Digital Commons Network^™

Risk And Protective Factor Specific To African American Youth And Adolescents: A Systematic Review, Darius Reed, Raymond Dewayne Adams

Journal of Family Strengths

Although existing suicide literature proposes that simply being African American protects against suicide (Nguyen et al., 2017; Street et al., 2012), few studies offer practical insights at mitigating suicidal ideations among African American children and adolescents let alone through a social work perspective (Reed, 2019). As the largest provider of mental health services in the United States (American Counseling Association, 2018), the field of social work research has understudied this phenomenon. While it is true that African Americans have experienced lower rates of suicide when compared to the general population (CDC, 2019), research has not compared the risk and protective …

Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Mental Health And Well-Being Of Communities: An Exploratory Qualitative Study Protocol, Anam Shahil Feroz, Naureen Akber Ali, Noshaba Akber Ali, Ridah Feroz, Salima Nazim Meghani, Sarah Saleem

Community Health Sciences

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly resulted in an increased level of anxiety and fear in communities in terms of disease management and infection spread. Due to fear and social stigma linked with COVID-19, many individuals in the community hide their disease and do not access healthcare facilities in a timely manner. In addition, with the widespread use of social media, rumours, myths and inaccurate information about the virus are spreading rapidly, leading to intensified irritability, fearfulness, insomnia, oppositional behaviours and somatic complaints. Considering the relevance of all these factors, we aim to explore the perceptions and attitudes of community …

Trans Men’S Access To Knowledgeable Providers And Their Experiences In Health Care Settings: Differences By Demographics, Mental Health, And Degree Of Being “Out” To Providers, Kristie L. Seelman, Shanna K. Kattari, Penny Harvey, Matthew Bakko

SW Publications

Transgender adults face a health care system rife with stigma, including a lack of culturally responsive providers and high likelihood of discrimination and mistreatment. However, there is a gap in knowledge about trans men—those assigned a female sex at birth who identify as men or as transmasculine—including subgroups, such as trans men of color. Using data from the U.S. Transgender Survey, the largest transgender survey conducted in the United States, this study analyzes whether trans men’s access to knowledgeable providers and their experiences of mistreatment in health care were related to demographic and mental health characteristics and degree of being …

Prevalence Of Depression And Anxiety Symptoms Of High School Students In Shandong Province During The Covid-19 Epidemic, Zeng Zhang, Ailing Zhai, Mingchuan Yang, Junqing Zhang, Haotian Zhou, Chuanming Yang, Shanshan Duan, Cong Zhou

Faculty and Student Publications

© Copyright © 2020 Zhang, Zhai, Yang, Zhang, Zhou, Yang, Duan and Zhou. Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (covid-19) has brought physical risks as well as psychological challenges to the whole world. High school students are a special group suffering from both the academic pressure and the threat of the epidemic. The present study aims to conduct an online survey to investigate the psychological status of high school students in Shandong Province. Methods: Using a web-based cross-sectional survey, data was collected from 1,018 voluntary high school students assessed with demographic information, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 …

The Importance Of Nutrition Education As A Recovery Component For Individuals With Severe Mental Illnesses, Emily Martinez

Master's Projects and Capstones

In efforts to challenge the Western medicine’s determination of nutrition as a holistic approach, this paper represents the intent for mental health facilities in California to improve or implement nutrition education curriculum by enhancing interprofessional teams with dietitians as an important component of recovery for severe mental illness patients. There is concrete evidence proving that individuals who are in facilities recovering from mental illnesses have benefited from optimal nutrition consumption. Nutrition education has become a component among the toolbox of recovery options, but unfortunately it is not encouraged enough. Pharmaceutical companies advertise drug therapy as the most effective way to …

Mental Health In College Students: Disclosure & Seeking Support, Abby R. Smargon

Honors Program Theses and Projects

A study was conducted through Bridgewater State University in order to better understand the mental health and help seeking behaviors of college students. The data collected served to provide information regarding what specific types of mental health difficulties are reported by college students.

Escaping The Smoke, Tiernan C. Middleton

Survive & Thrive: A Journal for Medical Humanities and Narrative as Medicine

This poem, inspired by the author's experience with his psychiatry rotation illustrates the palpable symptoms felt by patients suffering with anxiety. The form, pattern, and word choices were purposefully selected to mirror the difficulty and unpredictable nature of the disease.

A Co-Parent Intervention To Reduce Prenatal Depression In Low-Income Couples: A Pilot Study, Rachel J. Herman

Doctoral Dissertations

Significant health disparities in the U.S. place low-income and racial and ethnic minority families at greater risk for parental depression, stress and poorer outcomes for children. The goal of this quasi-experimental pilot study was to assess the initial feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of an intervention aimed at reducing stress and depression in a sample of low-income expectant parents early in pregnancy. Twenty-four couples (48 participants) were assigned to the 6-week PREParing for Parenthood (PREP) intervention and 22 couples (46 participants) were assigned to a treatment-as-usual comparison group. The group intervention consisted of six sessions during pregnancy and was taught by …

Access And Engagement Of Moodtools, An Mhealth Application For Depression, Langting Su

Psychology Theses

mHealth (mobile health) serves as a potential solution for circumventing barriers to traditional psychotherapy, but few studies evaluate mHealth technologies available in real-world settings with real-world users. This study evaluated the extent to which MoodTools, a self-help app for depression, circumvents barriers to traditional psychotherapy and engages users. App behavior from 159,00 Android users were assessed. Results showed that MoodTools could circumvent barriers to traditional psychotherapy, as it was downloaded in 198 countries, and the number of users was positively correlated with rates of unmet mental health need in the US. App use during and outside of traditional business hours …

Neurocounseling And The Counseling Profession: Integrating Neuroscience Into The Practice Of Counseling, Sherri Clark

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Neurocounseling integrates Neuroscience into mental health counseling by using psychoeducation, teaching, and illustrations as well as other forms of therapy (CBT, Interpersonal Psychotherapy, Narrative Therapy, etc.) to assist clients in understanding the neurological basis of many mental and behavioral health concerns. Clients can benefit from Neurocounseling as they gain a more comprehensive understanding of the central nervous system and brain function in connection to the body, cognition, mood, and behaviors, also known as the mind and body connection. Neuroplasticity and neurogenesis allow us to understand the brain’s amazing capability to grow and change. Understanding neuroscience allows for more integrated case …

Association Between Adverse Childhood Experiences And Borderline Personality Disorder: Findings From The National Epidemiologic Survey On Alcohol And Related Conditions (Nesarc)-Iii, Elizabeth A. Fall

Public Health Theses

INTRODUCTION: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are traumatic events including abuse, neglect, and related stressors that occur before the age of 18. These exposures affect 61 % of adults in the general population. Studies have documented that ACEs contribute to mental illness; however, less is known about its contribution specifically to borderline personality disorder (BPD) and co-morbid substance use disorder (SUD).

AIM: The purpose of this study was to examine the association between each category of 10 ACEs and the total number (ACE score) with borderline personality disorder alone, borderline personality disorder with comorbid substance use disorder, and lifetime substance use …

User And Provider Perspectives On Improving Mental Healthcare For Syrian Refugee Women In Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, Sanjida Newaz, Natalie Riediger

Journal of Refugee & Global Health

Introduction: Refugees have higher risk of developing mental illness like anxiety, depression and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder as they flee from violence. Women refugees may have unique mental healthcare needs due to their vulnerability to gender-based violence and abuse during flight from war. The research question of this study was what the health system can do better to address the mental healthcare needs of refugee women in Winnipeg.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 9 Syrian refugee women and 6 service providers/decision makers. The interviews were analyzed using qualitative inductive analysis and coded for themes based on recurring issues.

Results: Limited …

Mental Health And Discipline In California Community Schools, Damien Phillips

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed method study was to determine if there is a difference in achievement, absenteeism, graduation rates and suspension for students enrolled in community schools that do and don’t have access to school-based mental health services. In addition, it was the purpose to identify and describe the practices most effective in improving attendance, reduction of suspension, achievement and graduation as perceived by community school employees.

Methodology: This mixed-method dissertation attempted to determine the difference between California county community schools for expelled students who have had access to school-based mental health and those who do not as …

Behavioral Health Crisis Intervention For Emergency Department Patients Pending Psychiatric Hospitalization, Colten Wayne Larsen

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Emergency departments (EDs) are often the first access point to services for suicidal patients (Miller et al., 2017) and assessment of risk. Suicide has become the second-most common cause of death for Americans, yet those at the most risk often have limited access to appropriate care. In addition, suicidal patients spend more time in the ED than those with other presenting problems. Compounding the problem is these patients who have the longest length of stay are medically stabilized but don’t receive treatment interventions related to their presenting problem. Together, these findings indicate a need for accessible intervention in the ED. …

Mindful Mind Project, Toussaint Campbell

Capstones

Mindfulness includes the methods one takes to care for themselves by acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations while conducting daily tasks. Mindfulness can manifest in unique actions and activities depending on an individual's needs. However, many lack education on mental health resources as well as access to the tolls that could be beneficial to them. This collection of opinion pieces takes a look at themes in a society where mindfulness can be incorporated and how practices can impact communities of color.

Link to capstone: https://mindfulmindproject.com/

Nypd Disproportionately Restrains Students Of Color During Crises In City Schools, Agency Data Shows, Christine Derosa

Capstones

Over 1,500 students were restrained by school safety agents/members of the NYPD from the first quarter of 2019 through the first quarter of 2020, according to data released by the agency. On average for the analyzed year, 89% of those restraints were of non-white children.

Child-in-crisis incidents, during which a child is experiencing signs of emotional distress, made up 386 of reported incidents. Out of 386 cases, 360 of the students restrained were non-white. Advocates in New York City are calling for changes to be made to school safety as the NYPD disproportionately restrains students of color and creates a …

Hype-On-Campus: A Pilot Online Learning Program Designed For Helping Youth On The Path To Employment (Hype), Sam P. Lenox

Instructional Design Capstones Collection

Helping Youth on the Path to Employment (HYPE) is a research-based program housed at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. The program aims to provide support and services to young adults with mental health conditions as they identify meaningful career paths and achieve goals for sustained employment. HYPE has developed a multi-stage trial program called Hype-On-Campus (HOC) that will expand the HYPE model to colleges and universities across the United States beginning with the fall semester of 2020. Graduate-level Student Practitioners, selected to participate in the initial HOC feasibility trial, will be enrolled in an HOC online distance training program …

Workplace Violence: An Urgent Call For Integrated Staff Education In Acute Care Hospitals, Nicole Bellisario

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Problem: Type II workplace violence (WPV) in acute care hospital settings has become an epidemic of costly proportions in the United States. Regulatory mandates and healthcare accreditation standards increasingly require healthcare employers to provide a safe and healthy healing environment for patients and a safe work environment for staff. Implementation of a comprehensive WPV prevention program depends largely on organizational culture, participation and commitment from key stakeholders, and readiness for change.

Context: The patient-clinician relationship has drawn urgent attention, as healthcare organizations around the world implement key components of WPV prevention programs. The clinical management of patient aggression …

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. …

Mental Health Stigma: A Wicked Problem (Slides), Katelyn Yoh

English Department: Research for Change - Wicked Problems in Our World

Mental health stigma began in the 5th century, continued through the 18th century, and began to improve in the 1840s. Mental health has been viewed as negative and those who suffer from a mental illness or disorder also suffer from stigma as well as negative consequences, such as other mental health concerns, physical issues, and psychological issues due to stigma. This paper goes into deep detail about what mental health stigma is, how stigma is used from peers and internalizes and creates self stigma, what the results of stigma are (all negative), and lastly ways to help put an end …

The Mental Health Toll Of Covid-19, Xiaoyan Zhang

Population Health Research Brief Series

The coronavirus pandemic has profoundly disrupted Americans' lives. The share of U.S. adults reporting unmet mental health treatment needs has been rising steadily over the past couple of months. Rates are even higher for adults with children in the household.

Mental Illness Campaigns, Yiming Cui

Theses

The target population of the research is people with mental diseases. It aims to study the symptoms of their illnesses and to understand the pain they encounter from the perspective of these patients. Based on that, this research combines with strong visual design and creative layout, presents art posters with impact and influence. The purpose of the research is to give mental patients recognition, encouragement and care to a certain extent through the art form of posters. This series consists of five posters, each poster describes the five most common mental illnesses in the United States, which are anxiety, obsessive-compulsive …

A Review Of Mixed Methods Community-Based Participatory Research Applications In Mental Health, David E. Jones, Robin Lindquist-Grantz, Melissa Dejonckheere

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

The aim of the paper was to methodologically review the intersection of mixed methods research (MMR) and community-based participatory research (CBPR) in the field of mental health research. We classify this intersecting approach as MMCBPR. The methodological review of empirical literature was conducted between October 2017 and March 2020 of full-text articles in Scopus, Pubmed, ProQuest Central, Web of Science, and EBSCOhost search engine databases in the English language. Twenty-nine studies meeting the inclusion criteria were included in the final analysis. We found some evidence of MMCBPR but it was limited by factors such as a lack of explicit rationales …

Increased Discharge Compliance Through Mental Health Follow-Up, Robert H. Kirby

MSN Capstone Projects

Emergency departments are being strained to their breaking points as a result of the recent COVID pandemic. These departments are in need of programs that can help to reduce stress on not only limited budgets but also reduce the strain on their overwhelmed staff. One such strain on emergency departments and their limited resources is the readmittance of mental health patients as a result of non-compliance of the discharge instructions. The change project looks to address whether following up 10 days post discharge can increase discharge instruction compliance and ultimately reduce readmissions. The aim of the project is through the …

Impact Of Hospitalization On Pediatric Patient's Mental Health, Skyler E. Hibbard

Honors Capstones

Hospitalization during childhood can interfere with a child’s progression through the developmental milestones resulting in poor mental and emotional health. Healthcare workers are able to provide care in such a way that supports healthy development if they have proper knowledge regarding the normal stages of development and how hospitalization impacts them. This review will explore the normal stages of development in children from birth until six years of age as well as various elements of hospitalization that interfere with them. Emphasis will be made on specific stressors associated with hospitalization as well as their influence on development and mental health. …

Are Countries With Higher Levels Of Mental Health Cases Experience Higher Divorce Rates?, Liu Ying Wong, Yi Pei Goh

Introduction to Research Methods RSCH 202

This paper aims to determine if spouses’ mental health can be a factor affecting the divorce rate of marriage. A regression analysis is carried out to determine how the percentage of mental health cases in a country’s population affects the divorce rates of a country, while controlling the effects of labour force participation and income. The data from the selected 20 countries are collected from reputable world organizations selected. The results obtained from the regression analysis show that mental health has a marginally significant association with divorce rate and the association between income index and divorce rate is statistically significant.

Imposter Syndrome In Academia, Emily Faulconer

Publications

Defining Imposter Syndrome

• Despite evidence, fears being exposed as not having the expertise expected in your role.
• Despite evidence, feels like a fraud.
• Attributes success to luck, masking skills, or the work of other people.
• Internalizes failure and over-focus on mistakes.
• Over-estimates abilities of others, underestimates amount of work those individuals put in.

The Role Of Faculty In Fostering Psychosocial Wellbeing Among University Students, Kelley Wick

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The transition to college represents a major life event, and successfully navigating this shift has implications for students’ psychosocial wellbeing. While there is ample support for the idea that social relationships can facilitate student wellbeing during the transition to college, there is limited understanding of the unique role faculty may play in supporting students. The aim of this study was to determine the relation of faculty support to student wellbeing and self-efficacy, independent of peer support and student level of stress. Additionally, the primary questions were to examine whether self-efficacy mediated the relation of faculty support to student wellbeing, and …

Trauma Informed E-Newsletter: Issue 3, Jeanne Williamson, Brianca Smith-Austin

Student Counseling

No abstract provided.

The Perceived Benefits Of Participation In Community Drum Circles, Sean Cudd

Master of Arts in Occupational Therapy Theses and Projects

The purpose of this study was to explore the perspectives of adults who participate in community drum circles. The act of striking a vibrating membrane or drum surface to produce a sound with a group of people comprises a drum circle. Drumming has been utilized for many different reasons for a large portion of human history. A phenomenological study was conducted to examine perceived benefits of participation in a drum circle. Six participants from two different drum circles were interviewed and data was coded inductively and deductively. Interview questions gathered data related to participants’ perception of the benefits and meaning …