Digital Commons Network^™

Mental Health Awareness In Adolescents And The Impact Of Social Media, Vanessa Clark

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This capstone project focuses on informing parents of the effects of social media on adolescents’ mental health. Adolescents are frequent users of social media as they are more likely to explore online content and be unaware of the potential dangers that can pose a threat to their mental health (Rapee et al. 2019). Due to social media being difficult to monitor at all times, along with advances in technology through school curriculums, we want to acknowledge its presence and usage. Social media allows the opportunity to connect with others digitally but there needs to be awareness of the potentially harmful …

Awareness Of Mental Health Among Adolescents, Gloria Ortiz-Wilson

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The focal point of this capstone project is to bring mental health awareness to the adolescent community in Soledad, California. With the numbers rising in the likelihood of adolescents developing a mental health disorder, it is extremely important for adolescents to know the different types of mental health disorders and the signs of these disorders (Abrams, 2023). Between 20-30% of adolescents have a form of depression, 37% have anxiety disorders, and there has been a 16% increase of suicide in youth 12 and older (Valdez et al., 2022).

Because of adolescents’ increasing risk for mental health issues, there is a …

Social Media Effects On Adolescent Social Skills And Mental Health, Precious Kol

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This capstone project focuses on young adolescents’ use of social networking sites. As technology continues to grow and progress, its influence on adolescents grows and progresses along with it. Social networking sites provide adolescents with the opportunity to present their individuality to the digital world and the opportunity to connect and communicate with their peers. On the other hand, these sites also present vulnerabilities such as exposure to strangers, predators, and potential bullies. Due to the related psychological development, mental health and perspective of self issues with adolescents on these sites, it is important for parents to teach them how …

Informing Adolescents From Latino Immigrant Families About The Effects Of Their Family Responsibilities, Roxanna Emigdio Hernandez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This capstone project focuses on the different types of responsibilities that Latino immigrant families give to their adolescents and the effects it may have on them. Children play an active role in many immigrant families because of cultural traditions and immigration challenges (Fuligni & Telzer, 2012). Adolescents of immigrant parents are often involved in responsibilities such as caring for their younger siblings and cousins, cleaning, cooking, and translating for family members. Adolescents are given these duties because their parents often work multiple jobs and long hours to provide for their families. It is also important to note how difficult a …

Improving The Social Emotional Recognition And Regulation For Special Education Adolescents, Isabella Lopez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The focal topic for this project is emotional learning in high school students in special education programs. Social emotional learning is focused on emotions, recognizing emotions, and expression of emotions in connection to interacting with others. This is important in any stage of development because it creates the foundation of children’s future social interactions and how they deal with emotions in adulthood. Students with special needs sometimes lack the ability to recognize their own intense emotions and enact appropriate ways to express them. For these students, it can be difficult to process and express emotions in a social setting, like …

Increasing Awareness On Different Types Of Cyberbullying For Early Adolescents, Cristela Aviles

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Young adolescents are at a stage where they have access to electronic devices and various forms of online communication. Many young adolescents may not be aware that there are various types of cyberbullying and not one general type. Young adolescents who are victims of cyberbullying may experience anxiety, depression, social phobia and can lead to extreme outcomes such as suicide.

Improving Stress Management For Young Adolescents, James Carlin

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Many young kids deal with stress that tends to lead to general anxiety disorders. This has been heightened among the youth during and after the Covid 19 pandemic. A lack of awareness in how to manage stress can become overwhelming. Overwhelming stress can scaffold into further anxiety disorders within the child’s future. This is where anxiety disorders may start to develop once the child starts entering later adolescents and young adulthood. In order to address this issue I created a four day skateboarding lesson program for five elementary school students who are from the ages of six to eleven years …

Increasing Anxiety Awareness In High School Students, Kiley Arellano

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Many high school students may experience excessive anxiety. According to the National Institute of Health, nearly 1 in 3 of all adolescents ages 13 to 18 will experience an anxiety disorder. Persistent anxiety can lead to future health problems such as heart disease, respiratory disorders, and substance use disorders. If adolescents learn how to identify symptoms of anxiety and utilize effective coping mechanisms, they are likely to have positive academic outcomes, success in the workplace, and better quality of life. To address this, I have developed a one-day interactive lesson for junior and senior students at San Luis Obispo High …

Raising Cyberbullying Awareness Among Middle School Students, Beshoy Bebawi

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Cyberbullying can significantly impact students, including those in 7th grade; some ways that cyber bullying can affect 7th-grade students include emotional distress, academic problems, and self-esteem issues (Campbell, 2016). Because of the adverse effects of cyberbullying on young adolescents, there is a need for services that teach young people about the dangers and consequences of cyberbullying and how to recognize and respond to it. Therefore, I have created a one-day lesson addressing cyberbullying with 7th grade at Los Arboles middle school in Marina, California.

Increasing High School Students’ Awareness Of The Risks Of Gang Violence, Kyla Castaneda

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The present study experimentally informed the effects of high school students of not being aware of the impact of gangs and gang violence. The study consisted of 23 participants, ages from 13 years of age to 15 years of age. All in which are highs school freshman in a freshman seminar course located in a small community know for gang violence. Participants were lead with a two day curriculum with an introduction to the risks of gang violence and how to coping with gang involvement. Furthermore, adolescents with higher exposure to gang violence were able to share relatable experiences in …

Language Brokering In Immigrant Families, Jessica Manuel

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This capstone project focuses on children's language brokering in immigrant families. A practice engaged in by many immigrant youth who interpret and translate oral and written language for their own family. Typically, these language events occur as part of everyday life and involve the need for communication. In this case the brokers that we will be focusing on are children and adolescents with parents whose primary language is Spanish. Many of these children are a reliable source for their parents to communicate and understand a primary language in a country where they migrated to.

Increasing Growth Mindset Statements, Karla Montano Acosta

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

When individuals adopt a fixed mindset, they are more likely to give up while encountering a challenge. However, when individuals adopt a growth mindset, they are more likely to persist; despite, experiencing challenges. High school students may benefit from increasing their growth mindset statements by continuing with their education despite encountering challenges. Therefore, I developed a two-day lesson on developing growth mindset statements for a ninth-grade English class at Pajaro Valley High School in Watsonville, California.

Increasing High School Students Awareness Of Teen Dating Violence, Desiree Acosta

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Nowadays, most adolescents are involved in more romantic relationships. However, many teens may not realize the risks that are associated with dating. Some risks may include physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. To spread awareness, I created a two day session curriculum about dating violence and delivered the content to a sophomore English class at Reedley High in Reedley California.

Increasing Knowledge Of Benefits Of Pursuing Higher Education For First-Generation Latino High School Students, Enid Donato-Arellano

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Many first-generation, Latino high school youth do not receive enough information about the importance of higher education. These students lack the knowledge of resources and support to continue their education after high school. There is a lack of knowledge amongst first-generation Latino students about the process of applying to schools they could possibly attend after graduation. A recurring obstacle first-generation Latino youth face is the concern of not being able to afford college. First-generation Latino youth may feel they do not fit into the U.S. college culture and therefore do not think of themselves as college-bound or having a higher …

Increasing Depression And Anxiety Awareness In High School, Hannah Pesina

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This project was focused on the lack of mental health awareness curriculum in high school. Due to students having lack of education in high school, this created many barriers between students and academics, as well as students receiving the proper resources. This project focuses on adolescents in STEM. When adolescents gain the proper knowledge and awareness on Depression and Anxiety, they are more open to being able to identify the warning signs within ones self as well as being able to promote mental health well-being.

Salinas Union High School District Resource Video, Carmen Ambriz

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The Wellness Center at Harden Middle School opened in the Fall of 2019 and is new for students, parents, and faculty. Due to misconceptions about the Wellness Center and the resources offered, students are either not utilizing the Wellness Center or not using it correctly. Results from pre-surveys indicated that a combined 74.7% answered they didn’t know or sort of knew what a Wellness Center was used for. The factors contributing to this problem are the stigma surrounding mental health, parents not likely to support their children receiving services, and students dealing with socio-emotional issues that are impacting class time. …

Cultivating Growth Mindset With Adolescents, Daisy D. Yang

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Some teens may believe that intelligence and other traits are fixed and unchangeable. As a result of having these fixed perspectives, adolescents may not be motivated to achieve academically and may give up in the face of challenge. Instead, teens can increase their confidence levels and motivation and adopt a growth mindset for their well-being. In order to address this issue, I created a two-day lesson for highschoolers at Rio Linda High School in Sacramento, California.

Support Group Outcomes For Hispanic/Latinx Youth In San Benito County, Melina M. Perez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Relatively few studies have examined the process of social/cultural detachment in Hispanic/Latinx youth in the United States. The present project adopted an ecological approach to this issue, focusing on mezzo- and macro-level support system development, apart from micro-level character and self-esteem development. Educational disparities, acculturation stress, and familial oppression lead to gaps between parents, adolescents, schools, and the community. Following the Youth Alliance’s philosophy that youth need support from multiple sources in order to heal, the Guiding and Understanding Individuals in Achieving Success (GUIAS) program’s support group sessions bridge these gaps. By offering culture- and gender-sensitive lessons, hands-on activities, and …

Mental Health And You, Sierra Salvatierra

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The Latinx community at the Epicenter in Salinas dealt with mental health illnesses, as well as were brought up with machismo attitudes. This population has a strong stigma against getting help with their mental health. Being faced with immigration, poverty, discrimination and inadequite conversations about health, drives a spike in anxiety levels. Consequences of not dealing with mental health illnesses include unresolved emotions are generational trauma, self harm, substance abuse, and unhealthy relationships. The project created to get in front of this problem was a dialogue series of conversation starters for people who want to open up. The purpose of …

Increasing Bullying Awareness To Middle School Students, Karina Lopez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The focus of this paper is to address bullying and the affects it has on young adolescents. There are not enough resources to help prevent bullying. Bullying in middle school may cause psychological and physical effects to students such as depression and suicide. Therefore, I created a two day lesson for middle school students in Gilroy, California at Ascencion Solorsano Middle School on how to help victims being bullied and how to decrease bullying from happening.

Enhancing Communication Skills In Adolescents, Brooke Swan

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Adolescents may not be exposed to effective and healthy communication therefore unable to practice using those skills. This will allow them to learn these skills and use them in their life and express themselves effectively and be able to actively listen to others.

Social Media: Impact On Adolescents, Mary Breen

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

It is likely that adolescents are not aware of the impact of social media on their self-esteem and overall well-being. Adolescents, between the ages of 12 and 17, increase their usage of social media (Cookingham & Ryan, 2015). Adolescents indicate that social media is important to maintain constant contact with their friends and peers. However, social media can have both positive and negative impacts on adolescents’ mood and other mental health outcomes (Wood, Bukowski & Lis, 2016).

Prevention Of Cyberbullying In Adolescents, Ashley Ellcessor

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The topic being researched was cyberbullying and the effects it can have on adolescent. The participants for the Capstone Project included seven sixth-grade students in a public elementary school located in Monterey County. The capstone project began with a slideshow and a YouTube video. The slideshow and video were used to provide more information on the student’s prior knowledge. After the slideshow and video, the students participated in a game of Kahoot. During the Kahoot game, the students answered true and false questions. After the Kahoot game, the students were presented with an exit slip, where the researcher could analyze …

Start The Conversation: Teaching High School Students Mental Illness And Stigma, Maria Espinoza

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

There is an information gap among adolescents regarding mental health knowledge. In order to reduce stigma of mental illness and promote help seeking, there is a need to inform adolescents about mental health as part of overall health, maintaining their mental health, and what to do for themselves and for others who may be affected by issues of depression and anxiety. I created a two-day lesson on mental health that consists of mental illness information, what is stigma, how to reduce mental health stigma, and methods to advocate for better mental health for 11 high school participants from San Benito …

Mindfulness-Based Interventions For Adolescents With Cancer And Teen Cancer Survivors, Daniela Ramirez-Ibarra

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Adolescence is a significant period for identity construction and self development (Jones, Blunda, Biegel, Carlson, Biel, & Wiener., 2013). This critical development period is quickly disrupted for adolescents with cancer. With the challenges of undergoing cancer treatment, come abnormal daily routines and changes to the developing self, which may cause anxiety, depression, and other mental health disorders (Jones et al., 2013). Even after an adolescent survives cancer, he or she may be likely to face chronic adjustment difficulties, cognitive challenges, struggles at school, social deficits, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression (Jones et al., 2013). To address the stressful …

Motivating Students With Learning Disabilities To Succeed In Education, Ana Reyes-Ortiz

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Many students with learning disabilities may feel incapable of achieving in their academic goals and are in need of greater motivation. They may believe that abilities are innate and fixed and that their ability to learn and achieve is unchangeable. However, they may not be aware of growth mindset strategies that can support their academic success. To address the need for motivation, I created three lessons to teach seventh grade students in a resource classroom at Aptos Jr. High strategies for a growth mindset and to stay motivated throughout their academic challenges.

Increasing Middle School Students’ Awareness Of Becoming Involved In Risk Taking Behaviors, Leslie Chavez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Given that adolescence is a time of many changes, many teenagers are becoming involved in risk taking behaviors. Adolescents tend to be more susceptible to these risks in comparison to others in the lifespan due to their autonomy from parents, peer pressure, and trying to find their identities. Teenagers may not understand why risky behaviors are attractive to adolescents and how to manage the urge to engage in them. To address the teenagers’ lack of awareness, I will create two 30 minute session curriculum about the importance of avoiding risk taking behaviors among students at Chalone Peaks Middle School in …

Reduction Of Stereotypy In Adolescents With Autism Using Visual And Auditory Cues, Julieanne M. Salisbury

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Reducing stereotypy is the goal of many interventions for students with autism. Ideally, the interventions are not intrusive and inexpensive. Three adolescent males diagnosed with autism were recruited based on their levels of stereotypy and lack of success with other interventions. The current study used an alternating treatment embedded within an ABAB design to look at the use of visual and auditory cues in attempt to alter stereotypical behaviors. The first treatment included verbal reprimands paired with the visual cue of a red card and presented contingent on stereotypy. In the second treatment, a green card was shown and there …

Social Skills Training Targeting Inappropriate Sexual Behavior For Adolescents With Autism, Jenna M. Gutierrez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Individuals with autism tend to have difficulties with understanding social skills and when used inappropriately, social skills can hinder an individual’s social network, employment, and have potential legal ramifications. Therefore, employing a research-based intervention such as social stories is crucial. Two adolescent students with autism were selected for this study due to inappropriate touching of their genitals. A multiple baseline across participants was used to measure the impact of the use of social stories on the participants’ inappropriate touching of their own genitals. The use of this inexpensive intervention was successful and immediate. Both participants decreased their display of inappropriate …

Importance Of Providing A "Safe Haven" For Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered And Queer Youth, William Henry Norwood

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered, and Queer (LGBTQ) adolescent homelessness is a serious issue that plagues America today. Out of the total number of homeless youth, 40% identify as LGBTQ. Many are runaways, or are pushed-out of their home due to their sexuality after suffering from verbal, physical, or sexual abuse. Unlike their homeless heterosexual counterparts, this population of youth face particular factors that affect not only their cognitive and psychosocial development, but their physical health as well. LGBTQ adolescents also have a higher incidence of substance use while homeless. The foregoing reasons illustrate how imperative it is to provide a …