Digital Commons Network^™

Perinatal Mental Health Literacy Of Healthcare Providers: A Qualitative Phenomenological Study Using An Ecological Systems Theory, Ashley N. Barksdale

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This phenomenological study explored the perinatal mental health literacy of healthcare providers in the United States. Guided by ecological systems theory, the study employed the Mental Health and Well-Being Ecological Model and the Perinatal Mental Health Theory of Change to examine factors influencing perinatal mental health stigma and healthcare utilization. The central research question was, “What was the experience of healthcare providers who provided medical care for mothers with perinatal mental health illnesses?” Three guiding questions were developed to investigate systemic, relational, and educational factors shaping providers' knowledge and practices. Using exploratory-descriptive qualitative methods, ten participants across the United States …

Teacher Stress, Resilience, And Experience: A Correlational Study, Kelsey D. Valente

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The teaching profession is one of the most critical, yet challenging occupations. The purpose of this dissertation was to identify and articulate the importance of the study exploring the teaching occupation and stress. Specifically, the purpose of the quantitative study was to explore the relationship between self-report educator stress, self-report of resilience, and years of teaching experience. The minimum sample size, determined by a priori power analysis, was 67; however, there were 68 participants in the study. Participants included current, public school educators ages 18 and older licensed to teach in South Carolina. Data collection was completed through three self-report …

The Lingering Wound: Examining The Interplay Of Cultural Mistrust, Help-Seeking Attitudes, And Race-Based Counseling Preferences Among Black Americans, Jean-Robert Langlois

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This mixed-methods study examined the relationship between cultural mistrust, help-seeking attitudes, and race-based counseling preferences among Black Americans. Prior research has suggested that there is a notable underutilization of mental health services within the African American community. There is a lack of studies that integrate both quantitative and qualitative methods to explore the reasons behind this underutilization. Participants were recruited through a convenient sampling method and a total of 74 individuals aged 18 and older agreed to take part in the study. The Client Preference Scale (CPS), the Cultural Mistrust Inventory (CMI), the Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychology Help Scale-Short …

A Phenomenology Of The Importance Of Protection As It Relates To The Father And Daughter Relationship, Jared B. Reid

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to better understand the lived experience of a father’s relationship with his daughter(s) and how the central theme of protection impacts that relationship. Protection will be generally defined as a father’s ability to provide boundaries physically, spiritually, and emotionally around his family, created by safety and trust, in developing stability for healthy development. General research questions include but are not limited to, what necessitates a family to need protection. What is the impact on a daughter when the father does not protect her? The purpose of this phenomenological study is to investigate the …

Pouring From An Empty Cup: A Qualitative Exploration Of Early-Career School Social Workers' Lived Experiences With Secondary Trauma, Chatelah D. Brown

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore how early-career school social workers in public schools in Georgia described their lived experiences of secondary trauma. This study examined the contextual elements that contributed to secondary trauma. The findings may inform training for school districts to improve climate and culture, develop learning workshops, and create supportive systems for early-career social workers exposed to student traumas. Theories guiding this study included Urie Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory and Bruce Biddle’s role theory. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory addresses the levels of influence on mental and physical wellness and their impact on human development. It …

The Impact Of Church Members On Single Parents In Residential Family Care Systems, Vanessa M. Jackson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This paper discusses the value of grace and its significance for making positive, lasting change. The researcher initially hypothesized that accountability alone was the sole catalyst for transformation (van Manen, 1990; Williams, 2008). The researcher conducted 30-minute interviews of seven single mothers with a minimum of 2 years residence in one or more Residential Family Care (RFC) programs, identifying them with pseudonyms for the purpose of protecting their identities. Each interview transcript was then evaluated for key repeated themes and phrases. While accountability did indeed play a significant role in the women’s change processes, the researcher found that grace, facilitated …

Adverse Childhood Experiences And Adult Nutrition; A Correlational Study, Tabitha Ostrout

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There is a wealth of knowledge surrounding adverse childhood experiences and their immediate consequences. In recent years, researchers have expanded the scope of studies to explore the long-term impact of these negative early childhood events. One focus of interest is examining the connection between adverse childhood experiences and adult nutrition. To further contribute to the body of knowledge, a quantitative research study was conducted to determine if there is a correlation between the two variables. Data was collected from 106 participants to analyze the impact that adverse childhood experiences may have on later adult nutrition, as well as to investigate …

Enhancing Animal Shelter Operations With Time Series And Machine Learning, Sakava L. Kiv, Donald L. Anderson, Shivam Negi, Jacquelyn Cheun

SMU Data Science Review

Enhancing animal shelter operations through machine learning involves employing a variety of advanced techniques aimed at increasing efficiency, promoting animal welfare, and optimizing resource allocation. This paper explores predictive analytics for adoption rates using regression models to estimate the likelihood of adoption based on historical data, encompassing variables such as breed, health status, and previous adoption trends. Additionally, classification algorithms are utilized to categorize animals by adoption probability, facilitating better resources and marketing prioritization. Clustering algorithms are employed to group animals according to behavior patterns and/or physical health, enabling tailored medical care and enrichment activities that improve their mental and …

Death Anxiety And Risk-Taking For Decisions Affecting The Self And Others, Luis Martinez Mejia

CSB and SJU Distinguished Thesis

This thesis examined the interplay between situational factors (i.e., level of risk, personal relevance) and internal traits (i.e., death anxiety, trait anxiety) on risk-taking during decision making. Specifically, participants had to decide whether to undergo (or have a family member undergo) a risky, but potentially life-extending surgery. Death anxiety, but not trait anxiety, was associated with risk-taking in this task. Those higher in death anxiety were significantly less likely to choose surgery for themselves, but significantly more likely to choose surgery for a family member. These findings show that death anxiety is linked with greater risk-aversion for life-and-death decisions affecting …

Assessing The Predictability Of Sexual Homicide Subtypes In Serial Homicide Offenders Using Childhood Abuse And The Macdonald Triad, Kevin Dionne

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Prior research established a positive correlation between childhood abuse and sexually motivated murders, and childhood abuse is considered a risk factor for serial murder, especially for sexually motivated serial murder. The purpose of this quantitative study was to assess whether a predictive relationship exists between childhood abuse types (physical, sexual, and psychological) and MacDonald triad behaviors (enuresis, fire setting, and animal cruelty) in predicting sexual homicide subtypes (sexualized, grievance, and rape murder) in a sample of male serial sexual homicide offenders. The subtypes were derived from the Higgs, Carter, Tully, and Browne systematic review. The theoretical lenses applied in the …

We Are Our Brains: Disembodied Brain Films In 1950s Cold War America, David P. Pierson

Faculty, Staff, and Alumni Books

Personified Body Parts in Cinema, Literature, and Visual Culture investigates the power of personifying body parts in cinema, television, visual culture, literature, erotica, folklore, and mystique.

Culturally, socially, and poetically exposing hidden aspects and subtleties of human existentialism, this book vigorously questions and problematizes numerous artistic, aesthetic, technological, naïve, and macabre manipulations of body parts for various purposes. A diverse team of authors explore how scribing human traits to limbs, eyes, brains, genitalia, hearts, and other inner organs is grotesque and aesthetic, repealing and appealing, intimidating and intimate, rude and enjoyable, material and spiritual, surprising and mundane. Personified organs are …

Sex Differences In Adult Frailty At The Late-Terminal Classic (C. 750-1000 Ce) Maya Site Of Lower Dover, Rose Rioux

Honors Thesis

While it has been suggested that the compounded effects of population growth and climatic pressures over the Classic period (c. 300-1000 CE) led to a health crisis among the Maya, there is no current knowledge of whether there were significant sex differences in risks of mortality and frailty associated with metabolic stressors. This research assesses sex differences in frailty and mortality of adults (n=52) from the medium-sized Maya polity of Lower Dover in the upper Belize River Valley from the Late Preclassic (c. 300 BCE-150 CE) to Terminal Classic (c. 750-1000 CE). Osteological methods of estimating age and sex were …

Treatments For Opioid Use Disorder: Perspectives Of Patients In Long-Term Recovery, Robert Florian

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The contemporary landscape of substance use disorders, particularly opioid use disorder, presents a complex and pressing public health concern, marked by escalating rates of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Although extensive research has been conducted on the efficacy of interventions for opioid use disorder, a notable research gap exists concerning the perspectives of individuals in long-term recovery (defined as exceeding 2 years). Specifically, how these individuals view pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment approaches remains largely unexplored in the existing literature. Grounded in the biopsychosocial model, this study investigates patients’ perceptions of medication-assisted treatment and abstinence-based therapies. Purposive sampling was utilized, and participants …

Volume 12 Complete Issue, James W. Gallagher

The Geographical Bulletin

Volume 12 Complete Issue

An Epigraphic· Geography Or "Kilroy (Amongst Others) Was Here", George F. Carter

The Geographical Bulletin

Vigorous debate has raged virtually since Columbus' discovery of America over who the American Indians were, where they came from, how they got here, and what the source of their civilization was. Momentarily, consideration was given to their being a separate creation; not the descendants of the people of Genesis. The Pope settled that by stating firmly that the Indians were God's creatures just as surely as the Spanish and Portuguese were, and as such entitled to all the rights, duties, and privileges thereto appertaining as they say as they cap and gown you.

Climate Change Adaptation Through Economic Democracy, Shriraksha Mohan

Best Integrated Writing

Mohan investigates and combines three different areas of literature and social movements to discuss the problem of climate change and economic adaptation. The value of this work is that it can be used to communicate among three independent types of social movements and inquiries. This can strengthen and connect dispersed yet overlapping efforts in addressing work issues, resource utilization, economic governance and participation, and ecological problems economies face today.

Volume 13 Complete Issue, James W. Gallagher

The Geographical Bulletin

Volume 13 Complete Issue

The Impact Of Land Use On Wildlife Habitat, Dean Wilde

The Geographical Bulletin

The scope of biogeography includes, among other things, the analysis of the distribution and redistribution of biota as a result of a more or less purposeful and direct modification of the natural environment by man.! One aspect of human modification of natural environments has been the alteration and destruction of wi Idlife habitats. Wildlife is a product of the land.2 Different kinds of wildlife can occupy the land only so long as their required habitat types exist in a particular spatial arrangement. The maximum population of wildlife that any given unit of land can support, therefore depends on the interspersion …

How Childhood Maltreatment Shapes Brain Regions: Considerations For Speech-Language Pathology, Alexa G. Sees

Honors Thesis

Childhood maltreatment is a pervasive issue that affects millions of children worldwide, leading to alterations in key structures such as the limbic system, basal ganglia, corpus callosum, visual cortex, and language areas. These changes result in significant cognitive, emotional, and neurological consequences, such as learning deficits, emotional regulation issues, memory problems, reduced vocabulary size, speech errors, etc. This thesis explores the neurological effects of childhood maltreatment and their implications for speech-language pathology, highlighting how maltreatment-induced brain changes affect areas within the scope of speech-language pathology, such as social communication, language development, and behavior management. These results underscore the importance of …

A Qualitative Inquiry Of Exercise Preferences Among Hispanic Adults With Multiple Sclerosis, Stephanie L Silveira, Robert W Motl, Tania Ontiveros, Victoria Flores

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This study aimed to identify the components of an ideal exercise training program for Hispanics with multiple sclerosis (MS), cultural adaptations, and avenues for dissemination of information to this population. Online, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 27 adults with MS who identified as Hispanic. A deductive content analysis approach was applied for assessing necessary and desired components of an exercise program. Participants articulated preferences for "what," "when," "where," and "who" of exercise programs. All participants expressed an interest in aerobic training (n = 27) and need for resistance (n = 14), flexibility (n = 8), and neuromotor components (n = …

Feature Typology And L2 Proficiency Matter: L3 Acquisition Of Portuguese, Mila Tasseva-Kurktchieva, Danielle Fahey

Faculty Publications

To determine the source of transfer in third language acquisition (L3A), we tested the effects of grammatical feature typology and L2 Spanish proficiency on the comprehension and production of grammatical [gender] and [number] in the early stages of L3A of Portuguese. We distinguish between the two features based on their participation in the lexical-conceptual structure of the lemma and its interaction with the morpho-syntactic derivation. L1 English speakers were tested on their knowledge of the features in both their L2 and their L3 through a grammaticality judgment task and an elicited production task. Results show that L3 learners transfer only …

Investigating Cold Homicide Cases In Michigan: Combining Systematic Research With Experiential Insight, Jaqueline Chavarria

Honors Theses

According to the Michigan State Police (2023), murder/non-negligent manslaughter, commonly known as homicide, is the “willful (non-negligent) killing of one human being by another.” The Murder Accountability Project suggests there could be over 20,000 unsolved homicide cases in Michigan between 1965 and 2023 (2024). Despite the prevalence of unsolved cases, scholarly analysis on the topic is limited. This study examines solvability factors, also known as clearance factors, for cold homicide cases in Michigan by conducting a systematic literature review with news publications. Additionally, this study incorporates experiential insight, offering a holistic exploration of solvability factors. Using a systematic approach, 15 …

Fd&C Red Dye No. 40 (Allura Red) Effects On Non-Human Animal Testing: A Systematic Review, Vilate Winfrey

Honors Theses

Artificial food dye is added to foods to enhance their color and appearance for consumers. This systematic review aims to review the literature on Red Dye No. 40 and its effects on non-human animals. Studies were included if (a) exposure to Red Dye No. 40 was the independent variable, (b) nonhuman animals were the subjects, and (c) at least one behavioral, neurological, or physiological dependent variable was reported. An article search was conducted with Scopus Elsevier. An abstract review was conducted to determine whether the articles met all inclusion criteria. The author conducted a multi-stage application of inclusion criteria to …

The Jacksons' Debate, Marcus Vinicius Neves

Vernacular: New Connections in Language, Literature, & Culture

The Jacksons’ Debate” explores ethical dilemmas through an alien civilization considering human consumption. This philosophical sci-fi story examines sentience, moral responsibility, and societal progress from a unique perspective. Blending dark humor with social commentary, it challenges readers to reflect on human behavior and ethical decision-making in the face of necessity and scientific advancement.

Artificial Intelligence: In Your Phone And In Your Head, Gabrielle A. Johnson

ENGL 1102 Showcase

Artificial intelligence (AI) innovation has gained traction in recent years due to large investments towards improving the average person’s daily life. While operating the parent companies of common platforms such as Amazon, Instagram, and Microsoft, America’s richest citizens have spent billions on improving and researching the recent technology. AI offers ‘shortcuts’ to many daily inconveniences, fostering an over-reliance on the technology that has also led to human shortcomings. By using artificial intelligence, students can easily fill in homework answers with no calculations or critical thinking necessary. Beyond academics, relying on this technology compromises a broader necessity: human connection. With chatbots …

Direct And Mediating Relationships Between Divine Grace, Legalism, And Mental Health, Branwyn H. Mccormick

Senior Honors Theses

Positive psychology has popularized the integration of religious ideas into psychological treatment. According to the literature, the experience of divine grace is correlated with favorable mental health outcomes, whereas legalistic attitudes are correlated with adverse mental health outcomes. It has also been found that the experience of divine grace is a mediator between legalism and mental health. However, the constructs of divine grace and legalism have both been relatively unexplored aside from a few studies using Latter-day Saints (LDS) populations. The current study seeks to analyze relationships between divine grace, legalism, and mental health using a conservative evangelical Christian population. …

Germline Pathogenic Drosha Variants Are Linked To Pineoblastoma And Wilms Tumor Predisposition, Peter N Fiorica, Lisa Golmard, Jung Kim, Riyue Bao, Frank Y Lin, Angshumoy Roy, Allison Pribnow, Melissa R Perrino, Julien Masliah-Planchon, Sophie Michalak-Provost, Jennifer Wong, Mathilde Filser, Dominique Stoppa-Lyonnet, Franck Bourdeaut, Afane Brahimi, Olivier Ingster, Giselle Saulnier Sholler, Sarah A Jackson, Mark M Sasaki, Trent Fowler, Anita Ng, Ryan J Corbett, Rebecca S Kaufman, Jeremy S Haley, David J Carey, Kuan-Lin Huang, Sharon J Diskin, Jo Lynne Rokita, Hussam Al-Kateb, Rose B Mcgee, Joshua D Schiffman, Kenneth S Chen, Douglas R Stewart, D Williams Parsons, Sharon E Plon, Kris Ann P Schultz, Kenan Onel

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Purpose: DROSHA, DGCR8, and DICER1 regulate miRNA biogenesis and are commonly mutated in cancer. Although DGCR8 and DICER1 germline pathogenic variants (GPV) cause autosomal dominant tumor predisposition, no association between DROSHA GPVs and clinical phenotypes has been reported.

Experimental design: After obtaining informed consent, sequencing was performed on germline and tumor samples from all patients. The occurrence of germline DROSHA GPVs was investigated in large pediatric and adult cancer datasets. The population prevalence of DROSHA GPVs was investigated in the UK Biobank and Geisinger DiscovEHR cohorts.

Results: We describe nine children from eight families with heterozygous DROSHA GPVs and a …

Hindsight Is 20/20: Epilepsy Is Not One-Size-Fits-All, Raika Kim

Northwestern University Law Review

For many, epilepsy is one of the first conditions that come to mind when thinking of a disability, and for good reason: over 50 million people in the world live with epilepsy. Yet misunderstandings about epilepsy have perpetuated social stigma surrounding the disability for centuries. Ableist beliefs led to the passage of laws in the 1900s condoning—and in some cases, requiring—sterilization of individuals with epilepsy and restriction of their right to marry. Even today, state driving laws, justified as promoting public safety, categorically prevent anyone diagnosed with epilepsy from driving unless they are seizure free for an arbitrary, nonuniform period …

Gender Myths & Colonial Lies, Sophie Camilleri

Honors Papers and Posters

The gender binary is deeply ingrained in today's society, despite a general lack of knowledge on where this system originates from. It is crucial to counter misinformation stemming from propaganda and fear campaigns surrounding the gender binary. This research sheds light on the oppressive roots of gender, as well as its role in the colonization of marginalized individuals around the globe. This paper will make connections to present day systems of oppression and the long-term effects of colonization on Black and Hispanic women.

Self-Efficacy As A Moderator Of The Effectiveness Of A Sleep Hygiene Intervention, Sabrina Krebs, Nataria Joseph, Janet Trammell

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Interventions that address sleep hygiene knowledge and behaviors have yielded inconclusive results. The aim of the current study was to assess the effectiveness of an online sleep hygiene intervention on modifying sleep hygiene behavior and sleep quality, hypothesizing that the use of a sleep hygiene intervention will be more effective at increasing sleep hygiene behaviors and sleep quality compared to the control. In addition, we hypothesized that self-efficacy may moderate this effect, with the intervention being more effective among those with high levels of self-efficacy compared to those with low levels. Participants included 66 college students (78.3% female). Participants were …