Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Research Brief: "Psychopathology, Iraq And Afghanistan Service, And Suicide Among Veterans Health Administration Patients", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This brief is about the connections between being a OIF/OEF veteran who receives care from the VHA and suicide mortality. In policy and practice, mental health screenings for OIF/OEF veterans should be implemented in non-VHA healthcare settings and families of OIF/OEF veterans should encourage veterans to seek treatment if they exhibit signs of a mental health condition. The VHA should implement policies that promote its healthcare to veterans in order to decrease suicide risks among veterans and should also offer more mental health screenings for recently returned veterans. Suggestions for future research include looking at risks for suicide after traumatic …

Media Created Violence: A Social Determinant Of Mental Health., Shamshad Begum, Shaneela Sadruddin Khowaja, Gulnar Ali

School of Nursing & Midwifery

In today's high technological world, scientific discoveries contribute remarkable development to human life, but it could also have an adverse impact on mankind. Among all these advancements, media is one of the inventions which aims at capturing a countless group of viewers and transmit information via various mediums. Media violence is considered one of the hampering determinants which harms an individual psychologically. The primary goal of a health professional is to work for the maintenance of mental health. Therefore, it is imperative to create an understanding about the impact of media violence on mental health, particularly in the Pakistani context. …

Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy: A Descriptive Study, Erica Jex Gergely

Dissertations

The current study seeks to examine the program operations and treatment practices of individuals and organizations providing equine-assisted therapy services nationwide. Currently, there are several hundred programs across the United States that utilize equine-assisted therapy to treat common mental health problems in children, adolescents, and adults. Not all equine therapy programs function under the same theoretical model and therefore do not deliver treatment services using equivalent principles or techniques. In addition, program policies, procedures, and ethical guidelines of each provider vary. To date, there exists a paucity of research regarding equine-assisted therapy including both qualitative and quantitative data.

The present …

Sleep Disturbances In Mental Health Care: A Review Of Literature On Nursing Interventions, Sarah Jungbauer, Kara Taylor

Pharmacy and Nursing Student Research and Evidence-Based Medicine Poster Session

Sleep is essential in the repair and renewal of cells and tissues. It allows the body to recover from the wear and tear of life’s daily activities, slows metabolism, decreases heart workload, relaxes body muscles, and preserves energy. Sleep deprivation caused by psychological disorder can cause anxiety, euphoria, irritability, and memory impairment. Insomnia is associated with depression, anxiety disorders, deficient work performance, drug abuse, and reduction in productivity. The purpose of this study is to determine what nursing interventions are available to improve the sleep quality of mental health care patients.

Research Brief: "Impact Of The Seeking Safety Program On Clinical Outcomes Among Homeless Female Veterans With Psychiatric Disorders", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This brief is about the effect of the Seeking Safety program's services on improvement in PTSD, psychiatric symptoms, and social support among homeless female veterans. In policy and practice, clinicians should be trained on how to use the program to better serve homeless female veterans, and policymakers should push for clinician training for those who work with homeless veterans. Suggestions for future research include applying this study and the Seeking Safety program to non-VA healthcare systems, assessing substance use within the program, and assessing the long-term effects of the Seeking Safety program.

Recommended Actions For Improved Care Transitions: Mental Ilnesses And/Or Substance Use Disorders, Chris Walker, Paul Goering, Cathy Brouwer, Kathy Knight, Karen Lloyd, Terry W. Crowson, Michael A. Trangle, Paul Davis, Jennifer Mcnertney, Sue Abderholden, Nancy Houlton, Kathy Cummings, Joann Foreman

Articles

The transition period between care settings is the most vulnerable time for patients and their caregivers. The unique vulnerabilities for patients with mental illnesses such as depression, mania, anxiety, schizophrenia and/or substance use disorders* heighten the need for coordinated transitions and aftercare. In 2010, depression was the fourth diagnosis by volume for readmissions in Minnesota according to the Potentially Preventable Readmissions data collected by the Minnesota Hospital Association.

Literature Review: Understanding Nursing Competence In Dementia Care, Victoria Traynor, Kumiyo Inoue, Patrick A. Crookes

Professor Patrick Crookes

Aims and objectives. The aim of this study was to review dementia nursing competencies. The objectives were to explain the relevancy of dementia competencies across care settings and levels of practice. Background. Dementia is strongly associated with increasing age and as the world population ages there is an imperative to ensure the healthcare workforce is fully equipped to meet the needs of people with dementia and their carers. Design. A literature review study addressed the research aim and objectives. Method. Literature sources were (i) academic databases, (ii) the internet and (iii) snowballing. Search terms were 'dementia', 'care standards', 'training and …

The Mental Health Implications Of Experiencing Racial/Ethnic Microaggressions Among Latina/Os: Cognitive, Affective, And Behavioral Components, Kelly M. Moore

Dissertations (1934 -)

The present study sought to elucidate the cognitive, affective, and behavioral components associated with the experience of racial/ethnic microaggressions among Latina/os, and the mental health outcomes of this form of discrimination. The study examined data from 175 Mexican and Mexican-American Latina/o adults recruited from a large Latina/o ethnic festival in a moderately-sized Midwestern city. Methodology of the present study incorporated innovative materials, including a quantitative measure of racial/ethnic microaggressions and a vignette to elicit an experience of a racial/ethnic microaggression. Results showed that past six-month experiences with racial/ethnic microaggressions are predictive of psychological distress. Overall, one's greater affective stress response …

Research Brief: "Psychiatric Status And Work Performance Of Veterans Of Operations Enduring Freedom And Iraqi Freedom", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This study examines the relationship between psychiatric status and work impairment among OEF/OIF veterans enrolled in VA healthcare. In practice, mental health services are a high priority for the Veterans Administration, which is now focused on integrating behavioral health services into primary care so OEF/OIF veterans face fewer obstacles in obtaining and sustaining psychiatric care. In policy, policymakers should integrate veterans’ health programs with systematic assessment functioning, and develop treatment geared towards addressing impaired job performance. Suggestions for future study include focusing on whether workers with depression and other psychiatric conditions participate fully in the labor market and function effectively …

Disparities In Mental Health Utilization Among Persons With Chronic Diseases, Saundra Glover, Keith Elder, Sudha Xirasagar, Jong-Deuk Baek, Crystal Piper, Dayna Campbell

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

This study used Aday and Andersen’s Behavioral Model of Health Services Use to examine the role of chronic disease and the joint impact of race and chronic disease type on mental health utilization. Using data from Community Tracking Survey Household Survey, we tested the assumption that chronic disease, chronic disease type, and race are related to lower rates of mental health visits when adjusted for predisposing, enabling, and need factors. After adjusting for population characteristics, we found that race significantly moderated the impact of chronic disease type on mental health utilization, showing that African Americans with cardiovascular disease were half …

Postpartum Depression In Immigrant Hispanic Women: A Comparative Community Sample, Laura Mae Shellman

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: This study was initiated to verify whether a remarkably high rate of postpartum depression (PPD), previously found in immigrant Hispanic women receiving health care at a community clinic, would also be found in a community sample with a similar demographic.

Data Sources: Sixty immigrant Hispanic women who had recently given birth were recruited from local community settings. The Beck Postpartum Depression Screening Scale-Spanish version (PPDS-S) and the General Acculturation Index (GAI) were used to screen for PPD symptoms and to collect demographic data. These data were then compared with previously published data from the community clinic sample.

Conclusions: Sixty …

Cannabis Use In Cape York Indigenous Communities: High Prevalence, Mental Health Impacts And The Desire To Quit, India Bohanna, Alan R. Clough

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Anecdotal reports suggest that high rates of cannabis use and dependence are significant issues in Indigenous communities in north Queensland; however, there is little scientific evidence to support or refute this.The Cape York Cannabis Project seeks to investigate cannabis use rates, cannabis dependence and mental health impacts for the first time in three Cape York Indigenous communities.

Invisibly Wounded Warriors: The Psychological Repercussions Of War On American Soldiers, Maisy Bragg

Honors Theses

The demands that come with war can be both physically and mentally traumatizing and damaging to the soldier in many ways. These psychological injuries manifest themselves in what physicians call Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. The purpose of this paper is to examine Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in American Soldiers by analyzing the training methods, human’s natural aversion to killing, pre-deployment medical exams, type of warfare, and treatment options provided in war; specifically the Civil War, World War I and World War II, Vietnam, and the Iraq War. By taking into account the history of PTSD as a disease, as well as these …

Research Brief: "Combat Exposure And Mental Health: The Long-Term Effects Among Vietnam And Gulf War Veterans", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This brief is about how combat exposure and exposure to dead, dying, and wounded people can predict decreases in mental health among Vietnam and Gulf War veterans. In practice and policy, the VA can better provide resources for veterans based on their combat exposure, and the VA should take into account varying combat experiences among veterans when providing mental health care. Suggestions for future research include using more precise measurements for combat exposure than the one used in this study.

General Practitioners' Awareness And Management Of Common Psychiatric Disorders: A Community-Based Survey From Karachi, Pakistan, H A. Naqvi, S Sabzwari, S Hussain, M Islam, M Zaman

Department of Psychiatry

This study assessed the knowledge and management of common psychiatric disorders by general practitioners (GPs) in Karachi, Pakistan. Structured interviews were carried out in 2009 with 360 GPs selected by cluster random sampling. Patients with psychiatric disorders were estimated to be up to 10% of the daily caseload according to 71.8% of doctors. Two-thirds of GPs were unaware of the ICD-10 diagnostic criteria for depression and anxiety disorders. Benzodiazepines were the most recognized category of medication (75.3%) and were the most commonly used medication for all mental health conditions. Fewer GPs were familiar with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (35.1%) or …

Mental Disorders And Communication Of Intent To Die In Indigenous Suicide Cases, Queensland, Australia, Diego De Leo, Allison Milner, Jerneja Sveticic

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

In comparing Indigenous to non-Indigenous suicide in Australia, this study focussed on the frequency of the association between some psychiatric conditions, such as depression and alcohol abuse, and some aspect of suicidality, in particular communication of suicide intent. Logistic regression was implemented to analyze cases of Indigenous (n = 471) versus non-Indigenous suicides (n = 6,655), using the Queensland Suicide Register as a data source. Compared to non-Indigenous suicides, Indigenous cases had lower odds of being diagnosed with unipolar depression, seeking treatment for psychiatric conditions or leaving a suicide note. Indigenous suicides had greater odds of verbally communicating suicide intent …

Using The Fcb Grid To Evaluate A Failed Mental Health Levy: The Marketing Implications Of Stigma, Oscar T. Mcknight, Ronald Paugh, Steffi Liotta, Wenhui Jin

Oscar T McKnight Ph.D.

This research found that using the FCB Grid to develop and evaluate a mental health levy campaign has merit. Likewise, stigma has both positive and negative impact on a mental health levy. Introduced is the ‘STIGMA’ planning model to help mental health professionals pass a public mental health levy.

The Impact Of Guided Imagery On Sleep Quality In Mothers Of Preterm Infants, Linda M. Schaffer Phd, Mn, Rn

Dissertations

Background: Mothers who have given birth to preterm infants are at an increased risk for impaired sleep. Evidence based interventions are needed to assist mothers in improving their sleep quality as few are available. Purpose: Guided by the transactional framework of Lazarus and Folkman (1984), the purpose of this study was to: describe maternal and infant factors which influence sleep quality, examine the relationships between depression, anxiety, stress, social support, to sleep quality, and describe the influence of a R-GI intervention on sleep quality among a sample of mothers whose preterm babies were admitted to NICU. Methods: This prospective, descriptive, …

Developing A Screening Measure For Early Detection Of Depressive Symptoms: The Depressive Cognition Scale, Jaclene Zauszniewski, Abir K. Bekhet

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Nearly 10% of American adults experience depressive symptoms each year. Negative thought patterns associated with risk for depression can be identified using a psychometrically sound measure, such as the Depressive Cognition Scale (DCS). However, no meaningful cutoff score has been established for the DCS. This study used a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve to establish a DCS cutoff score for risk for depression, using the Center for Epidemiological Studies–Depression Scale (CES-D) as the gold standard measure. In a national nondepressed sample of 629 adults, the ROC showed that the DCS accurately discriminated between participants with and without serious depressive thinking …

Mental Health Of Indigenous Australians: A Review Of Findings From Community Surveys, Anthony F. Jorm, Sarah J. Bourchier, Stefan Cvetkovski, Gavin Stewart

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Objective: To assemble what is known about the mental health of Indigenous Australians from community surveys. Data sources: A systematic search was carried out of publications and data sources since 2000 using PubMed, PsycINFO, Australian Medical Index, the National Library of Australia and datasets known to the authors.

Study selection: Surveys had to involve representative sampling of a population, identify Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and include a measure of mental health.

Data extraction: 11 surveys were found. Data were extracted on prevalence rates for Indigenous people by age and sex, along with comparison data from the general population, …

Psychosis In Indigenous Populations Of Cape York And The Torres Strait, Ernest M. Hunter, Bruce D. Gynther, Carrick J. Anderson, Leigh-Ann L. Onnis, Jeffrey R. Nelson, Wayne Hall, Bernhard T. Baune, Aaron R. Groves

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Objective: To describe and characterise treated psychotic disorders in the Indigenous populations of Cape York and the Torres Strait.

Design: Cross-sectional analysis of patients with a psychotic disorder identified by treating psychiatrists.

Setting and participants: Indigenous patients aged 􏰀 15 years in Cape York and Torres Strait communities receiving treatment for a psychotic disorder over 3 months in 2010.

Main outcome measures: Prevalence of psychosis diagnoses, intellectual disability, and substance use comorbidities.

Results: 171 patients were included. The prevalence rate in this population was 1.68%, higher for males (2.60%) than females (0.89%), and twice as high in the Aboriginal (2.05%) …

Constructivism Applied To Psychiatric–Mental Health Nursing: An Alternative To Supplement Traditional Clinical Education, Michelle Hampton

Faculty Publications

With the popularity of accelerated pre‐licensure nursing programmes and the growth in nursing student enrolments, traditional clinical education continues to be a challenge to deliver. Nursing faculty members are required to develop and implement educational innovations that achieve effective learning outcomes, while using fewer resources. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the effectiveness of a constructivism‐based learning project to achieve specific learning outcomes and to supplement approximately 30 clinical hours in a psychiatric–mental health nursing course. Students participated in a 10‐week, multistage project that examined life histories, treatment resources, and evidence‐based practice, as applied to a single …

Managed Mental Health Care: An Oxymoron Of Ethics?, Jonathan M. Metzl M.D.

Jefferson Journal of Psychiatry

No abstract provided.

Social And Emotional Outcomes Of Australian Children From Indigenous And Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Backgrounds, Naomi Priest, Jennifer Baxter, Linda Hayes

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Objectives: 1) profile the living environments and 2) examine the social and emotional outcomes of Australian children from Indigenous and cultural and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds at school entry. Method: Secondary analysis of cross- sectional data collected in Wave 1 of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (n=4,735). Child mental-health outcomes were measured using parent report of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Results: Significant differences in family and neighbourhood characteristics, including parental income, maternal education, maternal parenting quality and neighbourhood safety, were found in children of Indigenous and CALD backgrounds compared to the reference group of Australian-born, English-speaking children. …

Effectiveness Of The Coping Power Program In A Mexican-American Sample: Distinctive Cultural Considerations, Susan L. O'Donnell, Diomaris E. Jurecska, Robert Dyer

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

This study responds to the challenges associated with delivering culturally sensitive and evidence-based treatment (EBT) to at-risk children. Current research supports group interventions based on the Coping Power Program (CPP) curriculum as EBT for improving the frequency of positive behaviors in children and adolescents. However, the effectiveness of the CPP in a Mexican-American sample has not been explored to date. This study investigated the effectiveness of the CPP delivered as a preventative intervention to Mexican-American adoles- cents in a rural school setting. A major emphasis is put on cultural sensitivity when working with this population. Cultural sensitivity is expressed by …

Health Effects Associated With Foreclosure: A Secondary Analysis Of Hospital Discharge Data, Nancy N. Menzel, Sheniz Moonie, Melva V. Thompson-Robinson

Public Health Faculty Publications

Objectives. The purpose of this study was to assess the health effects of high home foreclosure rates in an area of the United States of America and the utility of hospital discharge data for this purpose. Methods.We analyzed hospital discharge data from three postal zip codes using the principal diagnosis for 25 Diagnostic Related Groups associated with stress. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize hospital discharge rates for each condition by year and zip code. To test for differences across time, the Cochran-Armitage trend test was performed. Results. Most conditions did not demonstrate a statistical change between 2005 and 2008. …

The Impact Of Unemployment On Mental And Physical Health, Access To Health Care And Health Risk Behaviors, Jennifer Renee Pharr, Sheniz Moonie, Timothy J. Bungum

Public Health Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of employment status and unemployment duration on perceived health, access to health care, and health risk behaviors. Data from Nevada's 2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) were analyzed. We compared participants who were unemployed (greater than and less than one year) to those who were employed and those who were voluntarily out of the labor force (OLF). Unemployed participants had significantly worse perceived mental health profiles, were more likely to delay health care services due to cost, and were less likely to have access to health care than employed …

Women At War: Understanding How Women Veterans Cope With Combat And Military Sexual Trauma, Kristin M. Mattocks, Sally G. Haskell, Erin E. Krebs, Amy C. Justice, Elizabeth M. Yano, Cynthia Brandt

Public Health Resources

The wars in Iraq (Operation Iraqi Freedom, OIF) and Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom, OEF) have engendered a growing population of US female veterans, with women now comprising 15% of active US duty military personnel. Women serving in the military come under direct fire and experience combatrelated injuries and trauma, and are also often subject to in-service sexual assaults and sexual harassment. However, little is known regarding howwomen veterans cope with these combat and military sexual trauma experiences once they return from deployment. To better understand their experiences, we conducted semi-structured interviews with nineteen OEF/OIF women veterans between JanuaryeNovember 2009. Women …

A Theoretically Grounded Exploration Of The Social And Emotional Outcomes Of Transition To Secondary School, Stacey Waters, Leanne Lester, Elizabeth Wenden, Donna Cross

Research outputs 2012

Adolescent development involves a complex interplay between genetics, biology, and social and emotional relationships within multiple contexts of home, school and the broader community. The transition from primary to secondary school, coupled with the onset of puberty, can therefore be a difficult period for young people to negotiate at a critical period of their developmental pathway. Using a social ecological perspective, this article examines the impact of the transition experience on adolescent social and emotional health, both immediately following transition to secondary school and at the end of the first year in this new school environment. This 1-year prospective study …

Lifestyle And Late Life Cognitive Health: Sufficient Evidence To Act Now?, Bruce Barber, D Ames, Kathryn Ellis, Ralph Martins, C Masters, C Szoeke

Research outputs 2012

Not available