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Health Care Professionals’ Stigma Toward People With An Opioid Use Disorder: Preliminary Findings On The Effect Of Amount Of Contact Has On Stigma, Gabriela Murza, Cris Meier, Lily Ward, Sydney O'Shay, Rachel Myrer

Transforming Communities

Opioid-related deaths are the leading cause of injury deaths in Utah. Individuals who seek treatment for opioid misuse report stigma from healthcare professionals as the leading barrier to accessing treatment. Health professionals provide a variety of treatment options in efforts of combating high rates of opioid misuse. However, these professionals may not be properly trained in stigma reduction strategies, thus leading to poor client care and outcomes. The current study examined the association between contact with individuals who misuse opioids and stigma perceptions among healthcare professionals. A one-time survey was administered to healthcare professionals who practice in Utah using convenience …

Establishing The Temporal Relationship Between Religious Commitment, Sexual Identity Struggles, And Religious Struggles Among Sexual Minorities, G. Tyler Lefevor, Samuel J. Skidmore

Psychology Faculty Publications

Objective: Conclusions about the temporal relationship between religiousness and both religious and sexual identity struggles are frequently made in the absence of longitudinal data. The present study examines the temporal relationship between religious identification, sexual identity struggles, and religious struggles.

Methods: Participants were 132 Latter-day Saint sexual minorities who provided data at two timepoints, two years apart. We employed two cross-lagged panel models, one focusing on religious struggles and religious commitment and the other focusing on sexual identity struggles and religious commitment, to understand the temporal relationships between these variables.

Results: Cross-lagged panel models suggested that interpersonal religious struggles and …

The Utah Statesman, February 5, 2024, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

The Utah Statesman, January 22, 2024, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

The Less Food Security You Have, The More Likely You Are To Face Discrimination Based On Your Weight, B. Sky Jones

Research on Capitol Hill

20% of US households were food insecure in 2020. One outcome of food insecurity is weight discrimination.

Pilot Testing An Asynchronous Online Harm Reduction And Pharmacotherapy Stigma Reduction Training For Substance Use Treatment Professionals, Sandra H. Sulzer, Suzanne Prevedel, Tyson S. Barrett, Margo Mekjian, Mindy Vincent, Felicia Frabis, Cris Meier, Claire Warnick Shiverdecker, Maren Wright Voss, Paula J. Cook, Erin Fanning Madden

Social Work Faculty Publications

Harm reduction and pharmacotherapy approaches to addressing substance use disorder are evidence-based practices for reducing adverse health outcomes. However, professional stigma toward these approaches impedes implementation. In this pilot study, professionals working in substance use treatment services received a 4-hour asynchronous online harm reduction and pharmacotherapy training. Pre- and post-training surveys used Likert-scale questions to assess attitudes and planned actions. Four of the 23 survey items demonstrated a significant change in pre- to post-attitudes and planned actions relating to harm reduction or pharmacotherapy. These items included less attitudinal stigma towards: methadone and buprenorphine (p = .021), overdose prevention sites/"drug …

Rethinking Behavior - Winter 2024, Midwest Symposium For Leadership In Behavior Disorders

ReThinking Behavior Magazine

A magazine for professionals serving children and youth with behavioral needs.

Winter 2024, Volume 7, Issue 2

The Ban On Trophy Hunting In Botswana: Local Communities’ Perceptions, Lelokwane Lockie Mokgalo, Peet Van Der Merwe

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Economic pressures on rural livelihoods in Botswana are ever-increasing, especially for peripheral areas where resources harnessed for tourism purposes are prevalent. One of the avenues to achieve this balancing act is the Community-Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) program of Botswana, which devolved management of resources to local communities to incentivise conservation through hunting tourism. However, due to questions over hunting sustainability as a conservation tool by conservation non-governmental organizations and animal rights groups, trophy hunting was banned in Botswana in 2014. The resultant impacts were felt not only by the hunting industry but also by communities through the loss of …

Acknowledgments, Matt Wappett

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

No abstract provided.

Advancing Strength-Based Inclusive Mental Health Research In Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities, Luther Kalb, Joan B. Beasley

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

No abstract provided.

Endorsing A Biophychosocial Perspective Of Pain In Individuals With Chronic Pain: Development And Validation Of A Scale, Maria Kleinstäuber, Eric L. Garland, Brittany L. Sisco-Taylor, Mathias Sanyer, Julia Corfe-Tan, Antonia Barke

Psychology Faculty Publications

Objectives:

Patients' beliefs about pain play an important role in their readiness to engage with chronic pain self-management. The central aim of this study was to validate a self-report instrument to assess a specific set of pain beliefs, patients' endorsement of a biopsychosocial model of chronic pain (PEB).

Methods:

Interdisciplinary experts in the field of pain were involved in creating an instrument, the PEB Scale, to operationalize patients' endorsement of a biopsychosocial pain model. A sample of 199 patients with chronic pain was recruited to evaluate the factorial structure (principal axis factoring), the internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha), the convergent …

Métissage Methodology For Qualitative Research, Bryanna Scott

Journal of Indigenous Research

There is a lack of Métis-specific research methodologies that can be drawn upon in academia by Métis scholars and emerging academics like master and Ph.D. students. This paper outlines an exploratory research methodology used by a Ph.D. student in educational studies for a qualitative study on reconciliation through Métissage in higher education. The study was designed to build a conceptual framework[1] that answers the following question: “How have university courses and learning experiences impacted Métis peoples’ understandings of their cultural identities, the role of Métis-specific Knowledge in higher education curriculum and policies, and Métis perspectives on reconciliation in Canadian …

Evaluating Active Lecture And Traditional Lecture In Higher Education, Kathleen Klein, Jennifer Calabrese, Adam Aguiar, Sunny Mathew, Kimoni Ajani, Rania Almajid, Jennifer Aarons

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version of this article here.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of traditional and active lecture methods in higher-education courses. A multiple group convergent parallel mixed method design was used, with measurement of learning, attention, and student preference for active or traditional lecture methods. Six faculty at a public university in the northeast region of the United States engaged 178 undergraduate and graduate students in a traditional lecture session and an active lecture session during the Spring 2022 semester. Results indicated effectiveness of active and traditional lecture approaches (p < .05). Analysis of qualitative and quantitative data in the study provides additional information regarding student preference for active lecture based on perceptions of increased learning benefits, interaction/engagement, attention, activities, discussion, and the use of multimedia. In implementing both traditional and active lecture sessions this study employed pre-lecture and post-lecture quizzes that students found to be very beneficial to learning.

Full Issue: Journal On Empowering Teaching Excellence, Volume 7, Issue 2, Fall 2023

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

The full-length Fall 2023 issue (Volume 7, Issue 2) of the Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version (with downloadable EPUB format) here.

The Fall 2023 issue presents research and guidance on topics related to educational adaptation. The first article by C. Farrell describes an adaptation of the interteaching method to the hybrid delivery method. The second article by C. C. Loose and R. Jagielo-Manion describes a study of modules on personalized learning to preservice teachers and its impact on their comfort level and preparation to implement personalized learning in their classrooms. The third article by B. …

Design Guidelines For Homeless Shelter And Resource Center Site Plans, Samuel Johnson

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Homelessness is one of the most pressing humanitarian issues facing the country today. Lack of affordable housing, among many other complicating factors, have led to many cities scrambling to find both short-, middle-, and long-term solutions to the issue. The Covid-19 pandemic added a disruption in services, critical record-keeping, and data-gathering, which has further confounded experts looking for an effective path forward. As it stands, there is a significant gap in academic research addressing best practices for shelter site design, particularly as it relates to landscape. The role of landscape and greenspace within and around a shelter is not well …

Bells Of Mindfulness: An Online Mindfulness Meditation Course To Promote Mindfulness Meditation For Phd Students, Michael Folland

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Over the last 20 years, there has been growing evidence of mental health issues in doctoral candidates worldwide (Zhang et al., 2022; Barry et al., 2019; Gewin, 2012; Radison & DiGeronimo, 2005). Practicing mindfulness meditation, which is one way to cope with stress and anxiety (Kabat-Zinn, 1991), could be a useful practice for these PhD students. However, despite all the evidence that suggests the health benefits of having a regular meditation routine, motivating graduate students to practice meditation can be challenging (Franco, 2020). This study addresses this challenge by assessing a 5-week mindfulness meditation course designed to support graduate students …

Did Arroyo Formation Impact The Occupation Of Snake Rock Village, A Fremont Dryland Agricultural Community In Central Utah, Ca. Ad 1000–1200?, Alexandra Wolberg

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Fremont farmers of the northern Colorado Plateau grew maize at the limits for cultivation in western North America between AD 300–1300. Like other Indigenous farmers throughout the American Southwest, Fremont farmers used bundled agricultural niches where alluvial floodplains were the largest available site for cultivation. But dryland floodplains are a risk to the persistence of farming communities because the development of steep-sided arroyos lowers floodplain surfaces and water tables, rendering them unusable for growing maize. This study tests the relationship between the occupational timing of Snake Rock Village between AD 970–1240 and the formation of a 4.5m deep arroyo on …

Stigma And Mothers Using Opioids, Amelia Van Komen, Maren Wright Voss, Amy Campbell

All Current Publications

Parenting and pregnancy in the context of substance use is a complicated topic. Many public health officials, social workers, policy makers, and community members want to provide effective support and treatment for the child and for the parent. But when stigma, prejudice, or misinformation occur, parents who use substances can be exposed to added barriers to accessing care and support. This fact sheet addresses solutions to these barriers.

The Utah Statesman, November 27, 2023, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Utahns See Air Quality As A Problem, But Don't Feel They Can Do Much About It, Sydney O'Shay, Cris Meier, Bailey Hughlett

Utah People and Environment Poll (UPEP)

Air pollution is associated with 6.7 million premature deaths worldwide each year. Air pollution shortens Utahns’ life expectancy by two years, costs Utah’s economy $1.8 billion annually, and can cause and worsen many illnesses and conditions. Several factors play a role in people’s decisions or ability to act to reduce the harms of air pollution. This study investigated Utahns’ perception of risk around air pollution, confidence to enact behaviors to protect themselves against the effects of air pollution, and the actual protective behaviors in which they are engaging. Understanding how Utahn’s think about these factors is key for developing strategic …

How Affected Family Members Communicate About Their Loved One’S Non-Medical Opioid Use, Suzanne Brown, Sydney O'Shay, Emily Pasman, Danielle Hicks, Elizabeth Agius, Stella M. Resko

Publications

Family members of people who misuse opioids frequently experience stigma due to their association with non-medical opioid use (NMOU). Stigma may affect how family members communicate about NMOU and seek social support. Guided by communication privacy management theory, this study sought to understand how affected family members (AFMs) communicate about NMOU within and outside of the immediate family. In-depth interviews were conducted with 34 adults with an immediate relative with NMOU. Qualitative analyses utilized a common iterative approach. Findings identified complex dialectical tensions that families traverse in both wanting to conceal stigmatizing information while simultaneously wanting to disclose information to …

The Utah Statesman, October 30, 2023, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Making Space: A Randomized Waitlist-Controlled Trial Of An Acceptance And Commitment Therapy Website For Hoarding, Jennifer Krafft, Julie M. Petersen, Clarissa W. Ong, Michael P. Twohig, Michael E. Levin

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background: Hoarding disorder causes significant impairment, but existing treatments have notable barriers to access and do not target several psychological processes that may contribute to hoarding. Therefore, this study evaluated an acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) self-help website for hoarding with minimal coaching in a randomized waitlist-controlled trial to evaluate initial feasibility and efficacy.

Methods: Participants were 73 U.S.-based adults with clinically significant hoarding symptoms. The website comprised 16 self-help sessions to be completed over 8 weeks. Measures were taken at baseline, posttreatment, and 1-month follow-up.

Results: Multilevel models indicated that the ACT condition improved significantly more than waitlist on …

Talking Circle Intervention Among Urban Native American Youth: A Cultural Safety Research Exemplar, Rose Wimbish-Tompkins, John R. Lowe, Melessa Kelley, Eugenia Millender

Journal of Indigenous Research

Urban Native Americans are experiencing a perpetual cycle of substance use in relation to historical trauma (HT). Currently, alcohol and drug use has become a leading health risk factor among urban Native American youth. Cultural Safety is a means to foster insight and autonomy that is beneficial to promoting health and wellbeing among Native American and Indigenous people. The primary objective of this paper examined implementation of the Urban Talking Circle Intervention and cultural safety for the prevention of alcohol and drug use among urban Native American youth. This study employed a 2-condition quasi experimental design and utilized convenience and …

The Utah Statesman, October 2, 2023, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Addressing The Opioid Crises: An Evaluation Of The Community Opioid Education Pilot Program, Gabriela Murza, Cris Meier, Lily Ward, Sydney O'Shay, Dru Faldmo

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

Utah's opioid crisis presents unique challenges as progress was hindered by the COVID-19 pandemic. This pilot study assessed the effectiveness of a brief webinar-based professional development program aimed at improving knowledge and confidence among health and behavioral healthcare professionals. Results indicated positive changes in participants' confidence and knowledge regarding opioid treatment options, misuse, and connecting individuals to resources.

Assessing Capacity In Rural Nonprofits, Jayme Walters, Aaron R. Brown, Dorothy Wallis, Janice Snow

Social Work Faculty Publications

Organizational capacity is necessary for nonprofits to meet their missions and contribute to society. Less is known about rural nonprofits’ organizational capacity and characteristics, as most research focuses on urban nonprofits. The present study first considers the utility of an organizational capacity assessment and identifies pertinent areas of organizational capacity in rural nonprofits. The second objective of the study is to examine relationships between areas of organizational capacity and organizational-level characteristics. In May 2019, nonprofits (n = 290) from persistently poor, rural counties in 14 southern states participated in a survey providing organizational characteristics and assessing organizational capacity. An …

A Scoping Review Of Health Research With Racially/Ethnically Minoritized Adults With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities, Heather J. Williamson, Tara Chico-Jarillo, Samantha Sasse, Leticia Rennie, Jennifer R. Etcitty, Carol L. Howe, Michele Sky Lee, Julie S. Armin

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Living with intersectional identities, having a disability, and being a member of a racial or ethnic minoritized group in the U.S., contributes to marginalization that may result in health disparities and health inequities. The purpose of this scoping review is to describe health research regarding adult racial/ethnic minoritized individuals in the U.S with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). Eight electronic databases were searched to identify literature on the topic published since 2000. Of the 5,229 records, 35 articles were included in the review. Eligible studies included research conducted in the U.S., published in English, and research focused on adults with …

Differences Among Family And Professional Guardians: A Statewide Survey Of Characteristics, Training, And Practices Related To Decision-Making, Kristin Hamre, Derek Nord

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

This cross-sectional study sought to examine the differences between family and professional guardians across personal and role characteristics, training received, and their inclusion of people they serve in decision making. A total of 237 subjects serving as guardian to adults in the state of Indiana completed an online survey. Results showed group differences across race, education, as well as diagnosis and age of those served. Overall, training was limited across both groups, and family guardians received significantly less training across several topics. Finally, family and professional guardians were found to significantly differ in their willingness to allow people they serve …

Factors Impacting Access To Community Services By People With Intellectual Disabilities, Caitlin Crabb, Randall Owen, Tamar Heller

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Background: People with intellectual disabilities increasingly live in smaller community settings rather than institutional settings. Home- and community-based services (HCBS) are a type of long-term care in which services and supports are provided in people’s homes and communities. HCBS are essential for people with disabilities to remain in the community.

Method: The 2015-2016 National Core Indicators survey data, along with other datasets, were used to determine how factors impacted service utilization and additional services needed for adults with intellectual and development disabilities (I/DD) in the US. Three groups of factors were used: individual, interpersonal, and public policy factors.

Results: Variables …