Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Mental Health And Health Literacy Among College Students, Selam Walker

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Background: The study evaluates whether there is an association between mental health and health literacy among college students. Mental health refers to the emotional, psychological, and social wellbeing of an individual. “Health Literacy refers to the capacity of an individual to obtain, process and understand basic health information needed to make an informed health decision.”

Methods: This was a secondary data analysis of an existing data on college students. Descriptive and bivariate analyses were conducted with p values less than .05 used to denote significance.

Results: In this study, 46.3% of the participants reported mild to moderate or …

A Workout A Day Keeps Depression Away, Hannah Voss

BU Well

The issue of mental health in adolescent females is vastly growing in America, especially depression. Depression is largely treated by pharmacologic therapy, but that can result in many side effects and is associated with a harsh stigma that can deter the patient from continuing their medication regimen. With this said, it remains important to look at other means to treat depression, and one of the best alternative solutions right now is exercise. This article presents research that shows how exercise can greatly improve and prevent depressive symptoms, while also decreasing the stigma associated with treating depression, particularly among adolescent females.

Promoting Awareness And Healing In Persons In Mental Health And Addiction Recovery In Middle Tennessee, Savannah Rain Flint

OTD Capstone Projects

This doctoral capstone project was completed in partnership with Healing Arts Project, Inc., also known as HAPI. HAPI exists to fill a gap in recovery and rehabilitation services by providing free art supplies and art classes at partnered facilities, by providing art exhibition and publication opportunities for HAPI program participants, and by participating in outreach events throughout the year. These opportunities help spread awareness and inclusivity of mental health and addiction recovery within the community and helps artists to externalize their personal struggles, thoughts, and feelings through various creative outlets.

My project focus was to increase community awareness of HAPI …

Mental Health Issues In First Responders: Their Causes And How To Help Treat Them, Anna M. Hoffnagle

English Department: Research for Change - Wicked Problems in Our World

In recent years mental health issues and how to deal with them has become a widely discussed topic in society. Causes and treatments tend to be major factors in the discussion, but they also tend to be far too general. The broadness of the targeted audience for these discussions often creates more issues than it solves due to treatments not being effective for every population. This paper highlights the causes of mental health issues in first responders while also discussing treatment methods designed specifically for this population that have had promising outcomes. Causes and treatments discussed are given solidity through …

Mental Health Affects Of The Covid-19 Pandemic, Mia Kepler

English Department: Research for Change - Wicked Problems in Our World

Over the past year worldwide everyone has experienced the Covid-19 pandemic in one way or another. As time evolves during the pandemic mental health is getting worse every day. People are experiencing feelings of loneliness and uneasiness. Mental health professionals are trying to find solutions to this major issue in today's society. Change is needed to prevent people's mental health from worsening during these unprecedented times and to help the people who are already suffering.

Mental Health And Covid-19, Haley Thiel

English Department: Research for Change - Wicked Problems in Our World

The recent pandemic has taken a toll on everyone’s mental health. Transitioning to full freedom and opportunity to lockdown with no human interaction was a huge adjustment. The global pandemic especially hit home to college students and had a significant impact on universities. In this paper we discuss and analyze how the pandemic has shifted college students mental health and the negative toll it had. We will examine how anxiety, depression, and other general mental health disorders have skyrocketed in college students during the pandemic. The need for reform and attention on college campuses to preserve students mental health is …

Personal Internalization Of A Confederate Monument Removal Event Associated With Increased Depression, Anxiety, And Stress Among University Students, Erika M. Redding, Yucheng Hou, Riley E. Mulhern

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

This study sought to determine the association between racialized events relating to the removal of a Confederate monument and mental health outcomes among students at a Southern state-university in the United States. After the removal of a Confederate monument located on the university’s campus, racialized protests and violent clashes with police forces ensued. To assess the impact of these events on student mental health outcomes, a cross-sectional survey was disseminated to 10,000 current students. Student mental health was measured using the 21-item Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS). The key exposure, personal internalization of the event, was measured using the …

Pediatric Mental Health Clinical Experiences In Fnp Programs, Dustin K. Mckague, Sarah L. Beebe, Angela M. Mcnelis, Kristina Thomas Dreifuerst

GW Research Showcase 2021-2024

No abstract provided.

Freefall In Reverse, Lalini Shanela Ranaraja

Vázquez-Valarezo Poetry Award

This poem was written as a direct response to the 22nd Vasquez Valarezo Award theme of "Discontentment." Breaking the noun "Discontentment" into its components parts allowed me to explore of the emotions and mental health states experienced by myself and my community during the "COVID summer" of 2020. Each of the poem's stanzas encourages readers to contemplate different emotional stages and the various coping mechanisms they may demand in order to regain a sense of control and stability. The poem also alludes to the value of a strong community during times of crisis, in particular the international student community of …

How Do Emergency Medical Service Workers Cope With Daily Stressors?, Bryce Hruska, Marley S. Barduhn

Population Health Research Brief Series

Emergency medical service (EMS) workers face triple the risk for significant mental health problems like depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) compared to the general population. This brief summarizes the results of a study that surveyed EMS workers in Syracuse, NY to better understand how their mental health symptoms relate to daily occupational stressors. These stressors can take the form of routine work demands, critical incidents involving serious harm or death, and social conflicts. The study also examined whether daily mental health symptoms may be reduced through protective behaviors in the form of recovery activities such as exercising, socializing with …

The Experiences Of Iraqi Refugees In Canada: A Life History Study Of War And Resilience In The Aftermath Of Migration, Nada Nessan

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This thesis reports on a life history narrative on the experiences of Iraqi refugees who resettled in Canada after living through war. The aim of this study is to help change the narrow perspectives on the mental health of war affected populations to a broader perception shaped by cultural and social aspects and to inform the development of meaningful and cultural relevant programs and policies with a particular attention to the concept of resilience.

The first part of the study presents the chronological narratives, or profiles. of eight participants. The second part of the study is a thematic discussion of …

St. Andrew’S Gratitude Project: The Impact Of Daily Practices Of Gratitude On Feelings Of Loneliness, Eric Partridge

Consensus

No abstract provided.

One Spark Can Light A Fire: How To Become A Mental Health Advocate, Marquinta Harvey, Shannon Jackson

Black Issues Conference

One Spark Can Light a Fire: How to Become a Mental Health Advocate

There is increasing awareness surrounding mental health and conversations are beginning to make their way to the forefront of issues that demand significant attention. However, the path from awareness to advocacy remains poorly understood. Mental Illness is an important issue that affects 1 in 4 individuals and unlike most chronic illnesses the onset occurs early in the life spectrum, usually in adolescence and young adulthood.

The issue of mental health is not limited to individual genetic predisposition and/or behaviors but involves many layers related to individual, family-related, …

Occupational Therapists’ Perspectives On Working In Mental Health Roles, Holly Phillips

Occupational Therapy: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

Occupational therapists working in mental health settings face a multitude of challenges to practice, including role blurring, generic roles, lack of support, and a lack of community, yet continue to pursue these positions. The current literature primarily highlights these barriers and discusses the under utilization of occupational therapists in mental health. Despite these challenges, occupational therapists are still holding prominent roles in this area and the question remains of why these therapists are continuing to pursue these roles and how they are creating meaning in their work. For this research, interviews were conducted with occupational therapists currently working or who …

Covid-19 Related Physical And Mental Health Stressors In Families Using A Social Determinants Lens., Elizabeth Vasquez, Erin Bell, Melissa Tracy

Understanding and eliminating minority health disparities in a 21st-century pandemic: A White Paper Collection

Racial and ethnic minorities, those of lower socioeconomic status (SES), and older adults have experienced higher rates of infection, severity of illness, and mortality from COVID-19 than other groups. These populations are also disproportionately affected by financial and social disruptions caused by the pandemic, including job loss, reduction in community services, and disconnection from supportive networks critically important for the health and well-being of families. Further, these same populations often live in multi- generational households and rely on a family-dependent caregiver model. The aim of this project is to beta test an online questionnaire to identify individual and household risk …

Music Making Connections, Laura M. Breslin

English Department: Research for Change - Wicked Problems in Our World

The Covid-19 pandemic has made mental health issues sky rocket. Many people are suffering from anxiety, depression, OCD and many other mental health problems now more than ever. Without the in-person interactions, many people are eager to be able to hug friends and family again. People are also eager to see their favorite music artist live in concert again. In this paper, we discuss how music can help your mental health, how to prevent contracting the coronavirus, and ways you can help speed up the process of getting life back to normal.

Schizophrenia, Allison Hopps

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Schizophrenia overview including symptoms. Areas of interest regarding research and ways to advance treatment for schizophrenia patients. There is still much to be known about the disease and research to help patients.

Depression And Utilization Of Mental Health Services Among Bipoc (Black Indigenous People Of Color) Communities In The United States, Briana Rose Dimartino

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

Members of BIPOC (Black Indigenous People of Color) communities living in the United States, whether American born or immigrants, are subjected to various stressors that can impact their mental health, including but not limited to: acculturative stress, discrimination and microaggressions. These factors substantially increase the prevalence of depressive symptoms within this community. In addition to the unique group of stressors that minoritized populations face, oftentimes, these individuals encounter barriers when accessing care and do not receive the same quality of care as a Caucasian American does, especially for mental health care. The aim of this thesis is to review relevant …

Determinants Of Substance Abuse Among Users With Mental Health Issues In Ogun State, Nigeria, Michael Olusegun Adejimi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In Nigeria, about 14.3 million people use drugs without physician prescription and approximately 30% of Nigerians suffer from mental illness, some of which is due to substance abuse. This study examined the associations between (a) socio-demographic factors and substance abuse among users with mental health issues in Ogun State Nigeria, (b) clinical variables and substance abuse among users with mental health issues, (c) negative life events and substance abuse among users with mental health issues, and (d) social supports and substance abuse among users with mental health issues. This study theoretical framework was based on the definition of mental health …

Examining Clinicians' Perspectives Screening For Depression In Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Vickie Lavette Bland

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The United States has a significant diabetes problem. This chronic disease affects the body physically and mentally. One of the emotional effects of diabetes is depression. Depression is often present in individuals with diabetes, chiefly in those with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). While depression is common in T2DM and can interfere with treatment adherence, clinician screening for depression in T2DM patients is low. The purpose of this study was to examine clinicians' attitudes, behaviors, and perceptions concerning screening patients with T2DM for depression. Through a qualitative case study approach centered on reasoned action theory, 3 physicians and 5 nurse …

Effective Postdischarge Communication From Nursing Staff To Mental Health Patients, Paula Renee Garrison

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractMental health patients have a history of decreased follow-up appointments, poor diet, and medication noncompliance after discharge from inpatient facilities in addition to multiple co-morbidities, making a return to the community difficult. The practice problem was an increase in hospital readmissions of mental health patients within 30 days postdischarge due to inadequate post-discharge education and follow-up communication. Using Rodgers’s recovery on mental health theory and Revan’s action learning theory, a staff education program was developed to educate 10 nursing staff and two social workers on how to effectively implement postdischarge communication at 3 days and 30 days after discharge from …

Detroit Community Violence And Mental Health Help-Seeking Behaviors Of African American Men, Rebekah D. Montgomery

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Community violence is a type of trauma commonly experienced in inner cities. Qualitative methods and hermeneutic phenomenology were used to identify connections of low use of professional mental health services by African American men in inner-city settings to chronic exposure to trauma. Sotero’s historical trauma theory was used to explain how minority men process trauma in present-day circumstances. Purposeful sampling was used to select seven African American men in Detroit, Michigan who self-reported exposure to community violence. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews and analyzed using three steps: transcribing; listening, reading, and analyzing; and coding using inductive and deductive analysis. …

Substance Use, Mental Health Problems And Missed Appointments By Race, Gender, And Sexual Orientation Among Hiv-Infected Individuals, Abraham Adonis Anderson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) disproportionately affects African American men who have sex with men. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2020 African American adult and adolescent African American men accounted for 42% (16,002) of all HIV diagnoses (37,968). Furthermore, while substance use is common among this population, in previous studies very few individuals with HIV have reported receiving substance abuse treatment or discussing substance use with HIV medical providers. The purpose of this study was to examine the differences in substance use/mental health problems by race, gender, and sexual orientation among HIV-infected individuals. This study also …

Service Providers' Perceptions Of Stigma And Its Impact On Mental Health Services, Arthur Gabriel Montes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Stigma is one of the most significant barriers to access and utilization of mental health services in the United States. Delays in receiving mental health services significantly contribute to health disparities and poor health outcomes. Social workers play an integral part in implementing best practices within health care settings and reducing health inequities impacting vulnerable populations. The purpose of this qualitative action research study was to explore social work service providers perceptions' toward stigma and how it affects mental health services among patients in California's Medicaid program. Stigma theory was applied to gain an understanding of how stigma interacts and …

Exercise As A Tool For Treating Anxiety And Depression, Lizzi Hahn

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

In addition to its important role in the maintenance of physical health, exercise has been shown to have numerous benefits for mental health. Recent studies indicate that even brief engagement in physical activity can make a positive impact on the treatment of pre-existing anxiety and depression - as well as the prevention of future symptoms. Despite this relationship between exercise and emotional wellness, regular activity in the United States is still exceedingly low, and exercise remains an underused tool by healthcare providers in the treatment of their patients’ anxiety and depression. The goal of this project was to assess patient …

Structural Racism And Immigrant Health: Exploring The Association Between Wage Theft, Mental Health, And Injury Among Latino Day Laborers, Maria Eugenia Fernández-Esquer, Lynn N Ibekwe, Rosalia Guerrero-Luera, Yesmel A King, Casey P Durand, John S Atkinson

Journal Articles

BACKGROUND: Although wage theft has been discussed primarily as a labor and human rights issue, it can be conceptualized as an issue of structural racism with important consequences for immigrant health.

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to: 1) identify sociodemographic, employment, and stress-related characteristics that increase Latino day laborers' odds of experiencing wage theft; 2) assess the association between wage theft and serious work-related injury; 3) assess the association between wage theft and three indicators of mental health-depression, social isolation, and alcohol use-as a function of wage theft; and 4) assess serious work-related injury as a function of …

The Use Of Technology For Mental Wellbeing In The Era Of Covid-19, Adam Fakhri

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Prevalence of mental health issues has increased during the time of COVID-19. There are many contributing factors to consider, the main one reported has been social isolation due to quarantine precautions. Members of the community have spent extended periods of time at home and away from their loved ones during this pandemic. Many patients have reported many life events occurring including deaths in the family without the ability to even mourn with their family members. This has taken a toll on the community, especially in Vergennes where this small tight knit community that has relied on its tight social bonds …

Combating Seasonal Affective Disorder In Vermont, Prasanna Kumar

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a cyclical pattern of depression-like symptoms that occur during the winter months. In Vermont, SAD is estimated to affect up to 10% of individuals. An informational flyer was developed that explained the symptoms of SAD, what the treatment options are, and then linked individuals with local resources for wellness activities in Chittenden County using QR codes in order to prevent SAD. The flyer was distributed at the Community Health Care Centers of Burlington South End office. The flyer was met with enthusiasm and will be given out to patients at the end of this season …

Prevalence And Factors Associated With Mental Health Symptoms In Adults Undergoing Covid-19 Testing, Ikponmwosa Osaghae, Linh K Nguyen, Tong Han Chung, Olivia Moffitt, Yen-Chi L Le, Mark B Suh, Pooja N Prasad, Eric J Thomas, Christine D Gordon, Kevin O Hwang

Journal Articles

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Understanding the mental health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on persons receiving COVID-19 testing will help guide mental health interventions. We aimed to determine the association between sociodemographic factors and mental health symptoms at 8 weeks (baseline) after a COVID-19 test, and compare prevalence of mental health symptoms at baseline to those at 16-week follow-up.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Prospective cohort study of adults who received outpatient COVID-19 testing at primary care clinics. Logistic regression analyses were used to assess the association between sociodemographic characteristics and COVID-19 test results with mental health symptoms. Mental health symptoms reported at …

Prevalence And Factors Associated With Mental Health Symptoms In Adults Undergoing Covid-19 Testing, Ikponmwosa Osaghae, Linh K Nguyen, Tong Han Chung, Olivia Moffitt, Yen-Chi L Le, Mark B Suh, Pooja N Prasad, Eric J Thomas, Christine D Gordon, Kevin O Hwang

Journal Articles

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Understanding the mental health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on persons receiving COVID-19 testing will help guide mental health interventions. We aimed to determine the association between sociodemographic factors and mental health symptoms at 8 weeks (baseline) after a COVID-19 test, and compare prevalence of mental health symptoms at baseline to those at 16-week follow-up.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Prospective cohort study of adults who received outpatient COVID-19 testing at primary care clinics. Logistic regression analyses were used to assess the association between sociodemographic characteristics and COVID-19 test results with mental health symptoms. Mental health symptoms reported at …