Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Relation Between Academic Advisor And Cohort Support With Well-Being In Graduate Students, Morgan Delong

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Well-being issues like the limitations of typical treatment protocols and common mitigating factors for mental health problems for graduate students, specifically the importance of therapeutic lifestyle changes (TLCs) were explored. The current study aims to determine if TLCs, individual engagement in the TLCs as well as support of them by mentors and peers, predict overall well-being, satisfaction with the graduate program, and job stress in masters’ students. This study was conducted during COVID-19 which is a limitation.

Therapeutic Potential Of A Ketogenic Diet In The Treatment Of Major Depressive Disorder, Jordan A. Murrin

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is the second most common mental health condition and a leading cause of disability in the world. It is theorized that MDD develops from a combination of biological, psychological, and social stressors. The condition is typically treated using pharmaceuticals and psychotherapy. However, not all individuals with MDD have access to or choose to use these treatments, or may prefer to incorporate therapeutic lifestyle changes such as exercise, sleep, and healthy eating. Even with treatment, MDD can alter brain structure and function, leading to the development of comorbid mental health and chronic metabolic conditions like obesity, cardiovascular …

Return To School 1 Year After Traumatic Brain Injury: A Study Using The Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems National Database, Kathryn Tarnai

Masters Theses, 2020-current

For many individuals, recovery from moderate to severe brain injuries involves returning to a level of pre-injury productivity. Specifically, previous research has focused extensively on factors predicting return to employment, where students are inconsistently categorized with those in competitive employment. Moreover, research dedicated to return to school for students in secondary and tertiary education is largely qualitative; very few studies have utilized predictive modeling on a sample composed solely of students. For this study, a model including days of post-traumatic amnesia (PTA), length of stay (LOS), rehabilitation discharge Disability Rating Scale (DRS) scores, and educational level was used to predict …

The Watson Room: Mitigating Compassion Fatigue In Oncology Nurses, Patricia A. Viscardi

Doctors of Nursing Practice (DNP) Final Projects, 2020-current

Aim: The aim of this project was to plan, develop, and implement “The Watson Room” or “Quiet Room” in an inpatient oncology nursing population and evaluate changes in Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL).

Background: Oncology Nurses are at high risk for compassion fatigue (CF), burn-out (BO), and secondary traumatic stress (STS) related to the effects of living the traumas of oncology patients and their families through their cancer journey and the innate stress in a complex and intense workplace. High levels of compassion fatigue, burn-out, and secondary traumatic stress that are poorly managed reduces the nurse’s ability to self-regulate their …

Pain-Related Fear: Metacognitive And Health Belief Predictors Of Cogniphobia, Maddison Miles

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Individuals who have an unreasonable fear of headache pain or painful re-injury during cognitive exertion are said to suffer from a pain-related fear referred to as cogniphobia. Specifically, individuals high in cogniphobia avoid cognitive tasks in an attempt to reduce the risk of initiating or exacerbating headache-related pain. While health beliefs concerning pain-related fear have been examined through the concept of kinesiophobia, defined as the unreasonable fear of pain or painful re-injury during physical movement, little research has been done through a cognitive framework. The health anxiety beliefs, metacognitive factors, and negative thinking patterns related to cogniphobia remain unclear. This …

The Effect Of A Stage Of Change Tailored Intervention On Physical Activity And Psychological States Of Older Adults, Emilee Blosser

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Abstract

The Effect of a Stage of Change Tailored Intervention on Physical Activity and Psychological States of Older Adults

Introduction: As life expectancy increases in the United States, activity promotion programs aim to help older adults continue to remain happy, healthy, and productive. Programs that facilitate exercise and lifestyle changes can offset regular age-related declines and improve participation in regular fitness programs. Developing more active lifestyles can help the elderly maintain independence in their everyday activities.

Purpose: The goal of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a physical activity intervention tailored to participants’ stage of change on attitudes …

Sleep Deprivation And Voluntary Alcohol Consumption In Adult Rats, Charles M. Cowan Ii

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Alcohol is a psychoactive drug with a large userbase among adults across the globe. However, alcohol use also reduces the quality of sleep in the user. Historically, research has focused on the effects of alcohol on sleep architecture, but recent research has started to examine the effects of sleep deprivation on alcohol consumption. This research examines the effects of sleep deprivation on voluntary alcohol consumption in adult rats. Twelve Sprague Dawley rats were given ad libitum access to food, alcohol (7% solution), and water for the duration of this study. Subjects were then placed into non-moving forced exercise wheels to …

The Effect Of Communication Type On Knowledge Retention Of Brain Injuries, Alyson Cregger

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Misconceptions about traumatic brain injuries have been seen in the general population since 1988. Previous research has demonstrated that the misconceptions are not limited to geographical area and have been seen in health care professionals. A possible explanation for these misconceptions could be the ineffective transmission of knowledge. The current study examined the effect of an educational intervention on eight misconceptions and their ‘real life’ applications, as well as the general knowledge surrounding traumatic brain injuries. Comparative and absolute risk were also examined. Thirty undergraduate students were given a pre-test consisting of four surveys (misconceptions, application of misconception, general knowledge, …