Education Commons^™

The Effects Social Media Has On Depressive And Neuro Developmental Disorders, Daniel James Goble

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Social media has played a huge role in society today and is one of the most common activities in everyday life for people of all ages. Due to the long amount of time that most users spend on social media daily, some trends seem to grow and become very visible over time that have a negative impact on mental health but also on neuro developmental disorders. Neurodevelopmental disorders are identified through a list of symptoms and characteristics that show a problem in how the brain is developing. Due to social media still being very new in this generation and with …

Effects Of Peer-Supported And Self-Guided Exercise On Self-Reported Anxiety And Depression Among Young Adults - A Pilot Study, Xihe Zhu, Michael D. Kostick, Justin A. Haegele

Human Movement Sciences & Special Education Faculty Publications

Mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression became heightened issues for college-aged young adults during the global pandemic. The main purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a peer-supported exercise intervention on young adults (vs. self-guided exercise) who reported elevated levels of anxiety and/or depression. A parallel group design was used where young adults (n = 27) were randomly assigned to either a peer-supported or self-guided exercise group which lasted for eight weeks. The generalized anxiety and depression subscales of the Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms (CCAPS-34) were measured for a baseline and then at …

The Effects Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Anxiety, Stress, And Resilience In Economically Challenged Single Mothers, Gloria Jean Hill-Murray

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of economically challenged single mothers during Covid 19. Mitigating the severe anxiety and stress risks linked with COVID-19 has been a goal of public health incentives. Less effort has been spent on studying the psychological issues connected to the worldwide epidemic, particularly among economically challenged communities. The aims of the study were to explore the impact of anxiety and stress of the COVID 19 pandemic on economically challenged single mothers, to determine the needs of this group, and to identify prevention and interventions that might support them in …

Identifying Sources Of Anxiety In An Introductory Online Undergraduate Chemistry Course, Emily Faulconer, John C. Griffith

Publications

Learning chemistry in an online environment may have multiple sources of anxiety for students, including chemistry anxiety, math anxiety, computer anxiety, and trait anxiety (personality attribute of proneness to experience anxiety). While previous research has explored relationships between math and chemistry anxiety in a traditional setting, no studies have explored these anxieties in the online modality. Survey data were collected using existing scales (some with minor modifications), with a response rate of 31%. The scales used in this study demonstrated strong reliability. Highest sources of anxiety for each scale were presented. The perceived ease of use scale score was used …

Academic Stress, Physical Activity, Sleep, And Mental Health Among Chinese Adolescents, Xihe Zhu, Justin A. Haegele, Huarong Liu, Fangliang Yu

Human Movement Sciences & Special Education Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to examine the impacts of academic stress on physical activity and sleep, and subsequently their impacts on anxiety and depression. Methods: This cross-sectional study collected data from a convenience sample of 1533 adolescents in an eastern province in China. Surveys were used to collect data on academic stress, anxiety, depression, sleep, physical activity, and demographics. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and path analysis were used to analyze data. Results: The participants reported about 6.77 ± 0.89 h of sleep per day and 1.62 ± 1.79 days of 60 min of physical activity each week. Academic …

Mathematics Anxiety, Sarah Buckley

Student learning processes

This Mathematics Monograph is focussed on helping teachers and school leaders gain a better understanding of: How mathematics anxiety negatively impacts learning and teaching; the symptoms, causes and companions of mathematics anxiety; the difference between reducing mathematics anxiety directly and indirectly; and strategies that can identify and address mathematics anxiety in students and teachers. The Monograph is intended to present information for reflecting and planning how mathematics anxiety can be reduced and regulated in classrooms and in the school community.

Mathematics Anxiety: Supplementary Materials, Sarah Buckley

Student learning processes

This publication contains two professional development activities for teachers which focus on mathematics anxiety. One is a team-based activity and the other is an activity for individuals. The activities encourage both mathematics teachers and non-mathematics teachers to reflect on their current practice, their attitudes towards mathematics, their ideas about teaching mathematics and the mathematical beliefs of students.

The Impact Of Social Media On Adolescent Mental Health, Nicole J. Critchfield

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The number of adolescents reporting mental health issues such as anxiety and depression has dramatically increased in the last two decades. As this trend coincides with the increase in social media use by adolescents, many researchers have studied the correlation between the two. This literature review examines the correlation along with the pros and cons of adolescent social media use outside and inside the classroom. Most recently, research is showing how social media is used impacts the state of an adolescent’s mental health rather than the use of social media in general. Teachers and schools can help students learn how …

Interventions For Anxiety In Mainstream School‐Aged Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review, Kylie Hillman, Katherine Dix, Syeda Kashfee Ahmed, Petra Lietz, Jenny Trevitt, Elizabeth O'Grady, Mirko Uljarević, Giacomo Vivanti, Darren Hedley

Student learning processes

Anxiety is a common problem in school‐aged children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and other psychosocial interventions have been developed as alternatives to pharmacological intervention to treat anxiety symptoms in students with ASD without co‐occurring intellectual disability. This present synthesis of evidence is a systematic review and meta‐analysis examining the efficacy of interventions for reducing anxiety among school‐aged children with ASD. The review summarizes evidence from 24 studies using an experimental or quasi‐experimental design. The authors’ conclude that there is evidence that CBT is an effective behavioral treatment for anxiety in some children and youth with …

Acceptability, Feasibility, And Efficacy Potential Of A Multimodal Acceptance And Commitment Therapy Intervention To Address Psychosocial And Advance Care Planning Needs Among Anxious And Depressed Adults With Metastatic Cancer, Joanna J. Arch, Joel N. Fishbein, Michelle C. Ferris, Jill L. Mitchell, Michael E. Levin, Elizabeth T. Slivjak, David J. Andorsky, Jean S. Kutner

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background: Adults with metastatic cancer frequently report anxiety and depression symptoms, which may impact health behaviors such as advance care planning (ACP).

Objective: The study leveraged acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), an evidence-based approach for reducing distress and improving health behaviors, and adapted it into a multimodal intervention (M-ACT) designed to address the psychosocial and ACP needs of anxious and depressed adults with metastatic cancer. The study evaluated M-ACT's acceptability, feasibility, and efficacy potential.

Design: The study was designed as a single-arm intervention development and pilot trial.

Setting/Subjects: The trial enrolled 35 anxious or depressed adults with stage IV cancer …

Utilizing Act Daily As A Self-Guided App For Clients Waiting For Services At A College Counseling Center: A Pilot Study, Jack Haegar, Carter H. Davis, Michael E. Levin

Psychology Faculty Publications

Objective: Considering increasing demands for mental health services at college counseling centers (CCCs), there is a need for cost-effective solutions that avoid depleting stressed CCC resources. This study examined if ACT Daily, a mobile application based on acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), could serve as an effective self-guided intervention.

Participants: 11 individuals on a CCC waitlist suffering from anxiety/depression participated in the study over 2 weeks.

Methods: This study implemented a pre-post, open trial design of ACT Daily. Assessments were completed at baseline and 2-week post assessment.

Results: Results indicated that ACT Daily was acceptable and that participants improved on …

Weight Status, Bullying Involvement, And Internalizing Symptomology In Adolescents: Examining A Diathesis-Stress Model, Ana Damme

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

Bullying is a pervasive societal issue that is consistently linked to negative outcomes that are emotionally, socially, behaviorally, and medically related. Most youth will encounter this negative life event in their childhood. The purpose of this dissertation was to use a diathesis-stress model perspective to assess the relations between the negative life event of bullying involvement, youths’ mental health, and youth weight status. Youth who have an unhealthy weight status are more likely to be involved in bullying than those with a healthy weight status (Browne, 2012; Puhl). Additionally, bullying and having an unhealthy weight status are related internalizing symptomology …

Pisa Australia In Focus Number 4: Anxiety, Marina Schmid

OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) Australia

The pressure to get good grades is one of the most frequently cited sources of stress for school age children and adolescents (OECD, 2017). Both schoolwork-related anxiety and test anxiety have been shown to have a negative impact on student academic performance and general well-being. As students move into the later years of schooling, the academic demand on them increases and they are expected to manage this along with their emotional responses to it. Alongside the assessments of students’ performance in reading, mathematics and scientific literacy, PISA also collects information about their experiences of schooling – their worries, their interests …

An Examination Of The Transdiagnostic Role Of Delay Discounting In Psychological Inflexibility And Mental Health Problems, Michael E. Levin, Jack Haegar, Clarissa W. Ong, Michael P. Twohig

Psychology Faculty Publications

Delay discounting is a basic behavioral process that has been found to predict addictive behaviors, and more recently, other mental health problems. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), is a transdiagnostic treatment that appears to alter delay discounting, possibly through reducing psychological inflexibility. The current study sought to further bridge research on delay discounting and ACT by examining the relation of delay discounting to a broad range of selfreported mental health problems and measures of psychological inflexibility. A cross sectional online survey was conducted with 389 college students. Small negative correlations ranging between .09 and .15 were statistically significant between delay …

Protocol For A Systematic Review: Interventions For Anxiety In School-Aged Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder (Asd): A Mixed Methods Systematic Review, Petra Lietz, Julie Kos, Katherine Dix, Jenny Trevitt, Mirko Uljarevic, Elizabeth O'Grady

Student learning processes

This review aims to synthesise evidence about interventions to reduce anxiety symptoms in school-aged children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). While clinical studies will not be excluded per se, this review seeks to move beyond interventions that are relevant only for clinical practice and care in clinical settings and prioritise studies that draw out implications for school-aged children that will help their functioning in real-world settings such as school and the home. To achieve this aim, the review will employ a mixed-methods systematic review which can accommodate the anticipated diverse types of available studies. These studies are likely to use …

Evaluating An Adjunctive Mobile App To Enhance Psychological Flexibility In Acceptance And Commitment Therapy, Michael E. Levin, Jack Haegar, Benjamin G. Pierce, Rick A. Cruz

Psychology Faculty Publications

The primary aims of this study were to evaluate the feasibility and potential efficacy of a novel adjunctive mobile app designed to enhance the acquisition, strengthening, and generalization of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) skills being taught in therapy. A sample of 14 depressed/anxious clients receiving ACT used the ACT Daily app for two weeks in a pre-post, open trial design. Participants reported a high degree of program satisfaction. Clients significantly improved over the two-week period on depression and anxiety symptoms as well as a range of psychological inflexibility measures. Analyses of mobile app data indicated effects of …

Acceptance And Commitment Therapy As A Treatment For Anxiety And Depression: A Review., Michael P. Twohig, Michael E. Levin

Psychology Faculty Publications

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is a modern form of cognitive behavioral therapy based on a distinct philosophy (functional contextualism) and basic science of cognition (relational frame theory). This article reviews the core features of ACT’s theoretical model of psychopathology and treatment as well as its therapeutic approach. It then provides a systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating ACT for depression and anxiety disorders. Summarizing across a total of 36 RCTs, ACT appears to be more efficacious than waitlist conditions and treatment-as-usual, with largely equivalent effects relative to traditional cognitive behavioral therapy. Evidence from several trials also indicate …

A Collective Case Study Of Expectant Father Fears, Robert Grand

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative, collective case study explored how men perceive fears of childbirth and level of preparedness to become fathers. An additional purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of expectant and new fathers with regard to how the Boot Camp for New Dads (BCND) program helped them to alleviate pregnancy fears and develop preparedness to become a parent. Data collection consisted of semi-structured interviews and focus groups conducted after the participants completed a three-hour boot camp for the BCND program. Additionally, participants completed the Kessler-6, a short questionnaire designed to glean their perspectives of fears after the childbirth. …

The Mental Health Of Children And Adolescents : Report On The Second Australian Child And Adolescent Survey Of Mental Health And Wellbeing, David Lawrence, Sarah Johnson, Jennifer Hafekost, Katrina Boterhoven De Haan, Michael Sawyer, John Ainley, Stephen R. Zubrick

Wellbeing

Based on a survey conducted in the homes of over 6,300 families with children and/or adolescents aged 4 to 17 years, this report presents a comprehensive picture of the mental health of young Australians. It documents the prevalence and type of mental health problems, the impact of those problems on families and young people themselves and the role of health and education services in providing assistance. While the primary sources of information were parents and carers, the survey also engaged directly with young people 11 years and older who completed their own survey. This information provides unique insights about aspects …

Anxiety And Depression As Comorbid Factors In Drinking Behaviors Of Undergraduate Students In An Urban Private University, Charles Vohs, Robert Gable, Cynthia Ward, Joseph Barresi, Ronald Martel, Dameian Slocumb

NERA Conference Proceedings 2008

This study examined differences among four drinking behavior groups (non-drinkers, low-risk drinkers, high-risk drinkers, and frequent high-risk drinkers) with respect to anxiety and depression in undergraduate males (n = 457) and females (n = 485). Participants completed a demographic questionnaire, the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, and the Beck Depression Inventory. Results indicated significant differences among the groups only with respect to anxiety (F = 6.49, p < .001), and in levels of anxiety (p < .01) between high-risk females and males. Findings imply needed changes in prevention approaches to reduce high-risk drinking.

A Basic Math Curriculum: Issues And Design, Eugenie Ballering

Master's Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.