Digital Commons Network^™

A Tool For Digital Bibliotherapy: Fostering Emotional Resiliency Through A Visual Novel, Joy Cooper

Calvert Undergraduate Research Awards

Suicide rates among children have risen over the last three years. In Clark County specifically, the numbers doubled between 2019 and 2021. The research for this project sought to find the benefits of bibliotherapy and create a tool to be used for early intervention in children displaying signs of developmental emotional and behavioral concerns. Additionally, the research focused on determining the benefits of bibliotherapy across various mediums with a particular aim on the accessibility of digital formats. The research concluded that bibliotherapy in a digital format is not only beneficial but has a tendency to produce higher engagement among children. …

Resilience And Vulnerability: The Impact Of Deprivation, Social Capital, And Distance Sensitivity On Mental Health In Covid-19 Vaccine Seekers, Cesar Ivan Landeros

All ETDs from UAB

The COVID-19 pandemic has inflicted profound challenges upon California, exacerbating disparities in care, access, and health outcomes within vulnerable and deprived communities. Especially, this crisis has led to a surge in mental health issues, with anxiety and depression emerging as predominant psychopathologies, and the rates of anxiety and depression are alarmingly high in disadvantaged communities. In California, the strikingly high prevalence of these symptoms at 31.7%, compared to the national average of 32.3%, sounds a critical alarm. Despite empirical investigations into anxiety and depression rates across a range of demographic groups worldwide—such as survivors, healthcare professionals, children, adolescents, and adults—the …

Did The Psychological Implications Of Covid-19 Influence Employees To Say, “I Quit”, Lori Fay

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study explored the forces that influenced employees to quit and how the employee-manager relationship mitigated this. The research centered on employees employed in the retail industry throughout the year 2020. This study aimed to investigate what factors motivated employees to remain committed to their organizations amidst the psychological impacts of COVID-19. The findings of this study suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the mental well-being of individuals, as evidenced by their experiences of anxiety, depression, and emotional fatigue. Understanding the impact of COVID-19 on employee turnover and the influence of the employee-manager relationship …

A Systematic Review On Anxious Attachment And Relationship Satisfaction, Laura Mendez

Theses and Dissertations

Romantic relationships can serve as a source of intimacy, security, support, and comfort for many individuals. Many studies have identified adult attachment as an important predictor of romantic relationship/marital satisfaction. However, many studies have found anxious attachment to be a predictor of poor relationship satisfaction. Moreover, individuals high in attachment anxiety have been found to constantly worry and ruminate about their relationships, specifically, about the fear of being abandoned or rejected by their romantic partner. As such, it is important to further understand which factors strengthen or weaken relationship/marital satisfaction in anxiously attached adults. This systematic review aimed to answer …

The Lonely Battle: Women’S Journey Through The Nicu, Molly Kay Murphy

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

One in ten pregnancies end with placement of an infant into the NICU (NCHS, 2021). NICU mothers experience increased rates of PTSD, anxiety, and depression, (Lefkowitz et al., 2010; Lotterman et al., 2019) and little is known about their lived experiences in the NICU. To gain a better understanding of the stressor’s women face, this research asked: How do women with infants in NICU care make meaning of their NICU experience? Using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (Smith et al., 2009), two rounds of semi-structured interviews were conducted with six participants. The results revealed women’s emotional experiences while having an infant in …

Special Education Teachers’ Perceptions Of Cognitive–Behavioral Interventions In The Classroom For Adolescent Autistic Students With Anxiety, Kasey Jane Aposhian

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often struggle with comorbid disorders like anxiety. However, special education teachers may lack the training to implement specific interventions in the classroom setting for adolescents with ASD and anxiety. This qualitative action research study was conducted to examine how special education teachers work with adolescents diagnosed with both ASD and anxiety. Bandura’s reciprocal determinism concept guided this study by explaining that the classroom environment and adolescents’ cognition and behavior should be considered when implementing cognitive–behavioral therapy (CBT) for students with ASD and anxiety. The two research questions asked participants to describe their ability to …

Special Education Teachers’ Perceptions Of Cognitive–Behavioral Interventions In The Classroom For Adolescent Autistic Students With Anxiety, Kasey Jane Aposhian

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often struggle with comorbid disorders like anxiety. However, special education teachers may lack the training to implement specific interventions in the classroom setting for adolescents with ASD and anxiety. This qualitative action research study was conducted to examine how special education teachers work with adolescents diagnosed with both ASD and anxiety. Bandura’s reciprocal determinism concept guided this study by explaining that the classroom environment and adolescents’ cognition and behavior should be considered when implementing cognitive–behavioral therapy (CBT) for students with ASD and anxiety. The two research questions asked participants to describe their ability to …

Adolescent Rejection Sensitivity And Anxiety: The Moderating Effects Of Problem-Solving Skills And Gender, Kathleen Naumann

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractRejection sensitivity is the ongoing anxious or angry expectation of interpersonal rejection. Anxiety can potentially have a significant detrimental impact on the mental health of adolescents who are characterized as having rejection sensitivity. Although negative consequences of anxiety on mental health have been studied, there is a limited understanding regarding how rejection sensitive adolescents are at risk for anxiety. This study involved examining relations between adolescent rejection sensitivity and anxiety and whether they were moderated by problem-solving skills, an indicator of resiliency, as well as gender. Theoretical frameworks in this study were the rejection sensitivity model and resilience theory. This …

Racial Healing In The Church: The Usefulness Of The Interpersonal Process In Therapy Model, Winston Seegobin

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

Racial disunity is a major challenge facing the Christian church. This article examines psychological factors that contribute to and maintain both racial disunity and racial unity through the lens of the Interpersonal Process in Therapy model (Sullivan, 1968; Teyber & Teyber, 2017). It looks at how early interpersonal relationships in childhood influence interpersonal relationships as adults and how the therapeutic relationship as a healing influence can be applied to racial healing as adults. Spiritual factors that contribute to and maintain racial disunity and racial unity are also discussed. Understanding that it is the relationship that heals, specific strategies such as …

Anxiety And Uterine Artery Doppler Flow In A Population Of Pregnant Women Of High Risk Down Syndrome Fetus: A Prospective Cohort Study, Mahboobeh Shirazi, Mehnoosh Torkzaban, Margan Ghaemi, Maryam Moshfeghi, Mahmood Shirazi, Maryam Emadzadeh, Lida Ahmadi, Zahra Khazaeipoor, Sara Mirzaeian

Department of Radiology Faculty Papers

Background: Fetal exposure to maternal anxiety is associated with low birth weight and maternal stress may be led to constriction of uterine arteries. This study compared the relation of anxiety and uterine artery doppler flow indices in pregnant women with the high and low-risk of Down syndrome.

Materials and methods: This prospective cohort study was conducted among pregnant women in the second trimester that were classified as having a high or low risk according to their prenatal aneuploidy screening outcome. The high risk group underwent amniocentesis. Anxiety was initially assessed using the Spielberger State-Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and uterine artery blood …

The Relationships Between Flow, Mathematics Self-Efficacy, And Mathematics Anxiety Among International Undergraduate Students In The United States, Samah Abduljabbar

Dissertations

Problem

A worldwide problem, math anxiety is defined as an anxious state with an unpleasant feeling of tension characterized by fear of failing to achieve mathematics targets. Psychologically, math anxiety involves anxiety, tension, discomfort, nervousness, fear, shock, and insecurity. Math anxiety has been perceived as a key influencer of reduced math achievement, and avoidance of math-related careers. On the other hand, abilities, flow, interests, and psychological conditions contribute to student mathematics success. Belief in one's ability to perform a specific task boosts self-efficacy, which has been studied widely as a predictor of student academic performance. When students are interested in, …

Predictors Of Statistics Anxiety Among Graduate Students In Saudi Arabia, Rabab Abdulghani

Dissertations

Problem

The problem addressed in this study is the anxiety experienced by graduate students toward statistics courses, which often causes students to delay taking statistics courses until the end of their program. Students believe that statistics courses are not essential and are the greatest obstacles to obtaining their degree. Previous theoretical models have focused on predicting student performance in statistics. However, this study aims to identify specific factors that could decrease student statistics anxiety and enhance positive attitudes and self-efficacy toward statistics. The study developed a conceptual model to predict statistics anxiety among graduate students in educational and social science …

The Mediating Effect Of Resilience On The Relationship Between Symptom Burden And Anxiety/Depression Among Chinese Patients With Primary Liver Cancer After Liver Resection, Xue Zhang, Haoran Zhang, Zonghao Zhang, Hua Fan, Shuwen Li

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: Primary liver cancer (PLC) is a common cancer of the digestive system. Patients with PLC often experience a heavy symptom burden and along with a significant levels of anxiety and depression after liver resection. High levels of symptom burden can lead to increased anxiety and depression, whereas high levels of resilience can alleviate these conditions. Therefore, we aimed to explore the relationships among symptom burden, resilience, and anxiety/depression in Chinese patients with PLC after liver resection and to determine whether resilience mediates the relationship between symptom burden and anxiety/depression.

Patients and methods: A total of 223 postoperative PLC patients …

One Voice Training To Enable Nurses And Anesthesia Providers To Mitigate Pediatric Presurgical Anxiety, Sarah E. Hinnant

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

ABSTRACT

ONE VOICE Training to Enable Nurses and Anesthesia Providers to Mitigate Pediatric Presurgical Anxiety

Sarah E. Hinnant

Background: Children in the preoperative area experience presurgical anxiety at rates of up to seventy-five percent. Increased pediatric anxiety is directly linked to increased anesthetic requirements, increased risk for development of emergence delirium, and increased time spent in the post anesthesia care unit. Numerous high-quality studies show that intervention by a certified child life specialist mitigates preoperative pediatric anxiety. Often child life specialists are not available to meet with all children prior to surgery. Registered nurses (RNs) and certified registered nurse anesthesiologists …

Improving Psychological Well-Being Of Young Adults By Conducting Family History Research At A Religious University, Barry M. Lunt, Kelly R. Summers, David A. Wood

Faculty Publications

Prior research suggests that knowledge of one’s family is correlated with, but does not produce, psychological well-being. We test this conjecture, by examining whether participating in family history research (i.e., genealogical research) is associated with psychological well-being above and beyond the effects of knowledge of one’s family, documented in prior research. To test this, we examine whether students enrolled in a university level family history course, improve in family identification, self-esteem, anxiety, resilience, and locus of control more than a control sample. For students enrolled in the family history course, we find an increase in family identification, which in turn …

When The Bough Breaks: Alcohol Misuse Among Jamaican Young Adults, Marsha Smith

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The incidence of alcohol misuse globally continues to be a significant problem with copious adverse health and social causes and implications. The prevalence of alcohol misuse in Jamaica, British West Indies, instigated the trifold objective of this study. The ecological systems model provided a framework for conceptualizing multilayered biological and social processes that interact to determine mental health. This study examined anxiety and depression, family structure, and perceived parental warmth and control as predictors of alcohol misuse among young adults ages 18 to 30 residing in Jamaica. The current study revealed a correlation between alcohol misuse and higher levels of …

The Role Of Flumazenil In Generalised Anxiety Disorder: A Pilot Naturalistic Open-Label Study With A Focus On Treatment Resistance, Alexander T. Gallo, Stephen Addis, Vlad Martyn, Hishani Ramanathan, Grace K. Wilkerson, Kellie S. Bennett, Sean D. Hood, Hans Stampfer, Gary K. Hulse

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Anxiety disorders are highly prevalent and chronic disorders with treatment resistance to current pharmacotherapies occurring in approximately one in three patients. It has been postulated that flumazenil (FMZ) is efficacious in the management of anxiety disorders via the removal of 4 2 gamma-aminobutyric acid A receptors. Objective: To assess the safety and feasibility of continuous low-dose FMZ infusions for the management of generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) and collect preliminary efficacy data. Design: Uncontrolled, open-label pilot study. Method: Participants had a primary diagnosis of generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) and received two consecutive subcutaneous continuous low-dose FMZ infusions. Each infusion contained …

Self-Administered Meditation Application Intervention For Cancer Patients With Psychosocial Distress: A Pilot Study, Gabriel Lopez, Alejandro Chaoul, Carla L Warneke, Aimee J Christie, Catherine Powers-James, Wenli Liu, Santhosshi Narayanan, Marvin Delgado-Guay, Yisheng Li, Eduardo Bruera, Lorenzo Cohen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: We explored the use of a novel smart phone-based application (APP) for delivery and monitoring of meditation to treat mood symptoms experienced by cancer patients.

METHODS: We assessed the feasibility of using a meditation delivery and tracking APP over 2-weeks and its impact on cancer patients' self-reported anxiety and depression. Outpatients reporting depression and/or anxiety were recruited and randomized to the APP or waitlist control group. Assessments included an expectancy scale, exit survey, mood rating before and after each meditation, and the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS-FS), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) …

Risk Of Depression In A Suburban Primary Care Setting Before And During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Carman H Whiting, Pouran Yousefi, Jude K A Des Bordes, Nahid J Rianon

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: Major depression is a common disorder affecting millions of adults each year. Many population-based surveys showed an increase in the number people with symptoms of depression at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our aim was to determine and compare the prevalence of depression risk in a primary care setting before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study based on retrospective review of medical records from a large suburban primary care clinic. Records of adults 18 years and older, seen between January 1, 2019 and December 31, 2020 and who had also been screened for …

A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Of Long Term Physical And Mental Sequelae Of Covid-19 Pandemic: Call For Research Priority And Action, Na Zeng, Yi-Miao Zhao, Wei Yan, Chao Li, Qing-Dong Lu, Lin Liu, Shu-Yu Ni, Huan Mei, Kai Yuan, Le Shi, Peng Li, Teng-Teng Fan, Jun-Liang Yuan, Michael V Vitiello, Thomas Kosten, Alexandra L Kondratiuk, Hong-Qiang Sun, Xiang-Dong Tang, Mei-Yan Liu, Ajit Lalvani, Jie Shi, Yan-Ping Bao, Lin Lu

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The long-term physical and mental sequelae of COVID-19 are a growing public health concern, yet there is considerable uncertainty about their prevalence, persistence and predictors. We conducted a comprehensive, up-to-date meta-analysis of survivors' health consequences and sequelae for COVID-19. PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Library were searched through Sep 30th, 2021. Observational studies that reported the prevalence of sequelae of COVID-19 were included. Two reviewers independently undertook the data extraction and quality assessment. Of the 36,625 records identified, a total of 151 studies were included involving 1,285,407 participants from thirty-two countries. At least one sequelae symptom occurred in 50.1% (95% …

Learning A Healthy Rhythm: An Intervention To Increase Children’S Resources For Stress Management, Kristin Haglund, Amanda L. King, Abir K. Bekhet, Mauricio Garnier-Villarreal, Karen Olson, Rashs Atshan, Angela Ortiz, Johanna De Los Santos, Ruth Ann Belknap

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

This article describes a pilot test of a community engaged, culturally relevant, arts-based intervention. The purpose was to increase children’s personal protective buffering resources. Protective buffering resources help children cope with stressful stimuli, reduce activation of their systemic stress response, mitigate allostatic load, and promote optimal health. The “Learning a Healthy Rhythm” intervention included a stress management component and an ongoing Afro-Latino percussion program for 18 children ages 9–11. The stress management component included educational content about stress, self-assessment of stress symptoms, and stress management techniques. A mixed-method intervention evaluation design was used. Qualitative data, quantitative data, and biometrics including …

Main And Interactive Effects Of Mental Health, Parent Ethnic Socialization, Discrimination On Bipoc Teens' Ethnic Identity, Emily Takamasa, Ashley M. Fraser, Adam Rogers

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Research would suggest that BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) adolescents have the best developmental outcomes when strong, positive ethnic identity is acknowledged and embraced. This study investigated whether discrimination, internalizing symptomology, parent socialization, and/or interactions of these variables influenced adolescent ethnic identity, specifically in exploration, resolution, and affirmation to illuminate nuanced ways BIPOC youth can achieve positive ethnic identity. Recruited from third-party research panels, surveyed participants were adolescents (Mage = 15.28; 51.6% male) of diverse racial/ethnic groups and socioeconomic backgrounds from all regions of the U.S. Overall, the results showed that there were four significant main effects on ethnic …

Effect Of Progressive Muscle Relaxation Exercise On Anxiety Among Nursing Students Before Psychiatric And Mental Clinical Training, Ahmad Ayed

Journal of the Arab American University مجلة الجامعة العربية الامريكية للبحوث

Introduction: Psychiatric and mental clinical experiences offer valuable training for nurses. High-quality health care necessitates nurses having the necessary abilities, knowledge, and attitudes to care for people suffering from mental illness or distress. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of progressive muscle relaxation exercise on anxiety among nursing students in psychiatric and mental health nursing clinical training.

Methods: A controlled -experimental, pre-post study was conducted in the fall semester of 2020 in the Faculty of Nursing, Arab American University in Palestine. The sample of the study consisted of 60 nursing students enrolled in the Psychiatric …

Forest Therapy For Anxiety, Fiteh Yelekal, Nipa Doshi

Transformative Medicine

No abstract provided.

Do Support Groups Mitigate The Effects Of Imposter Syndrome?, Tyler Barnes, Meranda Mayer

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2020-current

Imposter syndrome is defined as the persistent inability to believe that one's success is deserved or has been legitimately achieved as a result of one's own efforts or skills. Small support groups utilized in an academic environment could prove to be effective in mitigating the effects of imposter syndrome. A total of 4 articles were individually reviewed and included for meta-analysis. Each study was conducted on students studying medicine and utilized support groups at the core of their intervention for combating imposter syndrome and improving overall psychological wellness. Results were based on surveys and yielded an overall positive response from …

The Association Between Physical Pain, Depression, Anxiety, And Nervios Among Latinx Agricultural Workers, Iveth Cuellar Celallos

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the association between physical pain, chronic pain, socio-cultural factors and mental health outcomes such as depression, anxiety, and nervios among Latinx agricultural workers. Survey data were collected in Northern California (N = 104). The sample of Latinx agricultural workers consisted of 47 (45.2%) female and 57 (54.8%) male respondents. The average age of participants was 43.13 years (SD = 14.37). Over half of participants were married (60.6%). The majority of participants (95.2%) reported Mexico as their country of origin. Most (85.6%) participants reported currently working in agriculture. Two hierarchical multiple linear regressions …

The Mediating Effect Of Caregiving Relationship Quality On The Association Between Caregiving Stressors And Mental Health Problems Among Older Spousal Caregivers, Fei Wang, Elliane Irani

Faculty Scholarship

Providing care to a spouse can be especially challenging for older adults given their compounding stressors resulting from aging and caregiving. This cross-sectional study examines the relationships between caregiving stressors and caregiver mental health problems and the potential mediator (i.e., caregiving relationship quality) of these associations. A total of 431 Americans (≥65 years) were selected from the National Study of Caregiving. Path analysis shows that care assistance was positively associated with caregiver mental health problems, and this association was mediated by negative relationship quality (Indirect effect =.14, p =.016). Moreover, role overload was positively associated with caregiver mental health problems, …

Exploring The Acute Cardiovascular Effects Of Floatation-Rest., M C Flux, Thomas H. Fine, Tate Poplin, Obada Al Zoubi, William A. Schoenhals, Jesse Schettler, Hazem H. Refai, Jessyca Naegele, Colleen Wohlrab, Hung-Wen Yeh, Christopher A. Lowry, Jason C. Levine, Ryan Smith, Sahib S. Khalsa, Justin S. Feinstein

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

The central nervous system (CNS) exerts a strong regulatory influence over the cardiovascular system in response to environmental demands. Floatation-REST (Reduced Environmental Stimulation Therapy) is an intervention that minimizes stimulation from the environment, yet little is known about the autonomic consequences of reducing external sensory input to the CNS. We recently found that Floatation-REST induces a strong anxiolytic effect in anxious patients while paradoxically enhancing their interoceptive awareness for cardiorespiratory sensations. To further investigate the physiologic nature of this anxiolytic effect, the present study measured acute cardiovascular changes during Floatation-REST using wireless and waterproof equipment that allowed for concurrent measurement …

Does The Use Of Mental Health Screenings And Targeted Stress Interventions Improve Mental Health Outcomes In Outpatient Clinic Staff?, Mary Benson

Doctoral Projects

The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) has been used as a classic stress assessment instrument to evaluate perceived stress across many settings. As stress is the primary phenomenon in this review due to varying stressors, including infectious diseases among healthcare workers, the PSS is the most appropriate scale for evaluating the degree to which a health worker feels stressed. In addition, the PSS is valuable as it encompasses ten items that researchers use to explore how respondents react to stress due to unpredictable events. Thus, this DNP project is based on the postulation that screening with the PSS and applying stress …

Reducing Anxiety Symptoms In African Americans Using Informal Mental Health Coping Strategies, Maleitha Nard, Kourtnei Jones-Dumas

Doctoral Projects

Research shows that the adult Black community is 20% more likely to experience serious mental health problems such as anxiety disorder (Anxiety and Depression Association of America [AADA], 2018). While this sobering statistic suggests the need for mental health resources in the African American community, findings indicate significant factors that depict how individuals view the mental health medical system, its health disparities, and noted inequities. Past experiences with trust and discrimination, minimal accessibility to adequate insurance, and lack of culturally aware mental health providers have all been supportive reasons for the African American community to turn to other coping mechanisms …