Mental and Social Health Commons^™

Creation Of A Parent-Directed Toolkit To Prevent Youth Vaping, Corinne Webb

College of Nursing and Health Sciences Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Project Publications

Purpose: Vaping rates among adolescents are at an all-time high. Misperceptions about the harms of vaping may limit parents’ ability to impact youth vape use. This project developed and tested an evidence-based toolkit to educate parents of adolescents about the risks of vaping.

Methods: The toolkit’s creation was informed by published evidence and multimedia content delineating the scope of the vaping crisis. The toolkit was reviewed and revised by content experts. Pre- and post-implementation assessments were created and tested with faculty members, public health professionals, teachers, and parents. Assessments were utilized to evaluate parental vaping knowledge before and after implementation …

Improving Mental Health Documentation Through Education: An Intervention For Level Of Care Utilization System (Locus) Use In Psychiatric Crisis Placement, Lauren Ozimek

College of Nursing and Health Sciences Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Project Publications

Purpose: The Community Mental Health Act (1963) created crisis stabilization units to lessen burdens of emergency departments addressing psychiatric crises. Crisis stabilization units – including the project site – evaluate treatment efficacy via assessments including the Level of Care Utilization System (LOCUS). The LOCUS is totaled into a composite score, expected to decrease at treatment completion. The project site has not consistently seen LOCUS scores decrease at completion. The project’s purpose was to improve use of a clinical assessment tool to reflect treatment and progress for patients utilizing crisis stabilization programs. A secondary aim was to increase incidence (75%) of …

Adolescent Suicide Prevention Via Parental Education, Junelle Shepard, Mary Val Palumbo

College of Nursing and Health Sciences Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Project Publications

Purpose. Up to 24% of children from the ages of 12 to 17 have reported suicidal ideation, with 7-11% reporting at least one suicide attempt in the past 12 months (Hetrick, 2017). In a study by Jones et al (2019) over 50% of parents were unaware their child was exhibiting suicidal ideation. This project aims to increase community awareness of suicidal ideation and teach community members how to talk with adolescents about this sensitive topic.

Methods. Five online training sessions were offered in Fall 2021, with each session lasting 90 minutes. Using Smith et al.’s Suicide Knowledge and Skills Questionnaire, …

More Than A Meal : A Resource For Communities Striving For Food Sovereignty Through The Charitable Food System, Kaitlin J. Robertson

Food Systems Master's Project Reports

The 2020 pandemic and economic crisis showcased the fragility of the American food system. In the months of quarantine and lockdowns, a growing number of Americans searched for ways to feed themselves and their families. Community-based and volunteer-supported feeding programs worked to bridge the divide between the hungry and their next meal. In many cases, these programs rely on an unpaid workforce and donations – of time, food, and facilities. With limited resources, volunteer-led programs often lack centralized training options; this guidebook seeks to fill that void. This project is a streamlined, introductory-level guide for volunteers and community members working …

Quantifying Language Changes Surrounding Mental Health On Twitter, Anne Marie Stupinski

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Mental health challenges are thought to afflict around 10% of the global population each year, with many going untreated due to stigma and limited access to services. Here, we explore trends in words and phrases related to mental health through a collection of 1- , 2-, and 3-grams parsed from a data stream of roughly 10% of all English tweets since 2012. We examine temporal dynamics of mental health language, finding that the popularity of the phrase ‘mental health’ increased by nearly two orders of magnitude between 2012 and 2018. We observe that mentions of ‘mental health’ spike annually and …

Health Screening For Individuals Diagnosed With Mental Illness Within A Housing-First Organization, Jennifer J. Chamberlin

College of Nursing and Health Sciences Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Project Publications

Background: Individuals with serious mental illness are a high-risk population that need improved access to physical health care. Many have negative experiences with the healthcare system and need support in accessing it. A housing-first organization in Vermont offers wrap-around services to these individuals but does not have a standardized way to assess for client healthcare needs or to communicate with primary care provider offices.

Purpose: The project aimed to: 1. Identify the current processes used to assess client health needs; 2. Change organizational workflow to include comprehensive and standardized health protocols. 3. Instruct staff to increase knowledge to identify and …

Understanding The Profiles Of Adolescents Engaged In Intentional Self-Poisoning With Suicidal Intent And The Role Of Primary Care In Early Intervention In Vermont, Rachael Comeau

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Suicide prevention is a top public health priority in Vermont. It is a complex issue, requiring a multi-faceted response from many different public and private stakeholders. Because intentional self-poisoning with suicidal intent is rarely lethal, it presents a particularly good opportunity for secondary interventions in the primary care setting. Extensive research has been done on intentional self-poisoning with suicidal intent and its relationship to subsequent risk of death by suicide, but gaps exist in research utilizing poison center data in the primary care setting. This dissertation employs an explanatory sequential mixed method research design to (a) develop a profile of …

Development And Validation Of The Smoker Self-Stigma Questionnaire (Sssq), Thomas Geist

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Though rates of smoking have declined for decades, the tobacco epidemic persists. During this time, denormalization of smoking and the tobacco industry emerged as viable strategies to decrease smoking rates. However, researchers have become increasingly concerned with denormalization strategies’ impact on the stigmatization of smokers, and have questioned their ethics and continued utility. Unfortunately, current research lacks a theoretically and psychometrically sound measure to represent smokers’ experience of stigma and help explore these issues. This study sought to develop and validate such a measure, the Smoker Self-Stigma Questionnaire (SSSQ). Initial items for the SSSQ were developed to cover three domains …

Evidence Based Treatment For Excessive Alcohol Consumption And Concurrent Hypertension, Kimberly Ann Ward

College of Nursing and Health Sciences Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Project Publications

Purpose. Excessive alcohol consumption is a preventable risk factor for hypertension, heart disease, and stroke. Though alcohol-related deaths number 88,000 annually in the U.S., alcohol use has the lowest treatment rate of behavioral health disorders at 10%. Excessive alcohol consumption may compromise treatment of hypertension by primary care providers (PCP). This project aims to increase awareness of the hypertension and excessive alcohol use connection and promote screening of alcohol consumption.

Methods A protocol for improving alcohol screening and concurrent hypertension management was developed including: in-person educational presentations; patient education materials; and the use of motivational interviewing. Practice change was assessed …

Applications Of Wearable Sensors In Delivering Biologically Relevant Signals, Jordyn Scism

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

With continued advancements in wearable technologies, the applications for their use are growing. Wearable sensors can be found in smart watches, fitness trackers, and even our cellphones. The common applications in everyday life are usually step counting, activity tracking, and heart rate monitoring. However, researchers have developed ways to use these similar sensors for clinically relevant diagnostic measures, as well as, improved athletic training and performance. Two areas of interest for the use of wearable sensors are mental health diagnostics in children and heart rate monitoring during intense physical activity from new locations, which are discussed further in this thesis. …

College Coaches’ Experiences, Knowledge And Attitudes To Support Student-Athlete Mental Health, Cathy Rahill

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to develop a better understanding of college coaches’ experiences with student-athlete mental health concerns, knowledge to address these concerns, and dispositions and attitudes toward student-athlete mental health. Although student-athlete mental health has been the subject of previous research, this is the first study to ask college coaches their perspectives on the topic. Data for the study were collected using a Web-based survey with a sample of college athletic coaches who coach male and female student athletes at Division I athletic programs in the Northeastern United States. The study’s findings confirm coaches’ concern and care …

Adolescent Alcohol Usage In Vermont State: A Review Of Underage Drinking And Its Associations With Suicidality, Cecilia Idman-Rait, Karly Fischer, Shirley Callaghan, Rachel Danis, Caitlin Rettenmaier, Michelle Shepard

Master of Public Health Culminating Projects

Objective To understand adolescent alcohol usage in Vermont and its associations with suicidality.

Methods A cross-sectional study, utilizing 2017 high school VT YRBS data. Multiple logistic regression and chi-square tests were run using SPSS 25 software. Two groups of survey respondents were selected to represent alcohol usage, Binge Drinkers and Non-Binge Drinkers. Suicidality was analyzed by group, controlling for the predictor variables: age of first drink, grade level, gender, mental health/depression diagnosis, other drug usage, socioeconomic status, and ease of access to alcohol.

Results This study provides state-specific data regarding increased likelihoods of suicide and underage drinking in Vermont. Conclusions …

Associations Among Healthcare Utilization And Binge Drinking, Ethan Grey, Chad Phalon, Anna Greene, Patricia Harmeyer, Kalyn Rosenberg, Cristine Griffing, Tom Delaney

Master of Public Health Culminating Projects

Objective. To examine associations among routine healthcare services and binge drinking in Vermont adults.

Methods. We analyzed a cross-sectional sample of randomly selected 6516 adults who participated in the self-reported 2017 Vermont Behavioral Risk Surveillance System survey. We estimated odds ratios for responses indicative of binge drinking in association with length of time since last routine checkup using a bivariate logistic regression model.

Results. Participants who reported binge drinking were 31% (OR = 0.69, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.56, 0.83) less likely to engage in a healthcare visit within the past year controlling for age, employment status, annual household …

Improving Contraception Among Female Syringe Exchange Clients: A Reproductive Needs Assessment, Gena Zollman

College of Nursing and Health Sciences Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Project Publications

Purpose: Women with opioid and other substance use disorders have a high rate of unintended pregnancy and a low rate of effective contraceptive use. Integrating family planning (FP) services into medication-assisted treatment (MAT) clinics has increased rates of initiation and adherence to contraception among this population. This study assesses the reproductive health needs of female clients in a syringe exchange program (SEP)to assess if integrating FP services would improve access to contraception.

Methods: Female clients of a SEP voluntarily completed an anonymous survey to determine demographics, FP needs, and barriers to accessing care, and were compensated with $20 gift cards. …

Predictors Of Psychotherapy Attrition Among Refugees, Emily Robin Pichler

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

It is estimated that approximately one in five patients will terminate therapy early, before participating in full treatment and obtaining maximum therapeutic benefits. Millions of people are forcibly displaced as refugees each year, and therefore at increased risk for poverty, discrimination, and complex mental health needs, yet no research has yet examined rates or predictors of psychotherapy attrition among refugees. The current study draws upon a sample of refugee clients seeking treatment at a community clinic (N = 196), and a comparison group of 165 non-refugee clients at the same clinic. Logistic regression was employed to (1) compare rates of …

Using Word Embeddings To Explore The Language Of Depression On Twitter, Sandhya Gopchandani

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

How do people discuss mental health on social media? Can we train a computer program to recognize differences between discussions of depression and other topics? Can an algorithm predict that someone is depressed from their tweets alone? In this project, we collect tweets referencing “depression” and “depressed” over a seven year period, and train word embeddings to characterize linguistic structures within the corpus. We find that neural word embeddings capture the contextual differences between “depressed” and “healthy” language. We also looked at how context around words may have changed over time to get deeper understanding of contextual shifts in the …

Magnesium Intake And Depression In U.S. Adults, Emily Tarleton

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Research has focused extensively on the negative health effects of inadequate Mg intake, but the extent of the problem of deficiency deserves further exploration. The notion that U.S. adults consume an inadequate amount of magnesium, leading to increased risk for chronic diseases such as depression, is plausible. National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES), which are large, cross-sectional, population-based data sets that assess the health and nutritional status of U.S. adults and children, indicate over half the adult population does not consume adequate amounts of magnesium based on the estimated average requirement (EAR) established by the Institute of Medicine. Using …

Everyone Is Anxious: A Narrative For Admissions Professionals, Students, And Parents, On College Admissions And Anxiety, Sarah Hecklau

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Written in the Scholarly Personal Narrative (SPN) style of writing, this thesis explores my personal experience as a college admissions counselor. It offers a reflection of my own college search and application experience, my perspective on the experience of today's high school students, and my professional experience working within an admissions office. The juxtaposition of these three perspectives alongside scholarly references on higher education, philosophy, and anxiety, provides a full-spectrum view of the college admissions process.

The core topic of this reflection is anxiety, and showing how each party experiences anxiety in the college search, application, and selection process. Other …

Exploring The Effects Of Concussion On College Students Returning To Academic Demands, Kathryn Vreeland

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

While the media frenzy focuses on the physical risks of concussion, there is also growing concern about the academic repercussions for students who sustain the injury. We do not currently have a uniform evidence-based approach for optimally returning a student back to learning activities after a concussion. We also do not understand how the diverse consequences of a concussion may affect academic self-efficacy and performance. The purpose of this study is to explore the effects a concussion may have on college students who are navigating the return to learn (RTL) process. This research aims to inform whether there are measureable …

Walk A Mile In My Shoes: The Social Construction Of Mental Illness Among State Administrators And Consumer-Advocates, Paul Arthur Dragon

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

From 19th century insane asylums to state sponsored eugenic programs in the 20th century, the state has been an incongruous leader and provider of mental health policy and practice. Current practices that include such treatments as confinement, restraints, forced medication and electro-convulsive therapy continue to raise issues of social justice and humane treatment.

Since the 1970s a diverse group of consumers of mental health services from political and radical emancipatory movements to consumer and family initiatives have emerged to question, inform and influence federal and state policies and services. Today state administrators and consumer-advocates meet in formal settings in which …

Care Team Education On The Use Of Sensory Resources In Inpatient Psychiatry, Salsabil Hoque

College of Nursing and Health Sciences Nursing Master Project Publications

Sensory processing is the way the nervous system receives, organizes, and understands sensory information gained through our body’s senses and physical environment. The deprivation of sensory processing, or the inability of one’s nervous system to use meaningful sensations, can lead to negative outcomes such as anxiety, stress, depression, withdrawal and reduced motivation, or agitation and disturbed behavior. Dr. Ayres' Sensory Integration Theory was used as the guiding framework for this project. Research literature indicates that sensory modulated approaches are an effective treatment approach for patients who are distressed, anxious, agitated, or potentially aggressive, and can be used as an alternative …

How One Life Coach Attempts To Inspire Mindful Music: The Morality Of The Soul, Jared M. Ford

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this thesis will be to examine one student's personal struggle in life and how those events have helped him to find his purpose and reason for being. This examination will be done by using a Scholarly Personal Narrative (SPN) approach to explain how music has been at the forefront of all moral and ethical decisions ever made in his life in order to find his true calling or vocation. This thesis will be broken down into 3 main chapters with several sub chapters taking the reader though the life of Jared M. Ford. This thesis will then …

Multi-Sensory Stimulation Environments For Use With Dementia Patients: Staff Perspectives On Reduction Of Agitation And Negative Behaviors, Megan Houston

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Background: Dementia is a degenerative neurological disorder that afflicts a growing proportion of the global population. Complementary alternative medicine (CAM) modalities are under investigation for their therapeutic value in the management of dementia.

Purpose: Nursing care of dementia sufferers can include managing agitation and negative behaviors; this study investigates staff appraisal of the Multi-Sensory Stimulation Environment (MSSE) as an intervention for these nursing challenges.

Methods: A purposive sample of nursing staff employed in residential care for dementia patients were recruited 10 weeks after the initiation of an open-access MSSE at the facility to complete a confidential self-administered questionnaire.

Results: 79% …

A Prelimary Study Of Differences Between Voluntary And Involuntary Retirement From Driving: Quality Of Life And Depression In A Rural Population, Elizabeth Ann Pruitt Saxton

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Research has revealed a variety of negative health consequences for older adults who stop driving, and with the "graying of America," this will be a frequently encountered issue for healthcare providers. The purpose of this study was to determine if there are differences in quality of life and depressive symptoms between former drivers who made the decision to stop driving voluntarily and former drivers who made the decision involuntarily (either in a resistant or in a reluctant manner). In this cross-sectional cohort comparison study, community dwelling older adults were asked to complete questionnaires of depression (using the Geriatric Depression Scale), …

Screaming Behind A Door: The Experiences Of Individuals Incarcerated Without Opioid Maintenance Treatment, Shoshana Aronowitz

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Background & Purpose: Opioid maintenance therapy (OMT) is an effective method of treating opioid addiction. Of incarcerated individuals in the U.S., 50-85% have a history of substance abuse, and >80% of inmates with opioid addiction history do not receive treatment. The purpose of this study was to explore individuals' experiences after being tapered from OMT upon incarceration. Methods: Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was employed using in-depth interviewing of 10 participants. Results: Analysis identified six themes that captured the essence of the participants' experiences. Implications & Conclusion: Losing OMT upon incarceration was described as an extremely stressful experience for many individuals, …