Psychiatry and Psychology Commons^™

Individual Differences In Cannabis Use Disorder With Implications For Endocannabinoid Modulation In Therapeutics Development, Erin Martin

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Cannabis use disorder (CUD) is increasingly prevalent in the United States, but there is no effective pharmacological means to treat it. The endocannabinoid (eCB) system has emerged as a candidate therapeutic target demonstrating some evidence of efficacy in treating CUD. However, clinical trials evaluating eCB-modulating therapeutics have historically undervalued individual differences that could contribute to variation in treatment outcome (e.g. sex, comorbid psychiatric illness). To address this gap in the literature, the present set of studies (a) compared plasma eCB tone in groups underrepresented in treatment trials for CUD (females, individuals with comorbid major depressive disorder; MDD/CUD) with males or …

Traumatic Brain Injury Severity In Older Adults: Impact On Anxiety And Depression Symptoms And Community Engagement, Ashley Tomford

Theses and Graduate Projects

Background: Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is one of the leading causes of physical and cognitive disability worldwide. TBI can negatively impact cognitive, physical, social, and psychological functioning.

Objective: This study investigated interactions between TBI severity, mental health symptom severity, and community engagement among older adults. Specific aims included investigating 1) the relationship between TBI severity at the time of injury and psychiatric symptom severity at one-year post-TBI; 2) the relationship between TBI severity and community engagement at one-year post-TBI; and 3) whether mental health symptom severity moderated the relationship between TBI and post-injury community engagement.

Methods: Archival data was analyzed …

A Quality Improvement Project To Screen For Food Insecurity In Adults With Anxiety Or Depression, Kelsie Evelyn Kroll

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Background Food insecurity is the limited availability and inconsistent accessibility of healthy foods (Coleman-Jensen et al., 2022a). Food insecurity contributes to mental health problems. Individuals with food insecurity have greater odds of screening positive for depression and anxiety (Wolfson et al., 2021). The Hunger Vital Sign™ screening tool is a 2-questions evidence-based tool used to identify food insecurity (Hager et al., 2010). Purpose. Implement the Hunger Vital Sign™ tool at a non-profit behavior health clinic to identify food insecurity in adults who screened positive for anxiety or depression, offer resources for them to obtain nutritious food, and provide additional information …

Evaluating The Effects Of Ketamine On Cognitive Flexibility In Rats Using A Probabilistic Reversal Learning Task, Anthony N. Nist

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Depression is one of the most debilitating and widespread mental health conditions in the world today. Drugs that are traditionally prescribed to combat depression are flawed in several ways, and because of this, new treatments are needed. One drug that seems capable of overcoming the limitations of traditional antidepressants is ketamine. In clinical research, a single dose of ketamine can significantly reduce symptoms of depression quickly, its effects may last for weeks to months, and its side effects appear to be limited and relatively harmless. However, clinical research is ongoing, and more research is needed to fully understand ketamine's beneficial …

Self-Reflections Through A Screen: Self-Identity, Social Media, And Psychological Well-Being, Jeremy J. Serio

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Social media use among emerging adults is assumed to be related to a variety of negative psychological outcomes and has, in recent years, become a widely studied phenomenon (Kim, 2017, Pew Research Center, 2018). Despite the widespread assumption, the results from empirical studies of the effects of social media use on mental health in this population have been inconsistent and inconclusive (Keles et al., 2020, Yang et al., 2021). Several meta-analyses (e.g., Keles et al., 2020) demonstrate these inconsistent results across studies and point to the need to consider individual difference factors when researching this issue. Different self-identity styles have …

Exercise As A Prescription For Patients With Depressive Disorders: A Quality Improvement Project, Sydney Roscoe, Rachelle Pace

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Purpose: The aim of this Doctor of Nursing Practice project was to increase exercise counseling rates in the treatment of depression by (1) implementing a focused educational training program and (2) understanding factors that impacted utilization of the practice change.

Background: Approximately 280 million individuals suffer globally from depressive disorders. Depression remains the fourth leading cause of disabilities, significantly contributing toward the global burden of disease by increasing morbidity and mortality risk. Psychopharmacology and psychotherapy are current gold standards of treatment; however, providers often overlook the significant role exercise serves in reducing depressive symptoms and severity, as it remains underutilized. …

The Associations Between Adolescent Motives For Social Media Use With Body Dysmorphia, Eating Disorder, And Anxiety And Depression Symptoms, Kaylan Melvin

Honors Theses

Adolescents spend a large amount of time on social media sites. This is notable, as adolescence is a crucial time for body image development. Additionally, recent findings suggest that using image-oriented social media sites, such as Facebook and Instagram, is associated with more body dissatisfaction and disordered eating. Among previous studies, certain social media motivations have been found to have an association with poor body satisfaction and well-being in adolescents. To our knowledge, no studies have directly examined the association between social media motivations and eating disorder, body dysmorphic disorder, and anxiety and depression symptoms in adolescents. The current study …

Improving Depression Remission Screening Compliance, Crystal Wingerter

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Depressive disorders are widespread in the United States and are diagnosed and treated in the primary care setting. In 2019, there were an estimated 19.4 million adults that had at least one major depressive episode. The purpose of this project was to improve follow up and depression remission assessment for patients with a diagnosis of depression at a metropolitan family care practice clinic. The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ–9) was utilized for remission assessment. Front desk staff and providers were trained and granted access to the quality information system (QIS) in the electronic medical records (EMR) system which allowed easy identification …

Improving Depression Screening Completion Rates For Medicare Patients In A Primary Care Setting, Kenneth J. Haluska

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

The United States Preventative Services Task Force recommends screening the general adult population for depression (Siu et al., 2016). Despite increasing clinical practice guidelines recommending depression screening, only 40-50% of depressed older adults are recognized and treated (Phoh et al., 2017). The purpose of this evidence-based practice (EBP) project was to implement a medical assistant (MA) depression screening protocol, using the PHQ-9 and staff education, to improve depression screening completion rates in Medicare patients in a primary care setting. An exhaustive literature search of eight databases yielded 14 pieces of evidence that made recommendations for best practice. The evidence was …

Depression As A Prognostic Factor For Lumbar Spinal Stenosis Outcomes, Ariel M. Morales

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) is a degenerative disease common in older adults and is associated with significantly reduced health-related quality of life and increased disability. Depression has been found to be associated with poorer health-related outcomes in patients with spinal conditions. A systematic review was conducted to examine the literature regarding the prognostic value of depression for LSS outcomes. Findings suggest small to moderate prognostic value of depressive symptoms for postoperative outcomes in patients with LSS, with strong evidence for disability. Next, a secondary analysis of a cohort study was conducted to investigate two objectives. The first objective was to …

Nursing Interventions To Decrease Depressive And Anxious Symptoms In Hispanic-American Youth, Vanessa C. Hernandez

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Introduction: Hispanic-American youth are less likely to receive mental health services despite being at increased risk for depression and anxiety. Having depression and anxiety at a young age can have detrimental long-term effects such as sexual risk behavior, delinquency, and suicide. Various kinds of nurses interact with this age group which can be a missed opportunity to intervene for the welfare of these youth. Interventions exist for depression and anxiety; however, they are not specific to nurses who care for young Hispanic-American patients. Methods: An integrative literature review was performed to identify nursing interventions for Hispanic American youth with depression …

The Effects Of School-Based Art Therapy On Depressed Adolescents, Jasmine Nicolas

Nursing | Senior Theses

Depression in adolescents is associated with deficient behavioral and health outcomes (Fletcher, 2019). Art therapy has been shown to be effective in treating mental health condition such as depression. A student’s academic success heavily depends on treating their depression. Community health nurses can play a vital role in advocating for adequate mental health support to improve a student’s overall well-being and academic success. The literature review contains six articles on the prevalence and impact of depression among adolescents, art therapy as an intervention for improving psychological outcomes and resilience among adolescents, and experiences of adolescent clients in art therapy within …

Family-Based Support As Social Determinants Of Health Protective Factor On Depression Of Parents Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Bisola E. Duyile

Theses and Dissertations

All parents experience challenges in their caregiving roles (Barańczuk & Pisula, 2020). However, parents raising a child/children with disabilities experience different social barriers (Oliver, 1996) that may also contribute to additional stressors in their caregiving role (Tomeny, 2016). Although these parents, on average, have reported greater symptoms of depression than parents of typically developing children, research shows that parents who reported receiving social support had lower symptoms of depression and stress (Das et al., 2017; Singh et al., 2017). Through the social determinants of health (SDOH) framework (ODPHP, 2022), the present study investigated informal/family-based support and its protective impact on …

Empowering Nurses To Recognize Post-Stroke Depression In The African American Community, Deidra Frisbie, Robin Simon

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

African Americans (AA) have the highest prevalence of stroke and death compared to other racial groups in the United States. Post-stroke depression (PSD) affects approximately 1/3 of all stroke patients and is underdiagnosed in the African American community.

Aim: By using a mHealth mobile app and a Psychiatry provider list at discharge, PSD can be identified, and interventions initiated, thus decreasing the sequela of PSD in AA.

Methods: Nurses were provided education on PSD, expressions of depression in African-Americans, cultural humility, implicit bias, and the importance of the nurse's role in developing a therapeutic relationship.

Results: Quantitative analysis revealed the …

Addictive Social Media Use: Examination Of The Psychometric Properties Of The Arabic Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale And The Mediational Role Of Sense Of Control In The Relationship Between Depression And Social Media Addiction, Louis J. Fourie

Theses

The period of COVID-19 has proven to be a turbulent period where extreme psychological trends can be examined due to lockdown procedures, social isolation, and public fear. The use of technology such as social media has increased with research highlighting the harm of overuse. The purpose of the current study is to investigate the psychometric properties of an Arabic translated version of the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS) to assess for addictive social media use. Secondly, the study further examines the association between depression, social media addiction, and an individual’s sense of control. Specifically, the potential mediational role of …

Improving Patient Outcomes In Substance Use Disorder Through Behavioral Therapy In Depression Development And Impacts Of Social Determinants Of Health During And After Substance Use Treatment, Jerry Ryan Armstrong, Chyanne Napp

Doctoral Projects

Substance Use Disorder (SUD) is a growing problem in the United States (U.S.) and worldwide and relapse is a common occurrence among those facing SUD. Limited scholarly research has been published addressing evidence-based treatment improvement strategies. This study focused on improving SUD treatment through the incorporation of depression tracking from admission to and discharge from inpatient treatment, as well as the incorporation of social determinants of health education during treatment, with an evaluation of relapse rates 30-days after inpatient treatment discharge. Results indicated a significant improvement in depression scores from admission to discharge. Results also revealed improved knowledge regarding social …

Thoughts, Feelings, Actions; The Brevity Of Being: A Haiku Method, Scott Medeiros

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The difficulties of delivering clinical services during the pandemic showed that there was a need for interventions that were able to be adapted to virtual sessions. In addition, lack of training and expertise regarding specialized therapies require modern day clinicians to be able to synergize current theory with the reality of the mental health landscape. In this study, 19 individuals participated in a psychoeducation group that taught a therapeutic thought mapping technique that was then adapted towards the creation of a haiku. It was noticed that participants were able to learn a psychological concept, apply it towards their life, create …

Three Essays About Preventing Mental And Behavioral Disorders, Snehal Lopes

All Dissertations

Prevention efforts in the public health field operate at various levels, including primary prevention among those without a disease of interest, secondary prevention among persons at high risk or showing early signs of the disease, and tertiary prevention among persons with the disease. The three essays presented in this dissertation are centered around the theme of prevention, and taken together, have implications for prevention at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels. Specifically, the essays focus on the prevention of depressive disorders and the prevention of behavioral and mental health correlates for depression in the context of various populations (general adult, …

Evaluating Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (Phq-9) Use In Burn Survivors, Chelsey Friend

Dissertations

Problem: A burn injury affects both psychological and physical health, resulting in a greater than 50% major depressive disorder morbidity. The purpose of this quality improvement (QI) project is to evaluate the use of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) in adult burn survivors, with an aim to increase the use of the screening tool.

Methods: A mixed-methods pre/post-survey design with an educational component was utilized to assess nurse knowledge, confidence, willingness, and barriers to completion of the PHQ-9. Aggregate data were collected to determine PHQ-9 completion rates for patients admitted to and discharged from the unit during the two months …

Implementation Of Routine Screening With Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (Phq-9) Of Adults With Crohn’S Disease, Jo A. Muller-Krause

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Introduction: Mild levels of depression have been measured with screening tools at rates of 15-24% in adults with Crohn’s disease (CD). The spectrum of the impact of depressive symptoms is measurable and documented for those with CD. Patient perspectives support the integration of psychological care, and the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9) is a well validated tool for the measurement of depressive symptoms.

Purpose: Increase depression screening of adult CD patients in the outpatient gastroenterology clinic and evaluate the provider perspectives regarding PHQ-9, depression, and CD.

Conceptual Framework: The Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence Based Practice (JHNEBP) Model was selected as …

Family-Centered Psychosocial Care For Pediatric Oncology Patients, Jessica W. Casey

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Psychosocial conditions are prevalent in pediatric oncology patients (Kahalley et al., 2013). Family and social support are essential aspects of a patient's health care outcomes (Merck & McElfresh, 2019). Anxiety and depression are common in pediatric oncology patients due to trauma during treatment (Pao & Kazak, 2015). These patients also can have preexisting developmental or behavioral conditions before starting treatment. Treatment side effects can also cause cognitive and behavioral changes (Nixon, 2014b). Nurses should be knowledgeable and confident in their ability to care for patients' psychosocial health and development. The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project is …

Nutrition On The Prevention And Treatment Of Depression, Gracie Polen

Nursing | Senior Theses

Today, the general population consumes a diet high in sugars, saturated fats, incomplete protein sources, and the tendency to exceed the bodies caloric requirements. The trend of obesity due to poor dietary habits is alarming. Mental illness has increasingly risen over the past decade. Specifically, the incidence of depression has reached a startling rate. The relationship between poor dietary intake and depression have grown together and it is imperative that methods are introduced to aid in resolving this issue. The prevention and treatment of depression needs to be explored through alternative methods. Healthier dietary choices have been shown to have …

The Effects Of The Transition From Pre-Nursing To Nursing On Mental Health, Andrew J. Davis, Paige R. Mullins, Kimberly A. Sell

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Mental health is an ever-growing crisis among adolescents and young adults, with suicide as second leading cause of death and the number of those negatively affected continually on the rise. Transitions are one of the major stressors prevalent among these age groups, placing individuals at risk for mental health deficits. This quantitative voluntary response comparative study assesses the transitional mental health of pre-nursing students and students in the nursing program at East Tennessee State University. Emailed to all with a declared major of pre-nursing or nursing, this study measured mental health using evidenced based assessment tools. The PHQ-9 for depression …

Music And Mental Health: Increasing Awareness And Promoting Wellness, Catherine Sarah Black

Senior Theses

“Music for Mental Health: Increasing Awareness and Promoting Wellness” examines how music might raise mental health awareness and act as a coping resource. Specifically, it 1) argues for the connection between music and mental health, 2) presents a case study of select BTS songs that have been useful in promoting mental health, and 3) describes the efforts of Classical Healing Keys, a non-profit organization designed by the author as a proposal to promote mental health through classical music.

Is S-Adenosylmethionine (Same) An Effective Drug To Help Treat Patients With Depression?, Cassidy M. Flanigan

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

Objective: The objective of the selective EBM review is to determine whether or not “Is Sadenosylmethionine (SAMe) an Effective Drug to Help Treat Patients with Depression?”

Study Design: A systematic review of three randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published between 2016-2020.

Data Sources: All three RCTs were discovered using PubMed. The articles were published in English in peer-reviewed journals and selected based on applicability to the clinical question.

Outcome Measured: A reduction in depressive symptoms was the outcome measured in all three studies using the Montgomery-Asbery Depression Rating Scale (MADRS). The mean change in baseline was calculated once intervention was received. …

Do Probiotics Decrease Depressive Symptoms In Patients With Low Mood?, Kaitlyn Talt

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

Objective: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine, “Do probiotics decrease depressive symptoms in patients with low mood?”

Study Design: A systematic review of three double blind, randomized control trials (RCTs) published between 2016 and 2019.

Data Sources: All three RCTs were found using PubMed and published in English in peer-reviewed journals. The articles were chosen based on their attention to patient-oriented evidence that matters (POEMS) and their relevance to the clinical question.

Outcome Measured: All three articles utilized either the Beck Depression Index (BDI) and/or the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS) to measure the severity of …

Tripping Over Trauma: A Proposal Of Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy For Comorbid Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder And Depression, Liam Paul Gomez

Senior Projects Spring 2022

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a widespread, often debilitating affliction that is only partially attenuated by current first-line treatment despite its heightened prominence in the sociopolitical arena. Since individuals with PTSD also experience high rates of depression comorbidity and resultant suicidality, it is essential that treatment is more holistically effective. A possible novel intervention, psilocybin-assisted therapy, has shown promising results for the improvement of depression, addiction, and other disorders; prospectively, when administered with non-directive therapy, it could prove to be an efficacious intervention for PTSD with comorbid depression. In the proposed study, there will be two participant groupings: the control …

Social Media Use And Mental Health: An Educational Intervention To Reduce Depression And Anxiety In Adolescents, Natalie Catlett

DNP Projects

Background: Most adolescents spend a great deal of their time using various social media platforms. However, excessive and maladaptive social media use is correlated with worsening symptoms of depression and anxiety among adolescents.

Objective: This project aimed to determine whether an educational intervention could help decrease overall time spent using social media and improve mood and mental health outcomes among adolescents with depression or anxiety disorders.

Methods: This was a quasi-experiment with a pretest and posttest design. An educational intervention about the relationship between social media use and symptoms of depression and anxiety among adolescents and strategies to minimize risk …

Putative Mechanisms Underlying The Antidepressant Actions Of Ketamine: A Review And Study Proposal, Tristan Reece

CMC Senior Theses

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a highly debilitating and common psychiatric disorder that affects over 250 million people globally; it is among the most financially and emotionally burdensome illnesses in the world. Currently approved antidepressants are suboptimal in their efficacy and latency of therapeutic action. In contrast, single administrations of sub-anesthetic ketamine have been shown to rapidly alleviate depressive symptoms within hours, even in treatment-resistant patients. Ketamine is believed to exert these effects by increasing glutamatemediated neurotransmission and promoting rapid neurotrophic factor release, restoring the integrity of neural circuits that are compromised in depression. However, uncertainty surrounding its specific antidepressant …

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Fear Of Evaluation, Social Anxiety, And Depression, Michelle Ingraffia

Masters Theses

This study explores fear of negative evaluation (FNE) and fear of positive evaluation (FPE) across social anxiety and depression. The following assessment tools were used to measure fear of positive evaluation, fear of negative evaluation, social anxiety, and depression: Fear of Positive Evaluation Scale, Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation - Straightforward, Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale – Self Report, The Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale – Revised. A sample of two hundred and thirty-one participants completed forms online via Amazon Mechanical Turk. Social anxiety was correlated positively with both FNE and FPE; likewise, depression was correlated positively with both FNE …