Digital Commons Network^™

The Longitudinal Associations Of Body Dissatisfaction With Health And Wellness Behaviors In Midlife And Older Women, Lisa Smith Kilpela, Savannah C. Hooper, Casey L. Straud, Victoria B. Marshall, Christina L. Verzijl, Tiffany M. Stewart, Taylur T. Loera, Carolyn Black Becker

Population and Public Health Science Faculty Publications

Emerging research suggests that body dissatisfaction (BD) is prevalent among midlife and older women (i.e., upwards of 70%). Cross-sectionally, BD is associated with myriad poor health and wellness outcomes (e.g., depression, disordered eating, bad nutrition) in midlife/older women. However, relatively few studies have examined the longitudinal relations between BD and health outcomes in this population. This preliminary study investigated the longitudinal associations of BD with wellbeing and health-related quality of life (QOL) among midlife/older adult women over one year. Participants (n = 86, women aged 40–72 years, M = 51.49, SD = 7.34, 86% white) completed self-report measures of BD, …

Social Media Effects On Adolescent Social Skills And Mental Health, Precious Kol

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This capstone project focuses on young adolescents’ use of social networking sites. As technology continues to grow and progress, its influence on adolescents grows and progresses along with it. Social networking sites provide adolescents with the opportunity to present their individuality to the digital world and the opportunity to connect and communicate with their peers. On the other hand, these sites also present vulnerabilities such as exposure to strangers, predators, and potential bullies. Due to the related psychological development, mental health and perspective of self issues with adolescents on these sites, it is important for parents to teach them how …

Examining The Effects Of Mental Health Barriers On Black Undergraduate Students Attending Predominantly White Institutions, Patrice N. Storey

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Black college students are experiencing mental health issues at an alarming rate. There is, however, a reluctance among Black college students to seek assistance. There is a stigma surrounding mental health. An individual with a mental illness is often stereotyped as weak, uncontrollable, or paralyzed by demons. Historical incidents such as slavery, the Tuskegee Experiment, Jim Crow, and the forced sterilization of Black women have led the Black community to distrust the medical system. The stigma embedded in the Black community is passed down from generation to generation. This literature review examines existing research on Black students and their perception …

Mi Casa Sin Mí Parada No Es Casa: Conceptualizations Of Functioning And Functional Impairment In Rural Chiapas, Mexico, Sarah Joy Hartman, Néstor Noyola, Viena Murillo, Fátima Rodríguez Cuevas, Esteban V. Cardemil

Psychology

In mental healthcare, functional impairment is an essential element in diagnosing and monitoring the severity of mental disorders. However, current clinical practices do not account for how context and culture might shape conceptions of functional impairment, given the demonstrated influence of cultural context on mental health, particularly in Mexico. We interviewed 16 members of a rural community in Chiapas, Mexico to understand how they understood functioning and how functioning is impacted by distress. We analyzed the data using thematic analysis with a critical lens. With regards to conceptions of functioning, participants described that to function was to work (nuestra vida …

A Quality Improvement Project To Screen For Food Insecurity In Adults With Anxiety Or Depression, Kelsie Evelyn Kroll

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Background Food insecurity is the limited availability and inconsistent accessibility of healthy foods (Coleman-Jensen et al., 2022a). Food insecurity contributes to mental health problems. Individuals with food insecurity have greater odds of screening positive for depression and anxiety (Wolfson et al., 2021). The Hunger Vital Sign™ screening tool is a 2-questions evidence-based tool used to identify food insecurity (Hager et al., 2010). Purpose. Implement the Hunger Vital Sign™ tool at a non-profit behavior health clinic to identify food insecurity in adults who screened positive for anxiety or depression, offer resources for them to obtain nutritious food, and provide additional information …

The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On The Well-Being Of People Incarcerated In United States Prisons, Kimberly Rivera

Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the population as a whole. However, the incarcerated population (which also experiences a variety of health disparities) has been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. Due to overcrowding, poor ventilation, and lack of resources, the incarcerated population already is at a heightened risk for negative health outcomes, made worse by the recent pandemic. To adapt to the rapidly changing conditions during the pandemic in 2020 and into 2022, new safety measures were implemented, but the unintended consequences associated with the implementation of these procedures have yet to be examined empirically. I conducted a qualitative content …

Associations Between Mental Health Outcomes And Childhood Trauma And Experiences Of Violence During The First Shelter-In-Place For Covid-19 Among Sexual Minority Men Living In Texas, 2020, Sonam Deki

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic significantly increased mental health issues, disproportionately affecting men who have sex with men (MSM). The relationship between mental health and experiences of trauma and violence are understudied in this population. Purpose: To assess if rates of childhood trauma and COVID-19-related violence are higher for those with depression and anxiety than those without such experiences among cisgender sexual minority men in Texas. Methods: This secondary data analysis is among the cisgender sexual minority men in the COVID-19 and You Survey Study in Texas during the first shelter-in-place order. Descriptive statistics and bivariate associations between trauma and experiences …

Health Disparities In One Of The World’S Most Progressive Countries: A Scoping Review Of Mental Health And Substance Use Among Sexual And Gender Minority People In The Netherlands, Tonda L. Hughes, Lauren Bochicchio, Laurie Drabble, Maaike Muntinga, Jan S. Jukema, Cindy B. Veldhuis, Sunčica Bruck, Henny Bos

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Background: Evidence from many parts of the world shows that sexual and gender minority (SGM) people have poorer health than their cisgender heterosexual counterparts. Minority stressors, particularly stigma and discrimination, have been identified as major contributors to sexual orientation- and gender identity-related health disparities, particularly negative mental health and behavioral health outcomes. To better understand factors that contribute to these disparities, we conducted a scoping review of SGM mental health and substance use research in the Netherlands—a country with a long-standing reputation as a pioneer in SGM equality. Methods: Using Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines and the PRISMA-ScR protocol, we searched …

Prevalence Of Substance Use Among Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual High School Students In 2019 Vs. 2021, Jordyn Lee, Elisabeth Hayes, Adam Wyatt

Nursing & Health Sciences Research Journal

Background: Studies suggest that LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, plus) youth are at increased risk of engaging in alcohol and substance use. The COVID-19 pandemic forced many students to isolate in 2020 and 2021, and the impacts of this have been purported to be detrimental. This study examines the prevalence of alcohol and substance use among lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) U.S. high school students before the pandemic in 2019 versus 2021. Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study used results from the 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) and the 2021 Adolescent Behavior and Experiences Survey (ABES). The 2019 YRBS …

Enhancing Recovery With The Use Of Animals, Christina Martinez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Avenues is a program designed to help adults lead happier and more productive lives by overcoming mental health and chemical dependency challenges. The problem is, participants are not fully prepared for independent living following these programs. The plan was to provide participants a therapeutic approach to gaining hands-on experience while combating symptoms of mental illness with the use of animals, with hopes that participants would be better prepared for life after leaving the program. If the project met the expected outcome, the agency would see a lower rate of participants returning to the program and a higher success rate of …

Obstetric Violence And Postpartum Adjustment: Exploration Of Risk And Resilience Factors, Hope O'Neill

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Obstetric violence includes acts of abuse, coercion, or disrespect that occur during the labor process. The present study explores how obstetric violence impacts a person’s postpartum psychosocial adjustment. This study used a subset of data (N = 339) from a larger online study, which attempted to explore multiple facets of a person’s postpartum health. The psychological constructs examined are postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety. Additional constructs assessed were protective and risk factors: self-compassion and medical mistrust. Self-compassion and medical mistrust were examined by using moderation models. Additional analyses were completed using simple regression models to explore whether obstetric violence predicts …

Association Between Frequent Mental Distress And Insurance Status Using The 2022 Brfss, Christina Clayson

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Objectives

Determine if there is a direct relationship between frequent mental distress and health insurance coverage.

Methods

Data from the 2022 BRFSS was used to calculate adjusted percentages. Crude odds ratios for both mental distress and insurance coverage. Multivariate analysis calculated crude and adjusted odds ratios for frequent mental distress by insurance coverage with income as a covariate.

Results

Individuals reporting frequent mental distress had lower income, less education, and were younger. Individuals without health insurance were more likely to be younger, Hispanic, and not have graduated high school. There was no significant association between frequent mental distress and not …

The Impact Of Counseling Demographic, Job Related And Professional Factors On Disciplinary Outcomes, Tiffany Chelece Chaney

Dissertations (2016-Present)

Counselors interact with every student on their campus and impact student outcomes. The researcher examined the predictable relationship between counselors’ demographic factors, job-related and professional-related factors (Texas Counseling Association, 2018), and student discipline outcomes (Texas Education Agency, 2021). The researcher used secondary data in the form of discipline frequencies, counselor gender and race of counselors, the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) accreditation status of the counselor’s master’s program, counseling licensure, counselor ratios, and the time counselors spend providing services within the Comprehensive School Counseling Program. This correlational research design allowed the researcher to examine …

Umbrella Of Mental Health Resources In Schools, Jennifer Ortiz- Jarquin

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Mental Health is a worldwide crisis that students face every day, especially in school environments. Having resources available to students in schools could potentially help students to deal and manage mental health. Seaside High School is a public school in Monterey County that provides services for students in grades 9-12. The counseling department is the center in the school that facilitates the educational support that students need in regards to career exploration and further academic concerns. At Seaside High School there is a high rate of students that deal with low mental health. Incorporating support groups can provide assistance and …

Fall Collection Drive For Homeless Individuals In Monterey County, Xitlali Amaya Romero

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Monterey County has a high rate of homeless individuals. CSUMB Community Health Engagement (CHE) in Salinas, CA, provides various services and resources to homeless individuals to help meet their basic needs. A collection drive was a resourceful project implemented to allocate items to be donated to homeless individuals during CHE's outreach efforts through different encampments. The intern's implementation methods used various methods to spread the word about the event, including creating a flyer, using media, and networking. The expected outcome was to have people donate various items to give back to homeless individuals during CHE's outreach efforts or tabling events. …

Philanthropy’S Uneasy Journey Into Mental Health Grantmaking, Mallet R. Reid, Robert J. (Bob) Reid, Ximena Murillo, Anna Bobb

The Foundation Review

The increasing prevalence of mental illness and addiction in the United States has drawn considerable attention from grantmakers, which could catalyze the development and delivery of innovative approaches to these complex and difficult-to-treat behavioral health disorders. Relatively little is known, however, of the perspectives of these funders on how best to undertake this work.

To assist foundations in meaningful engagement with the field of behavioral health, this article shares the responses of 17 highly experienced behavioral health grantmakers to two research questions: What are the experiences of foundations that have funded behavioral health initiatives? What issues should be considered by …

Sustainability Hub - December 2023 Newsletter, Jacqueline Jergensen, Neyda Gilman, Jennifer Embree

Library Sustainability Resources

In this newsletter, check out a sustainable swap you can make this month, books to read over the holiday break, resources to stay safe this season, how to give gifts sustainably, a seed recipe, and an environmental art feature! Don’t forget to check out upcoming events and our other announcements!

Differences In Mental Health Outcomes And Services By Gender Identity Among Sexual And Gender Minorities During The First Shelter-In-Place Order Of The Covid-19 Pandemic In Texas, 2020, Mariah Victoria Alvarez Ramirez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background: Within the United States, sexual and gender minorities (SGM), face unique barriers when seeking health services, such as uninsurance, postponing care, and lack of competent services. Within SGM, transgender and gender-expansive (TGX) individuals are more vulnerable as they have higher rates of discrimination and face more barriers to accessing healthcare services. Purpose: Identify differences in mental health outcomes and services by gender identity among sexual and gender minorities residing in Texas during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This study is a secondary data analysis of the SGM participants of the COVID-19 and You Survey study (n=1288). Descriptive statistics, bivariate associations …

What Is The Prevalence Of General Anxiety Disorder And Depression Symptoms In Semi-Elite Australian Football Players: A Cross-Sectional Study, Anthony Henderson, Sarah A. Harris, Troy Kirkham, Jonathon Charlesworth, Myles C. Murphy

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: The prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms in semi-elite Australian footballers is unknown. The primary objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) and depressive symptoms in semi-elite Australian Football players. Our secondary objective was to explore the association between demographic and football-specific factors with GAD and depressive symptoms. A cross-sectional epidemiological study including 369 semi-elite Western Australian Football League (WAFL) players from the Men and Women’s 2022 season (n = 337 men, 91%) was conducted. Symptoms of depression were measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 scale (PHQ-9) and symptoms of GAD with …

Factors Associated With Depressive Symptoms Among Community-Dwelling Older People In East-Coast Malaysia, Siti Suhana Zakaria, Siti Nur Illiani Jaafar, Muhammad Kamil Che Hasan, Nik Noor Kaussar Nik Mohd Hatta, Wan Nor Aliza Wan Abdul Rahman

Jurnal Keperawatan Indonesia

Older people are increasing in number globally, and they are likely to have mental health problems, including de- pression. In this population, the risk of having depressive symptoms is very high due to multidimensional factors, but these symptoms are often undertreated. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and associated factors of de- pressive symptoms among community-dwelling older people living on the East Coast of Malaysia. A cross-sectional study was conducted in several areas of the state of Terengganu based on multilayered stratified sampling. A total of 240 participants were randomly selected. Several instruments were employed, such as the Geriatric …

Social Media Use Behavior And Social Media Disorder Among Faculty Of Public Health Students During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Tiara Amelia, Ulfi Hida Zainita, Evi Martha

Kesmas

Excessive use of social media can lead to vulnerability to social media disorder, which is significantly related to the trend of mental health problems among college students. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of social media disorder among college students and to determine the relationship between the number of social media accounts, the total duration of social media use, and social media disorder. This cross-sectional study collected data through an online survey of 201 college students from the class of 2021 in the Faculty of Public Health, Universitas Indonesia. This study used the Social Media Disorder scaleand univariate and …

Reducing The No Show Rates For Mental Health Appointments Among Young Adults, Johnnie Carrico

Student Scholarly Projects

Practice Problem: Missed patient appointments have become an increasingly significant issue for healthcare organizations, private practices, and clinics. No show appointments can negatively impact the operational functions of these organizations including lost revenue. The clinical practice site’s pre-intervention no-show rate for young adult mental health appointments was 21%. The high percentage of missed mental health visits has resulted in both lost revenue for the clinic and disruptions in patient care.

PICOT: The PICOT question that guided this project was: In young adults 18-25 years with mental health appointments (P) how does patient preferred appointment reminders (I) compared to …

Video Games For The Win: Examining The Net Positive Impact On Emotional, Cognitive, And Social Aspects Of Mental Health In Today’S Youth, James Sanford

Student Works

Video games are becoming an integral part of society, as more than 90% of adolescents play them often, and the industry is growing in revenue every year (Granic et al., 2014). However, many mainstream media outlets portray video games as detrimental to mental health and damaging to cognitive abilities, with initial research into video games initially corroborating such claims and finding correlations to violent behavior (Ferguson, 2020). These early research methods could have been more robust; moreover, focusing on only the negative aspects of gaming research significantly reduced their ability to properly understand gaming’s full impact. Video games typically encourage …

A Helping Hand Out Of The River: Refugee Perspectives For Provider Engagement, Brian L. Isakson, Elizabeth R. Stein, Alexandra Olson, Destiny Waggoner, Jill Holtz, Sara Ali, Suha Amer, Martin Ndayisenga

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: A growing number of refugee groups are seeking care within the U.S. health care system for medical, psychological, and social needs. Research is limited in understanding refugee-specific conceptualizations of helping relationships and provider characteristics that improve interactions in health systems. This study aimed to identify provider characteristics that facilitate engagement and helpfulness in a refugee-specific population from refugee participant voices to inform future practices of health care clinics.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews with refugee participants were conducted to assess 1) experiences moving on from difficult experiences, 2) engagement with the health system, and 3) provider characteristics that facilitated engagement and …

Roan, Alex, Paige Ravenscraft

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

Alex Roan is a 42 year old trans masc individual who uses he/him pronouns. He was originally from Stoughton, Massachusetts where he grew up with his family before moving to Central Maine for college and living in the Portland area through adulthood. Alex shares his experience with growing up in a Catholic family and finding himself as a trans person in college. He details what it was like to come out to his family, who was in denial at first but later in life became his biggest supporters.

Alex Roan is the founder of MaineTransNet. This interview captures the story …

Integrating Mindfulness- Based Practice Into University Curriculum: Building Resilience Among Undergraduate Health Science Students, Avery M. Carpenter

Honors Theses

Health science majors are both physically and emotionally demanding educational pathways with high expectations. These difficult fields of study place students at risk for stress-related illness, such as anxiety and depression. Many health science students are expected to succeed in their educational programs and provide care for others, despite the mental challenges they face daily. These psychological factors are continuously pushing this population of students to seek treatment for their mental well-being. A large body of assessment literature suggests that mindfulness can be used as a practice to relieve stress and enhance the mental well-being of undergraduate college students. Studies …

The Relationship Of Grit And Social Media Addiction For College Students, Tobias K. England

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative study explored the relationship between grit and social media. Researchers have noted a significant increase in the use of social media among college students that often results in negative outcomes, both personally and academically. Previous studies have shown that grit is a trait that negatively relates to various types of addictive behavior. However, little is known about the correlation between grit and social media addiction specifically. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between grit and social media addiction. This study collected data from the student populations of three private colleges and followed a correlational …

The Aging Population And Masking Requirements: A Qualitative Phenomenological Study, Tiffany M. Mioduszewski

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study is to understand the lived-experiences of individuals over 60 years old. This study was done to specifically understand psychological effects of adhering to protective measure put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic. A pandemic can be described as a global epidemic that has the ability to spread to other continents. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted thousands of people worldwide. There have been multiple preventative measures put in place for individuals to follow to reduce the spread of the virus. The mandates vary depending on the country and state in which an individual lives …

Concussion Exposure And Suicidal Ideation, Planning, And Attempts Among Us High School Students, Jacob J. Kay, Colt A. Coffman, Adam Harrison, Abbas S. Tavakoli Drph, Mph, Me, Toni Torres-Mcgehee Phd, Lat, Atc, Steven P. Broglio, Robert Davis Moore Ms, Ph.D.

Publications

CONTEXT: Interest is growing in the association between repetitive concussions and mental health. However, studies on the relationship between concussion frequency and adverse mental health outcomes among female and male youth are lacking. OBJECTIVES: To examine the association between self-reported concussion frequency and nonfatal suicidal behaviors among youth and to explore the possible interaction of biological sex. DESIGN: Retrospective cross-sectional survey. SETTING: National Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS: United States secondary school students (N = 28 442). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Exposure variables were the frequency of self-reported sport- or recreation-related concussion in the previous 12 months …

Evaluating The Rates Of Opioid Overdose By County In Middle Tn, Khanh Nguyen, Isha Kapoor, Sarah West

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

Opioid misuse presents a well-documented and substantial threat to human health, with potentially life-threatening issues. Improved access to healthcare and increased social support are believed to contribute to better health outcomes for individuals in higher socioeconomic classes (McMaughan et al. , 2020). Conversely, individuals in lower socioeconomic classes may experience poorer health and engage in more hazardous occupations (Ravesteijn et al. , 2013). These disparities are thought to be linked to factors such as limited access to quality healthcare and greater exposure to non-prescription opioid drugs among those in lower socioeconomic classes. Data was obtained from mySidewalk. Specific variables of …