Digital Commons Network^™

The Impact Of Marginalization On Relations With Law Enforcement And The Criminal Justice System, Angelo Kevin Brown

Faculty Publications

This chapter provides an overview of how critical race theory (CRT) has provided an important context for the racial disparities in the criminal justice system. CRT has promoted teaching the history of the criminal justice system in the United States of America (USA) and abroad from a racial perceptive. CRT scholars emphasize race because of how race and racism have shaped and impacted our society and institutions. CRT has been used to understand issues from police violence, sentencing disparities, school-to-prison pipeline, prison abolitionism, and much more. The CRT framework is especially important when it comes to understanding the disparities and …

Queer Mediated Practices As A Method To Center And Sustain Critical Health And Media Literacies, Alexander N. Vera, Vanessa Kitzie, Travis L. Wagner

Faculty Publications

Queer communities experience challenges when accessing accurate and comprehensive health information. These challenges span across media and information environments and threaten queer health promotion. This paper explored how 11 queer community health workers (CHWs) in a Southeastern US state respond to, subvert, and resist these challenges when creating digital health information resources for their queer communities. This longitudinal action research occurred over two years and included multiple qualitative data types. We analyzed these data using qualitative coding, following deductive and inductive strategies. Findings demonstrate how queer CHWs: 1) identified risks and barriers to health promotion their communities experienced; 2) created …

Study Protocol For The Breathe Easier Trial: A Pilot Rct Of A Dyad-Based, Multiple-Behavior Intervention For Improving Physical And Emotional Health In Survivors Facing Lung Cancer, Karen Kane Mcdonnell Phd, Rn, Jeannette O. Andrews Phd, Rn, Faan, Chih Hsiang Yang Ph.D., Brandi R. Newsome, Ella Weinkle, Jean Elizabeth Davis, Shira Dunsiger

Faculty Publications

Background: Research targeting survivors of lung cancer has yet to adequately address the management of physical deconditioning and unresolved symptoms (dyspnea, fatigue). The objective of the Breathe Easier trial is to test the feasibility and preliminary effects of a theory-based, multiple-behavior intervention (physical activity, smoking reduction for current smokers, stress management) targeting survivors of localized non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC, stages I-III) and their supportive partners. Methods: This pilot RCT will enroll 30 dyads (60 participants). Each dyad will consist of one survivor and one partner (defined as a family member or friend) Dyads will be randomized to the Intervention Group …

School Resource Officers' Impact On Violence And Crime, Angelo Kevin Brown

Faculty Publications

School resource officers (SRO) have been involved in the American school system for about 70 years. SRO programs began in the early 1950s beginning within a school district in Flint, Michigan. Since the start of SRO programs, police officers were predominately placed in schools with a high percentage of African American students and in low-income communities. School administration had implemented a program to station law enforcement officers in the school because of crime, drugs, and violence within the school. The community in the Flint School District had a lot of racial discrimination and elevated levels of racial inequality and segregation. …

The Utility Of Participatory Family Diagramming In Qualitative Research: Multidisciplinary Applications And Practical Advice, Melissa D. Day, Tyler B. Jamison

Faculty Publications

Graphic elicitation and diagramming are useful for qualitative researchers. Diagrams of families have been used in clinical, education, and other applied settings as tools for description and analysis of family relationships since the 1950s. Despite the potential utility of family diagrams to qualitative researchers who seek to understand and theorize the complexities of family structures and relationships, participatory family diagramming, where diagrams of family relationships are co-created by researcher(s) and participant(s) and used as a foundation for interviewing, has largely remained an untapped resource. We describe how we used participatory family diagrams as design elements of multidisciplinary qualitative interview study …

Are We Essential, Or Sacrificial? The Effects Of Felt Public Gratitude On Essential Worker Recovery Activities During Covid-19, Hee Young Kim, Sijun Kim, Taeya M. Howell, Sarah P. Doyle, Nathan C. Pettit, Michael Bizzarro

Faculty Publications

COVID-19 has been characterized by unprecedented levels of public gratitude to some, but not all, essential workers. In this research, we integrate insights from the stigmatized occupations and gratitude literature to build theory on the positive and negative relationships between such displays of public gratitude and essential workers’ recovery activities. We argue that felt public gratitude positively relates to adaptive recovery activities (e.g., exercise) and negatively relates to maladaptive recovery activities (e.g., overdrinking). We further explain how felt public gratitude impacts (mal)adaptive recovery activities through (a) felt invisibility and (b) negative/positive affect. We find support for our predictions in a …

A Tripartite Approach To Designing An Inclusive Hiring Experience And An Inclusive Workplace, Kim M. Thompson, Paul T. Jaeger, Clayton A. Copeland

Faculty Publications

Inclusive workplaces start with inclusive hiring practices and then the design and support of inclusive workplace cultures once a hire is settled. The process includes consideration of why you are looking for diverse candidates, writing inclusive job descriptions and job ads, inclusive interviewing considerations, and building an inclusive work environment and culture. Each of these considerations can be examined through a tripartite approach, exploring ways to ensure physical, intellectual, and social needs are addressed and met throughout each stage of the hiring and retention process.

Discipling The Whole Student, Scott R. Ward, David Sedlacek, Rogelio Paquini, Jasmine Fraser

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Self-Harm: Warning Signs, Risk Factors, And Prevention, Alina M. Baltazar

Faculty Publications

Rates of suicide and self-harm have been increasing in children and adolescents over the last 20 years (CDC, 2022). Suicidality and self-harm are preventable, treatable, and manageable. Parents and those who work with children, teens, and young adults are an important part in addressing this issue. This article reviews the current statistics of suicide and self-harm, role of trauma, risk-factors, causes, prevention, and treatment options. Practical tips and resources are included. The reader will better understand the phenomenon and know how self-harm and suicide can be prevented and treated.

The Evaluation Of A Clinical Decision Support Tool Using Natural Language Processing To Screen Hospitalized Adults For Unhealthy Substance Use: Protocol For A Quasi-Experimental Design, Cara Joyce, Talar W. Markossian, Jenna Nikolaides, Elisabeth Ramsey, Hale M. Thompson, Juan C. Rojas, Brihat Sharma, Dmitriy Dligach, Madeline K. Oguss, Richard S. Cooper, Majid Afshar

Faculty Publications

Background: Automated and data-driven methods for screening using natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning may replace resource-intensive manual approaches in the usual care of patients hospitalized with conditions related to unhealthy substance use. The rigorous evaluation of tools that use artificial intelligence (AI) is necessary to demonstrate effectiveness before system-wide implementation. An NLP tool to use routinely collected data in the electronic health record was previously validated for diagnostic accuracy in a retrospective study for screening unhealthy substance use. Our next step is a noninferiority design incorporated into a research protocol for clinical implementation with prospective evaluation of clinical …

What Does It Mean To Take Online Classes As An International Student During Covid-19?, Katie K. Koo, Mei Jiang

Faculty Publications

Using the Theory of Social Support and the Community of Inquiry as theoretical frameworks, this qualitative study explored international students’ experiences, challenges, and perceptions of online learning environments during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. By conducting three virtual focus group interviews with 18 international students, we identified four key themes that encapsulate participants’ challenges and experiences of online learning: social isolation in online learning spaces, difficulties with engaging in online class discussions and activities, limited opportunities for improving English proficiency in the online setting and limited academic support from faculty and advisors. Implications for research and practice to …

Shifting Our Lens: Practical Trauma-Informed Approaches For Educators, Charity Garcia, Ingrid Weiss Slikkers, Tara Bailey

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Person-Centredness In The Workplace: An Examination Of Person-Centred Skills, Processes And Workplace Factors Among Medicaid Waiver Providers In The United States, Bret J. Blackmon, Joohee Lee, Rebecca Bain, B. Michelle Brazeal, Courtney Williams, Yolanda Green

Faculty Publications

Background: Existing research supports the effectiveness of person-centred practices in working with persons with physical, intellectual and developmental disabilities, but less clear is the influence of workplace factors on the implementation and quality of person-centred practices.

Aims: This article explores the influence of workplace factors on job satisfaction and on the implementation and quality of person-centred practices in healthcare agencies that provide home- and community-based services through a Medicaid waiver in Mississippi, a state in the southeastern United States.

Methods: Purposive sampling was used to collect data via online surveys to explore the interrelationships among person-centred workplaces, job satisfaction …

Resilience Resources And Coping Strategies Of Covid-19 Female Long Haulers: A Qualitative Study, Atefeh Aghaei, Abhishek Aggarwal, Ran Zhang, Xiaoming Li Ph.D., Shan Qiao Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Background: Female long haulers deal with persistent post-acute COVID-19 symptoms that have serious health implications. This study aimed to identify resilience resources at multiple socio-ecological levels for female long haulers and describe how resilience resources affect their responses to long COVID. Methods: Purposive sampling was adopted to recruit participants through social media from April to June 2021 followed by 15 semi-structured interviews. An inductive analytical approach was adopted to categorize themes by open and axial coding that were verified by peer review. Results: Female long haulers relied on resources at various socio-ecological levels to foster their resilience in response to …

Mindfulness-Based Interventions For Survivors Of Lung Cancer And Their Partners: A Systematic Review, Karen Kane Mcdonnell, Otis L. Owens, Fattona Umari

Faculty Publications

Background

Survivors of lung cancer and their partners often have complex unresolved physical, psychosocial, and behavioral needs that can negatively affect the survivors’ and partners’ well-being. This systematic review aimed to (1) examine the content and delivery of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) and (2) summarize and synthesize the current evidence for effectiveness of MBIs targeting survivors of lung cancer and/or one selected partner (dyads).

Method

Six databases were searched for interventional studies published in English between 1980 and June 2020 using three terms (lung neoplasms, mindfulness, caregivers). For outcome measures, the interventions focused on behavioral change (meditation, yoga, stretching, breathing), symptom …

Screening And Assessment Of Cancer-Related Fatigue: An Executive Summary And Road Map For Clinical Implementation, Joy C. Cohn, Shana Harrington Pt, Ph.D., Jeannette Q. Lee, Daniel Malone, Mary Insana Fisher

Faculty Publications

Background:

Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) prevalence is reported as high as 90%. Cancer-related fatigue is multidimensional and associated with lower health-related quality of life. Effective screening and assessment are dependent upon use of valid, reliable, and clinically feasible measures. This Executive Summary of the Screening and Assessment of Cancer-related Fatigue Clinical Practice Guideline provides recommendations for best measures to screen and assess for CRF based on the quality and level of evidence, psychometric strength of the tools, and clinical utility.

Methods:

After a systematic review of the literature, studies evaluating CRF measurement tools were assessed for quality; data extraction included psychometrics …

Approaches To Faith Integration: A Case Study Of Andrews University Employees, Duane Covrig, Glynis M. Bradfield, Steven Injety, Duduetsang Kakhu

Faculty Publications

For centuries, Christians have cultivated faith in themselves and others by engaging in prayer, evangelism, discipleship, and education, with Christian tertiary institutions playing a vital role in this nurturing of faith. However, previous studies have shown that Christian educators have also been complicit in depleting faith in others. This erosion of faith has been well documented in American "Christian" universities like Harvard, Yale, and Princeton, primarily due to modernity and secularization. For faith to thrive, it has to be backed with intention, and this is especially of paramount importance in American higher education today. As the oldest Seventh-day Adventist University, …

Association Between Socioeconomic Status And Mental Health Among China’S Migrant Workers: A Moderated Mediation Model, Yubo Shao, Huang Ying, Xiaoming Li Ph.D., Lian Tong

Faculty Publications

Mental health problems are prevalent among China’s internal migrant workers. However, research on the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and mental health is insufficient. Therefore, this study, utilizing the China’s National Dynamic Monitoring Survey data from a sample of 15,997 migrant workers aged 15–59 years to explore differences in the relationship between migrants’ objective and subjective SES and mental health status in 2015. Both the mediating effect of perceived interpersonal discrimination and the moderating effect of age were examined through structural equation modeling. The results indicated that subjective SES has a stronger direct relationship with mental health than objective SES. …

Differences In Suicidality In Non–Treatment-Seeking And Treatment-Seeking Law Enforcement Officers: A Cross-Sectional Study, Warren N. Ponder, Alaina M. Beauchamp, Donna L. Schuman, Jose Carbajal, Katelyn K. Jetelina, Jeanine M. Galusha

Faculty Publications

Objective: Law enforcement officers (LEOs) are exposed to high levels of occupational trauma and face added stress from heightened public scrutiny and COVID-19, which may result in suicide. It is crucial to understand differences between LEOs who seek treatment and those who do not. Method: We compared LEOs from the same greater metropolitan area who sought treatment with those who did not. Participants completed validated measures assessing posttraumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety, depression, and suicidality. Results: The treatment-seeking sample scores were higher on all standardized assessments. Bivariate logistic regression results indicated that the non–treatment-seeking sample's odds of experiencing suicidality were …

Worldviews Transformed: How God And His People Can Change Worldview, S. Joseph Kidder, Katelyn Campbell Weakley

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Social Life Of Females With Persistent Covid-19 Symptoms: A Qualitative Study, Atefeh Aghaei, Ran Zhang, Slone Taylor, Cheuk-Chi Tam, Chih-Hsiang Yang, Xiaoming Li Ph.D., Shan Qiao Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Persistent COVID-19 symptoms (long COVID) may bring challenges to long haulers' social lives. Females may endure more profound impacts given their special social roles and existing structural inequality. This study explores the effects of long COVID on the social life of female long haulers. We conducted semi-structured interviews via Zoom between April and June 2021 with 15 female long haulers in the United States, purposely recruited from Facebook and Slack groups and organization websites related to long COVID. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim with consent. The interview data were managed using MAXQDA and examined by thematic analysis. Long COVID …

Erratum: The Perfect Storm? Covid-19 And Substance Use Amongst Social Work Students In The Usa (The British Journal Of Social Work (2021) Doi: 10.1093/Bjsw/Bcab192), Youn Kyoung Kim, Sung Seek Moon, Mansoo Yu, Mee Young Um, Arati Maleku, Omoshola Kehinde, David Pooler

Faculty Publications

In the originally published manuscript, the affiliation for co-author Dr Arati Maleku contained an error. This should read: College of Social Work instead of College only. This error is now corrected in the article online.

The Perfect Storm? Covid-19 And Substance Use Amongst Social Work Students In The Usa, Youn Kyoung Kim, Sung Seek Moon, Mansoo Yu, Mee Young Um, Arati Maleku, Omoshola Kehinde, David Pooler

Faculty Publications

During the COVID-19 pandemic, health risk behaviours related to substance use have been recognised as a significant public health concern amongst university students. Understanding the mechanisms of substance use behaviours, including those used to cope with COVID-19-related stressors, is imperative to curate targeted prevention efforts. To that end, we examined substance use prevalence and its associations with socio-demographic characteristics, preventive behaviours, and mental health amongst US social work students. We collected data from 457 students across all degree levels (BSW, MSW and PhD) from July to August 2020 through an online survey, to examine thirty-day patterns of substance use behaviours …

Differences In Attachment, Resilience, And Negative Affect In Non-Treatment-Seeking And Treatment-Seeking Ems Professionals, Jose Carbajal, Warren N. Ponder, Lauren Malthaner, Kathryn Shahan, Katelyn Jetelina, Jeanine Galusha, Donna Schuman

Faculty Publications

Emergency medical service (EMS) professionals have a stressful vocation, inarguably worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic, which affects their mental health and makes them a vulnerable population warranting further study. However, to date, no published research has compared non-treatment and treatment-seeking EMS professionals in the same greater metropolitan area. In this study, we examined differences and similarities among the non-treatment-seeking EMS professionals (n = 57) from a local EMS agency and treatment-seeking EMS personnel (n = 53) from a non-profit community treatment center on six assessment instruments that measure attachment avoidance, attachment anxiety, resilience, depression, generalized anxiety, posttraumatic stress …

Perceptions Of Hazing Among Young Male United States Military Service Members: A Qualitative Analysis, Elizabeth C. Metzger, Jasmin N. Bennett, Cristobal S. Berry-Caban, Elizabeth J. Allan, Christopher J. Guenthner, Bryce M. Meerhaeghe, Brian Borsari, Donna M. Kazemi Phd, Rn, Cne, Fiaan, Lindsay M. Orchowski

Faculty Publications

This study examines hazing among a sample of young male service members in the United States (US) military. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with active duty service members (N = 10) aged 18 to 24 at a large Southeastern US Army post to examine their conceptualization of hazing. Thematic analysis revealed three emergent themes: (1) the definition of hazing and hazing behaviors; (2) the ritualistic nature of hazing; and (3) the sexual nature of hazing. Most participants provided their own definition of hazing. One participant had difficulty in differentiating between hazing and bullying, the others had distinct definitions as …

Contextual Factors Associated With Organizational Learning In Hospitals: An Instrument Development Study, Bret Lyman, Kylie C. Thorum

Faculty Publications

Aim: Develop a valid, reliable research instrument to measure contextual factors associated with organizational learning in hospitals.

Background: A valid, reliable instrument for measuring contextual factors associated with organizational learning is needed so nurse leaders and researchers can improve healthcare by facilitating and studying organizational learning.

Methods: The Organizational Learning in Hospitals model guided development of the Organizational Learning Instrument-Context. Content validity was refined and evaluated through cognitive interviews and expert reviews. The instrument was distributed to direct care nurses in Magnet® hospitals in the United States. Intraclass correlation coefficients validated the use of multilevel analyses. Construct validity was assessed …

Examining Social Determinants Of Health During A Pandemic: Clinical Application Of Z Codes Before And During Covid-19, Xueying Yang Ph.D., Brooks Yelton, Shujie Chen, Jiajia Zhang Ph.D., Bankole Olatosi Ph.D., Shan Qiao Ph.D., Xiaoming Li Ph.D., Daniela B. Friedman Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Recognition of the impact of social determinants of health (SDoH) on healthcare outcomes, healthcare service utilization, and population health has prompted a global shift in focus to patient social needs and lived experiences in assessment and treatment. The International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) provides a list of non-billable “Z codes” specific to SDoH for use in electronic health records. Using population-level analysis, this study aims to examine clinical application of Z codes in South Carolina before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study population consists of South Carolina residents who had a healthcare visit and had …

Parenting Education For Low-Income Job Seekers: A Mixed-Methods Analysis Of The Parenting With Love And Logic Program, Bryan Spuhler, Jacob A. Esplin, Kay Bradford, Brian J. Higginbotham

Faculty Publications

Although the principles and strategies outlined in Cline and Fay’s (1990) Parenting with Love and Logic have been the foundation for several parent and educator training curricula over the last 30 years, there has been a dearth of empirical research to evaluate these programs (Fay, 2012). Prior research has documented the impact of cumulative family risk factors on parenting skills and child outcomes (Repetti et al., 2002, 2012), but few studies have examined the impact of parenting education courses within unemployed, low-income families. This study investigates perceived parental efficacy across the four program domains of connection, autonomy, regulation, and parental …

Thalamic Shape Abnormalities Differentially Relate To Cognitive Performance In Early-Onset And Adult-Onset Schizophrenia, Derin J. Cobia, Chaz Rich, Matthew J. Smith, Pedro Engel Gonzalez, Will Cronenwett, John G. Csernansky, Lei Wang

Faculty Publications

Early-onset schizophrenia (EOS) shares many biological and clinical features with adult-onset schizophrenia (AOS), but may represent a unique subgroup with greater susceptibility for disease onset and worsened symptomatology and progression, which could potentially derive from exaggerated neurodevelopmental abnormalities. Neurobiological explanations of schizophrenia have emphasized the involvement of deep-brain structures, particularly alterations of the thalamus, which have been linked to core features of the disorder. The aim of this study was to compare thalamic shape abnormalities between EOS and AOS subjects and determine whether unique behavioral profiles related to these differences. It was hypothesized abnormal thalamic shape would be observed in …

Holiday Outreach, Morgan Williams, Kyra Collins, Karin Thompson

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.