Digital Commons Network^™

Social Stigma, Public Health, And Addiction In Albania, Ediola Malkouari

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Drug use is considered in many countries the plague of today's society. Researchers from medical, psychological and sociological fields, as well as lawmakers, are interested in finding more answers to this widespread phenomenon. All over the world there are known conflicts related to drug producing, transportation routes and distribution, that harm the economy and social standing of the involved communities or countries. Policies towards drug use vary from country to country, but this research focuses on how stigma affects the lives of individuals suffering from substance use disorder (SUD) in Albania. Substance use disorder is not often considered a disease, …

The Relationship Between Parent And Child Health Behaviors In Youth With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Elise M. Arnold

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Previous studies found that children with ASD tend to participate in lower amounts of physical activity (PA), accumulate greater hours of screen time (ST), and have poorer sleep quality (SQ), compared to typically developing (TD) youth. Unfortunately, these poor health behaviors put youth with ASD at a high risk for developing obesity, as well as other obesity-related conditions (e.g. Type 2 diabetes). In order to reduce this risk, it is critical to understand the factors that affect activity levels and sleep in youth with ASD. Several studies have demonstrated that parents may have a large influence on social behaviors in …

Awareness Of The Unaware: Anosognosia As A Comorbidity In Mental Health Conditions, Tiffany L. Baula

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The primary purpose of this integrative review of the literature is to describe healthcare provider’s recognition of anosognosia in individuals with comorbid mental health disorders, as a differentiating diagnosis needing preeminent early intervention. The secondary purpose is to examine how anosognosia influences outcomes in the population of individuals with severe mental illness. It is expected that early recognition by clinicians and implementation of additional interventions to address anosognosia as the most influential comorbidity of schizophrenia, will decrease exacerbations and improve treatment and patient outcomes.

A literature review exploring clinician’s acknowledgement of anosognosia was performed using various databases. Search terms included: …

Addressing The Elephant On The Stage: Mental Health In Theatre Education, Alexandra M. Meridionale

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis examined the ways in which present-day 6^th through 12^th grade theatre educators approach the topic of mental health, both implicitly and explicitly, in theatre education. Through a survey of existing literature, as well as interviews with 6^th through 12^th grade theatre educators, the researcher examined ways in which theatre educators were aware of the mental health needs of their students in any of the following capacities: explicit discussions regarding mental health, theatre curriculum, show selection, script analysis, and casting choices.

The reveal the educator perception that mental health issues are increasingly relevant to 6 …

Evaluation Of Remote-Based Learning Of A Nutrition Program For Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Covid-19 Pilot Study, Riley H. Shurack

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Introduction: Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) demonstrate poor health-related behaviors, such as nutrition, compared to their typically developed (TD) counterparts. With the occurrence of the COVID-19 pandemic and mandatory stay-at-home orders, such health-related behaviors may be complicated and there is a need to focus on feasibility and acceptability of in-person and remote-based nutrition programs.

Methods: Eleven high school students with ASD were recruited to participate in a modified nutrition program utilizing Zoom software during COVID-19. The duration was once a week for four weeks, and concepts reviewed included shopping for healthy food on a budget, introducing non-perishable …

Exploring Sedentary Time Of Rural Children During Structured Versus Less-Structured Days, Serina Rayan

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The purpose of this study is to examine rural children's sedentary time during school days vs non-school days Currently, childhood obesity research has focused predominantly on urban-dwelling children. However, existing literature indicates that rural children have higher rates of obesity than their urban counterparts. There is a current lack of evidence investigating the obesogenic behaviors of rural children, such as physical activity levels, sleep duration, sedentary behaviors and diet. With this project, I aim to observe sedentary time (time spent sitting, screen time etc.) as research has shown that independent of physical activity, sedentary time is associated with weight gain. …

Systematic Literature Review Of Cognitive Behavioral Treatments For Patients With Classical, Secondary, And Idiopathic Trigeminal Neuralgia, Linnea B. Herzog

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Trigeminal neuralgia is a painful neuralgia with a complicated pathology that is not clearly understood. Due to the ambiguity of the condition, patients often have to search for medical providers that specialize in trigeminal neuralgia, and even with the guidance of a specialist, some patients do not respond well to treatment.¹ Despite the uncertainty surrounding the specifics of the disease, there are treatments available that can provide some level of pain relief for patients suffering from this disorder. When a patient does not respond well to medical therapy, surgery can be the next appropriate step in patient care management. …