Digital Commons Network^™

Mental Health Effects Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Older Adults, Elizabeth Kerr

Dissertations

Problem: Significant psychological effects such as anxiety, depression, stress, and loneliness are shown to affect the older adult population, aged 65 years and older. The social isolation and disconnectedness related to the COVID-19 pandemic potentially worsens anxious and depressive feelings, increasing the risk for adverse outcomes in the high-risk older adult population. This project aimed to identify older adults at risk for acute, situational mental health issues associated with the pandemic.

Methods: A descriptive study design was used. Telephone interviews were conducted to explore effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health responses in older adults. A convenience sample …

Current State Of Scientific Evidence On Internet-Based Interventions For The Treatment Of Depression, Anxiety, Eating Disorders And Substance Abuse: An Overview Of Systematic Reviews And Meta-Analyses, C Barr Taylor, Andrea K Graham, Rachael E Flatt, Karin Waldherr, Ellen E Fitzsimmons-Craft

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: ICare represents a consortium of European Investigators examining the effects of online mental health care for a variety of common mental health disorders provided in a variety of settings. This article provides an overview of the evidence of effectiveness for Internet-based treatment for four common mental health disorders that are the focus of much of this work: depression, anxiety, substance abuse and eating disorders.

METHODS: The overview focused primarily on systematic reviews and meta-analyses identified through PubMed (Ovid) and other databases and published in English. Given the large number of reviews specific to depression, anxiety, substance abuse and/or eating …

Cerebellum-Seeded Functional Connectivity Changes In Trait-Anxious Individuals Undergoing Attention Bias Modification Training, Katherine Elwell

All NMU Master's Theses

Anxiety and anxiety related disorders are increasing at a drastic rate in the past decade, with the NIMH reporting that 31.1% of U.S. adults will experience an anxiety disorder at some point in their lives. Anxiety is commonly characterized by increased attention bias to threat. Attention Bias Modification (ABM) is a new treatment used to reduce individual’s attention bias towards threat. The extent to which ABM leads to underlying neural changes is still unknown. The cerebellum is a neglected brain structure, with new research provides evidence that cerebellum’s functional connectivity and shared networks with threat processing regions has a direct …

Reciprocal Control Of Obesity And Anxiety-Depressive Disorder Via A Gaba And Serotonin Neural Circuit, Guobin Xia, Yong Han, Fantao Meng, Yanlin He, Dollada Srisai, Monica Farias, Minghao Dang, Richard D Palmiter, Yong Xu, Qi Wu

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

The high comorbidity between obesity and mental disorders, such as depression and anxiety, often exacerbates metabolic and neurological symptoms significantly. However, neural mechanisms that underlie reciprocal control of feeding and mental states are largely elusive. Here we report that melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R) neurons located in the dorsal bed nucleus of the stria terminus (dBNST) engage in the regulation of mentally associated weight gain by receiving GABAergic projections from hypothalamic AgRP neurons onto α5-containing GABA

Characterizing Anxiety And Physiological Correlates In Preschool Children With Neurodevelopmental Disabilities, Jordan Ezell

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is comprised of two original research manuscripts broadly examining anxiety and potential correlates in young children with neurodevelopmental disabilities. The first manuscript assessed cardiac regulation during an auditory startle paradigm in young children (3-6 years old) with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), fragile x syndrome (FXS), and neurotypical peers. The second manuscript utilized a new measure developed to capture anxiety in individuals with ASD in order to assess the rate of typical and atypical anxiety and potential risk factors (ASD severity, sex, cognitive ability) for anxiety in preschool children with ASD contrasted to neurotypical preschool children. Collectively, these two …

Overcoming Learning Anxiety In Workplace Learning: A Study Of Best Practices And Training Accommodations That Improve Workplace Learning, Ann-Marie Piscitelli

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S. and affect 40 million adults, or 18.1% of the population each year. Anxiety plays an essential role in encouraging productive learning outcomes; however, uncontrolled anxiety could result in heightened emotions that create barriers to learning. Employees who have anxiety disorders may experience these barriers to learning when in traditional training programs and may require support or accommodations to boost their unique learning needs for development in the workplace. Human Resource Development (HRD) professionals’ challenge is how best to intervene when an employee exhibits behaviors of learning anxiety to nurture …

Comparing The Effects Of Noncontingent Reinforcement And Environmental Enrichment On Problem Behavior Maintained By Automatic Reinforcement, Mary Llinas

Theses and Dissertations

Environmental enrichment (EE) and noncontingent reinforcement (NCR) are common behavior analytic interventions used to decrease problem behavior maintained by automatic reinforcement. Both EE and NCR involve noncontingent access to preferred or competing stimuli, however, access to stimuli is intermittent (typically on a fixed-time [FT] schedule) in NCR, while in EE, the stimuli are continuously available. Despite the research on their effectiveness at reducing problem behavior, they have not been compared. The purpose of the current study was to compare the effectiveness of different schedules of reinforcement at decreasing automatically maintained problem behavior (stereotypy) and anxiety exhibited by two children with …

The Impact Of Consumer Smart Device Platforms On Illness Uncertainty And Anxiety In Patients With Atrial Fibrillation, Wing Yan Vien Cheung

Dissertations

Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is a common cardiac arrhythmia associated with increased risk for comorbid health conditions. Advancements in consumer technology have enabled patients to monitor hearth rhythm independently, yet, much remains unknown about patient outcomes related to the use of these smart device platforms (SDP). The aim of this study was to examine the iatrogenic and/or remedial effects of SDP use on patient reported outcomes of illness uncertainty, cardiac anxiety, body vigilance, AFib symptoms, symptom burden, and healthcare utilization. The sample included 130 AFib participants (65 in SDP group) recruited through ResearchMatch, American Heart Association support forum, and other online …

Social Status Insecurity And Body Image Related Health Outcomes: Testing A Moderated Mediation Model, Mingqi Li

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Body dissatisfaction has been found to be associated with a wide range of maladjustment outcomes and negative behavioral consequences. To identify the sources leading to body dissatisfaction, the present study proposed that an aspect of social cognition specifically regarding peer status, known as social status insecurity, may function as a precursor of body dissatisfaction. This study further examined the associations between social status insecurity and body-image-related health outcomes by focusing on the mediation effects of body dissatisfaction in a sample of 308 Chinese adolescents (117 girls, 191 boys). Furthermore, this study examined whether these mediation processes were moderated by social …

Sensory Sensitivity And Intolerance Of Uncertainty Influence Anxiety In Autistic Adults, Karys M. Normansell-Mossa

Theses and Dissertations

Several models of anxiety in autistic adults have focused on the role of intolerance of uncertainty which has biological and evolutionary bases, as a cognitive explanation for the high prevalence of anxiety in autism. This framework suggests that all people are born with a healthy level of intolerance of uncertainty, and as we develop, this intolerance is lessened as we learn when situations are safe and begin to understand and manage the uncertainty. This process of learning about managing uncertainty does not happen in the same way in those who are high in autistic traits, which could be the reason …

The Power Of Video Games: How Celeste And Hellblade Address Mental Health, Victor M. Ortiz

Communication Studies

The media has the power to educate audiences on topics through effective storytelling. This paper shows how video games as a medium possess unique potential to affect players through interactive experiences. Two video games titled Celeste and Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice serve as examples of social cognitive learning through media exposure. This paper conducts a content analysis on the two titles. From the analysis, we learn the stories in Celeste and Hellblade aim to help those who play them learn how to cope with mental health problems such as depression and anxiety. The literature review section discusses past research done on …

Prevalence And Factors Associated With Common Mental Disorders In Young People Living With Hiv In Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review, Ezra K. Too, Amina Abubakar, Carophine Nasambu, Hans M. Koot, Pim Cuijpers, Charles Rjc Newton, Moses K. Nyongesa

Institute for Human Development, East Africa

Introduction: Common mental disorders (CMDs) particularly depression and anxiety, are highly comorbid with HIV also in young people living with HIV (YLWH). In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) where most YLWH reside, there are limited summary data on CMDs among these youths, yet there are previous systematic reviews summarizing data on CMDs among adults living with HIV. We conducted a systematic literature review on the prevalence and correlates of CMDs among YLWH, aged 10 to 24 years, from SSA.

Methods: We searched African Index Medicus, African Journals Online and five other electronic databases (from database inception up to 31 December …

Knowledge And Anxiety About Covid-19 In The State Of Qatar, And The Middle East And North Africa Region—A Cross Sectional Study, Sathyanarayanan Doraiswamy, Sohaila Cheema, Maisonneuve Patrick, Amit Abraham, Ingmar Weber, Jisun An, Albert B. Lowenfels, Ravinder Mamtani

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

While the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic wreaked havoc across the globe, we have witnessed substantial mis- and disinformation regarding various aspects of the disease. We conducted a cross-sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire for the general public (recruited via social media) and healthcare workers (recruited via email) from the State of Qatar, and the Middle East and North Africa region to understand the knowledge of and anxiety levels around COVID-19 (April–June 2020) during the early stage of the pandemic. The final dataset used for the analysis comprised of 1658 questionnaires (53.0% of 3129 received questionnaires; 1337 [80.6%] from the …

Mental Health Outcomes Of Various Types Of Fear Among University Students Who Have An Undocumented Legal Status During The Donald Trump Presidency, Liliana Campos

Doctoral Dissertations

Having an undocumented legal status is a risk factor for mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety among university students. Much of the literature on the experiences of university students who hold an undocumented legal status has primarily focused on better understanding the educational, social, financial, and legal challenges among undergraduate students. The literature has addressed how some of these difficulties impact components of their social and mental health wellness. Yet, there is still a dearth of research focused on further understanding the experiences of students who hold an undocumented legal status from a psychological perspective, and specifically, with …

Targeting Ampa Receptor Modulation During Early Life Adversity: A Mediator For Threat Associated Memories, Roseanna M. Zanca

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Early life adversity (ELA) is the exposure to a single or to multiple traumatic events before the age of 18 that go beyond the child’s coping. These adverse events are often exacerbated during adolescence particularly when cognitive performance is compromised. Adolescents who experienced ELA may show symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), while not vividly recalling the early life trauma. These individuals show atypical connectivity between prefrontal-amygdala and hippocampus, all of which is associated with an increased risk of experiencing a traumatic event again later in life. While clinical research has increasingly stressed the importance in addressing the long-lasting consequences …

Learning To Feel Safe: A Translational Study Of The Influence Of Safety Learning On Anxiety-Related Overgeneralized Fear, Hyein Cho

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health diagnoses, affecting about a third of the population in their lifetime. However, approximately a third of individuals with anxiety do not respond to current treatment approaches, highlighting the need to identify additional potential therapeutic mechanisms. Safety learning is one such mechanism, but methodological challenges and a dearth of research have prevented the field from advancing the understanding of the role of safety learning in the etiology and remediation of anxiety disorders. Animal research, using single-cued safety learning paradigms, has yielded promising early findings, demonstrating that safety learning directly reduces anxiety-related behaviors …

Psychological Impact Of Novel Coronavirus Covid-19 Across The Globe-A Review, Sadaf Shaheen, Iram Asim, Rida Zainab, Humaira Yasmeen

Journal of Bioresource Management

The recent outbreaks of novel coronavirus disease have unprecedent impact on mental health of patients, front-line healthcare workers and local population. However, the impact is not fully documented. This review explores stress-driven factors, stress-vulnerable groups and stress management interventions. Repetitive exposure to mass media and inappropriate health protective measures has heightened stress responses. Fear of not getting recovered from COVID-19 and disaffection has profound impact of infected individuals and their families. They may experience fear, anxiety, anger, sleep deprives and anorexia which may weakens their immune system thus making them vulnerable to COVID-19. The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored potential gaps …

The Role Of Hearing Loss In Physiological And Psychological Stress And Attention In Children And Adolescents With Chromosome 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome, Ade Marais

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Studies of geriatric, profoundly deaf, and syndromic hearing-loss populations demonstrate significant negative consequences of hearing loss including poorer cognitive function, difficulties in social interactions, and increased risk of psychiatric disorders that compromise quality of life. To date, there are several empirical studies that have assessed the long-term effects of hearing loss on physiological, psychological, and socioemotional problems in children with chromosome 22q11.2DS. We measured different types of hearing loss in relation to attention, affective symptomology, physiological markers of stress, listening abilities, and balance in 22q11.2DS. Results revealed that children with 22q11.2DS have greater hearing loss in all frequencies and lower …

Put The Score On The Back Burner: Coach–Athlete Relationships And Anxiety, Tiffany Peterson

Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology

Anxiety is a very prevalent mental disorder among adolescents and can be unfavorable to their developing mental, cognitive, and social health. Although it comes in many forms, social anxiety disorder, which can affect peer relations, academic success, and sport performance, can be especially difficult during teenage years. More specifically, high school sports provide many situations and stressors that can trigger social anxiety. Some major aspects of high school sports that can trigger social anxiety are working with teammates and learning from coaches. This review seeks to provide a better understanding of the effect that the coach–athlete relationship has on anxiety …

Reducing Stress, Anxiety, And Depression For Nicu Parents, Amy Patton, Kylie Dunavan, Kyla Key, Steffani Takahashi, Kathryn Tenner, Megan Wilson

Master of Occupational Therapy Student Critically Appraised Topics

This project aims to appraise evidence of the effectiveness of various practices on reducing stress, anxiety, and depression among parents of infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The project contains six research articles from both national and international journals. Study designs include one meta-analysis, one randomized controlled trial, one small scale randomized controlled trial, one prospective phase lag cohort study, on pretest-posttest study, and one mixed-methods pretest-posttest study. Recommendations for effective interventions were based on best evidence discovered through quality appraisal and study outcomes. All interventions, except for educational programs and Kangaroo Care, resulted in a statistically significant …

Attitude, Anxiety, And Technostress As A Correlate Of The Use Of Mobile Phones By Undergraduate Students In A Delta State University (Delsu), Abraka, Marcus L. Isebe

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study assessed attitude, anxiety, and technostress as a correlate of the use of mobile phones by undergraduate students in Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka. The total population for this study was 6,675 undergraduate students registered with the library of Delta State University in the 2019/2020 academic session. The instrument used for data collection was a structured questionnaire which was designed in print formats. A total number of 1001 copies of the questionnaire were distributed to the respondents with the aid of 5 research assistant and a total of 797 questionnaires was duly completed and found usable for the study. …

The Disproportionate Impact Of Covid-19 On Women, Ava Stallone

Honors Scholar Theses

The impact of COVID-19 is placing a large strain on women. This can be seen through reports of mental health and financial concerns. Women are more vulnerable to COVID-19 related economic effects due to existing gender inequalities, which in turn may also have a negative effect on mental health. Through this study gender disproportion is looked at between mental health and COVID-19 financial concerns among women and men. The aim is to asses how COVID-19 financial concerns may be contributing to stress, anxiety, and depression. It is hypothesized that; women will report worse mental health and greater economic concerns than …

Treatment Anxiety Education For Pediatric Cardiac Neurodevelopmental Patients, An Evidence Based Project, Mary Nagel

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Abstract

Background

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common birth defect and affects almost 1% of all live births. Treatment anxiety is common among children with CHD who undergo multiple procedures early in their lifetime. Dramatically increased life spans for this cardiac population has led to a shift from focusing on survival to their long-term health outcomes.

Methods:

Administration of the Peds QL Cardiac Module 3.0 assesses health related quality of life (HRQOL) during annual visits to a Cardiac Neurodevelopmental (ND) Clinic by evaluating the level of Treatment Anxiety a patient experiences during healthcare appointments. The questionnaire scores are …

Developing A Movement-Based Group For High Schoolers With Anxiety During Covid-19, Samantha Harding

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with negative mental health outcomes, including increased rates of anxiety among adolescents. Adolescents with social-emotional disabilities experience additional challenges adapting to disruptions in routine and coping with feelings of anxiety caused by the pandemic. While effective treatments for reducing symptoms of anxiety exist, a large proportion of adolescents with clinical or sub-clinical levels of anxiety lack access to such treatment or do not seek out treatment on their own. Schools are seen as an ideal setting to implement programs that teach adolescents effective coping skills, however, the pandemic has drastically altered school settings and …

Mindfulness-Based Interventions For Prenatal Stress, Anxiety, And Depression, Fiona Kate Rice

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Pregnant people in the United States (US) face myriad barriers to resource accessibility when seeking support, including financial gatekeeping, discrimination, and cis-gendering of the process. Commodification of prenatal support is exhaustive and contributes to a growing exclusivity of traditionally accessible interventions designed to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, and to promote positive fetal outcomes and parent-child bond. Mindfulness-based interventions are particularly appropriate for reducing stress, anxiety, and depression in pregnancy. Mindfulness-based interventions are intersectional, accessible means of pregnancy and childbirth support with evidence-based outcomes of positive birth experiences and results. Mindfulness is defined as nonjudgmental awareness of the present moment. …

Neuro-Informed Music Therapy For The Treatment Of Anxiety And Depression: A Literature Review, Sarah E. Sullivan

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This capstone thesis project is a literature review of research specifically regarding the neuroscience and neurochemistry of music and how it can inform music therapy treatment of mental health. Mental health is a large, overarching term that includes many disorders that refer to one’s psychological and/or emotional condition(s), which further includes an individual’s social well-being. This can include, but is not limited to, depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This paper will focus in on a research-based, neuro-informed music therapy treatment of anxiety and depression. The goal of this paper was to provide research toward a future method in …

The Benefits Of Clay For Adolescents In The Inpatient Setting: Development Of A Method, Lauren Sideravage

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Adolescence is a period of time where there is continuous change in one’s social, emotional, and physical development. In severe situations, these changes could contribute to two of the most common mental disorders in teens, one being mood disorders and the other being anxiety disorders. Arts based interventions were administered to measure and test if using clay through touch and movement could reduce anxiety and stress for adolescents in a psychiatric inpatient setting, leading to greater mental well-being and increased stabilization. Patients participated in a three-part group that focused on different clay techniques, including rolling, flattening, and free choice. Color …

Exploring The Usefulness Of Mindfulness Practices Through Zoom Meetings In Reducing Anxiety And/Or Stress Of Adults With Learning And Developmental Disabilities During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Thatiane Abra

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This thesis explored which mindfulness meditations or mindfulness practices could be beneficial in the online sessions, the extent to which adults with learning and developmental disabilities could learn the practices remotely, and how stress and anxiety disorders could be reduced through online mindfulness interventions. Furthermore, it was also necessary to address the online sessions as the only mental health treatment possibility during the Coronavirus pandemic for the clients observed and the benefits and limitations of these interventions. Additionally, the importance of structure and routine for this population, the multi-modal structure of the interventions, and how attunement plays an important role …

The Level Of Psychological Anxiety Of The Coronavirus Pandemic Among Omani, Bahraini And Residents Families And Their Relationship To Some Demographic Variables, Khaula S. Al Wahaibi, Eman A. Shehab, Amal S. Al Shabibi

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

This study aimed to identify the level of psychological anxiety about the Corona Virus (COVID-19) among Omani, Bahraini and Residents families, and to identify if there are differences in the level of anxiety due to gender, qualification, age, and job title. The study sample consisted of 2107 respondents, which were selected randomly. An anxiety questionnaire that was developed by the researchers was used as the main research tool. The results showed that the level of anxiety was moderate. The study also showed no differences in the level of anxiety between Omani and Bahraini families, while the level of anxiety was …

The Effect Of Depression, Anxiety, And Stress On Heart Rate Variability During Self-Critical And Self-Compassionate Exercises, Derek C. Bartlett

Theses and Dissertations

The cognitions of individuals who experience symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress have been well documented, but their physiological reactions have not. The present study examines the physiological reactions of individuals with elevated levels of depression, anxiety, and stress during a self-critical and self-compassionate writing exercise to see if there is a difference in comparison to healthy participants. This study is a secondary analysis of data that was collected from a randomized controlled trial where participants followed a protocol. This protocol consisted of a 5-minute baseline, a 10-minute breathing exercise or nature video, 5-minutes of a self-critical writing exercise, 5-minutes …