Digital Commons Network^™

Mobile Response Teams And The Youth Emergency Behavioral Health System, Paige J. Alitz

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: This dissertation includes three separate manuscripts that coalesce under the shared topic of mobile crisis response and the emergency behavioral health system. Method: The first manuscript includes a synthesis of the research on mobile crisis response from the 1960s to present day to assess whether mobile crisis services can improve mental health care access in the U.S. for youth and adults. The second manuscript includes bivariate and multivariate analyses of MRT participant data to characterize participants who receive an involuntary psychiatric evaluation versus those who do not, and to assess factors associated with involuntary psychiatric evaluation or referral to …

Ethnic Disparities In Mental Health Among Asian Americans: Evidence From A National Sample, Fang Gong, Jun Xu

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Asian Americans have become the fastest-growing racial group in the United States, yet their health profiles are still under-explored. In particular, the existing research on Asian American mental health has not devoted adequate attention to the enormous ethnic heterogeneity of the group. Grounded upon theoretical frameworks of the tri-racial system and a contextual approach, we examined ethnic disparities in Asian American mental health using data from the National Latino and Asian American Study (NLAAS). We focused on ethnic membership, immigration-related factors, socioeconomic status, and social support as the main correlates of multiple outcomes, including self-rated mental health, psychological distress, and …

Breaking Down The Impact Of Resilience On Mental Health: An Analysis Utilizing The Resilience Scale For Adults, Sydney K. Cook

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

Resilience is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties, and previous studies have determined that resilience has a relationship with mental health. However, the association of each aspect of resilience on mental health, depression, and adverse childhood events (ACEs) have not been closely examined. Discerning which aspects of resilience are associated with mental health issues, depression, and ACEs can help psychiatric nurses determine effective treatments and interventions for at-risk patients.

One hundred ninety-five community-dwelling participants (ages 18 to 89) were invited to Purdue University in Indiana and Scripps College in California for the study. Participants completed the Resilience Scale for …

Covid-19 Experiences, Behaviors, Beliefs, And Well-Being Among Students And Employees At A University In Rural Appalachia: A Cross-Sectional Study, Lauren Wisnieski, Kimberly A. Carney, Jenny L. Thornley

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: In response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, most universities experienced drastic operational changes with shifts to online learning, work-from-home policies, and social distancing measures. These changes have caused concern for social isolation and mental health.

Purpose: This cross-sectional study explores differences in COVID-19 experiences, behaviors, beliefs, and well-being among students and employees (faculty and staff) at a rural Appalachian university.

Methods: Data were collected with an online anonymous survey in September-October 2020 using convenience sampling. The survey measured multiple domains including COVID-19-related 1) beliefs, 2) symptoms and diagnoses, 3) exposure and preventive behavior, and 4) social, mental, and …

Exposure To Social Media Racial Discrimination And Mental Health Among Adolescents Of Color, Xiangyu Tao, Celia B. Fisher

Covid-19 Digital Research

Offline and online racial discrimination has been associated with mental health problems among adolescents of color. Pandemic shelter-at-home policies and the reignited racial justice movement increased the use of social media among youth of color, potentially exposing them to social media racial discrimination. Yet, it is unclear which aspects of social media significantly contributed to youth exposure to racial discrimination and associated mental health issues during this period. This study assessed the relationships among social media use (hours, racial intergroup contact, and racial justice civic engagement), individual and vicarious social media discrimination (defined as personally directed versus observing discrimination directed …

Covid-Related Victimization, Racial Bias And Employment And Housing Disruption Increase Mental Health Risk Among U.S. Asian, Black And Latinx Adults, Celia B. Fisher, Xiangyu Tao, Tingting Liu, Salvatore Giorgi, Brenda Curtis

Covid-19 Digital Research

Background: The mental health of racial/ethnic minorities in the U.S. has been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study examined the extent to which disruptions in employment and housing, coronavirus-specific forms of victimization and racial bias independently and conjointly contributed to mental health risk among Asian, Black, and Latinx adults in the United States during the pandemic.

Elena+ Care For Covid-19, A Pandemic Lifestyle Care Intervention: Intervention Design And Study Protocol, Joseph Ollier, Simon Neff, Christine Dworschak, Arber Sejdiji, Prabhakaran Santhanam, Roman Keller, Grace Xiao, Alina Asisof, Dominik Rüegger, Caterina Bérubé, Lena Hilfiker Tomas, Joël Neff, Jiali Yao, Aishah Alattas, Veronica Varela-Mato, Amanda Pitkethly, Mª Dolores Vara, Rocío Herrero, Rosa Mª Baños, Carolina Parada

Dartmouth Scholarship

Background: The current COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic is an emergency on a global scale, with huge swathes of the population required to remain indoors for prolonged periods to tackle the virus. In this new context, individuals' health-promoting routines are under greater strain, contributing to poorer mental and physical health. Additionally, individuals are required to keep up to date with latest health guidelines about the virus, which may be confusing in an age of social-media disinformation and shifting guidelines. To tackle these factors, we developed Elena+, a smartphone-based and conversational agent (CA) delivered pandemic lifestyle care intervention. Methods: Elena+ utilizes varied intervention …

Breaking Depression’S Silence Within The Church Through Friendships, Robert D. Mcbain

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

This article explores the silent nature of depression in the local church and suggests that developing Jesus-style friendships can break the silence. It adapts the author’s Doctor of Ministry (DMin) research project, which explored the silent nature of depression in the local church and Christianity’s interpretive healing qualities. This article argues that the church has a rich history of helping sufferers interpret their experiences of depression, but changing worldviews, the growth of the modern medical model, and the effectiveness of pharmaceuticals monopolized health and shoved the church to the periphery of the conversation. Silence became the church’s typical response, which …

Exploring Simulation Design For Mental Health Practice Preparation: A Pilot Study With Learners And Preceptors, Diane E. Mackenzie, Niki Kiepek, Leanne Picketts, Stephanie Zubriski, Karen Landry, Jonathan Harris

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

The purpose of this exploratory pilot study was to determine the feasibility of delivering mental health practice simulations for occupational therapy learners, and whether different debriefing approaches yielded performance differences over successive simulations. Five clinical preceptors and nine first year MScOT students participated in this mixed-method study. In week one simulations, one student group received preceptor facilitated debriefing while the other group used self-debriefing. Both groups used the same scripted questions informed by an advocacy-inquiry approach. In the second week, both groups received the preceptor-led debriefing. Preceptors rated student performances while students self-rated their confidence, competence screen, and satisfaction using …

Psychological Status Of High School Students 1 Year After The Covid-19 Emergency, Cong Zhou, Rongqin Li, Mingchuan Yang, Shanshan Duan, Chuanming Yang

Faculty and Student Publications

Background: With the control of the epidemic, adolescents' mental outlook might have improved. However, little evidence existed with regard to the psychological status of adolescents in post-COVID-19 era. This present study aimed to explore the psychological status of high school students after the epidemic getting eased. Methods: A web-based cross-sectional survey was used to obtain data from three high schools, including the demographic information, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), the Self-Rating Scale of Sleep (SRSS), and self-designed general recent-status questionnaire. Correlation analysis was performed to explore potential associations between the depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and …

Advancing Behavioral Health Literacy, James Scollione

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Accessing, comprehending, and using information to make informed decisions and improve one’s overall health or well-being are the foci of health literacy. The concept of behavioral health was introduced in the early 1980s and, since then, it has influenced new ideas (e.g., behavioral health literacy and integrated behavioral health care) and gained research and public attention. My aim is to provide an overview of definitions (i.e., health literacy, mental health literacy, and behavioral health literacy) and their connection to each other. I propose an expanded and honed definition of behavioral health literacy to enhance the behavioral health literacy and well-being …

The Toll Of Our New Reality: Analyzing College Students’ Health In A Pandemic & Attitudes Towards Covid-19 Vaccinations, Ciara M. Ochoa

Honors Theses

Since the beginning of March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected several populations in the United States with many different hardships. With COVID-19 came the threat of a new disease, job insecurity affecting a large amount of our population, increased financial instability, and misinformation surrounding the new COVID-19 virus, the pandemic left an overwhelming majority of the United States population feeling mentally, physically, and overall exhausted. This study focuses on the already vulnerable and often overlooked population that is college students, and the aim of this study is to better assess the physical and mental impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic …

Children's Sleep During Covid-19: How Sleep Influences Surviving And Thriving In Families, Nicole E. Mackenzie, Elizabeth Keys, Wendy A. Hall, Reut Gruber, Isabel M. Smith, Evelyn Constantin, Roger Godbout, Robyn Stremler, Graham J. Reid, Ana Hanlon-Dearman, Cary A. Brown, Sarah Shea, Shelly K. Weiss, Osman Ipsiroglu, Manisha Witmans, Christine T. Chambers, Pantelis Andreou, Esmot Begum, Penny Corkum

Paediatrics Publications

Objective The COVID-19 pandemic has the potential to disrupt the lives of families and may have implications for children with existing sleep problems. As such, we aimed to: (1) characterize sleep changes during the COVID-19 pandemic in children who had previously been identified as having sleep problems, (2) identify factors contributing to sleep changes due to COVID-19 safety measures, and (3) understand parents and children s needs to support sleep during the pandemic. Methods Eighty-five Canadian parents with children aged 4 14 years participated in this explanatory sequential, mixed-methods study using an online survey of children s and parents sleep, …

Shy Or Anxious? Examining The Efficacy Of School-Based Interventions For Childhood Social Anxiety, Samantha Neuhaus

Honors Theses

Social anxiety disorder and shyness share many overlapping features, leading to debate over where they become distinctive from each other. The theory of a shyness and social anxiety continuum has been suggested, depicting shyness on one end and social anxiety disorder as the more severe and maladaptive opposite end. Considering additional factors such as comorbidity and cultural differences, school based interventions can be implemented as a preventative and treatment measure for social anxiety across the continuum. Multiple intervention methods are utilized across school based interventions, and of eleven interventions specifically analyzed, it was found that the interventions are most often …

Nonprofits And Government Agencies Addressing The Needs Of Mental Health Community, Wyatt Ulrich

School of Professional and Continuing Studies Nonprofit Studies Capstone Projects

Nonprofit organizations have been utilizing cross-sector collaboration to address problems that are not able to be solved on their own. A partner to make said collaboration can be with any organization, business, or volunteer who has the same goals as the nonprofit organization. Mental health nonprofit organizations specifically need more partners due to how little the world knows about mental health and mental illnesses. The government is one partner many mental health organizations aim to collaborate with. Government contracts have been known to help with the many challenges nonprofit organizations face like funding and services. Previous research has suggested this …

A Quantitative Study Of Child Sexual Assault Survivors’ Struggles With Poor Marital Satisfaction: Mediated By Loneliness And Depression, Thomas Litzinger

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Child sexual assault (CSA) is growing at startling rates in the United States and is related to a staggering number of adult psychosomatic modification problems and outcomes. CSA has been a subject of interest in sexual health research for many years; however, research regarding the sexual health consequences of CSA has been hampered by methodologic changeability. CSA and the sexual victimization of boys and men has been understudied despite its prevalence and potentially detrimental outcomes in the U.S. and worldwide. A large body of research has revealed many adverse psychological and social impacts of CSA in samples of adult male …

Promoting Personal Growth In Young People Experiencing Homelessness Through An Outdoors-Based Program, Benjamin John Parry, Janice Thompson, Mark Holland, Jennifer Cumming

Journal of Youth Development

Outdoors-based youth development programs demonstrate the efficacy to improve indicators of personal growth and mental health in a range of disadvantaged young people. However, the most marginalized young people in society, who stand to benefit the most from such initiatives, remain underrepresented in the research. My Strengths Training for Life (MST4Life) is a positive youth development (PYD) intervention for young people experiencing homelessness that incorporates a life skills program and an outdoor adventure education (OAE) course. The current study presents a qualitative investigation of the OAE course to understand its role in promoting positive changes for participants. Reflexive thematic analysis …

Puerto Ricans And Mexican Immigrants Differ In Their Psychological Responses To Patterns Of Lifetime Adversity, Daniel K. Cooper, Mayra Bámaca-Colbert, Eric K. Layland, Emily G. Simpson, Benjamin L. Bayly

Faculty Publications

Background Puerto Ricans and Mexican immigrants are often exposed to multiple types of adversity across their lifetime (e.g., maltreatment, household dysfunction, discrimination) and this exposure can increase the risk for adult mental health problems. Purpose The objective of this study was to (a) identify subgroups of individuals exposed to unique combinations of childhood adversity and lifetime discrimination among Puerto Ricans and Mexican immigrants, and (b) compare the prevalence of mental health problems across different risk profiles. Method We used existing data from the HCHS/SOL Sociocultural Ancillary Study. Participants included Puerto Rican (N = 402) and Mexican adults (N = 1351) …

Mental Health Delivery Method Outcomes For The Postsecondary Student: A Quantitative Quasi-Experimental, Non-Equivalent Control Group Pretest-Posttest Study, Mallory Nicole Ball

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact that a virtual mental health intervention has on distance education postsecondary students. This study utilized a quantitative quasi-experimental non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest study design. The study design was used to determine if there is a statistically significant difference in the pretest and posttest scores for the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale-Revised (CESD-R). Furthermore, how these differences impact distance education postsecondary students utilizing online delivery method of mental health interventions compared to postsecondary distance education students who did not. The study setting was at …

Social Media Behaviors And Experiences During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Associations With Anxiety, Depression, And Stress, J. Mitchell Vaterlaus, Lori A. Spruance, Emily V. Patten

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

The majority of research concerning public health crises and social media platforms has focused on analyzing the accuracy of information within social media posts. The current exploratory study explored social media users’ specific social media behaviors and experiences during the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic and whether these behaviors and experiences related to anxiety, depression, and stress. Data were collected March 21–31, 2020 from adults in the United States (N = 564) through snowball sampling on social media sites and Prime Panels. Online surveys included questions regarding social media use during the pandemic and the Depression Anxiety and …

Bringing Up Buddhas: How Mindfulness Can Impact The Next Generation, Alex Tzelnic

Mindfulness Studies Theses

The following presents both a rationale paper and a creative thesis on the topic of how mindfulness can meaningfully impact the next generation. Given the daunting issues faced by Generation Alpha (those born after 2010), including climate change, social justice, and mental health, understanding how the tool of mindfulness can best support children, as well as inform the caretakers most influential to them such as parents and educators, is crucial.

The following rationale paper outlines how mindfulness can make an impact in the fields of parenting and education, as well as in addressing the pertinent issues mentioned above. In surveying …

Exploring Identity Development Through The Expressive Arts Among Immigrant Youth, A Literature Review, Jessika De Castro

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

According to the APA’s Presidential Task Force on Immigration (2012), the immigrant population within the US increases every year. Immigration to a new country increases risk factors for young immigrants, resulting in a negative impact on their mental health. It has been shown in the literature that arts-based approaches can be extremely helpful in the treatment of mental health issues brought on by the stressors of immigration and when people are dealing with a sense of loss towards their country of origin. For first generation immigrants, coming to the US during their adolescence, as young adults, means that they are …

Impact Of Covid-19 On Asian Communities In The U.S. And A Treatment Intervention For Collective Trauma Through Art Therapy: A Literature Review, Elena Zhuoqian Li

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Acknowledging the Asian community’s racial trauma during the COVID-19 is extremely important for the mental health community to understand as the impact of collective trauma can be significant on an individual. Discussions on how racism could play a major role in aggravating collective trauma have been re-ignited due to the COVID-19. This literature review aims to introduce a different perspective from an Asian-identifying person as part of the minority groups that have been amid racial prejudice and hatred in the United States, what they are experiencing during this time, and how the pandemic impacts their mental health. By analyzing existing …

Human- Animal Interaction To Support Well- Being At University: Experiences Of Undergraduate Students In The Uk, Aliya Khalid, Anne Rogers, Emily Vicary, Helen Brooks

People and Animals: The International Journal of Research and Practice

In the context of increasing concerns about student mental health and the therapeutic value of companion animals for mental health, there is limited understanding of the potential contribution of human- animal interaction in relation to undergraduate well- being. This study aimed to develop an in- depth understanding of the meaning and well- being roles attributed to human- animal interactions by undergraduate students in the UK. Using a qualitative research design, semistructured interviews were conducted with 60 students aged be-tween 18 to 23 years at a UK university of whom 39 implicated the role of companion animals in their well- being …

Depression In Collegiate Runners And Soccer Players: Relationships With Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D, Ferritin And Fractures, Devin C. Tomlinson, Evan Eschker, Jade Callan, Tamara Hew-Butler

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 14(5): 1099-1111, 2021. The main purpose of this study was to evaluate relationships between depression versus serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (vitamin D), serum ferritin (ferritin), and fractures across a competitive season. The authors conducted a prospective observational study (both pre- and post-season testing) on 51 collegiate soccer and cross-country athletes from a Midwest University. Our main outcome measure was depression, measured using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). A CES-D score ≥ 16 represented the threshold value for clinical depression. Secondary outcome variables included vitamin D, ferritin, and fractures. Two athletes (3.9%; one female) …

أثر برنامج في الإرشاد والعلاج النفسي من منظور إسلامي في خفض القلق وتحقيق الصحة النفسية لدى طالبات كلية إربد الجامعية The Effect A Counseling And Psychotherapy Program From An Islamic Perspective On Reducing Anxiety And Achieving Mental Health Among The Students Female Of Irbid University College, Nayef Fadous Al-Hamad

Jordan Journal of Islamic Studies

ملخص

هدفت الدراسة تعرف أثر برنامج في الإرشاد والعلاج النفسي من منظور إسلامي في خفض القلق وتحقيق الصحة النفسية لدى طالبات الجامعة، وتكونت عينة الدراسة من (14) طالبة من كلية اربد الجامعية - جامعة البلقاء التطبيقية، تم اختيارهن بطريق قصدية ممن لديهن درجات مرتفعة على مقياس القلق ودرجات منخفضة على مقياس الصحة النفسية، وتم توزيعهن على مجموعتين متساويتين، مجموعة تجريبية تألفت من (7) طالبات، ومجموعة ضابطة تألفت من (7) طالبات، وتم استخدام مقياس القلق النفسي ومقياس الصحة النفسية وبرنامج الإرشاد والعلاج الإسلامي، بينما لم تتعرض المجموعة الضابطة للبرنامج الإرشادي، وتوصلت الدراسة في نتائجها إلى أنه توجد فروق ذات دلالة إحصائية …

College Student Sleep Quality And Mental And Physical Health Are Associated With Food Insecurity In A Multi-Campus Study, Rebecca L. Hagedorn, Melissa D. Olfert, Lillian Macnell, Bailey Houghtaling, Lanae B. Hood, Mateja R. Savoie Roskos, Jeannine R. Goetz, Valerie Kern-Lyons, Linda L. Knol, Georgianna R. Mann, Monica K. Esquivel, Adam Hege, Jennifer Walsh, Keith Pearson, Maureen Berner, Jessica Soldavini, Elizabeth T. Anderson-Steeves, Marsha Spence, Christopher Paul

Faculty and Student Publications

Objective: To assess the relationship between food insecurity, sleep quality, and days with mental and physical health issues among college students. Design: An online survey was administered. Food insecurity was assessed using the ten-item Adult Food Security Survey Module. Sleep was measured using the nineteen-item Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Mental health and physical health were measured using three items from the Healthy Days Core Module. Multivariate logistic regression was conducted to assess the relationship between food insecurity, sleep quality, and days with poor mental and physical health. Setting: Twenty-two higher education institutions. Participants: College students (n 17 686) enrolled …

Untreated Mental Illness Among Veterans In The United States, Erin Anderson

Ballard Brief

In the United States. less than half of the veteran population have received screening or diagnosis for mental illness or have received mental health counseling and treatment, resulting in many veterans with severe mental health issues living without a proper diagnosis. Many factors contribute to these statistics, including negative social stigmas surrounding mental health, mistrust of mental health professionals. a lack of publicity and communication about veteran benefits, and limited amount of resources available to treat such a large population. Mental illness at this level impacts not only the quality of life of each veteran but also the livelihood of …

Mental Health During Covid-19 Pandemic Among Caregivers Of Young Children In Kenya’S Urban Informal Settlements. A Cross-Sectional Telephone Survey, Vibian Angweny, Margaret Kabue, Esther Chongwo, Adam Mabrouk, Ezra Too, Rachel Odhiambo, Carophine Nasambu, Joyce Marangu, Derrick Ssewanyana, Eunice Njoroge, Eunice Ombech, Mercy Mokaya, Emmanuel Obulemire, Anil Khamis, Amina Abubakar

Institute for Human Development, East Africa

The emergence of COVID-19 has profoundly affected mental health, especially among highly vulnerable populations. This study describes mental health issues among caregivers of young children and pregnant women in three urban informal settlements in Kenya during the first pandemic year, and factors associated with poor mental health. A cross-sectional telephone survey was administered to 845 participants. Survey instruments included the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, General Anxiety Disorder-7 scale, COVID-19 Anxiety Scale, and questions on the perceived COVID-19 effects on caregiver wellbeing and livelihood. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and univariate and multivariate analysis. Caregivers perceived COVID-19 as a threatening condition …

The Influence Of Third Parties, Perfectionism, And Familial Socioeconomic Status On College Student Mental Health And Perceptions Of Social Support, Amanda Fontaine

Doctoral Dissertations

Mental health has long been a fruitful area of sociological inquiry, and much remains to be illuminated about the ways in which the social context and intrapersonal factors intersect to impact individuals’ psychological wellbeing. Among college students particularly, stresses such as academic pressure and interpersonal conflicts contribute to the degradation of mental health. While sociological theories such as the stress process perspective have long been employed to study linkages between stress and mental wellbeing among this population, few studies have examined the specific characteristics of social relationships most beneficial to students in distress. Utilizing survey responses collected from both public …