Digital Commons Network^™

A Live-Online Mindfulness-Based Intervention For Children Living With Epilepsy And Their Families: Protocol For A Randomized Controlled Trial Of Making Mindfulness Matter©., Klajdi Puka, Karen Bax, Andrea Andrade, Margo Devries-Rizzo, Hema Gangam, Simon Levin, Maryam N Nouri, Asuri N Prasad, Mary Secco, Guangyong Zou, Kathy N Speechley

Paediatrics Publications

BACKGROUND: Epilepsy extends far beyond seizures; up to 80% of children with epilepsy (CWE) may have comorbid cognitive or mental health problems, and up to 50% of parents of CWE are at risk for major depression. Past research has also shown that family environment has a greater influence on children's and parents' health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and mental health than epilepsy-related factors. There is a pressing need for low-cost, innovative interventions to improve HRQOL and mental health for CWE and their parents. The aim of this randomized controlled trial (RCT) is to evaluate whether an interactive online mindfulness-based intervention …

Psychological Pathways Linking Public Trust During The Coronavirus Pandemic To Mental And Physical Well-Being, Ayokunle Olagoke, Olakanmi Olagoke, Ashley M. Hughes

Health and Kinesiology Faculty Publications

The well-being of the public during the 2019 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is deeply rooted in institutional trust in the government’s risk communication effort. The objective of this study was to examine the psychological pathway through which public trust in the government is associated with mental and physical well-being. We collected cross-sectional data from 501 participants aged ≥18 years using an online panel. Public trust in the government was assessed as our exposure variable. We screened for psychological distress by combining the Patient Health Questionnaire and the General Anxiety Disorder scale. Physical well-being was examined using self-rated health. We further assessed …

Fishing Without A Pole: Experiences And Insights Of Adults Working To Prevent Youth Suicide In A Low-Income, High-Rate State, Victoria L. Waugh-Reed

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

This study explores the underrepresented perspective of suicide preventionists in the state of New Mexico, their experiences and insights surrounding the prevention of youth suicide. I present these in narrative form; the primary method of investigation was purposeful, individual interviews with an initial and follow-up interviews. Preventionists in New Mexico face the enormous task of reducing historically high youth suicide rates when compared with the rest of the nation; additionally, New Mexico is a rural state that exhibits a complex mix of risk and resiliency factors. I invited participants to discuss their experiences, share barriers to their work, offer success …

A Pilot Study Of Mindfulness-Based Music Therapy In An Intensive Outpatient Program For Adults With Co-Occurring Mental Health And Substance Use Disorders, Jennifer Rebekah Hicks

Theses and Graduate Projects

This pilot study was designed to explore the use of mindfulness-based music therapy in an intensive outpatient program for adults with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. All participants completed the Brief Serenity Scale (Kreitzer et al., 2009) as a pre-test prior to their participation in this study. Participants took part in four monthly 50-minute mindfulness-based music therapy groups. At designated points throughout each music therapy session (including the beginning, end, and after each specific experience), the participants marked on a Likert scale where their thoughts were, in relation to the past, present, and future. Post-test measures of the …

Changes In Depression And Physical Activity Among College Students On A Diverse Campus After A Covid-19 Stay-At-Home Order, Courtney Coughenour, Maxim Gakh, Jennifer R. Pharr, Timothy Bungum, Sharon Jalene

School of Public Health Faculty Research

The numerous negative health impacts of COVID-19, which include expected changes to psychiatric illness and physical activity (PA), are disproportionately distributed in the United States. Mental illnesses and physical inactivity are prevalent among U.S. college students. This study examined whether there was a change in minutes of PA and depression scores after a stay-at-home order and examined predictors of these changes. An online survey was sent to all undergraduate and graduate students attending a large, diverse university via an electronic newsletter. The survey requested information about demographic and academic data, cardiorespiratory fitness, and depression symptoms. Paired t-tests and logistic regression …

Mental Health Research On Scheduled Tribes In India, S. Devarapalli, Sudha Kallakuri, Abdul Salam, Pallab Maulik

Open Access archive

Background: The burden of mental illness among the scheduled tribe (ST) population in India is not known clearly. Aim: The aim was to identify and appraise mental health research studies on ST population in India and collate such data to inform future research. Materials and Methods: Studies published between January 1980 and December 2018 on STs by following exclusion and inclusion criteria were selected for analysis. PubMed, PsychINFO, Embase, Sociofile, Cinhal, and Google Scholar were systematically searched to identify relevant studies. Quality of the included studies was assessed using an appraisal tool to assess the quality of cross-sectional studies and …

State Prisons Turning Into De Facto Mental Health Institutes: A Comparative Look At The Illinois And Nebraska State Prison Systems, Margaret Kramer

Northern Illinois Law Review Supplement

This Comment discusses the systems of approaching mental health in Nebraska and Illinois state prison systems. Starting with how prison systems became some of the largest de facto mental health institutes in the country after deinstitutionalization happened on a national scale. It will then provide the guidelines and regulations in place for both Nebraska and Illinois. This Comment will then discuss what regulations would be most beneficial and how some of these can help in continuing after an individual is released from prison.

Rapid Response Telehealth Among Behavioral Health Providers In Louisiana During Covid-19: A Story Of Adoption And Adaptation, Stephen Phillippi, Sonita Singh, Brian Bumbarger, Kaylin Beiter, Lindsay Simpson, Ashley Fenton

Journal of the Louisiana Public Health Association

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic, the Louisiana Governor’s “Stay at Home” order, and subsequent social distancing precautions, necessitated an unprecedented shift to telehealth to access behavioral health services in Louisiana. Methods: Data were collected through a survey sent to 1,554 providers, with 307 (20%) responding, to learn how providers had managed the shift to telehealth. Results: The majority (85%) of providers surveyed reported continuing to see clients via telehealth. Barriers to providing care via telehealth were reported as, “clients’ access to devices, data and internet”, “the client’s knowledge of technology”, and the ability to access clients, specifically “hard to reach populations”. …

Diversity In Mental Health Among Generations In The Lgbtqi Community, Jennifer L. Stone, Tara S. Harris

Walden University Research Conference

This study captured the various mental health impacts among youth, younger adults, and older adults in the LGBTQI community. The LGBTQI community embodies a diverse set of subgroups that includes youth, younger adults, and older adults. Many in the LGBTQI community face prejudice, discrimination, harassment, and even rejection from family members. Youth and younger adults in LGBTQI communities are often victims of school violence, as well as intimate partner violence, and typically show signs of psychosocial adjustment disorder and psychological distress. LGBTQI older adults, although have a high incidence of social isolation and depression, are shown to be more resilient …

Nutrition, Exercise, And Mental Health, Jamie Baum

Diet, Food, Exercise, and Nutrition (D-FEND)

Understand factors that can impact our mental health

Understand how certain foods can benefit our mental health

Understand how exercise can benefit our mental health

The Power Of Kindness And Positivity In The College Environment, Kayla M. Vasilko, Joseph T. Stewart

Purdue Journal of Service-Learning and International Engagement

Research has shown that positivity in school climates has a direct connection to academic success. Building high self-esteem and recognizing the value of kindness in terms of emotional learning are key factors for schools to prioritize when aiming to help students succeed (Gadermann & Reichil, 2016). Additionally, it has been shown that kindness and positivity naturally trigger upward spirals of improvement, and have been noted to promote better social interactions, relationships, and health. Positive emotions, such as happiness, also broaden thought-action repertoires, which in turn builds intellectual, physical, social, and psychological factors in all of us (Otake, 2006; Bhujade, 2017). …

Singing Through Change: A Community Engagement Project For Women In Recovery Performing With The Purdue Fort Wayne Choral Union Choir, Madison Boyden

Purdue Journal of Service-Learning and International Engagement

Hope & Harriet is an intensive residential treatment program in a subacute medical facility for women 18 years and older that specializes in the pursuit of recovery from chemical dependency. PFW music therapy students have been given the unique opportunity to work with the women as part of their music therapy clinical practicum experiences. The author's final music therapy practicum, in partial fulfillment of her bachelor’s degree in music therapy, began her path forward into this project.

An Experimental Investigation Into Promoting Mental Health Service Use On Social Media: Effects Of Source And Comments, Zhaomeng Niu, Lun Hu, David C. Jeong, Jared Brickman, Jerod L. Stapleton

Health, Behavior & Society Faculty Publications

Mental health is an increasingly prevalent topic of public interest, but remains a complex area requiring focused research that must account for negative perceptions surrounding mental health issues. The current work explores the roles of social media information source credibility and valence of social media comments on health outcomes in such a mental health context. We used a 2 (message source: professional vs. layperson) × 3 (valence of comments: positive vs. negative vs. mixed) online experiment to examine the effects of source and valence of comments on trust, attitudes and intentions related to mental health information and services among 422 …

Integration Of Behavioral Health Services Into Primary Pediatric Care: The Behind The Scenes Story Of A Pilot Study In Southeast, Texas, Stephanie Chapman, Nancy Correa, Angela Cummings, Bethanie S. Van Horne, Heidi Schwarzwald

Journal of Applied Research on Children: Informing Policy for Children at Risk

Behavioral health integration in primary care is identified as an important strategy to achieve early identification and treatment of behavioral health disorders. This paper describes a pilot project designed to test the feasibility and sustainability of integrating behavioral health into pediatric primary care clinics. Five private, fee for service pediatric primary care practices were identified in the greater Houston area to establish behavioral health integration. The practices were supported with establishment of behavioral health integration, specifically with recruitment of the behavioral health provider, training of the clinical and administrative teams, and development of interdisciplinary clinical protocols. Difficulties in implementation included …

Do Pets Improve Mental Health During Covid Lockdowns?, Harold Herzog

Herzog - Companion Animals and Health

During Covid lockdowns, shelters and pet stores have reported an increased demand for pets to adopt or buy. It has been suggested that pets might help address loneliness during periods of social isolation. A new study in the UK found that there was a small positive effect of pet ownership during Covid lockdowns but there were also associated worries such as what might happen to the pet if the owner became ill.

Mindfulness Therapy Is An Effective Adjunctive Treatment For Adolescents Living With Hiv, Samantha Rea

Clinical Research in Practice: The Journal of Team Hippocrates

A clinical decision report appraising Webb L, Perry-Parrish C, Ellen J, Sibinga E. Mindfulness instruction for HIV-infected youth: a randomized controlled trial. AIDS Care. 2018;30(6):688–695. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540121.2017.1394434

Reaching Out Handbook, Boise State University

Rebuilding the Launchpad: Serving Students During Covid Resource Library

The Reaching Out Handbook has been created for the purpose of providing you with information about Counseling Services, about other campus resources, and how to most effectively assist individuals in distress.

Our goal is to help you recognize some of the symptoms of individual distress, as well as provide some specific options for intervention and for referral to campus resources. We are available to assist you with problem situations and to consult with you on whether to intervene with a particular individual and when to refer.

Guidelines are offered but each individual will need to consider what is appropriate in …

You, Me, And No One Else: Degree Of Social Distancing And Personality Predict Psychological Wellness And Relationship Quality During The Covid-19 Pandemic (Pre-Print), A Bell Cooper, Rachel E. Pauletti, Chloe' A. Didonato

Faculty and Staff Publications & Presentations

While incredibly disruptive to everyday life, the COVID-19 pandemic provides a unique opportunity to study the influence of social distancing and quarantine behaviors on mental health and relationship quality. In this study, we used a snowball sample of 519 Americans to examine whether there were relationships between personality, degree of adherence to social distancing and quarantining norms and regulations, and psychological wellness and relationship quality. We discovered several interesting patterns, some more intuitive than others. Specifically, we present evidence of several interactive effects between personality and degree of social distancing predicting psychological wellness and relationship quality with cohabitants, indicating that …

History Of Asian Americans, Brittany Le, Christine Sivilay, Mollie Frager

Ethnic Studies Student Zines

For our History of Asian Americans project, we aimed to creatively showcase some of the important topics discussed in the readings throughout this course. Additionally, our group related these historical topics to modern day issues or personal experiences. This was particularly interesting due to the current events taking place this semester like COVID-19, BLM Movement, and the election. In our project, we strayed away from summaries and explanations as much as possible while still providing context. We aimed to use our creative and critical thinking to highlight certain underlying aspects of the readings we thought were important, but may not …

(Re) Model Minority: A Discussion Of The Past And Present, Eden Concepcion, Jason Luu, Jannah Orbita, John Tran

Ethnic Studies Student Zines

PURPOSE. The purpose of this zine is to look at historical events that have influenced the way Asian American communities cope with injustices in the United States, and how Asian Americans have been treated throughout history and until now. Throughout this zine, we draw connections between the past and the present– some things may have changed, but others still remain the same. KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR... Analysis of Discriminatory Law Before & After Historical Analysis Satire PANDEMIC. With racial tensions towards Asian American high throughout the world because of COVID-19, it has become relevant to learn about the origins …

Slipping Through The Cracks: Addressing Mental Health Needs Of Students In The K-12 Classroom, Emily H. Kerr

Honors Theses

Mental health illnesses have become more prevalent over the past 20 years. With this increase in mental health disorders, schools have failed to provide students with the necessary support and resources needed for them to be successful in the classroom. The objective of this study is to highlight the prevalence of mental health illnesses and give insight to strategies that can be implemented by the school system in order to give every child the opportunity to be successful. This study focuses on adolescents with anxiety and/or depression. Research has been conducted to identify the increase in cases of mental health …

Socially Just Trauma-Informed Responses To Covid-19 With Undocumented Communities, Daniela Dominguez

Journal of Interdisciplinary Perspectives and Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Mental Health And Mindfulness In Education, Kelsey Malmanger

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Many students struggle with mental health issues, which can cause intense classroom behaviors, such as, physical aggression, verbal outburst, physical refusals, and elopements. These behaviors are creating stressful learning environments for both teachers and students. Teachers are looking for more strategies to help them manage their classroom and create a positive learning environment. One strategy that has become more present in recent years is mindfulness. This literature review examines research that has been conducted on mindfulness interventions and practices and explores the connection between mindfulness and mental health, as well as, how they both affect classroom behaviors.

Xenophobia And Racism Against Asian Americans During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Mental Health Implications, Hsiu-Lan Cheng

Journal of Interdisciplinary Perspectives and Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Loss, Grief, And Racial Health Disparities During Covid-19: Same Storm, Different Boats, Joyce Yang, Sierra Carter

Journal of Interdisciplinary Perspectives and Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Fostering Healthy Mental, Emotional, And Behavioral Development Through Effective Implementation And Scale-Up, Erin Kellogg

Journal of Youth Development

The evidence base around what causes mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders is substantial. Likewise, researchers have found methods for preventing and treating disorders, as well as for promoting healthy mental, emotional, and behavioral well-being. However, high rates of these disorders continue to persist in children and adolescents across the United States. A recent report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine entitled Fostering Healthy Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral Development in Children and Youth: A National Agenda explores updated research in epidemiology, risk and protective factors, effective strategies, and implementation science that will help diverse partners and stakeholders better …

Psychiatric Medications And Stigmatizing Attitudes In College Students, Benjamin T. Johnson, Peter Philip Grau, Stephen M. Saunders

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Research suggests that biological explanations of mental illness include the promotion of the effectiveness of medication, and that such explanations lead to greater attributions of responsibility and potentially greater stigmatizing emotional and behavioral reactions. This study examined whether college students' attitudes toward a fellow student with mental illness are affected by whether the latter is described as having benefitted previously from medication. Results suggest that the promotion of psychiatric medications as helpful may increase stigmatizing attitudes by peers against fellow students with mental illness.

The Role Of Paraprofessionals In The Mental Health Structure Of India, Amy Abraham

Senior Theses

The mental health treatment gap in India is part of a growing public health crisis, with over 95% of those in need of services never receiving them. Over 197 million Indians suffer from at least one diagnosable mental health disorder, and this number continues to grow given the treatment gap. The treatment gap is a result of four major factors: lack of government support, stigma, limited treatment facilities, and the dearth of professionals able to provide treatment. The current study aimed to analyze several factors of paraprofessional led mental health interventions including setting, treatments delivered, treatment models, and client outcomes. …

Kicked Out, Kicked Again: The Discharge Review Boards’ Illiberal Application Of Liberal Consideration For Veterans With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Jessica Lynn Wherry

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

In recent years, the Department of Defense (DoD) has responded to the growing awareness of mental health issues for military servicemembers during and after service. This Article focuses on veterans who have already been discharged from service, and specifically those who have been discharged under other-than-honorable conditions for misconduct that is likely the result of a mental health condition, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury, sexual assault, or sexual harassment. Thousands of former servicemembers have been kicked out of the military for misconduct rather than treated for mental health conditions they experienced due to their military service. When …

Perceptions Of Recovery While Delivering Medicaid Covered Rehabilitation Services, Zakia Clay, Anthony Zazzarino, Emilie Banz, Ann Reilly

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

Many states have shifted to Medicaid reimbursement methods to cover behavioral health services. In doing so, state mental health authorities have incorporated the concept of recovery into mental health policy. Thus, gaining a better understanding of practitioners’ perceptions of recovery in a new fiscal environment is warranted. This qualitative study explores how New Jersey practitioners transitioning to a new state-wide Medicaid payment structure perceive recovery from mental illness. Four themes emerged following a thematic analysis. Future studies that explore perspectives of individuals receiving services could provide useful information for policy makers, agencies, and community stakeholders.