Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Predictors Of Depression And Life Satisfaction Among Asian Indians Living In The United States Of America, Ramanjot Kaur Basanti

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study assessed the statistical contribution of gender, acculturation, Asian values, coping self-efficacy and discrimination in the prediction of depression and life satisfaction with Asian Indian American adults. The increasing number of Asian Indians in the United States has prompted psychologists and other clinicians to seek understanding of the unique mental health needs of this population. However, previous studies on predictors of depression and life satisfaction among Asian Indians living in the United States had been scarce and inconclusive. The current study, grounded in Berry’s multidimensional theory of acculturation, used a cross-sectional correlational survey design to examine if gender, acculturation, …

An Exploration Of Anti-Terrorism Policy Implementation In Nigeria, Wisdom Momodu Osagiede Ogbeowemwenkon Osemwende

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractAntiterrorism Policy Implementation in Nigeria By COL.Wisdom M. Osagiede Ogbeowemwenkon Osemwende (Ret) United States Army United States Army Command and General Staff College, 2009 Combined Arms and Service School, 2003 United States Army Chemical Corp School Officer Advance Course, 2000 John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center & School – CA, 1999 John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center & School – PSYOP, 1997 MA, Southern University and A&M College, 1991 United States Army R.O.T.C. 1991 BS, Southern University and A&M College, 1990

Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillmentof the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Public Policy and Administration

Walden …

Alcohol Addiction Recovery Experiences Among Christian African Immigrants, Chukwudera Arthur Egesionu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe problem of alcohol addiction is heightened when other psychological factors are present, such as the stress of acculturation. The purpose of this research was to describe the experiences of Christian African immigrants in America who have used faith-based treatment approaches while in recovery from alcoholism and to determine how their faith may have been a way of coping with their recovery. In this hermeneutic qualitative phenomenological study, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with eight participants. The data were analyzed to explore the experiences of Christian African acculturating to America who endorse a faith-based approach to their recovery, and …

Parenting From Juvenile Confinement: Adults’ Reflections On Their Juvenile Experience, Lakeasha R. Moore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractMass incarceration in the United States has resulted in an estimated 19.7 million youth living in fatherless homes. Incarcerated juvenile fathers are contributing to that number. Juvenile fathers who are incarcerated is a socially pertinent topic with significant implications, yet child developmental scholars understudy it. This phenomenological qualitative study was conducted to fill this gap by exploring the lived experiences of adults who, as juveniles, were incarcerated fathers and how they coped with social and emotional stressors while attempting to balance adolescence and defining fatherhood. Five adult males were interviewed and asked a series of four demographic and 18 semistructured …

First Responder And Veteran Yoga For Posttraumatic Stress, Coping, And Anxiety, Nicole M. Mckenna

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Constant exposures to trauma and violence often impact the wellbeing of veterans and first responders. Related heavy tolls have created an urgent need for wellness programs and coping strategies. This study utilized organismic valuing process theory as a lens to explore two research questions with a purpose to describe participants’ lived experiences and related perceptions of effectiveness. Specifically, the research was an exploration of (a) how first responders and veterans using yoga for posttraumatic stress, anxiety, and coping described their lived experiences with the intervention and (b) how first responders and veterans perceived the effectiveness of yoga for symptom improvement, …

The Quality Of Life Of Menopausal Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, Glendoria Stephens

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a severe public and clinical health issue that puts a strain on health care resources and adversely affects the health of women throughout their life span. The syndrome has adverse reproductive and metabolic features linked to infertility, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and psychological problems. The literature provides evidence that the quality of life (QoL) and psychological well-being of PCOS reproductive-age women is compromised due to comorbidities related to both the reproductive and metabolic features of the syndrome. Little research has been conducted to investigate the QoL of menopausal women ages 48–65 who were diagnosed with …

What Contributes To A Military Veteran Turned College Instructor's Job Satisfaction?, Elizabeth Button

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Veterans may seek a second job after retirement or separation from military service. Some choose to seek employment in the field of education and earn the appropriate credentials to do so. If so, they bring motivation, leadership skills, and emotional intelligence (EI) to the classroom. While EI might be a complement to education, it is essential in the military, and veterans continue to use these attributes as they pursue employment in areas of education. The extra steps that former military service personnel must take to transition from the battlefield to the classroom, their immersive experience in the real world, and …

Sociodemographic Predictors Of Veterans’ Health-Related Quality Of Life, Tamala Jones Choice

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is a theoretical concept that intertwines physical, mental, emotional, and social functioning, with a focus on the impact that health status has on quality of life. Although sociodemographic factors are associated with lower HRQoL, how these factors influence HRQoL in military veterans is less understood. The study’s purpose was to examine the relationships between sociodemographic characteristics (gender, military pay grade, military branch, and geographic location) and perceived HRQoL measured by the SF-8 survey among veterans living in a metropolitan community in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. A cross-sectional recruitment study design yielded 90 …

Perceptions Of Active Social Media Adults’ Mental Health After Participating Online With Uncivil Political Discourse With Out-Group Members, Bridgette Eastman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Online incivility that occurs in the comment sections of social media sites has become increasingly prevalent. Much of this incivility occurs in the context of political debate. Previous research has indicated that heated political debates online can lead to increased levels of emotional distress and that individuals have the capacity to become addicted to a variety of activities that take place on the internet. Using the theoretical lens of the social identity model of individuation effects, this study explored the impact of online political incivility on the mental health of individuals who engage in this type of behavior. This study …

Effect Of Family Engagement On The Behavioral Health Of Mentally Ill Offenders, Jessica Rae Horn

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, 40% of incarcerated individuals have been diagnosed with a mental health disorder, but they often lack the support system needed to navigate their incarceration. This study addressed ways to understand how family engagement opportunities can improve the behavioral health of mentally ill offenders. Specifically, five research questions were used to explore the degree to which the practice of family engagement was understood as a method for providing support to mentally ill incarcerated individuals. The study followed the Baldrige Framework of Excellence to identify current organizational leadership and management issues that can help reach its goals, improve …

The Relationship Between Perceived Occupational Stress, Gender, Education, And Job Skill Level, Rumena Hm Kabir

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractOccupational stress is a common problem among workers, and it may have implications for productivity, job satisfaction, and employee wellness. The purpose of this study was to explore different skill levels related to perceived occupational stress and whether gender and education influence it. Publicly available secondary data for this study came from the Public Library of Science at-risk and intervention thresholds of occupational stress using a Perceived Stress Scale 14 survey from June 2017. The 500 participants in the secondary data were a random sample of workers from five occupational health centers recruited during annual work medical examinations. Findings indicated …

How Supervisors Describe The Development Of Competence In Trainee School Counselors, Suen Yan Leung

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractSchool counselors serve an important role in providing frontline counseling services to students in local school districts. Professional associations and educational institutions emphasize the importance of professional competence. However, research on professional competence is fragmented, outdated, and unintegrated. This qualitative study explored the development of competence in trainee school counselors during supervision, from the supervisors’ perspectives. Using the conceptual frameworks of self-efficacy and professional identity development, 16 experienced supervisors were interviewed and asked to describe the development of competence in trainee school counselors and how they instructed the development of competence. Thorne’s interpretive description method was combined with a reality-testing …

Effect Of Managerial Conduct On Retention And Job Satisfaction In Criminal Justice Public-Sector Organizations, Alexis Makayla Mceady

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Managers who lack support and training can exhibit conduct that leads to low rates of employee retention and job satisfaction. It is common in the United States for employees working government public service jobs to earn low wages. Managerial conduct impacts day-to-day operations for these low-wage positions. The purpose of this quantitative, nonprobability, correlational study was to examine whether there was a statistically significant relationship between managerial conduct, employee retention, and job satisfaction. Grounded in Herzberg’s two-factor theory, it was hypothesized that employees with bad managers were less likely to be retained and more likely to have low job satisfaction. …

Faculty-Student And Student-Student Connections Amidst The Covid-19 Pandemic, Fatma Ouled Salem

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The COVID-19 pandemic expedited the shift toward distance education by forcing institutions to adapt to the limitations of social distancing mandates. This resulted in a general sense of disconnection and isolation, compounding the other adverse effects of the pandemic. Since faculty-student and student-student connections are consistently identified as best practices in distance counselor education, the aim of this descriptive phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of counselor educators during the COVID-19 pandemic relating to faculty-student and student-student connections. A phenomenological framework was used to suspend presuppositions of the phenomenon and to describe the lived experiences of participants. In-depth …

Trade Liberalization And Income Inequality Among Automotive Manufacturing Workers In The Automotive Industry, Lacee Harris

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Little is known about the impact trade openness has on income inequality in developed nations. Researchers have demonstrated that income inequality and globalization largely benefit underdeveloped nations. However, there is little research that exists on developed countries such as the United States. The purpose of this quantitative study was to compare similarities between trade liberalization and income inequality among manufacturing workers in the automotive industry, specifically in the United States. This study was framed using the Heckscher–Ohlin theory. The study attempted to determine how trade liberalization has affected income inequality among the automotive industry in places such as Detroit, specifically …

Microaggressions Against Ethnic Individuals From Minorities In Counseling, Joan Morton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractEven though the current literature addresses racial microaggressions among ethnic minority people and implications for counseling, no qualitative research that included the voices of ethnic minority individuals was found. Researchers have not fully addressed the prevalence of racial microaggressions in counseling sessions. The purpose of this qualitative narrative study was to explore the lived encounters of ethnic minorities concerning racial microaggressions in counseling. The study issue was analyzed through the lens of critical race theory. Four participants were recruited from the Walden University participation pool. Data were selected through semi-structure interviews and narrative analysis was used to analyze data to …

Relationship Between Length Of Nicu Stay And Mothers’ Trauma And Self-Efficacy For Childcare Post-Nicu Discharge, Suzanne Switzer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Recent research has shown that having an infant admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) can be a traumatic experience for parents. However, less is known about whether this trauma is related to later parenting self-efficacy for childcare after NICU discharge and whether that relationship is affected by the length of NICU stay. This quantitative study, guided by Bandura’s self-efficacy theory and Ehlers and Clark’s cognitive model of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), examined the relationship between mothers’ trauma of having had a child in the NICU and maternal parenting self-efficacy related to childcare post-NICU discharge, with length of NICU …

Exposure Of Ems Personnel To Violence In Urban Cities Of The Midwest, Alyssa Wheeler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Emergency medical service (EMS) personnel experience both physical and verbal assaults towards them by patients, family members, and/or bystanders at the incident scenes. The mostly quantitative literature is limited in recognizing how this violence may affect the way that EMS personnel complete their jobs. Through in-depth, semistructured interviews with nine EMS personnel from the Midwest, this phenomenological study was used to understand EMS personnel’s lived experiences and perceptions of violence towards them by patients or bystanders at the response scene. How this violence towards EMS personnel affected the way they approach incident scenes and interact with patients and/or bystanders at …

The Effects Of Secondary Traumatic Stress And Resilience On The Indicators Of Compassion Fatigue Among Occupational Therapists, Gayla Ann Aguilar

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractCompassion fatigue (CF) has been described as the “cost of caring” for traumatized individuals, which may lead to missed workdays, diminished work satisfaction, increased turnover, and decreased client care. CF has long been studied in other caring professionals, but occupational therapy practitioners (OTPs) have been largely overlooked. The purpose of this quantitative correlation study was to determine the relationship between secondary traumatic stress (STS) and resilience (RES) on burnout (BO) and compassion satisfaction (CS; i.e., indicators of CF) in OTPs. In this study, the moderation effect that RES has on STS and BO as related to CF in 68 completed …

The Essence Of Therapeutic Relationships In Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy, Joy Clark Akin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractTraditional psychotherapeutic approaches are not always effective in alleviating psychological symptoms and improving functioning in young adults. Equine-assisted psychotherapy (EAP) has been shown as a beneficial alternative therapeutic method developed for clients not helped by traditional methods. However, the essence of the therapeutic relationship that develops between the client, horse, therapist, and equine specialist has not been explored. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experience of the therapeutic relationship in young adults who participated in EAP. The frameworks of person-centered theory and self psychology guided the development of interview questions, data analysis, and interpretation. Four …

Mediators Between Job Stress And Health Quality Of Life Among Adults With Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Aida M. Benitez-Rexach

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional gastrointestinal affliction that affects millions around the globe, impacting health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The biopsychosocial model, Folkman and Lazarus’ transactional model of stress, Leventhal’s common sense model of self-regulation health and illness, and Bronfenbrenner’s human ecology theory are relevant to conceptualize interactions among environmental factors, biopsychosocial responses, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This quantitative, cross-sectional, complex correlational study sought to provide more understanding of how and whether IBS symptoms of pain, cognitive functioning, and interpersonal functioning serve as mediators between work stress and HRQoL. A total of 133 English-speaking volunteers from …

Personal Hardiness As An Unexamined Component Of The Healthy Volunteer Effect, Angelique E. Blann

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Clinical trials are the standard for approving medicines for public use. To conduct trials, researchers depend on a declining number of volunteers. The healthy volunteer effect, a phenomenon in which participants demonstrate better outcomes than their peers, limits the generalizability of trial outcomes. The healthy volunteer effect does not fully explain the outcome difference between volunteers and nonvolunteers. The purpose of this cross-sectional quantitative study was to examine personal hardiness as an unexplored component of the healthy volunteer effect and determine whether personal hardiness is associated with willingness to participate. Hardiness was a personality construct that represented resilience to stress. …

False Advertising And Young Girls’ Self Esteem, Caitlin Bohannon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

It is becoming impossible to recognize the level of photoshop on advertisements. However, little is known how continuous exposure to such images can negatively impact the short- and long-term psyche of young girls aged 6 to 14 years old. The study’s theoretical framework was Benet’s polarities of democracy, emphasizing freedom and authority and human rights and communal obligations. The research question focused on the negative impacts false advertising has on young girls and what public policies could assist in mitigating these short- and long-term impacts. A general qualitative design, with semistructured interviews of seven adult participants with relevant insight on …

The Impact Of Staffing Level On Patient Care In Behavioral Health Care Settings, Sheuness Cuthbertson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In many behavioral health care organizations, adequate staffing represents a key challenge that can compromise the workforce and cause detrimental outcomes for patients. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand how inadequate staffing shapes the environment of one behavioral health care organization. A case study design was used, with the Baldrige Excellence Framework serving as the conceptual guide to understand how the organization's leadership performed and addressed important organizational challenges. The participant, a leader in the organization who oversaw program services, operations, policies, and procedures, answered interview questions about inadequate staffing and its impact on patient care and …

Identifying And Examining Key Themes Emanating From The U.S. Legislative Tobacco Policy Subsystem, Arnon Dayak

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Americans’ continuously increasing tobacco use in the form of smoking presents an ongoing and rising negative health impact on this leading cause of preventable death. Despite existing U.S. federal level tobacco regulation through the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (FSPTCA), U.S. tobacco use remains ubiquitous demonstrating existent ineffectiveness of tobacco control legislation. Unknown underlying attributing factors present critical information gaps which, when exposed, could improve tobacco regulation. Using a case study approach, the question, “What key themes are aligned with legislative subsystem actors when voting on the FSPTCA” was examined. Multi-source data streams using existing secondary datasets including …

Non-Nightmare Recurring Dreams And Trauma, Asmai Fathelbab

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study examined the relationship between trauma and non-nightmare recurrent dreams (NNRD). Although there is extensive literature on the psychological consequences, diagnosis, and treatment of trauma, studies on the role of sleep processes have focused almost exclusively on nightmares. The potential relationship between NNRD and traumatic experiences has been overlooked by researchers. The purpose of this study was to assess if history of trauma and NNRD were correlated. More specifically, using Revonsuo’s threat simulation theory as a framework, the study evaluated if gender, quality of sleep, depression, anxiety, stress, and history trauma predicted NNRD. A cross-sectional correlational survey design was …

The Effect Of Public Budgeting Decisions And Tuition Costs On Student Graduation Outcomes In Michigan, Travis Charles Hadden

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractTuition costs for U.S. public universities have steadily risen in response to decreased state funding in the aftermath of the 2008 Great Recession. Researchers have studied the relationship between public budgeting and higher education but have not established the direct effects of budgeting decisions on student graduation outcomes. The purpose of this quantitative study was to understand why state funding has not kept up with tuition prices and how that affects student graduation rates. The effect of (a) tuition costs and (b) Michigan state funding for public universities on student outcomes was examined. Punctuated equilibrium theory and policy feedback theory, …

The Correlation Of Adverse Childhood Experiences And Pornography Consumption In Adulthood, Branden Henry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Over the past 25 years, significant research has gone into understanding how adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) correlate with a variety of negative health and behavioral outcomes, while at the same time, pornography consumption has increased dramatically. However, limited research has been done to understand whether a relationship exists between ACEs and pornography consumption. Attachment theory, which was used as the theoretical framework for this study, includes the idea that childhood experiences play a major role in a person’s development of various behaviors throughout life, including coping mechanisms like pornography consumption. The purpose of this quantitative, cross-sectional, correlational study was to …

Understanding The Impact Of Special Education Programs On African American Males, Jacques Houssou

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractAfrican American males placed in special education programs their entire time in high school often experience stigmatizing feelings of lack of self-worth and self-esteem as adults. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore and better understand the influence special education programs may have on African American males’ self-esteem and self-worth. Becker’s and Lemert’s labeling theory and Baumgartner and Jones’s and Gould and Eldredge’s punctuated equilibrium theory guided this study. The focus of the research questions was the influence of special education programs on African American males’ learning experiences and the changes needed. Purposive and snowball sampling techniques …

African Public Leadership On Technology Readiness And Diffusing The Circular Economy In Sub-Saharan Africa, Evans Jakpa-Johns

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sub-Saharan Africa is not yet ready to embrace the digital and the fourth industrial revolution, and there remains a literature gap about technology readiness and effective technology diffusion to support a circular economy transition in West and East African countries. The purpose of this qualitative, multiple case study was to describe African public leadership experts' views on how sub-Saharan African leaders can enable technology readiness and the technology diffusion needed for a successful transition to a circular economy. A multiple case study design was used to collect data from a purposeful sample of 14 African public leadership experts. Semistructured interviews, …