Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Object Relations In Children's Projective Testing: Applying The Mutuality Of Autonomy Scale To The Thematic Apperception Test, Lily A. Thom

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Psychodynamic assessment of object relations on projective tests has consistently been shown to contribute to a better understanding of children’s psychological functioning and to guide therapeutic interventions (Tuber, 1992). This research examines the enhanced utility of applying a psychodynamically-derived scale of children’s object relations to a commonly used projective assessment tool, the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) (Morgan & Murray, 1935; Murray, 1943). The current study investigates the adaptation and application of the Mutuality of Autonomy Scale (MOA) (Urist, 1977; Urist & Shill, 1982), commonly used as a Rorschach Inkblot Method object relations scale, to examine verbal narratives on the TAT. …

Medication Management In Pediatric Chronic Illness: Should Patient Anxiety Be Considered?, Claire J. Hoogendoorn

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Introduction: There is growing support that psychological symptoms can impact various aspects of disease, well-being, and medical treatment for those with a chronic illness like Crohn’s disease (CD). Yet, almost no studies have examined whether psychological symptoms can influence management or efficacy of patient medication regimens. The aims of this project were to examine whether anxiety predicted pediatric patients’ level of medication management, medication prescription changes, and corticosteroid prescription and duration.

Method: A total of 105 pediatric patients ages 8-18 (M=14.5, SD=2.3) completed a validated anxiety questionnaire during a GI office visit (baseline). Prescribed IBD …

Providing Care For Many In The Context Of Few Resources: Secondary Traumatic Stress, Burnout And Moral Distress Experienced By Healthcare Providers In Rural Uganda, Lauren Michelle Dewey

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In the context of the global nursing shortage, and particularly in low-resource settings, nurses are at an increased risk for work-related stress problems like secondary traumatic stress (STS), burnout, and moral distress. These three work-related mental health consequences, sometimes associated with absenteeism and intent to leave the profession, could potentially contribute further to the shortage of nurses. This two-part study is a longitudinal examination of the work-related mental health consequences experienced by healthcare providers in rural Uganda. In Study 1, participants (n=208; 159 students and 49 experienced health workers) completed self-report, psychosocial measures at baseline and 134 of the students …

Perception And Production Of /V/ And /W/ In Hindi Speakers, Vikas Grover

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation examines the ability of Hindi speakers to identify, discriminate and produce two English phonemes /v/ and /w/ which are difficult for Hindi speakers to distinguish. In Hindi, /v/ and /w/ are used interchangeably. This pattern of use has transferred to Indian English, resulting in English /v/ and /w/ words showing variable pronunciations (e.g., “whale” or “vale” for the word “whale”). Hindi speakers were asked to identify, discriminate and produce tokens of /v/ and /w/. This study also examined whether experience with American English, related to the length of residence (LOR) in the US affects Hindi listeners’ perception and …

The Lived Experience Of Fathers With Advanced Cancer, Maria Mowassee

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Historically, fathers have been neglected as a research population in the nursing and oncology literature. This was in relation to their role being viewed as a disciplinarian and breadwinner instead of a nurturer. Fast-forward to modern day society, their role has evolved into a more involved parent that is necessary for their child’s development and well-being. The literature has also evolved and in recent years, this population has been gaining recognition and it is of great importance to understand their role, perception, and concerns as it pertains to being involved fathers. Therefore, when considering fathers with advanced cancer when death …

The Effects Of Health-Related Fitness On School Attendance In New York City 6th-8th Grade Youth, Emily M. D'Agostino

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Background: Only 42% of youth ages 6-11 in the United States meet the World Health Organization’s recommendation for ≥60 minutes of daily moderate to vigorous physical activity. Estimates for adolescents ages 12-19 are even lower, ranging from 8-17%. Literature suggests low levels of youth health-related fitness (fitness) may negatively impact attendance, potentially due to reduced physical and psychosocial wellness. Nationally, 10-15% of (5-7.5 million) students are chronically absent, meaning that they miss ≥10% of the school year (or ≥20 days of school per year). Moreover, 20-30% of students in high-poverty, urban school districts do not attend school regularly (≥6 days …

Perceptions Of Fidelity And Adaptation In Evidence-Informed Interventions By Women Of Color Sexuality Health Educators, Sara C. Flowers

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Sexuality health educators (SHEs) adapt interventions to the participants’ needs in the dissemination and implementation of comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) programming. However, there is a lack of understanding of how, why and when SHEs make such adaptations. Success or failure of the transfer of prevention technology to practitioners occurs by determining community capacities and preparedness to adopt/adapt high-impact interventions to effectively manage implementation. Experts argue for evidence-informed interventions (EII), as opposed to evidence-based interventions (EBI), as the best way to incorporate research in applied settings. EBIs are solely guided by recommendations from current evidence, whereas EIIs recognize and incorporate the …

Observational Assessment Of Empathy In Parent-Child Verbal Exchanges And Their Influence On Child Behavior, Patty Carambot

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Empathy, the ability to both experientially share in and understand others’ thoughts, behaviors, and feelings, is vital for human adaptation. Deficits in empathy development have implications across the lifespan for the development of prosocial behavior, social functioning, mental health disorders, and risk for antisocial behavior (e.g., Guajardo, Snyder, & Petersen, 2009; Moreno, Klute & Robinson, 2008). In light of these societal and individual burdens, it is imperative to foster and strengthen the development of this ability early in life to prevent or ameliorate such negative outcomes. This type of prevention can take a variety of forms, but parent and child …

In Search Of Argentinidad: Identity Affirming Bodies In Movement In Latino-America, Melissa Maldonado-Salcedo

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This project is a multi-sited investigation into the production of Argentinidad (the embodied feeling of Argentine national identity) post the economic crisis of 2001 known as el Argentinazo. A special attention is paid to the role of the body as a culturally and socially mediated site of identity formation. Additionally, this project engages with the intersections of cultural and psychoanalytic theories that have influenced Argentinean self-identity in addition to social identities that are negotiated in moments of personal and national crisis. This project examines the roles and relationships of family and migration within Argentinean diasporic communities originating from the Provinces …

Relative Clause Sentence Comprehension By Japanese-Speaking Children With Specific Language Impairment And Children With Typical Language Development, Miho Sasaki

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Comprehension of sentences with relative clauses was examined in Japanese-speaking children with SLI and children with TLD. The children with SLI showed comparable comprehension with the TLD peers, when the language and memory tests’ scores were controlled. The children with TLD consistently had difficulties in OR sentences than SR sentences, in spite of that Japanese relative clauses are different from English ones. The children with SLI showed the opposite pattern. Working memory rather than language knowledge predicted better the comprehension performance for all the children.

The Effects Of Job Characteristics On Home Care Workers’ Well-Being And Job Performance: Understanding The Psychosocial Effects Of Relational Care, Emily C. Franzosa

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Home care workers are the lowest-paid and most precarious segment of the health care industry. Although these workers provide critical, non-medical support that allows elderly and disabled individuals to remain in their homes, the workforce is highly unstable, due to low wages, a lack of supportive benefits like health coverage, paid leave and retirement support, poor working conditions and a physically and emotionally demanding workload. But a lack of consensus around the nature and value of home care has made “quality”, in terms of both jobs and care provision, difficult to define, measure or improve. While home care is a …

Empty Metal Jacket: The Biopolitical Economy Of War And Medicine, Sandra Lee Trappen

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Empty Metal Jacket: The Biopolitical Economy of War and Medicine undertakes study of how global conflict and violence shape the entire range of social production, from commodities and culture to social goods and social theory. The research presented in this work draws from cutting-edge theories in body and science studies, in addition to theories of affect and biopolitics to address how war became a problem solving paradigm in medicine. Combat casualties are shown to serve as a material nexus for medical knowledge production. Although the focus here is on medicine and medical innovation in particular, these developments are connected to …

Multi-Digit Coordination In Absence Of Cutaneous Sensory Feedback During Grasping Tasks, Christina Gioeli, Kerry Mcpartlan, Emily Reid, Matthew Turturro

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Motor learning and adaptation to object properties and task requirements requires integration of cutaneous sensory feedback with motor commands. Joint mechanics constantly change, with individual joints or muscles compensation so performance output is the same per task. Effects of mixed cutaneous sensory feedback on multi-digit coordination is not well understood. Investigators sought to determine the influence absent cutaneous sensory feedback has on motor learning and adaptation, and how the CNS coordinates multi-digit mechanical output to adapt to manual tasks, with partially intact digital sensory feedback. 19 participants were randomly assigned for three-digit anesthesia administration (TIM- thumb, index, middle; TRL- thumb, …

Outcomes Of Auditory Brainstem Implantation In Adults With Postlingual Deafness: A Systematic Review, Jillian Friedman

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Objective:The purpose of this investigation is to conduct a systematic review of the long-term speech-recognition outcomes of ABIs in postlingually deafened adults, and to compare outcomes of ABIs in adults with NF2/tumors to adults without NF2.

Methods: A comprehensive search utilizing various peer reviewed databases via the City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate Center Library was conducted to identify relevant studies investigating speech-recognition outcomes in ABI patients with postlingual deafness, both with and without tumors. Inclusion criteria included studies that involved at least one adult ABI patient (with or without NF2) with postlingual deafness, who was seen for …

A Systematic Review Of Dual-Sensory Impairment In Older Adults, Abby F. Malawer

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The elderly population (ages 65 years and older) in the United States is estimated to double between 2000 and 2030 to approximately 72 million people. Among this population, sensory impairment is a chronic disability. The combination of both hearing and vision impairment, referred to as dual-sensory impairment (DSI) is a chronic condition on the rise. The prevalence of DSI ranges from a low of 1.6% to as high as 22.5% depending on the population (Appollonio et al., 1995). Higher prevalence rates tend to emerge in populations receiving rehabilitative and hospital care. DSI impacts independent physical function and verbal communication, along …

Transition Issues In Educational Audiology, Rebecca Bareli

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Despite advancements in assistive technology for hearing loss (hearing aids, cochlear implants), children with hearing loss still face a host of issues throughout the educational process, particularly during transitional periods. This literature review examines the existing research discussing these issues, including transitions from childhood to adolescence, high school to college, and college to the workforce.

Becoming Serpent: Mapping Coils Of Paranoia In A Neocolonial Security State, Rachel J. Liebert

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

What follows is a feminist, decolonial experiment to map the un/settling circulation of paranoia – how it is done, what it does, what it could do – within contemporary conditions of US white supremacy. Drawing on participant observation, interviewing, scientific artifacts, reflexive journaling, and a public art project, I enter white supremacy through a burgeoning form of pre-emptive psy to capture ‘the prodrome’ – a stage-cum-population-cum-figure at the center of a transnational program of research to identify and intervene on ‘pre-psychosis’. I argue that this nascent, contested, and accelerating movement is enacting a contemporary transition from …

Psychological And Psychiatric Comorbidities Associated With Tinnitus: A Systematic Review, Shanna Hymowitz

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The purpose of this systematic literature review was to examine the current literature evidence pertaining to the relationship between tinnitus and psychological and psychiatric comorbidities. Literature was found discussing the prevalence of tinnitus with psychological and psychiatric comorbidities, differences in self-reports, and whether the perception of tinnitus is aided with the use of psychological counseling and psychotropic medications. Relative search strings applied to Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Medline Complete, and PubMed identified studies to be included in this review. (Will put total amount of studies found once collected). An assessment of all research literature found …

Speech-Recognition Outcomes In Older Adults With Cochlear Implants: A Systematic Review, Jennie Noska

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Health innovations are contributing to the ever-increasing human lifespan, but with humans living longer, new health challenges arise. Hearing loss that severely impacts the ability to understand oral communication is increasingly becoming a reality as humans live longer. For many older adults with hearing loss, hearing aids do not provide sufficient benefit to communication. An abundance of literature exists detailing the benefits of cochlear implantation on speech-recognition for post-lingually deafened adults. Research on the benefits of implantation for older adults is only beginning to emerge, and the outlook is promising. This systematic review provides evidence that, though more research is …

Hearing Aid Use And Cognitive Function: A Systematic Review, Hershel Korngut

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This systematic review analyzed the research relating the use of hearing aids to cognitive function. Hearing aid use was examined to see if wearing hearing aids improves cognitive function, if the length of time hearing aids are worn impacts cognitive ability, if the type of hearing aid used has any impact on cognitive function, and if hearing aid use slows down cognitive decline. Ten studies met the criteria for this review. An analysis of the research revealed some evidence to support wearing hearing aids improves cognitive function, however, there is substantial evidence that shows no impact between wearing hearing aids …

Development Of A Patient-Centered Health Literacy Toolkit For Audiology And Hearing Loss (The 'Hh Lit Kit'), Jennifer L. Gilligan

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The Patient-Centered Health Literacy Toolkit for Audiology & Hearing Loss (‘HH Lit Kit’) represents four years of inquiry into health literacy and Patient-Centered Care (PCC) in audiology. While awareness of health literacy continues to gain momentum in medicine and public health, there is a paucity of information on PCC and health literacy in audiology.

Low health literacy is linked to poorer health and poorer quality of life. Patients with hearing loss are at high risk for low health literacy. This presents a major concern because hearing loss affects the way information is processed, retained, and applied. Gaps have been identified …

Exploring Older Adults’ Perceptions Of The Utility And Ease Of Use Of Personal Emergency Response Systems, Patricia A. Mclean

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Key Words: Older adults, aging in place, functional impairment, assistive home-based technology, personal emergency response system (PERS).

Aim: The aim of this study was to explore and describe perceptions of the utility and ease of use of a personal emergency response system (PERS) among older adults who are aging in place.

Research Question: “What is the meaning of a PERS use for functionally impaired older adults?”

Design: An exploratory-descriptive qualitative design was used to recruit members of a VNSNY CHOICE Managed Long Term Care (MLTC) site in Queens, NY, who met the study’s eligibility through the selection criteria. …

Language-Mixing In Discourse In Bilingual Individuals With Non-Fluent Aphasia, Avanthi Paplikar

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Language-mixing (LM) as defined by Chengappa (2009, p. 417) is an “intra-sentential phenomenon referred to as the mixing of various linguistic units (morphemes, words, modifiers, phrases, etc.), primarily from two participating grammatical systems”. LM is influenced by grammatical, environmental, and social constraints (e.g., Milroy & Wei, 1995; Bhat & Chengappa, 2005). Researchers have suggested that LM in patients with aphasia is a communicative strategy used to achieve successful exchanges between speakers; the effectiveness of this mixing, however, had yet to be demonstrated quantitatively.

In the current study we investigated whether LM is present in bilingual speakers with aphasia, and if …

Social Isolation, Social And Emotional Loneliness, And Self-Reported Hearing Difficulties In Older Adults With Hearing Loss, Yuliya Borik

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Hearing loss is known to affect communicative ability and has been associated with poor health-related outcomes such as impaired cognition, increased risk for falls, and psychotic manifestations. Social isolation and loneliness are also widely recognized to negatively impact mental and physical health. The purpose of this systematic review is to review literature that explores a relationship between hearing loss with and/or without self-reported hearing difficulties and social isolation and social and emotional loneliness in older adults with hearing loss ranging from mild to profound. The goal is to determine whether there is a direct relationship between subjective and/or objective hearing …

Ethnicity Matters: Implications For Understanding And Acting Upon Disparities In Health Affecting Black Men In The United States, Helen V. S. Cole

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Compared to non-Hispanic whites, non-Hispanic blacks have higher rates of mortality from heart disease, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and HIV/AIDS. Black men have a life expectancy approximately 4.7 years than the life expectancy of non-Hispanic white men, due in part to higher prevalence of chronic disease among black men. Many factors are hypothesized to contribute to disparities in health between races, including differences in socioeconomic status; culturally-linked behaviors such as diet, substance use, and physical activity; access to quality healthcare and other resources; and experiences of racism, both institutional and interpersonal. However, in public health research, race is usually treated as …

Effect Of An Internet-Based Education Program On Self-Care Agency In People Living With Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Darcel M. Reyes

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Both low health literacy and insufficient electronic health literacy (ehealth) impede access to reliable internet health information for people living with chronic illnesses such as HIV/AIDS. Use of reliable internet health information has been shown to improve self-care through increased understanding of symptoms, disease processes, and improvements in adherence with treatment plans.

This study examined the effectiveness of two interventions that taught people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH) how to recognize reliable internet based HIV health information. Orem’s Self-Care Theory was the framework for this quasi-experimental study that used a non-equivalent two-group design with two experimental interventions (MEDLINE and E-HELP). Participants …

Reliability Of Clinical Evaluators Of Spasticity In Patients With Stroke, Tiffany Alvino, Shiney David, Chelsea Gendvil

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Spasticity is characterized by hyperexcitable stretch reflexes with amplitude increases in response to velocity dependent passive movement and resistance. Spasticity is the result of abnormal function of segmental and suprasegmental neuronal circuits. The objective of this study was to determine any positive correlation between three clinical evaluators of spasticity (i.e., the pendulum test, the patellar tendon tap test (PTT), and the Modified Ashworth scale) in their reliability to assess spasticity in people post-stroke. It was hypothesized that the use of force movement sensors along with surface electromyography increases the reliability of the standardized clinical tests. The results show that all …

Traditional Chinese Medicine: A Survey To Assess Inclusion In Dpt Curricula In The United States, Michael Erickson, Paul Nasri, David Perrotto

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The objective of this study is to assess the current level of inclusion of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in Doctor of Physical Therapy curricula in the United States. This survey provides self-reported data regarding the challenges associated with incorporating TCM into the curriculum. All 228 CAPTE (Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education) accredited Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) programs were included in this survey instrument. A College of Staten Island (CSI) Human & Animal Protection Office (HARPPO) approved survey was e-mailed to the chairperson of each DPT program and respondent data was stored via a secure Survey Monkey® online …

Physiopathology And Intervention In Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review, Justin Gelesky, Dylann C. Germann, Amanda Percaccio, Rachelle Schick

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In the United States, osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common chronic illness in the adult population affecting an estimated 27 million individuals with a yearly health care cost of over $150 billion (CDC, 2014; Lawrence et al., 2008). The pathological osteoarthritic process results in the progressive degradation of articular cartilage due to chemical and biological imbalances within a joint (Weiland et al., 2005). These imbalances are not well understood and neither are the biomechanical joint changes that occur as a result. Due to these limitations, treating and monitoring this condition is a challenge to clinicians and the processes are currently …

The Efficacy Of Motor Imagery Training On Range Of Motion, Pain And Function Of Patients After Total Knee Replacement, Noorelhoda Mahmoud, Marc A. Razzano Jr., Karen Tischler

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The present study examined the potential of motor imagery training and investigated the role of motor imagery instructions (audio) to improve knee range of motion after a total knee replacement. The participants were randomly assigned to either an experimental motor imagery group (n=4) or a control group (n=6). Both groups performed specific exercises to improve their knee range of motion and strengthen their muscles. Participants in the Motor Imagery group performed a motor imagery training exercise for a knee flexion stretch on the stairs prior to performing the actual exercise. The motor imagery group demonstrated a significantly greater increase in …