Other Mental and Social Health Commons^™

Designing And Implementing A De-Escalation Toolkit To Improve Staff Education And Competency On De-Escalation Within A Mental Health Outpatient Setting, Balraj Bajwa

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Background: The purpose of this study is to develop and implement a de-escalation toolkit to help improve memory, retention, and utility of de-escalation techniques within an outpatient mental health crisis stabilization unit.

Problem: The aforementioned crisis stabilization unit has elevated rates of patient aggression/violence and staff present with difficulty recalling de-escalation techniques due to the lapse in memory and/or retention.

Methods: The project was introduced to the stakeholders of the crisis stabilization unit and input was obtained on the design and components of the toolkit. Various analyses were conducted to ensure the appropriate implementation of the project.

Intervention: A de-escalation …

Peer-Led Building Resilience And Enhancing Social-Emotional Skills Program, Danielle K. Enrico

Department of Occupational Therapy Entry-Level Capstone Projects

The purpose of the Capstone experience was to develop and implement a five-week peer-led building resilience and social-emotional skills training program at a public high school. This program addressed high school students' knowledge, skills, and attitudes regarding resources, social-emotional skills, and resilience. A questionnaire was administered pre and post-program to measure effectiveness. The results indicated an increase in scores, demonstrating a clearer understanding in all three areas.

Purkis And Mastermans' "The Awesome Autistic Go-To Guide: A Practical Handbook For Autistic Teens And Tweens" (Book Review), Susanah J. Wilson Hanson

The Christian Librarian

No abstract provided.

Feel And Touch: A Haptic Mobile Game To Assess Tactile Processing, Ivonne Monarca, Monica Tentori, Franceli L. Cibrian

Engineering Faculty Articles and Research

Haptic interfaces have great potential for assessing the tactile processing of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), an area that has been under-explored due to the lack of tools to assess it. Until now, haptic interfaces for children have mostly been used as a teaching or therapeutic tool, so there are still open questions about how they could be used to assess tactile processing of children with ASD. This article presents the design process that led to the development of Feel and Touch, a mobile game augmented with vibrotactile stimuli to assess tactile processing. Our feasibility evaluation, with 5 children …

Digital Markers Of Autism, Ivonne Monarca, Franceli L. Cibrian, Monica Tentori

Engineering Faculty Articles and Research

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurological condition that affects how a people communicate and interact with others. The use of screening tools during childhood is very important to detect those children who need to be referred for a diagnosis of ASD. However, most screening tools are based on parents' responses so the result can be subjective. In addition, most screening tools focus on social and communicative skills leaving aside sensory features, which have shown to have the potential to be ASD markers. Tactile processing has been little explored due to lack of tools to asses it, however with the …

Reducing Burnout Through Guaranteed Breaks In Nurses In The Acute Care Setting: A Benchmark Study, Stefan D. Arias

MSN Capstone Projects

This benchmark study attempts to promulgate the issue of burnout and the importance of addressing at least one way to mitigate further damage to the profession of nursing.

The Acute And Persisting Impact Of Covid-19 On Trajectories Of Adolescent Depression: Sex Differences And Social Connectedness, Sabrina R. Liu, Elyssia Poggi Davis, Anton M. Palma, Curt A. Sandman, Laura M. Glynn

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Background

The COVID-19 era is a time of unprecedented stress, and there is widespread concern regarding its short- and long-term mental health impact. Adolescence is a sensitive period for the emergence of latent psychopathology vulnerabilities, often activated by environmental stressors. The present study examined COVID-19′s impact on adolescent depression and possible influences of different domains of social connectedness (loneliness, social media use, social video game time, degree of social activity participation).

Methods

A community sample of 175 adolescents (51% boys, mean age = 16.01 years) completed questionnaires once before and twice during the COVID-19 pandemic. Piecewise growth modeling examined the …

Role Of Emotional Intelligence In Job Performance Of Healthcare Providers Working In Public Sector Hospitals Of Pakistan, Nimra Zaman, Khalida Naz Memon, Faryal Zaman, Komal Zaman Khan, Shazia Rahman Shaikh

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Objective. To determine the association between emotional intelligence (EI) and job performance (JP) of health care providers (HCPs). Methods. Healthcare professionals from various hospitals were chosen for a cross-sectional study. The survey was conducted using a three-part questionnaire including the demographic profile, Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence (EI) Scale, and an individual work performance (JP) questionnaire. The relationship of predictor variables on JP was sought by applying Chi-square test and multiple regression analysis. Results. About 43.3% of the 50.8% of participants who scored well on the EI scale also scored high on the JP scales. The remaining …

The Association Of Parent-Child Communication With Internet Addiction In Left-Behind Children In China: A Cross-Sectional Study, Jingjing Cai, Yun Wang, Feng Wang, Jingjing Lu, Lu Li, Xudong Zhou

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Objective: Internet addiction has emerged as a growing concern worldwide. This study aimed to compare the prevalence of Internet addiction between left-behind children (LBC) and non-left-behind children (non-LBC), and explore the role of paternal and maternal parent-child communication on LBC.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey in rural areas in Anhui, China. The complete data were available from 699 LBC and 740 non-LBC. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine 1) whether LBC were more likely to develop Internet addiction, and 2) the association between parent-child communication and Internet addiction among LBC.

Results: LBC had a higher likelihood to report …

Scoping Review: The Empowerment Of Alzheimer’S Disease Caregivers With Mhealth Applications, Eunhee Kim, Andrius Baskys, Anandi V. Law, Moom R. Roosan, Yan Li, Don Roosan

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is one of the most prevalent neurodegenerative chronic diseases. As it progresses, patients become increasingly dependent, and their caregivers are burdened with the increasing demand for managing their care. Mobile health (mHealth) technology, such as smartphone applications, can support the need of these caregivers. This paper examines the published academic literature of mHealth applications that support the caregivers of AD patients. Following the PRISMA for scoping reviews, we searched published literature in five electronic databases between January 2014 and January 2021. Twelve articles were included in the final review. Six themes emerged based on the functionalities provided …

Training And Individual Predictors Of Attitudes Toward Serious Mental Illness Amongst Clinical Psychology Doctoral Students, Lauren K. O'Connor

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Clinical psychologists are grossly underrepresented in treatment provision for individuals with serious mental illness (SMI; Roe, Yanos, Lysaker, 2006). Systemic (e.g., emergence of managed care) and training-based (e.g., limitations to SMI specific training) factors contribute to the establishment of this underrepresentation, while mental health stigma amongst psychologists may play a role in perpetuating it. Many individual and experiential factors have been found to impact clinicians’ attitudes toward those with SMI (Henderson et al., 2014; Schulzes, 2007). Though many of these factors are present and relevant from the beginning of one’s career and may involve elements related to training, little research …

Applying Theoretical Models Of Positive Emotion To Improve Pediatric Asthma: A Positive Psychology Approach, Brooke N. Jenkins, Judith T. Moskowitz, Jill Halterman, Zeev N. Kain

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Positive emotion, encompassing feelings such as joy and happiness, has been shown to predict a multitude of health outcomes. However, the role of positive emotion in pediatric asthma is not understood. No work to date has examined how positive emotion may offer benefits to children and adolescents with asthma. Based on theory and models of positive emotion and health, we hypothesize that positive emotion may improve asthma outcomes through mediators such as health behaviors and health-relevant physiological functioning. Moreover, boosting positive emotion during times of stress may be particularly relevant in mitigating asthma symptoms. In the present commentary, we elaborate …

Bharatanatyam, An Effective Psychotherapeutic Intervention In Dance/Movement Therapy, Maanasa Marghashayam Bharath

Dance/Movement Therapy Theses

Dance/movement therapy is a psychotherapeutic modality that acknowledges the human body as a window to the human mind and spirit. Through creative and dynamic interventions, it fosters a healthy unification of the mind and body to enhance an individual's holistic health. This research focuses on the traditional dance form of India, Bharatanatyam, and its influence on the body and mind of the practitioner. Journeying through the history of the dance form to its relevance in the field of dance/movement therapy, the thesis explores how Bharatanatyam can be useful as an alternate method, in a therapeutic session to facilitate navigation through …

Physician Burnout Among West Virginia Primary Care Providers, Kevin S. Mccann, Adam Baus, Joanna Bailey, Laura Boone, Jennifer Boyd, Martha Cook-Carter, Dan Doyle

Marshall Journal of Medicine

Introduction

Work related burnout is highly prevalent in US physicians and linked to adverse effects on patients, providers and organizations. This study measures burnout in West Virginia (WV) primary care providers, allowing for comparison of results to a similar, recent study of US physicians.

Methods

Anonymous survey through email that included Maslach Burnout Inventory, demographic, workload, and practice characteristics. Responses were analyzed using JMP Pro 13. Analysis used JMP Pro 13 for descriptive statistics, chi-square and regression modeling.

Results

Subjects = 110, female/male ratio 1.4, all primary care physicians (PCP), or advanced practice registered nurses or physician assistants (APRN/PA). PCP …

Why Do People Engage In Eating Disorder Behaviours?, Abbigail Kinnear

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Eating disorders (EDs) are serious mental illnesses often with poor prognosis. Personalizing evidence-based treatments based on an individual’s reasons for engaging in ED behaviours – or the functions of EDs – may improve treatment outcomes; however, no validated measures assessing these functions exist. The goal of this study was to complete the initial steps in developing a measure of ED functions. Individuals who engage in ED behaviours (n = 16) and clinicians who treat EDs (n = 14) were interviewed, and a thematic analysis was conducted to determine key functions of EDs. Four main functions of EDs were …

Examining Treatment Acceptability Of An Eight-Week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Protocol, Blake William Palmer

Dissertations

The goal of this study is to examine whether levels of perceived stress, experiential avoidance, personality traits including openness to experience and agreeableness, and demographic variables will predict the treatment acceptability (indicated by responses on the Treatment Acceptability and Adherence Scale) of an eight-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program. This study collected data in the Spring of 2019. The final number of participants in the study was 116 (40 females, 76 males, Mage = 36, age range: 22-69 years). Participants completed measures including the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II), the agreeableness and openness to Experience domains …

Language As The Medium: A Literature Review. Harnessing The Prolific Power Of Dramatic Language As A Therapeutic Tool In Drama Therapy, Edward Freeman

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Language in and of the theatre, with its palate of variegated writing styles and playwrights from throughout time, has the potential to be harnessed, focused, and systematized for use as a therapeutic tool within drama therapy – the field’s artistic medium. Drama therapy could benefit from having a specific medium germane to its artform which has the potential to provide practitioners with a common resource and means of communication, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment planning, as well as align the field with other creative arts therapies. Language encompasses all forms of human communication – speaking, writing, signing, gesturing, expressing facially – …

Making Room: Addressing The Counter-Therapeutic Nature Of Psychiatric Hospitalization Through Containment- Based Group Expressive Therapy, Max Sandor Copans

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The process of hospitalization and the environment of a typical psychiatric hospital is often counter-therapeutic. To challenge this problem, clinicians may introduce the concept of psychological containment. To elaborate, being hospitalized anywhere can be disorienting, frightening and even traumatic. This problem is only further exacerbated in psychiatric hospitals where patients may be disorganized, manic, or struggling with psychosis. Furthermore, psychological containment is essentially the ability for psychiatric patients to prevent their intense emotions from effecting others negatively, and to act with resiliency when other patients are unable to contain their own disruptive behaviors. This paper utilizes both an initial literature …

Exploring The Usefulness Of Mindfulness Practices Through Zoom Meetings In Reducing Anxiety And/Or Stress Of Adults With Learning And Developmental Disabilities During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Thatiane Abra

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This thesis explored which mindfulness meditations or mindfulness practices could be beneficial in the online sessions, the extent to which adults with learning and developmental disabilities could learn the practices remotely, and how stress and anxiety disorders could be reduced through online mindfulness interventions. Furthermore, it was also necessary to address the online sessions as the only mental health treatment possibility during the Coronavirus pandemic for the clients observed and the benefits and limitations of these interventions. Additionally, the importance of structure and routine for this population, the multi-modal structure of the interventions, and how attunement plays an important role …

Art And Empathy: Self Discovery In A Dark Forest, Younser Lee

Graduate School of Art Theses

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 40 million people report feelings of depression, anxiety, and stress as the world moves at an increasingly rapid pace and faces unprecedented challenges. However, many ignore these negative thoughts and fail to acknowledge them as a serious issue. My art, which shares my own experiences, creates safe, cathartic places for viewers to think about their own emotional experiences. Crucial to this process is my use of daily objects and the creation of individualized, participatory, and multisensory experiences.

My art relates to daily life and the negative emotions that we experience daily. I …

How College Men Describe Their Understanding Of Sexual Assault, Sarah Anolik

Dissertations, 2020-current

Despite the proliferation of many vital bystander intervention programs across the country, approximately one in four college women will experience sexual violence. Though it was once believed that a small minority of men were responsible for the vast majority of sexual violence, an estimated 12%-25% of college men report having used sexual violence as an undergraduate student. Research across disciplines suggests several factors associated with the perpetration of sexual violence. While numerous studies have explored these constructs quantitatively on and off college campuses, there have been far fewer qualitative studies that provide insight into how men who have perpetrated violence …

Developing The Facilitative Health And Well-Being Tool: Freeing Writing, William O. Fogarty

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

Research into processes of self, including self-concept clarity, identity, and meaning and purpose in life, has demonstrated that human beings that feel they know themselves tend to experience positive health and well-being outcomes, while people who feel they don’t know themselves tend to experience more negative health and well-being outcomes. These findings indicate that knowing oneself is essential. Thus, the facilitative tool I am creating with this Master’s Project, Freeing Writing, combines the power of self-knowledge and self-discovery with the healing power of expressive writing. In this manuscript, I synthesize the scientific research, Design Thinking process, and real-world experiences which …

Treatment Access For Dual Diagnosis Substance Use And Mental Health Disorders, Pedro Banuelos

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

In 2018, of 1.3 million Latinx adults in the United States facing concurrent issues with substance use disorders (SUD) and mental health disorders (MHD) 93% remained untreated for either diagnosis. This is concerning since Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) data reveals that this population is at greater risk for suicidal thoughts, plans, and attempts. They also face structural barriers such as employment, housing, legal involvement, and insurability that further impede access to treatment.

This study’s purpose was to examine barriers to accessing treatment for Latinx populations confronting co-occurring SUDs and MHDs. This study used a qualitative design …

Dance/Movement Therapy In Response To Continuous Race-Based Trauma, Aliesha Bryan

Dance/Movement Therapy Theses

Trauma is concomitant with a lack of safety; as such, where there is a threat to safety, there is likely to be trauma. Afrodescendants living in the United States, through an ongoing lack of human regard, are often powerless to ensure their safety, and are regularly subjected to continuous, race-based trauma. Racism is deeply embedded in the nation’s institutions as well as in every relationship, and this deeply pervasive and penetrating ideology influences strongly how individuals of any race interact with others. Race-based aggression, from micro- to macro-, has a profound and continuously traumatizing effect on Afrodescendants, with similarly profound …

Relationship Between Outcomes Of Psychiatric Genetic Counseling And Time Since Onset And Diagnosis Of Psychiatric Illness, Sarah Saxton

Human Genetics Theses

Research shows that psychiatric genetic counseling (pGC) improves outcomes for patients. We conducted a retrospective chart review study to examine the relationship between outcomes of pGC and time since onset and/or diagnosis of psychiatric illness at a specialist pGC clinic. Specifically, we examined change in empowerment scores (as measured by the Genetic Counseling Outcome Scale (GCOS) prior to (T1) and approximately one month after the pGC appointment (T2)), in relationship to: a) time since symptom onset (TSO) and b) time since psychiatric diagnosis (TSD). Linear regression was used to determine the relationship between TSO and/or TSD and GCOS change, and …

Effectiveness Of Ehr-Depression Screening Among Adult Diabetics In An Urban Primary Care Clinic, Filipina C. Schnabel Md, Mph, Msn, Fnp-Bc, Danielle Aldridge Msn, Fnp-C, Laura Reed Dnp, Fnp-Bc

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background Diabetes mellitus (DM) and depression are important comorbid conditions that can lead to more serious health outcomes. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) supports routine screening for depression as part of standard diabetes management. The PHQ2 and PHQ9 questionnaires are good diagnostic screening tools used for major depressive disorders in Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2). This quality improvement study aims to compare the rate of depression screening, treatment, and referral to behavioral health in adult patients with DM2 pre and post-integration of depression screening tools into the electronic health record (EHR).

Methods We conducted a retrospective chart review on patients …

The Social And The Psychological Impact Of Endometriosis On The Romanian Urban Population, Iulia Baciu, Alecsandra Irimie-Ana, Anca Maria Panaitescu, Gheorghe Peltecu, Corina Gica, Nicolae Gica

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Objectives. Our study assesses the social and psychological impact of the symptoms of endometriosis. Materials and methods. This crosssectional study was conducted from January 2014 to January 2016. The research involved two groups. The study instrument, the EHP-5 questionnaire, was completed by the respondents on the admission date or on the routine gynecological visit day. Results. Endometriosis has a negative social and psychological impact on women’s life, the most affected areas being work, fertility and sexual activity. Moreover, pain and the negative perception of self-image are major sources of distress. Conclusion. The symptoms and effects of endometriosis, especially chronic pelvic …

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 …

Understanding The Traumatized Brain, Sam Marion, Elizabeth Marston

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

Students who have experienced trauma are often in need of behavioral intervention due to challenging behaviors and reactivity. Understanding the body’s threat response system gives insight into these behaviors and allows for empathy within the interventions. This presentation will outline basic neuroscience theories, propose interventions focused on self-regulation, and demonstrate how adding basic elements to existing interventions can increase efficacy.

Oxytocin, Cortisol, And Cognitive Control During Acute And Naturalistic Stress, Shari Young Kuchenbecker, Sarah D. Pressman, Jared Celniker, Karen M. Grewen, Ken D. Sumida, Naveen Jonathan, Brendan Everett, George M. Slavich

Health Sciences and Kinesiology Faculty Articles

Although stress is a strong risk factor for poor health, especially for women, it remains unclear how stress affects the key neurohormones cortisol and oxytocin, which influence stress-related risk and resilience. Whereas cortisol mediates energy mobilization during stress, oxytocin has anti-inflammatory, anxiolytic, and analgesic effects that support social connection and survival across the lifespan. However, how these neurohormones interrelate and are associated with cognitive control of emotional information during stress remains unclear. To address these issues, we recruited 37 college-aged women (M_age = 19.19, SD = 1.58) and randomly assigned each to a one-hour experimental session consisting of …