Other Mental and Social Health Commons^™

Animation As Therapy For Mental Health Treatment Across Diverse Populations And Contexts, A Literature Review, Daneile Tabana

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Scientific research has explored and identified the beneficial relationship between health and creative expression, recognizing art therapy as a source of healing. Animation has been newly recognized as an art therapy medium with potential for therapeutic healing and increased psychological well-being. This review of the literature on animation therapy explores the history of the modality’s interaction with the population observed and the effects of animation on the cognitive processes, discusses current theoretical orientations and treatment options for treating a range of conditions that affect mood, thinking, and behavior with animation therapy, and considers culturally informed and client-centered practices alongside traditional …

Improving Mental Health Support For Nursing Students Through Mental Health First Aid (Mhfa) Training Of Clinical Faculty, Amy Sands

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

This project aimed to implement a process improvement program at the Louisville campus of Galen College of Nursing to improve the mental health support for nursing students through the training of Clinical Instructors (CIs) in using adult Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) and the ALGEE actions described within that program.

Barriers To Mental Health Seeking Among Army Aviation Personnel: A Preliminary Report, Aric J. Raus

National Training Aircraft Symposium (NTAS)

This research explores barriers to mental health seeking, self-reported symptoms, and perspectives on self-help mental-wellness options among U.S. Army Aviation Personnel. Safe aviation operations require constant focus and mental clarity. These requirements expand when considering the implications and added stress of military operations, especially in combat scenarios. Yet, recent studies demonstrate that aviation personnel avoid seeking healthcare due to fears of losing their medical certification. This report provides preliminary results from the first known study on barriers to mental health seeking among U.S. Army aviation personnel. Utilizing an anonymous survey instrument, facilitated primarily through Social Media recruiting of current and …

Links Between Mental Health And Employment Outcomes Among Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Emma Atkinson

Honors Theses

Problem: Mental health outcomes related to Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have been extensively researched, although most research in the area is on children with ASD. Studies on adults with ASD are scarcer. More specifically, studies that analyze the association between mental health and work-life balance (WLB) as well as mental health and job satisfaction (JS) among employed adults with ASD is limited. The purpose of this study was to analyze the association between mental health and WLB among adults with ASD, the association between mental health and perceived JS among adults with ASD, and whether or not ASD severity moderates …

Does Cultural Immersion Around The World Create Stronger Students? A Study Of The Benefits Of Studying Abroad On Students’ Mental Health And Wellbeing., Hanna Lynn Strombom

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

Mental illnesses have been increasing throughout the population of the United States. College-aged students are being affected by mental illnesses at alarming rates. This is a pivotal age range for people as they transition towards more adult responsibilities. Universities provide its students a lot of opportunities to prepare them for the real-world. One of these opportunities that has become popular amongst students is studying abroad. This research focuses on the effects of study abroad on students’ mental health and wellbeing. 104 students from the summer 2022 CIMBA study abroad program participated in this study. This set of respondents encompassed ten …

Designing A Work-Life Balance Learning Module For Cal Poly Construction Management Department, Alex Jones

Construction Management

The construction industry is known to create a highly stressful work environment given its unpredictability and mental/time demanding nature, which creates challenges for professionals to maintain a healthy work-life balance. This senior project aims to research and identify the key areas that foster this stress and propose a learning module for the Cal Poly Construction Management Department to implement into class curriculum. Having this learning module taught to students will raise awareness of the topic for future industry professionals and equip them with the tools to maintain a healthy equilibrium between their work demands and personal life. The learning module …

Mental Health In Sports Media, Samuel Ridgley

Communication & Media Studies | Senior Theses

This paper looks at the increasingly popular conversation surrounding mental health in sports. It provides a glimpse into how common the struggle of mental health can be for many high-level athletes while also examining the narrative and expectations that society and the media have created. The paper also provides examples of prominent athletes from a variety of different sports and delves into their personal mental health experiences in the eyes of the media. The goal of this paper is to show the progression and change of how the media portrays mental health amongst athletes in today’s ever-changing world.

The Experiences Of Transgender And Gender Diverse Individuals Seeking Mental Health Treatment, Brice T. Marks

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Transgender and Gender Diverse (TGD) individuals are underserved in communities despite experiencing disproportionately higher rates of mental health distress. The cisheteronomativity of society creates chronic stressors that impact the mental health outcomes of TGD individuals. TGD individuals face the highest rates of discrimination in healthcare settings. Yet, little is known about the population's specific experiences seeking mental health care. Using a phenomenological approach, this study interviewed eight TGD individuals to understand the experience of seeking mental health care. There were six themes: facilitation of seeking behaviors, barriers, type of care, characteristics of providers, identity disclosure, and burden of advocacy and …

Veteran Access To Mental Health Services And How It Contributes To The Rates Of Suicide, Kameron R. Grigsby

Kentucky Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship

This essay is an exploration of the access Veterans have to mental health services and how such access or lack thereof contributes to the rates of suicide among the Veteran population. The purpose of this essay is to examine various factors that influence Veteran access to mental health care and how these factors can be improved or eliminated. By analyzing such factors, healthcare professionals may begin to further implement provisions and practices to decrease the rising rate of suicides among Veterans.

Evidence-Based Suicide Assessment And Managment Training For Mental Health Professionals, Clara Abit

DNP Scholarly Projects

Background: Suicide is a significant public health concern both nationally and globally. While the suicide rate has been decreasing in recent years, evidence shows that the rate of suicide among teenagers and adolescents has been on the rise. Teenage suicide accounts for 14% of all deaths by suicide in the United States, calling for effective interventions in various settings. However, inadequate knowledge of the potential signs and risk factors of suicide hinders mental healthcare professionals' ability to recognize at-risk patients.

Purpose: The project's objective was to evaluate the effects of the intervention on mental health workers' knowledge, skills, and screening …

Sex-Related Differences In Violence Exposure, Neural Reactivity To Threat, And Mental Health, Heather E Dark, Nathaniel G Harnett, Danielle R Hurst, Muriah D Wheelock, Kimberly H Wood, Adam M Goodman, Sylvie Mrug, Marc N Elliott, Susan Tortolero Emery, Mark A Schuster, David C Knight

Journal Articles

The prefrontal cortex (PFC), hippocampus, and amygdala play an important role in emotional health. However, adverse life events (e.g., violence exposure) affect the function of these brain regions, which may lead to disorders such as depression and anxiety. Depression and anxiety disproportionately affect women compared to men, and this disparity may reflect sex differences in the neural processes that underlie emotion expression and regulation. The present study investigated sex differences in the relationship between violence exposure and the neural processes that underlie emotion regulation. In the present study, 200 participants completed a Pavlovian fear conditioning procedure in which cued and …

The Shadow Pandemic: A Systematic Review On The Effects Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Children And Adolescents Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder., Nasong A. Luginaah

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

No abstract provided.

Employment Discrimination’S Impact On African American’S Professional And Personal Lives, Trey D. Williams

Information Systems Undergraduate Honors Theses

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 makes it illegal to discriminate against a person because of their race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. The law also protects individuals from retaliation if they complain about discrimination, participate in an employment discrimination proceeding, or reasonably oppose discrimination. Although Title VII makes discrimination illegal, it is still present in the workplace. The objective of this thesis is to discuss employee discrimination based on race and sex. Specifically, I will analyze the current workplace discrimination against African American men and women as well as the psychological, physiological, and emotional effects …

The Passive Approach: How Academically Motivated Students Approach Their Mental Health., Megan E. Mccoy

Anthós

The research utilizes qualitative interviews and focus groups to understand how academically motivated students approach their mental health. Mental health is defined as “emotional, psychological, and social well-being,” by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and is becoming a more significant concern in collegiate student populations. At Portland State University, the effects of mental health concerns on students are nearly double that of students around the U.S (Community Commons, n.d.). Academically motivated students are a group who seemingly strive for success and likely experience high levels of stress daily. The study found that students often take a passive approach …

Houseplants As Mental Health Supports For Dorm Occupants During The Lockdown Period At Portland State University, Brittani Wallsten

Anthós

In this study, students who lived in dorms around the lockdown period of Portland State University, March 2020—September 2021, were interviewed about their experience and how their houseplants affected their mental health. This was done via in-person interviews and an online focus group. Houseplants were found to support students’ mental health by encouraging a regular routine, providing opportunities for responsibility, adding aesthetic value, and serving as a general indicator of mental health. All of the participants recommended houseplants as a mental health support to their fellow students.

Medical Laboratory Science Students At The University Of Southern Mississippi Response To The Covid-19 Pandemic, Kaitlyn Mcginnis

Honors Theses

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed educators’ and students’ perspectives on virtual teaching of the laboratory sciences. This study aims to determine the perceived effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) students at the University of Southern Mississippi. This study will evaluate how the changes to the instruction of the MLS curriculum and overall student mental health affected their grades and retention of academic content during and post-pandemic. The goal is to determine students’ perception of the effectiveness of virtual learning during the COVID-19 quarantine period, and whether it is a sustainable learning resource. Five students enrolled in …

Social Media’S Impact On One’S Mental, Physical, And Emotional Well-Being, Alexandria J. Shearer

Honors College Theses

Social media is widely used in users’ daily lives and is deeply embedded in the world of technology. Cellular devices and their applications have shown primarily negative effects on individuals’ lives. Studies have shown a lower self-esteem in young adults addicted to their smartphone (Aznar-Díaz, et al., et al. 2020). Another study highlighted the reactions to creating one’s own content versus the implications of consuming content. Individuals who created more than they consumed reported a higher level of self-esteem (Hygen, et al., 2021). While there were many studies regarding social media and wellness of young adults, there were gaps in …

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 …

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 …

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.

Perspectives On Finances And Mental Health Status Among Low-Income Los Angeles Latinas, Luisa R. Blanco, Jessica A. Baker, Julie A. Friedman, Karen T. Singh, Arleen F. Brown, Sierra D. Moon, Savanna L. Carson, Audree Hsu, Janet Pregler

Journal of Financial Therapy

Abstract

Research has established a link between financial challenges and mental health outcomes. Understanding this linkage among low-income Latinas who face unique experiences and challenges in relation to managing their household finances is important. This study utilized a community-based participatory qualitative research method to explore perspectives on financial and mental health among Latinas residing in Los Angeles County. The implications of this study are applicable when conducting a culturally responsive financial therapy program. Three focus groups were conducted with mainly immigrant, Spanish-speaking, low-income Latinas (n = 37). The study found that though participants face financial stressors tied to managing finances, …

Analysis On Suicidal Ideation Among Adolescents (12-17 Years) In The Usa, Himani Raturi

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Suicide is one of the leading health concerns in United States among adolescents and the presence of suicidal ideation (SI) is quite high, with ~20-30% of adolescents reporting it at some point. Though we have seen growth and development in the prevention of suicide, there is limited research on the ability to identify the adolescents which might be at risk for SI. The objective behind the project is to identify adolescents with SI using machine learning.

The project shows statistics from different articles on adolescents in the U.S. For this study, adolescent data was taken from NSDUH 2018. Moreover, detailed …

African-American Mental Health Community: Information Needs, Barriers, And Gaps, Stephanie Jackson

School of Information Student Research Journal

This paper articulates the importance of African Americans regarding mental health: how they obtain information, lack of available resources, internal and external pressures of receiving help, and the gathering of their information from non-traditional sources in comparison to traditional. Historically, the community has faced stereotypical pressures, which they actively fight against to be viewed as equal. After segregation being abolished and many sources and organizations offering support for many different races, there is still an imbalance in what is offered and available for African Americans. A mix of current and dated studies and texts will be highlighted to discover findings, …

Mental Health In The School System: Providing Tools And Resources For Teachers, Hannah Skinner

Student Capstone Papers

This capstone project's aim was to look at the mental health needs of school aged children, and how Occupational Therapists can help to meet their needs in the school system. The doctoral student completed a background on mental health statistics and needs in children, and also completed a literature review on occupational therapy’s role in mental health and schools, mindfulness, and current practices in the United States.

A gap was identified after a literature search was completed: While the school systems understand mental health is an area that should be addressed, there is a gap in providing these tools and …

The Effects Of Exercise On Mental Health, Xavier A. Pinex

Honors Thesis

Exercise is an extremely important aspect towards positive mental health. Multiple studies have been done previously that show one benefit or another that exercise has towards mental health, but previously there had been no attempt to summarize the findings of these studies. The benefits that exercise has to an individual’s mental health are numerous, but despite this exercise is an underutilized tool in the quest for better mental health. There are many variables that affect the benefits of exercise to an individual’s mental health and it is important to understand all these variables to understand how to properly exercise to …

The Impact Of Toxic Masculinity On Men's Mental Health, Amardeep Grewal

Sociology Student Work Collection

My project is about how toxic masculinity can affect men’s mental health. I discuss about how social norms of a man can negatively affect mental health.

Social Media's Affect On Self Image And Daily Life, Sarah Falkowski

Senior Honors Projects

In the US alone over 244 million people use social media daily. Social media has become a huge part of the world today, helping people stay connected, share, influence, and interact. Though social media has many constructive aspects, it can affect its users in many negative ways. This research looks deeper into the way people use social media, how it’s content can be damaging, and the emphasis people place on their social media image. The study conducted looks further into how social media’s effects vary between age groups and genders. Results show that females between 16-20 are most negatively affected …

Absolutist Thinking And Depression, Katherine Cohen

Senior Theses

A key characteristic of depression is the presence of cognitive biases (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). This study added to the growing literature examining absolutist thinking as a potential cognitive bias associated with depression. We used data from a survey conducted at the University of South Carolina Columbia campus which included 116 students to compare the use of absolutist words in participants’ writing with their depressive symptomatology. We further compared the difference in the use of absolutist words in participants’ responses about success versus their responses about failure. Results revealed that there was not a significant relationship between BDI scores ( …

The Effects Of Media On Young Adults With Eating Disorders, Kelsey Sherry

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This senior capstone research is to examine the effects of media on young adults (age 18-24) with eating disorders. Through the use of literature review, interviews with five young adults with eating disorder and surveys of classmates in a small Liberal Studies class at a California State University on personal body image their relationship with the media, the results indicated that the media has both positive and negative effects on young adults with eating disorders depending on the different sources of media that may have alternate effects on the psyche of the young adults. The media also benefits young adults …