Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Serving Those Who Served: Renegotiating Support And Benefits For U.S. Military Veterans With Less Than Honorable Discharges, Mariah Brennan, Emily Graham

Population Health Research Brief Series

Approximately 1 in 7 veterans are discharged from the military under less than “Honorable” conditions. Veterans with less than “Honorable” discharges experience bias and stigma related to their discharge, which can lead to elevated risk for behavioral and mental health challenges and homelessness. This brief summarizes the different military discharge types, explains how less than “Honorable” discharges can affect veteran health, identifies groups of veterans who are at risk of receiving a less than “Honorable” discharge, and makes policy recommendations for the Department of Defense (DoD), civilian employers, and community healthcare providers.

Sexual Minorities Are More Depressed And Anxious Than Heterosexuals In The U.S., Especially Among Women, Joshua Grove

Population Health Research Brief Series

Depression and anxiety are harmful to health. People who suffer from depression or anxiety are more likely to engage in risky health behaviors and have higher risk of various chronic diseases and premature death. This data slice uses data from the 2022 National Wellbeing Survey to explore the prevalence of depression and anxiety among U.S. adults ages 18-64. The results show that sexual minority adults are significantly more likely than those who identify as heterosexual to suffer from depression and anxiety, and differences in prevalence rates between sexual minority and heterosexual women are larger than the differences between men.

Older Adults With A History Of Psychiatric Conditions Experience More Cognitive Decline Than Older Adults Without This History, Maria T. Brown, Miriam Mutambudzi

Population Health Research Brief Series

Having psychiatric conditions (such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and major depressive disorder) throughout one’s life can lead to faster rates of cognitive decline as one ages. This data slice explores the associations between psychiatric history and cognitive function among U.S. White, Black, and Hispanic adults ages 65 and older from 1995-2014. Findings demonstrate that having a history of psychiatric problems is related to lower cognitive functioning and a faster rate of cognitive decline for all three groups, but Black and Hispanic adults experience steeper declines compared with White adults.

Dynamic Connection Of Mental Health And Sports In College, Terrence Jordan, Mckinley Egland-Young, Kendrick Maynor Jr.

Research and Scholarship Symposium Posters

Throughout universities around the world, every day, the mental health of college students is tested. Specifically, collegiate athletes may feel uncomfortable, or uncertain seeking out resources to assess their overall mental health. There are numerous reasons athletes may be either comfortable or uncomfortable seeking out these resources. Some reasons can include being seen as a sign of weakness, there being no resources for athletes, or they are uncertain about what resources are available to them. The researchers chose to investigate the mental health of two different sports teams at a university. Specifically, the researchers explored these athletes and their mental …

College Students' Relationship With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder And Learning Accommodations At The University Of Nebraska-Lincoln, Brianna Danehey, Kim Hansen Dr., Chelsea Witt Dr.

Honors Theses

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can provide many challenges for college students due to difficulties focusing, multi-tasking, and staying organized. Colleges are required to offer academic accommodations to students with disabilities in an attempt to provide students with an equitable learning environment. However, accommodations may be ineffective if they are highly unattainable, unused by the student once granted, or hindered by university faculty.

The objective of this study was to identify barriers to receiving effective and beneficial academic accommodations for individuals with ADHD at the University level and to provide insight into college students' knowledge and relationships relating to the …

Editorial: Assessing And Addressing Health Inequities And Disparities: The Role Of Health Informatics, Gulzar H. Shah, Anjum Khurshid, Joanne Chopak-Foss

Department of Health Policy and Community Health Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The End Of The “Chemical Imbalance” Theory Of Depression - What Now?, Austin Brown

Population Health Research Brief Series

For decades, those diagnosed with depression have been told they suffer from a “chemical imbalance.” This explanation involves neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, thought to be the main neurochemical responsible for major depressive disorders. Growing research challenges this theory and the need for medication therapies for depressive symptoms. This brief summarizes new findings examining the theory that depression is caused by a chemical imbalance and calls for healthcare professionals and patients to consider the market influences and social structures that impact health.

Mental Health Problems Among Elementary School Students Mandated To E-Learning: A Covid-19 Rapid Review Caveatmandated To E-Learning: A Covid-19 Rapid Review Caveat, Renee M. D'Amore, Angelina N. Halpern, Lauren R. Reed, Kevin M. Gorey

Social Work Publications

Extended lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic mandated millions of students worldwide to e- learning and by default made many of their parents proxy homeschool teachers. Preliminary anecdotal, journalistic and qualitative evidence suggested that elementary school children and their parents were probably most vulnerable to this stressor and most likely to experience mental health problems because of it. We responded with a rapid review of 15 online surveys to estimate the magnitude of such risks and their predictors between 2020 and 2021. The pooled relative risk of mental health problems among school children and their parents was substantial (RR = 1.97). …