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Food Insecurity’S Influence On Obesity, Hypertension, And Diabetes In Rural Vermont And Adirondack New York, Lindsay Morse Mar 2026

Food Insecurity’S Influence On Obesity, Hypertension, And Diabetes In Rural Vermont And Adirondack New York, Lindsay Morse

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Food insecurity (FI) is a persistent public health challenge in the United States and disproportionately affects rural communities. Guided by syndemic theory, this quantitative cross-sectional study examined associations between FI and chronic disease outcomes among rural residents of Vermont and the Adirondack region of New York. Social determinants of health screenings and electronic medical records from 35 rural primary care sites were analyzed. Secondary data from n = 72,505 adults were used to evaluate these relationships. Binary logistic regression models assessed obesity, hypertension (HTN), and diabetes (DM), and a multinomial logistic regression model evaluated the combined presence of obesity and …


Emergent Patterns In Individual Perceptions Of Domestic Violence Among African Immigrants, Annah Ezuma Mar 2026

Emergent Patterns In Individual Perceptions Of Domestic Violence Among African Immigrants, Annah Ezuma

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Domestic abuse continues to be a prevalent and intricate matter within society, frequently concealed by silence. The comprehension of individuals’ perceptions of abuse is of utmost importance in the advancement of efficacious interventions and support systems. Among African immigrants in the United States, perceptions of domestic violence were often influenced by several factors like religion and migration stressors. Despite increasing concerns about abuse within this population, limited research has explored how they interpret abuse and how these perceptions shape help seeking behaviors and disclosure. The gap was significant because of the cultural transition and many immigrant experiences. This qualitative study …


School-Based Human Service Professionals’ Perceptions Of The Relationships Between Black Families And Southern Schools, Vanessa Faye Barnhill Mar 2026

School-Based Human Service Professionals’ Perceptions Of The Relationships Between Black Families And Southern Schools, Vanessa Faye Barnhill

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The experiences that Black parents had in school have been found to influence how they view and interact with schools and the challenges and barriers related to their child’s education attainment. It is important to understand school-based human service professionals’ perceptions about the relationship that Black families have with Southern schools and suggestions these professionals have about promoting better communication and understanding with Black families. The purpose of this qualitative generic study was to examine school human service professionals’ perceptions about the relationship that Black families have with schools and to gather suggestions about how they could promote communication and …


Relationships Between Resource Utilization And Relapse In Rural Areas, Shane Sneddon Mar 2026

Relationships Between Resource Utilization And Relapse In Rural Areas, Shane Sneddon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, over 100,000 deaths were attributed to drug overdose in 2021. Relapse rates are higher in rural communities than in urban communities due to sociocultural barriers such as employment, limited entrainment activities, and peer pressure during social events. Previous research did not indicate whether the increase or decrease of Daily Living Assessment (DLA-20) scores have a correlation between community resource utilization and relapse. Using systems theory as the research lens, this study examined the correlation between use of community engagement resources and relapse as manifested by scores on the DLA-20. Data were collected from 100 individuals enrolled …


Internal Family Systems Therapy For Trauma Recovery And Addiction In Sexual And Gender Minorities, Walter Saunders Mar 2026

Internal Family Systems Therapy For Trauma Recovery And Addiction In Sexual And Gender Minorities, Walter Saunders

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sexual and gender minorities (SGM) experience disproportionately high rates of substance use disorders linked to trauma exposure, minority stress, and barriers to affirming behavioral health care. Although trauma-informed approaches have expanded, little is known about how SGM individuals experience and make meaning of their engagement in internal family systems (IFS) therapy for trauma and addiction. Guided by Schwartz’s theory of the multiplicity of the mind and minority stress theory, the purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore how SGM individuals describe and interpret their engagement in IFS therapy within the context of trauma and addiction. Interpretative phenomenological analysis …


Child Protection Workers’ Perceptions Of Burnout And Work Dissatisfaction, Ashley-Camille Jackson Mar 2026

Child Protection Workers’ Perceptions Of Burnout And Work Dissatisfaction, Ashley-Camille Jackson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Child protection workers work in a stressful and demanding occupation, subject to high staff turnover and inexperienced staff. This situation has created problems for child protection workers in doing their jobs effectively—for example, handling their daily tasks and caseload—leading to potential burnout and work dissatisfaction. Existing literature has explained how burnout begins to develop as a response to chronic exposure to job-related stressors, to a point of emotional exhaustion and reduced personal accomplishment. Researchers have found that work-related conditions have contributed to the development of burnout, especially when attempting to define how one could be overworked and how much labor …


Former Foster Youth Lack The Understanding And Training In How To Access Medical And Preventative Care Benefits, Gloria Harrison Mar 2026

Former Foster Youth Lack The Understanding And Training In How To Access Medical And Preventative Care Benefits, Gloria Harrison

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this qualitative action research study was to explore Dallas, Texas, human services professionals’ perceptions of the services that former foster youth need to ensure that they have access to medical and preventative care benefits when they age out of the system. The conceptual framework of Aday and Andersen’s health behavior model provided a structure for the lack of medical care access, the need for improvement, and the desire to use services for various marginalized at-risk populations. The action research design was chosen to help solve real-life healthcare problems that directly affect participants within their community. A purposeful …


Exploring The Perceptions Of Religious Trauma Among Former Members Of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints Who Identify As A Sexual Minority, Samuel Clemens Mar 2026

Exploring The Perceptions Of Religious Trauma Among Former Members Of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints Who Identify As A Sexual Minority, Samuel Clemens

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This qualitative study explored the perceived experiences of religious trauma among formerly active members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) who identify as sexual minorities. Religious trauma, characterized by psychological, emotional, and social harm, arises from interactions with religious institutions and teachings. For sexual minorities within the LDS Church, strict adherence to heteronormative principles and rigid gender roles often results in identity suppression, emotional distress, and social isolation. Utilizing a generic qualitative inquiry approach, this study investigated how participants interpret their experiences of religious trauma and its perceived effects on their lives. Twelve participants aged 20–74 …


Negotiating Fatherhood: Young Men’S Narratives Of Care, Responsibility, And Struggle In A Low-Income South African Setting, Urlridge A. Thompson Dr, Tshepang Headman Mr, Leballo Tjemolane Mr, Lukhanyo H. Nyati Dr Mar 2026

Negotiating Fatherhood: Young Men’S Narratives Of Care, Responsibility, And Struggle In A Low-Income South African Setting, Urlridge A. Thompson Dr, Tshepang Headman Mr, Leballo Tjemolane Mr, Lukhanyo H. Nyati Dr

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Financial provision continues to factor significantly in how Black men perceive and enact fatherhood, influencing the extent and manner of their paternal engagement. The enduring representation of men primarily as financial providers constrains the generation and enactment of alternative modalities of fatherhood within families and society. This qualitative study explored how the everyday lived experiences of young Black men in Soweto, South Africa, influence their varied engagements with fatherhood as they navigate structural constraints to pursuing their ideal of fatherhood. An exploratory descriptive qualitative approach was employed. We conducted two sets of semi-structured interviews with 19 young Black men in …


Internal Quality Enhancement: Case Of A Uae Business School, Valentine Matthews Mar 2026

Internal Quality Enhancement: Case Of A Uae Business School, Valentine Matthews

International Journal of Applied Management and Technology

This paper presents a case study of a quality enhancement process of a small business school in the United Arab Emirates. The research explores this specific quality enhancement process with a focus on why it is implemented by the case institution and how it achieves quality improvement. The case quality enhancement process is an internal institutional approach that deviates from the Scottish Enhancement-Led Institutional Review approach. Articulation of the process is conducted from policy and practice. The articulation provides deeper and clearer understanding of the approach to quality enhancement, how it achieves quality improvements, and the leadership’s justifications for adopting …


Understanding The Lived Experiences Of Black Males Successfully Reintegrating Post Incarceration, Ashley Smith Feb 2026

Understanding The Lived Experiences Of Black Males Successfully Reintegrating Post Incarceration, Ashley Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Black males remain incarcerated at higher rates than any other race. Those individuals trying to reintegrate into society face many challenges with little mental and emotional rehabilitation support. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenology study was to improve the understanding of what contributes to successful reintegration and the mental health and emotional needs of formerly incarcerated Black males. Critical race theory (CRT) was used as a secondary lens to examine how race, systemic racism, and structural inequities shaped participants' experiences. This study examined the following research question: What are the experiences of Black males who were previously incarcerated and have …


Leadership Practices And Staff Well-Being In Psychiatric Emergency Services: The Impact Of Staff Morale And Burnout On Retention And Attrition, Shamagne N. Richardson Feb 2026

Leadership Practices And Staff Well-Being In Psychiatric Emergency Services: The Impact Of Staff Morale And Burnout On Retention And Attrition, Shamagne N. Richardson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Workforce burnout, low morale, and high turnover are persistent challenges in psychiatric emergency services, where clinicians work in high-acuity environments. These conditions threaten workforce sustainability and continuity of crisis care. The problem addressed in this study was difficulty retaining staff within a nonprofit psychiatric emergency services organization due to burnout and morale erosion. The purpose of this study was to examine how leadership practices influence staff morale, burnout, and workforce retention at Psychiatric Emergency Stabilization Services X, located in New Jersey. The study was grounded in a qualitative conceptual framework informed by the Baldrige Excellence Framework. The study population included …


Ethical Decision-Making And Modification Of Service Delivery: Social Workers In Connecticut During Covid, Marie Elana Hollingsworth Feb 2026

Ethical Decision-Making And Modification Of Service Delivery: Social Workers In Connecticut During Covid, Marie Elana Hollingsworth

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social work professionals often experience demanding and intense situations while facing organizational restructuring during crisis situations. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore the viewpoints of frontline social workers regarding their ethical decision-making processes in response to the mandatory modifications of the service delivery protocol during the COVID-19 pandemic. Enck’s biomedical and ethical decision-making framework grounded the study. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews with 10 frontline social workers in Connecticut who had been employed with a social service agency for at least 3 years, but no more than ten. Findings from coding and thematic analysis yielded …


An Exploration Of The Site Supervision During Internship Experience For Clinical Mental Health Counseling Students, William Thomas Zaffiro Feb 2026

An Exploration Of The Site Supervision During Internship Experience For Clinical Mental Health Counseling Students, William Thomas Zaffiro

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) study was to understand how CMHC students experience and create meaning of site supervision during internship under the new CACREP (2024) Standards. The bulk of the literature on this topic comes from allied social sciences and little research is available in the clinical mental health discipline. As such, there is a need to better understand this experience from the perspective of CMHC students. The study was grounded in interpretive phenomenology and used the rigorous IPA process to explore students’ lived experiences of supervision. I conducted a study using semi-structured interviews with eight …


The Relative Importance Of Cultural Competence And Compassion Fatigue In Predicting Nurse Prescribing Self-Efficacy, Debarah Lane Jowett-Gordon Feb 2026

The Relative Importance Of Cultural Competence And Compassion Fatigue In Predicting Nurse Prescribing Self-Efficacy, Debarah Lane Jowett-Gordon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As a result of the growing diversity among citizens requiring medical care, there has been a substantial increase in immigrants globally and in the United States. In the U.S. healthcare system, nurse practitioners (NPs) have been facing increased cultural challenges. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine the relative importance of cultural competence and compassion fatigue in predicting nursing prescribing self-efficacy. Cultural competence served as the theoretical framework, as it focuses on how NPs can effectively communicate with patients from diverse backgrounds by understanding and respecting cultural differences, thereby building trust, improving patient outcomes, and providing quality healthcare. …


Perceptions Of Former Inmates’ Mental Health And Substance Abuse Treatment Received During Incarceration, Garla Kathleen Snapp-Hart Feb 2026

Perceptions Of Former Inmates’ Mental Health And Substance Abuse Treatment Received During Incarceration, Garla Kathleen Snapp-Hart

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Access to effective behavioral treatment is critical for the imprisoned population and newly released individuals to reduce reentry into the penitentiary system. Social workers within correctional facilities can determine the need for treatment, how often treatment is required, what specific treatment is necessary, and what resources will be needed to provide those treatments. A qualitative exploratory design was used in this study. I explored the quality of behavioral health treatment provided to the incarcerated population. Systems theory was used as the theoretical framework this study. There were 17 participants in this study who had been incarcerated in a Kentucky prison …


A Nurse-Led Staff Education Program To Prevent And Detect Elder Abuse By Caregivers In The Home, Nicola Violet Brown-Walters Feb 2026

A Nurse-Led Staff Education Program To Prevent And Detect Elder Abuse By Caregivers In The Home, Nicola Violet Brown-Walters

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project was a nurse-led, evidence-based staff education initiative designed to improve the prevention and detection of elder abuse in the home by caregivers within an outpatient primary care setting. Elder abuse places older adults at risk for physical harm, neglect, medication mismanagement, and violations of autonomy and patient rights. Elder abuse remains a pervasive and underrecognized problem in nursing practice, often resulting from limited staff education, inconsistent screening practices, and uncertainty regarding mandatory reporting requirements. The practice-focused question examined whether implementing a nurse-led targeted education program guided by the ADDIE instructional design model and …


The Impact Of Cultural Competence On Patient Outcomes In The Bahamas, Erinique Denise E. Ingraham Feb 2026

The Impact Of Cultural Competence On Patient Outcomes In The Bahamas, Erinique Denise E. Ingraham

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In The Bahamas, the quality of care received by culturally diverse patients remains generally poor, highlighting an inability to adapt to the changing climate and adopt culturally responsive practices. The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative study was to examine the relationship between perceived cultural competence of healthcare providers in The Bahamas and its impact on patient outcomes for the non-Bahamian patients they treat. The tripartite model of cultural competence grounded this study. The participants comprised 49 non-Bahamian patients from the public and private sectors. They completed the patient-reported physician cultural competency measure, self-efficacy for managing medications and treatments, and the …


Executive Leadership System Improvement Program Proposal For Capturing At-Risk Patients In A Primary Care Setting, Winter Wilson Feb 2026

Executive Leadership System Improvement Program Proposal For Capturing At-Risk Patients In A Primary Care Setting, Winter Wilson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Unmet social determinants of health (SDOH) contribute significantly to poor health outcomes, increased healthcare utilization, and persistent inequities in access to care. In a primary care organization, the inconsistent identification and management of patients’ social needs resulted in variable documentation, limited referrals to social work services, and avoidable emergency department (ED) utilization. The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project was to develop an executive leadership systems implementation proposal to standardize the identification and referral of at-risk patients through the integration of a validated social needs screening tool into the electronic health record (EHR). The guiding practice-focused question …


Secondary Students’ Mental Health And Absenteeism Post-Covid-19: School Social Workers’ Perspectives, Tiffany Hines Sutton Feb 2026

Secondary Students’ Mental Health And Absenteeism Post-Covid-19: School Social Workers’ Perspectives, Tiffany Hines Sutton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

School social workers practice in a post-COVID-19 educational context where anxiety, depression, and emotional dysregulation are closely associated with chronic absenteeism among middle school students. This practice problem is central to clinical social work because distress-based avoidance is often misinterpreted as defiance, resulting in punitive responses that intensify disengagement. The purpose of this doctoral project was to explore how school social workers perceive and respond to the interconnected dynamics of student mental health and chronic absenteeism following COVID-19. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory guided the inquiry. A qualitative descriptive design was employed using semi-structured interviews with 10 middle school social workers …


Lowering Morbidity And Readmissions Of Underserved Preterm Infants To Reduce Acute Care Hospital Spend, Adaugo Amuta Feb 2026

Lowering Morbidity And Readmissions Of Underserved Preterm Infants To Reduce Acute Care Hospital Spend, Adaugo Amuta

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Neonatal readmissions remain a significant challenge in urban acute care hospitals serving indigent preterm infants. These readmissions impose substantial financial burdens, with high-cost conditions such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia, necrotizing enterocolitis, and retinopathy of prematurity driving recurring expenditures. This integrative review examined strategies that healthcare administrators can implement to reduce neonatal readmissions, improve care equity, and optimize healthcare spending in hospitals serving vulnerable populations in the Commonwealth of Virginia. A comprehensive literature search of empirical and non-empirical studies yielded 105 results for quality assessment using the Johns Hopkins appraisal tools. A total of 29 were included for thematic analysis. Five main …


Impact Of Suicide Literacy In Hispanic/Latinx Communities, Denisse Centeno Lamas Feb 2026

Impact Of Suicide Literacy In Hispanic/Latinx Communities, Denisse Centeno Lamas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.


A Project Proposal For Discharge Strategies For Unhoused Patients, Heidi Moore Feb 2026

A Project Proposal For Discharge Strategies For Unhoused Patients, Heidi Moore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This Doctor of Nursing Practice project is a practice-focused executive leadership proposal addressing inconsistent discharge planning for unhoused surgical patients in an acute care hospital. Unhoused patients experience disproportionately poor outcomes, including prolonged length of stay, elevated 30-day readmission rates, and fragmented transitions of care. The practice-focused question guiding this project asks whether development of a standardized, housing-informed discharge planning program could improve transitions of care and reduce length of stay and readmissions when compared with current nonstandardized practices. Analytical strategies included synthesis of peer-reviewed literature, review of internal quality and utilization data, assessment of community-level housing instability trends, and …


Mitigating Vicarious Traumatization From Exposure To Human Trafficking For Human Services Professionals, Andrea T. Charles-Alleyne Feb 2026

Mitigating Vicarious Traumatization From Exposure To Human Trafficking For Human Services Professionals, Andrea T. Charles-Alleyne

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Human trafficking is a devastating form of exploitation that not only has detrimental impacts to its victims but also the human services practitioners charged with and committed to their service provision. The secondary impact for professionals is not to be underestimated, as repeated exposure to the traumatic experiences of their clients can potentially lead to physical as well as emotional symptoms such as vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, and burnout. Often, practitioners prioritize the needs of their clients with a relentless focus on advocacy and the overall well-being of those they serve. The purpose of this qualitative action research study was …


Invisible Man: Mental Health Providers And How Implicit Bias Manifests When Treating African American Men, Jamila Kali Robinson Feb 2026

Invisible Man: Mental Health Providers And How Implicit Bias Manifests When Treating African American Men, Jamila Kali Robinson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American men continue to face disproportionate barriers to engagement, accurate diagnosis, and equitable nonbiased treatment in mental health settings. The purpose of the qualitative narrative inquiry was to explore how implicit bias and sociocultural assumptions manifest among mental health providers who diagnose and treat African American men. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, which considers the influences of all the systems that shape an individual’s lived experiences, was the study’s theoretical framework. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five licensed mental health providers who worked in large hospital systems, private practice, or community-based clinics. The interview data were analyzed using Braun and …


Survivors Of Sexual Trauma: Abortion Experiences Of Black Women In The Southern United States, Katie Grace Geter Feb 2026

Survivors Of Sexual Trauma: Abortion Experiences Of Black Women In The Southern United States, Katie Grace Geter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Women who experience both sexual trauma and abortion within their lifetime are highly likely to struggle with serious mental health symptoms; however, social work students and practitioners lack education and knowledge on how to serve these women. Recent events, including the uprising of gender and race related movements, COVID-19, heightened political division, and increased governmental control on abortion rights also impact social-work practice. Acknowledging intersectionality, the purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of abortion for Black women in the Southern United States who have a history of sexual trauma. The experiences of 6 Black women with …


Understanding Reporting Decisions: Qualitative Exploration Of Hate Crime Underreporting Among Minority Transgender Individuals, Shanise Anita Benitez Feb 2026

Understanding Reporting Decisions: Qualitative Exploration Of Hate Crime Underreporting Among Minority Transgender Individuals, Shanise Anita Benitez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Minority transgender individuals experience disproportionately high rates of hate‑motivated violence, yet these incidents remain substantially underreported. This qualitative study examined the social, structural, and identity‑based factors that influence reporting decisions among minority transgender adults in the United States. Guided by Bandura’s social learning theory and Crenshaw’s intersectionality theory, the study examined how participants’ lived experiences, community-based observations, and intersecting marginalized identities influence their perceptions of safety, trust, and institutional legitimacy. Semi‑structured interviews with minority transgender participants were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify patterns related to reporting behaviors, community‑driven coping strategies, and barriers to formal engagement with law enforcement. Findings …


Understanding Interventions For Generational Trauma From The Experienced Counselors’ Perspective, Christina Ann Cartagena Feb 2026

Understanding Interventions For Generational Trauma From The Experienced Counselors’ Perspective, Christina Ann Cartagena

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Healing generational trauma involves counselors’ understanding and recognizing the symptoms of unhealthy coping mechanisms in adults who witnessed adverse emotional reactions as children. Generational trauma occurs when generations have trouble building healthy relationships and pass unhealthy coping mechanisms to future generations. There has been a reported increase in youth and adults seeking mental health services for generational trauma. The problem was that there was insufficient information about how counselors recognize and respond to the symptoms of generational trauma or what treatment methods or modalities to use to support patients. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore the …


Preventing Burnout In School-Based Behavioral Health Clinicians: Organizational Strategies For Mitigating Work-Related Mental Health Impairment, Virginia W. Lee Feb 2026

Preventing Burnout In School-Based Behavioral Health Clinicians: Organizational Strategies For Mitigating Work-Related Mental Health Impairment, Virginia W. Lee

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This is a qualitative case study on Organization X that used the Baldrige Framework to investigate employee burnout, a growing concern associated with staff turnover, reduced job satisfaction, depression, and disengagement. The goal was to examine how organizational leaders assess the effectiveness of burnout prevention strategies, identify organizational factors and leadership practices that either mitigate or increase burnout, and discover key factors that contribute to burnout. Semi-structured interviews, guided by the Baldrige Framework, were conducted with three leaders at Organization X. The themes resulting from interviews included burnout, open-ended communication, team cohesion, real-time protection, ethical leadership and authenticity, restoring norms, …


Developing A Comprehensive Program Plan For Postpartum Mental Health Assessment And Follow-Up Care, Kimberly Osborne Feb 2026

Developing A Comprehensive Program Plan For Postpartum Mental Health Assessment And Follow-Up Care, Kimberly Osborne

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This Doctor of Nursing Practice project was an executive leadership proposal to develop an evidence-based program plan for standardized postpartum mental health screening and structured referral processes within an obstetric clinic. The practice problem was inconsistent postpartum mental health screening and follow up. Internal organizational data demonstrated elevated no-show and cancellation rates among obstetric patients referred for mental health services, reflecting gaps in care coordination, particularly for rural and underserved populations. The purpose of this project was to develop a comprehensive program plan guided by the following practice-focused question: Will a standardized postpartum mental health screening and structured referral program …