Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

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.

Mental Health Of Students: A Teacher Resource, Kathryn Seguin

Honors Projects

Mental Health of Students: A Teacher Resource is a professional website regarding the four main types of mental health disorders, which are anxiety, depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and substance use. The website also includes both a detailed list of legal responsibilities of teachers and a list of school personnel to be involved in improving the mental health of students. The objective is for the website to be used for the educational basis of teachers regarding mental health issues in their students and is a compilation of research information collected from several sites.

The History, Prevalence, And Implications Of Burnout In Medical Residents, Zoey Smith

Counselor Education Capstones

Medical providers are often seen as infallible, setting a standard for professionalism and quality care. However, throughout history, it has been shown that from medical students to residents, to attending physicians there can be an overarching trend of burnout. Poor work-life balance impacts sleep and physical well-being, and high-intensity situations can leave those in the medical field feeling empty. Medical residents are a population that has experienced these occurrences for years. Studies have suggested that this can stem from residents having limited control in their situations while being trusted with immense responsibility. Historic context to why residency programs are run …

A Phenomenological Study Of Faculty Members’ Experiences With Attempting To Integrate Religion And Spirituality Into Counseling Psychology Doctoral Training, Theresa M. Nutten

Dissertations

Religion and spirituality (R/S) are two of several multicultural variables salient to some clients seeking counseling, therefore psychologists are expected to be sensitive to and respectful of R/S in professional duties (APA, 2017a; APA, 2017b). However, research has shown that the integration of topics of R/S into the training of psychology graduate students has been minimal at best (Brawer et al., 2002, Hage et al., 2006, Saunders et al., 2014; Schafer et al., 2011; Schulte et al., 2002; Vogel et al., 2013). There are potential logistical and personal barriers to the inclusion of religion and spirituality into mental health training …

Women Exiting Prostitution: Reports Of Coercive Control In Intimate Relationships, Tammy Schultz, Aimee A. Callender, Sally Schwer Canning, Jacey Collins

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

There is burgeoning research on intimate partner violence (IPV) experiences among women globally. However, there is a dearth of research on IPV experiences among marginalized populations in Western countries. Over the past decade, IPV research has shifted from a focus only on physical and sexual violence to include coercive control experiences. These include a continuum of nonviolent behaviors centered on maintaining dominance over one’s partner. However, the empirical literature on examining coercive control among women in prostitution within non-commercial intimate partners is lacking. In this study, we analyzed interviews with 17 women exiting prostitution and examined reported IPV sexual, physical, …

A Meta-Analysis Of Group Treatment Outcomes For Veterans With Substance Use Disorders, Robert “Tony” Dice

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Group therapy is commonly used in the treatment of substance use disorders (SUD). Many studies exist related to the efficacy of group interventions for veterans with SUDs. A meta-analysis and systematic review of the literature addressing the use of group therapy, specifically psychoeducational groups, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) groups and support groups, in the treatment of SUDs with veterans was conducted. The following questions guided the research: What are viable treatment outcomes for psychoeducational, CBT, and support groups of veterans with SUDs? and What are the measures that capture outcomes related to psychoeducational, CBT, and support groups of veterans with …

Editorial, H. Luis Vargas

Counseling and Family Therapy Scholarship Review

Editor-in-Chief H. Luis Vargas' editorial for the latest issue of Counseling and Family Therapy Scholarship Review.

Aerobic Exercise With Superimposed Virtual Reality Improves Cognitive Flexibility And Selective Attention In Young Males, Borja Sañudo, Ellie Abdo, Mario Bernardo-Filho, Redha Taiar

Publications

The literature to date is limited regarding the implantation of VR in healthy young individuals with a focus on cognitive function. Thirty healthy males aged between 22.8 and 24.3 years volunteered to participate in the study randomly and were assigned to one of two groups with alike exercises: an experimental group (GE, n = 15) that performed an exercise protocol with a VR game and a controlled group that performed the exercise protocol without the VR (CON, n = 15). A 128-card computerized version of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Task (WCST) and the Stroop test were completed before and after …

Predictors Of Positive Outcomes In Treating Individuals Diagnosed With Idd And Comorbid Psychiatric Disorders, Jacob Omondi Wasonga

Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the use of a new treatment protocol, the systemic treatment plan (STP) by identifying the predictors of positive treatment outcomes for individuals diagnosed with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and comorbid mental health conditions. This study examined the relationship between challenging behaviors, psychiatric conditions, and positive treatment outcomes for individuals with IDD and co-occurring disorders, particularly those individuals whose treatment was driven by the STP. A linear regression analysis was conducted to determine which challenging behaviors and psychiatric disorders best predict positive outcomes in systemically engaged treatment. The results from this study …

Infusing Counseling Theories With The Integrated Developmental Model: Strengthening Supervision Practices, Deena Shelton, Anthony Zazzarino

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

Supervision is vital to all human services professions to help new professionals assimilate to their roles. There are many theory based supervisory methods to guide supervisors, and counseling professionals have suggested that the adoption of a developmental model of supervision prepares the supervisor to partner with supervisees to facilitate feedback related to developmental milestones. This paper explores the dynamics of combining the Integrated Developmental Model (IDM) of supervision with counseling theories that influence supervision styles and offers examples of how IDM is flexible in combining with theoretical approaches by providing examples and information related to its integration with solution-focused supervision …

Wellness In The Helping Professions: Historical Overview, Wellness Models, And Current Trends, Ashley J. Blount, Dalena L. Dillman Taylor, Glenn W. Lambie

Journal of Wellness

Introduction

Wellness and the concept of holism have rich histories throughout the helping professions. However, Westernized medical models often promote the concept of treatment rather than prevention, limiting the helper’s ability to focus on wellness when working with clients/patients. Therefore, in order to support a re-integration to holistic wellness and the prevention of illness, and re-focus on a wellness ideology, we conducted a thorough theoretical overview of wellness in the helping professions to: (a) provide a historical overview of wellness in helping professions, (b) discuss prominent wellness models, (c) review wellness assessments, (d) present wellness supervision models, and (e) offer …

Cognitive Behavioral Therapies For The Management Of Chronic Pain, Kira Swensen, Maren Wright Voss, Alise Williams Condie, Ashley Yaugher

All Current Publications

Chronic pain is pain that lasts longer than six months and may continue even after illnesses or injuries have healed (Cleveland Clinic, 2017). Pain signals in the nervous system can remain active for several years if they are altered in the spinal cord, becoming stronger than they normally would or should be (Reichling & Levine, 2009). Chronic pain can also occur without illness or injury (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, 2019). Fortunately, many evidence-based strategies for managing chronic pain are available to ease the discomfort. This fact sheet reviews those strategies.

Donor Families’ Experiences From Initial Loss Forward: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Linda Meeker

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the lives of those who have consented to organ donation at the time of an unexpected death of a loved one. The qualitative data illuminated participants’ experiences as members of donor families as they shared their observations and experiences from the initial loss forward. The participants in this study included eight women and one man who were the primary next-of-kin and the individual who provided consent to donate the organs. The results indicated that there are steps in the care of these families that could be improved, allowing for better care of …

Relationships Between Professional Development And Attitudes, Knowledge, And Skills In Play Therapy Among Counselors, Cynthia Ann Anderson

Dissertations

Most counselors receive inadequate training in play therapy, through university counselor education programs, to counsel children using the method, which leaves novice counselors searching for workshops, institutes, conferences, or self-training to effectively meet the mental health needs of children with play therapy. In this first-of-its-kind study, the researcher investigated relationships between professional development and play therapy among working counselors and measured attitudes, knowledge and skills, and types of training in play therapy. A nonrandom sample of counselors were recruited from relevant online sources in this quantitative study. Attitudes, knowledge, and skills were measured by the self-reported Revised Play Therapy Attitude-Knowledge-Skills …

First-Time Practicum Students' Lived Experiences Of Case Presentations In Group Supervision: A Phenomenological Study, Jason Blakely Fischer

Dissertations

Although best practices of group supervision advise that supervisory methods match the developmental level of supervisees, research has shown that novices typically receive group supervision in the same manner as more experienced trainees. The prevalent use of case presentations in group supervision regardless of learners' level of clinical experience suggests contemporary practicum courses may be overlooking beginning students' unique, developmental characteristics and needs. Fifteen counseling students enrolled in CACREP-accredited master's degree programs across the United States were interviewed for a phenomenological study exploring their experiences of case presentations in practicum. Synchronous interviews conducted over video conferencing examined participants' emotional experiences …

Traumatic Shame Memories And Development Of Paranoid Ideations, Anwesha Maitra

Psychology and Counseling Theses

Paranoia and persecutory delusions constitute the symptoms of established disorders such as schizophrenia in clinical population. Paranoia is believed to exist as a continuum within the general population. A ‘threat anticipation model’ was established by Freeman and his colleagues suggested that paranoid delusions arise from the interaction of vulnerability, emotional processes, and reasoning basis. Paranoia in the subclinical population can be caused due to high levels of emotional variants such as depression, anxiety, fear and a concept of self-awareness in a psychological individual (Carvalho et al., 2019; Lincoln et al.2009).

Recent studies have focused on the associations between these emotional …

Exploration Of A Resilience Intervention Among Women With Disabilities: An Examination Of Two Case Studies, Susan Stuntzner, Angela Macdonald, Jacquelyn A. Dalton

Counseling Faculty Publications and Presentations

People who live with a disability are faced with the prospect of adjusting to the disability and its associated life experiences. Many people encounter negative and hurtful situations such as unemployment, lack of adequate resources, changes in relationships and social support, negative societal attitudes, bias, and discrimination, and so forth. Women with disabilities are subject to these same negative encounters, but they often experience several others based on their gender (i.e., higher rates of abuse, poverty, and financial independence). Given the likelihood that women may experience additional stressors with fewer supports in place, professionals must focus on the needs of …

Post-Secondary Employment And Education Outcomes Of Young Adults Reporting Both Vision And Hearing Impairments In The High School Longitudinal Study Of 2009, Emily M. Lund

JADARA

This article reports the post-secondary education and work activities of 43 young adults who reported a history of both hearing and vision disabilities (i.e., deafblindness [DB] in Wave 4 of the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009. Most of the sample reported having worked, attended post-secondary education, or both since completing secondary education. Approximately half of the sample still lived with their parents, and most reported receiving financial support from their parents. Thus, although engagement in work and education was relatively high, most participants had not achieved financial independence.

Application Of Self-Efficacy Training In Group Aural Rehabilitation: An Interprofessional Collaborative Model, Stephen D. Roberts, Nancy A. Delich

JADARA

Few studies have explored self-efficacy training with persons with hearing loss (PHLs), yet alone with their communication partners (CPs). The purpose of this mixed-method study was to examine the impact of self-efficacy training as a framework for an Interprofessional Psychosocial Group Aural Rehabilitation (IPGAR) workshop with PHLs and their CPs. Four PHLs and their four CPs consented to participate in the IPGAR workshop that employed interventions including short lectures, psychosocial exercises, communication strategies training, speech perception training, adaptive/stress reduction exercises, and group discussions relevant to mutually established shared goals for each couple. The participants reported improved communication abilities in the …

Group Treatment Effectiveness For Substance Use Disorders: Abstinence Vs. Harm Reduction, Jill D. Parramore

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to compare group treatment effectiveness for substance use disorders within the U.S. across treatment philosophies as it relates to the primary research question, Is there a significant difference of group treatment effectiveness between Abstinence and Harm Reduction treatment philosophies? It was hypothesized that group treatment will remain an effective intervention to treat substance use disorders between treatment philosophies and that no significant differences exist between-group comparisons. The aim of this study is to provide evidence of treatment effectiveness that will ultimately improve treatment outcomes for substance use disorders, provide guidance for …

Investigating The Impact Of The Fava Well-Being Protocol On Perceived Stress And Psychological Well-Being With At-Promise High School Students, Renee L. Fensom

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

An elevation in stress levels can be caused by many contributing factors, which can ultimately interfere with the learning of young people. Fortunately, an increase in well being can help promote resilience, creating a buffer to stress. Therefore, the current study investigated the influence of a positive psychology intervention aimed at lowering perceived stress and increasing well-being among at-promise students. The theoretical framework for this study was based on Ryff’s Model of Psychological Well-Being (PWB). The specific intervention used was the Well-being Therapy School Protocol developed by Fava and associates, based off of Carol Ryff’s Model of PWB (Fava, 2016). …

The Multigenerational Transmission Process Of Healing Social Cultural Wounds Within The Black Community: A Comprehensive Analysis, Adeola Quintero

Counseling and Family Therapy Scholarship Review

This article examines the multigenerational transmission process of healing social cultural wounds within the black community. A comprehensive research analysis of slavery, racial trauma and racism along with the events surrounding their existence in our contemporary society are explored. Revealed throughout this framework are the theories literature has posited as solutions to racial wounds such as the ‘black self-concept’, ‘Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome,’ ‘Bowen’s Multigenerational Transmission Process,’ ‘racialized disease narrative’ and the introduction of the “social cultural wounds’ concept. 15 recommendations are suggested for addressing the racial healing work within individual, institutional, and systemic healing. Current theory, models, scales assessment …

Gateways For Transformation, Amitice L. Saremi

Counseling and Family Therapy Scholarship Review

Big life transitions, typically resulting from loss, can cause physical, emotional, and behavioral problems. Using a heuristic methodology, this article answers the question: Given polyvagal theory, how can yoga and depth psychology combine to support clients to make transitions more easily? Polyvagal theory hypothesizes that the vagus nerve, the longest cranial nerve, impacts impact many parts of the body related to physical and mental health. Breathing helps the vagus nerve function properly along with self-regulation, homeostasis, and the social engagement system. Yoga and depth psychology recognize the continuous cycles of life that exist in nature, the constancy of change, the …

Changing The Narrative For Lgbtq Adolescents: A Literature Review And Call For Research Into Narrative Therapy To Improve Family Acceptance Of Lgbtq Teens, Felicia Jordan

Counseling and Family Therapy Scholarship Review

A large body of existing research has demonstrated the importance of family acceptance as a protective factor for LGBTQ youth facing increased risks of low self-esteem, depression, suicidal ideation, and other mental-health problems. However, little research has been done on therapeutic interventions for families specifically to address stigma and discrimination against LGBTQ adolescents. In particular, narrative therapy, with its focus on deconstructing and re-storying oppressive cultural narratives, seems a natural fit, but little to no quantitative research has been done on family-based narrative therapy for LGBTQ adolescents, and only a handful of qualitative studies have been published. Therefore, the paper …

Exploring The Locker, Haley Bagley

Counseling and Family Therapy Scholarship Review

This article is an effort to foster grace and to create genuine, humble community. A new sense of community, that is not conditional on our abilities to censor ourselves to be more palatable to those around us. Instead, the birth of a new way of relating that considers our deep inner selves that feel shame, remember traumas, and cower in fear of these experiences. Perhaps most of all, this article is an invitation to explore our deepest inner selves, and the cost of censoring this self. This exploration is not a leisurely dive into the corners of ourselves that lie …

An Essay Concerning The Possibility Of A Unified Theory Of Counseling, Lance Kair

Counseling and Family Therapy Scholarship Review

The Object-Oriented Ontology of Graham Harman, also known as Object-Oriented Philosophy, presumes to describe an ontology of all objects, including human beings. This essay shows how the discipline of counseling can benefit from such an ontology of objects. To move into this particular case of an Object-Oriented Ontology of human beings, and to distinguish, initially, at least, between the object that we are now concerned with, or will be soon, and the universe of subjectivity, I propose that we refer to universal objects, which is to indicate objects that exist in the universe, however we might define it. In this …

The Role Of Practice-Based Evidence And Feedback Informed Treatment For Improving Therapy Outcomes, Daryl Mahon

Counseling and Family Therapy Scholarship Review

Attrition rates and deterioration of counselling and psychotherapy clients are two major concerns for those delivering psychological therapies across differential modalities. While a variety of correlations are said to contribute to attrition and deterioration such as, client, therapist and clinical level, identifying and improving outcomes for this cohort of people in routine practice is difficult. Even with the addition of hundreds of empirically supported treatments added to the profession, outcomes have not improved in line with these new approaches. Methods to limit the extent of poor outcomes has been established in the extent literature, thus, practice-based evidence is put forward …

Introducing Feedback Informed Preference Accommodation (Fipa): A Case Study In Clinical Practice, Daryl Mahon

Counseling and Family Therapy Scholarship Review

Psychotherapy is a successful modality for those who engage in and complete a course of treatment. However, attrition rates and negative outcomes make up a significant and under discussed proportion of clinicians’ case load in routine practice. Innovative and novel methods to address these issues have been identified within the extant literature. However, their uptake can be impacted by issues such as utility and brevity. The present paper seeks to establish a framework for integrating Feedback Informed Treatment (FIT) and the Cooper-Norcross Inventory of Preferences (C-NPI) in clinical practice. That is, using the C-NPI for initial preference accommodation and following …

Feasibility And Validity Of Asking Patients To Define Individual Levels Of Meaningful Change On Patient-Reported Outcomes, Salene M.W. Jones, Yuxian Du, Ari Bell-Brown, Kaylin Bolt, Joseph M. Unger

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) are frequently used in clinical care to monitor treatment response. However, most guidelines on PRO use treat all patients the same. This study tested the feasibility and validity of a method for determining individually meaningful change in PRO measures.

Methods: Participants (n = 398) completed 12 pain and distress questions to define individually meaningful change. This mixed-methods study used both quantitative and qualitative analyses, including descriptive statistics, inferential statistics, and content analysis.

Results: Two-thirds (67%) of the sample reported at least one medical condition, including depression and back pain. Most participants (70%–90%) were able to answer …

Long-Term Impact Of Child-Centered Play Therapy On Academic Achievement: A Longitudinal Examination Of Academic Success In At-Risk Elementary School Students, Brittany D. Massengale

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the long-term impact of child-centered play therapy (CCPT) implemented through Primary Project on at-risk second-grade elementary school students. The qualifying group received ten 30-minute play therapy sessions during one academic semester during their second-grade year. In a longitudinal analysis for academic growth, MAP testing was used to determine if there was a long-term impact on both the third grade and fourth-grade years for the original qualifying students. The findings reveal implications for identification of and interventions for at-risk elementary students and CCPT as an intervention for academic achievement; specifically, reading and mathematics scores. Recommendations for future research …