Digital Commons Network^™

Integration Of Social Work Practices With Refugees: An Action Research Study, Avril Williams Knox

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The United States is facing an increasing number of refugees and asylees who resettled and were forced to migrate from their countries of origin. In the United States, social service professionals and social workers of resettlement agencies are responsible for the program enrollment and follow-up with newly arrived refugees. Hence, there is a huge learning curve for these individuals. Although a substantial number of refugees are linked to appropriate resources, many are neglected and are unable to sustain themselves. This action research was based upon family systems theory. Integrative techniques used by social workers were explored. The information was subjective, …

Foster Parents’ Perceptions Of Services Needed To Help Manage Foster Children’S Emotional And Behavioral Issues, Timothy A. Lance

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Children entering the foster care system in the United States have higher rates of behavioral and emotional issues than children in the general population. Research has revealed that foster parents need to be trained in how to manage the emotional and behavioral problems of children placed in their care. However, there is a gap in knowledge regarding foster care providers’ perceptions of services they may need to assist them in managing their foster children’s behavioral and emotional problems. A generic qualitative approach was used to address the question: What are foster parents’ perceptions of services they need to effectively manage …

Child Welfare Workers Perceptions Of Their Competencies At Detecting And Reporting Abuse Of Foster Children, Shameka Angela Manigault

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Child abuse is a national issue in the United States. Past research has revealed that child welfare workers competency at detecting and reporting child abuse comes with challenges and barriers. Poor recognition and reporting of suspected maltreatment are problematic because a lack of action on the part of child welfare workers may leave children vulnerable to continued abuse, which could result in increased morbidity and mortality for the children. This generic qualitative study examined child welfare workers perceptions of their professional competencies at detecting and reporting abuse of foster children during out-of-home placements. Bandura's principles of self-efficacy as presented in …

Examining Predictors Of Birth Outcomes: Implications For Early Childhood Development And Policy, Cissy Lee Mattingly

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

While the infant mortality rate has improved significantly in the United States in recent years, a Black-White disparity persists. The problem is the high infant mortality rate in the state of Texas. The purpose of this quantitative multiple logistic regression study was to examine disparities in birth outcomes in the state of Texas by race, ethnicity, and other significant predictors related to socioeconomic status. The Mosley-Chen theoretical framework bridges the gap between social science and biomedicine to identify key predictors of infant mortality including socioeconomic factors for studies in child development. The 2 research questions examined if race and ethnicity …

Perceptions Of Probation Officers Placing Juvenile Sex Offenders In Rural South Carolina, Anthony Rochell Nelson Sr

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the western world, juveniles move through the criminal justice system by the hundreds of thousands. The probation services for many juveniles, however, are lacking due to the limited amount of psychological counseling, mental health facilities, and available mentors. Probation officers face accelerated challenges for juvenile sex offenders, particularly those residing in rural areas where resources are even more limited. Using the attribution theory, this qualitative case study explored the perceptions and decision-making challenges facing four juvenile intensive supervision officers in rural South Carolina when placing youthful offenders. Interviews were coded and analyzed using thematic content analysis. Results showed that …

Problems With Basing Insect Ethics On Individuals’ Welfare, Susana Monsó, Antonio J. Osuna-Mascaró

Animal Sentience

In their target article, Mikhalevich & Powell (M&P) argue that we should extend moral protection to arthropods. In this commentary, we show that there are some unforeseen obstacles to applying the sort of individualistic welfare-based ethics that M&P have in mind to certain arthropods, namely, insects. These obstacles have to do with the fact that there are often many more individuals involved in our dealings with insects than our ethical theories anticipate, and also with the fact that, in some sense, some insects count as more than an individual and, in another sense, they sometimes count as less than an …

Lessons From Miniature Brains: Cognition Cheap, Memory Expensive (Sentience Linked To Active Movement?), Giorgio Vallortigara

Animal Sentience

Studies on invertebrate minds suggest that the neural machinery for basic cognition is cheap, and that bigger brains are probably associated with greater memory storage rather than more advanced cognition. Sentience may be linked to feedforward mechanisms (Reafferenzprinzip) that allow organisms with active movement to distinguish active and passive sensing. Invertebrates may offer special opportunities for testing these hypotheses.

Strategies To Sustain Funding In The Nonprofit Sector, Mark Sami

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nonprofits provide much needed services to communities, especially to the poor and

vulnerable population, but the majority are operating in an environment of uncertainty

because of scarcity of resources. It is imperative that nonprofit managers implement

strategies to ensure the sustainability of their organizations. Grounded in the general

systems theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore

strategies that nonprofit managers use to sustain funding in the nonprofit sector. The

study participants were 3 nonprofit managers, including 2 from the Caribbean, and 1

from the United States. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and a review …

Effects Of Depression And Health Habits On Diabetes Outcomes, Yvonne Marie Chapa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Diabetes mellitus outcomes are intensified by the lack of screening and awareness for depressive symptoms, alcohol consumption, cigarette use, and gender difference. The purpose of this quantitative survey study, grounded in biopsychosocial theory, was to investigate the best predictor (alcohol consumption, cigarette use, and the exploratory variable gender) of diabetes outcome in a Mexican American population. Data were collected using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 with 120 Mexican American patients from a diabetic clinic in Southern Texas. Results from a multiple regression analysis indicated that gender was the best predictor. A series of Pearson correlations revealed a significant positive relationship between …

Social And Ecological Determinants Of Physical Activity For Youth With Cerebral Palsy, George E. Gorton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Physical inactivity is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, increasing risk for noncommunicable disease and compromised physical, social, and mental health. However, fewer than 20% of U.S. youth meet physical activity guidelines; youth with disabilities are even less active. Physical activity is influenced by personal, family, social, organizational, community, and environmental factors acting within a social-ecological framework. To what extent is not well understood. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which social and ecological factors are associated with participation of youth with cerebral palsy in physical activity. The research design was a cross-sectional, quantitative …

The Influences Of School Counselors' Professional Development On Their Comfort Levels Addressing Mental Health And Substance Use, Megan Lynne Hines

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study was an investigation of the comfort levels of school counselors to address PK-12 students’ mental health and substance use concerns. While incidents of bullying and school shootings rise it is unclear how school counselors’ professional development has influenced their level of comfort identifying and addressing PK-12 students’ mental health and substance use concerns. Accordingly, this quantitative descriptive survey examined school counselors’ recognition of mental health and substance use symptoms, frequency of encounter, and whether their developmental stages influenced their comfort levels in addressing students’ mental health and substance use concerns. Rønnestad and Skovholt’s counselor development model was the …

The Relationships Among Body Appreciation, Self-Esteem, Academic Self-Efficacy, And Academic Achievement, Alicia Camille Latty

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Because poor body image is correlated with poor academic outcomes, it is possible that body appreciation may be associated with improved academic outcomes. The problem that was addressed in the current investigation was the lack of research on the potential relationships between academic outcomes and positive body image, conceptualized as body appreciation. Accordingly, this study leveraged a positive psychology approach to examine the ways body appreciation and self-esteem predict academic self-efficacy and self-reported GPA. The framework combined Bandura’s (1977) theory of self-efficacy and Higgins’ (1987) self-discrepancy theory with Seligman’s (2000) positive psychology approach. This quantitative study followed a non-experimental correlational …

Living With Multiple Sclerosis, William Witt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Background: Continuity of care is a crucial characteristic of high quality multiple sclerosis (MS) care. Nevertheless, experiences of MS patients with continuing care are currently understudied, particularly through in-depth methods, such as qualitative approaches. This is despite the significance of continuity of care in improving patient satisfaction and the quality of life of patients with chronic diseases.

Aim: To examine the experiences and perceptions of MS patients with continuity of care through a critical exploration of their lives following hospitalization for an exacerbation.

Design of the study: Qualitative using phenomenological approach.

Participants: Eight participants living with MS. All participants were …

Predictive Factors Of Determinants Of Health And Services Provided At Adult Day Service Centers, Nardia Anthonalla Aldridge

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The National Association of Adult Day Service Centers has suggested that adult day service centers can provide services to meet the complex needs of the older adult and delay nursing home placement. Researchers have yet been able to establish the predictive nature of determinants of health in Adult Day Care Centers (ADSCs). The purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationship between the determinants of health and the presence of therapeutic services and nursing services at ADSCs. The open system theory guided this study. Data sets from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016 Adult Day Services …

Motivational Strategies To Retain Insurance Finance Professionals, Derrick Anthony Blythe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The failure to retain talented employees can have adverse organizational outcomes. Organizational leaders are concerned with retaining talented employees, as retaining talented employees is critical for maintaining their corporations’ competitive advantage. Grounded in Herzberg’s motivation-hygiene theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore motivational strategies insurance finance managers use to retain talented insurance finance professionals. The participants consisted of 6 insurance finance managers in 4 mid-to-large size insurance companies in Connecticut who successfully implemented motivational strategies to retain their talented insurance finance professionals and 8 focus group participants. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and a …

Chronic Pain Management In The Primary Care Setting, Rebecca Ann Day

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Chronic pain is pain that lasts longer than 12 weeks, affects an individual physically in some mental or psychological way, influences an individual’s job performance, and may create a social complication over time. Ensuring the best possible care for the patient’s pain with the least possible complications is the responsibility of the health care provider, including nurse practitioners. Providing a clinical practice guideline (CPG) for the management of chronic pain in the primary care setting was the focus of this project. The comfort theory model was used as a framework for this project as well as the basis of nursing …

Severe Maternal Morbidity In Michigan: An Investigation Of Health Disparities, Laura Houdeshell-Putt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Severe maternal morbidity (SMM) rates in Michigan have increased over the past 20 years and continue to affect racial and ethnic women disproportionately. Women experiencing health conditions that complicate pregnancy outcomes have a greater risk of having poor obstetric outcomes that result in a SMM event. To evaluate the distribution of women experiencing health conditions that complicate pregnancy and a SMM event, geographic information systems were utilized in this study. The purpose of this study was to depict trends in the prevalence of 4 health conditions and SMM among women hospitalized for obstetric delivery in Michigan from 2016–2017. The 4 …

Clinicians’ Perspectives On Distinguishing Between Religious/Spiritual And Psychotic Phenomena, Jessica K. Parker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Psychosis is a central concept in mental health, yet the concept is unclear. Clinicians are challenged with the task to be able to distinguish psychotic phenomena; however, little is known about how clinicians are able to distinguish religious/spiritual phenomena from psychotic phenomena, as both may be similar in presentation. The focus of this dissertation was on understanding the perspectives and distinguishing processes of mental health professionals when distinguishing between religious/spiritual and psychotic phenomena. Taking a generic qualitative framework approach, the study included face-to-face and telephone interviews with 10 licensed mental health professionals recruited through social media and snowball sampling. Interviews …

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder And Social Work Practice In Suffolk, Va., Porcha Lynn Porter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a well-known disorder that children are increasingly diagnosed with, but the school setting is still unprepared for this disorder. Research has also shown that there is still a need for school staff be more educated and trained on this disorder so that they can see how the environment, including the school setting, plays a significant role in increasing the symptoms including adding to the stigma. The gap in literature found that the social expectations that shape the school environment can create a challenge for children with an ADHD diagnosis and contribute to the stigma …

Impact Of Perceived Computed Tomography Radiation Risk And Benefit On Healthcare Decision-Making, Joseph Princewill

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Patient-centered care is focused on healthcare consumers becoming more involved in their own health care decision-making. Research is needed to examine how those decisions are made in different settings. The purpose of this concurrent transformative design mixed method study was to evaluate how the perceived health risks and benefits of Computed Tomography (CT) influenced decision-making to accept or reject a hypothetical CT recommendation. One hundred thirty-four participants read 1 of 8 vignettes on how either “high” or “low” susceptibility to cancer risk, severity of exposure to radiation, and diagnostic benefits affected their decision-making. Using the health belief model as a …

Sex Differences In Lyme Disease Symptomatology In The Northeast United States, Jeanine Scotti

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Guided by the gender-analysis-matrix theoretical framework, 3 key areas of research inquiries focused on the relationship between sex and Lyme disease, symptoms of Lyme disease and sex, and severity of Lyme disease symptoms on sex. A quantitative secondary data analysis was used to address the research questions. A clinician specializing in caring for individuals with Lyme disease provided the dataset, containing responses to the Horowitz Multiple Systemic Infectious Disease Syndrome Questionnaire for Lyme disease. A cross-sectional, comparative research design incorporating 2 statistical techniques for analysis—the independent samples t test and multivariable regression analyses—was used to examine symptom counts and the …

Grit And Female Graduates’ Experiences In Engineering And Computer Science Programs, Jennifer Ilene Watson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Institutions have implemented recruitment and retention initiatives in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) degree programs; however, gender disparity of women in engineering and computer science programs persists. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of female graduates from engineering and computer science programs. The conceptual framework was the theory of grit to explore how female students sustained their passion and perseverance through obstacles and adverse situations. Data were gathered through semistructured interviews with 17 female participants who graduated from engineering and computer science programs in the United States. Data were analyzed through a …

Acculturative Experiences Of African American Military Wives In An Arctic Environment, Demetria Roshan White

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

United States military wives typically relocate every few years with their active-duty husbands. But little is known about the acculturative stress and stressors associated with relocating and reestablishing a military home in an Arctic environment. This qualitative research focused on African American women who were also military wives and the acculturative stress they encountered in relocating to an Arctic environment. Face to face interviews provided a platform for 10 military wives to share their personal experiences. The acculturative stress that African American military wives’ acculturative stress and stressors encountered in relocating from a non-Arctic to an Arctic environment are not …

Social Determinants Of Adherence To Antiretroviral Therapy Among Hiv+ Youth, Wanza Rochelle Bacon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Young adults, especially African American men who have sex with men (MSM) have the lowest rates of antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence among all age groups; however, they experience greater than 50% of all new Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infections among individuals 13 to 24 years of age. Despite the availability of ART, young MSM continue to experience suboptimal rates of adherence and are one of the most vulnerable populations for contracting HIV. Grounded in the social cognitive theory, my aim for this quantitative cross-sectional study was to investigate the relationship between diverse social determinants and ART adherence among young adult …

Living With Killing: The Lived Experiences Of Young Black Men In South Chicago, Ponda Barnes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Homicide is a serious public health crisis in the United States, and it has long-term health, psychological, economic, and social implications to society, including disproportionately impacting one group. Among young African American males between the ages 15–24, homicide is the leading cause of death,. Much has been written about this phenomenon, but the voices of the young men directly involved are rarely heard. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to investigate youth violence and homicide through the lens of male African Americans aged 18-24 living in one low-income community in Chicago, with the objective of understanding why Black …

Compassion Fatigue And Police Use Of Force, Amanda K. Devan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Compassion fatigue is a natural response to caring, where burnout and exhaustion result from helping professions which includes police officers. Exposure to trauma and stress increases the risk of developing compassion fatigue in helper professions and may have negative implications on overall mental health and physical well-being. However, not much is known about the behavioral effects of compassion fatigue among police officers during use-of-force incidents. The purpose of this study was to examine whether compassion fatigue in police officers is predictive of use-of- force incidents. The theoretical foundation was Figley’s theory of compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue. Survey data were …

Maternal And Infant Birth Characteristics As Predictors Of Sudden Unexpected Infant Death, Betty Jean Ezell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID) is a public health issue recognized by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as the sudden and unexpected death of a baby less than 1 year old, often during sleep, with no obvious cause. Despite known SUID risk factors for infants and mothers, there is limited research on combinations of infant birth characteristics and mother demographics that could be indicative of a higher risk of infant death. The purpose of this cross-sectional quantitative study was to examine the extent to which infant birth characteristics, delivery characteristics, month prenatal care began, and …

Association Between Mental Health Problems, Substance Use, And Social Support In Youth, Venida Gray

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mental health problems are a major public health concern and may be associated with substance use among youth. Youth who receive inadequate social support are at risk of experiencing mental health problems and engaging in substance use. The purpose of this study, guided by the relational regulation theory of social support and the self-medication theory, was to determine whether there was an association between mental health problems, social support, and substance abuse among middle school (MS) and high school (HS) students and whether this association varies with age, using secondary data from the Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey This study …

Exploring Cybersecurity Awareness And Training Strategies To Protect Information Systems And Data, Michael Hanna

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ineffective security education, training, and awareness (SETA) programs contribute to compromises of organizational information systems and data. Inappropriate actions from users due to ineffective SETA programs may result in legal consequences, fines, reputational damage, adverse impacts on national security, and criminal acts. Grounded in social cognitive theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies hospitality organizational information technology (IT) leaders utilized to implement SETA successfully. The participants were organizational IT leaders from four organizations in Hampton Roads, Virginia. Data collection was performed using telephone and video teleconference interviews with organizational IT leaders (n = 6) …

Work-Life Balance Best Practices, Amy Marie Higgins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Poor balance between workplace and family life has been shown to increase stress and impact emotional well-being. Nurses continue to report burnout and high stress levels from time spent in the workplace which contributes to an inability to balance work with life. The gap in nursing practice leadership is the lack of knowledge and tools for supporting the emotional well-being of managers and direct care nursing staff. The purpose of this systematic review was to compile a summary of rigorous evidence-based literature on programs and strategies that nursing leaders can use to provide support in achieving work-life balance for nursing …