel Medina Jan 2022

Development Of A Capacity Building Program To Promote Trauma-Informed Services, Juan Miguel Medina

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Wichita County, Texas experienced decreased academic performances of elementary level children in 24 out of 45 communities. Higher numbers of traumatic experiences increase a child's risk of not meeting developmental benchmarks. The purpose of this capstone project is to support the development of a trauma-informed capacity-building program. Ungar's resiliency theory was used to understand the factors related to building resilience in children to prevent trauma. Using action research, the researcher explored how developing program content may improve an agency's system readiness to deliver effective trauma-informed care. Data were collected from a focus group with local social workers. Content analysis was …


Bullying, Participation In Violence, Suicidal Ideation, And Behavior Among African American Youth, Kierystan Lorquoyea Johnson Jan 2022

Bullying, Participation In Violence, Suicidal Ideation, And Behavior Among African American Youth, Kierystan Lorquoyea Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among adolescent, teens, and young adults. Suicidal ideation is a predictor of suicide attempts. Guided by the integrated motivational-volitional model and social cognitive theory, Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey data were used to investigate whether traditional bullying, cyberbullying, and participation in physically violent behavior (independent variables) were associated with suicidal ideation and behavior (dependent variables) among African American high school aged youth controlling for age, gender, physical, and sexual abuse. It was found that experiencing traditional bullying increased suicidal ideation significantly, as there is an 82% increase in likelihood. There was also …


A Comparison Of Treatment Outcomes Among Pediatric Hispanic Clients Using And Not Using Language Interpretation Services, Mohamed Khalif Jan 2022

A Comparison Of Treatment Outcomes Among Pediatric Hispanic Clients Using And Not Using Language Interpretation Services, Mohamed Khalif

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many families immigrating to the United States come fleeing adverse conditions in their home countries. Conditions such as war, political oppression, and economic hardship frequently result in a need for mental health services. This includes not only the adults in the family but also the children. However, because of their limited English proficiency, their access to mental health services frequently requires the use of interpretive services (IS). The body of knowledge on the use of IS in counseling is limited. The use of IS must be seen from a cultural perspective, hence Ridley et al.’s process model of multicultural counseling …


Generational-Cohorts And Mental Health Help-Seeking Behavior Intentions In Law Enforcement Officers, Victoria Mccann Jan 2022

Generational-Cohorts And Mental Health Help-Seeking Behavior Intentions In Law Enforcement Officers, Victoria Mccann

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Law enforcement is a high-stress, high-risk occupation that can lead to mental health issues. These issues can affect law enforcement officers and the level of service they provide to the public. Traditionally, officers have been found to be resistant to seeking help for their mental health. It was hypothesized that generational turnover may be impacting this positive change found in recent research. The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore the effect of generational cohorts on officers' mental health help-seeking behaviors. The core concepts of the Theory of Planned Behavior (attitudes, subjective norms, internal perceived behavioral control, external perceived …


Evangelical Families’ Experiences Of Mental Health Challenges, Elom Togbi-Wonyo Jan 2022

Evangelical Families’ Experiences Of Mental Health Challenges, Elom Togbi-Wonyo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Evangelical Christians with mental distress in the family face stigma, adverse psychological and physical health effects, and financial hardships. They often mistrust professional counselors, preventing them from accessing much-needed support. The purpose of this descriptive phenomenological study was to gain knowledge about Evangelical Christians’ everyday life with a family member experiencing mental distress and their perceptions of the faith community’s responses. After collecting accounts from eight participants through one-on-one interviews, Giorgi’s psychological phenomenological method was used for data analysis, resulting in the identification of seven themes and 19 subthemes. The results showed that living with a family member experiencing mental …


Anxiety, Depression, And Sexual Minority Identity Among First Responders, Kayla Soohy Jan 2022

Anxiety, Depression, And Sexual Minority Identity Among First Responders, Kayla Soohy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research indicates that first responders tend to experience high levels of anxiety and depression due to unique stressors associated with first responder employment. This increased risk level for mental health issues among first responders can be exacerbated by the addition of psychosocial stressors. The influence of interpersonal or intrapersonal factors, such as sexual minority identity, on the mental health issues experienced by first responders has remained relatively unexplored. The purpose of this research study was to explore the relationship between type of first responder, sexual identity, anxiety, and depression via a framework rooted in minority stress theory. Data were gathered …


Exploring The Behavioral Health Clinician Shortage At A Rural Midwestern U.S. Agency, Tracy L. Wilson Jan 2022

Exploring The Behavioral Health Clinician Shortage At A Rural Midwestern U.S. Agency, Tracy L. Wilson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Behavioral health clinician shortages are a significant and ongoing problem in the United States, especially in rural areas, which have higher rates of homelessness, suicide, substance use, and violence rates than urban areas. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore factors contributing to the behavioral health clinician shortage in a rural midwestern U.S. public health department. The goal was to gain a better understanding of this shortage and explore strategies and solutions for recruiting and retaining behavioral health clinicians at the agency’s facilities. The Baldrige excellence framework undergirded the investigation. Data sources included interviews with three administrative …


Experiences Of Rural Female Caregivers Of Loved Ones Diagnosed With Chronic Pain And Mental Health Care, Anne Banner Hatfield Jan 2022

Experiences Of Rural Female Caregivers Of Loved Ones Diagnosed With Chronic Pain And Mental Health Care, Anne Banner Hatfield

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe complex diagnosis of chronic pain can include both physiological and psychological symptoms resulting in a need for caregivers to assist their loved ones and become involved in their mental health care treatment. As the aging population and the number of individuals diagnosed with chronic pain increases, the number of caregivers who assist them also increases. Critical to addressing the psychological symptoms of chronic pain is knowing how caregivers experience their involvement in mental health treatment. This research addressed the need for an understanding of caregivers’ experiences of caregiving and involvement with health care providers of mental health treatment for …


Mental Health Counselors’ Use Of Complementary And Alternative Approaches For Treating Individuals With Anxiety Disorders, Jane Rose Simmons Jan 2022

Mental Health Counselors’ Use Of Complementary And Alternative Approaches For Treating Individuals With Anxiety Disorders, Jane Rose Simmons

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Anxiety disorders are one of the most prevalent mental health disorders worldwide. Traditional counseling approaches do not address the evolving needs of individuals with anxiety disorders, and information is scarce regarding counselors’ use of complementary and alternative approaches in treating anxiety disorders. The purpose of this quantitative survey study was to investigate whether counselors’ knowledge, perceptions, intentional practices, and openness predicted their use of complementary and alternative approaches in counseling individuals with anxiety disorders. The integrative mental health model for the conceptual framework guided this study. The research questions examined how five variables—spirituality, specialization, types of anxiety disorders treated, training, …


Factors That Affect Anxiety And Acculturation In Syrian Emigrants, Thomas H. Anderson Jan 2022

Factors That Affect Anxiety And Acculturation In Syrian Emigrants, Thomas H. Anderson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Since the Syrian civil war began in 2011, more than 6 million Syrians have registered as refugees. Many displaced Syrians suffer myriad mental health disorders, including anxiety, which become a burden as they attempt to acculturate into a foreign culture. Research to understand the Syrian refugees has been conducted since the conflict began; however, the findings are inconsistent. Existing academic research does not adequately capture the depth of anxiety of Syrian emigrants, nor does it present an accurate picture of the challenges of acculturation. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the differences in anxiety and acculturation based …


School Social Workers’ Perceptions Of Compassion Fatigue Syndrome, Gloria I. Collazo Cartagena Jan 2022

School Social Workers’ Perceptions Of Compassion Fatigue Syndrome, Gloria I. Collazo Cartagena

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

School social workers face domestic violence, trauma, social violence, and mental and emotional health problems in their work context. Indeed, compassion fatigue results from professionals’ continuous exposure to these problems. This study explored school social work professionals’ perceptions of compassion fatigue. For this, the following questions were explored:the perception of school social workers working for the Puerto Rico Department of Education about compassion fatigue.


Officers' Perceived Safety After A Law Enforcement Line Of Duty Death, Crystal Baird Jan 2022

Officers' Perceived Safety After A Law Enforcement Line Of Duty Death, Crystal Baird

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Every year, several line of duty deaths occur among law enforcement personnel in the United States. Risk factors, community influences, types of violence, and diverse calls for service could affect an officer’s perception of safety. Given the number of line of duty deaths, officers’ perceived safety is an important avenue for further research. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore whether a line of duty death affected the perceived safety of officers in small, rural police departments in the state of Texas. A social constructivism perspective was used to understand the world in which the participating officers …


The Longevity Of A Law Enforcement Career Post Critical Incident, Alyce E. Clark Jan 2022

The Longevity Of A Law Enforcement Career Post Critical Incident, Alyce E. Clark

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Law enforcement officers experience traumatic events that can have an impact on their health and their career. Regardless of the continued research on police and mental health, challenges persist. The stigma is that law enforcement officers are tough and keep their emotions to themselves; however, they are human, like the community they serve. Due to possible consequences related to officers discussing having mental health problems after critical incidents, police officers may be reluctant to seek help due to backlash. Interviews were completed in a two-tier format that led to follow-up questions with surveys specifically related to alcohol and burnout found …


Role Of Social Media In Adolescent-Parent Relationships Among At-Risk Youths, Jennifer Davis Jan 2022

Role Of Social Media In Adolescent-Parent Relationships Among At-Risk Youths, Jennifer Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social media has been linked to online crimes and cyberbullying among 88% of teens. The purpose of this study was to understand the role of adolescent and parent social media use on adolescents reported at-risk behaviors, as well as the role of social media among at-risk youths and their parents using the attachment theory. An interpretive phenomenological analysis design was used in this study to describe relationships between adolescents and their parents involving social media use and reported at-risk behaviors. Semi-structured interviews were performed with a total of six pairs of individuals resulting in 12 total participants. There were four …


The Experience Of Providing Direct Care To Children Victims Of Boko Haram Insurgencies In Nigeria, Felicia Etuke Jan 2022

The Experience Of Providing Direct Care To Children Victims Of Boko Haram Insurgencies In Nigeria, Felicia Etuke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The insurgency of terrorism leaves lasting economic, social, academics, spiritual, religious, and psychological effects, but often children’s psychological welfare is neglected in the aftermath of terrorist attacks. Boko Haram’s presence in Nigeria has left many children orphaned, displaced, and impoverished. Thus, there is a need to highlight the importance of the role that care providers play in securing the psychological health of the child victims of Boko Haram insurgency. This qualitative, phenomenological study explored the experiences of care providers to the child victims of Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria. Compassion fatigue theory was used as a theoretical framework for the …


Chronic Kidney Disease And Depressive Disorders Among Adult Non-Hispanic African Americans And Whites In Georgia, Omatola Gordon-Rose Jan 2022

Chronic Kidney Disease And Depressive Disorders Among Adult Non-Hispanic African Americans And Whites In Georgia, Omatola Gordon-Rose

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Chronic kidney disease (CKD), depressive disorders, and mental health are significant health issues in the United States. The purpose of this study was to examine the association of CKD and depressive disorders and days of poor mental health in adults living in Georgia, controlling for race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, age, diabetes mellitus status, high blood pressure status, marital status, and number of adults in the household. The study was a descriptive, quantitative, cross-sectional design with secondary data analysis, and the framework used was Wilson and Cleary health-related quality of life measures. The 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey weighted …


Law Enforcement Officers' Experience Of Crisis Intervention Team (Cit) Training, Jessica Yolanda Goings Jan 2022

Law Enforcement Officers' Experience Of Crisis Intervention Team (Cit) Training, Jessica Yolanda Goings

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe decline in mental health services has led to an increased role of law enforcement officers (LEOs), who are often the first to respond to mental health crisis incidents. Despite the specialized training that officers receive, there continues to be a public consensus that LEOs lack proficiency when handling a mental ill individual and have a deficiency in communication skills. The purpose of the research was to explore the experience of Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training for LEOs and then describe how their experience ensued once deployed to the field to handle mental health encounters. Evaluations of CIT training have …


Mental Health Professionals And Family Burden: Ways To Improve Training And Treatment, Johnnie Lee Jenkins, Iii Jan 2022

Mental Health Professionals And Family Burden: Ways To Improve Training And Treatment, Johnnie Lee Jenkins, Iii

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

During deinstitutionalization, schizophrenia treatment shifted from state facilities to communities and families. This change stressed families. This study investigated mental health professionals' (MHPs) knowledge and training about this stress also called family burden (FB). The study had three research questions. These addressed MHPs’ view of FB, what barriers exist in treating FB, can multiple viewpoints define FB, and if these views influence MHPs to reduce it. This grounded theory study used 22 MHPs in seven focus groups (FGs). The participant recruitment process included email, list serves, phone calls, and one state conference. The participants were MHPs licensed for 3 years …


Moral Distress Experienced By Behavioral Health Clinicians Who Have Worked With Maternal, Opioid-Using Clients, Jill Lee-Hubble Jan 2022

Moral Distress Experienced By Behavioral Health Clinicians Who Have Worked With Maternal, Opioid-Using Clients, Jill Lee-Hubble

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Moral distress (MD) is a concept that has been well studied in nursing and other medical fields as a precursor to provider burnout. Understanding how MD impacts behavioral health (BH) clinicians provides insights for counselor educators and supervisors to identify clinical situations that often lead to MD. This qualitative phenomenological study explored how MD was experienced by five BH clinicians who have worked in residential and hospital settings providing counseling to maternal, opioid-using clients. Interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) informed the research methodology and data analysis. Substance use during pregnancy is highly stigmatized in society; thus, a feminist conceptualization was integrated …


The Perceptions And Experiences Of Intensive In-Home Counselors Regarding Vicarious Trauma, Tara Ross Jan 2022

The Perceptions And Experiences Of Intensive In-Home Counselors Regarding Vicarious Trauma, Tara Ross

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of the study was to explore intensive in-home counselors’ perceptions and experiences with vicarious trauma when providing in-home services to children. The constructivist self-development theory was used to explain how helpers develop vicarious trauma after exposure to traumatic stories of clients. A generic qualitative inquiry was the methodology for this study because it focused on illuminating the participants’ experiences, and offered a highlighted description of the participants’ awareness, consciousness, and understanding, which explored those personal experiences. The study consisted of 10 adults between the ages of 31 and 62. The participants were all African American. Semi structured interviews …


Beliefs, Skill Sets, And Behaviors Of Police Officers Regarding Mental Health Treatment, Kareem C. Puranda Jan 2022

Beliefs, Skill Sets, And Behaviors Of Police Officers Regarding Mental Health Treatment, Kareem C. Puranda

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Current law enforcement training assumes that police officers can manage their mental health with minimal support. This cultural attitude creates a fear of being unfit if police officers seek assistance for their mental health. Law enforcement suicide rates have outnumbered duty-related deaths in recent years. Statistics show that police officers are twice as likely to die by suicide for reasons related to stress. Mental health treatment is the ideal solution, but research has shown that police officers often reject treatment due to stigma. This qualitative study aimed to examine factors that hindered law enforcement officers from obtaining mental health treatment. …


Clinical Practice Guideline For Treating Depression In Lgbtq+ Patients In Primary Care, Shantrice Bernice Nichols-Bates Jan 2022

Clinical Practice Guideline For Treating Depression In Lgbtq+ Patients In Primary Care, Shantrice Bernice Nichols-Bates

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ+) population is at increased risk for depression, poor mental health outcomes, and higher instances of suicidality and reluctance to seek care for mental health issues in comparison to their non-LGBTQ+ peers. The identified gap in practice was the need for an evidence-based clinical practice guideline (CPG) for managing mild to moderate depressive disorder in the LGBTQ+ patient at a primary care clinic located in the southeastern United States. The purpose of this project was to develop a CPG to aid primary care providers in screening for, identifying, and managing mild to moderate …


Strategies Mental Health Managers Use To Reduce Direct Care Employee Turnover, Theresa Foster Jan 2022

Strategies Mental Health Managers Use To Reduce Direct Care Employee Turnover, Theresa Foster

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Direct care professionals assist people with intellectual and developmental disabilities with health care services in the consumer's home, community based residential setting, hospitals, and vocational settings. The high turnover rate of direct care professionals working in mental health organizations may jeopardize many services, including administrative, medical, and provisions for the individuals they serve. Retaining direct care professionals is vital due to the expected demand for direct care jobs in the future. Grounded in Herzberg’s two-factor theory, this qualitative multiple case study explored leadership strategies managers from mental health organizations use to retain direct care professionals. Participants were eleven managers from …


Predictors Of Perceived Anxiety Disorder Stigma In Adults With Anxiety Disorders, Dr. Shawn Nabors Jan 2022

Predictors Of Perceived Anxiety Disorder Stigma In Adults With Anxiety Disorders, Dr. Shawn Nabors

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Licensed professional counselors strive to eliminate systemic barriers to mental health treatment. Perceived anxiety disorder stigma may be a barrier to mental health treatment for those who are affected by this type of stigma. This quantitative correlational study examined whether factors such as age, gender, and level of education predict perceived anxiety disorder stigma in a population of adults in the U.S. who had been diagnosed with anxiety disorders as measured by the Generalized Anxiety Stigma Scale (GASS). Goffman's theory of social stigma served as the theoretical framework for this study. An existing data set of 82 adults diagnosed with …


Experiences Of African American Female Offenders On Parole And Under Community Supervision, Shirley Lawson Jan 2022

Experiences Of African American Female Offenders On Parole And Under Community Supervision, Shirley Lawson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American female offenders on parole under community supervision reenter communities as convicted felons and face the challenges of intersectionality and collateral consequences. The purpose of this descriptive phenomenological qualitative study was to explore the experiences of African American female offenders active on parole and under community supervision. General strain theory was used to explore the experiences of African American female offenders on parole and under community supervision. Data were collected through semi-structured telephone interviews with a purposive sample of 10 African American female offenders, ages 18 and above who were on parole and under community supervision. Colaizzi’s seven-step method …


Health Educator Experience: Recommendations For Physical Activity For Mental Health In Women, Patricia Schneider Jan 2022

Health Educator Experience: Recommendations For Physical Activity For Mental Health In Women, Patricia Schneider

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mental health issues, specifically anxiety and depression, continue to be a public health crisis in the United States. Despite the established therapies of pharmacology and cognitive behavioral therapy, not all patients seek or find relief using these methods. Therefore, other treatment strategies need to be studied. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to understand the experiences of health educators who use physical activity as a strategy for anxiety and depression management among middle-aged women as well as their own attitudes, norms, and perceived behavioral controls. The theory of planned behavior (TPB) was leveraged as the theoretical foundation for …


Crisis Intervention Team Training On Autism Among Female Cit-Trained Police Officers, Julie Hall Jan 2022

Crisis Intervention Team Training On Autism Among Female Cit-Trained Police Officers, Julie Hall

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed in this qualitative case study was the lack of documentation that supports the perceptions and experiences of crisis intervention team (CIT) trained female police officers related to their encounters with persons with mental illness (PwMI) with autism. Using Giles’s communicative accommodation theory (CAT), the purpose of this study examined the perceptions of CIT-trained female police officers of PwMI with autism during encounters. Giles’s CAT was aligned closest with the teachings of CIT training. Seven participants provided data which comprised of completed questionnaires and transcribed interviews. The method of analysis used was a combination of inductive coding and …