Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

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 …

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 …

Three Good Things To Extinguish Caregiver Burnout, Justin Haley

Master's Projects and Capstones

Caregiver burnout is a widespread issue in healthcare and institutions should be increasingly concerned about burnout because of the significant impact on quality of patient care, employee health, and financial stability. Many interventions and studies regarding burnout are focused on improving systems issues or removing negative stressors on caregivers. Although such interventions may be necessary to attempt, comprehensive systems-wide changes can be cumbersome and expensive, while removing negative stressors may be an unrealistic goal in a fast-paced, demanding healthcare environment. The Three Good Things method is an evidence-based, effective, simple, low-cost intervention to improve feelings of caregiver burnout in which …

Trends And Factors Associated With Suicide Deaths In Older Adults, Eada Novilla-Surette

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Suicide in older adults is a significant overlooked problem worldwide; particularly in Canada where a national suicide prevention strategy has not yet been established. This population-level study utilized and analyzed linked administrative health care databases (from 2011-2015) that were available at ICES (provincial health care administrative data steward), to build a better understanding of suicide (rate; trends; risks/preventive factors) in older adults living in Ontario, Canada. The findings suggest that suicide remains a persistent cause of death in older adults (with an average annual suicide rate of 0.1 per 1000 people over 5 years; the risks include being male, living …

Improving Suicide Screening And Safety Plan Documentation Rates In Behavioral Health Clinics, Brandi Hrasdzira

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States with over 47,000 people dying in 2017 from suicide alone (NIMH, 2019). In the United States, one in three people who die by suicide were seen by a behavioral health provider within the same year (McCabe et al., 2018). The purpose of this project was to determine if suicide screenings and safety plans are being completed and documented properly; how many patients are refusing to complete the patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9) and is there a pattern present in these patients. Objectives are to improve the rates of suicide …

Reducing Suicide By Providing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy For Suicide Prevention, Wendy Larkin

Student Scholarly Projects

Veteran suicide is a serious and persistent national problem, which demands an effective treatment intervention. This Evidence-Based Practice project (EBP) addressed the question: Do patients with a psychiatric in-patient diagnosis of suicide ideation, who after discharge self-elect outpatient Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-Suicide Prevention (CBT-SP) treatment over a 6-week time frame, reduce the likelihood of hospital readmission for suicidal ideation vs. patients who decline CBT-SP treatment and elect Treatment as Usual (TAU)? The literature is prolific in validating that CBT-SP is successful in determining the effectiveness of CBT-SP vs. TAU in reducing suicidal behaviors in adults.

Hospital readmission data were collected on …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Adverse Childhood Experiences And Trauma Informed Care Training For Mental Health Nurses, Felicia Gathings

Doctoral Projects

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are traumatic events that happened to a person at a young age, and when untreated they have a higher risk of developing a mental illness. ACEs are associated with social problems, illnesses, and physiological issues. ACEs are related to increased health risks and an increase in high-risk behaviors. Despite increase evidence relating ACEs to physical and mental issues, nurses lack training in ACEs and trauma-informed care (TIC). The overall goal of this project was to increase knowledge of ACEs and TIC in mental health nurses when caring for mentally ill patients. Pre-test and Post-test surveys were …

Internet Based Mental Health Intervention For Seafarers Onboard, Hayeong Jin

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Determining The Effectiveness Of A Peer Support Person In Individuals With Depression Symptoms, Donna K. Reeves

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

This study’s aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of an existing peer support program as an adjunct treatment for patients with depression. This retrospective evaluation analyzed the total scores of 110 patients with depression on the PHQ-9 questionnaire at the initial assessment (Time 1), at 6-weeks (Time 2), and then at 12-weeks (Time 3). The participants were divided into two groups, those who enrolled in a peer support program (n = 55) and those without peer support (n = 55). PHQ-9 total scores for each time interval were compared for the two groups utilizing independent sample t-tests …

Longitudinal Examination Of A Dual-Factor Model Of Mental Health: Academic Adjustment And Stability Of Group Membership In High School Students In Academically Accelerated Curricula, Letty Langton Dileo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Middle adolescence (ages 14 to 18 years old) has been associated with declines in both psychopathology and subjective well-being (SWB). This study examined a dual-factor model (DFM) of mental health, which conceptualizes complete mental health as including both low levels of psychopathology and high levels of SWB, across three time points, each 9-12 months apart, in a sample of 328 9th grade students enrolled in accelerated coursework. This study aimed to determine (1) the stability of students’ mental health status over time, (2) the role of psychopathology versus SWB for students who changed mental health status, and (3) the relationship …

Mood And Anxiety Disorders, Measurement, And Migrant Groups In Ontario, Jordan Edwards

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Our objectives were to: (1) evaluate the current literature on the epidemiology of mood or anxiety disorders among migrant groups; (2) assess how current tools for measuring mood or anxiety disorders at the population level influence our understanding of the epidemiology by a) analyzing the concordance between two commonly used population measures, and b) using a Bayesian analysis to create a combined estimate using both measures; (3) estimate the prevalence and effects of potential risk factors on the prevalence of mood or anxiety disorders among first-generation migrant groups compared to the general population in Ontario. We conducted a systematic review …

The Role Of Paraprofessionals In The Mental Health Structure Of India, Amy Abraham

Senior Theses

The mental health treatment gap in India is part of a growing public health crisis, with over 95% of those in need of services never receiving them. Over 197 million Indians suffer from at least one diagnosable mental health disorder, and this number continues to grow given the treatment gap. The treatment gap is a result of four major factors: lack of government support, stigma, limited treatment facilities, and the dearth of professionals able to provide treatment. The current study aimed to analyze several factors of paraprofessional led mental health interventions including setting, treatments delivered, treatment models, and client outcomes. …

Perinatal Anxiety And Depression During The Covid 19 Pandemic, Helen Xumin Chen, Nancy Selix, Marcianna Nosek

DNP Qualifying Manuscripts

Abstract

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak places perinatal women at higher risk of developing anxiety and depression. Uncertainty, fear, and confusion in medical, social, economic, occupational and political aspects of life in the US add to existing stressors that perinatal women experience. To optimize the quality of perinatal care during the pandemic, appropriate mental health interventions must be implemented to prevent and alleviate perinatal anxiety and depression and improve maternal and infant outcomes. Measures include increased screening, non-pharmacologic and/or pharmacologic interventions and the use of telehealth for care delivery.

Keywords: perinatal anxiety, perinatal depression, COVID-19, SARS CoV-2, maternal …

Analysis Of Newspaper Coverage Of Psilocybin From January 1, 1989 To December 31, 2019, Dax Oliver

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Psilocybin is a chemical compound that has received a lot of attention from medical researchers in recent years. However, this research is not merely a medical issue but a social and political one as well. In the 1960s, psilocybin and other psychedelic compounds were widely ingested outside of clinical settings. This alarmed some of the American public, resulting in severe legal restrictions on psilocybin use and research.

Today, many psilocybin advocates hope that it will avoid the negative public sentiment of the 1960s. To help gauge public sentiment about other psychoactive compounds, some studies have examined newspaper coverage, but there …

Overcoming Challenges In The Assessment And Treatment Of Problem Behavior In Adults With Autism, Julia A. Iannaccone

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Problematic behaviors, such as self-injurious behavior or aggression, demonstrated by adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), create many significant life complications, some life-threatening. Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is established as an evidence-based approach to treat problem behavior for children with ASD and shows promise as an effective treatment for adults, yet little research has been conducted within the adult population. Assessment and treatment of problem behavior with adults is often challenging due to funding limitations, increased severity and complexity of problem behavior, and underqualified staff. The purpose of the present study was to overcome these challenges by (1) identifying a …

Neurodevelopmental Mechanisms Of Adverse Trauma Outcomes In Emerging Adulthood, Olena Kleshchova

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Background: Exposure to traumatic stress and adversity during the formative years of development can have adverse effects on mental health, neuroendocrine stress system function, and the brain, that persist into adulthood. One candidate mechanism that might confer vulnerability to enduring adverse outcomes of early life trauma is disruption of normal brain maturation. As the brain matures, functional interactions among brain regions change until the functional brain architecture (i.e., the functional connectome) reaches a mature state in adulthood. Given that different neural circuits have distinct developmental trajectories and sensitive periods, traumatic stress at a given point in development might have …

Life After Menopause: Quality Of Life In Women Diagnosed With Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome After The Childbearing Years, Katelyn Baker

Dissertations

Very little research has been conducted in regards to what happens after a woman diagnosed with PCOS is menopausal or post menopausal. This study researched the quality of life in women with PCOS before and after menopause in an attempt to compare the two groups.

We All Feel Feelings, Ben Ohene

Theses and Dissertations

Consisting of three illustrated books, We All Feel Feelings is designed as a vehicle for the discussion of emotional and mental health with young boys. These books will help foster a mindset of openness and acceptance through different methods of displaying and understanding emotions.

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 …

Current Practices, Perceptions And Challenges Of Telehealth In The Treatment Of Mental Health In The U.S. Department Of Veterans Affairs, James E. Plummer

Full-Text Theses & Dissertations

Currently there are 17,964,242 million Veterans living in the U.S. Around 50% of these Veterans are over 65 years of age. Many U.S. service members – both active and retired, experience trauma and dysfunction in restructuring their lives. Mental health problems are reported in over 50% of Veterans both in active service and retired. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), ten times more suicides are reported among Veterans who did not register with the VA compared to those who do register. Longer deployments, shorter times at home between the deployments and combat exposure are the greatest contributors …

Rejection Sensitivity And The Intent To Seek Medical Help Among Gender Minority Individuals, Kellyann Garthe

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Background: As members of a marginalized and socially devalued group, gender minority (GM) individuals regularly experience rejection in healthcare experiences. These rejecting experiences lead to barriers to healthcare access and health disparities. Consequently, GM individuals’ may develop anxious and avoidant attitudes toward their healthcare needs. When considering healthcare, an individual’s inherent attitude informs their intent to seek medical help (ISMH), defined as the attitude that influences one’s decision to seek medical help. When an individual has a hyper-sensitive reaction to perceived rejection, this is termed rejection sensitivity (RS).

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to determine if the independent …

Memory And Stereotypes For Lesbian/Gay Characters, Amber Rose Williams

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Stereotype-consistency bias refers to the idea that people tend to remember stereotypical information about others better than non-stereotypical information (Fyock & Stangor, 1994). Limited research has examined how people may use stereotype-consistency bias when recalling information about LGBT characters in narratives (Bellezza & Bower, 1981; Clark & Woll, 1981; McGann & Goodwin, 2007; Snyder & Uranowitz, 1978). This line of research suggests that, instead of genuinely remembering stereotypical information better, participants tended to guess stereotypical answers to questions they do not know. In contrast to those studies, the experiment I conducted for this thesis suggests that heterosexual young adults tend …

Serious Mental Illness And Rural Primary Care: Provider Training, Attitudes, And Opinions, Lydia Eisenbrandt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Healthcare resources are especially limited in rural regions of the US. The lack of Primary Care Providers (PCPs) and mental/behavioral health services is problematic, as there are high rates of behavioral and medical concerns within rural populations. Special populations, such as rural persons with Serious Mental Illness (SMI), are medically complex and represent a vulnerable and underserved population. Healthcare outcomes for persons with SMI are poor compared to the general population and commonly lead to premature death. Various barriers prevent this population from accessing optimal healthcare, especially in rural areas, due to negative perceptions/stigma, a lack of understanding from PCPs, …

Clinical Work With Adult Male Incest Survivors: Therapeutic Themes And Perspectives, Kathryn B. Rosenberg

Doctoral Dissertations

For psychotherapists, encountering clients who have experienced sexual trauma or abuse is inevitable, whether or not the abuse is disclosed to the therapist; however, mental health professionals receive extremely limited (if any) training on how to identify or effectively support adult clients who are survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA). Many people who experienced CSA, especially those who identify as male, remain isolated and invisible in their suffering as adults even within therapeutic spaces, facing what feel like insurmountable barriers – both internal and external – to getting help. When sexual abuse is intrafamilial, these barriers are both amplified and …

The Experiences Of Female Adolescents Who Have Sustained A Concussion Through Sport Participation: A Consideration Of An Occupational Perspective During Recovery, Annalise Michelle Tichenoff

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Adolescence is a time of rapid and tumultuous development in the physical, cognitive and psychosocial domains. Sustaining a concussion during this time period may complicate this development, particularly when symptoms are prolonged. Of particular importance is the study of adolescent females, as this population has been under-evaluated within the literature. This is especially troubling due to the number of concussions that occur among adolescent females, as concussions within this population reportedly occur at twice the frequency of adolescent males. This dissertation presents a qualitative case study investigation that explores the recovery experiences of adolescent female athletes who have sustained a …

Compassion Fatigue And The Emergency Department, Alexandra Myers

Dissertations

Problem The emergency department (ED) is a high-stress environment. Nurses exposed to this stress for prolonged periods are subject to compassion fatigue (CF). The purpose of this quality improvement project was to identify and reduce the level of CF in ED nurses by implementing Real Time Transformative Response^© (RTR). RTR^© is a technique that uses combinations of neurofeedback response awareness, biofield therapy intervention, and clearing of unwanted energy.

Method A purposeful sample of ED nurses working at a moderately-sized, suburban, Midwestern hospital ED who were scheduled to work 24-hours or more per week completed a Professional Quality of …

Mitigating Suicide Risk Post-Discharge From Inpatient Crisis Stabilization: Safety Planning Intervention, Leighia M. Mcghee

Dissertations

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this program evaluation is to evaluate the effectiveness of a newly implemented safety planning intervention (SPI) tool, comparing patient outcomes relating to suicide attempt rates, emergency department (ED) encounter rates, and inpatient rehospitalizations rates pre and post its integration to care in a suburban behavioral health hospital.

Methods: A descriptive cohort design utilizing a retrospective chart review was completed over six months, three months pre, and three months post implementation of the SPI program. A convenience sample of inpatient charts was reviewed to assess the rate of suicide attempts, ED encounters frequencies, and hospitalization rates …

The Influence Of Instructor Mental Illness Disclosure On The Perceptions Of Mental Illness, Classroom Climate, Teacher Credibility, Homophily, And Social Attraction, Kirsten L. Bridgemen

Theses and Dissertations

This study uses the lens of Communication Privacy Management theory to analyze the impact an instructor’s depth of disclosure of their mental illness can have on mental illness stigmatization, classroom climate, as well as teacher credibility, homophily, and social attraction. Participants responded to a series of quantitative-based questions regarding a hypothetical syllabus with varied levels of a teacher disclosing their mental illness. Results indicated that none of the investigated dependent variables were negatively affected by the hypothetical instructor’s disclosure, and mental illness stigmatization was lessened. Implications, limitations, and areas for future research are discussed.

Reducing Behavioural And Psychological Symptoms Of Dementia In Older Adult Long Term Care Home Residents With Virtual Reality Therapy, Munira Sultana

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Individuals with dementia often exhibit Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD). BPSD worsens as dementia progresses and intensifies caregiver distress. The Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario recommends non-pharmacologic methods such as group activities, music therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and cognitive stimulation therapy (CST) to manage BPSD. I wanted to explore the potential of virtual reality (VR) as a possible CST for Ontario long-term care home (LTC) residents with moderate to severe dementia. I analyzed data of a single site case series (n=24), piloted to explore the feasibility of VR therapy, residents’ tolerance for the therapy, facilitators and barriers to …

Ethical Considerations For Outpatient Behavioral Healthcare In North Texas, Carolyn B. Guillory

All Theses And Dissertations

The purpose of this Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) study was to examine caregivers’ perceptions of practices for outpatient behavioral health care. Effort was made to gain insight into the components of ethical service delivery. Significant data on the providers’ perceptions of care was identified in literature reviews, though it was not the case for perspectives of consumers or caregivers. This population has been identified as one which is likely to experience unaffordable, fragmented, and confusing behavioral health systems (Baker, 2015). Attempts to inform research by addressing the quality of treatment was a focus. The Research Problem: Since 2016, the suicide …