Digital Commons Network^™

Creating Health Membership In A Health Commons, Melinda Dively-White

Theses and Graduate Projects

Persons living in the margins may be separated or isolated because of poverty, disability, gender, and ethnicity. Isolation, along with exposure to at-risk environments and barriers to accessing health care, contributes to adverse health outcomes. Nurses must be open to learning essential transcultural skills to work with persons living in the margins to provide culturally appropriate care that addresses health inequities. Students in a Doctor of Nursing Practice program at Augsburg University developed an innovative approach to care for people living in the margins. The Health Commons, a nursing-led drop-in center in Rochester, MN, and grounded in Newman's (1999) Health …

Improving Online Students’ Quality Of Relationships, Academic Success, And Overall Satisfaction: A Comparative Study Between Undergraduates Who Use And Who Do Not Use Student Affairs Resources, David Duvall

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

Online education is the fastest-growing option for student seeking completion of a degree from an institution of higher education. Students enjoy the increase pace of the coursework and the autonomy to complete it on their own time, while universities identify online education as a key factor in increasing their enrollment. However, the attrition rates of students seeking a degree through online coursework is much higher than that their on-campus counterparts. With factors such as funding, institutional rankings, and accreditation linked to the retention and graduation of its students, colleges and universities have much to gain by increasing the persistence of …

Life On The Front Line: Staff Experiences Handling Distressed Students And Their Perceptions On Job Satisfaction, Delcenia R. Collins

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

This qualitative study explored the experiences of new student affairs professionals handling mental health issues among college students and how it may influence their job satisfaction. Kucirka’s (2017) model of navigating the faculty–student relationship in the context of student mental health issues provided the framework for this study. There were 15 diverse participants from Wellness University, a large public research institution in the southwest region of the United States, who engaged in semi-structured interviews to share their experience about working with distressed students and how it has impacted their job satisfaction. Findings from this study revealed that new student affairs …

How Social Service Organizations Respond To Barriers To Latino Immigrant Employment, Abigayle Brooks

2020 Spring Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

Hispanics and Latinos form the largest group of immigrants but compared to other immigrant groups, they have some of the highest poverty rates. Despite these obstacles, full-time employment has been shown to be one of the greatest factors associated with lowering poverty. This study carried out a cross-sectional survey of representatives from social service organizations in the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) area to examine the prevalence of services that promote greater full-time employment among Latino immigrants. Most participants reported the provision of employment services at their organization, followed by welfare- and family-related services. Educational services were the least prevalent category of …

Examining The Effects Of Diversity On An Online Group Creativity Task, Deepti Yoganda

2020 Spring Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

Prior research has shown that group diversity influences the way one interacts with other group members, as well as how people act differently in a group setting versus being alone. To understand the impact that group diversity has on creativity in brainstorming ideas, this research study was conducted. Using archived data from a previous study, factors such as racial, gender, and educational background diversity were examined to see how they impact the generation of ideas in a group. This study uses college-aged students as participants, but the information derived from this study can inform how groups work, and which factors …

Exploring The Lived Experiences Of Rwandan Refugees Resettled In The Usa: A Descriptive Phenomenology Study, Betty Chelangat Tonui

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences associated with (genocide, migration, resettlement) and socio/cultural factors that influenced Rwandan refugees’ mental health in the United States (U.S.). In 2018, there were more than 25 million refugees displaced around the world, and more than 50,000 refugees were admitted to the United States in 2017 (UNHCR, 2019). Studies have shown that refugees are more likely to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety than the general population (Bogic et al., 2015; Goodkind et al., 2017). Despite the prevalence of mental health concerns amongst refugees, minimal information …

Traumatic Brain Injury In Service Members And Changes In Their Families: A Qualitative Interpretive Meta-Synthesis, Janise Miescke

2020 Spring Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

With the prevalence of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) in service members, there is little research on how this injury affects a service member holistically, including the family. This Qualitative Interpretive Meta-Synthesis sought to answer the question: how does existing literature depict the changes in the family after the service member sustains a TBI? Using qualitative methods, this study examined the original themes individually drawn from the literature of the eight existing articles on the topic. Then, methodically and with triangulation, finds overarching themes among the eight studies from the existing literature. Finding overarching themes helps to shed light on what …

'Queertility', Daniel Thomas Bixby Sykes

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Daniel Sykes, an Anthropology student at Utah State University used his Honors Capstone opportunity to understand the evolution of reproduction over the course of two semesters. During Fall of 2019, he focused on overviewing what Biological Archaeologists, Biologists, and Chemists understand of the evolution of various forms of reproduction from the distant past. During the Spring, he focused on the cutting edge allopathic research in fertility treatments and some of the social implications. Sykes posits that human society has the opportunity to treat infertility in the queer (lgbtqia+) community, given these up-and-coming treatments, even those forms of infertility that arise …

Debitage Attributes, Obsidian Source Analysis, And Prehistoric Mobility In Southeastern Idaho, Ben Joaquin Zumkeller

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study is to complement existing knowledge on prehistoric mobility in eastern and southern Idaho. I add specific detail regarding the use of Skull Canyon and its well-known Birch Creek rockshelters during hunter-gatherers’ logistical foraging rounds.

In addition, my research is a case study in combining debitage attribute analysis and intensive toolstone sourcing to read prehistoric mobility. Prior research has looked to obsidian toolstone sourcing to understand prehistoric eastern and southern Idaho mobility. However, no prior research has involved sourcing an entire, stratified assemblage of prehistoric debitage.

I collected flake attribute data from all 2,846 pieces of …

The Environmental Impact Of Immigration In The United States, Guizhen Ma

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Population growth increases pressure on the environment. Immigration may be harmful to the environment because it is the major force of population growth in the United States. However, this argument has not been supported by research findings. A few studies on this topic show that locations with higher numbers of immigrants experience better air quality than locations with greater proportions of U.S.-born residents. This research investigated the environmental impact of immigration through three independent studies. First, I tested the relationship between U.S.-born population, foreign-born population, and air quality across all the U.S. continental counties. This study analyzed the air quality …

Attitudes Of Health Profession Faculty Involved In A Simulation-Based Interprofessional Education Experience, Shannon Ashe

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Interprofessional education and collaborative practice are the current standards of the global healthcare field. In order to better understand the barriers to completing simulation-based interprofessional education (Sim-IPE), faculty attitudes and perceptions need to be identified and addressed. In the current study, the researcher sought to identify the attitudes of health profession faculty at a private university within a college of health sciences that includes over 20 academic programs, exclusive of medicine, in relation to a planned large-scale Sim-IPE in the acute care setting. Utilizing both a correlational and repeated measures approach, the researcher explored a previously planned interprofessional experience that …

Mental Health Counseling For Individuals With Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities: Attitudes And Experiences Of Licensed Counselors, Alysha Dawn Blagg

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The following study examined the attitudes and beliefs of licensed mental health counselors toward individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities (IDD) and those providing services to the population. This study examined if professional and/or personal contact with individuals with IDD impacts counselors’ attitudes. A quantitative research design was utilized to examine the relationships among counselors’ attitudes toward individuals with IDD, contact with the population, perception of treatment effectiveness, and confidence in working with individuals with IDD. The responses from 74 participants were used in data analysis for this study. Findings in this study suggested that counselors may hold neutral to low positive …

Risks Of Indirect Trauma Among Direct Support Professionals Who Work With Adults With Intellectual/ Developmental Disabilities: Impact On Organizational, Staff And Client Outcomes., Daniel A. Boamah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Direct support professionals (DSPs) provide a wide range of support services to persons with ID/DD to ensure their safety and welfare, development of independent living skills and integrate into their community. Existing literature has shown that as frontline workers, DSPs face various occupational hazards such as burnout, yet very little is known about prevalence of secondary trauma stress (STS) among DSPs.

The present study examines the prevalence of STS and the predictive factors of STS and burnout among DSPs who work with adults with ID/DD. In addition, the study looked at the relationships between burnout and STS on organization-related outcomes, …

The Effectiveness Of Implementing A Collaborative Mental Health Approach On Quality Of Life For Individuals Of Low Socioeconomic Status, Tyler Z. Tooley

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The ultimate purpose of this study is to provide insight and education to mental health clinicians, politicians and the general public of the numerous effects poverty has on mental health, in addition to the most beneficial ways to combat those insidious effects. The specific barriers met by individuals of low socioeconomic status severely affect psychological and physical health, as well as social and environmental relationships, which therefore diminish overall quality of life. The aim of this study is to examine the effectiveness of implementing a collaborative mental health approach for low income individuals on length of engagement in services and …

A Home Of Their Own: Past Policies For Foster Care, William Joseph Norris

Masters Theses

For the past fifty years, the states and the National Congress has been attempting to fix problems associated with the Foster Care system. Some of these measures have been successful, while some have not. This raises the question of what effective policy is and what is not. The hypothesis is that a focus on the effective child placement and adoption as well as family reunification will be beneficial policy for the system. This is the question that this study will attempt to answer in order to provide better policies for the problems ailing the system. Through the course of the …

Environmental Social Work In The Disciplinary Literature, 1991–2015, Amy Krings, Bryan G. Victor, John Mathias, Brian E. Perron

Social Work: School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Other Works

Despite increasing acknowledgment that the social work profession must address environmental concerns, relatively little is known about the state of scholarship on environmental social work. This study provides a scientometric summary of peer-reviewed articles (N=497) pertaining to environmental topics in social work journals between 1991 and 2015. We find that theoretical and empirical scholarship on environmental social work is growing, though this growth remains limited to specific geographical regions and topics. We note the need to clarify the relationship between environmental social work as a theoretical paradigm and as a research topic.

Foundations Of Social Work Research: Guidebook For Social Work Literature Reviews And Research Questions, Rebecca L. Mauldin, Matthew Decarlo

Mavs Open Press Open Educational Resources - Archive

This short guidebook provides information about selecting a research topic and research questions, searching for literature, reading and understanding scholarly writing, and writing a literature review to synthesize what is known and what remains to be learned about a social problem. For students who appreciate the availability of resources on the internet, it also provides links to additional materials. It can be used with its companion textbook, Foundations of Social Work Research by Rebecca L. Mauldin and Matthew DeCarlo, or as a stand-alone guide. [Visit the books' Pressbooks page to download the OER in other formats or to access an …

Disability Rights As A Necessary Framework For Crisis Standards Of Care And The Future Of Health Care, Laura Guidry-Grimes, Katie Savin, Joseph A. Stramondo, Joel Michael Reynolds, Marina Tsaplina, Teresa Blankmeyer Burke, Angela Ballantyne, Eva Feder Kittay, Devan Stahl, Jackie Leach Scully, Rosemarie Garland-Thomson, Anita Tarzian, Doron Dorfman, Joseph J. Fins

All Faculty Scholarship

In this essay, we suggest practical ways to shift the framing of crisis standards of care toward disability justice. We elaborate on the vision statement provided in the 2010 Institute of Medicine (National Academy of Medicine) “Summary of Guidance for Establishing Crisis Standards of Care for Use in Disaster Situations,” which emphasizes fairness; equitable processes; community and provider engagement, education, and communication; and the rule of law. We argue that interpreting these elements through disability justice entails a commitment to both distributive and recognitive justice. The disability rights movement's demand “Nothing about us, without us” requires substantive inclusion of disabled …

Maternal Mental Health And Keetoowah Women: Past, Present And Future, December Maxwell

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

American Indian/Native American (AI/NA) women experience postpartum depression (PPD) at a disproportionate rate compared to the rest of the United States population. Despite this known prevalence, little research exists exploring essential factors related to postpartum depression among them. Specifically, the experiences of AI/NA women during the postpartum period pertaining to their culture, birthing and mothering expectations, self-sufficiency, and transportation barriers, and trauma (personal and historical). This dissertation research uses the theory of becoming a mother, historical trauma framework, and reproductive justice framework as they all relate to both personal and historical trauma of AI/NA women and offer an innovative approach …

Engagement And Retention In Depression Treatment Among Hispanics In An Integrated Health Care Intervention: A Mixed Methods Analysis, Brittany Hernandez Eghaneyan

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

Disparities in the underutilization of mental health services remain prominent among Hispanics in the United States. While integrated health care models can contribute to the elimination of mental health care disparities experienced by Hispanics, more research on how patient-level factors impact engagement and retention within these models is needed. The current study was a secondary data analysis informed by an integrative framework based on Andersen’s Behavioral Model of Health Service Use (1968) to examine what factors are associated with Hispanics’ depression treatment engagement and retention in an integrated health care intervention that took place in a community clinic. Utilizing a …

Photovoice To Improve Postsecondary Success Among Foster Care Emerging Adults, Dana Hill

Social Work Theses - Archive

Refer to document

Exploring The Relationship Between Exposure To Intimate Partner Violence And An Emotional-Behavioral Disability Among Children Involved In The Child Welfare System, Kristen E. Ravi

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

This three-article dissertation examines the relationship between exposure to IPV and having an emotional-behavioral disability (EBD) among children in the child welfare system. The first article is a scoping review of the literature that explores how IPV and EBD have been defined and measured in the literature as well as the relationship between them. The second article is a cross-sectional study utilizing secondary data from Wave 3 of the second National Child and Adolescent Wellbeing (NSCAW II) Survey. Structural equation modeling (SEM) is used to analyze a mediational model to examine the role children’s trauma symptoms has on the relationship …

Nurses’ Reported Use Of Therapeutic Interventions Surrounding A Stillbirth Event, Sonya Woo

Nursing | Senior Theses

Psychological alterations and therapeutic interventions utilized for mothers who have suffered a stillbirth have been assessed and addressed in prior literature. This researcher reviewed ten articles highlighting the depression, grief, guilt, stress and concerns that can arise and interventions that were initiated within weeks immediately following stillbirth, during the time of a subsequent pregnancy, and a few years after having a subsequent child. An increased utilization of healthcare and health care provider presence have shown to positively influence the psychological effects of stillbirth. This researcher looked into the frequency and variety of which these interventions are being implemented in a …

2020 May, Morehead State University. Office Of Communications & Marketing.

Morehead State Press Release Archive, 1961 to the Present

Press releases for May of 2020.

Commencement 2020, Sacred Heart University

Commencement Programs

Program for the Graduate and Undergraduate ceremonies for the Class of 2020 held held May 15, 2021.

A Baseline Measurement Of Alcohol Use And Its Relating Factors As It Pertains To Abilene Christian University, Emily Glaze

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many studies show correlation in the understanding of social norms relating to drugs and alcohol use on college campuses and the effectiveness of campus alcohol education and prevention programs (Borsari & Carey, 2003; Dvorak et al., 2018; LaChance et al., 2009). Interest in alcohol education programs is increasing across the U.S. due to universities being asked to take more accountability for their students’ actions and the consequences of those actions, both on and off campus (Knoll v. Board of Regents of University of Nebraska, 1999). However, managing student drinking patterns is a daunting task for universities, as research indicates …

An Evaluation Of The Methodist Children's Home Gap Program, Ashten Wiedebusch

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Methodist Children’s Home’s (MCH) GAP Program provides services for grandparents raising their grandchildren. This single case study explores whether the services provided by the GAP Program will reduce the risk factors for grandparents raising their grandchildren while increasing their ability to care for the child in a way that will promote well-being in today’s complex world. The literature shows some challenges for these grandparents include: role ambiguity, limited legal rights, lack of resources, inadequate living arrangements, employment and retirement, health issues, and outdated parenting skills and disciplinary methods. Protective factors for grandparents include: adaptive coping skills, self-care, positive relationships, support, …

Comprehensive Review Of Telehealth Law And Literature: Implications For Future Policy And Patients, Morgan Kristensen

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

PURPOSE: The purpose of this Capstone is to determine whether telehealth is effective at producing positive health outcomes, and what the current status of state telehealth law is in the United States and how can the law be changed to improve the implementation and use of telehealth services. METHODS: A literature review of PubMed was used to find articles relating to telehealth and its effectiveness. A law review of each state’s telehealth and telemedicine laws was conducted using Westlaw. RESULTS: The literature review uncovered that telehealth has the potential to produce positive health outcomes for a variety of conditions and …

Prevalence Of Intimate Partner Violence Among The Maternal-Fetal Medicine Population, Sarah K. Larsen

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is increasingly understood as an important public health issue. It is well understood that intimate partner violence has many negative effects on its survivors ranging from physical to mental health conditions. The population of people who experience intimate partner violence and population of pregnant women are both vulnerable populations. Examining the two populations together demands a trauma-informed approach and an understanding of the intricacies of both pregnancy and intimate partner violence. While IPV has been studied among the pregnant population, intimate partner violence as it relates to the maternal fetal medicine (MFM) or high-risk pregnancy population …

An Examinationof Postpartum Depression And Its' Effects On Children, Paige L. Eimen

Honors Capstones

The objective of this paper was to examine the prominent key predictors of postpartum depression (PPD), how mother’s PPD may affect children, and what treatments are most effective in treating PPD. A literature review was used to find relevant information on the topics as well as a systematic review was conducted to review literature related to PPD and child outcomes. In the systematic review, a literature search was conducted and 481 articles from PubMed and 48 articles from PsycINFO were screened using predetermined search terms and inclusion criteria, resulting in only three articles meeting criteria. From the first section, key …