Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Biophilic Design Strategies In Healthcare: Using Nature To Promote Wellness In Small-Scale Mental And Behavioral Health Facilities, Skyler Peckham

University Honors Theses

Designing spaces that promote the health and well-being of the general public has been a highly debated topic for several centuries within the disciplines of architecture, urban planning, and other similar fields. As more research has been done throughout the years, the notion of utilizing nature to promote wellness has become a prominent design strategy. Through the examination of a wide range of scholarship regarding the benefits that nature has for human health and connecting this research to the biophilic evidence-based design strategies of healthcare facilities, I aim to highlight what design aspects truly promote wellness for patients in small-scale …

Implementation Of Mindfulness & Stress Reduction Training For Medical Students, Jill Berenato

SACAD: John Heinrichs Scholarly and Creative Activity Days

Abstract

This proposal advocates for implementing mandatory mindfulness and stress reduction training sessions for surgical students at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM). It is well-documented that medical students, particularly those in surgical disciplines, experience high levels of stress, which can negatively impact their mental health, academic performance and overall well-being. Mindfulness-based interventions have shown promise in reducing stress and enhancing resilience among medical students. By integrating mindfulness training into the surgical curriculum, PCOM aims to equip students with essential coping skills to effectively manage stress, thereby promoting their mental health and academic success. This handout serves to accompany the …

Adverse Childhood Experiences And Resilience In Medical School Students: A Scope Of Medical Literature, Andrea Soto Abarca, Yvette Cortino, Juan Carlos Lopez Alvarenga, Maya Guevara

Research Symposium

Background: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) represent types of childhood trauma that are associated with long-term negative effects on health and wellbeing. An elevated number of ACEs can lead to depression, suicidality, alcoholism, and substance use. Factors that can protect a person from increased health risks include resilience, which is broadly defined as the ability to bounce back from adversity. Few studies have analyzed the exposure of ACEs in medical students, however, there is extensive literature on how low levels of resilience are linked to higher rates of depression, fatigue, and burnout among medical students. Little is known about the …

Utilization Of Wellness Practices For Burnout And Stress During Covid-19 Among An Interdisciplinary Cohort Of Emergency Healthcare Workers, Michael J. Zdradzinski, Sheri-Ann O. Kaltiso, Roslyn Seitz, Timothy P. Moran, Jennifer Clements, Sheryl L. Heron, Michelle D. Lall

Journal of Wellness

Introduction: The Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) introduced additional stress to the baseline occupational stressors of emergency care workers. The objectives of this study were to evaluate perceived stress and burnout and the utilization and perceived benefit of wellness practices among emergency healthcare workers (EHCWs), including: emergency physicians, advanced practice providers (APPs), nurses, and departmental administrative staff during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: A cross-sectional 28-item electronic survey of EHCWs at three hospitals in a major United States city was used to measure participants’ utilization and perceived benefit of wellness practices, burnout (2-item measure), overall stress (perceived stress scale), and stress …

Wellness Review 2022, Part 2, Martin Huecker, Brian A. Ferguson, Jacob Shreffler

Journal of Wellness

Introduction: Similar to prior reviews, the Journal of Wellness editors searched the literature from the second half of 2022 for an interesting and impactful selection of publications on wellness in healthcare professionals.

Methods: Editors conducted a standard keyword search in Pubmed, focusing chiefly on large journals, interventional trials, and other prospective research. We included papers published between July 1, 2022 and December 31, 2022.

Literature in Review: Finding several hundred publications, we excluded editorials, reviews, and some smaller, less generalizable papers. A final 25 significant studies focusing on wellness in medical professionals were sorted into the following categories: logistics, creativity …

An Analysis Of Burnout And Wellness Of Healthcare Workers Based On Patient Population And Healthcare Worker Location, Spencer Brandenburg

Undergraduate Theses

Healthcare workers, even with all of the positive work that they do, often suffer from increased burnout and decreased wellness/quality of life. This problem is not new and has been steadily worsening for many years, however, there are factors which impact burnout and wellness that have not been analyzed or have produced mixed results in prior burnout and wellness literature. There has been little to no research done on the impact of patient population demographics on burnout and wellness in healthcare workers, and the research analyzing the impacts of demographic healthcare worker location has consistently produced mixed results often based …

The Effect Of A Wellness Curriculum On First Semester Jmu Pa Students, Abigail Larson, Jeanine Aberbook

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2020-current

Physician Assistant (PA) programs are rigorous graduate-level medical programs that achieve a Master’s degree but complete an equal number of credits as a Doctorate degree. They are notorious for triggering high levels of stress pre-matriculation as well as upon matriculation. While this is a well-known topic discussed between students and incoming students, it is an under-researched topic. As a result of the lack of research in physician assistant education regarding implementing a wellness curriculum and the desire to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms in first semester PA student, the faculty and students at James Madison University (JMU) implemented a …

Wellness Review 2022, Part 1, Martin Huecker, Brian A. Ferguson, Jacob Shreffler

Journal of Wellness

Introduction: This article represents the first of a two-part assessment of 2022 literature addressing wellness in healthcare professionals published from January 1, 2022 to June 30, 2022.

Methods: Three editors conducted a similar keyword search in Pubmed, also adding manually curated articles. Focusing chiefly on clinical trials and other prospective research, we settled on a final 25 significant papers focusing on wellness in medical professionals to include in this review.

Literature Review: Recent literature into HCW wellness continues to describe burnout factors and COVID-19 impact, but includes more resilience-targeting interventions and systematic reviews of trials seeking bolstering of well-being. Subsections …

Wellness And Professional Quality Of Life In Counselor-In-Training Interns: Assessment Of Wellness And Non-Wellness-Infused Supervision, Ashley J. Blount, Abby L. Bjornsen, Daniel B. Kissinger, Kara Schneider, Lindsay Vik, Jessica Gonzalez-Voller

Journal of Wellness

Introduction: Counselors-in-training (CITs) commonly encounter issues of burnout, compassion fatigue, and/or vicarious traumatization due to the nature of their jobs in the helping profession. Wellness infused supervision may help CITs foster personal wellness and mitigate deleterious effects of helping. This investigation examined connections related to counselor-in-training wellness and professional quality of life during an internship-level supervision course across a wellness and control section.

Methods: A quasi-experimental design was piloted, comparing a wellness-focused supervision internship section with a non-wellness control group supervision internship section during one academic semester. Participants included 15 clinical mental health CITs (9 experimental; 6 control), who were …

Wellness Review 2021, Part 2, Brian A. Ferguson, Martin Huecker

Journal of Wellness

Introduction: This article presents Part 2 of the biannual JWellness Review of literature from 2021 (July – December). We emphasize new science and resilience initiatives published outside of JWellness that seek understanding of burnout and thriving among healthcare professionals (HCPs).

Methods: For the interval of July 1 to December 30, 2021, PubMed was queried for empirical and observational research studies, review articles, guideline summaries, letters, and editorials. Of 93 results, we reviewed methods and salient points to arrive at a final list of 48 articles for inclusion.

Literature in Review: Common themes that emerged included teamwork, EMR optimization, group decompression, …

Adverse Childhood Experiences And Resilience In Medical School Students: A Scope Of Medical Literature, Andrea Soto Abarca, Yvette Cortino, Juan C. Lopez-Alvarenga, Maya Guevara

MEDI 9331 Scholarly Activities Clinical Years

Background: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) represent certain types of childhood trauma that are associated with long-term negative effects on health and wellbeing. The elevated number of ACEs can lead to depression, suicidality, alcoholism, and substance use. Factors that can protect a person from increased health risks include resilience, which is broadly defined as the ability to overcome challenges or bounce back from adversity. Few studies have analyzed the exposure of ACEs in medical students, however, there has been extensive literature on how low levels of resilience are linked to higher rates of depression, fatigue, and burnout among medical students. …

Emergency Medicine Shift Factors Causing The Most Stress Among Emergency Medicine Residents, Mohamad Moussa, Kristen Hayden, Chia-Hao Shih, Sadik Khuder, Zayd Safadi, Connor Parsell

Journal of Wellness

Introduction: Past studies demonstrate that stress and anxiety affect emergency medicine physicians, but the causal factors identified are usually from sources outside the work shift. We attempt to show the relationship between intrinsic factors of a work shift and anxiety perceived by residents, while also examining differing gender responses.

Methods: In 2018, a cross-sectional survey of emergency medicine residents in the United States was distributed anonymously through the Emergency Medicine Residents Association. The survey consisted of demographic questions, novel questions identifying intrinsic factors, and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) scale. Spearman correlation, independent t-test, and multivariate analysis of variance …

Wellness Review 2021, Part 1, Martin Huecker, Brian A. Ferguson, Jacob Shreffler

Journal of Wellness

Introduction: This article presents a curated selection of the wellness literature from January to June of 2021. JWellness editors offer a summary of recent publications within the wellness domain to seek an understanding of both burnout prevention and, more importantly, thriving in the medical profession.

Methods: For the interval of Jan 1 to June 30, 2021, a UofL librarian queried PubMed for empirical research studies, review articles, and editorials related to healthcare professional wellness. Excluding papers related to COVID-19 (due to extensive prior coverage) and editorials/commentaries, the editors narrowed to 43 articles (systematic reviews, meta-analyses, general reviews, and clinical trials) …

Reducing “Treble” With Performance Focused Music Programs In Medical School: A Student Driven Needs Assessment To Clarify Participation Barriers Amongst Undergraduate Medical Students, Alexander Tu, Tiffany Truong, Kristy J. Carlson, Matthew J. Brooks, Jayme R. Dowdall

Journal of Wellness

Introduction: The beneficial impact of performing arts involvement within undergraduate medical education, such as music, has been studied, but support for the arts varies significantly by institution. Research has suggested that medical student involvement in the arts can help develop their identities as physicians and may reduce stress and burnout, an increasingly difficult problem within the medical student community.

Methods: We used a mixed-method cross-sectional study design, using a questionnaire and semi-structured interview designed amongst a team of music professionals and healthcare providers with music backgrounds. Out of 511 enrolled medical students, 93 students participated in the study for a …

Medical Schools Ignore The Nature Of Consciousness At Great Cost, Anoop Kumar

Journal of Wellness

The essential question of the relationship between consciousness and matter is ignored in medical school curricula, leading to a machine-like view of the human being that contributes to physician burnout and intellectual dissatisfaction. The evidence suggesting that the brain may not be the seat of consciousness is generally ignored to preserve the worldview of the primacy of matter. By investigating new frameworks detailing the nature of consciousness at different levels of hierarchy, we can bring intellectual rigor to a once opaque subject that supports a fundamental reality about our experience: We are human beings, not only human bodies.

Gme: Gym In Medical Education-Maintaining Physical And Mental Well Being During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Brian J. Nguyen, Elana A. Meer, Joyce E. Nguyen

Journal of Wellness

No abstract provided.

Wellness Review 2020, Part 2, Brian Ferguson, Martin Huecker

Journal of Wellness

Introduction: This article comprises Part 2 of the Journal of Wellness review of 2020 wellness literature (July – December). In this review, JWellness editors continue the goal of offering a cohesive summary of recent publications within the wellness domain. We summarize new science and resilience initiatives published outside of JWellness that seek understanding of either burnout and its prevention or thriving in the medical community.

Methods: From the interval of 01 July – 31 Dec 2020, PubMed was queried for empirical research studies, review articles, and editorials in accordance with the following algorithm: an article was required to …

Opportunities For Patient Self-Reflection During Acute Phase Of Depression Treatment, Millen Abselab

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

This project for UVMMC Family Medicine at Hinesburg investigates the acute phase of depression treatment for adult patients and introduces opportunities for patient empowerment during this 4-to-6-week window through de-identified automated text surveys for self-reflection about treatment and pattern tracking contributory to mood. Sample text survey built on Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) and deployment of text surveys is based on Mosio. Future interventions can utilize mobile phone apps based on patient response to surveys.

The Crossroads Of Wellness And Second Victim Syndrome: Identifying Factors That Alter The Pathway Of Caregiver Recovery Following An Unanticipated Adverse Patient Outcome, Kimia Zarabian, A. Katharine Hindle, Ivy Benjenk, Anita Vincent, Jamil M. Kazma, Benjamin Shambon, Raymond Pla, Eric Heinz

Journal of Wellness

Introduction: Second Victim Syndrome (SVS) describes the phenomenon in which a caregiver experiences a traumatic psychological and emotional response to an adverse patient event or medical error. Using quantitative survey analysis, we aim to better understand the personal factors that affect SVS development and recovery.

Methods: Caregivers at a small urban academic medical center who had experienced an adverse patient event in the past six months were invited to take part in this institution-wide, voluntary, quantitative, cross-sectional study. Three surveys were administered; the Holmes-Rahe Life Stress Inventory (HRLSI) was used as a surrogate to measure stressful life events. The …

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.

Stop Fighting The Coronavirus, Pranay Sinha

Journal of Wellness

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the refrain of war has echoed across the world. It has tainted the way we speak about the pandemic and shaped the way we think about it. Metaphors can direct thought and action. This essay reflects on the ways in which the metaphor of war is disrupting the way we relate to the pandemic, to our society, and to each other and concludes with an alternative metaphor.

Wellness Domains For Residency Training Programs, Danielle Hart, Glenn Paetow, Ramin Tabatabai, Rochelle Zarzar, Arlene S. Chung

Journal of Wellness

In this editorial, we describe a residency-specific wellness framework that residency leadership can utilize in developing their local wellness programs.

Health-Promoting Behaviors And Subjective Well-Being Among High School Students, Nicholas David W. Smith

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In positive psychology, a greater emphasis is placed on the presence of indicators of both physical and mental health. This study examined the relationship between 12 health-promoting behaviors and subjective well-being (SWB; e.g., happiness) in a sample of 450 high school aged youth from five high schools in two states. Participants reported on their dietary habits, physical activity, abstinence from tobacco products, abstinence from alcohol, and sleep hygiene (i.e., 8 unique components) as well as a multidimensional assessment of SWB (i.e., life satisfaction, positive affect, and negative affect). It was hypothesized that increased engagement in each of the health-promoting behaviors …

Wellness Review 2019, Part 1, Martin Huecker, Brian A. Ferguson

Journal of Wellness

Welcome to the first Journal of Wellness review of recent literature. Wellness leaders are aware that a literature search yields thousands of articles on burnout, less on wellness, and no consistent, reliable source of publication. This validates the mission of JWellness, to collect editorials and research in one location, free for all to read and publish, allowing dissemination to all healthcare professionals.

Law Library Blog (March 2019): Legal Beagle's Blog Archive, Roger Williams University School Of Law

Law Library Newsletters/Blog

No abstract provided.

Wellness In Asexual-Identified Individuals: The Impact Of Social Support And Microaggressions, Elisa Marie Woodruff

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

One hundred sixty asexual identified individuals living in the United States were recruited from asexual online communities. The participants completed a comprehensive survey consisting of Zimet et al.’s 1988 Multidimensional Scale of Social Support, Foster’s 2017 Asexual Microaggression Scale, and the Five Factor Wellness Inventory Adult Version Revised (FFWEL-A2) developed by Myers and Sweeney in 2014, as well as 15-item demographic items. Regression models were used to assess relationships among the factors.

Social support was found to have a significant positive impact on participant wellness, supporting previous social science research. Microaggressions were not found to have a negative impact on …

Wellness Intervention As A Quality Of Life Predictor In Mentally Ill Veterans, Tosha Lashon Ellis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Veterans with serious mental illness (SMI) are at high risk of developing conditions such as insulin resistance, obesity, and smoking, which may lead to chronic medical problems. As a result, the morbidity and mortality of people with SMI are high compared to the general population. It appears that integrated care improves the wellbeing of veterans; however, there is a gap in the literature on wellness-based interventions for veterans with SMI. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the association between a wellness intervention for veterans and their perceived quality of life (QOL). Social cognitive theory was the theoretical …

Counselor Supervisors' Perceptions Of Tertiary Trauma, Eric David Jett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Vicarious trauma impacts counselors in various ways: by diminishing their feelings of importance in the profession, hindering their completion of adequate work with clients, and negatively affecting their personal life choices. Although numerous qualitative and quantitative studies have been conducted on vicarious trauma over the past 20 years, there is a rarity of research investigating the implications of trauma for counseling supervisors. The purpose of this study was to examine the lived experiences and perceptions of tertiary trauma among 11 counselor supervisors from Oklahoma and Missouri who were providing active supervision. This study was approached through a hermeneutic phenomenological methodology. …

Culture Ontogeny: Lifespan Development Of Religion And The Ethics Of Spiritual Counselling, Glen Milstein, Amy Manierre

Publications and Research

The counsellor has an ethical obligation to treat the whole person. Humans are cultural beings and the foundation of most cultures is religion. Religion and culture are received from our early relation~ ships and modified through later relationships across the lifespan. The paper introduces the term "culture ontogeny" to emphasize that this is a biological process wherein abstract ideas of culture and religion become material in the developing neurophysiology of each brain. A framework and methods are offered to examine the changing roles of religion in clients' emotional self~ structure, inclusive of those who describe themselves as spiritual, not religious. …