Psychiatric and Mental Health Commons^™

Psychological Distress And Its Associated Factors Among Informal Care Givers Of Disabled Young Adults With Traumatic Brain Injuries, Samera Punjwani, Yasmin Parpio, Rubina Barolia, Muhammad Shahzad Shamim, Nargis Asad

Department of Surgery

Objective: To measure the psychological distress among the informal caregivers of disabled young adults with traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and to identify its associated factors.
Methods: An analytical cross sectional study was conducted with 76 informal caregivers of young adults (19 - 50 years) with TBI, using admission records of one of the tertiary care hospitals in Karachi, Pakistan from 2015 to 2016. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire comprising a general demographic questionnaire and the General Health Questionnaire- 28. The effect of the predictors on the psychological distress was determined by applying multiple linear regression analysis.
Results: The …

Books: The Original And Final Refuge For Mental Wellness, Kyle Christopher Miller

Journal of Wellness

An appreciation for literature and how reading fights to stay relevant in the fast moving era of technology.

Anxiety-Related Issues In Cancer Survivorship, Maresi A. Berry-Stoelzle, Anna C. Mark, Peter Kim, Jeanette M. Daly

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine patient opinions about anxiety in cancer survivorship, particularly the role of the primary care provider in management of anxiety related to the trajectory of long-term cancer survivorship.

Methods: Respondents to a mass email (N = 22,000) were invited to participate in 1 of 3 institutional review board-approved focus group meetings. Inclusion criteria were being an adult patient older than 25 years of age, having any type of cancer diagnosis, and being at least 18 months from treatment. The following specific issues were discussed: role of the primary care provider …

The Role Of Financial Strain In College Students’ Work Hours, Sleep, And Mental Health, Jack Peltz, Jamie Bodenlos, Julie Kingery, Ronald Rogge

Articles & Book Chapters

Objective: To examine poor sleep quality as a potential mediator between college students’ employment hours and depressive symptoms, and to examine if this mediation model might differ across students reporting different levels of financial strain.

Participants: The sample was collected through a multi-site study during the Spring of 2019 and included 792 undergraduates (M = 20.1, SD = 1.9) in Upstate New York.

Methods: Moderated mediation analyses based on cross-sectional self-report, online questionnaires.

Results: Increased work hours predicted greater sleep disturbance, which, in turn, predicted more depressive symptoms. Compared to students in more comfortable financial situations, this mediation model only …

Analytic Hierarchy Process: An Innovative Technique For Culturally Tailoring Evidence-Based Interventions To Reduce Health Disparities, Jaime A. Corvin, Isabella Chan, Claudia X. Aguado, Ian Dollman, Junius Gonzales

Publications from Provost Junius J. Gonzales

Latinos in the United States represent a disproportionate burden of illness and disease and face barriers to accessing health care and related resources. Culturally tailored, evidence-based interventions hold promise in addressing many of these challenges. Yet, ensuring patient voice is vital in the successful development and implementation of such interventions. Thus, this paper examines the application of analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to inform the augmentation and implementation of an evidence-based chronic disease self-management programme for underserved Latinos living with both minor depression and chronic illness. The process of AHP allows for direct input from the individuals that would utilize such …

Epidemiology Of Marijuana Use And Mental Health In The Context Of Changing Policies, David G. Harvey Ii

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a growing body of evidence supporting the association between cannabis use and the development of mental health disorders, but few studies have addressed this association following the recent increase in marijuana legalization laws. Therefore, using the social ecological model and the self-medication theory of addiction as theoretical frameworks, the purpose of this retrospective database study was to assess the relationship between marijuana use and major depression and suicidal ideation in both adults and adolescents in 2008 and 2017. Data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health were analyzed using logistic regression at the p < .05 threshold for statistical significance. Results demonstrated positive, statistically significant relationships between marijuana use and both major depression and suicidal ideation for both adults and adolescents in both 2008 and 2017. Further, the strengths of these relationships generally increased between 2008 and 2017, coincident with the increase in marijuana legalization laws. These findings provide empirical support to the association between cannabis use and the development of mental health disorders, and that the strength of these associations is increasing following the increase in marijuana legalization laws. This study has important implication for positive social change by identifying significant relationships between cannabis use and the development of mental health disorders and revealing that these relationships are strengthening over time, coincident with the increase in marijuana legalization laws.

Identifying And Addressing Barriers To Treatment For Child Sexual Abuse Survivors And Their Non-Offending Caregivers, Kate Theimer, Akemi E. Mii, Emily Sonnen, Kelsey Mccoy, Katie Meidlinger, Brittany Biles, T. Zachary Huit, Mary F. Flood, David J. Hansen

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Mental health treatment is a critical part of an effective and compassionate response to the disclosure of child sexual abuse (CSA). Given the vast negative consequences for children and families following CSA, engagement in treatment can benefit youth and their non-offending caregivers. Yet, these families face unique barriers to treatment initiation, adherence, and effectiveness. The identification of these barriers allows clinicians, researchers, and policy makers to increase treatment utilization, engagement, and value. The current review and its recommendations derive from the existing literature combined with knowledge gained from a clinical research team with more than 20 years of experience offering …

Mechanisms Of Value-Biased Prioritization In Fast Sensorimotor Decision Making, Kivilcim Afacan-Seref

Dissertations and Theses

In dynamic environments, split-second sensorimotor decisions must be prioritized according to potential payoffs to maximize overall rewards. The impact of relative value on deliberative perceptual judgments has been examined extensively, but relatively little is known about value-biasing mechanisms in the common situation where physical evidence is strong but the time to act is severely limited. This research examines the behavioral and electrophysiological indices of how value biases split-second perceptual decisions and the possible mechanisms underlying the process. In prominent decision models, a noisy but statistically stationary representation of sensory evidence is integrated over time to an action-triggering bound, and value-biases …

Translator Of Soliloquies: Fugues In The Key Of Dissociation, Seo-Young J. Chu

Publications and Research

Chu, Seo-Young. “Translator of Soliloquies: Fugues in the Key of Dissociation” (chapbook). Black Warrior Review 46.2, Spring 2020.

Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy: Treating Depression And Anxiety With Mushrooms, Sofia Beck

Physician Assistant Studies | Student Articles

Depression and anxiety are debilitating mental health conditions that affect a large portion of the United States. Current pharmacological treatments for these disorders require daily administration, are associated with a number of side effects, and can be ineffective for some. Emerging evidence in novel treatment options may necessitate a shift toward how we treat these psychiatric disorders.

Studies involving the psychedelic serotonin agonist, psilocybin, are currently experiencing a resurgence as an alternative for patients who are unresponsive to traditional treatments. Clinical trials using psilocybin in combination with psychotherapy have demonstrated sustained reductions in depression and/or anxiety symptoms. When used in …

Mental Health Service Utilization Among Urban Adolescents: The Roles Of Perceived Mental Health Problems, Attitudes Towards Professional Help, And Stigma, Yi Tak Tsang

Wayne State University Dissertations

Mental health among adolescents is widely acknowledged as a significant concern in the United States. Based on a national survey, Merikangas et al. (2010) found that among 13-17 year olds, 42% to 48% reported experiencing mental health concerns. It is estimated that only half of adolescents with mental health problems utilize mental health services (Costello et al., 2014). An initial study found that caregivers of disadvantaged youth appeared to function as the “gatekeepers” to mental health services (Tsang et al., 2020). Also, the results suggested that positive attitude towards professional psychological help, but not stigma, predicted service enrollment. The current …

Development And Validation Of The Perinatal Mental Health Literacy Scale Among Latinas, Irma Y. Torres-Catanach

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Psychiatric disorders in pregnancy and in the first year after childbirth are considered a significant health complication of the perinatal period (O'Hara & Wisner, 2014). The prevalence of perinatal mood disorders has been shown to be higher among women from racial/ethnic minority groups (Gavin et al., 2011; Melville et al., 2010). As the largest racial/ethnic minority group in the U.S., Latinas are disproportionately affected by these disparities. Despite the volume of research examining the prevalence of and treatment for perinatal psychiatric disorders, there is a dearth of knowledge focused on educational approaches that aim to reduce perinatal mental health disparities. …

Family Interaction Patterns And A Successful College Transition, Megan Elizabeth Six

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This study explored the connections between family interaction patterns in a student’s family of origin and how those interactions related to their adjustment to college as defined by grade point average and mental health. The college transition stands out as a point where the individual gains more autonomy. Successfully completing college positively impacts the life chances of the student and thus, it is important to understand how the family of origin can positively or negatively impact the student. This research examined family cohesion and flexibility as outlined by Olson’s Circumplex model, and the effect that family interaction patterns have on …

Attachment Dynamics As A Precursor For Sexual Risk-Taking Behaviors In Emerging Adulthood (18-25 Years Old), Eimileanne Delaney

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This study explored the relationship between attachment and sexual risk-taking behaviors in emerging adulthood. Understanding and identifying the variables that influence sexual risk behaviors are important to the design and implementation of therapeutic interventions and psychoeducation. It was hypothesized that there is a statistically significant relationship between attachment and increased levels of sexual risk-taking behaviors in emerging adults. To investigate the research hypothesis, this study used a quantitative correlational design to examine the relationship(s) between the variables. The participants completed three online questionnaires: a demographic questionnaire, the Sexual Risk Survey (SRS), and the Relationship Questionnaire (RQ). Results suggested that there …

Proposing The Mindful Check-In: A Brief Mindfulness Exercise, Michael Viveiros

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

This study investigated the effectiveness and adherence rate of the mindful check-in compared to a traditional mindfulness exercise. This study compared the effects of a traditional mindful breathing exercise and a no-treatment control condition to the mindful check-in on measures of mindfulness, psychological flexibility, affect, compassion, and adherence to the proposed practice schedule. Statistical analyses showed that the mindful check-in reduced negative affect compared to the other two conditions, increased mindful ability on one of the two measures of mindfulness, had a marginally-significant increase in psychological flexibility, and reduced fear of receiving compassion from others and giving compassion to yourself. …

Relationship Between Parent Asthma Knowledge, Parental Control Of Child's Asthma, And Parent Qol, Glori Sommerer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The long-term responsibility of caring for a child with asthma can result in parents

experiencing a lower quality of life (QoL), especially if the child's asthma is not well

controlled. Asthma knowledge can enhance asthma control practices among parents.

However, research has not explored these variables together to determine whether

parental control of child's asthma mediates the relationship between parent asthma

knowledge and parent QoL. This quantitative research study explored whether parental

control of child's asthma mediated the relationship between parent asthma knowledge

and parent QoL. The theoretical foundation was asthma self-regulation theory, focused

on the importance of asthma knowledge …

Signaling Mechanism Responsible For 5-Ht2a Receptor Tolerance To Psychedelic Induced Head-Twitch Behavior In Mice, Audrey R. Mcmurtrie

Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in psychedelic compounds stemming from their promising use as therapeutic agents and research tools that can be used to treat and study several neuropsychiatric disorders. Psychedelics have proven useful in a broad range of these diseases - they serve as models for psychosis in schizophrenia but have also had promising results in treating major depressive disorder, anxiety, and other common disorders. Decreased stigmatization surrounding psychedelics has further increased their use in research and clinical settings. In light of these trends and the promising nature of their use, a thorough understanding of …

Shadows Of Yesterday, Marlene Liotti

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The year is 2020, but here we are still living in a male dominated society. We remain constantly reminded and surrounded by the mentality that certain activities and career choices are better suited for men over women. We even endure these depictions in literature, on the big screen, and on television. Action films, war movies and novels, and crime dramas show the protagonists and supporting characters as males. There are rare occasions where you may find a female actress or literary character protagonist, and when this happens, she is not depicted with the same strength, knowledge, respect, or importance. She …

Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders: Linking Motor And Process Skills, Sensory Patterns, And Psychiatric Symptoms, Lola Halperin, Janet Falk-Kessler

Occupational Therapy Faculty Publications

Background: Consistent evidence suggests sensory abnormalities and skill deficits in people with Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorder (SSD). Further exploration of their sensory patterns and performance skills is warranted to promote community participation among these individuals.

Method: This study examined sensory patterns and motor and process skills in relationship to psychiatric symptoms in adult patients with SSD. Participants were evaluated using the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile, the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills, and the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale.

Results: Of the 18 participants, the majority showed sensory differences, deficits in motor and process skills, and the presence of moderate to severe symptoms. …

Gay Identity In Emerging Adulthood: Testing The Interaction Between Relational Satisfaction, Outness, And Gay Identity, Jeremy R. Goshorn

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

This work explored the ways in which the theoretical constructs of gay identity development, relational satisfaction, and outness interact in gay-male emerging adults. Informed by the literature on these constructs, the researcher developed a structural model to evaluate the interactive and mediating roles within the model. Three instruments were selected to assist in measuring these theoretical constructs. The Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Identity Scale (LGBIS) measured gay identity development, the Gay and Lesbian Relationship Satisfaction Scale (GLRSS) measured relational satisfaction, and the Nebraska Outness Scale (NOS) measured outness. A sample of 206 cisgender gay men in Emerging Adulthood (ages 19-29) …