Alternative and Complementary Medicine Commons^™

Music As A Coping Mechanism: Clinical Implications Of How College Students Utilize Music To Cope With Anxiety, Depression, And Daily Stressors, Karly Pikel

Senior Theses

Many college students face stress, anxiety, and/or depression in their daily lives which they cope with in their own ways. Listening to music or playing an instrument are particularly powerful forms of coping that can have a plethora of positive effects on an individual. The purpose of this study was to conduct a survey amongst the University of South Carolina student body to determine how they utilize music to cope in their daily lives. Of 847 respondents, almost all of them reported experiencing some extent of anxiety and/or stress and listening to music to help them cope. Respondents agreed that …

Be Kind To Your Mind: The Use Of Mobile Based Applications To Reduce Stress And Improve Health Outcomes, Akira Hanson Finn

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Now more than ever mental health is in the spotlight on a global scale. Professionals from a variety of different disciplines are being encouraged to evaluate several different coping techniques in order combat the magnitude of societal crisis being discovered post-pandemic. At the top the list is Mindfulness-based interventions. The concept of mindfulness practices is nothing new. Evidence suggests it has existed for thousands of years; however, it is getting more notoriety in the past decade due to increasing expansion of mobile-based applications. These types of technology driven applications offer an easily accessible, convenient, and trackable way for individuals to …

A Comparison Of The Magnitude Of The Mental Health Benefits Of Exercising Outdoors Vs Exercising Indoors: A Review, Greta M. Rueschmann

MSU Graduate Theses

Many people in the United States suffer from poor mental health which can lead to suicide, self-harm, or negative effects on job performance and relationships. Not everyone can afford traditional therapy nor feels comfortable with it. With a greater emphasis placed on taking care of one’s mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic, there should also be a greater emphasis placed on finding alternative types of therapy that can be matched to individuals based on their personalities and preferences. One such alternative is outdoor exercise. This review was conducted to examine whether exercising or performing physical activity outdoors results in greater …

Equine-Assisted Therapy And Learning Interventions With Youth: A Meta-Analysis And Quasi-Experimental Study., Sarah Lovins

MSU Graduate Theses

Equine-assisted psychotherapy interventions have become increasingly used and tested as an alternative or complementary approach with youth. This project presents two studies. The first study consists of an overview of existing reviews and a meta-analysis of controlled and comparison studies on the effectiveness of equine interventions with youth. A comprehensive search and selection procedure produced 3,525 records, from which 56 quantitative studies were identified, and ultimately 16 controlled or comparison studies were selected for inclusion in the meta-analysis. Results showed a statistically significant, medium, and homogenous effect size for the overall effectiveness of equine interventions for youth psycho-social outcomes ( …

The Impact Of Participation In A Mentored Cycling Program, Dana Bolduc

DNP Scholarly Projects

Physical activity (PA) has the potential to have a positive impact on mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression and self-esteem. In particular, this project focused on self-esteem because low self-esteem can lead to increased risk of developing anxiety or depression. In contrast, high self-esteem can have a protective effect against anxiety and depression. Group PA programs combined with mentorship have been shown to build relationships and enhance self-esteem. The purpose of this DNP project was to determine the impact of participation in a rural midwestern, mentored cycling program on self-esteem in an at-risk adolescent population. Self-esteem was measured using …

Mindfulness-Based Interventions For Prenatal Stress, Anxiety, And Depression, Fiona Kate Rice

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Pregnant people in the United States (US) face myriad barriers to resource accessibility when seeking support, including financial gatekeeping, discrimination, and cis-gendering of the process. Commodification of prenatal support is exhaustive and contributes to a growing exclusivity of traditionally accessible interventions designed to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, and to promote positive fetal outcomes and parent-child bond. Mindfulness-based interventions are particularly appropriate for reducing stress, anxiety, and depression in pregnancy. Mindfulness-based interventions are intersectional, accessible means of pregnancy and childbirth support with evidence-based outcomes of positive birth experiences and results. Mindfulness is defined as nonjudgmental awareness of the present moment. …

An Arts-Informed Study Describing Experiences Of Adults Diagnosed With Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizures And Their Perceptions Of Interactions With Medical Practitioners, Kirsten Anne Bergren, Michal Ward

Master of Arts in Holistic Health Studies Research Papers

Trauma from abuse is complex and can manifest in many ways in the body, including psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES), a kind of dissociation that resembles a seizure but is not an epileptic seizure. Medical practitioners often misdiagnose and misjudge people with PNES, and as a result, patients often feel stigmatized and misunderstood. The purpose of this research using an arts-informed method is to describe the experiences of adults diagnosed with PNES and their perceptions of interactions with medical practitioners relative to their PNES care. Using non-probability sampling via social media, six participants with a self-reported PNES diagnosis submitted a description …

Effectiveness Of Ashtanga And Vinyasa Yoga: Combating Anxiety, Depression, Stress And Sleep Quality., Kati Street

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: This lack of rigor in yoga research methodology hinders the understanding of yoga components and best practices. This study implements two yoga interventions with recommended adequate structure, one more physically demanding (Ashtanga Vinyasa) and a less physically demanding (slow flow vinyasa). The instructor, who is also the lead researcher, developed a slow flow vinyasa sequence and modified the set sequence of Ashtanga Vinyasa for beginners. Both yoga interventions cover domains suggested by Sherman (2012) for meticulous methods in yoga research.

Methods: This study implements two styles of yoga with university students over the course of eight weeks, meeting twice …

The Benefits Of Alternative Therapies On Adult Mental Health, Sara Bryan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the following descriptive pre and post study was to collect and analyze data to determine if there are benefits to alternative therapies on adult mental health. Three types of alternative therapies were studied: aromatherapy, recreation therapy, and yoga. A literature review was conducted and pre and post questionnaires were administered. Frequencies and averages were run which showed that participants were mostly Caucasian, with an average age of 31 years and most diagnosed with depression and anxiety. Participants showed decreased levels of anxiety and depression after attending both aromatherapy and yoga classes. Participants showed decreased anxiety levels after …

A Systematic Review: Effectiveness Of Complementary Therapies On Mental Status Of Pediatric Oncology Patients, Sara Fredricks, Jessica Lloyd, Whitney Wendling

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Children with cancer frequently suffer from depression, anxiety, feelings of hopelessness, and psychological stresses related to knowledge of potential risks, associated treatments, and the illness itself. These psychological problems can cause many additional physiological problems for these already chronically ill patients and may be detrimental to their overall health. The purpose of this systematic review is to review and critically appraise the evidence to determine if the use of Complementary and Alternative Methods (CAM), along with standardized care, affects mental health outcomes in pediatric cancer patients. Twenty-one primary source publications between 2013 and 2019 were analyzed for this systematic review. …

The Effect Of Tea And Its Constituent L-Theanine On Anxiety: A Review Of The Literature, Christine Gilbert

Food Science and Nutrition

Mental health disorders are a universal issue and affect millions of individuals every day. Anxiety is the most common type of mental disorder, affecting social, physical, and cognitive health. Although clinicians usually suggest prescriptive medications, they carry side effects, are expensive, and only acutely alleviate symptoms. As a result, recent interest has been directed towards nonconventional dietary therapies, including tea and its constituent L-theanine, for anxiolytic effects. Tea is the most prevalent beverage consumed after water; it is historically and globally accepted. The purpose of this literature review is to explore whether tea and its constituent L-theanine carry anxiolytic effects. …