Digital Commons Network^™

Division I Softball Athletes' Perceptions On Stress, Coping, Performance, And Mental Health, Rhianna Weall

LSU Master's Theses

Collegiate athletes face numerous stressors in both athletic and academic areas of performance. Their perceptions of situations dictate coping responses and their ability to enact behavior or implement strategies to manage stress levels. This study investigated perceived stress and coping strategies using semi-structured in-person interviews with five current NCAA Division I softball players. Three main themes emerged from the interviews: (a) Pressure is Privilege, (b) Team Dynamic and Identity Development, (c) Softball-Centrism. In the first theme, pressure is viewed as a positive aspect and as an opportunity to perform in areas of high and low levels of confidence. Within the …

Mental Health In Transnational Contexts: Reconsidering Conceptualizations, Coping Strategies, And Racism Through The Narratives Of Refugees Resettled In The United States, Ryeora Choe, Ryeora Choe

Sociology ETDs

This dissertation examines refugees’ mental health conceptualizations in their resettled contexts, their views on Western mental health services, and their perspectives on how changing experiences related to discrimination affect their mental health. Despite refugees’ social and cultural contexts changing multiple times, little is known about their views on and interactions with the dominant biomedical model of mental health in their country of resettlement and how their hybrid identities and experiences embedded in multiple locations affect their understanding of mental health and healing practices. A transnational framework emphasizing continuity between various locations and “in-between the designations of identity” across borders, and …

Shared Concepts Guiding The Practice Of A Community Occupational Therapy Program Serving Youth With Psychosocial Challenges, Chi-Kwan Shea, Nancy Jackson, Marianna Ayers Sordille

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Occupational therapy services to youth with trauma experiences and mental health challenges may follow unique practice concepts that deserve to be explored and illuminated. The study aimed to explore and identify shared concepts that have been guiding the occupational therapy practice of a community-based program serving the youth population.

Method: The qualitative study analyzed data from transcripts of one-on-one interviews with occupational therapists who serve youth clients in the community-based program. Using a grounded theory qualitative approach, the analysis aimed to highlight unique concepts that the occupational therapists employed in their day-to-day practice with youth who experience …

Initial Validity And User Experience Of A Dynamic Assessment Of Occupational Performance For Transitional Age Youth, Christine Haworth, Genevieve Cyrs, Chi-Kwan Shea

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: The Double OT (DOT) assessment is occupation-based and dynamic, designed with a client-centered format requiring skill demonstration. It was developed to support youth transitioning into the workplace. This research intended to analyze initial validity and users’ experience.

Method: This study includes qualitative and quantitative analyses of data collected from surveys from 169 client participants (APs) and 30 recipient participants (ARRs) from eight sites in the USA and Europe. AP were 14­ to 25 years of age and engaged in residential, educational, and vocational settings. The ARRs comprised partners who had received DOT assessment summaries about APs with …

Flying Under The Radar: A Survey Of Collegiate Pilots’ Mental Health To Identify Aeromedical Nondisclosure And Healthcare-Seeking Behaviors, Emily Faulconer, Lauren Pitts

Publications

The disclosure of a new or existing mental health condition in a pilot complicates their medical certification status. It has been proposed that the threat of losing medical certification often discourages pilots from seeking treatment for mental health issues or disclosing such information to aeromedical professionals, contributing to a barrier to seeking healthcare that affects pilots of all certification levels. The current study focused on the nondisclosure and healthcare-seeking behaviors of the collegiate pilot population(N = 2,452)at a large, accredited, private institution that offers flight training in accordance with Pilot Schools (2022). Data collected from our anonymous online survey over …

The Effect Of Covid-19 On Substance Use And Mental Health On A College Campus, Georgia L. Coffman

Butler Journal of Undergraduate Research

In this research, the author surveyed a university population to determine the impact that COVID-19 has had on substance use and mental health. Current research provides significant data indicating worsening mental health and substance use. This paper looks at how applicable those trends are to a small private university in Indianapolis, Indiana. The data included 261 respondents composed of students, faculty, and staff of the university. The results reveal that college students, faculty, and staff experienced statistically significant increases in feelings of unhappiness, depression, loneliness, hopelessness, agitation, and irritability during the pandemic compared to before the pandemic. Data analysis of …

Perceived Changes In The Mental Well‐Being Among Nigerians Due To Ramadan Intermittent Fasting During The Covid‐19 Pandemic, Sahabi Kabir Sulaiman, Fatimah Isma'il Tsiga-Ahmed, Teresa Arora, Moezalislam E Faris, Muhammad Sale Musa, Yesir Adeyemi Kareem, Farouq Muhammad Dayyab, Aminu Hussein, Shehu Sale, Syed Fahad Javaid, Moien Ab Khan

All Works

INTRODUCTION: Muslims fast every year during the month of Ramadan from dawn until dusk. This study examined mental well-being and correlating factors among Nigerian adults who observed Ramadan intermittent fasting (RIF). METHODS: A validated generalized anxiety disorder-2 and Patient Health Questionnaire-2, the four-item spiritual well-being index, and the Islamic intrinsic religiosity questionnaire were used to collect data about mental well-being (depression, anxiety), spirituality, and intrinsic religiosity through a web-based survey between the May 9, 2021 (27th of Ramadan, 1442) and the June 4, 2021 (29th of Shawwal, 1442). We studied the mental well-being of respondents over a period of 4 …

#Teacherquittok: A Content Analysis Of How Current And Former Teachers Navigate Attrition On Tiktok, Forrest J. Kaiser

School Leadership Review

No abstract provided.

Physical, Mental, And Financial Health: Best Practices In Educating And Supporting Professional Athletes, Yayra Fekpe

Student Research and Creative Activity Expo

Perspectives of professional athletes about the strategies used to educate and support them about health.

Predictors Of Medical Students’ Perceptions Of Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy For Use In Medical Practice, Karina Wang, Yiqun Sun, Brenda Nava, Luke Sampiere, Robin J. Jacobs

HPD Articles

Background Psilocybin use, along with other psychedelics, has seen an increased interest among professionals in the medical community due to its potential therapeutic benefits for psychiatric disorders, substance use disorders (SUD), and palliative care. While it is certain that more research is necessary as psychedelic-assisted therapy becomes more prevalent, it will most likely be future physicians at the forefront of this neoteric care. Currently, physicians receive minimal training because of psilocybin’s contextual information and its current enlistment as a Schedule 1 drug per the United States Drug Enforcement Administration. Schedule 1 drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with …

Time Of Day Preferences And Daily Temporal Consistency For Predicting The Sustained Use Of A Commercial Meditation App: Longitudinal Observational Study, Vincent Berardi, Ryan Fowers, Gavriella Rubin, Chad Stecher

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Background: The intensive data typically collected by mobile health (mHealth) apps allows factors associated with persistent use to be investigated, which is an important objective given users’ well-known struggles with sustaining healthy behavior.

Objective: Data from a commercial meditation app (n=14,879; 899,071 total app uses) were analyzed to assess the validity of commonly given habit formation advice to meditate at the same time every day, preferably in the morning.

Methods: First, the change in probability of meditating in 4 nonoverlapping time windows (morning, midday, evening, and late night) on a given day over the first 180 days …

Co-Exploring Meaning In Everyday Life For People In Mental Health Recovery: A Photovoice Study, Siw H. Tønnessen, Ottar Ness, Trude G. Klevan

The Qualitative Report

Research on mental health recovery points to an interdependent relationship between experiences of meaning and experiences of recovery; meaning in everyday life promotes recovery, and recovery promotes meaning in everyday life. In this study we address the following question: What do people with mental challenges find meaningful in their everyday life? To explore this question, we offered disposable cameras to people with mental health challenges and asked them to photograph whatever makes their life meaningful. As part of the collaborative procedure of the study, a competence group contributed to different stages of the research process and the visual data were …

Mental Health Service Preferences Among Illinois Dairy Producers: A Best-Worst Scaling Approach, Brianna Messman

Theses and Dissertations

Importance of mental health within the agricultural community is growing, especially amongst dairy farmers. With the ongoing trend of negative economic returns facing the dairy industry, there is no better time to address mental health concerns of dairy producers. The goal of this study is to gain insight into the preferred services for mental health assistance amongst Illinois dairy producers. A questionnaire was administered to Illinois dairy producers and analyzed to acquire a greater understanding of this topic. The findings from this study have the potential to assist policy makers and benefit agricultural producers. An overwhelming preference among Illinois dairy …

Impact Of Industrial Disasters On The Mental Health Of Vietnamese Americans On The Gulf Coast, Vivian L. Duong

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Annual Conference

An explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig caused 200 million gallons of crude oil to spill on the Gulf Coast over a five-month span. About 16,000 miles of coastline, ecosystem and marine life along Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas were contaminated. This disaster and the recovery process caused social, financial, and ecological shocks, resulting in adverse psychosocial and physical health outcomes, health disparities, and socioeconomic inequality. Among the oil spill's most affected and vulnerable populations are the Vietnamese American communities that settled on the Gulf Coast after the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. The plight of …

Starry Night's Interlude, Joshua Rodriguez

HCOM 434: Creative Publishing and Critical Storytelling, Spring 2023

In my piece, I go into the depths of the art piece, A Starry night and I explain the history of it and its importance to today's day. It shows the depths of the meaning behind the art piece from one's window and how it can be examined in different forms of solidarity. Seeking the component of fulfilment with this art piece, I reflect on my time as a student here at CSUMB. This piece of art was given to me by a close friend upon leaving for college and I moved to an entirely new life.

The Silent Illness, Morgan R. Wood-Buchanan

IPS/BAS 495 Undergraduate Capstone Projects

My capstone project is all based on mental health, specifically depression. I created a blog based on my own personal story, in hopes I could reach people in our community who may be personally struggling with mental health or know someone who is struggling. The purpose of my project was to be a voice for those who feel as if they have lost theirs. Mental health is a taboo subject even though therapy has come a long way in becoming normalized. The blog is a safe place for those who feel the courage to share their story or struggles with …

Trauma Recovery On College Campuses, Madison Thomas

Occupational Therapy Doctoral Student Capstone Posters

With the support of REBOOT Recovery, this capstone was completed to bridge the gap between college students who have experienced traumatic events and the lack of tier two services available on Cleveland State's Campus. The goal of this capstone was to show the efficacy of REBOOT Recovery's programming as well as show improvements in overall quality of life.

Policy Approaches To Address Supply Of Mental Health Treatment In The Us, Siqing Xu

Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Dissertations

Millions of Americans experienced some form of mental illness in 2020. To make matters worse, many of these individuals also experience barriers to care. Many of these challenges arise from supply side barriers, that is, a constraint in the mental health workforce. This dissertation evaluates two policies relevant to mental health in the US: (1) Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act and (2) granting nurse practitioners (NPs) full practice authority (FPA). Chapter 1 offers an overview of the current mental health landscape in the US. It provides a discussion of what the US mental health workforce looks like, barriers …

Using Ot-Based Yoga Programs To Improve Sleep Health Across Populations, Hillary Williams

MOT Student Capstones

Sleep dysfunction affects all ages and inhibits successful engagement in everyday activities. Pain and psychological issues are common factors that contribute to sleep health. There is demand for holistic approaches to promote sleep health due to undesirable effects of medications. Yoga has been shown to improve health and wellness of those who practice and can be a tool to improve symptoms leading to poor sleep health. Sleep is an occupational domain that is underrecognized compared to the full scope of occupational therapy (OT). OTs can implement yoga programs to promote sleep health across the lifespan, because they are skilled in …

Addition Of Mental Health To The Lady Health Worker Curriculum In Pakistan: Now Or Never, Fauziah Rabbani, Samina Akhtar, Javeria Nafis, Shahid Khan, Sameen Siddiqi, Zul Merali

Brain and Mind Institute

The technical advisory group of the World Health Organization (Geneva, Switzerland) has suggested person-centered and community-based mental health services in response to the long-term and far-reaching mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Task shifting is a pragmatic approach to tackle the mental health treatment gap in low- and middle-income countries. Pakistan is dismally resourced to address the mental health challenges. Pakistan’s government has established a lady health worker’s program (LHW-P) which can be effectively utilized to provide some basic mental health services at community doorsteps. However, lady health workers’ current curriculum does not include mental health as a subject. …

Child Abuse From A Nursing Perspective: Assessment And Implications, Ashtyn Spring

Senior Honors Theses

Nurses experience the relationship dynamics between pediatric patients and their families firsthand. Being informed by the goals of holistic care, nurses should be assessing for unhealthy dynamics among pediatric patients and their caregivers so they can respond appropriately when a potential for abuse is present. Healthcare workers have the duty to provide safety and healing to their patients. Through the unique contact nurses have with patients, their training for accurate assessment skills, and their responsibility as healthcare workers, nurses are placed with the opportunity to help children out of abusive situations. Prompt identification of the potential for abuse can prevent …

The Impact Of Covid-19, Mental Health Distress, And School-Based Sociocultural Protective Factors Among Elementary-Aged Children And Their Caregivers, Aijah K.B. Goodwin, Anthony J. Roberson, Ar’Reon Watson, Grace L. Chen, Anna C.J. Long

Faculty Publications

Given the individual and systemic stress endured by children and families during the COVID-19 pandemic, research examining culturally responsive school experiences and supports to enhance resilience is critical. This study examined the relationship between caregivers’ perceptions of COVID-19 impact, mental health distress among children and caregivers, and school-based sociocultural protective factors, including culturally responsive practices in schools and the relationships between teachers and caregivers, concurrently and longitudinally. Data were collected from caregivers of elementary-aged children at two-time points from March to April 2020 (N = 174) and one year later in 2021 (N = 114). Regression analyses revealed that COVID-19 …

Trauma And Resiliency, Madelyn Ferguson

Honors Projects

Life is a series of events, some overwhelmingly positive and others devastatingly negative. Because of the inevitability of adversity, one must learn to adapt to negative circumstances. However, people react to trauma in different ways with some seeking to take their own lives and others finding a healthy outlet. What causes such a difference in our reactions to trauma? Is it simply the power of thought or is there a genetic component? What can I do to build my own resilience and promote the resilience of others around me? The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between …

Gender As An Environmental Stressor In Individuals Genetically Predisposed To Mood Disorders: A Preliminary Analysis, Kara West

Audre Lorde Prize

Given the recent ‘epidemic’ of mental health disorders, we urgently need to better understand who is suffering and how. One aspect of this that research has come closer to identifying is where symptoms and diagnoses are missed in certain individuals, especially based on gender. However, if certain genders are actually more likely to deal with certain disorders we need to understand why and where that comes from. There is a general consensus in the medical field that some individuals are simply genetically predisposed to various disorders based on sex, but there is limited evidence that sex actually determines genetic predisposition. …

An Occupational Therapist Role In Mental Health: Focus In Schizophrenia And Eating Disorders, Stephany Tourtillott, Lakeisa Boykin, Inti Marizita

Spring 2023 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Occupational therapy is a field that aims to help a population gain as much independence as possible within all areas of occupation. In many cases and populations, this tends to fall within the physical limitations domain and does not often consider populations where mental health is the main domain affected. In this capstone project, the writer dove into how an occupational therapist can help those with schizophrenia and eating disorders, specifically within the adolescent population. This capstone project began with a literature review in which five significant themes arose: background on mental health, the current treatment of schizophrenia and eating …

The Musical Touch On Mental Illness, Skylar Dunn

Senior Honors Theses

To understand the relationship amongst anxiety, depression, and music therapy, this integrative review synthesizes the major themes and relevant education of articles discussing mental health and the benefit of music. While most existing studies focus on using music therapy to treat pain and clinical anxiety, the content of this paper is written to emphasize how the same principles can be used in unmanageable stress and emotional decomposition. Each topic is analyzed and reviewed individually, pooling several sources for a thorough examination, and understanding of the subject. Once each area is fully summarized, the gap is addressed by pulling evidence from …

Police Harassment And Latinx Mental Health: The Moderating Role Of Family Support And Nativity, Veronica Lauren Heredia

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Relative to their population size, communities of color experience disproportionate occurrences of harassment (Wilson et. al., 2020). Reports on police killings from 2013 to 2018 display that Black individuals constituted 27.5% of those killed, despite making up only 13% of the population (Siegel, 2020). The U.S. Latinx population is similarly impacted, given reports that they also experience police targeting (Edwards et. al., 2019; Gaston et. al., 2021; Harris et. al., 2020; Zimmerman et. al., 2021). Empirical evidence has shown a positive association between police harassment exposure and depressive and posttraumatic stress symptoms in Latinx populations (Chin et. al., 2020; Del …

Exercise And Mental Health Over The Course Of A Semester, Jamie Alexis Whitney

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction and purpose: Anxiety and depression are two of the most common mental health struggles in the United States each year. There has been promising research noting the positive effects of exercise on lowering symptoms of both anxiety and depression. Anxiety and depression are highly prevalent on college campuses, especially during high stress portions of the semester. The purpose of this study was to observe the changes in mental health over the course of the semester and if exercise level mediated any of these changes in the university population. Methods: Participants scanned a QR code or followed a link to …

Occupational Therapy's Impact Utilizing Trauma-Informed Care With At-Risk Youth, Kerri Lindeman

Capstone Projects

The 14-week capstone experience aimed to advocate and implement occupational therapy (OT) alongside a non-profit organization serving at-risk youth while utilizing trauma-informed care (TIC) approach. Alongside various staff and volunteers, this capstone project focused on aiding underserved children in a variety of age-specific after-school programs. This specific population of youth have limited resources at home. The families in the community have limitations with basic needs including food, water, and shelter. The organization was able to fulfill these basic needs along with activities to meet the developmental needs of each child. Due to their minimal resources, the children also have limited …

Toxic Positivity And Perceptions Of Mental Health, Madeline E. Feltner

Senior Theses

My thesis concerns how toxic positivity, especially the type we commonly see on social media, can affect perceptions and stigma around mental health issues on college campuses. Toxic positivity is the belief that a person should always maintain a positive mindset, no matter what situation they are in, and invalidates negative emotions. Previous research shows that toxic positivity can have a negative effect on mental health, but in this thesis, I study how toxic positivity affects perceptions about others with mental health issues, willingness to interact with those with mental health issues, and self-perception. It is important to research this …