Digital Commons Network^™

Urban Teachers' Perspectives On Promoting Social And Emotional Well-Being In The Classroom, Sara Lipton-Carey

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This qualitative study explored urban elementary school teachers' perspectives on promoting mental health in the classroom. Despite the increased research indicating the value of classroom-based mental health interventions and the growing availability of social and emotional health curricula, there is yet to be a widespread adoption of mental health promotion practices in classrooms. As there is little empirical research on what teachers believe their role is regarding the promotion of social and emotional well-being, this study attempts to reduce the research to practice gap by eliciting teachers' perspectives on this topic. Teachers increasingly need to meet the social and emotional …

An Exploratory Survey Of Some Christian Leaders' Views Re: Causes And Treatment Of Mental Health And Substance Abuse Problems : "Let Go And Let God?" Or More?, Katryn A. Little

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This exploratory study was undertaken to determine the attitudes of leaders in Christian churches toward problems with mental health or substance abuse issues. As beliefs about causation of these problems may directly impact types of help offered to those suffering, leaders were also asked to identify particular types of treatment they recommended. This study was conducted in two parts. The first part involved a snowball sampling of known associates of the researcher who were asked for their help to enroll volunteers for an online survey. The survey asked about: how many and for what purpose the leaders met with congregants; …

Relationship Between Psychotropic Drugs And Falls In The Geriatric Population, Lauren E. Fletcher Crotts

Nursing Theses and Capstone Projects

Falls in the geriatric population are extremely common and the risk for falls continues to increase with age. Falls are a leading cause of mortality in the geriatric population, and it is the number one reason for institutionalization in the United States. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship of the prescribing effects of psychotropic medications such as antidepressants, benzodiazepines, and antipsychotics on falls in the geriatric population who live in a long term care community with a diagnosis of depression, dementia, anxiety, delirium, and Alzheimer's disease. The literature provided mixed conclusions on the effects of psychotropic …

All Roads Lead From Vietnam To Your Home Town: How Veterans Have Become Casualties Of The War On Drugs, Susan Stuart

Law Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Chaplaincy And Mental Health In The Department Of Veterans Affairs And Department Of Defense, Jason A. Nieuwsma, Jeffrey E. Rhodes, George L. Jackson, William C. Cantrell, Marian E. Lane, Mark J. Bates, Mark Dekraai, Denise Bulling, Keith Ethridge, Kent D. Drescher, George Fitchett, Wendy N. Tenhula, Glen Milstein, Robert M. Bray, Keith Meador

University of Nebraska Public Policy Center: Publications

Chaplains play important roles in caring for Veterans and Service members with mental health problems. As part of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Department of Defense (DoD) Integrated Mental Health Strategy, we used a sequential approach to examining intersections between chaplaincy and mental health by gathering and building upon: (1) input from key subject matter experts; (2) quantitative data from the VA/DoD Chaplain Survey (N = 2,163; response rate of 75% in VA and 60% in DoD); and (3) qualitative data from site visits to 33 VA and DoD facilities. Findings indicate that chaplains are extensively involved in …

So You're Sorry? The Role Of Remorse In Criminal Law, Rocksheng Zhong

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

The role of remorse in judicial decisions in the criminal justice system has been addressed in scholarship and remains controversial. The purpose of this qualitative research was to examine the views of seated criminal judges about remorse, its assessment, and its relevance in their decision-making. After exemption by the IRB, 23 judges were interviewed using an open-ended format. Transcriptions of these audio-recorded sessions were analyzed phenomenologically by members of the research team. The results showed that judges varied widely in their views about the assessment of remorse and its relevance in judicial decision-making. Judges generally agreed that remorse was a …

Factors Related To Recidivism For Youthful Offenders, Christopher A. Mallett

Social Work Faculty Publications

Little is known about youth who were previously placed in a detention facility and what factors predict a subsequent recidivism to placement. This study of a two-county juvenile offender population (one urban and one rural) investigates what demographic, educational, mental health, substance dependence, and courtrelated variables predict recidivism to detention placement. Findings from logistic regression analysis indicate that seven variables significantly predict juvenile offenders’ recidivism placement, some expected and some unexpected. Predictors that made recidivism more likely include youth with a previous conduct disorder diagnosis, a self-reported previous suicide attempt, age, and number of court offenses. Conversely, predictors that made …

Intersectionality: Mental Health Interpreters And Clinicians Or Finding The “Sweet Spot” In Therapy, Cathy Chovaz

Psychology Publications

This paper examines the complex and multiple contributions that the mental health clinician, sign language interpreter and Deaf client bring to the mental health context. Building on D-C schema, the author proposes a theoretical framework for understanding the intersection of these factors and the influence on mental health outcomes.

Work-Related Stress And Mental Health Of Child Care Center Workers, Sarah Lietzow Witherell

Wayne State University Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate what factors are associated with symptoms of depression, anxiety, somatization, and general psychological distress in a sample of child care center workers. A sample of 101 employees from 14 different child care centers in the southeastern Michigan area were administered questionnaires that asked about work and home life, social support, and mental health. Data was also collected from center directors regarding the type and size of the child care program and the annual turnover rate of each facility. One of the key findings of the study was that a significant number of …

Ripples Against The Other Shore: The Impact Of Trauma Exposure On The Immigration Process Through Adjudicators, Kate Aschenbrenner

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Mental Health On Youtube: Exploring The Potential Of Interactive Media To Change Knowledge, Attitudes And Behaviors About Mental Health, Caroline Belser Foster

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation first examines the mental health content on the video-sharing site YouTube as a foundation for exploring the ways the mental health community (members and associates of the National Alliance on Mental Illness) have used, and may use, YouTube in the future for information seeking, social support seeking, information providing, and social support providing. Using a content analysis of a systematic sample of YouTube videos produced by the YouTube search engine for the terms 'mental health' and 'mental illness,' this study highlights types, topics and formats of mental health related content, including types of mental illnesses, as well as …

The Effect Of Maternal–Fetal Attachment Education On Maternal Mental Health, Elieh Abasi, Mahin Tafazzoli, Habibolah Esmaily, Hossain Hasanabadi

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

A mother's mental health during pregnancy has a considerable effect on her infant's wellbeing. Therefore, various methods have been studied to improve maternal mental health with the purpose of reducing problems for mothers and babies. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of maternal-fetal attachment (MFA) education during the third trimester on the mother's mental health. Materials and methods: This interventional study was conducted on 83 pregnant women attending 6 healthcare centers in Sari, Iran, for routine antenatal check-ups. Data collection tools included interview checklists, the Cranley MFA Scale, and the General Health Questionnaire 28. The treatment …

Re-Arrest Among Juvenile Justice-Involved Youth: An Examination Of The Static And Dynamic Risk Factors, Jun Sung Hong, Joseph P. Ryan, Yu-Ling Chiu, Bushra Sabri

Social Work Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study is to investigate the static and dynamic risk factors for re-arrest among detained youth by examining gender, race/ethnicity, age, special education and mental health variables (i.e., anger/irritability, depression/anxiety, somatic complaints, suicide ideation, thought disturbances, and traumatic experiences). The demographic profiles of detained youth with one admit were also compared with those with multiple admits to the juvenile detention center. With regards to static risk factors, older, white, and special education were significantly at risk of re-arrest. Concerning dynamic risk factors, only anger/irritability predicted re-arrest. Practice implications are also discussed.

United States: Mental Health Issues In An Adolescent Medicine Clinic Patient Population, Abdel Salous, Linah Al-Alem, Hatim A. Omar

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

The correlation between exposure to forms of violence and development of mental disorders in victims is well established. The purpose of this chapter was to identify mental health problems in an adolescent medicine clinic population in Lexington, Kentucky and to investigate potential correlation of mental disorders with psychosocial factors. Data were gathered from the charts of 169 adolescent clinic patients (age 10-22) seen in the clinic for mental health care and analyzed using Excel. Of the patient population, 68% were urban, whereas 32% were rural. In terms of gender, 40% of the patients were male and 60% were female, 80% …

Signs And Symptoms Of Moral Injury In Female Vietnam Veterans: A Qualitative Examination Of The Nvvrs, Alison H. Conway

Theses and Dissertations

It is well-known that war veterans experience long-lasting physical and psychological injuries following their deployment, and recent studies have proposed the construct of moral injury (MI) to explain the moral and spiritual effects of war on individuals. Litz et al. (2009) defined MI as "perpetrating, failing to prevent, or bearing witness to acts that transgress deeply held moral beliefs and expectations" (p. 6), and Drescher et al. (2011) interviewed trauma experts to identify types of events that could create MI and the lasting sequelae of these events. Vargas et al. (2013) provided validation of MI by examining male Vietnam veterans' …

Economic And Psychological Consequences Of Long-Term Unemployment, Lauren D. Appelbaum

Employment Research Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Clinicians’ Reports Of The Impact Of The 2008 Financial Crisis On Mental Health Clients, Donna M. L. Heretick

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

This study investigated the impact of the 2008 economic crisis on mental health clients. One hundred and three mental health providers (101 being psychologists) from California, Colorado, and Arizona completed an online survey. Following Lazarus’ stress theory, social identity theory, and the finances-shame model, several moderator variables were evaluated for impact of financial crisis: gender, age group, previous mental health, lifestyle threat, and sources for support. As predicted, male and female clients were generally described as equally stressed, but stress responses differed. Financial role responsibilities and previous mental health were noted as predictors of stress. Men—as well as clients earning …

News Media Influence On Perceptions Of Veteran Mental Health, Elizabeth Faye Weber

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This study investigated how news media communications affect public awareness and perceptions of the mental health concerns of post-deployed military of the recent Iraq war. Focus group research included 22 adult participants from the same geographic location with discussions on news media consumption behaviors and their perceptions of the mental health issues of veterans. Results revealed that news media consumption is preferred at a national level versus a local level, and that online news sources are utilized more frequently than television or print news sources. Participants with the least news media exposure admitted to the lowest awareness of veteran mental …

Expanding, Refining, And Replicating Research On High School Gay-Straight Student Alliances And Sexual Minority Youth, Nicholas Christopher Heck

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Sexual minority youth are at-risk for engaging in negative health behaviors and for experiencing at-school victimization. Specific benefits of attending a high school with a gay-straight student alliance (GSA), including lower risk for suicide, fewer alcohol problems and lower levels of psychological distress, have been reported. Limitations in the previous research studies, especially the use of retrospective designs, small sample sizes, and samples limited to a single geographic region, call into question the generalizability of these benefits. In an effort to overcome the aforementioned limitations, this analysis of data from 316 sexual minority high school students identified individual/family-, community-, and …

A Community Based System Of Integrated Clinical Care: Primary Care, Mental Health And Substance Use Treatment, Terri Reuvers

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Our segregated medical and mental health care system misses opportunities for early detection of physical disease. Missed opportunities lead to increased costs. Colorado’s Medicaid health plan estimates that an integrated health program will reduce costs for patients with psychiatric disorders by 10%. The cost of doing nothing may exceed $300 billion per year in the United States (NCCBH, 2010). The purpose of this Capstone project is to critically examine existing models of Integrated Primary and Mental Health care. These models will then be evaluated to identify those most compatible with rural communities in Southern Minnesota.

Rural-Urban Migration And Mental And Sexual Health: A Case Study In Southwestern China, Xiushi Yang

Sociology & Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Massive rural–urban temporary migration has taken place amid China's rapid economic growth and development. Much has been written about the economic causes and consequences of this massive migration; less studied are the potential health and behavioral impacts of migration on migrants. Using data from a population-based sample survey conducted in southwestern China, this paper examines the potential impact of rural–urban migration and post-migration urban living on migrants' mental health and sexual risk behavior. The results suggest that regardless of places of origin and destination temporary migrants had on average poorer mental health and riskier sexual behavior than non-migrants. Compared to …

Interpersonal Power In The Criminal System, Kimberly A. Thomas

Articles

This Article identifies the workings of interpersonal power in the criminal system and considers the effect of these cases on criminal theory and practice. By uncovering this phenomenon, this Article hopes to spark a legal academic dialogue and inquiry that has, until now, been unspoken. This Article has roots in my former work as a Philadelphia public defender and in my current work as a clinical professor with students who appear in criminal and juvenile court. As an advocate for the poor in a busy courthouse, one of a lawyer's tasks is to discover the multiple "real" stories behind the …

Investigating Developmental Patterns Of Symptom And Impairment Change Among Youth With Adhd, Subthreshold Adhdand Youth Without Adhd, Lorie Love Geryk

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction. Despite a substantial prevalence of subthreshold Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and research indicating that many youth with this disorder have impaired functioning and negative outcomes, few studies have considered patterns of symptom and functioning change for youth with probable ADHD, subthreshold ADHD and youth without ADHD transitioning from childhood to adolescence. Additionally, we are not aware of any studies examining predictors of impairment severity among youth with subthreshold ADHD, and few studies have examined predictors of treatment utilization and patterns of symptom and functioning change based on medication status for youth with subthreshold ADHD compared to youth with ADHD. Methods. …

Interventions That Help The Helpers: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Of Interventions Targeting Compassion Fatigue, Secondary Traumatic Stress And Vicarious Traumatization In Mental Health Workers, Melissa Lynn Bercier

Dissertations

Compassion fatigue, secondary traumatic stress and vicarious traumatization have received widespread attention in the literature due to an increased awareness of negative effects mental health workers experience when working with people who have been traumatized. Mental health workers become more vulnerable to significant stress when they work with trauma victims, which can lead to many negative consequences that can affect their own health as well as their treatment of their clients. While there is much that we are learning about the causes and outcomes of mental health workers' exposure to their clients' trauma, there has been less focus on effectiveness …

The Relationship Between Gratitude And Psychological, Social, And Academic Functioning In Middle Adolescence, Michelle Denise Hasemeyer

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Guided by positive psychology and broaden-and-build theoretical frameworks, this study utilized a correlational research design to explore the relationships between gratitude and adolescents' psychological, social, and academic well-being in a diverse sample of 499 high school students. Results of multiple regression analyses that controlled for potential effects of student demographic features on outcomes showed that higher levels of gratitude predicted more life satisfaction (β=.63, sr2=.40) , less internalizing symptoms (β= -.44, sr2= .19), more social support from parents (β=.50, sr2=.25), teachers (β=.28, sr2=.08), and peers (β=.34, sr2=.12), higher grades (β=.12, sr2=.014), and better academic self-perceptions (β=.30, sr2=.09). These relationships were …

Emotion Regulation And Threat Estimation As Mediators Of The Relation Between Cognitive Functioning And Anxiety In Late Life, Caroline M. Ciliberti

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background: Rates of anxiety are generally thought to decline in typically aging older adults. Some theorize that this decline is a result of age-related improvements in emotion regulation. Emotion regulation may require the use of complex cognitive processes, however, which can be impacted by cognitive decline. Indeed, the prevalence of anxiety is high among older adults with cognitive impairment. The current study examined emotion regulation and threat perception as possible mediators in the relation between cognitive functioning and anxiety.;Methods: One hundred adults, aged 60 and older, were recruited from nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and the community. All were asked …

The Role Of Dispositional Optimism On Agency When Parenting A Child With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Lina Maria Moyano

Theses and Dissertations

Parenting children with autism can be challenging obviously; still, active involvement of the parents is considered vital in the development of the child. The term parental agency refers to adopting a proactive role and engaging in numerous activities to promote the child’s development. Little research has been conducted to analyze factors that could predict agency.

Dispositional optimism, which refers to expecting good things in life regardless of particular situations, has not been extensively studied in parents of children with autism. Nevertheless, the few studies conducted on the topic show it to be a desirable trait. Therefore, it is an important …

Addressing Client Mental Health Within The Personal Training Relationship, Alana R. Honigman

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

I undertook this study to expand the literature regarding connections between mental and physical health to include ways in which client mental health arises and is addressed within the personal training relationship. My research was guided by an ethical framework with the purpose of improving best care practices for clients. The four research questions I posed concerned the frequency with which mental health issues are addressed, typical interventions personal trainers utilize in response to these issues, the reasons personal trainers choose specific interventions, and the training personal trainers receive regarding client mental health. Participants (N = 58) were recruited through …

Research Brief: "Psychopathology, Iraq And Afghanistan Service, And Suicide Among Veterans Health Administration Patients", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This brief is about the connections between being a OIF/OEF veteran who receives care from the VHA and suicide mortality. In policy and practice, mental health screenings for OIF/OEF veterans should be implemented in non-VHA healthcare settings and families of OIF/OEF veterans should encourage veterans to seek treatment if they exhibit signs of a mental health condition. The VHA should implement policies that promote its healthcare to veterans in order to decrease suicide risks among veterans and should also offer more mental health screenings for recently returned veterans. Suggestions for future research include looking at risks for suicide after traumatic …

Postcard, Puer Aeternus At Studio@620 In St. Petersburg, Florida, Studio At 620

Postcard Collection

A promotional postcard for Puer Aeternus, an exhibition at Studio@620 presented in collaboration with BayCare Behavioral Health. The exhibition showcases new original artworks by Adam Miguel Estevez.