Digital Commons Network^™

Essential Employer Benefits For Low-Wage Workers, Mathieu Despard, Stephen Roll

Center for Social Development Research

Employer benefits are important for supporting employees’ financial well-being, but are they accessible to low-wage workers? This brief presents findings from a survey conducted for the Workforce Economic Inclusion and Mobility (WEIM) project with low-wage workers in the United States. The findings reveal information on respondents’ access to employer benefits, including health insurance, paid sick leave, a retirement plan, and financial-wellness benefits.

When Getting Ahead Means Falling Behind: Work And Savings Disincentives In Public Benefits, Stephen Roll, Mathieu Despard

Center for Social Development Research

Public benefits help millions of workers meet basic needs such as food, health care, housing, and childcare. But for many low-wage workers, these programs can also create a difficult trade-off: Earning more or saving more can sometimes mean losing the benefits they need to keep their family afloat. This brief summarizes key findings from a survey conducted for the Workforce Economic Inclusion and Mobility (WEIM) project with a nationally representative sample of low-wage U.S. workers. The findings suggest elements of a public benefits system that could protect families from economic risk while supporting work, savings, and long-term mobility.

Examining Diversity And Cultural Competency Within A Historically Black College And University (Hbcu) Public Health Curriculum, Alyce L. Hays, Yalanda M. Barner, Latarsha Michael

The Journal of the Research Association of Minority Professors

Integrating diversity and cultural competency content into public health curricula is vital in preparing future health professionals to optimize health outcomes of all individuals; however, very few studies have examined whether diversity and cultural competencies are taught in public health curricula. Studies have consistently incorporated diversity, equity, and inclusion in education for healthcare professionals such as nursing, community health workers, health educators, etc. The purpose of this study was to assess the presence of course content diversity, equity, inclusion, cultural competency, or other related topics. A formative assessment approach utilizing a four-step evaluation process was used to review the inclusion …

Advancing Culturally Relevant Mindfulness In Public Health, Marcus Johnson, Candy Ratliff

The Journal of the Research Association of Minority Professors

Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have gained significant traction in public health, education, and clinical settings due to their demonstrated benefits for stress reduction and psychological well-being. However, these interventions often originate from Eurocentric frameworks that insufficiently reflect the cultural, historical, and structural contexts of diverse and historically marginalized communities. This commentary proposes a Culturally Relevant Mindfulness (CRM) framework that centers the lived experiences, healing traditions, and epistemologies of underrepresented populations. Drawing on interdisciplinary literature and critiques of conventional mindfulness models, the article articulates four guiding principles of CRM: cultural identity affirmation, historical consciousness, ancestral integration, and community-centered practice. Rather than merely …

To What Extent Do Different Types And Dosages Of Cannabinoids Have In Treating Anxiety Disorder, Lourdes Cristina Garcia Carrillo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This mixed-methods study investigated the efficacy of various cannabinoid types and dosages in treating anxiety disorders among young adults (19–23), examining cannabis's role in regulating a deregulated endocannabinoid system. Fourteen participants tracked real-time anxiety symptoms, strain type, dosage, and affective states using the Releaf App. Quantitative analyses included repeated-measures ANOVA and Pearson correlation, complemented by quantitative content analysis of affect descriptors. Key findings revealed a statistically significant reduction in self-reported anxiety symptoms following cannabis use (p < .001, partial 2 = .97), supporting the hypothesis that cannabis can regulate a deregulated endocannabinoid system. No significant differences in anxiolytic effects were observed among Indica, Hybrid Indica/Sativa, and Hybrid Sativa/Indica strains. The optimal dosage for perceived anxiety relief appeared to be higher than initially hypothesized, with a moderate-to-strong association between dosage and anxiety relief (r = .662, p = .0099). Participants overwhelmingly reported positive affective states, such as "calm," "peaceful," and "relaxed," post-cannabis use, with no negative descriptors observed in the analyzed data. These results suggest that cannabis can serve as a short-term coping strategy for anxiety in young adults, leading to perceived emotional regulation.

Evaluation Of A Sleep Health Composite: Changes In Sleep Over The Menarcheal Transition Among Girls, Julianna Adornetti

Master's Theses

Sleep undergoes a shift during puberty, increasing the risk for psychological and insomnia symptoms, particularly among girls. However, little research has examined how the onset of menarche may contribute to vulnerability in sleep and psychological functioning. The Sleep Health framework provides a standardized, multidimensional way to conceptualize sleep health (RU-SATED: satisfaction, alertness, timing, efficiency, duration, and regularity). Although prior studies have provided proof-of-concept for assessing sleep health using a composite score (SHc), its measurement properties have yet to be explored. The primary aims of this longitudinal study were to (1) evaluate the factor structure of a sleep health composite, (2) …

Satisfaction With Caseworker Services And Child Outcomes For Youth In The Foster Care System, Taira Masuda

Master's Theses

Currently, there are approximately 400,000 children involved in the U.S. foster care system (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2023). Youth involved in foster care experience challenges such as trauma, disruptions to their support system, academic disruptions, and additional public system involvement (Emerson & Lovitt, 2003; Fawley-King et al., 2017; Masuda & Helm, 2024; Modrowski et al., 2023). Considering this context, it is essential to increase efforts to reduce added distress and bolster supportive contexts for youth. Caseworkers are essential service providers for youth in foster care. Caseworkers provide support to youth and families through assessing needs, connecting families …

Surviving And Thriving: The Indigenous Migrant, Danna Guzman-Rodriguez

Honors Theses

This literature and cultural study highlights the generation of children of indigenous immigrants and the relationship with their indigenous identity and culture. This unique experience is complex and encapsulates issues such as indigenous cultural survival, homogeneity, globalization, and lack of cultural identity. Exploring the Totonac community in La Chaca, Veracruz in Mexico, allows for a deeper explanation of this experience. Speakers of Totonac and other indigenous languages often migrate to countries such as the United States and carry such cultural ties with them. What happens to these ties after moving to a Western-dominated country where globalization favors English and Western …

A Qualitative Study Of Gratitude Practice Among Won Buddhist Older Adults And Implications For Gerontological Social Work, Sungsim Lee

Dissertations

Although gratitude has been widely studied in social science, existing scholarship has largely relied on Western worldviews and quantitative research frameworks, limiting understanding of lived gratitude experiences within diverse spiritual and cultural contexts, including Eastern spiritual traditions. In Won Buddhism, originating in South Korea, gratitude holds a central place in spiritual life and is understood as an essential practice. This qualitative study explores the views of Won Buddhist older adult practitioners regarding their experiences, benefits, and challenges of engaging in spiritually grounded gratitude practice. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 23 practitioners aged 65 and older from English-speaking Won Buddhist communities. …

Making Sense Of The Barrio: Place-Based Appraisal And Coping Among Latine Residents In Chicago, Juanita Vivas Bastidas

Dissertations

Residents of Chicago’s Latine barrios often describe their neighborhoods as places of familiarity and safety—sites defined by both personal independence and collective solidarity, where daily life is marked by a sense of belonging and mutual support. Yet, residents also contend daily with overlapping social and environmental stressors. While urban, medical, and environmental sociologists have each shown that place matters, their findings remain siloed and rarely integrated to illuminate the everyday realities of Latine neighborhoods. As a result, we lack a systematic analysis of how people living in Chicago’s Latine barrios make sense of and cope with multiple, simultaneous stressors. I …

“Being An Arab Is Like Fighting For Your Joy”: Exploring Bicultural Identity, Racialization, And Psychological Well-Being Among Us-Born Arab Americans, Hisham Nsier

Master's Theses

Bicultural identity development in Arab Americans, who must manage sometimes conflicting cultural expectations, is understudied. Even less is known about Arab Americans born in the United States (US-born AA), who are American by birth yet are alienated from society due to differences between their ‘white’ racialization and their cultural identities. The current study aimed to examine the relationship between bicultural identity, racialization, and psychological well-being at the intersection of US-born AA’s co-existing identities. Eight adult US-born AAs (Mage = 28 years, SD = 4) were recruited from professional Listservs and WhatsApp affinity groups. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted and analyzed …

Articulating The Future: How The Techno-Optimist Manifesto Constructs Ai Hegemony, Christian Noel Yeomans

Master's Theses

This paper analyzes two recently published digital manifestos—the Techno-Optimist Manifesto (TOM) by Marc Andreessen and the Bitcoin Whitepaper (BW) by Satoshi Nakamoto—and how they articulate political visions for the respective rising technologies of artificial intelligence (AI) and cryptocurrency. I apply Laclau and Mouffe’s discursive articulation theory to both manifestos, analyzing how they contribute to the formation of hegemonic ideological visions among the elites of these two technological sectors. In the context of AI elites, TOM transforms an existing Silicon Valley ideology, techno-optimism, into a radical new form of accelerationism, which I coin t/opt. This shift is examined within the context …

Counting Your Chickens Before They Hatch: Understanding Anticipatory Savoring And How And Why People Approach Or Avoid The Anticipation Of Future Positive Events, Asura Louise Osborne

Master's Theses

In this study, discretion between the styles used to anticipate positive events is the focus of a Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) conducted on the Index of Anticipatory Styles (IAS). The IAS is a 45-item survey used to measure types of savoring in response to future positive events. This work expands the savoring literature to examine approach- and avoidant-type anticipatory savoring. Approach-type anticipatory savoring discriminates between Enjoyment, Coping, Control, Recalled Anticipation, and Downplaying. Avoidant-type savoring parses between Avoidance of anticipation because events may not occur, Avoidance of anticipation because events may fail to live up to expectations, Jinxing, and Counterproductivity. CFA …

Growing Through Systemic Adversity: Evaluation Of Developmental Trauma Assessment Among Black And/Or Latiné Adolescents With Adhd, Victoria Grant O'Daniel

Master's Theses

Black and Latiné youth are disproportionately impacted by targeted harm and trauma exposure, which is further exacerbated by stigma, biases, and punitive actions towards youth with attention deficit/hyperactive disorder (ADHD). This presents an urgent public health concern, as frequent exposure to trauma across development can lead to difficulties with behavior regulation, interpersonal relationships, impulse control, emotion regulation, and attention and cognition. Developmental trauma disorder (DTD) was proposed to capture the adverse developmental outcomes experienced by youth exposed to chronic trauma; however, there is a dearth of research on how to assess DTD. Thus, the current study aimed to establish support …

Identity Conflict In Student-Athletes: Athletic And Academic Identity Salience As Predictors Of Stress, Alaina Abel

Master's Theses

The goal of the current research is to explore the dual identities of collegiate student-athletes. More specifically, it aims to examine how the salience of the two identities may impact identity conflict and stress levels. Balancing the demands of academics and athletics presents unique challenges to this population. Academically, time constraints, missed classes, pressure to maintain GPA, and mental fatigue present barriers to academic success, while athletically, rigorous training schedules, frequent travel, and the pressure to perform consistently present obstacles to excel in their sport. The constant tug and pull between balancing the responsibilities of two roles that significantly shape …

Pubertal Timing, Physical Activity, And Internalizing Symptoms In Adolescent Girls, Kirby Knapp

Master's Theses

Puberty brings marked changes in physical appearance, biological functioning, psychological well-being, and behavior, making it one of the most pivotal transitions in adolescence. Those who experience puberty earlier than their same-aged peers are at an elevated risk of psychological disorders and physical inactivity. Research shows that there are links between physical activity and psychological disorders, yet few have examined the directional relations between physical activity and internalizing symptoms or whether a certain amount of physical activity is necessary to prevent internalizing symptoms. Therefore, the current study examined (1) the directional relations between internalizing symptoms and physical activity, (2) the degree …

Law Enforcement Training Academies' Effect On Agency Community Policing, Christopher Rhoades

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine if a relationship exists between Community Policing (CP) training in Law Enforcement Training Academies (LETAs) and CP implementation in Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) in the United States. This exploratory quantitative study used a correlation design to analyze secondary data from 2018 Census of Law Enforcement Training Academies and the 2020 Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics survey obtained through the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research. The analysis included data from 615 LETAs and 2,704 LEAs. CP training was operationalized using total required hours of community partnership building and problem‑solving approaches. …

The Impact Of Workplace Wellness Programs On Workers’ Compensation Claims And Absenteeism: A Quantitative Study In Public Administration, Stephen Michael Douglas Coy

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Employee absenteeism is detrimental to organizational effectiveness and efficiency. Workers’ compensation claims are a potential liability to government organizations, as claims filed by employees for work-related injuries or illnesses may impact insurance premiums based on the number and severity of claims filed. Identifying and implementing solutions to mitigate the effects of absenteeism and workers’ compensation claims are critical to organizational sustainability. This quantitative study seeks to determine if workplace health and wellness programs decrease absenteeism and reduce workers’ compensation claims levels among public sector employees. Post-positivism and functionalism provide this study with a theoretical underpinning. The variables of interest were …

The Interplay Between Deficit Spending And Financial Instability: An Examination Of Fiscal And Monetary Policy Interactions, Heidie Jean George

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study investigates the impact of fiscal and monetary policy on financial stability and fragility, focusing on how government spending and deficits contribute to the economic and financial system. Drawing on Minsky’s Financial Instability Hypothesis (FIH) and Financial Fragility Hypothesis (FFH), the research examines the dynamic relationship between fiscal policy, financial stability, and economic stability. The study focuses on understanding how government spending and deficits affect the economic and financial system in context of private and public debt and policy interactions and the role of system risk factors. The study uses Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Vector Autoregression (VAR), Impulse Response …

The Missing Baby: Investigating The Effects On Psychological Distress, Marital Couple Quality, The Timing Of Bereavement Care And Grief Adaptation Among Fathers Following Perinatal Loss., Sharon L. Green

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Extensive research on maternal perinatal loss has been conducted for decades. In contrast, there is much less research on bereaved fathers following perinatal loss, specifically, studies that examine bereaved fathers’ psychological distress, time it takes for the health care provider to deliver bereavement care, and the impact it has on grief adjustment. The purpose of this study was to investigate bereaved fathers’ psychological distress, length of time to receive bereavement care, and marital couple quality and their impact on perinatal grief adaptation. The study design was quantitative, nonexperimental, descriptive, and correlational. Study participants were 200 bereaved fathers who were administered …

School Resource Officers, Mental Health Professionals, School Safety: A Qualitative Descriptive Case Study, Carol Burke

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative descriptive case study described the perceptions of school-based mental health (SBMH) professionals and school resource officers (SROs) regarding personal and campus safety in the presence of an SRO. Guided by routine activity theory (Cohen & Felson, 1979), which framed SROs as capable guardians within schools, and relational cultural theory (Miller, 1976), which emphasized connection and collaboration, the study examined how relational dynamics influenced safety perceptions and well-being. Participants from K–12 public schools in North Central Arkansas contributed data through semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and the Georgia School Personnel Survey of School Climate. Reflexive thematic analysis identified key themes …

The Effects Of Exercise-Related Interventions On The Treatment Of Mental Health, Physical Wellness, And Quality Of Life: A Quantitative Study, Leah Elizabeth Starr

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This research study includes the overview, literature review, methodology, findings, and discussion of a six-week study pending defense. The purpose of the study is to further support Pilates as an evidence-based treatment to enhance physical and mental wellness and improve quality of life. This includes specific variables of interest such as anxiety, depression, dissociative and posttraumatic stress symptoms, stress, and improvements in overall quality of life and physical health. The theoretical framework for the study is somatic psychology and polyvagal theory. The importance of this study is to validate the use of Pilates as an effective form of treatment for …

The Role Of Employee Recognition On Nurse Turnover And Departmental Engagement In Public Hospitals: Department Type As A Moderator, Dawn M. Jenkins

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Nurses are indispensable to the operation of public hospitals, often serving on the front lines of patient care in high-pressure environments characterized by limited resources and elevated patient acuity. These conditions contribute to burnout, disengagement, and turnover, threatening healthcare quality and workforce sustainability. This quantitative, correlational, and predictive study examined the relationship between recognition received through a digital recognition portal with nurse engagement and turnover in public hospital settings. Drawing on two years of archival organizational data, this research examined whether recognition frequency and recognition satisfaction predicted engagement and turnover, and whether department type moderated those relationships. Analyses included linear …

Barriers And Beliefs: Narratives Of Mental Health Help-Seeking Among First-Generation Latino/Hispanic College Students, Karina L. Alba Lockhart

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Mental health challenges among college students in the United States have increased in recent years, yet first-generation Latino/Hispanic college students continue to underutilize available services while facing unique cultural and structural barriers to care. This qualitative narrative study explored how first-generation Latino/Hispanic college students made meaning of mental health help-seeking in relation to perceived barriers, perceived benefits, and cultural values such as familismo and stigma. Guided by the health belief model and cross-cultural psychology, this study recruited 15 participants from four-year institutions in the United States and collected data through an online asynchronous questionnaire. Thematic and narrative analysis revealed that …

The Prevalence Of Moral Injury Among Veterans Diagnosed With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (Ptsd): Analyses By Combat Exposure, Gender, Age Group, And Military Service, Carl B. Forkner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, and the ensuing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, heralded in a new concept affecting our combat and support military personnel. This concept is known today as moral injury. Military personnel were already familiar with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), whether from personal experience or from reading and training on the subject, but no training addresses the prevalence or effects of moral injury. The term moral injury (MI) was first coined by psychiatrist Jonathan Shay and his colleagues based on feedback from military and veteran patients in 1998; however, it remains that …

The Lived Experience Of Inconsistent Legal Recognition: A Phenomenological Study Of Job Burnout And Moral Injury In Florida Correctional Officers, Jeffrey A. Snipes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative transcendental phenomenological study investigates the lived experiences of Florida correctional officers (FCOs) regarding inconsistent legal recognition and the divergence between functional mandates and legislative definitions. Utilizing Dr. Jonathan Shay’s moral injury framework, this research explores how statutory marginalization functions as a precursor to burnout. A transcendental phenomenological research design was employed; 21 officers were screened using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI-HSS) followed by semi-structured interviews with a nine-participant subsample.

Data analysis followed Creswell’s spiral procedures to identify themes describing the essence of these experiences. Findings suggest that inconsistent recognition as first responders catalyzes moral injury, exacerbating burnout and …

Correctional Leadership And Its Relationship To Psychological Well-Being And Job Satisfaction Among Former Department Of Corrections Staff, Brittaney Brown Kovacs

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Correctional institutions represent complex work environments in which leadership may influence employee psychological well-being and job satisfaction. Although prior research has primarily focused on correctional officers, less attention has been paid to the broader workforce within Departments of Corrections (DOCs), including educational, healthcare, and administrative personnel. This retrospective mixed-methods study examined the relationships between employee perceptions of transformational, transactional, and authoritarian leadership styles and employee outcomes among former staff of state-level DOCs in the United States. Participants included 75 former DOC employees from multiple states. Quantitative data were collected using standardized measures of leadership, job satisfaction, and psychological well-being. Multiple …

State Government, The Forgotten Cyber Actor, Joshua D. Strubel

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Cyber incidents are among the most pervasive threats facing the United States, with the FBI recording over 859,000 reported attacks and an estimated $16.6 billion in losses in 2024 alone. Despite widespread recognition that effective cyber defense requires a whole-nation approach, the existing research literature overwhelmingly focuses on federal policy, leaving state governments as largely overlooked actors. This study addresses that gap by examining the research question: How does state cybersecurity policy affect malicious cyber actors' frequency of operations? Drawing on multilinear regression analysis augmented by Random Forest machine learning models, this study evaluates the relationship between state-level cyber deterrence …

Caregiver Depression And Psychological Distress As Predictors Of Substantiated Maltreatment In Nscaw Ii (Wave 2 Cps Sample): A Quantitative Archival Study, Gloria Forotan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative archival analysis examined whether caregiver mental health is associated with child maltreatment outcomes through CPS involvement, using the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being II (NSCAW II), Wave 2. Child maltreatment remains a persistent public health concern with long-term effects on children's emotional, psychological, and physical development. Although caregiver mental health is consistently identified as a significant risk factor for maltreatment, few studies have utilized nationally representative child welfare data with standardized measures to test these associations.

Caregiver mental health variables were operationalized using NSCAW II indicators of major depression and depressive symptoms (DP2), psychological distress (K6 …

Exploring The Effectiveness Of Juvenile Justice Rehabilitation Programs In The State Of Virginia, Edishae L. Harris-Tyler

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Juvenile delinquency and criminal offending have become significant problems in society today. Many offenders in the criminal justice system were exposed to violence and criminal activity at a young age. Early harmful exposure has influenced many at-risk youths in the community to commit crimes at a young age and develop into adult offenders. Juveniles in the community considered at-risk may be disadvantaged due to negative peer pressure, poverty, lack of parental involvement, illiteracy, and lack of opportunities for positive change and development. At-risk youth severely need structure, prosocial support, positive mentorship, and direction to prevent criminal activity and reduce recidivism. …