Digital Commons Network^™

Healing Artists Through Art, Corey Aaron Cundiff

Masters Theses

Men die by suicide nearly four times more than women, with higher rates among artists. There has been an increase in the rate of suicide over the years, primarily linked to depression and mounting societal expectations imposed upon men. The prevalence of social media and the awareness that comes with indicates that the issue of suicide may never disappear unless action is taken. This paper examines the need for art therapy to counter depression among male artists. No longer do we need to rely strictly on medication and talk therapy to treat depression. Many art therapy techniques have proven quite …

Examining Moderating Effects Of The Strong Black Woman (Sbw) Schema And Religiosity On Mental Health, Stressful Life Events, And Attitudes Toward Seeking Help For Professional Psychological Services, Carlisa Anderson Stallings

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Since the origins of slavery, Black women have consistently exhibited extraordinary strength and resilience in the face of diversity and stressful life experiences. Research has shown that stress often leads to adverse mental health outcomes, which often go untreated due to the reluctance of Black women to seek help to preserve the cultural ideal of the SBW schema. Due to complex and cumulative stress experiences encountered by Black women and concerns of untreated mental health disease, this quantitative research study utilized intersectionality and theory of planned behavior frameworks to explore the relationship between stressful life events and attitudes toward seeking …

A New Mother’S Cry: Analyzing Traditional Social Support Versus Online Social Support In Relation To The Postpartum Crisis, Emily Hughes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The present study examines the gap that remains involving the transition from traditional to online social support that many mothers have participated in and how this change in communication methods during postpartum recovery may contribute to mental health disorders. This qualitative study aims to examine the differences in lived experiences among mothers regarding in-person and online forms of social support and how these experiences may impact a new mother’s mental well-being. Based on previous research, the present study hypothesizes that a more significant amount of online social support compared to in-person support will result in a detriment to a new …

Relationships Between Shame, Cognitive Distortions And Positive Relationships With Others Among Young Adults, And Changes In Shame Resulting From An Intervention Focusing On Cognitive Distortions, John E. Shanks

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Experiences of shame are strongly correlated with diminished social relations in individuals of all ages. Difficult and traumatic early childhood situations and experiences such as partner abuse, sexual violence in situations with differences in status commonly lead to shame. Difficult family situations and traumatic situations also frequently result in cognitive distortions, flawed thinking which often continues through adulthood. This study evaluated the experiences of shame, satisfaction of social relations, and cognitive distortions of young adults ages 18-25 years of age. Participants included 88 young adults recruited from social media sites and email contacts. Self-report measures were used to evaluate the …

“This Is The Psychology We Need”: Maya Immigrant Views On Mental Health Treatment, Robin Chancer

Maya America: Journal of Essays, Commentary, and Analysis

This paper engages the theme of psychological-physical-spiritual health among displaced Maya communities. To pursue knowledge about the communities’ visions for thriving in the United States, I worked with Maya leaders in Ohio to coordinate a series of dialogues utilizing a Participatory Action Research paradigm. Participants exposed ways in which Western institutions (including hospitals, mental health providers, and schools) reenact elements of colonialism and fail to offer culturally sensitive care. The participants emphasized a key missing element in their well-being: renewing the relationship with the Earth that they lost through colonization and forced migration. To separate physical/mental health from these elements …

Supporting Mental Health In Children By Providing Basic Skills And Knowledge Of Mental Health To Middle-School Teachers, Mariaelena Falcon

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Background: Mental health first aid training in middle school is an effective way to help teachers gain the necessary knowledge and confidence needed to support students with mental health distress and provide early interventions.

Local Problem: Lack of mental health training may result in teachers facing challenges in identifying and addressing mental health issues among their students. Specific problems resulting from this include limited awareness, insufficient skills, and strategies to effectively communicate and engage with students in mental health distress, and stigma surrounding mental health may make teachers uncomfortable discussing mental health.

Methods: The project will take place at Harper …

A Qualitative Exploration Of The Lived Experiences Of Graduate Students With Histories Of Mental Health Diagnoses Navigating Clinical Psychology Doctoral Programs, Hannah Flanery

Dissertations and Theses

In general, graduate students experience unhealthy stress levels throughout their graduate careers. Clinical psychology doctoral students experience additional stressors related to intensive training in providing psychological-related services to clients. There is a gap in the literature in understanding how clinical psychology doctoral students with a personal history of mental health effectively navigate highly stressful graduate programs. This dissertation explored the experiences of clinical psychology Ph.D. students who 1) have a history of mental health diagnoses and 2) experience current psychological distress as they manage educational/training demands and administer psychological interventions to clients. A phenomenological qualitative approach was utilized to fully …

School Weigh-Ins Are Dreaded. They Also Don’T Work., Amanda G. Salazar

Capstones

Schools across the country have been screening their students for Body Mass Index for decades, based on the assumption that telling families about a student's weight would promote weight loss. Years of research has shown that BMI screenings don't actually have any impact on weight, but instead can be harmful to students' mental and emotional wellbeing. These harms can last for years into the future, in some cases. So, why are BMI screenings still such a common practice?https://schoolbmiscreenings.weebly.com/

Recovery Capital, Mental Health And Substance Use Among Individuals Initiating Office-Based Buprenorphine Treatment For Opioid Use Disorder, Hannah R. Callahan, Karen Dugosh, Emily Hurstak, Patty Mccarthy, Emily Garber, Daniel Dejoseph, Julia Dejoseph, Michelle R. Lent

The Journal of Integrated Primary Care

Recovery capital refers to the internal and external resources available to support an individual in their recovery from substance use disorders. Using data from an ongoing trial, the current study examined recovery capital among 225 individuals initiating office-based buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) at Federally Qualified Health Centers in the mid-Atlantic region. At baseline, participants completed the Brief Assessment of Recovery Capital-10 (BARC-10), a validated measure assessing the 4 major domains of recovery capital and completed a urine toxicology screening. Participants reported BARC-10 scores of 49.22 on average (SD = 8.14). Average scores were highest for the …

Promoting Parent-Child Relationships Through Community-Based Family Wellness Programs To Improve Mental Health In Children, Maria Elena Falcon

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Objective: Adverse childhood experiences can affect a child mentally and lead to mental, health, and learning problems later in life. Establishing healthy parent-child relationships through family-oriented programs can promote mental well-being, improve behavior and learning in children and strengthen positive parent-child relationships.

Methods: A systematic electronic search using databases Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), PubMed, and PsycINFO, contextualized current research on the importance of parent-child relationships and their influence on mental health. The inclusion criteria for the review used were articles in the English language and relevant dates from 2014 to 2021. The key terms used …

Skills To Support Mental Health In Uncertain Times, Part 3: Being Engaged, Heather H. Kelley, Rachel Byers, Ty Aller, Timothy Keady

All Current Publications

This fact sheet is the third in a series of three about skills to improve mental health. It addresses how being engaged involves aligning your actions with your values (what you care about). This can be done by setting goals and committing to following through with the goals.

Nyc Students And Mental Health, Ashlee B. Brown

Capstones

Mental health and trauma is affecting students in NYC schools; yet according to New York State comptroller Thomas DiNapoli’s report, schools are not equipped to provide them with the support they need. For my practicum, I created three videos that all have one thing in common - NYC public school students and their mental health. Two videos feature DOE officials, and one features community members and a therapist. The videos were shared with community members and DOE officials upon completion.

Link to project (medium post): https://medium.com/@ashlee.brown76/nyc-students-and-mental-health-f50c4f1d0b81

Where Do I Fit In God’S Plan? Mixed-Orientation Marriages In The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints, Camron Angell

Student Works

Mixed-Orientation marriages (MOMs) are a complex reality of many Latter-day Saints. A MOM is when one or both partners in a relationship are either lesbian, bisexual, or gay (Kort, 2015). This paper overviews the effects on mental health and the sustainability of MOMs. Research suggests that MOMs have a negative effect on mental health, and LGB members are much less likely to get help from mental health professionals due to stigma and fear of rejection (Dyer et al., 2023; Legerski et al., 2016; McGraw et el., 2023). MOMs are also up to 30% more likely to end in divorce (Dehlin, …

How Does Information Overload Through News Consumption Impact Users’ Mental State?, Agaretha Kosasih

D.U.Quark

With the rise of technology and its accessibility, people have an increased ability to access information, which consequently escalates the chances to be more prone to information overload. However, despite the frequent use of technology and the internet, there is still a lack of awareness about the effects of information overload. One issue that arises in discussing information overload is the abundant research that confirms the negative impacts compared to those that provide positive solutions for the issue. This review discusses the way information overload impacts our mental health through our cognitive processes, influencing our mental state, and examines our …

Gender Differences In Youth’S Mental Health Problems During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Kimberly A. Hohlfeld

Honors Capstones

The purpose of this research paper is to examine whether young girls were more likely to experience depression and anxiety symptoms than young boys during the COVID-19 pandemic at two time points, in April of 2020 and May of 2020. An additional hypothesis that was examined was whether the presence of siblings in the home moderated the association between gender and depression and anxiety symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. T-tests were used to analyze the mean differences in youth mental health symptoms based on gender. Young girls were found to experience significantly higher anxiety symptoms in May of 2020 than …

Employing Telepsychiatry Services To Assess The Prevalence And Identify Mental Health Disorders Using The Phq-9 And Gad-7 In Resource-Constrained Regions Of Dadar Mansehra, Pakistan: An Observational Cross-Sectional Study, Iffat Zafar Aga, Sara Saeed Khurram, Mahek Karim, Muhammad Muzzamil, Shahkamal Hashmi, Kashif Shafique

Medical College Documents

Objective: This study aims to measure the prevalence of mental health disorders in low-resource settings through telepsychiatry and evaluate data from Pakistan's Sehat Kahani nurse-assisted online clinics serving low-income communities. This will help to understand the magnitude and nature of the demand for contextual therapies to promote mental health. The paper will discuss the challenges faced in these settings, such as limited access to mental health facilities, stigma and opportunities telemedicine brings.
Design: An observational cross-sectional study of telepsychiatry consultations using Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7 to screen for depression and anxiety was conducted between October and December …

Cm-Ii Meditation As An Intervention To Reduce Stress And Improve Attention: A Study Of Ml Detection, Spectral Analysis, And Hrv Metrics, Sreekanth Gopi

Master of Science in Computer Science Theses

Students frequently face heightened stress due to academic and social pressures, particularly in de- manding fields like computer science and engineering. These challenges are often associated with serious mental health issues, including ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), depression, and an increased risk of suicide. The average student attention span has notably decreased from 21⁄2 minutes to just 47 seconds, and now it typically takes about 25 minutes to switch attention to a new task (Mark, 2023). Research findings suggest that over 95% of individuals who die by suicide have been diagnosed with depression (Shahtahmasebi, 2013), and almost 20% of students …

Criminal Justice Interventions For Individuals With Mental Health Disabilities: A Systematic Literature Review, Fidelis Azeke, Nassrine Noureddine

Pacific Journal of Health

In the criminal law, with few exceptions, for a finding of guilt, the physical act and the state of mind to commit the offense must be present at the time of the commission of the offense. People with mental disabilities often lack the state of mind required to commit the offense for which they are eventually charged for and or convicted. This paper examines the effectiveness of some past and present criminal justice system interventions that addresses the mental health disabilities of criminal offenders pre-adjudicative proceedings. A systematic review of the literature was used to examine past and present criminal …

Occupational And Environmental Factors Influencing Morale Of United States Federal Wildland Firefighters, Rachel M. Granberg, Ting Shen, Seth W. Pearson, Robin M. Verble

Psychological Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

Background. Wildland firefighters have physically and psychologically demanding jobs that can result in social, economic and health-related stress. Previous studies have examined the physiological and physical effects of a career in wildland fire, but fewer studies have addressed psychological effects, and to date, none have directly analyzed the hiring and work experiences of wildland firefighters. Aims. We surveyed work experiences, health and well-being, and morale of wildland firefighters, explored factors that can improve recruitment and retention, and summarized broad patterns. Methods. We conducted a voluntary anonymous survey of 708 federal wildland firefighters via an online platform over 2 months in …

Animal-Assisted Therapy In Mental Illness, Chanae Cypress

MSN Capstone Projects

Mental health disorders are a significant global health concern, with a growing need for alternative therapeutic approaches. Animal-assisted therapy has gained recognition for its potential to improve the emotional and psychological well-being of individuals struggling with these disorders.

This Capstone Benchmark proposed project explores the potential positive impact of animal-assisted therapy (AAT) on patients with mental health disorders during inpatient hospitalization. The project outlines a 4-week intervention program involving 45-60 minutes sessions with dogs, which patients receive 2-3 times per week. For this Capstone Benchmark project, the selected PICOT question is: In patients with mental health disorder (P) how does …

Effects Of A Preventive Mental Health Curriculum Embedded Into A Scholarly Gaming Course On Adolescent Self-Esteem: Prospective Matched Pairs Experiment., Christopher Jenson, Sharon Fitzgerald Wolff, Libby Milkovich

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Positive self-esteem predicts happiness and well-being and serves as a protective factor for favorable mental health. Scholarly gaming within the school setting may serve as a channel to deliver a mental health curriculum designed to improve self-esteem.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate the impact of a scholarly gaming curriculum with and without an embedded preventive mental health curriculum, Mental Health Moments (MHM), on adolescents' self-esteem.

METHODS: The scholarly gaming curriculum and MHM were developed by 3 educators and a school-based health intervention expert. The scholarly gaming curriculum aligned with academic guidelines from the International Society for Technology Education, …

Digital Flourishing In The U.S.: Validation Of The Digital Flourishing Scale (Dfs) And Demographic Exploration, Sophie Janicke-Bowles

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

An increasing number of research studies have focused on exploring both the negative and positive effects of computer-mediated communication on individuals’ mental health and well-being. However, there is a lack of a comprehensive scale that measures an individual’s online well-being. The 25-item Digital Flourishing Scale (DFS) was introduced to measure the 25-item Digital Flourishing Scale (DFS) to measure individuals’ positive perceptions of experiences and behaviors in mediated social interactions. The current pre-registered study aimed to establish the convergent, discriminant, and concurrent criterion validity of the DFS and its five subscales (connectedness, authentic self-presentation, civil participation, positive social comparison, self-control). Additionally, …

Skills To Support Mental Health In Uncertain Times, Part 2: Cultivating Awareness, Heather H. Kelley, Rachel Byers, Ty Aller, Timothy Keady

All Current Publications

Uncertainty and worry can be a common struggle for many people, whether they are uncertain about their jobs, health, or relationships. Events such as COVID-19 and the recent wars in Israel and Ukraine increase the stress and uncertainty many people face. This fact sheet discusses awareness, a fundamental part of psychological flexibility, which can help individuals maintain a high quality of life—even when experiencing uncertainty and mental health concerns.

The Experience Of Faculty Strikers: Factors That Could Impact Higher Education Strikes, Giovanna Follo, Diane Huelskamp

The Qualitative Report

Higher education is being challenged as is the unionization of faculty. This combination could create a climate where faculty may need to strike. The purpose of this research is to describe the lived experiences of striking faculty to bring a greater understanding of what faculty may incur. This research utilized a phenomenological approach with a combination of composite narratives and in vivo coding to describe the lived experiences of striking. With the number of layoffs, strikes and threats of striking, this research is timely in understanding what striking entails and how it can best be navigated for the benefit of …

Working With Latinx Immigrant Families In The United States: A Culturally Informed Structural Family Therapy Approach, Bailey Brown, Rebecca Los

Student Projects

As the Latinx population in the United States steadily grows, it is imperative that mental health practitioners grow their understanding of this population to be able to provide culturally competent services. There is a unique set of stressors faced by Latinx immigrants in the United States, especially Latinx immigrant youth. These stressors pose a disruption to Latinx immigrant family systems, leading to internalizing and externalizing symptoms. To better understand the stressors Latinx immigrants face and their impact on families, research was conducted on this population's statistics, characteristics, common issues, problems, and risk factors. In addition, research was conducted on approaches …

Encouraging Medication Compliance By Implementing A Medication Adherence Tool, Regina Taylor

Doctoral Projects

Medication non-adherence has been a common and challenging problem in health care, especially among mental health patients. Studies show medication compliance among psychiatric patients has been at a lower rate than patients with physical conditions. Non-compliance with medications has been one of the considerable contributions to rapid psychiatric hospital readmission. Rapid readmissions have been costing health care billions of dollars annually. The stigma behind mental health has a large contribution to why mental health patients are non-compliant with their psychotropics. Utilization of the Medication Adherence Rating Scale (MARS) on a patient to evaluate the patient's willingness and ability to take …

Adolescent Well-Being And Exclusionary Discipline: A Resiliency Model, Rachel Ballard

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Adolescents, especially those with a mental illness, often behave in ways judged to be impulsive, overly emotional, and irresponsible (Gogtay et al., 2004; Lawrence et al., 2015; Tamnes et al., 2010). Many teen behaviors which concern adults can be related to underdeveloped skills or competencies, rate of brain development, or expressions of mental disorders (Casey et al., 2011; Serbin et al., 2011; Spear, 2000). Behaviors commonly associated with adolescence, such as impulsivity, risk-taking, and efforts to fit in with peers, are often seen as a serious threat to school harmony, learning, and student safety, necessitating a disciplinary response from school …

A Qualitative Analysis Of Catholic Mental Health Services In Texas For School-Age Children And Adolescents, Dylan R. Benson

Social Work Theses - Archive

Introduction: This study’s purpose was to provide a snapshot of what mental health services are available to school-age children and adolescents in the state of Texas that are provided by the Catholic Church and Catholics, and to provide feasible recommendations for improvements concerning said services. This study also aims to dispel the stigma against mental healthcare provision by licensed professionals that still exists in some areas of the Catholic Church by displaying the intersection between having faith and the ability to provide care to everyone regardless of faith or lack thereof. Methods: This study used a qualitative research method due …

Implementing Community Health Workers To Improve The Management Of Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases In Children, Julia L. Newell

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Background: Childhood obesity, asthma, and untreated mental health conditions are three examples of chronic non-communicable diseases (CNDs) that pose a host of negative consequences later in life. Minority children from low-income families, especially those with environmental disadvantages, face additional risk factors for the development of these diseases. Community health workers (CHWs) are in a unique position to help address these negative health externalities by being attuned with the linguistic, cultural, and socioemotional needs of members of their communities. Research has demonstrated success in CHW-led interventions curtailing the negative impacts associated with these diseases in low-income, minority communities.

Methods: A literature …

Implementation Of A Protocol To Improve The Intake Assessment And Treatment With Suboxone Among Patients’ Dependent On Opioids On Two Mental Health Crisis Units, Maeghan Dillon

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Abstract

Background: In 2021,106,699 people died from a drug overdose and of these deaths, over 75% were related to illicit or prescription opioids (Centers for Disease Control, 2023). At two in-patient community crisis stabilization units for psychiatric care, many patients have a comorbid diagnosis of a substance use disorder and another mental illness. Treatment with Buprenorphine/naloxone (Suboxone) is associated with decreased opioid overdoses and related deaths; however, Suboxone inductions have not been a part of admission treatment.

Methods: This quality improvement (QI) project initiated a Suboxone protocol for eligible patients on two crisis in-patient stabilization units. The outcomes …