Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Uplifting An Invisible Population: How We Can Combine Psychology And Policy To Improve The Educational And Mental Health Outcomes Of Homeless Youth, Melissa Hamilton

Washington Semester Program

The goal of this thesis is to a) explain why homeless youth are frequently linked to poor mental health and education outcomes, and b) offer evidence-based suggestions that ought to be considered when developing any intervention aiming to improve the education and mental health of homeless youth. To accomplish this, prominent theories in both the psychology (ex: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs) and political science (ex: failed implementation of the McKinney-Vento Act) fields that pertain to student homelessness were reviewed, and a comparative analysis of existing intervention models was conducted. Three key trends were identified across successful homeless youth intervention models …

The Effectiveness Of Targeted Education On Improving Nurses’ Self-Efficacy In Caring For Psychiatric Patients On Medical Surgical Units, Rachel Shirey

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Individuals with mental illness are occasionally hospitalized on medical units, specifically medical-surgical units. Nurses working on medical-surgical units may find patients with mental illness more challenging due to the complexity of care they sometimes require. Nurses’ perceived ability to provide quality care for these patients is reduced in comparison to their perceived ability to care for patients without mental illness. Consequently, low self-efficacy can result in the provision of a lower quality of care for this population. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to improve the care that patients with mental illness receive while hospitalized on medical-surgical units. …

The Effect Of Implementing A Generalized Anxiety Disorder Protocol For Anxiety And Depression Symptoms In The Primary Care Setting, Bailey J. Hinman

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is very prevalent in the United States with 5.7% of citizens affected (National Institute of Mental Health [NIMH], 2017). This number is expected to be even higher because individuals avoid care due to stigma of mental illness (Andrews et al., 2018). GAD can have significant implications such as decreased ability to function, decreased quality of life and increased risk of suicide (Fong, 2018; Lizarondo, 2018). The purpose of this project was to improve outcomes for adult patients with GAD in the primary care setting by improving treatment to follow best practice recommendations. The Johns Hopkins Evidence …

Postpartum Depression: Educating The Provider And Staff About The Importance Of Screening, Referrals, Follow-Up And Adherence To The Maternal Mental Health Safety Bundle Toolkit, Natalie Regis

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

Background: Postpartum depression (PPD) affects approximately 10%-20% of women after childbirth. PPD is a disabling condition that can have serious health implications on mothers and their infants. Experts estimated that only 50% of women with PPD are diagnosed. Lack of education about screening practices can cause the disorder to go undiagnosed and untreated.

Purpose: The purposes of this quality improvement (QI) project were 1). To increase the provider and staff knowledge about the importance of screening with the implementation of a standardized screening tool 2). To increase PPD screening rates to 100% 3). To increase appropriate referrals to mental …

Assisting Children With Velocardiofacial Syndrome Who Have Developmental Disabilities And Delays Associated With Speech, Communication, And Education, Mckenzie K. Holty

Honors Thesis

Children with velocardiofacial syndrome (VCFS) have a variety of complex needs. Research shows that VCFS is characterized by a combination of medical problems, developmental delays, and learning disabilities, which vary from child to child. This syndrome also puts adolescents at a higher risk for developing psychiatric and psychotic disorders. The complexity of symptoms that can arise from VCFS can influence the ability of these children to communicate, socialize, and learn effectively. This literature review aims to discuss literature for caregivers, educators, and physicians to aid children effectively and understand their challenges relating to speech, communication, and education. This topic is …

A Comparison Of Different Modeling Techniques To Establish Token Reinforcers In Classroom Settings, Spencer B. Gauert

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Prior research has supported the use of reinforcer-based methods in school settings. Video based modeling methods for establishing conditioned reinforcers without the need for explicit pairing with primary reinforcers can help to extend the use of these resources into new contexts. The use of video based conditioning has potential applications in school settings to increase academic skills without the use of more costly-to-implement reinforcer systems. However, conditioning of this kind might be restricted by the need to individually condition stimuli with different participants. The current study evaluated effects of video based conditioning on relative rate of sight word reading across …

The Comparison Of Effective Education Methods To Increase Knowledge About Alzheimer's Disease., Lillian M. Kopsolias

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a disease most people recognize, but have many misconceptions about. One way to decrease the amount of misconceptions about AD is to educate the general public on the disease. Many educational methods, such as person-centered care education, have been researched, but none have focused on the general public. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to compare two educational methods used today, reading a passage from a reliable online source (traditional educational method) and watching documentaries (person-centered care educational method), to find if a specific way of presenting them will prove efficient for Alzheimer’s education. The …

Differences In Mental Health Education Across Baby Boomers, Generation X, And Millennials, Ashlyn M. Avera

Honors College Theses

There is no denying that mental illness has gained a strong prevalence in the United States. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, approximately one in five adults in the United States experiences a mental illness in any given year. Although mental health stigmas have played a role in the past, it does not mean they must continue to play the same role in the future. Research is now looking toward ways to decrease mental health stigma through increasing mental health knowledge. This study examines the starting point for which a society becomes literate in mental health. Using a …

Move About It: Movement-Based Sexual Abuse Prevention Workshop For High Schools, Katie Wild

Creative Arts Therapies Theses

The purpose of Move About It, a movement- based prevention workshop was to increase awareness, knowledge, and empowerment for high school students by engaging in sexual abuse prevention education. This workshop will address: spatial awareness and boundary education, develop decision-making skills, create community safety plans, and bring awareness to sexual abuse through social media. The workshop developed through individual interviews with professionals with a background in high school aged youth, program development and implementation, trauma counseling, dance/movement therapy, school health, wellness and discipline in schools. Move About It is designed for dance/movement therapists to implement within a health class at …

Hispanic Bilingual Learners' Perceptions And Educational Experiences Of Spanish-Speaking In South Texas, Isela B. Stephens

Theses and Dissertations

The present study focuses on a subset of data obtained from a larger interdisciplinary project, Proyecto Posible, which investigates how sociocultural and instructional factors predict positive outcomes among Spanish- and English-speaking Hispanic bilingual learners. As one part of Proyecto Posible, interviewers asked learners to speak in their language of preference about their experiences in school and feelings developed during interactions with others, as bilinguals. This study examines the qualitative component on bilingual learners’ perceptions of their own language proficiency in English and Spanish, perceptions of language use across a broad range of contexts including school, home, and community, …

A Study On The Effect Of Higher Education Branding On Student's College Decision, David E. Garcia

Theses and Dissertations

All around us we are inundated by brand marketing. Logos and labels with trademarks surround our lives. With marketing being part of our society, higher education institutions have created a brand marketing scheme all their own. This new form of branding has caused many students to make their decision based on the logo, mascot or social lifestyle. The purpose of this study was to test whether attitudinal brand loyalty has a statistically significant effect on college decision through academic and athletic factors. Based on multiple regression analysis, results show that attitudinal brand loyalty does have a significant effect on college …

An Exploratory Investigation Of Tele-Counseling: Looking At The Power Of Therapeutic Alliance In Improving Wellness, Jorge Rostro

Theses and Dissertations

The present study explored the power of one tele-counseling session to elicit change within post wellness ratings scores and the relationship between clients’ perceptions of relationship, goals and topics, approach and method, and overall session with clients’ wellness ratings. Results indicated that the mean for post-session wellness was significantly greater than pre-test wellness ratings. The standardized effect size, d, was .43, indicative of a moderate effect size. No difference was found between client’s perceptions of predictor variables with post-wellness rating scores. This study adds support for the use of tele-counseling services as one session might have the power to elicit …

Theory Of Mind And Inhibitory Processing Among Bilingual Mexican American Young Children, Sarah E. Stegall

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Bilingual children have been found to demonstrate advantages on tasks dependent in part or in whole on inhibitory processing compared to their language dominant and/or monolingual peers. This study examines relations among performance on theory of mind (ToM), inhibitory processing (FF), and performance on an ambiguous-figures (AF) tasks among monolingual and bilingual children. Participants included 135 Hispanic children ages 4.5 to 8 from predominately low-income families. Results revealed a relationship between FF and AF performance with ToM performance and found no differences in performance between monolingual, language-dominant, and balanced-bilingual children.

The Effects Of Systematic Reinforcement On Academic Performance In Precision Teaching: An Investigation Of Acquisition, Retention, And Endurance, Victoria Ann Hoch

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The use of positive reinforcement in acquisition programming is a hallmark of Applied Behavior Analysis; however, the Precision Teaching literature reveals a lack of reporting on the use of reinforcement. The present study utilized a groups design and single case analyses to investigate the effect of programming systematic tangible reinforcement on acquisition performance, retention and endurance of academic skills with 10 typically developing students ranging from 5-7 years of age. Results indicate that for both control and experimental participants, an increase in accuracy on both See/Say sight words and math problems occurred; however, the experimental group performed better on See/Say …

An Evaluation Of The Effects Of Session Distribution On The Acquisition, Retention, And Endurance Of Material Learned Using Precision Teaching, Elizabeth G. Hasbrouck

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Precision Teaching (PT) is a data-based educational tool that allows individual changes to be made to educational programs based specifically on the needs of the learner. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of session distribution on the material learned in the context of a PT intervention program. Typical children, ages 3- to 5-years-old, whom were enrolled in a church-based child development program, participated. The goal of this study was to assess if the administration of PT sessions one day-a-week or five days-a-week effected the acquisition, retention, and endurance of material learned. Results indicate that there was …

Evaluation Of Using An Interrupted Behavior Chain Procedure To Teach Mands To Children With Autism, Blair Nichole Jacobsen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Interrupted behavior chain procedures have been shown to be an effective way to teach individuals with intellectual disabilities and autism to mand for missing objects and information concerning missing objects. Research has shown that an interrupted behavior chain procedure is more effective than traditional mand teach trials, which occur at the onset of a behavior chain or in a massed trial format. However, there is a lack of research evaluating the use of interrupted behavior chain procedures to teach vocal mands for missing items and the possible generalization effects thereof. This study evaluated the acquisition of vocal mands for …

Comparison Of Sport Competitive Anxiety Levels Of Saudi Arabian National Team Athletes With And Without Disabilities In Competitions, Hassan Ahmad Halawani

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Anxiety in sport is complex and can lead to a number of undesirable consequences such as burnout, performance difficulties, interpersonal problems, and injury. The purpose of this study was to compare whether significant differences existed in the levels of somatic anxiety, worry, and concentration disruption between individuals of the Saudi Arabian national team with and without disabilities in competitions. In addition, differences in somatic anxiety, worry, and concentration disruption were examined between athletes in an individual or team sport. The Sport Anxiety Sale (SAS-2, Smith et. al, 2006) was employed to measure the subscales of somatic anxiety, worry, and consternation …

Ncr Vs Dro: Evaluation Of Effectiveness, Teacher Preference, And Fidelity Of Implementation, Jackie Courntey Lansdale

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Previous research has demonstrated that non-contingent reinforcement (NCR) and differential reinforcement of other behaviors (DRO) are effective procedures in reducing problem behavior of children both in and out of the classroom. However, few studies have assessed which procedure is most socially acceptable among teachers. In addition, studies have not recorded data on fidelity of implementation among teachers. A non-concurrent multiple baseline across teachers design was used to (a) demonstrate the effect of NCR and DRO on the problem behaviors of school aged children with no identified developmental disability, and (b) assess implementation fidelity of each procedure by the teacher. …

What Do You Expect? : An Investigation Of How Caffeine Expectancies Affect College Students' Cognitive Performances, Katie Alyse Berg

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Caffeine use is common, but few studies have examined how the expectancies that people hold about caffeine relate to the effects they experience after consuming it. My study examined how typical caffeine consumption and students' expectancies about how caffeine generally affects them influence their decisions about caffeine use as well as their performance on memory and attention tests. I hypothesized that expectations about how caffeine affects students would interact with their beliefs about how much caffeine they had consumed to impact performance on tests of attention and memory. Undergraduate students were divided into four groups: high consumption and high expectancy, …

The Effect Of Family Sculpting On Perceptual Agreement Among Family Members, John Bruce Jessen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of family sculpting on perceptual agreement among family members.

Thirty families, each consisting of a father, a mother, and a child twelve years old or older, from areas of northern Utah and eastern Idaho participated in the study. The following instruments were administered to all individuals: a biographical questionnaire containing items regarding age, sex, occupation, education, number of years married for parents, and birth order position for children; the Interpersonal Check List in which each family was to describe him/herself and the other members of the family; the Family …

Anxiety And Fear In Personality Structure, Robert Robert Mickelson

Graduate Student Research Papers

The problem to be studied is the effect of anxiety and fear on the personality. Concern with this problem stems from the fact that on many occasions anxiety and fear blocks a person's free approach to experience and often anxiety and fear prevent one from building sound interpersonal and intergroup relations.