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Responding To Escalating Student Behavioral Health Needs : A Comparative Case Study Of Multi-Tiered System Of Support Team Functioning, Randi Bargo-Smith

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The state of youth behavioral health in the United States was a public health crisis before the overwhelming challenges presented by the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic, and now, the situation is even more dire. The impacts of youth behavioral health challenges are pervasive and long-lasting for youth, their families, and the entire community. It is critical to identify innovative ways that youth behavioral health is being addressed in schools and understand how comprehensive school mental health systems including multi-tiered system of support teams are functioning. This comparative case study investigated the functioning of two high school multi-tiered system of …

An Exploration Of The Occupational Needs Of College Students, Christian D. Gabon, Jennifer Brady, Kaela Jules Antonio, Kayla Twite Lehnen, Beatriz Go

Occupational Therapy | MSOT Capstone Projects

This paper analyzes the barriers and supports for Dominican University of California students in meeting their occupational needs and what services might be beneficial to them. To be able to answer this question, we conducted a survey using convenience sampling with twenty-seven Dominican undergraduate students, interviewed staff, and conducted a focus group with the students who participated in the survey. Our results indicated four main themes which include: occupational needs, barriers to meeting occupational needs, supports to meeting occupational needs, and services recommended. For the implications for occupational therapy, we found that OTs are beneficial in several aspects of students’ …

Understanding The Mental Health Of Occupational Therapy Students During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Alisha Sharma, Andrea Tyszka

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the mental health of health professional students across the world. Although there are a growing number of studies regarding the mental health of other health professional students, there are currently limited studies regarding the mental health of entry-level occupational therapy (OT) and occupational therapy assistant (OTA) students in the United States, especially within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this mixed methods survey study was to understand the mental health status of entry-level OT and OTA students in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic in order to better support their mental …

The (Black) Struggle That Must Be: Black Masculinity, Black College Athletes, And Black Mental Health Through A Looking Glass, A. Lamont Williams

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

In this article, the author describes their mental health struggles tied to Black Masculinity as a (former) Black athlete. In particular, the author focuses on the stigma surrounding mental health in the Black community and the ways in which Blackness, Black masculinity, and mental health battles emulate the (Black) struggle that must be. The author attempts to highlight the complicated nature of mental health struggles, specifically the ways in which suicide is handled in the world of sport and the ways in which the narrative can have juxtaposed racial frameworks. The author moves into and through their own personal experiences …

Understanding The Effects Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On West Virginia Students In Secondary School, Hannah Mckenzye Layman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Abstract 1

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted the mental health of young people. Mental health disparities among youth are abundant, so understanding how the pandemic may have affected specific sub-groups to develop tailored interventions to mitigate variations in health disparities is essential. Methods: School-based survey data from the Young Mountaineer Health Study (YMHS) was used to create generalized estimating equations models predicting anxiety and depression among early adolescents. The cohort sample included 2,322 students. Waves 1, 2, and 3 were collected ~6 months apart. Independent variables included COVID-19-related emotional impact (scale range: 5-25) and social support. Results: Average age …

Black Women And The Weight Of The World: When The Weight Becomes Too Much To Bear, April R. Edmonds

DSW Capstone Projects

ABSTRACT

Black women’s mental health continues to go largely underrepresented. Black women are seen as having many protective factors such as their faith communities, family and friends, and what others see as strength and resilience. A review of the literature depicts Black women as traditionally being caretakers, nurturers, and depicted as strong (Castelin & White, 2022). Because of this perception, terms such as the Strong Black Woman Schema and the Black Superwoman Phenomena are what many equate Black women with. This scholarship instead shows how associations such as these impact Black women negatively and impose additional stigma and hardship. Research …

Mental Health Aviation Students, Keren Natha, Priyangaa Rajendran, Sundareswar Selvaganesan

Student Works

According to a study done by the American College Health Association, 24% of students in 2021 met the criteria for severe psychological distress and 51% of students met the criteria for moderate psychological distress. University can take a toll on students and cause mental health challenges. Aviation students are of no exception. The mental health challenges, if not dealt with properly, can further deteriorate and cause issues such as depression. This could risk students’ career, and could be a threat to not only their safety, but the safety of potential passengers and other individuals. Thus, this study will allow better …

Perfectionism And Psychological Well-Being In Sport And Performance Psychology Professionals, Kaytlyn M. Johnson

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Sport and performance psychology (SPP) professionals working in performance-enhancement training, counseling/clinical psychology, academia, and the military, face various work demands that can lead to chronic stress and impaired well-being (McCormack, 2019). Perfectionism is a multi-dimensional personality trait in which an individual sets excessively high personal standards of performance (Burns, 1980; Frost et al., 1990; Hamachek, 1978; Hewitt & Flett, 1990). While striving for high standards is not necessarily a negative trait, perfectionism is not considered a healthy pursuit of excellence, rather a “compulsive drive to achieve flawlessness” (Burns, 1980, p. 38). Given that SPP professionals’ responsibilities are to help athletes …

Racial Differences In Depression Indicators Before And After 2008 Financial Crisis In A Sample Of Older Adults, Angelina E. Jackson

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The present study was designed to examine patterns of mental health outcomes in older Black and White adults after the national 2008 financial crisis. The data was acquired from the University of Michigan Health and Retirement Study, a publicly available dataset. This longitudinal study has obtained data from a representative sample of approximately 20,000 older adults in America, aged 55 and older. The hypotheses were (1) rates of mental health indicators related to symptoms of depression will increase after the 2008 financial crisis and (2) that increase will be significantly higher in Black respondents compared to White respondents. The analysis …

Mental Health Help-Seeking Behaviors Of First-Year University Students, Kylie A. Roberts

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The early college years represent a specific period in a student’s life that is crucial for their development. Approximately one in three college students meet the criteria for a mental health problem (Eisenberg et al., 2013). Universities have unique opportunities for identifying risk and delivering prevention or intervention strategies to students in need. The purpose of this study was to investigate factors associated with First-Year University students’ help-seeking behaviors for university-based mental health services. H₁: There will be group differences between gender and race/ethnicity on help-seeking behaviors, knowledge barriers of services or providers and perceived stigma. H_{2 …}

Community On Campus: Examining The Impact Of Campus Climate, Belonging, And Flourishing On Bystander Behavior Among Diverse University Students, Amelia Liadis

Theses and Dissertations

This exploratory, nonexperimental study aimed to investigate the relationships among diverse undergraduate and graduate students’ perceived campus climate, flourishing, and university belonging on bystander intentions and bystander behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study’s theoretical framework combined the Theory of Planned Behavior and feminist theory, and examined intersectionality through an Identity Risk Index. Data used in the current study were originally collected as part of an institutional Healthy Minds Survey, on health behaviors of college students; responses from n = 171 of the randomly selected participants were used in the current study’s analyses. The majority of participants indicated at least …

Depression And Anxiety Among Plurisexual Teens In The U.S., Olivia Goodwin

Public Health Theses

Background: Little research focuses on the mental health consequences of stigma for plurisexual teens, with even less research comparing cisgender plurisexual youth to nonbinary plurisexual youth.Aims: To assess whether having both a marginalized sexual orientation and a marginalized gender identity is associated with greater risk or greater resilience in depression and anxiety outcomes among teens in the US. Methods: Data was analyzed from the 2022 LGBTQ Teen Survey. Inclusion in the study required being an English speaker living in the US, being 13-18 years old, and identifying as cisgender and plurisexual (n=1547) or gender nonbinary and plurisexual (n=1867). Statistical tests …

Compassion-Based Resilience Training (Cbrt) For Frontline Healthcare Workers In Contact With Covid-19 Patients, Michael Perez Sosa

Dissertations and Theses

Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic has had deleterious consequences for the mental health of frontline healthcare workers worldwide. One systemic review of the literature found high prevalence rates of anxiety (67.55%), depression (58.89%), and stress (62.99%) reported by this population (Vizheh et al., 2020). Additionally, high rates of burnout and symptoms associated with trauma have also been ubiquitous during the pandemic for frontline healthcare workers. The purpose of this study is to investigate Compassion-Based Resilience Training (CBRT) as a remotely delivered intervention for frontline healthcare workers in contact with COVID-19 patients to reduce symptoms associated with stress, depression, anxiety, burnout, and …

Unity Against Adversity: Examining The Moderating Effect Of A Sense Of Community Between Discrimination And Discrimination-Related Distress Among Racial And Ethnic Minoritized Adults, Kimberly Velazquez

Dissertations and Theses

Background: Racial and ethnic minoritized populations are significantly more likely to develop mental health conditions, such as depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder, than White populations. Some of the predominant causes are rooted in the impact of discrimination, and other social determinants of health (SDOH), including adverse experiences. Studies found that discrimination can lead to a distinct form of anxiety described as discrimination-related distress, which has a higher negative association with poor mental health symptoms. It has been suggested that having a strong sense of community (SOC) –a collective sentiment shared by community members regarding their membership, feelings of belonging, …

Dead End: Challenges In Healthcare Delivery To Older Adults With History Of Dementia And Incarceration- A Case Report, Shruti Anand, Saket Saxena

Journal of Geriatric Emergency Medicine

No abstract provided.

Profiles Of Family Functioning In Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Patients: Longitudinal Associations With Child Well-Being, Sydney Sumrall

Theses and Dissertations

This study aims to assess 1) patterns of family functioning and 2) longitudinal associations between family functioning patterns and well-being in a vulnerable cohort of children with chronic illness. Caregivers of hematology (16.4%) and oncology (83.6%) patients ages 7-20 (N=55; M_age = 13.3 [SD = 2.7]; 52.7% female; 45.5% non-Latinx White, 38.2% Black or African American, 12.7% Latinx, 1.8% Asian, and 1.8% multi-racial,) reported on family functioning via the Family Assessment Device. Cluster analyses identified three mutually exclusive clusters: one high adaptive group, one moderate adaptive group, and one maladaptive group. Group membership was not significantly …

Sleep And Health Behaviors In A Safety-Net Primary Care Setting, Sahar Sabet

Theses and Dissertations

Nearly half of all premature deaths in the United States are attributable to preventable and modifiable health risk behaviors. For decades, the leading behavioral health contributors to morbidity and mortality are tobacco use, physical inactivity, and alcohol consumption. Medication adherence is a relatively less studied yet critical interrelated health behavior that is tied to health and treatment outcomes. Sleep, an important pillar of health, is a daily and modifiable behavior that shows promise as a health behavior facilitator. Better understanding the dynamics of these modifiable health behaviors is essential for the improvement of health promotion, particularly among underserved populations (e.g., …

Sustaining Breaths For Restorative Rest: A Preliminary Evaluation Of Sleep, Mental Health, And Cognitive Function Following Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulation For Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Elliottnell Perez

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a sleep-related breathing disorder that produces repetitive obstruction or collapse of the upper airway. Positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy is the gold standard treatment for OSA. Hypoglossal nerve stimulation (HNS) is considered an alternative treatment for patients who are unable to tolerate PAP therapy. The purpose of the study was to examine sleep, mental health, and cognitive health outcomes before and after HNS to determine its viability as an alternative treatment.

Methods: The study utilized a single-group, pretest-posttest design. Objective and subjective sleep was measured using actigraphy, sleep diary, and questionnaires. Objective and subjective …

Do Breast Cancer Survivors With A Recent History Of Clinical Depression Report Worse Experiences With Care? A Retrospective Cohort Study Using Seer-Cahps Data, Mariana Arevalo, Trevor A Pickering, Sally W Vernon, Kayo Fujimoto, Melissa F Peskin, Albert J Farias

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

PURPOSE: We examined whether breast cancer survivors' experiences with care differed by a recent history of clinical depression, and whether associations differed by race/ethnicity.

METHODS: Using the Epidemiology and End Results-Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (SEER-CAHPS) dataset, we analyzed records of breast cancer survivors who completed a survey at least 12 months after their cancer diagnosis. We assessed clinical depression 12 months prior to survey completion using Medicare claims. We used separate multivariable logistic regressions to examine the associations between depression and excellent (vs. less than excellent) ratings of experiences with care (i.e., doctor communication, getting needed care, …

Preventing Consequences Of Adverse Childhood Experiences (Aces) In Black Youths In Oakland, Ca, Althea M. O'Brien

Selected Social Change Portfolios in Prevention, Intervention, and Consultation

Goal Statement: The goal of this Social Change Portfolio is to create a prevention program that could be utilized by the counselor for Black youth in Oakland, California who have experienced adverse childhood experience (ACEs) in order to strengthen protective factors in Black youth, thus preventing future behavioral, mental, physical health, and downstream consequences (Bhushan et al., 2020).

Significant Findings: The population of focus are Black Youths, which are affected by ACES at disproportionate rates (Bhushan et al., 2020). According to the 2020 California Surgeon General’s Report, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) is a health crisis; more than 6 out of …

Law Enforcement Training On Suicide By Cop: Implications Of Mental Health Crisis And Encounters With Those Individuals Who Want To Die, Juan C. Garcia

Theses and Dissertations

There is a high prevalence of suicide in people who engage in Suicide by Cop (SbC), a method of suicide that involves provoking law enforcement into fatal use of force. This research study aimed to examine the changes in knowledge about SbC, self-efficacy when dealing with SbC offenders, and empathy toward SbC offenders in response to law enforcement officers’ (LEO) participation in a 30-minute SbC intervention training. This dissertation first introduced information about defining features and prevalence of suicide as a whole and SbC in particular. SbC factors include SbC intent, mental health history, noncompliance with LEO commands, and multiple …

Veteran Status Affecting Health, Brittney Landry

Honors Theses - Providence Campus

No abstract provided.

Just Because We Are Black: Exploring The Impact Of Racial Trauma On African American Adults And Introducing An Approach To Assessment, Charessa L. Mcintosh

DSW Capstone Projects

Racial trauma, also referred to as race-based traumatic Stress (RBTS), is a significant problem that African Americans experience. Racial trauma refers to people of Color and Indigenous individuals' (POCI) reactions to dangerous and threatening events and real or perceived experiences of and exposure to racial discrimination. RBTS can be experienced by other racial minorities, but it is the most frequently experienced by African Americans. The origins of racial trauma include racism, exposure to racism, experiencing and witnessing physical violence, the threat of injury, and numerous other emotionally traumatic events involving race. It is not uncommon for secondary traumatic stress disorder …

Body-Image Distress In Breast Cancer Survivors And Their Evaluation Of Medical Tattooing Following Surgery, Miranda Proctor

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

A review of the literature reveals a high incidence of body-image distress among breast cancer survivors who have undergone surgery, which is a natural response to the significant changes in their appearance. Reconstructive surgery, utilizing implants or flaps, may be employed to restore breast size and shape. Medical tattooing can simulate the nipple-areola complex and decorative appliques can conceal scars and skin color variations. Both reconstructive surgery and medical tattoos are associated with patient-reported satisfaction, yet further research is necessary to understand their combined impact on body-image distress. To investigate this, a survey was distributed among national breast cancer support …

Does Perceived Emotional Invalidation Moderate The Relation Between Occupational Stress And Mental Health Outcomes In Law Enforcement Officers?, Sahar Jaafar M.S.; M.A.

Selected Full Text Dissertations, 2011-

Police officers are exposed to operational stressors while on duty, including child abuse, domestic violence, car crashes, and homicides (Jetelina et al., 2020). Repeated exposure to these stressors is associated with the development of mental illness (Jetelina et al., 2020). Organizational stressors, including lack of support/validation, demand, job pressure, administrative/organizational pressure, and long working hours, may be an even greater source of stress for police officers (Purba & Demou, 2019). Exposure to such organizational stressors can result in psychological distress, burnout, and suicidal ideation (Purba & Demou, 2019). However, there is a dearth of research on invalidation and the role …

Effects Of Mindfulness-Based Intervention On Mental Health Outcomes In Youth Who Are Underserved, Melanie Grace Albright

All ETDs from UAB

olescence, a period of rapid brain maturation and development coincides with the development of mental health disorders. Many teens in the United States with diagnosable mental health conditions lack mental health treatment due to limited access and provider availability, particularly affecting adolescents who are underserved. School-based interventions, including those centered around mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) have shown promise in their effectiveness among adolescents. This study examines the impact of an in-school MBSR-based program, MindUP, on mental health outcomes, including depressive symptomology, anxiety symptomology, and perceived stress, in adolescents who are underserved. Additionally, focus group discussions were conducted with students participating …

An Exploration Of The Mental Health Experiences Of Young Women With Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Brittany M. Woods

All ETDs from UAB

Infertility is a reproductive disease resulting in the inability to conceive. One in six individuals will experience infertility in their lifetime. Diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) reduces the quantity and/or quality of a female's oocyte pool and is a known cause of infertility. Although this occurs during normal ovarian aging in the late 30s and early 40s, DOR can also impact younger women, increasing their risk for psychological distress from an unexpected diagnosis. The purpose of this dissertation is to develop a deeper understanding of the mental health experiences of young women with DOR through the generation of three manuscripts. Manuscript …

The Costly Performance Of Strength: An Exploration Of Mental Health Treatment Utilization Among Black Women In The Deep South, Amber N. Martin

All ETDs from UAB

Introduction: Strength is indoctrinated into the cultural tapestry of Black women, dating back to slavery, and passed down through intergenerational socialization. The incessant need for Black women to be strong diminishes their psychological health leading to poorer quality of life. Further, historical injustices and unethical practices in mental healthcare continue to perpetuate the need for Black women to perform in strength. The performance of strength is one explanation for the grave mental health disparities among Black women offering an opportunity to better understand their mental health needs. This project aims to center Black women within the cultural contextualization of the …

Mental Health Experiences Of Black Males Beyond Juvenile Delinquency, Jasmine D. Spratling

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Incarceration rates around the United States continue to increase for Black male adolescents. These numbers are even more significant in Atlanta, where youth spend time in juvenile detention centers and return soon once released. Summary findings from existing research showed the lack of mental health services provided once a youth has been released from incarceration, but a lack of specifics around the services needed remains. The purpose of the current study was to explore the experiences of Black male adolescents who received little to no trauma informed care post-incarceration. A qualitative, phenomenological approach was used to conduct semistructured interviews with …

Barriers, Challenges &Successes Among Human Service Professionals Stigma Reduction Treatment Among People With Mental Illness, Maureen Epps

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, over 9 million people in the United States suffer from a mental illness (MI). Although human service professionals seek the best practices to treat people with MI, people with MI sometimes struggle to seek treatment because of stigma. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore the barriers and challenges of human service professionals who experienced using a stigma reduction treatment on a person with MI. The mental illness stigma framework and Goffman’s stigma theory provided the conceptual framework for the study. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with eight …