Digital Commons Network^™

Psychological Relationship Between Acculturation And Caribbean Immigrants In The Northeast United States, Lisa Chamberlain- Gordon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Caribbean immigrants' challenges with acculturation following immigration to the United States, could result in acculturative stress, discrimination, stereotyping, and mental health issues. This study examined the relationship between cultural levels of interaction (LCI), acculturation orientation levels (AOLs), and acculturation levels (ALs) as well as examined the relationship between acculturative stress levels (ASLs), mental health problems, and discrimination/ stereotyping among Caribbean immigrants, age 25-54, in a northeast U.S. metro. Bourhis' interactive acculturation model was the theoretical foundation for this study. It was hypothesized that (a) there would be a relationship between LCI measured in language, food, religion, and education and AOL …

Perceptions Of Lifestyle As Mental Health Protective Factors Among Midwestern Amish, Gregory Lantz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Amish are commonly known for horse-and-buggies, simple clothing, and refusal to use electricity. Less commonly known is their rate of mental illness, which is significantly lower than the non-Amish population. The literature that points to lower depression and anxiety among the Amish does not adequately explain what elements of their lifestyle contribute to this phenomenon. Depression and anxiety are a widespread problem in the United States, increasing the importance of understanding a lifestyle that can reduce these issues. The purpose of this study was to explore the Amish way of life through the words of its members. The three …

Examining The Relationship Between Self-Compassion And Emotion Regulation Strategies Using Ambulatory Assessment Methods, Lindsay Mae Miller

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Self-compassion focuses on how individuals treat themselves during periods of suffering. Overall, self-compassion is positively associated with adaptive mental health outcomes and negatively associated with psychopathology. One potential mechanism by which self-compassion may influence other constructs is emotion regulation. Unfortunately, most research about emotion regulation is conducted using retrospective reporting, meaning that the data are subject to memory biases. Ambulatory assessment methods allow for more frequent sampling, thus decreasing the reliance on recall. Using this methodology, the present study examined how differences in self-compassion were related to emotion regulation in daily life. Contrary to predictions, few ambulatory measures (depression, anxiety, …

Navigating The Closet: A Mixed Methods Approach To Assessing The Impact Of Concealment On Psychological Outcomes For Sexual And Gender Minorities, James Michael M. Brennan

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Background: Sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals suffer at disproportionate rates of depression, anxiety, and substance use, among other mental and physical health outcomes, compared to heterosexual individuals. Concealment of non-heterosexual sexual identity and/or non-cisgender gender identity may be a key contributor to these disparities. Many SGM individuals engage in concealment as a means to avoid victimization, or because of negative perceptions of their own identity. Concealment as a construct has been conceptualized as comprising cognitive, affective, and behavioral components, each of which individually has been demonstrated to have negative health impacts. Additionally, concealment occurs over time between the intrapersonal …

Biopsychosocial Correlates Of Pain In Youth With Eosinophilic Esophagitis: A Comparison To Other Pediatric Patients, Mary Kenna Lynch

All ETDs from UAB

EoE is a chronic, clinico-pathological, esophageal disease with symptoms that include dysphagia, reflux, vomiting, feeding aversion, and epigastric pain. Diagnosis requires clinical symptom presentation and histologic findings of eosinophil-predominant inflammation of the esophagus. While the pediatric patient’s epigastric pain is predictive of their quality of life, little is known about their pain experience. Through two studies, the pain experience, sleep quality, and internalizing symptoms of youth with Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE) have been examined. Through individually evaluating each of these factors as well as testing their relations with each other, the model proposed by Lynch and colleagues (2015) to understand the …

Behavioral Health Risk And Resilience Among International Students In The United States: A Study Of Sociodemographic Differences, Youn Kyoung Kim, Arati Maleku, Catherine Lemieu, Xi Du, Zibei Chen

Faculty Publications

Using a resilience framework, the current cross-sectional study examined indicators of behavioral health risk and resilience among U.S. international students (N=322) across key sociodemographic characteristics. A multimethod approach was used to collect data with both an online platform and paper-based survey instrument. Results showed that higher levels of acculturative stress were reported by older students, females, undergraduates, students who lived with their families, and those who had resided in the US longer than 2 years. Findings underscore the importance of culturally relevant screening and prevention strategies that target resilience and other protective factors to reduce health risk and encourage well-being …

Anxiety Among Women Living With Hiv In Kazakhstan, Kathryn Emily Mishkin

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Research shows that mental illness has an impact on the health and quality of life of women living with HIV. As a result, many countries have adopted integrated care models to provide holistic treatment to women living with HIV. However, some countries, where the HIV burden is particularly high, have been ineffective at addressing the mental health needs of these women, primarily because of a compartmentalized health care structure that limits interaction among sectors. By describing the prevalence of anxiety and comorbid anxiety-depression among women living with HIV in affected areas, there is an opportunity for effective policies to be …

An Expansion Of A Model Of Depression In Multiple Sclerosis : Emotion Regulation And Coping As Moderators Of The Relationship Between Functional Disability And Adjustment To Disease, Elizabeth W. Raffanello

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune-mediate disease affecting the central nervous system (CNS), producing a range of physical and emotional symptoms. Psychological disorders, particularly depression and anxiety, are common in MS, but only partially accounted for by MS symptoms. The associations between common MS sequelae (e.g., fatigue, pain, disability) and mental health indicators are weak and inconsistent, suggesting the presence of moderators. This research study examined two possible moderators of the association between MS sequelae and adjustment to disease: emotion regulation and coping. Emotion regulation refers to the processes used to modulate emotional experiences. It is closely related to coping, …

Mental Toughness As A Predictor For Pre-Season Depression And Anxiety Symptoms, And Changes Over The Course Of An Athletic Season, Colleen J. Bohannan

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Background: Mental toughness (MT) has been considered necessary for individuals to be successful in the athletic setting. A connection has been theorized between MT and mental health. Purpose: ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­The purpose was to investigate if MT could be utilized as a predictor of the presence of depression and/or anxiety symptoms. This study also explored if MT, and depression/anxiety symptoms change over the course of a competitive season. Methods: 43 individuals (19.42 ± 1.26 years) participating in a fall team sport from the same Division I University participated in the study. Data was captured during pre-season, high stakes, and end of season, …

The Mediating Role Of Resilience In The Relationship Between Attachment Style And Symptoms Of Depression And Anxiety, Melanie Jurgensen

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Although previous research has identified a relationship between insecure attachment styles and symptoms of depression and anxiety, evidence regarding the mechanisms of action driving this relationship has been lacking. Consequently, the current study examined the mediating role of resilience in the relationship between insecure attachment styles (i.e. anxious-avoidant, anxious-ambivalent, helpless-disorganized and frightened-disorganized) and symptoms of depression and anxiety. The current study included a sample of 182 participants (i.e., 87 men and 95 women) who completed six questionnaires that assessed each participants' relationship with their caregivers during their childhood, present symptoms of depression and anxiety, and their resilience. Correlational analyses indicated …

Just Another School: The Need To Strengthen Legal Protections For Students Facing Disciplinary Transfers, Miranda Johnson

Faculty Publications & Other Works

Over the past decade, there has been increasing national, state, and local attention focused on the negative impacts of school expulsion and suspension. As a result of the well-documented and long-standing research showing the harm to students of exclusionary school discipline practices, states and school districts have begun reforming their policies and practices to limit the use of suspensions and expulsions. Many of these new reforms, however, have not included changes to provisions in state law and district policies allowing for students to be transferred from their neighborhood schools to alternative schools for disciplinary reasons. In this article, we argue …

The Efficacy Of Live Music Therapy On Stress, Anxiety, And Depression Among College Students And Working Adults, Annalisa Hopper

Student Research Posters

• There are an estimated 264 million people living with Anxiety Disorders, and an estimated 322 million people living with Depression (WHO, 2017)
• Live music has been found to be more effective than recorded music in decreasing anxiety levels in cancer patients and patients with mental health disorders in various studies (Bailey, 1983; Ferrer, 2007).
• Chiasson et. al (2013) demonstrated that patients observed in an intensive ward unit experienced a decreased pain by 27% when exposed to live spontaneous harp music.
• This study aims to explore how frequent exposure to live & recorded music can be therapeutic to help cope with …

Utilizing Telecommunication To Provide Patient Centered Care For Adults Newly Diagnosed With Gi Cancer: A Quality Improvement Project, Laurie Miller

DNP Scholarly Projects

INTRODUCTION: A confirmed diagnosis of GI Cancer causes anxiety and stress as patients become overwhelmed with questions, worries and fears. At diagnosis, patients are not yet formally connected to the support services available to those actively receiving chemotherapy, creating a “gap period”. To help reduce anxiety, as well as, foster therapeutic relationships and improve overall patient experiences, a structured telephone communication by the gastrointestinal cancer oncology nurse practitioner (GI NP) was proposed.

AVAILABLE KNOWLEDGE: Reduction of anxiety has been shown to enhance the quality of life, increase compliance with a prescribed treatment plan and foster the ability to sign informed …

Multivariate Relationships Of Binge Watching-Drinking-Eating With Depression, Anxiety, And Stress In College Students, Katina Letrice Clarke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Binge eating and drinking have been studied with respect to stress, anxiety, and depression, but little is known about the emerging phenomenon of binge watching television programming. Guided by escape theory and the uses and gratification theory, this cross-sectional, correlational study addressed multivariate relations of binge drinking, binge eating, and binge watching with depression, anxiety, and stress among 102 college students ages 18 to 24. Multivariate canonical correlation results revealed that participants with low anxiety scores tended to have low scores on binge eating and drinking but high scores on binge watching. Participants with low stress scores and high anxiety …

The Effects Of Perceived Discrimination And Acculturative Stress On Ethnic Minority Your Adult Self-Esteem And Anxiety, Danielle Davis

Student Research Posters

• Minority college students are at increased risk for negative mental health outcomes and self-esteem issues considering acculturative stress and perceived discrimination(Gomez et al.,2011).
• How discrimination is viewed by the individual and how they adjust to dominant culture plays an important role in self-esteem(Halletal.,2015).
• Studies following the relationship between perceived discrimination and acculturative stress rarely look into mental health outcomes along with self-esteem(Paukertetal.,2006;Weietal,2013).
• This research may provide insight into the mechanisms which affect psychological distress(Tonsingetal,2016).

Designing And Developing An Online Self-Regulated Learning Course, Grant Eckstein, Mariah Krauel-Nix, Norman W. Evans, Benjamin L. Mcmurry

Faculty Publications

The concept of self-regulated learning has been a prominent topic in education and has been researched and applied to various educational fields. In the field of TESOL, self-regulation has been categorized into dimensions and linked with possible application tools to help ESL/EFL students better apply and develop related skills (Andrade and Evans 2013, 2015). Although these applications have seen some success, the administration of one intensive English program felt that its center's self-regulated learning program was ineffective for teachers and students. Therefore, curriculum designers evaluated the center's program, compiled data, and formed design specifications for an improved program. Their specifications …

Increasing English Learners’ Positive Emotional Response To Learning Through Dance, Grant Eckstein, Elizabeth Hanks

Faculty Publications

This study investigates dance as an English Second Language (ESL) curriculum enhancement. The curriculum utilizes kinesthetic learning, which is a method seldom incorporated in formal academic classrooms (Pourhosein Gilakjani, 2011) despite evidence suggesting that it benefits all students, including those without kinesthetic learning preferences (Schumann, 1997). Supporters believe that the benefits of incorporating movement in the classroom include increased student enjoyment, motivation, and confidence in learning. However, these beliefs are merely anecdotal at present. This study analyzes quantitative questionnaires and qualitative feedback from 26 students who participated in a 4-week long Dance ESL curriculum to determine whether dance-based learning can …

The Effect Of Social Problem-Solving, Health Anxiety, And Psychological Distress On Breast Cancer Genetic Testing Decisions In A Sample Of Healthy Women, Alexandria Muench

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Breast cancer is a leading cause of death in women in the United States, with hereditary breast cancers accounting for approximately 10% of the diagnoses. Nevertheless, women can decrease their risk by obtaining genetic testing and are often referred for the test if one or more of their relatives has been diagnosed with breast cancer and has the BRCA/BRCA2 cancer mutation. The purpose of the current study was to examine predictors of healthy women’s (ages 18 to 35) hypothetical decisions about genetic testing and prophylactic treatments for the BRCA1/BRCA2 genetic mutations by measuring social problem solving (SPS) variables, health anxiety, …

Prenatal Exposure Of Diclofenac Sodium Alters The Behavioral Development Of Young Wistar Rats, Bi̇rsen Eli̇bol, Begüm Oğur, Havva Doğru

Turkish Journal of Biology

Diclofenac sodium (DS), a potent inhibitor of cyclooxygenase, reduces the release of arachidonic acid and formation of prostaglandins. Being a nonsteroid drug that shows antiinflammatory action, the possible side effects of fetal DS administration gain importance in public and medical applications. Herein, the effects of DS administration (1 mg/kg) during gestational days 5-20 were investigated on the performance of Wistar rat pups in a variety of behavioral tasks. Four-week-old pups were subjected to sensory motor tests, a plus maze, an open field, the Morris water maze, and a radial arm maze. Fetal DS disrupted some sensory motor performances, such as …

Evaluating State Anxiety Levels In Nursing Students, Rachel Stevens, Rachel Nussbaum, Tyler Blake

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Anxiety, dependent upon the frequency and severity, can be a serious problem that reduces physical, cognitive, and clinical performance. Nursing students have been found to experience especially high levels of state and trait anxiety which, according to Dorothea Orem’s self-care deficit theory, causes a deficit in health promotion and the health of oneself. There is little evidence available about how progression through a baccalaureate nursing program in the United States impacts anxiety. This research investigates anxiety in baccalaureate nursing students and how progression through the program influences self-reported anxiety levels. A descriptive cross-sectional study was performed on a convenience sample …

Prescreening Recommendations For Patients On Medical Cannabis, Wen Chieh Hu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Marijuana is the most frequently used illegal substance in the United States and is most widely used among young people aged 12 to 21 years. Accurate screening and monitored issuance of medical cannabis recommendations have been shown to decrease abuse rates of the substance, create fewer deaths from opiates, reduce crime rates, reduce marijuana use in youths, decrease car crash deaths, and lessen prevalence of suicide in young men. The purpose of this project was to explore whether multiple screening methods for depression and anxiety in patients who seek medical cannabis referrals for anxiety and depression would improve screening and …

Evaluating Pre-Procedural Anxiety In Adults Undergoing Interventional Radiology Procedures, Rebecca Doll

DNP Projects

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate pre-procedural anxiety with the Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale (APAIS) in the adult population of the Interventional Radiology department at University of Kentucky Medical Center. The objective is to provide meaningful data to providers in this clinical area that could potentially facilitate better departmental workflow and also promote quality patient outcomes.

METHODS: A retrospective chart review, using a pre/post design, was used to evaluate the departmental implementation of APAIS. Case logs for the department were observed from January 2018 to June 2018 and then again, following APAIS implementation, from July …

The Divergent Effects Of Cdppb And Cannabidiol On Fear Extinction And Anxiety In A Predator Scent Stress Model Of Ptsd In Rats, John Shallcross, Peter Hámor, Allison R. Bechard, Madison Romano, Lori Knackstedt, Marek Schwendt

Psychology

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) currently has no FDA-approved treatments that reduce symptoms in the majority of patients. The ability to extinguish fear memory associations is impaired in PTSD individuals. As such, the development of extinction-enhancing pharmacological agents to be used in combination with exposure therapies may benefit the treatment of PTSD. Both mGlu5 and CB1 receptors have been implicated in contextual fear extinction. Thus, here we tested the ability of the mGlu5 positive allosteric modulator 3-Cyano-N-(1,3-diphenyl-1H-pyrazol-5-yl)benzamide (CDPPB) and cannabidiol (CBD) to reduce both conditioned and unconditioned fear. We used a predator-threat animal model of PTSD which we and others have …

Effectiveness Of Yoga Therapy On Pain And Related Depression, Anxiety, Perceived Stress, And Quality Of Life, Karen Romani

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Individuals are becoming more dependent on medication for conditions such as chronic-pain, anxiety, and depression. It is reported that patients are often overprescribed medication while health outcomes do not improve. The medicalization of society is distracting attention from the possibility of other therapies such as complementary or alternative medicine (CAMs) that can improve health outcomes if they were as supported as pharmacological research and better received by the medical community. Yoga and meditation, the components of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and yoga therapy, have been shown as effective CAMs for cases of anxiety and depression related to chronic illness …

The Benefit Of Resilience: Examining The Roles Of Family Resilience And Parental Education In Child Anxiety, Bria Kathryn Morgan

All ETDs from UAB

Extensive literature addresses the associations between parental education and children’s mental health outcomes; however, the role of parental education and family resilience in child anxiety is unclear. The purpose of this study is to obtain a greater understanding of the role of parental education in child anxiety. Additionally, the study aims to investigate the role and potential varying effects of family resilience. Building upon Bowen’s Family Systems Theory and Walsh’s Systems Theory of Family Resilience, I hypothesize that parental education will be negatively associated with child anxiety and that family resilience will be negatively associated with child anxiety. I also …

Use Of Case Studies To Promote Critical Thinking In Occupational Therapy Students, Denise D. Allen, Susan Toth-Cohen

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Critical thinking is a necessary component of clinical reasoning that should be addressed as part of the graduate curriculum for occupational therapists. For students to apply critical thinking in practice they must also have confidence and minimal anxiety about their abilities. Case-based learning was chosen to address critical thinking skill development, increase confidence, and decrease anxiety. The purpose of this mixed methods pilot study was to evaluate progressively independent engagement with case-based learning on student performance, confidence, and anxiety in applying critical thinking skills in the clinical setting. Critical thinking was measured using a rubric to assess students’ performance in …

The Relationship Between Combat Experience, Veteran Pathology And The Pathology Of Their Intimate Partners: What Factors Predict The Pathology Of Veterans And Their Intimate Partners, Edwin A. Brennan

Dissertations

Problem Statement

Military members and their family members who are part of the Global War on Terrorism have experienced deployments and war for over sixteen years and with the resulting toll on both the veteran and their intimate partner. As a result, higher levels of pathology, such as PTSD, Anxiety, and Depression have been experienced by this population. While research has studied the effect of combat on military members, very little research has addressed the effects on family members. Further, no research that has been found by this researcher, has addressed the concept of resonating of pathology between the combat …

Under The Skin: Psychophysiological Consequences Of Racial Discrimination, Miriam Josephine Alvarez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background. Attitudes toward one's ethnic group can have particular implications for health functioning among groups that are misrepresented or discriminated against by societal institutions. The present experiments tested the consequences of experiencing racism on psychophysiological stress and executive function. Resilience and ethnic identity are examined as a protective factors. Specifically, Experiment 1 testes how discrimination impacts (1) anxiety, (2) heart rate, (3) working memory, and (4) the role of resilience as a protective factor. Experiment 2 sought to (1) replicate Experiment 1, (2) explore the interaction of ethnic identification and perceived prejudice on stress among Latinxs, and (3) establish a …

Social Anxiety And Paranoia: A Mixed-Methods Investigation, Sophie Homer

Other Faculty of Health Theses

Social anxiety is highly prevalent and highly debilitating. It is detrimental to educational and occupational progression as well as quality of life for up to 12% of the population. Current research, treatment, and diagnostic criteria maintain that the cause of anxiety in social situations is self-focused fear, usually of personal inadequacy, but social situations invariably involve both the self and other people. This thesis draws upon the paranoia literature to inform arguments about the role of negative perceptions of others in social anxiety. I propound a novel theoretical model of the core fears underlying social anxiety. I argue that anxiety …

To Find A Stairwell, Cait Porter

Theses and Dissertations

To Find a Stairwell is an exploration and written supplement to my painted works and how it relates to loss, depression, and compulsive tendencies. Through examples of my own paintings and the research and influences leading my education is an articulate web chronicling two years of work from a focus in abstract painting to a place where representation and abstraction intersect.