Digital Commons Network^™

Questionnaire For Eudaimonic Well-Being: Psychometric Validation Among Malaysian Youth, Mohd Ahsani A. Malek, Nurulwahida Saad, Suzana Mohd. Hoesni, Muhamad Ariff Ibrahim, Nurul Shafira Adi, Mohd Nazir Mohd Nazori

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: The rising prevalence of mental illness underscores the need to understand how individuals can live and flourish under such conditions. In Malaysia, research has largely emphasized diagnosis and treatment, with limited focus on positive psychology and few validated instruments. This study aimed to translate and validate the questionnaire for eudaimonic well-being (QEWB) among Malaysian youth.

Methods: The QEWB was translated into Malay using back-to-back translation and administered to undergraduates from four public universities through a cross-sectional survey design. Convenience quota sampling was used, resulting in 229 respondents completing the online form to measure sociodemographic characteristics, eudaimonic well-being, …

How Social Media Provides Access For Human Traffickers To Victimize Children: A Literature Review With Combative Measures., Ashton Lamb

Honors Theses

This literature review focuses on how human sex traffickers utilize social media to groom children. Social media is utilized by a great number of people around the world, including many children. While social media is intended to be fun and interactive, it does provide new access for dangerous people to reach victims. There is a very real, growing issue online that is not widely known to the public. This hidden danger is known as human trafficking. Human trafficking is defined as the involvement of any force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some labor or commercial sex act (Department of Homeland …

Analyzing 24-Hour Diet Recalls To Assess Dietary Changes Among Children Who Complete Oral Food Challenges (Ofcs), Hannah Plank, Wan Shen, Heesoon Lee

Honors Projects

Pediatric food allergies are a growing public health concern in America due to their potential association with long-term nutritional impacts and reduced quality of life in those affected. Oral food challenges (OFCs) are considered the gold standard for clinical food allergy diagnosis, but few studies have examined if passing or failing an OFC affects overall diet quality in infants. This clinical observational study examined differences in diet quality, measured by the Healthy Eating Index (HEI), among 39 children aged 0–6 years who participated in OFCs at ProMedica Allergy and Immunology Clinic in Perrysburg, Ohio. Parents and caregivers reported daily dietary …

Turning Service Into Stability: Measuring Self-Sufficiency Outcomes At Presbyterian Children’S Homes & Services, Olivia Wolf, Alex Wolf

2026 Student Academic Showcase

Community organizations play a critical role in helping vulnerable children, youth, and families achieve stability and independence. This service learning project partnered with Presbyterian Children’s Homes and Services (PCHAS) to evaluate how well its programs support client progress toward self sufficiency. Using discharge data from the Arizona Self Sufficiency Matrix, students analyzed outcomes across multiple program types and four service sites. The evaluation found strong improvements in areas related to immediate stabilization, including personal safety, legal status, substance use recovery, and disability support. However, clients continued to face ongoing challenges in childcare access, housing stability, parenting skills, children’s education, and …

Psychometric Analysis Of The German Version Of The Barriers To Healthcare Checklist-Short Form, Judith Peth, Nicole David, Sophia Duckert, Petia Gewohn, Daniel Schottle, Pascal Rahlff, Alexander Konnopka, Hannah Konig, Kai Vogeley, Christina Nicolaidis, Dora M. Raymaker, Holger Schulz

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Autistic people face multiple barriers to health care. To recognize specific barriers in a standardized way, autistic people, health care providers, and researchers need a suitable measure. The Academic Autistic Spectrum Partnership in Research and Education successfully developed the Barriers to Healthcare Checklist— Short Form (BHC-SF). It remains unclear whether (1) a German version of the BHC-SF performs well in terms of psychometric properties and (2) the BHC-SF consists of multiple constructs (i.e., assessing structural validity). Methods: We created a translated and culturally adapted version of the 17-item BHC-SF and used it with 345 autistic people in Germany. Psychometric …

Impact Of Campus Involvement On Depression Levels Of Undergraduate Students At Providence College, Margaret Fallon, Maggie Murphy, Nancy Nuñez, Caroline Moloney

Social Work Student Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Food Insecurity At Providence College, Jordan Foster, Emma Gilooly, Yessenia Tavarez

Social Work Student Scholarship

No abstract provided.

The Relationship Between Student Culture And Experiences Of Discrimination And Racism At Providence College, Colin Cavanaugh, Bianca Rego, Melissa Enriquez

Social Work Student Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Homesickness And Family Relationships In College Students, Emma Burgess, Taylor Gilmour, Emma Medina

Social Work Student Scholarship

No abstract provided.

What The Land Knows: Solastalgia And Land-Based Cultural Trauma Among Appalachian Americans, Clara Johnson

Social Work Student Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Hb2008: Universal Pre-K, Grace Rutland, Sofia Wells

SPARK Symposium Presentations

Representatives Charlane Oliver and Aftyn Behn have introduced a bill which would make preschool available to all children in Tennessee. The Universal Pre-K Funding Act, which was introduced in February of this year, would draw from a tax on digital advertising to ensure that every four-year-old has access to high quality early learning. Universal pre-K has been shown to improve academic outcomes spanning all the way to college acceptances, and to increase parental earnings by nearly 20% (Humphries et. al, 2024). These results are especially pronounced among low-income families. It also functions as a form of childcare, which is invaluable …

Social Workers’ Views On Students With Developmental Disabilities In Charter And Private Schools In Idaho, Branden Smalley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Idaho private and charter schools are experiencing increased enrollment, including students who are developmentally delayed. Such an increase in the population of developmentally delayed students presents challenges for school social workers in providing needed therapeutic services. This study addressed the limited therapeutic services for students with developmental disabilities in Idaho’s private and charter schools, as perceived by school social workers. The purpose was to examine school social workers’ perceptions of the barriers and challenges they encounter when supporting students with developmental disabilities in private or charter schools in Idaho. Participant eligibility criteria included holding a minimum of a bachelor’s degree …

Hb 1938: Ending Prison Privatization In Tennessee, Skyler J. Duplessis, Xavier Tharpe-Patton, Josie Lerer, Carley Wood

SPARK Symposium Presentations

The term recidivism refers to the tendency of an individual convicted of a crime to reoffend after release. A growing body of research has found that individuals incarcerated in privately operated correctional facilities often demonstrate higher rates of recidivism compared to those held in publicly managed prisons. Scholars suggest that differences in access to rehabilitative programming, staffing patterns, and institutional resources may contribute to these disparities. Critics argue that cost-containment priorities unique to for-profit correction can conflict with investment in education, treatment, and reentry preparation -factors consistently linked in the literature to reduced reoffending and improved community reintegration. This is …

When Is Engagement ‘Good’? Values And Integrity In Community-Engaged Autism Research, Margaret Janse Van Rensburg

Faculty and Staff Publications

Community engagement (CE) in autism research has been promoted as “good practice,” and is described through approaches such as co-production, participatory action research, and community-based participatory research. Although CE can enhance relevance and trust, its potential burdens or harms are rarely examined or disclosed to community members, and it is often implemented without evaluating its processes or outcomes. Limited attention is also given to values: the axiological foundations of CE and whether engagement is conducted with integrity. This perspective introduces an axiological lens to CE in autism research by arguing that researchers’ value commitments shape not only why engagement occurs …

Therapeutic Applications Of Tabletop Role-Playing Games In Treatment Of Depressive And Anxious Symptoms In Young Adults, Dash Degrote

Honors Theses

Tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) are played by a large population and involve the engagement of social and emotional skills, with the largest portion of the population playing them being adolescents or young adults. The therapeutic application of TTRPGs in the treatment of depressive and anxious symptoms shows potential with this population. In a literature review, three major themes are identified: TTRPG culture, stakeholder perspectives of TTRPGs, and examples of therapeutically-applied TTRPGs. Overall, evidence suggests that TTRPGs can positively impact the concerned symptoms, though more research is needed for games outside of Dungeons & Dragons as well as stakeholder perspectives.

The Importance Of Trauma-Informed Care In The Juvenile Justice System, Kalinowski Lillian

Honors Theses

Trauma is a common experience among justice-involved youth, though its developmental and behavioral impacts are not always fully accounted for within juvenile justice systems. Trauma-informed care has emerged as a promising framework for addressing these challenges, however, limited research has examined how consistently such approaches are implemented in practice. This study explores the implementation and perceived effectiveness of trauma-informed care within the juvenile justice system by drawing on semi-structured interviews with five clinicians who have professional experience working with justice-involved youth in the Midwest. The findings indicate that trauma-informed care is not consistently implemented across institutional settings, with 80% of …

The Benefits Of Handcrafting, Madison Mallory

Honors Theses

Handcrafting encompasses physical creative activities such as crochet, wood working, pottery, knitting, and many others. This study includes qualitative research to focus on the impact of handcrafting on individuals. This research was conducted via interviews with 11 individuals. The parameters for individuals to be included in this study is being 18 years of age or older and having experience with handcrafting. Through these interviews two interviewees referred to hand crafting as a form of meditation while seven others expressed feeling similarly using words such as feeling present, calm, focused, and relaxed. Two people share experiences of using handcrafting as coping …

Rest For The Weary Soul: A Mixed Methods Psychospiritual Exploration Of Faith As A Path To Mental Health Recovery Among Students, Fremativo A. Vergara, Melvin G. Barete, Evan P. Taja-On

Journal of Catholic Education

Many individuals turn to faith for strength, guidance, and resilience, particularly at times of emotional hardship. As concerns continue to grow about mental health, particularly that of students, exploring how faith influences coping mechanisms and recovery offers valuable insights into alternative approaches to emotional wellbeing. The study found that students exhibit high levels of resilience and spiritual intelligence, suggesting that faith-based beliefs are crucial in students’ ability to cope with adversity. A strong positive correlation between resilience and spiritual intelligence indicates that students who integrate faith into their lives are more likely to develop the psychological strength needed to navigate …

What's The Scoop On Life In New Hampshire? Youth Perspectives On New Hampshire As A Place To Live, Learn, And Work After High School, Elliot Ng, Jayson Seaman, Cindy L. Hartman, Andrew D. Coppens, Kate Moscouver, Hannah Falcone

Carsey Publications

To support its long-term economic vitality, New Hampshire must cultivate and retain its young talent. This brief analyzes the perspectives of New Hampshire youth and proposes actionable strategies that encourage them to build their futures in the state. While a majority of New Hampshire youth leave the state after high school, retention opportunities lie in leveraging what youth already love about the Granite State: Its natural environment, abundant outdoor amenities, and safe communities. By leveraging these assets and complementary policies such as expanding career-connected learning, promoting the abundance of in-state opportunities, and developing centralized social spaces, New Hampshire can create …

Exploring The Black Church’S Role In The Black Man’S Experience With Depression: A Qualitative Inquiry, Terry Edwards Jr.

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Black men experience disproportionate mental health disparities, particularly in relation to depression, yet remain less likely to engage in formal mental health treatment due to cultural stigma and barriers to care. The Black church, a historically trusted institution within the Black community, may influence how depression is understood and managed. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore how Black men in Inkster, Michigan perceive the role of the Black church in influencing their understanding and management of depression. The Health, Illness, Men, and Masculinities (HIMM) framework guided this study. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 10 …

Burnout And Secondary Traumatic Stress Experiences In Mental Health Professionals Working With Military Veterans, Megan Carter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Burnout among mental health professionals has been a long-standing phenomenon when working with trauma individuals resulting in increased job turnover rates and decreased quality of care for patients. The job demands- resourced model and constructivist self- development theory were used to guide this study. The purpose of this research study was to explore how mental health professionals working with the military veteran population experience burnout and secondary traumatic stress. A descriptive qualitative design was used with purposive and snowball sampling to attain 10 mental health professionals from various facilities serving military veterans. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and were …

Book Review: Social Justice Design And Implementation In Library And Information Science Edited By Bharat Mehra, Ellie F. Kawada

School of Information Student Research Journal

Social Justice Design and Implementation in Library and Information Science, edited by Bharat Mehra, is an engaging volume that explores the pursuit of social justice in its many forms in the field of Library and Information Science (LIS). The included chapters cover case studies of social justice implementation in library services, theoretical frameworks for subversive methods of research and education, and the future of library advocacy for social justice. While the volume is centered on English-speaking countries and lacks the perspective of paraprofessional library staff, the themes and examples presented in the book are invaluable to any LIS students, professionals, …

Carrying The Call: A Literature Review On Pastoral Burnout, Nisaa Robinson

College of Arts and Cultural Studies

This literature review examines theory and practice related to the leadership challenge of burnout among Black full-time pastors serving mid—sized urban churches in the Midwestern United States. Utilizing 21 sources across peer—reviewed, professional, popular, and action—network literature, the review applies pragmatic and interpretive research philosophies to evaluate contributing and mitigating factors, conceptual frameworks, validated assessments, and leadership practice implications. The review synthesizes foundational literature, clergy—specific extensions, and culturally responsive scholarship to identify evidence—based insights. Significant gaps in culturally specific, regionally disaggregated research are identified, with implications for future inquiry and organizational leadership practice.

Online Learning During Covid-19: A Case Study Of Ict Equity And Access In A Rural Ghanaian Primary School, Angelina Arrington

Howard University Journal of African Studies (HUJAS)

The COVID-19 global pandemic has caused significant disruption to the continuity of instruction in many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (Africa Centers for Disease Control, 2020). School closures that resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic have exacerbated Sub-Saharan Africa’s acute problems with the education systems, especially in terms of access to human and financial resources to effectively make education accessible and equitable to all students. Education in Sub-Saharan Africa has been recognized by education researchers and policy makers as one of the world’s most significant problems (Asongu and Odhiambo 2019; Dembélé and Lefoka 2007; UNESCO Institute for Statistics 2011). The continuation of …

Comments On Proposed Regulations Reg-117270-25: Trump Accounts Under Section 530a, Jin Huang, Margaret Clancy, Michael Sherraden, Lissa Johnson, Stephen Roll

Center for Social Development Research

In December 2025, the U.S. Treasury Department published a notice of intent to issue regulations concerning Trump Accounts (also known as 530A accounts), requesting public comments on proposed regulations for the Trump Accounts Contribution Pilot Program. This testimony presents comments submitted n response. Drawing on decades of Child Development Account research, including insights from the SEED for Oklahoma Kids experiment (SEED OK), the authors urge Treasury to adopt automatic enrollment to ensure that all eligible children— not only those whose families actively enroll them—receive the $1,000 pilot-program contribution. They outline federal–state implementation pathways using Social Security number data, recommend layered …

Divergent Paths Towards Belonging: A Comparative Analysis Of Latina/O/E Domestic And International Student Experiences At A Pwi, Sebastian Lema, Rita Kagaju

25th Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2026)

In this study, we examine how undergraduate international students from Latin America and domestic Latina/o/e students experience belonging and inclusion at a Predominantly White Institution (PWI). While existing research highlights systemic barriers and microaggressions faced by domestic Latina/o/e students, we address a critical gap by exploring the distinct challenges faced by international Latin American students. We ask how these groups’ experiences of inclusion, microaggressions, and support systems differ within a PWI context. Using qualitative interviews with 55 students (40 domestic, 15 international), we employed grounded theory to analyze themes such as classroom dynamics, feelings of inclusion/belonging, and institutional support. Our …

Enhancing The Well-Being Of Refugees With Disabilities Through Equitable Access To Essential Services: A Participatory Qualitative Study In The United States, Mustafa Rfat

Brown School Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Access to services for refugees with disabilities (RwDs) is critically important for improving their well-being and enhancing their integration. This population often faces prolonged exclusion that begins in their country of origin and often continues to worsen during displacement, leading to accumulated disparities. Because the United States (U.S.) refugee program is structured around rapid employment, refugees who do not fit the fast-track employment criteria are often left behind. RwDs are often considered unemployable, which automatically shifts resources and services away from them. Abandoning RwDs during the critical period of resettlement puts them at heightened risk of increased and long-term exclusion. …

Setbacks And Stigmas: The Career Consequences Of Mental Health Treatment For Soldiers In Combat Roles, Micah Mark Marchand

LSU Master's Theses

This study examines how potential career consequences, perceived stigma, and confidentiality concerns influence mental health help-seeking among United States Army Soldiers, with particular attention to differences across Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) categories. Despite the availability of behavioral health services, many service members delay or avoid treatment due to fears that seeking care may negatively impact their careers, including risks to promotion, deployment eligibility, and retention. Guided by Systems Theory, this research explores how interconnected military structures, policies, and cultural norms shape these perceptions and behaviors.

Using a confidential survey design, data were collected from current service members and recently separated …

Innovations In Developing Behavioral Health Care Managers Within Collaborative Care Programs, Jesse K. Allen-Dicker, Virginia Kelly Arlt Mutch, Derek M. Tate

The Journal of Integrated Primary Care

The collaborative care model is an effective method to treat adults with depression and other psychiatric symptom presentations within primary care settings. Research suggests that patients treated by more experienced behavioral health care managers receiving consistent supervision experience greater symptom relief. Supervision is an essential and widely accepted component of the collaborative care model, though minimal guidance has been offered on how to best implement supervision and foster behavioral health care manager development within these programs. The present paper highlights the approach developed by a collaborative care program with an emphasis placed on consistent and frequent consultation and supervision and …

Master Of Social Work Faculties Integration Of Gender And Sexuality Diverse Content: A Cross-Sectional, Quantitative Study, Lynn Mazur

Social Work Doctoral Dissertations

Master of social work (MSW) students may be entering into field practice without meeting the necessary competencies for practice to address the needs of the gender and sexuality diverse (GSD) population. The literature supports that GSD content may be absent from course content. This cross-sectional design study aimed to understand what factors influence MSW faculty to incorporate GSD content into their coursework. MSW faculty at Council on Social Work Education (CSWE, 2022) accredited programs were invited via email to complete an online, anonymous, and voluntary survey. The results suggested strong support for the integration of GSD content into the coursework, …