Digital Commons Network^™

Standardizing Behavioral Health Triage: Using The Heads-Ed Tool, Sarah K. Peifer

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Background: In the past two years emergency departments across the country have experienced an increase in pediatric patients requiring behavioral health care. It is essential to provide efficient, early intervention to these vulnerable patients. The use of a standardized tool can improve management of pediatric patients and allow access to resources in a timely manner.

Purpose: To evaluate the implementation of the HEADS-ED in a community hospital ED, to provide rapid behavioral health assessment.

Methods: Education for staff was provided through various platforms and involved regular support for staff throughout the intervention. It was hypothesized that implementation of …

Psychoeducation Intervention For Stress Management In Adolescents, Gold E. Okoeka

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Background: Stress reduction techniques (SRT) such as yoga, exercise, deep breathing, positive self-talk, sleep hygiene among others, have shown to be effective in stress reduction in adolescents. SRTs are effective in lowering stress levels, improving mood, reducing anxiety levels as well as promoting overall health.

Purpose: This DNP project aimed to implement a psychoeducation intervention using e-brochures to reduce stress levels among adolescent’s ages 16-18 years old.

Methods: A total of 15 adolescents who agreed to participate in the program received a psychoeducation intervention using e-brochures on the impact of stress on their mental health and a few SRTs including …

Cultural Communication For New Nurse Residents: K.I.N.D Communication Toolkit, Jennifer Caraballo

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Background: Microaggressions can create a hostile work environment and decrease rapport and functioning in clinical and personal relationships. Exposure to micro aggression and implicit bias results in micro trauma and possible compassion fatigue by medical staff. Symptoms can include headaches, poor sleep, depressions, and anxiety, similar to compassion fatigue.

Purpose: To develop a toolkit for healthcare staff to use as educational material to facilitate for cultural communication and cultural humility.

Methods: Nurses that were enrolled in a nurse residency program at a level 1 trauma center participated in the education of a communication toolkit related to K.I.N.D …

Identification And Ptsd Screening Of Military Veteran Patients In Community Healthcare: A Quality Improvement Project, Caitlin Rose Budrewicz

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Background: Military veterans are at an increased risk for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) related to their prior military service. Establishing veteran status of patients cared for in civilian healthcare and screening for PTSD will increase the likelihood of identifying symptoms and prompt appropriate treatment. Purpose: The focus of this project is to increase practitioner awareness and knowledge of PTSD in veteran patients as well as to identify and screen veteran patients for PTSD symptoms utilizing the primary care PTSD screen (PC-PTSD). Method: To determine veteran status, patients over the age of 18 years in an internal medicine clinic will be …

Management Of Adolescent Depression In The Primary Care Setting: An Educational Program For Providers, Kelly Clow

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Background: The prevalence of adolescent depression is estimated at 15-20% in the general population and often under-treated. The primary care provider is in a prime position to identify and treat depression in this age group. However, many providers feel uncomfortable with treating and managing depression in adolescents, due to a lack of education or experience. Purpose: The focus of this quality improvement project was to educate primary care providers on the current recommendations for the management of adolescent depression and provide an education sheet for both the medical and non-medical treatment of adolescent depression. An educational intervention was presented to …

The Role Of Parent Psychopathology In The Developmental Trajectories Of Preschool Children With Behavior Problems, Rosanna P. Breaux

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

This study investigated associations among different parental psychopathology dimensions and child functioning. Mothers and fathers of preschoolers with behavior problems (n = 132) completed psychopathology questionnaires when children were 3 years old. Children’s externalizing, internalizing, and social problems, academic achievement, and cognitive ability were assessed at annual home visits from age 3 to 6. In general, maternal psychopathology symptoms were associated with mothers’ reports of externalizing, internalizing, and social problems at age 3 and 6. Additionally, paternal psychopathology symptoms were associated with fathers’ reports of externalizing and internalizing problems at age 3 and 6. Mothers with more elevated psychopathology …

Associations Of Childhood Family Adversity And Pubertal Timing With Depressive Symptomotology In Adulthood, Jeffrey P. Winer

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

To date, no prior research has examined the combined roles of childhood family adversity and pubertal timing in longitudinal pathways to depressive symptomatology in adulthood. The present study was conducted with 225 men and 225 women to explore the unique and combined roles of childhood family adversity and pubertal timing on depressive symptoms in a community sample of married adults. Results for both men and women indicated significant main effects of a cumulatively risky family environment on depressive symptoms, as well as main effects of families with higher levels of abuse and neglect, chaos and disorganization, and interpersonal family conflict. …

Culture And The Emotion Socialization Of Preschoolers, Claudia I. Lugo-Candelas

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

Objective:The present study examined mothers’ emotion socialization of 3-year–old children with behavior problems, to determine whether emotion socialization practices, as well as the relation between these practices and child functioning, varied across ethnicities. Method: Participants were 156 preschoolers with behavior problems. Mothers were European American (n = 98), Latina American (n = 40; predominately Puerto Rican), and African American (n = 18). Audio taped mother-child interactions were coded for emotion socialization behaviors. Results: Overall, this study provided evidence for both differences and similarities across ethnicities on parental emotion socialization practices. Ethnic differences in use of emotion …

The Effects Of Adolescent Binge Drinking On Corticotropin-Releasing Factor Cells In The Amygdala And Social Predictors Of Alcohol Intake In Male And Female Rats, Chrisanthi Karanikas

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

Alcohol is one of the most common drugs of choice among adolescents. Normally, the method of consumption is drinking large quantities of alcohol in short periods of time, otherwise known as “binge drinking.” Corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) stress peptide producing cells in central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) has been implicated in behavioral responses to stress and addiction. The goals of this thesis were to determine the effects of voluntary binge drinking in adolescence and vapor-induced alcohol dependence in adulthood on CRF cells in the CeA. These studies were done using an operant model of voluntary binge drinking in rodents …

Association Between Serum Ferritin Concentrations And Depressive Symptoms In Japanese Municipal Employees, Siyan Yi, Akiko Nanri, Kalpana Poudel-Tandukar, Daisuke Nonaka, Yumi Matsushita, Ai Hori, Tetsuya Mizoue

Elaine Marieb College of Nursing Faculty Publication Series

It remains unclear whether levels of body iron store are related to milder forms of depression, which are more common among apparently healthy people. We examined the association between serum ferritin concentrations and depressive symptoms among 312 men and 216 women working in two municipal offices in Japan. Depressive symptoms were assessed by using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CESD) scale. In men, increased prevalence of depressive symptoms (defined by using a cutoff value of ≥19) was significantly associated with decreased levels of serum ferritin. In age- and study-site-adjusted models, ORs (95% CIs) for depressive symptoms for men in …

Patient Outcome Expectations And Credibility Beliefs As Predictors Of The Alliance And Treatment Outcome, Rebecca M. Ametrano

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

The clinical relevance of patients’ psychotherapy outcome expectations has been substantiated by a fairly robust correlational literature. Furthermore, as a related yet distinct construct, patients’ treatment credibility beliefs have also been associated with positive treatment outcomes. Addressing several methodological limitations of past research, the current study examined the influence on early adaptive process (patient-psychotherapist alliance quality) and early treatment outcome (patient distress level) of patients’ outcome expectations and credibility beliefs, measured both statically and dynamically with a psychometrically sound self-report instrument. Patients were 110 adult outpatients receiving naturalistically delivered psychotherapy in a community mental health training clinic. The primary research …

Association Between Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D And Depressive Symptoms In Japanese: Analysis By Survey Season, A. Nanri, T. Mizoue, Y. Matsushita, Kalpana Poudel-Tandukar, M. Sato, M. Ohta, N. Mishima

Elaine Marieb College of Nursing Faculty Publication Series

Both depressive symptoms and vitamin D insufficiency are common during winter. This study examined the association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and depressive symptoms by survey season. Subjects were 527 municipal employees aged 21–67 years of two municipal offices in Japan. Overall, there was no measurable association. However, in the workplace surveyed in November, multivariate-adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence interval) of having depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression score of X16) for the lowest through highest quartiles of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D were 1.00 (reference), 0.84 (0.45–1.58), 0.83 (0.44–1.58) and 0.59 (0.30–1.15), respectively (trend P ¼ 0.14). The association with the …

Using The Transtheoretical Model In Primary Care Weight Management: Tipping The Decisional Balance Scale For Exercise, Janice (Jan) M. Peterson

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Changing or modifying a behavior that is addictive or potentially harmful is difficult for most people. The Transtheoretical Model (TM) (Prochaska, Norcross, & DiClemente, 1994) incorporates a compilation of previous theories, providing a framework for the stages of progression when deciding to change a problematic behavior. The stages include: Precontemplation, Contemplation, Preparation, Action, Maintenance, and Termination. Other constructs of the model, some adapted from previous models, include the Decisional Balance (Janis & Mann, 1977), Self-efficacy (Bandura, 1977) and the Processes of Change (Prochaska, Norcross, & DiClemente, 1994, Velicer, Prochaska, Fava, Norman, & Redding, 1998). Traditionally, examining the stages of change …

Rudd Chair Annual Report, 2008-2009, Harold D. Grotevant

Rudd Adoption Research Program Annual Reports

The first Annual Report of the activities of the Rudd Chair for 2008 - 2009