Other Mental and Social Health Commons^™

Battle Echoes Never Fade: Soldiers' Trauma At The End Of Life, John E. Eller

Capstones

Soldiers suffer moral injuries when wartime experiences go against their own moral compass, such as killing innocent civilians or mutilating the bodies of enemies. Many soldiers bury the shame and guilt leftover from battle for years or decades, but these memories can surface unbidden as veterans near death.

Burden, Depressive Symptoms, And Perceived Health In Male Caregivers Of Persons With End Stage Renal Disease, Loretta Alexia Williams

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Introduction: Men are increasingly assuming the role of caregiver to individuals with chronic illnesses. The debilitating effects of ESRD cause many of those diagnosed with the disease to require assistance from family caregivers. Caregiver literature well reports that caregivers experience mental and physical health effects related to this role. However, research involving the experiences of male caregivers of individuals with ESRD is understudied. These studies use the background and contextual as well as primary and secondary domains of the Stress Process Model to determine the levels of and explore the experiences associated with caregiver burden, depressive symptoms, and perceived health …

The Effects Of Alpha Stimulation On Induced Anxiety, Nolan Thomas Hill

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Anxiety is defined as an emotional and physical reaction that prepares us to confront a feared stimulus. Among the many measureable changes induced by anxiety are changes in facial electromyography (EMG), heart rate (HR), and sweat gland activity (EDG). At a pathological level anxiety interferes with cognitive processes. Currently, when anxiety crosses into the pathological level, it is treated with a variety of therapies that share in their use of periods of exposure to anxiety-inducing stimuli. Several devices have been developed to alter brain activity by transcranial electrical stimulation (TCES). One such device, Alpha-Stim^®, has been shown to …

Screening Mammograms In Alzheimer’S Disease Patients, George M. Yousef, Piyush Sovani, Sirisha Devabhaktuni, Lynne J. Goebel

George M. Yousef

Very little guidance exists to help clinicians and families decide whether mammograms are useful in elderly women with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). We present a case of a patient with moderate AD who had a positive mammogram and discuss the dilemma faced by the family and clinician in deciding what was best to do for the patient. In this case, the family opted for breast conserving surgery (BCS) followed by palliative care which brought up the question of whether screening was appropriate with this treatment goal in mind. We reviewed the literature on AD and breast cancer screening and summarize these …

Self-Care Project For Faculty And Staff Of Future Health Care Professionals: Case Report, Nancy Macrae, Kelley Strout

Occupational Therapy Faculty Publications

Self-care among health care providers is an important component of their ability to provide quality health care to patients. Health care institutions have programs in place for students that emphasize health and wellness, but few programs are available for faculty and staff. To address this gap and facilitate modeling health and wellness strategies for students, a New England institution that educates health care practitioners began a pilot self-care project for faculty and staff. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected. The template used for this project could be used as a stepping-stone for future wellness self-care program in higher education …

Traditional Grain Alcohol (Bai Jiu, 白酒) Production And Use In Rural Central China: Implications For Public Health, Ling Qian, Ian M. Newman, Wen Xiong, Yanyu Feng

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Background: An estimated 25 % of the alcohol consumed in China is traditional unrecorded alcohol produced and distributed informally. Consequently there is concern about its safety and its contribution to public health risk. Little has been written about this type of alcohol in China.

Methods: Researchers observed the manufacture of traditional bai jiu in a rural area of Hubei Province, Central China. Two hundred fifty-nine individuals were interviewed, either individually or in small groups, about their use of and attitudes toward bai jiu. Individuals who made or sold bai jiu were interviewed about local production, distribution, and sale. Key community …

Narratives Towards Ending Stigma: Hiv-Related Stigma In The Netherlands From The Standpoint Of Those Who Experience It First-Hand, Anya Katz

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

While there is a decent amount of research that has been done regarding HIV related stigma in the Netherlands, little has been done qualitatively, working from the standpoint of individuals who have experienced that stigma first hand. This research uses qualitative methods, weaving the stories of individuals as well as participant observations to understand what people believe are the most essential methods in erasing HIV stigma. It also looks at what people see as the types of stigma and conflicts within HIV positive communities that are the most detrimental to the larger erasure of stigma. Through interviews and volunteer work …

Think Inside The Blocks: Health Literacy Outreach To Disadvantaged People In Their Own Environment, Nancy Patterson

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

This bilingual (Spanish/English) poster highlights six creative health literacy outreach projects that have proven to be successful in increasing participation in health-related events in their communities and in boosting health literacy in the process.

For example, in Georgetown, South Carolina, a beauty salon owner, concerned about her clients’ frequent frustration with trying to decipher medical information, partners with her local public library and is grant funded to provide a Wellness Workstation in her salon. Years later, her clients research health information between services using the workstation, evening health literacy classes are regularly conducted for community members and continued funding has …

The Sixties Scoop Among Aboriginal Veterans: A Critical Narrative Study, Munira Abdulwasi

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This study explored the experience of Aboriginal Veterans adopted and/or fostered during the Sixties Scoop using critical narrative inquiry. The objectives were to: 1) understand the lived experience of Aboriginal veterans adopted and/or fostered during the Sixties Scoop, 2) explore any health needs expressed by Aboriginal veterans adopted and/or fostered during the Sixties Scoop, and 3) provide recommendations for the implementation of health services and programs to assist this group of Aboriginal veterans with their health needs. Eight individual interviews were conducted with participants in Kitchener-Waterloo, London, Ottawa, Winnipeg, and Vancouver. All interviews were audio-taped, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using …

Should Educators Be ‘Wrapping School Playgrounds In Cotton Wool’ To Encourage Physical Activity? Exploring Primary And Secondary Students’ Voices From The School Playground, Brendon P. Hyndman, Amanda Telford

Dr Brendon P Hyndman

Physical activity in school playgrounds has changed considerably over recent decades to reflect a climate of ‘surplus safety’. A growing culture of surplus safety can be attributed to a desire of parents and teachers responsible for children to protect school students from danger. The aim of this research was to examine students’ perceptions of playground safety influences on physical activity during school breaks from the perspectives of the ‘users’ of school playgrounds. Data collection consisted of seven focus groups (4 primary school & 3 secondary school) conducted across four schools (2 primary & 2 secondary). During this study, the focus …

Should Educators Be ‘Wrapping School Playgrounds In Cotton Wool’ To Encourage Physical Activity? Exploring Primary And Secondary Students’ Voices From The School Playground, Brendon P. Hyndman, Amanda Telford

Dr Brendon P Hyndman

Physical activity in school playgrounds has changed considerably over recent decades to reflect a climate of ‘surplus safety’. A growing culture of surplus safety can be attributed to a desire of parents and teachers responsible for children to protect school students from danger. The aim of this research was to examine students’ perceptions of playground safety influences on physical activity during school breaks from the perspectives of the ‘users’ of school playgrounds. Data collection consisted of seven focus groups (4 primary school & 3 secondary school) conducted across four schools (2 primary & 2 secondary). During this study, the focus …

Sexuality Education Websites For Adolescents: A Framework-Based Content Analysis, Sara Silverio Marques, Jessica S. Lin, Summer Starling, Aubrey G. Daquiz, Eva Goldfarb, Kimberly Garcia, Norman A. Constantine

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

The web has unique potential for adolescents seeking comprehensive sexual health information. As such, it is important to understand the nature, scope, and readability of the content and messaging provided by sexuality educational websites. We conducted a content analysis of 14 sexuality education websites for adolescents, based on the 7 essential components (sexual and reproductive health and HIV, relationships, sexual rights and sexual citizenship, pleasure, violence, diversity, and gender) of the International Planned Parenthood Framework for Comprehensive Sexuality Education. A majority of content across all sites focused on sexual and reproductive health and HIV, particularly pregnancy and STI prevention, and …

An Adapted Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program For Elders In A Continuing Care Retirement Community: Quantitative And Qualitative Results From A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial., Aleeze Sattar Moss, Phd, Diane K. Reibel, Jeffrey M Greeson, Anjali Thapar, Rebecca Bubb, Jacqueline Salmon, Andrew B. Newberg, Md

Marcus Institute of Integrative Health Faculty Papers

The purpose of this study was to test the feasibility and effectiveness of an adapted 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program for elders in a continuing care community. This mixed-methods study used both quantitative and qualitative measures. A randomized waitlist control design was used for the quantitative aspect of the study. Thirty-nine elderly were randomized to MBSR (n = 20) or a waitlist control group (n = 19), mean age was 82 years. Both groups completed pre-post measures of health-related quality of life, acceptance and psychological flexibility, facets of mindfulness, self-compassion, and psychological distress. A subset of MBSR participants completed …

The Emotional Experience Of American Indians Receiving Hemodialysis And How It Relates To Treatment Adherence, Anitra M. Warrior

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study used a phenomenological approach as an attempt to capture the essence of the experience of American Indians with diabetes who are receiving dialysis. The purpose of this study and this approach was to develop an understanding of factors that influence treatment adherence, specifically with mental health concerns. As an additional component of this study, this research also followed an advocacy/participatory approach (Creswell, 2007) in which steps to reform services are provided to the Indian Health Service in support of this marginalized group through a written Agenda for Change.

Participants for this study were recruited from multiple states serving …

Substance Abuse Among The Elderly: What Works In Treatment, Sophia Morelli

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Social workers are trained during the course of their education to work with the elderly and to understand the various dynamics of aging. These professionals also receive education on substance abuse and how to assess clients as well as link them to appropriate supportive services. How can social workers be more inclined to effectively treat the elderly substance abuser? What are, if any, special considerations a social worker should be aware of when working with the geriatric population? What treatment modalities seem to be more effective with the elderly client? This study utilized a qualitative analysis consisting of interviews with …

The Role Of Cultural And Family Values On Social Connectedness In Visible Minority Elders: An Exploratory Study, Laura Garcia Diaz

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Assumptions about the family providing enough social support to visible minority elders can be found in the literature, contradicting reported levels of social isolation and loneliness by visible minority elders. While structural barriers have been recognized to influence feelings of isolation and loneliness, limited information exists about the role of cultural factors such as acculturation and family values. Accordingly, this study investigated the role of acculturation and the ‘family as referents’ dimension of familism, which refers to the belief that family members’ behaviour should meet with familial expectations, on isolation and loneliness among visible minority elders (N = 123). …

Pearl Harvesting Autism, Mariya Gruntovskaya

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This thesis addresses the difficulties of on-line information searching as it relates to the topic of autism. A review of existing search strategies is presented and their limitations are discussed. A new method for deriving a set of search-terms for comprehensive searching, Pearl Harvesting, was tested here to determine the necessary search terms (i.e., synonym ring) for ERIC and PsycINFO databases. Once discovered and validated, a synonym ring can be copied and pasted directly into the search box of the database, providing a simple, thorough and time saving way of conducting on-line research in the field. This easily used method …

The Skinny On Eating Attitudes, Body Image, And The Thin-Ideal In College Women, Lyndsay N. Greene

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

There is evidence of a link between body image and disordered eating among females, and some research that suggests exposure to the media exacerbates both body dissatisfaction and eating pathology. Despite these claims, little research has been done on the effects that exposure to photo-shopped images specifically has on body dissatisfaction and eating pathology. The present study sought to further understand the relationship between cognitive distortions of body image and eating attitudes and to examine the effects that exposure to the thin-ideal found in the media has on body dissatisfaction among college aged women. Eighty female college students answered questions …

Spiritual Exploration In The Prenatal Genetic Counseling Session, Katelynn G. Sagaser

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Religion and spirituality are important components of many individuals’ lives, and spiritual needs may present among persons receiving medical care. Spirituality has been demonstrated to be significant in the coping of women experiencing pregnancy complications (Breen et al. 2006; Price et al. 2007). To characterize the manner in which prenatal genetic counselors might address spiritual issues with their patients, we surveyed 283 patients receiving prenatal genetic counseling using the Brief RCope and a series of questions that examined interest in spiritual exploration. Counselors were concurrently surveyed to identify the spiritual language used within the session and the counselor’s perceived importance …

Surviving The Other War: Group Intervention For Military Sexual Trauma In The Local Church, Ed Ellis Barker

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Military Sexual Trauma (MST) is, together with the current military suicide epidemic, arguably the greatest danger to soldiers serving at home or abroad, and sadly the former is a contributing factor for the latter. MST involves the sexual assault or sexual harassment of an individual by one or several fellow service members. An important avenue of assistance is through the local church; however, "the quality of mental health providers does not include a sufficient number of faith-based counselors (especially Christian) to serve the predominantly Christian demographic in the U.S. Armed Forces." To assist in this, a psycho-educational support group has …

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction And Transcendental Meditation: Current State Of Research, Adam Holt

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

This article summarizes the current state of meditation research, specifically focusing on mindfulness-based stress reduction and transcendental meditation. Despite significant methodological problems with the studies reported to date on the subject, there is consistent evidence that meditation can produce changes in the nervous system and physiology of the meditator, and can help with various psychological markers of well-being. Regarding improvement in specific clinical diseases, research is generally mixed and preliminary. Strong recommendations cannot be made based on current evidence, and further studies are needed. In general, there is a stronger body of evidence supporting mindfulness-based stress reduction than for transcendental …

Heightened Levels Of Stress And Contributing Factors In Caregivers Of Special Needs Children, Heather Velon

Georgia State Undergraduate Research Conference

No abstract provided.

Sacred Approaches To Mental Health Issues, The University Of Maine College Of Liberal Arts And Sciences

Cultural Affairs Distinguished Lecture Series

The Judaic Studies Program at the University of Maine has invited Rabbi Richard Address, Founder and Director of www.jewishsacredaging.com to campus in October 2015 to deliver a presentation entitled "Sacred Approaches to Mental Health Issues." Using Jewish tradition as a starting point, this lecture offers ways of thinking about mental illness and examines how the sacred impacts our understanding and approaches to it. Specifically, the program will "explore the traditional definitions of a person dealing with mental illness, trace the diagnostic approach that tradition gives us and examine how the sources can inform us in dealing with current situations" (www.jewishsacredaging.com)

Out And About In Medicine: Gw Out For Health, Michelle S. Davis, Daniel F. O'Neill, Robert Tollefson, Domenique Escobar, Chase Hiller, Lawrence R. Deyton

GW Research Days 2015

The time is right to devise and implement a more coordinated approach to LGBT patient care and health professional training within the Washington, DC metropolitan area and beyond. The following George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences (GWSMHS) and Hospital (GWUH) LGBT Health Initiative proposal highlights possible strategies for addressing this need through a more centralized fashion. The seven focus areas proposed for the GW LGBT Health Initiative include: 1) Climate/Visibility; 2) Health Education; 3) Policy/Advocacy; 4) Community Outreach; 5) Research; 6) Patient Care; and 7) HIV/AIDS. A key stakeholder that is helping to realize this vision of …

Piecing The Puzzle Together With The Use Of Physical Therapy, Mikayla Pruitt

Honors Projects

For my Honors Project I decided to create a set of exercise cards for children with autism. The front of each card had a picture symbolizing the exercise/activity, and on the back included directions, supplies and tips to complete the activity. The following is a selection of a few exercise cards from each of the four exercise sections, as well as the title card, table of contents cards, information cards, and source cards.

Drink Like A Lawyer: The Neuroscience Of Substance Use And Its Impact On Cognitive Wellness, Debra S. Austin

Sturm College of Law: Faculty Scholarship

Lawyers suffer from higher levels of anxiety and depression than the rest of the population, but most do not enter law school with these mental health issues. Disciplinary actions against attorneys involve substance abuse 50 to 75 percent of the time. However, neuroscience research has shown that both the brain and the genes enjoy the power of plasticity, which means that personal choices and environments shape the development of lawyers throughout their lives. Legal educators need a better understanding of what aspects or characteristics of legal education contribute to the decline in mental health of law students, lawyers, and judges, …

Talking Mirrors: Experiences Of Older Transgender Adults And Culturally Competent Mental Healthcare Profes-Sionals With Talk Therapy In The Netherlands, Kate Cieplicki

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Historically, both the general population and mental healthcare providers specifically have misunderstood the transgender identity as pathological and unnatural. Despite persistent ignorance in the mental healthcare field about the background and needs of transgender adults, a psychoanalytic evaluation is required by the gender clinic for a transgender individual to begin the gender transition process in the Netherlands. This requirement creates a degree of tension and mistrust between the transgender individual and the mental healthcare field. Such discomfort is unfortunate because statistically transgender adults face more mental health problems than their cisgender peers, likely because of the stress that comes from …

Unsilencing The Voice Within: Expressive Writing As A Therapeutic Tool, Karla L. Sapp

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

Written words are a very powerful tool that is used to facilitate self-healing, awareness, and growth through the communication of one’s deepest thoughts, emotions, and desires. The purpose of this poster session is to provide mental health providers (community, school, criminal justice) with an overview of expressive writing, forms of expressive writing that can be utilized, and implications for professional practice with At-Risk Youth.

Providing The Teen Outreach Program In School Settings, Phillippia Faust, Tina Thomas, Greg Johnson

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

MTCI will share the experiences of providing the Teen Outreach Program (TOP). The challenges of providing a year long program within school systems where most students change classes each semester will be addressed, along with effective strategies. The presenters will offer instruction regarding successful program activities for the youth service professional working with high school populations.

Introduction: A Changing Indonesia, Maribeth Erb, Kathleen M. Adams

Kathleen M. Adams

No abstract provided.