Digital Commons Network^™

The Effects Of Period Poverty On Women Around The World, Sagelyn Shoell

Student Works

Period poverty involves girl’s and women’s lack of access to menstruation supplies, clean and private facilities, and education due in large part to negative attitudes surrounding the female menstrual cycle (Mann & Byrne, 2023). It is estimated that up to 500 million women around the world live in period poverty (The World Bank, 2022). Period poverty can adversely influence a women’s physical health, mental health, and educational opportunities and is usually associated with hostile sexism (at worst) and misunderstanding (at best) (Eyring et al., 2023; Marvan et al, 2013). Women who are experiencing period poverty often resort to unsanitary products, …

Understanding Student Perceptions Of A High School Wellness Center: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis Qualitative Study, Devan Audrey Clayton

Theses and Dissertations

Adolescents face many challenges at home and at school which impact various areas of their lives, including their academics. Schools have worked to ensure better student mental health outcomes by hiring school counselors, school psychologists, and school social workers. School wellness centers can be an additional resource that students utilize to address mental health challenges during their school day. The purpose of this study is to understand adolescent perceptions of a school-based wellness center. Perceptions of populations who utilize the wellness center and those who do not utilize the wellness center were studied within one high school to understand how …

Positive Effects Of Conservative Religion On The Mental Health Of Sexual Minorities, Jaxon Jessup

Student Works

Sexual minorities often struggle to navigate their sexuality and conservative religious beliefs. Conservative religion is often thought to be toxic for sexual minorities because of the emphasis on traditional marriage (Anderton et al., 2012), and often, the LGBT community will reject sexual minorities that choose to remain in religion (O'Brien, 2007). Conservative religion, however, provides many resources that could benefit sexual (and other) minorities. Religion can help create a sense of identity through teachings and community involvement that may strengthen positive self-perception; it may also create a sense of belonging within a supportive community, especially when individuals are raised among …

Where Do I Fit In God’S Plan? Mixed-Orientation Marriages In The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints, Camron Angell

Student Works

Mixed-Orientation marriages (MOMs) are a complex reality of many Latter-day Saints. A MOM is when one or both partners in a relationship are either lesbian, bisexual, or gay (Kort, 2015). This paper overviews the effects on mental health and the sustainability of MOMs. Research suggests that MOMs have a negative effect on mental health, and LGB members are much less likely to get help from mental health professionals due to stigma and fear of rejection (Dyer et al., 2023; Legerski et al., 2016; McGraw et el., 2023). MOMs are also up to 30% more likely to end in divorce (Dehlin, …

Migrants And Refugees

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

No abstract provided.

Undernutrition Among Children In Guatemala, Ellie Ostvig

Ballard Brief

Undernutrition in Guatemala is a serious issue that affects physical, mental, and social well-being. Children are most vulnerable to this dangerous condition, and in Guatemala, almost 50% of children experience inadequate growth and development due to a lack of appropriate nutrient intake. Because of food insecurity and lack of nutrients, young children do not have adequate access to the nutrition that they need. Guatemala is located in an area that makes it prone to natural disasters, which also contributes to the high rates of undernutrition. Undernourished children also experience intense disadvantages because of their weakened immune systems and cognitive underdevelopment. …

Child Abuse In Residential Homes Of Ghana, Alyssa Minor

Ballard Brief

Children placed in residential homes in Ghana suffer from physical violence and physical neglect more often than children in family-based homes. In overcrowded residential homes, many basic needs are often not being met, and the use of physical violence is common due to inadequate funding, lack of training, lack of clear policies, and years of normalizing violent disciplinary actions. This problem of child abuse within residential homes of Ghana creates financial burdens on the country and negative psychosocial effects for children suffering from neglect or physical violence, hindering their ability to reach their full earnings potential. Very few interventions have …

Dengue Fever In South And Southeast Asia, Mikaela D. Lubin

Ballard Brief

Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne illness that impacts South and Southeast Asia at significant rates. It is carried primarily by the aedes aegypti mosquito, a species that thrives in warm, tropical climates. Features of dengue include excruciating pain and, in severe cases, internal bleeding, shock, and death. The spread of dengue in South and Southeast Asia is due to several factors, including advancements in transportation, poor preventative measures, poor sanitation, and subsequent standing water, which is an ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes. Dengue causes many negative consequences on individuals and communities it affects, including pain and suffering, lasting physiological effects, …

How Universities Use Twitter To Communicate About Mental Health, Sarah Elizabeth Polhill

Theses and Dissertations

From a sample of over three million tweets from universities in the US, we described the characteristics of universities' communication about mental health on Twitter, including common keywords, bigrams, linked resources, and hashtags, as well as the frequency of dialogic communication and mental health tweets over time, especially in the context of the COVID-19 Pandemic. This study uses data mining to collect tweets from official university Twitter accounts and selected accounts of university wellness and counseling programs. Relevant tweets were collected from a large sample using keywords and bigrams relevant to mental health from the Twitter accounts of IACS accredited …

The Relationship Between Historical Trauma And Mental Health Status: The Moderating Role Of Ethnic Immersion For Polynesian Americans, Cameron W. H. Hee

Theses and Dissertations

A large body of research has examined the intergenerational consequences of historically traumatic events with populations whose ancestors have collectively faced significant experiences of loss and trauma due to colonization, genocide, and other forms of oppression and marginalization. This type of research is especially prevalent among indigenous populations and historical trauma has been used to theoretically explain some groups overrepresentation in negative societal and health indices. Yet there has been virtually no empirical study of the effects of historical trauma using a Polynesian sample. The aim of this dissertation was to examine the association historically traumatic losses may have with …

Postpartum Depression Among Adolescent Mothers In The United States, Susan May

Ballard Brief

Adolescent mothers are twice as likely to suffer from postpartum depression than adult mothers. In addition. teen moms are more likely to experience social stigma associated with teenage pregnancy and motherhood. Adolescent mothers also abuse substances at a higher rate than adult mothers, and teen dads are less likely to be involved in parenting responsibilities than adult fathers. These factors associated with teenage mothers cause an increased likelihood of teen moms developing postpartum depression. When mothers suffer from postpartum depression, their children are more at risk for child development problems. fathers are more likely to suffer from depression, and parents …

How Brazilians Used Media To Cope With The Issues Brought By The Covid-19 Pandemic, Vivian De Melo Campos

Theses and Dissertations

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the world faced lockdown and quarantine restrictions that encouraged or forced people to stay home. Along with the rest of the world, Brazil faced many difficulties during this period and it became one of the countries that lost more lives due to the Coronavirus infection worldwide. This study focuses on showing how people in Brazil coped with the challenges brought by the pandemic. It also focuses on showing if and how participants used media as a coping mechanism. The research was done through qualitative methods with semi-structured interviews with 25 adults who were living in …

Sexual Abuse Of Children In The United States Foster Care System, Abigail Hessing

Ballard Brief

Foster care is a long-running and relatively commonplace system in the US: however, in 2019 there were an estimated 400,000 children in foster care, leaving the system overwhelmed and at its peak capacity. Of those children, it is estimated that up to 40% of them had experienced some type of abuse within the system. Looking at sexual abuse specifically, vulnerable children are often targeted by sexual predators, and when grouped together in a system underequipped to provide adequate protection, foster care children can become easily accessible targets for sexual abuse. Caretakers who are undersupported and households that are overfilled create …

Adolescent Girls' Mental Health, Amanda Hardy

AWE (A Woman’s Experience)

No abstract provided.

Mental Illness As A Vulnerability For Sexual Assault: A Retrospective Study Of 7,455 Sexual Assault Forensic Medical Examinations, Leslie Miles, Julie L. Valentine, Linda Mabey, Nancy R. Downing

Faculty Publications

Background: Persons with severe mental illness (MI) are at a high risk of becoming victims of sexual assault (SA). Vulnerability for SA with any type of MI is unknown. This study aimed to identify the prevalence of preexisting MI and other significant factors in patients reporting preexisting MI at the time of their SA medical forensic examinations (SAMFEs).

Method: A retrospective SAMFE chart review of patients ( N = 7,455) from 2010 to 2020 was conducted. Sexual assault nurse examiners completed SAMFEs. Inclusion criteria included (a) aged 14 years and older, (b) completed SAMFE with SA kit evidence collection, and …

The Negative Side Of A Student-Athlete, Mickey Strauss

Student Works

College athletes have different levels of success and failures throughout their college careers. These successes and failures can easily determine if an athlete is happy, can build up or break down self-esteem and confidence. In addition to student-athlete having many positive benefits like developing healthy lifestyle habits, increase happiness, increase self-esteem and self worth. The challenges that a college athlete faces are the benefits and hazards of physical activity, factors that lead to happiness or depression.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has reported an increase in suicide in student-athletes, causing it to be the fourth leading cause of death …

Intersex: Specificity Or Sensitivity, Joseph Bradley

Student Works

This synthesized paper highlights how medical and social circles perceive and treat intersex individuals. The main topic of how to define an intersex individual is brought to question. The implications of how intersex individuals are defined are also discussed.

Untreated Mental Illness Among Veterans In The United States, Erin Anderson

Ballard Brief

In the United States. less than half of the veteran population have received screening or diagnosis for mental illness or have received mental health counseling and treatment, resulting in many veterans with severe mental health issues living without a proper diagnosis. Many factors contribute to these statistics, including negative social stigmas surrounding mental health, mistrust of mental health professionals. a lack of publicity and communication about veteran benefits, and limited amount of resources available to treat such a large population. Mental illness at this level impacts not only the quality of life of each veteran but also the livelihood of …

"It's Like Being Pulled In Two Directions": Experiences Of Transgender Latter-Day Saints, Morgan Monet

Theses and Dissertations

This study qualitatively examined the experiences of transgender individuals who also identify as active members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (N=10). Researchers took an interpretive phenomenological approach to elicit factors which allow trans Mormon folks to hold their apparently conflicting religious and gender identities simultaneously (and the consequences of doing so). Overall, we aimed to answer the broad question, “what is it like to be transgender and Mormon?” Following a process of semi-structured interviews, transcription, and coding, the broad categories which seemed to connect many elements of the trans/Mormon experience were 1) a sense of being …

Recommendations For Perioperative Care Of Adolescents At Risk For Suicide, Rachelle Huber Dustin Rn, Bsn, Blaine A. Winters Dnp, Acnp-Bc

Student Works

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death for the adolescent population, and as such, should be addressed when adolescents have any contact with the healthcare system, including perioperative appointments. Although some surgical facilities screen patients with a history of suicide attempt or severe mental health conditions, many adolescents who have died by suicide do not have official mental health diagnoses or history of previous suicide attempt. Because of the impact surgery can have on mental health, each adolescent should be screened for suicide risk during pre-surgical consult appointments to assess suicide risk and take proper precautions, as needed. …

Adverse Childhood Experiences, Psychological Distress, And Fathering Behaviors, Kevin Shafer, Scott D. Easton

Faculty Publications

Objective

This study examines the relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), internalized and externalized psychological distress, and six measures of parenting behavior among fathers in the United States.

Background

Prior research on ACEs and parenting has focused almost exclusively on mothers, specific types of childhood adversity, and the intergenerational transmission of abuse, neglect, and other traumatic experiences. This study extends the literature by considering ACEs in fathers, using a multidimensional measure of ACEs, and multiple measures of positive and negative fathering behavior.

Method

Using the ecological model of father involvement, this study is based on a national sample of more …

The Roles Of Identity Formation And Moral Identity In College Student Mental Health, Health-Risk Behaviors, And Psychological Well-Being, Sam A. Hardy, Stephen W. Francis, Byron L. Zamboanga, Su Yeong Kim, Spencer G. Anderson, Larry F. Forthun

Faculty Publications

Objectives: This study examined the roles of identity formation and moral identity in predicting college student mental health (anxiety and depressive symptoms), health-risk behaviors (hazardous alcohol use and sexual risk taking), and psychological well-being (self-esteem and meaning).

Method: The sample comprised 9,500 college students (aged 18–25 years, mean = 19.78, standard deviation = 1.61: 73% female; 62% European American), from 31 different universities, who completed an online self-report survey. Results: Structural equation models found that identity maturity (commitment making and identity synthesis) predicted 5 of the health outcomes (except sexual risk taking), and moral identity predicted ail of the health …

Mental Health Concerns In Armenia, Morgan Rushford, Sara Jensen

Ballard Brief

Armenia is one of many countries whose population faces mental health struggles to a relatively high degree. However, the extent of these struggles is relatively unknown due to the country's underreporting of recent, accurate data on mental health statistics. Armenia's mental health crisis can be attributed to many factors. some of which include residual trauma from various events in the country's history (such as the Armenian Genocide and the earthquake of 1988), domestic violence, perpetuation of cultural stigmas that keep individuals from seeking help for mental illness, and lack of resources and healthcare infrastructure. A few of the most prominent …

Exploring Dialogue Journals As A Context For Connecting With And Supporting The Emotional Lives Of Fourth Graders, Samantha Simone Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

About 20 percent of school-aged children, 18 years and younger, struggle with mental health issues in America today. Mental health issues lead to greater rates of suicide, depression, loneliness, anxiety, and bullying that takes place in and out of schools. This exploratory multiple case study looks at how 10 fourth graders, five male and five female, use a weekly entry in a dialogue journal letter to their teacher to share their emotional lives. I explore how a dialogue journal can open up a space between students and teachers for emotional aspects of life and learning to be included in schools. …

Isolation Among Generation Z In The United States, Abby Bowler

Ballard Brief

Americans between the ages of 7 and 22 experience much higher rates of loneliness than other generations. Factors such as social media usage contribute to feelings of loneliness. which are compounded by the vulnerability and peer exclusion often experienced during adolescence. Social isolation leads to detrimental effects on both the physical and mental health of teenagers who experience it. Such effects include decreased sleep efficiency, a weakened immune system. and depression. Further. those who are lonely and isolated are more likely to participate in risky behavior such as substance abuse. Leading practices for treating isolation among adolescents (or its causes …

The Association Of Sleep Quality And Loneliness With Perceived Physical And Mental Health Status In Autistic Adults, Nicholas Charles Clark Russell

Theses and Dissertations

Autistic individuals report a greater prevalence of physical and mental health difficulties, compared to the general population. This study examines factors which impact physical and mental health in the general population to evaluate whether they potentially underlie this increased prevalence in autistic individuals. We compared twenty-two autistic adults, twenty-three adults reporting symptoms of insomnia, and twenty-one neurotypical adults. The primary factors were sleep quality and insomnia; secondary factors were level of autistic traits, alexithymia, and prosocial behavior. Participants completed self-report measures looking at each of these factors as well as their perceived physical and mental health. Participants also wore an …

Longitudinal Links Between Parents’ Mental Health, Parenting, And Adolescents’ Mental Health: Moderation By Adolescent Sex, Laura M. Padilla-Walker, Hannah B. Apsley

Faculty Publications

This study explored mothering and fathering as possible mediators of the relationship between parent and adolescent mental health concerns and considered the adolescents’ biological sex as a potential moderator. Using structural equation modeling, the longitudinal links between parents’ mental health, parental psychological control, parent-adolescent connectedness, and adolescent mental health in 500 families— including 338 fathers and 500 mothers—were explored over the course of 5 years. The mean age of the adolescents (51.8% female, 69.6% European American) at Time 1 was 13.3 years. Mothers’ symptoms of anxiety directly predicted girls’ depression 5 years later. This relation was not mediated by parenting …

Childhood Adversity, Mental Health, And The Perpetration Of Physical Violence In The Adult Intimate Relationships Of Women Prisoners: A Life Course Approach, Melissa S. Jones, Stephanie W. Burge, Susan F. Sharp, David A. Mcleod

Faculty Publications

Background: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are common, with nearly two-thirds of adult samples reporting exposure to at least one and one-quarter reporting exposure to three or more distinct types of ACEs. ACEs have been linked to various negative outcomes across the life course, including mental health problems, and the perpetration of physical violence in intimate relationships. However, little is known about the relationships between ACEs, PTSD symptomology, and use of physical violence against an adult intimate partner among incarcerated women.

Objective: The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships between ACEs, PTSD symptoms, and the perpetration of the …

Grace, Legalism, And Mental Health Among The Latter-Day Saints, Daniel K. Judd, W. Justin Dyer

BYU Studies Quarterly

Martin Luther (1483–1546), a central figure of the Protestant Reformation, is one of many who have experienced tension between the perceived necessity of their own good works and the grace of God in the process of salvation. Soon after the young Luther entered the monastery in preparation to become a priest, he began to experience the consequences of his legalistic beliefs. Reflecting on this experience later in life, he wrote:

"Camouflaging" In Women With Autistic Traits: Measures, Mechanisms, And Mental Health Implications, Jonathan S. Beck

Theses and Dissertations

Autistic traits are associated with frequent psychological distress and everyday functional challenges. Some individuals with autistic traits “camouflage” these traits during social interactions by effortfully engaging in “typical” social behaviors. Camouflaging seems to be especially common in autistic girls and women. Emerging evidence proposes a role for camouflaging behaviors in poorer mental health and daily functioning. Furthermore, camouflaging efforts may delay receipt of a proper diagnosis and access to appropriate mental health care. Despite their clinical significance, camouflaging efforts remain difficult to quantify, and the mechanisms and impacts of camouflaging are poorly understood. This study aimed to compare multiple methods …