Digital Commons Network^™

Investigating The Relationships Among Leisure, Coping, And Personal Growth Among People With Physical Disabilities, Junhyoung Kim, Jaehyun Kim, Chungsup Lee, Namyun Kil

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Little information exists with regard to the relationship between leisure and coping mechanisms among people with physical disabilities. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships among leisure, coping, and personal growth among people with physical disabilities living in the U.S. Using a purposive sampling strategy, 121 participants completed all 3 instruments: assessment of leisure and recreation involvement, coping strategy indicator, and personal growth. Frequency, descriptive analysis, Pearson correlations, and path analysis were utilized to test the relationship between leisure involvement, coping strategies, and personal growth. There were statistically significant direct effects of leisure involvement and avoidance-withdrawal coping …

Civil Rights Law—Inclusion Of Emotional Support Animals As Service Animals Under The Ada: Creating The Right To Use Dogs To Assist People Living With Mental Health Issues, Amanda M. Foster

Western New England Law Review

The use of emotional support animals to alleviate or mitigate symptoms associated with mental health issues has been a topic of debate since its inception. On one hand, there is the community of people who have expressed a need to use support animals to help them to participate in society, including while traveling by airplane. On the other hand, the Department of Transportation has had to assess whether allowing support animals on airplanes would pose a direct threat to the safety or health of others.

In most contexts, support animals are not treated as service animals, so therein lies substantial …

Impact Of Adverse Childhood Events On The Psychosocial Functioning Of Children Affected By Parental Hiv In Rural China, Jordan Ezell, Sayward Harrison, Yanping Jiang, Xiaoming Li

Faculty Publications

Introduction: Children affected by parental HIV are more likely than unaffected peers to experience trauma and are at-risk for negative psychological and social outcomes. This study aimed to examine the relationship between adverse childhood events and psychosocial functioning among children affected by parental HIV.

Methods: A total of 790 children ages 6–17 from Henan, China were enrolled in a longitudinal, randomized controlled trial of a resilience-based psychosocial intervention. At baseline, children reported on numerous psychosocial factors, including trauma exposure, symptoms of anxiety and depression, and peer social functioning. We used linear regression analysis to test the direct effect of trauma …

Helper, Healer, Mitigator: The Essential Role Of The Human Services Provider In Current And Post-Pandemic Climates, Brittany G. Suggs, Lauren B. Robins, Megan Cannedy, Alexandra C. Gantt, Dana L. Brookover, Kaprea F. Johnson

Counseling & Human Services Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Younger Hmong People’S Willingness To Communicate About Depression, Wa Yang

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This research examines the underlying issues about mental illness, particularly depression within the Hmong community. Previous scholars have focused on the Hmong culture’s origins, mental health status of Hmong refugees arriving in the United States, martial roles and mental health on Hmong females, and comparisons of Hmong traditional healing and Westernized medicine. These studies intersect in fields including psychology, medicine and public health, Hmong history, and social work. However, one missing component to this body of scholarship has been communication. Thus, my study focused on younger Hmong people’s willingness to communicate about depression within their families. Specifically, I conducted semi-structured …

Mental Health Issues Development In Law Enforcement Officers And Its Impact On Law Enforcement Agencies: The Need For Policies Focused On Law Enforcement Officers Mental Stability, Joseph A Sorgini

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

This study examines the existing literature on PTSD and PTSD symptomology that law enforcement officers experience, and the post-exposure intervention protocols that aid in mental stability of impacted law enforcement officers. The study uses a survey of 155 active-duty law enforcement officers from Montgomery County Pennsylvania. The central question that grounded this research is: are mental health stressors impacting the ability of law enforcement officers to complete their duties despite the existence of post-exposure intervention protocols? There are six tested hypotheses that are tested via logistic regression to determine whether a statistically significant relationship exists between demographic characteristics of law …

Appreciative Inquiry Of A Non-Profit Organization Transitioning To Teletherapy, Claudia Herrera

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

Mental health professionals have been required to make a transition to delivering services using technology during the COVID-19 pandemic. The non-profit agency participating in this study had already listed on its strategic plan the delivery of teletherapy. In 2020, due to the pandemic, the agency decided to expedite the delivery of teletherapy services. This study explored the experiences of the agency’s team, to determine what worked well while making this transition, as well as future dreams regarding the delivery of teletherapy. Appreciative inquiry was used as the method of data collection. Findings indicated the agency’s clinicians found keeping a positive …

Forgiveness And Gratitude As Mediators Between Religious Commitment And Well-Being Among Latter-Day Saint Polynesian Americans, Davis Kealanohea Kane, G. E. Kawika Allen, Timothy B. Smith, M Ming, Aaron Jackson, Derek Griner, Elizabeth Cutrer-Parraga

Faculty Publications

An abundance of research has investigated well-being as it relates to religiosity and character strengths, such as forgiveness and gratitude. However, few studies have investigated how increases in forgiveness and gratitude might explain why religious commitment enhances well-being, particularly for U.S. ethnic/racial minority populations. This study investigated if the character strengths of forgiveness and gratitude mediated the relationship between religious commitment and well-being among Latter-day Saint Polynesian Americans – a fast growing, yet understudied, population. Results indicated that forgiveness and gratitude fully mediated the relationship between religious commitment and self-esteem, and gratitude partially mediated the relationship between religious commitment and …

The Effects Of Retirement On Division Iii Collegiate Athletes' Mental Health, Laura Dickinson

CMC Senior Theses

Following their participation in athletics after their collegiate retirement, this research examines whether there is a relationship between college athletes' mental health and their athletic identity. Specifically, it examines whether athletic retirement leads to anxiety and depression. Participants will be asked to answer a survey that relates to their athletic identity, and the occurrence of symptoms related to depression and anxiety at different periods of their collegiate career and after their athletic retirement. Results are predicted to demonstrate a significant relationship between retired athletes’ level of athletic identity and the prevalence of depression and anxiety following cessation of athletics. However, …

Toward A Race-Conscious Critique Of Mental Health-Related Exclusionary Immigration Laws, Monika Batra Kashyap

Michigan Journal of Race and Law

This Article employs the emergent analytical framework of Dis/ability Critical Race Theory (DisCrit) to offer a race-conscious critique of a set of immigration laws that have been left out of the story of race-based immigrant exclusion in the United States—namely, the laws that exclude immigrants based on mental health-related grounds. By centering the influence of the white supremacist, racist,and ableist ideologies of the eugenics movement in shaping mental health-related exclusionary immigration laws, this Article locates the roots of these restrictive laws in the desire to protect the purity and homogeneity of the white Anglo- Saxon race against the threat of …

The L.E.G.A.C.Y.® Appreciative Life Review Model: A Framework And Process To Develop Psychosocial Resources In Emerging And Young Adulthood, Nicole Onori Hansen

Occupational Therapy Program Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This project introduces the L.E.G.A.C.Y. appreciative life review model (L.E.G.A.C.Y.) and provides preliminary evidence for its feasibility with emerging adults in a higher education context. L.E.G.A.C.Y. is the first model to integrate appreciative inquiry as well as a retrospective-prospective framework and experiential elements into the life review process. Increased rates of mental health disorders, underdeveloped psychosocial resources, and limited independent living skills have resulted in significant role impairments and poor adjustment to college. Conceptual development of the L.E.G.A.C.Y. model and the results of a quasi-experimental pilot study that investigated its effectiveness with agroup of college students (N = 17) are …

Dietary Fibre Intervention For Gut Microbiota, Sleep, And Mental Health In Adults With Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Scoping Review, Ran Yan, Lesley J. Andrew, Evania Marlow, Kanita Kunaratnam, Amanda Devine, Ian C. Dunican, Claus T. Christophersen

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common functional gastrointestinal disorder affecting 4–5% of the global population. This disorder is associated with gut microbiota, diet, sleep, and mental health. This scoping review therefore aims to map existing research that has administrated fibre-related dietary intervention to IBS individuals and reported outcomes on at least two of the three following themes: gut microbiota, sleep, and mental health. Five digital databases were searched to identify and select papers as per the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Five articles were included in the assessment, where none reported on all three themes or the combination of gut …

Wellbeing Of Breastfeeding Women In Australia And New Zealand During The Covid‐19 Pandemic: A Cross‐Sectional Study, Vanessa S. Sakalidis, Alethea Rea, Sharon L. Perrella, Jacki Mceachran, Grace Collis, Jennifer Miraudo, Stuart A. Prosser, Lisa Y. Gibson, Desiree Silva, Donna T. Geddes

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

During the COVID‐19 pandemic, breastfeeding women have experienced restricted access to support, placing them at increased risk of mental health concerns and limited breastfeeding assistance. This study investigated the effect of the pandemic on feeding choices and maternal well-being amongst breastfeeding mothers living in Australian and New Zealand. We conducted a cross-sectional online survey that examined feeding methods, maternal mental wellbeing, worries, challenges, and positive experiences during the pandemic. Most women were exclusively breastfeeding (82%). Partial breastfeeding was associated with perceived low milk supply and longer pregnancy duration during the pandemic. Reduced mental health and wellbeing was associated with lower …

Association Between Fruit And Vegetable Intakes And Mental Health In The Australian Diabetes Obesity And Lifestyle Cohort, Joanna Rees, Simone Radavelli-Bagatini, Johnny Lo, Jonathan M. Hodgson, Claus T. Christophersen, Robin M. Daly, Dianna J. Magliano, Jonathan E. Shaw, Marc Sim, Catherine P. Bondonno, Lauren C. Blekkenhorst, Joanne M. Dickson, Joshua R. Lewis, Amanda Devine

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Increasing prevalence of mental health disorders within the Australian population is a serious public health issue. Adequate intake of fruits and vegetables (FV), dietary fibre (DF) and resistant starch (RS) is associated with better mental and physical health. Few longitudinal studies exist exploring the temporal relationship. Using a validated food frequency questionnaire, we examined baseline FV intakes of 5845 Australian adults from the AusDiab study and estimated food group-derived DF and RS using data from the literature. Perceived mental health was assessed at baseline and 5 year follow up using SF-36 mental component summary scores (MCS). We conducted baseline cross-sectional …

Bully Me, Bruce Roberts Mutard

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

What price bullying? Is it as simple as saying: ‘hit back’ or, ‘toughen up’? Or, is it to be endured, because it won’t last forever? But what if it does last? What if the bullies finally go away, but you’re left with the worst bully of all: yourself? Your inner voice telling you you’re no good, you’re ugly, you’re the worst in the world and it would be better off without you?

How do you escape the bully that lives inside your head, all day, every day, every night?

This is the story of how I managed to escape that …

Influence Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Mood And Training In Australian Community Tennis Players, Mitchell Turner, Philipp Beranek, Shane L. Rogers, Kazunori Nosaka, Olivier Girard, Travis Cruickshank

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The COVID-19 outbreak has led to the implementation of strict restrictions in Australia, which have severely impacted sporting activities. Tennis is played by 6.2% of the population within the Oceania region, and is a valuable sport for maintaining social, mental, and physical health. Current literature indicates the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected the mental health of Australian residents. The aim of this study was to investigate changes in training and match play due to the outbreak, and its effects on emotional well-being of Australian senior tennis players. Additionally, explore any differences between middle aged (41-60 years) and senior (61 years …

The Psychosocial Impact Of Rare Diseases Among Children And Adolescents Attending Mainstream Schools In Western Australia, Esther A. Adama, Diana Arabiat, Mandie Foster, Ebenezer Afrifa-Yamoah, K. Runions, R. Vithiatharan, A. Lin

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Living with a long-term medical condition is associated with heightened risk for mental health and psychosocial difficulties, but further research is required on this risk for children and adolescents with a rare disease in the educational setting. The aim of this study is to describe parents’ perceptions of the psychosocial impact of rare diseases on their school-aged children in Western Australia. A cross-sectional survey of 41 parents of school-aged children and adolescents diagnosed with a rare disease completed an online questionnaire. Questions related to their perceptions of health-related stigma, bullying, social competencies and mental health difficulties faced by their child. …

Examining Mental Health And Resiliency Factors Of Gifted And Talented Students Participating In An Accelerative, Residential Program, Kevin Kusy

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Early intervention around mental health and wellness is a vital piece for the school system to address when working holistically with students. The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) emphasize the importance for schools to develop a comprehensive systemic framework around the academic, social, and emotional needs of students. By using the Multi-tiered System of Supports (MTSS), school districts can administer Universal Mental Health Screening (UMHS), a Tier 1 intervention, to help identify students who may be considered at risk for mental health and wellness issues. Unfortunately, less than 15% of …

Beyond Weight Loss: Current Perspectives On The Impact Of Calorie Restriction On Healthspan And Lifespan, Maryam Kebbe, Joshua R. Sparks, Emily W. Flanagan, Leanne M. Redman

Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Introduction: Changes to mental, physical, and physiological functions drive the complex processes underlying the variable progression of human aging. Nutritional interventions are one of the most promising non-pharmacological therapeutics to attenuate aging in humans. This narrative review aims to describe the implications of moderate and prolonged calorie restriction (CR) in healthy adults without obesity that occur beyond weight loss. Areas covered: Findings from CR studies, such as the CALERIE (Comprehensive Assessment of Long-term Effects of Reducing Intake of Energy) trials, the most rigorous trials to date examining a prolonged 25% CR, are described. The main areas covered include; changes to …

General Anxiety And Overeating In Undergraduate Students, Claire Graff, Sharon M. Pearcey, Ginny Zhan

The Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research

Existing research on the relations between anxiety and overeating is multifaceted, contradictory, and often focused on clinical, non-diverse populations. This is an exploratory study to clarify the relationship between anxiety and eating behaviors in a group of undergraduate students with a wide range of weights and mental health statuses. Specifically, this study primarily assesses relationships among general anxiety and overeating patterns. The overeating patterns assessed are binge-eating, uncontrolled eating, and emotional eating. This study supplements the primary research focus by adding the following variables: self-regulation, cognitive restraint, body mass index (BMI), and body satisfaction. Through an online questionnaire, 390 male …

Examining Rising Substance Use During Covid-19, Saad Bhatti

AUCTUS: The Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship

No abstract provided.

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 …

The Role Of Community Belongingness In The Mental Health And Well-Being Of Black Lgbtq Adults, Keith Justin Watts

Theses and Dissertations

The impact of racial and sexual minority stigma, prejudice, and discrimination on the mental health and well-being of Black and LGBTQ individuals, respectively, has been well documented in the literature. Research on these relationships for Black LGBTQ individuals who are multiply marginalized due to their position at the social intersections of gender identity, sexual orientation, and race/ethnicity is less common. Belongingness to identity-based communities can protect against the negative impact of these minority stressors for Black and LGBTQ individuals and aid coping processes. However, Black LGBTQ individuals often experience stigma and discrimination in their racial, sexual, and gender minority communities …

Mental Health In Vegans : The Importance Of Accounting For Identities, Stereotypes, And Experiences Of Discrimination, Sydney Heiss

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Introduction. Academic work on vegans is biased towards studying educated White women, despite evidence that vegans having varying identities. The lack of diversity in research has implications for our understanding of psychological issues that affect vegans. Data regarding mental health of vegans is mixed, due to a failure to account for differing identities and experiences. Past work has shown gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity/race, and experiences with discrimination to impact mental health. More work is needed to examine moderators of mental health outcomes among diverse groups of vegans. Methods. This cross-sectional study surveyed a demographically diverse sample of vegan participants (n …

Investigating The Role Of Therapist-Client Discussion Of Illness Beliefs On Clients' Treatment Outcome Expectancies And Perceptions Of Working Alliance, Sarah Davina Slotkin

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The working alliance, conceptualized as an emotional bond and client/therapist agreement on tasks and goals is considered integral to psychotherapy success. However, the mechanisms by which the working alliance develops are poorly understood. The Common Sense Model of Self-Regulation is well supported in understanding the role of patient illness beliefs in physical health management. The present study evaluated the role of discussion of psychotherapy clients’ illness beliefs in the development of working alliance in psychotherapy. Further, the contribution of client expectations for psychotherapy on treatment outcomes was investigated as the mechanism by which discussion of illness beliefs contributes to the …

Racism, Mental Health And The Role Of Racial Conflict For Multiracial People, Christina Martin

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Objective: This study examined the moderating role of racial conflict among the relation between experiences of racial discrimination and mental health (psychological distress and psychological well-being) for the multiracial sub-group. Furthermore, this study was among the first to also explore how multifaceted identity choice/racial self-identification was associated with racism, racial tension, and mental health. Methods: Two hierarchical multiple regressions were conducted to assess the potential moderation effect of racial conflict on the relationships between racism and mental health for 242 multiracial adults using survey design and recruitment methods through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk and social media. Results: As predicted, experiences of …

A Losing Mentality: An Analysis Of The Duty Owed By Universities To Provide Their Student-Athletes With Mental Health Services, Marnae Mawdsley

Marquette Sports Law Review

No abstract provided.

Mental Health Benefits Of Nature-Based Recreation: A Systematic Review, Nancy Qwynne Lackey, Deborah A. Tysor, G. David Mcnay, Leah Joyner, Kensey H. Baker, Camilla Hodge

Faculty Publications

The demand for mental health services around the world has risen dramatically. Many researchers and practitioners are looking for alternative mental health treatments, including nature-based recreation. However, reviews examining nature-based recreation’s therapeutic effectiveness are limited. The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review of available research regarding the potential mental-health benefits of nature-based recreation. Following the preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis protocols (PRISMA-P) guidelines, a global standard established to ensure consistency and quality in literature reviews, a systematic search generated 51 articles for review. Most articles (n = 46, 90%) observed at least one …

Psychotherapy Utilization And Presenting Concerns Among International Asian And Asian American Students In A University Counseling Center., Hannah Stokes, Derek Griner, Timothy B. Smith, Mark Beecher, G. E. Kawika Allen, Jon Cox, Klint Hobbs, Natalie Ann Kirtley

Faculty Publications

Limited psychological research has disaggregated the experiences of Asian American (AA) from international Asian (IA) college students seeking psychotherapy. When combined, important differences between these groups are overlooked. We examined archival data collected from AA, IA, and European American (EA) students at a large, Western, university counseling center. Results indicated no significant differences between groups related to maximum number of psychotherapy sessions attended or likelihood of treatment discontinuance. However, we found significant differences between these groups on a number of items related to presenting concerns and to severity of presenting distress, with IA students presenting with the most distress, followed …

Climate Change, Activism, And Supporting The Mental Health Of Children And Young People: Perspectives From Western Australia, Naomi J. Godden, Brad M. Farrant, Jaime Yallup Farrant, Emma Heyink, Eva Carot Collins, Bella Burgemeister, Mena Tabeshfar, Jason Barrow, Mara West, Jasmine Kieft, Mason Rothwell, Zoe Leviston, Susan Bailey, Mindy Blaise, Trudi Cooper

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The climate crisis has detrimental impacts on the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people. Psychological effects include feelings of fear, overwhelm, worry, distress, hopelessness and anger; PTSD; depression; anxiety; phobias; panic disorder; sleep disturbances; attachment disorders; learning difficulties; substance abuse; shock and trauma symptoms; adjustment problems; behavioural problems; and, suicidal thinking. First Nations' children and young people are particularly at risk due to loss of place, identity, culture, land and customs informed by kinship relationships with the Earth; while sustainable land use practices and connection to Country and community can enhance climate resilience. In Western Australia (WA), …