Digital Commons Network^™

Impact Of Sexual Orientation On Syphilis Diagnosis Among African American Men In Colorado, Emmanuel Bhatti

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Syphilis remains an ongoing public health concern among African American men. Elevated rates during the COVID-19 pandemic further underscored the need for focused attention on this population. The risk factors driving syphilis diagnosis among African American men during a pandemic like COVID-19 remain poorly understood. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to examine the association between sexual orientation and syphilis diagnosis among African American men in Colorado. Social cognitive theory was applied to understand the interaction among sexual orientation, HIV status, age, and syphilis diagnosis. Sexual orientation categories include men who have sex with men (MSM), men who …

Staff Education On Teaching Evidence-Based Chronic Pain Management, Valdane Eleonu Robinson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This Doctor of Nursing Practice project focused on educating providers to fill in knowledge gaps in how to effectively manage chronic pain. The lack of knowledge about the evidence-based recommendations for treating chronic pain was the practice gap. Standardized training protocols to instruct pain management professionals and address disparities in chronic pain management care should be in place to guarantee that all patients in need of chronic pain management have access to culturally appropriate education.

The Role Of Street-Level Bureaucrats In Relieving Food Insecurity Among African American Single Mothers, Andre Bakajika Kazadi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In Washington, DC, African American single mothers continued to experience food insecurity despite available assistance, as financial and bureaucratic barriers limited access to and utilization of these programs. This problem is relevant because identifying barriers to food assistance can inform recommendations to improve Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) implementation and effectiveness. Findings from existing literature, conducted primarily from clients’ perspectives, found that food insecurity remained prevalent among African American single mothers. However, limited research has examined the perspectives of SNAP workers, known as street-level bureaucrats, who implement food assistance policies and mediate access to benefits. The purpose of this generic …

Agree To Disagree? Classification Agreement Among Discrepancy-Based Sld Models Used In School Psychology, Emma M. Ferns, Carlos O. Calderón-Tena

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

For decades, school psychologists have attempted to operationalize the federal definition of the most prevalent disability under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), specific learning disability. These attempts have led to three major identification method camps: the severe discrepancy approach, the patterns of strengths and weaknesses (PSW) approach, and the response-to-intervention approach—all of which are federally permissible under the IDEA. This study aimed to determine whether three operationalizations of the severe discrepancy approach (simple severe discrepancy using 1 and 1.5 standard deviations and the regression approach) identified the same students as those classified by their school as having an …

Impact Of Physical Disabilities On Daily Life, Mobility, And Public Health Outcomes Among Internally Displaced Children In Nigeria, Winnifred Obeya-Ekoja

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The growing population of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Nigeria presents significant public health challenges for children with physical disabilities. This study investigated how physical disabilities affect daily life, mobility, access to resources, and health outcomes among internally displaced children in IDP camps in Benue State, Nigeria. Guided by the ecological model of health behavior, the study examined caregivers’ experiences of children’s self-care, daily activities, environmental and interpersonal conditions, sanitation, and access to healthcare. A basic qualitative design used semi-structured interviews with parents and caregivers selected through purposive and snowball sampling. Data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s six-phase thematic …

Black Existential–Spiritual Counseling: A Content Analysis, Miles Matise

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Black American existential–spiritual counseling integrates existential philosophy with the unique cultural, historical, and spiritual contexts of Black Americans to address their psychological and spiritual needs. Rooted in the lived experience of systemic oppression, alienation, and the quest for identity and freedom, this counseling approach emphasizes meaning-making, personal responsibility, and authentic living. It acknowledges the interconnectedness of spirituality and psychology, recognizing the importance of the Black church, music, and communal values in fostering resilience and empowerment. Drawing on existential themes, such as mortality, freedom, loneliness, and purpose, this approach supports clients in navigating sociocultural stressors and generational trauma through a spiritually …

Human Service Professionals’ Support And Practice-Informed Strategies For Uninsured And Underinsured Adults Needing Mental Health-Related Services In Brazoria County, Texas, Henry Palacios

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Access to mental health-related services has remained a significant human services concern for uninsured and underinsured adults in Brazoria County, Texas, where financial, transportation, provider-capacity, and service-coordination barriers affected access and continuity of care. The purpose of this qualitative modified action research study was to explore how human service professionals supported uninsured and underinsured adults needing mental health-related services and to identify practice-informed strategies to improve access, coordination, and continuity of care. Lewin’s change theory provided the theoretical framework. The research question explored how human service professionals supported this population and identified strategies to strengthen access, coordination, and continuity of …

Digital Transformation Strategies In The Project Management Office: Navigating Organizational Change, Latoya Pierce

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee disengagement during organizational change can reduce workforce commitment, increase resistance, and delay implementation. Some information technology (IT) project managers lack effective strategies to foster employee engagement during organizational change. Effective employee engagement is important to IT project managers because workforce commitment can influence the successful implementation of change. The purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry project was to identify and explore effective strategies that IT project managers use to foster employee engagement during organizational change. Kotter’s eight-step change model grounded the research project. The participants were seven U.S. IT project managers with at least 3 years of project management …

Predictors Of Psychological Strain In College Students In The Context Of The Covid-19 Pandemic, Randy M. Ludwig

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic exacerbated the traditional challenges of being a college student. This study examined the factors associated with the mental health difficulties many college students faced during the pandemic. Factor analysis was used to uncover a latent variable called psychological strain, which was composed of mental instability, mental health strain, sadness, anxiety, and unhappiness. An exploratory path model was created to determine which factors most closely related to psychological strain. Of the 14 factors considered, 11 were significant predictors. Overall, the most important risk factor was found to be social isolation (total effects = .437), while …

Comparative Evaluation Of Practical Functional Assessment And Traditional Functional Behavior Assessment: Practitioner Perspectives On Efficiency, Resource Utilization, And Social Validity Across Practice Settings, Mathew Dinga Gwangwaa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As the field of applied behavior analysis (ABA) expands across diverse settings, there is an increasing need for assessment models that balance empirical rigor with practical feasibility. This quantitative, non-experimental study was an examination of the perceptions and experiences of board certified behavior analysts (BCBAs) and board certified behavior analysts doctorate (BCBA-Ds) regarding the comparative utility of traditional functional behavior assessment (FBA) and practical functional assessment (PFA). Data were collected from Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) and BCBA-Ds using a structured, cross-sectional online survey assessing three primary domains: efficiency, resource utilization, and social validity. Descriptive findings indicated that practitioners perceived …

Enhancing Housing Stability Among Homeless Lgbtq+ Youth, Chaunita Lotoya Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Studies on LGBTQ+ youth homelessness, specifically concerning causes, health outcomes, and barriers to access, have garnered increased attention from social scientists in human services. Applying Ecker’s work, this study addressed how intersectionality impacts homelessness among LGBTQ+ youth, highlighting disparities related to race, poverty, and identified gender. This study also explored the question of whether family rejection is a significant cause of housing insecurity among LGBTQ+ youth. The methodology featured collaboration with service providers and generating recommendations informed by empirical research and professional practices. A semi-structured interview protocol was used to collect data for this study, ensuring comprehensive findings while providing …

Lived Experiences Of Spiritually Communicating Individuals Regarding Identity And Relationship Development In Early Adulthood, Bonnie Jean Kane

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Spiritually communicating individuals (SCIs), those who report interactions with non-physical entities, may face misunderstanding, stigmatization, and pathologization. Although spiritual experiences are recognized across cultures and hold significant psychological importance, they remain largely absent from developmental psychology, leaving a gap in understanding how SCIs navigate identity formation, emotional regulation, and social integration in early adulthood. The foundation of this study is transpersonal theory, which incorporates spiritual and transcendent dimensions of human experience, and phenomenology, which served as the guiding methodological and philosophical approach to explore lived experiences as subjectively perceived. This study examined the lived experiences of SCIs aged 26–35, investigating …

Prostate Cancer Survival Among Young Males Within The United States, Maxine M. Findlay

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Prostate cancer incidence has increased among younger men in the United States, and treatment affects both patient survival and family well-being. This quantitative retrospective study examined survival among young men diagnosed with prostate cancer who received chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and/or prostatectomy, while accounting for socioeconomic factors of residence and ethnicity. Social cognitive theory was the framework. Ordinal logistic regression was used to determine whether treatment method, socioeconomic factors of residence and ethnicity predicted survival among young men diagnosed with prostate cancer. Data was sourced from the National Cancer Database Participant User File 2004-2021 specific to prostate cancer. The study cohort …

Effects Of A Filial Therapy Program On Gifted Children’S Self-Regulation And Academic Perseverance, Helin Yarcel, Fuat Tanhan

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of a 10-session filial therapy program delivered to mothers on gifted children’s self-regulation and academic perseverance. Participants were 45 gifted students attending a Science and Art Center (Bilim ve Sanat Merkezi [BİLSEM]) in Eastern Türkiye and their mothers, who were randomly assigned to an experimental, placebo, or control group. Self-regulation and academic perseverance scales were administered as pre-test, post-test, and 6-week follow-up measures. Given the sample size, data were analyzed with non-parametric tests, including the Kruskal–Wallis H, Friedman, Wilcoxon signed-rank, and Mann–Whitney U tests. Results showed improvements in self-regulation …

Mentorship As A Catalyst For Change Readiness: A Qualitative Study Of How Effective Mentoring Mitigates Burnout And Turnover During Organizational Transformation, Jeffery M. Camp

Journal of Online Mentoring

This qualitative study examined how effective mentorship mitigates burnout and attenuates turnover intention during organizational change, foregrounding the perspectives of experienced mentors. Drawing on Biggs’s presage–process–product (PPP) model, data were collected through semi-structured interviews (n = 12) and two focus group discussions (n = 6 each), engaging 18 unique mentors employed in organizations with 1,000 or more employees. Thematic analysis following Braun and Clarke’s six-phase protocol yielded four themes: (1) mentorship as strategic facilitation of organizational change; (2) mentorship as provision of emotional and psychological support; (3) empowering mentees through relationship-building; and (4) applying adaptive and reflective strategies. …

“I Was Not Wonder Woman And Required Help”: Black, Latina, And White Women’S Recovery From The Covid-19 Pandemic, J. Mitchell Vaterlaus, Colton Pierce, Harry Foster, Alison Brennan, Nicole Wanago

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected women, particularly women of color, yet less is known about their recovery experiences following the end of the public health emergency. This exploratory mixed-methods study examined recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic among Black, Latina, and White women in the United States. Participants (N = 133) completed a survey that included a self-reported recovery measure and open-ended questions regarding their recovery experiences. A chi-square analysis indicated a significant association between race/ethnicity and recovery status, with Latina women more likely to report ongoing recovery than Black and White women. Codebook thematic analysis identified four themes: (1) …

Debt And Quality Of Life Among Older Adults After Retirement, Josephine Morrow Seegars

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Understanding debt and the quality of life in older adults after retirement is an important area of concern. Many older adults are forced by escalating debt to reduce spending on essential needs, such as health care, nutrition, and housing, and their physical and mental health is thereby directly compromised. These essential needs represent core social determinants of health, and their erosion under financial strain can have effects on older adults' overall well-being. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore the experiences and perceptions of human services practitioners who were actively assisting older adults struggling with debt in …

Exploring Former Foster Parents’ Perspectives On The Resignation Process And Returning To Foster Care, David Michael Wermuth

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The foster care system faces a persistent challenge in retaining foster parents, resulting in adverse outcomes for foster children. The literature identifies multiple reasons for foster parent attrition (e.g., foster agency dissatisfaction, life changes, and lack of resources and support). This study explored former foster parents’ narratives of exiting foster care. I illuminated how foster care agencies treat foster parents who exit the system and how this affects their attitude about the foster care system. General systems theory (GST) was used to guide the analysis. The research design was basic qualitative, and purposive and snowball sampling were used to recruit …

Effective Strategies For Retaining Employees And Increasing Workplace Productivity In A Changing Healthcare Environment, Marie D. Exantus

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee turnover and declining workplace productivity remain persistent challenges for healthcare organizations operating in a rapidly evolving industry environment. Healthcare leaders are concerned about employees’ intent to leave, as it is the strongest predictor of rising turnover, directly threatening both productivity and organizational stability. Grounded in equity theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry project was to explore effective strategies healthcare leaders use to retain employees and increase workplace productivity in a changing healthcare environment. The participants were seven healthcare leaders who had implemented effective strategies to retain employees and increase workplace productivity in a changing healthcare environment. Data …

Drug Court Graduation Rates Of African American Males Attending Habilitation Empowerment Accountability Therapy, Tierney President

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American males between the ages of 18 and 29 have lower rates of successful completion in drug court programs compared to other populations, increasing their risk of incarceration and recidivism. This study examined whether participation in the Habilitation Empowerment Accountability Therapy (HEAT) program, a culturally responsive intervention, was associated with improved drug court graduation outcomes among African American male participants. Guided by cognitive behavioral theory, a quantitative retrospective causal-comparative design was used to analyze archival data from 96 African American male participants enrolled in a drug treatment court program in Columbia, Missouri. A chi-square test of independence was conducted …

The Impact Of Leadership Styles From Traditional Policing To Community Policing, Ryan Gates

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study examines leadership in a community policing context. It addresses a long-standing problem: injustice, inequality, and unfair treatment. Specifically, it examines community policing and the impact of law enforcement leadership, particularly servant leadership, on policing outcomes. Greenleaf’s Theory of Servant Leadership guided this study. Participants included mid- to senior-level law enforcement officers with community policing experience, at least three years of leadership experience, and at least 18 years of age. Recruitment occurred through social media outlets such as Facebook and Instagram. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 19 participants. Thematic analysis produced six themes: community engagement and partnerships; …

Fractured Identities: Military–Civilian Dissonance And The Well-Being Of Women Veterans, Melissa D. Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

For many women leaving military service, the path to civilian life involves a fundamental renegotiation of identity. Gender-specific pressures, institutional norms, and fractured belonging compound reintegration, yet the lived experiences of women veterans navigating competing identities remain underexplored. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of women veterans at least 5 years postdischarge who struggled with identity dissonance between their military and civilian identities. The study was informed by reculturation theory. Seven women veterans participated in semistructured interviews, and data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis, revealing five themes: institutions, culture, and unequal …

Practitioners’ Perceptions: Evidence-Based Practices And Evidence-Based Interventions To Reduce Burnout In Third-Sector Organizations, Elizabeth Riley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Third-sector organizations (TSOs) face challenges providing effective evidence in reducing stress and burnout for human services professionals (HSPs) to remain in the field. Burnout is a social phenomenon that has received much attention in the helping professions for the past 50 years, due to the nature of the work that HSPs perform. Researchers have confirmed that HSPs are at critical risk of burnout, which affects not only their health and work performance, but also their delivery of service. Current literature lacks studies on what supports HSPs’ need in TSOs to reduce their stress and burnout to remain in the field. …

Protective Factors Among African American Offspring Of Teen Parents, Janelle Ewing

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Adolescent pregnancy remains a major public health and social issue, but research has primarily focused on risk factors and not the protective factors that contribute to resilience among those who successfully break the cycle. This qualitative study explored protective factors that African American adult offspring of teenage parents identified as supporting them in avoiding teenage pregnancy and parenthood. The study was theoretically grounded in Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, which was used to explore the role of influence across environmental systems in participants’ developmental outcomes. The primary research question was “How do African American adult offspring of teenage parents describe the …

From Service To Start-Up: Personality Prediction Of Individual Entrepreneurial Orientation In Female Veterans And Current Service Members, Carolyn Flinn Gaskill

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The entrepreneurial orientation of female veterans and current service members remains insufficiently understood despite their growing presence in the military and small-business sectors. Organizational leaders need to understand this concern as an important indicator of entrepreneurial potential, innovation capacity, and business development outcomes among women with military experience. Grounded in personality theory and the individual entrepreneurial orientation framework, this quantitative predictive correlational study examined whether the Big Five traits, individually and collectively, predicted individual entrepreneurial orientation (Ind-EO) among 135 U.S. female veterans and current female service members. They completed the Big Five Inventory-2 and the Individual Entrepreneurial Orientation Scale in …

Black American School Counselors’ Experiences Of Racial Discrimination In The Workplace, Tiffany Jackson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

While school counselors play a pivotal role in promoting equity and inclusion within educational institutions, they may experience systemic challenges themselves, particularly in predominantly White professional environments. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore the experiences of Black American school counselors who experienced racial discrimination in the workplace and how they made meaning of those experiences. The research addressed the lived experiences of Black American school counselors who experienced racial discrimination in the workplace and how they make meaning of those experiences. The study was grounded in hermeneutic phenomenology and critical race theory. Six Black American school …

Effective Strategies For Stewarding Artificial Intelligence In Wellness Entrepreneurship, Aliyah Harmon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Wellness entrepreneurs increasingly use artificial intelligence (AI) to manage growing business demands, yet responsible use requires strategies that protect human judgment, trust, and care-centered wellness practice. The specific business problem was that some wellness entrepreneurs lacked effective strategies to practice stewardship while using AI as a supportive tool to reduce burnout. The purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to identify and explore effective strategies wellness entrepreneurs used to practice stewardship while using AI to reduce burnout. The participants consisted of six wellness entrepreneurs in the Northeastern United States who used effective wellness strategies. Stewardship theory grounded the project through …

Exploring Multicultural Competence Among Mental Health Workers When Providing Treatment To African American Males, Ashley Hightower

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American men experience disproportionately low rates of mental health service utilization and often report negative perceptions of mental illness. Despite documented mental health disparities, limited research has explored how mental health workers understand and apply multicultural competence when providing treatment to African American men. Grounded in the theory of planned behavior and social identity theory, the purpose of this qualitative descriptive phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of mental health workers regarding multicultural competence in their work with African American men. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with seven mental health workers recruited through purposive sampling. Interview …

Developing The Social And Legal Competence Of Future Social Counselors, Lazzat Suleimenova, Saira Zhiyenbayeva, Kamchat Yessenova, Yernar Onalbekov, Elmira Bayarystanova

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objectives: The social and legal (also referred to as sociolegal) competence of future social counselors is one of the key factors that ensures the effectiveness of their professional activities—protecting the rights of the individual, collaborating with other professionals, and contributing to the creation of a safe social environment. The study aimed to create and implement a model and pedagogical conditions for the development of sociolegal competence of future social counselors in higher education institutions of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Methods: As part of a study conducted at L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Faculty of Social Sciences, in the social pedagogy …

The Effects Of Short-Term Individual Development Account For Young Workers In South Korea, Intae Yoon, Dong-Ho Jang

Journal of Social Work in the Global Community

This study evaluated a short-term individual development account for young workers (SIDAY) with low income in Gwangju Metropolitan City, South Korea. SIDAY used random sampling methods to form an experimental group (n = 191) and a control group (n = 106) out of 2,589 applications. The experimental group received a 100,000 Korean Won (KRW), which is the equivalent to an $85 USD monthly savings match for 10 months, as well as financial capability programs and services, such as online financial mentoring, spending plan consultations, and electronic financial newsletters. Upon completion of SIDAY, the experimental group on average had …