Digital Commons Network^™

Neurocognitive, Genetic And Environmental Risk Factors Of Learning Disorders In Children, Brainscan , Western University, Marc Joanisse, Daniel Ansari, Lisa Archibald, Elizabeth Hayden, Janis Oram Cardy, Ryan Stevenson, Jeffrey Gruen

Project Summaries

Our research has already uncovered a range of behavioural and neural factors that can differentiate between children whose development is impaired and those whose development is progressing typically. Intriguingly, our recent findings have also suggested that multiple learning disorders are often present in children with general cognitive difficulties like autism spectrum disorder and ADHD. However, a common feature of research in this area is that of a ‘distinct syndrome’ approach, only studying childhood disabilities separately.

Assessing Listening With Engaging, Real-World Auditory Signals, Brainscan , Western University, Björn Herrmann, Ingrid Johnsrude 6612111

Project Summaries

Our project will develop and evaluate a novel way (using functional imaging, fMRI, and electrophysiology, EEG) to assess this cognitive impact of hearing loss with engaging, real‐world auditory stimuli. We will try to assess listening effort in more realistic listening situations among healthy listeners, comparing detected effort in degraded and clear acoustic conditions.

Using EEG, we will then develop measures that are sensitive to the cognitive demands imposed by degraded speech, using these features to assess hearing function with engaging narratives in natural listening conditions.

Attention Bias Modification Training As A Potential Preventative Tool, Brainscan, Western University, Elizabeth Hayden, Marc Joanisse, Pan Liu, Koraly Perez-Edgar, Thomas Olino

Project Summaries

We will use eye-tracking techniques to understand more about attentional bias and how it changes through ABM training.

Through neuroimaging, we will look at 'resting state functional connectivity', which is the activity and communication in the brain when a person is not engaging in any activity themselves. There are resting-state patterns of brain activity that have been identified in the brains of youth with depression, anxiety and related disorders, but we do not know if these brain patterns can be used to identify those at risk for these disorders. We also don't know if preventative approaches to depression and anxiety, …

The Relationship Between Dietary Quality And Mental Health In A Young Adult Appalachian College Population, Rachel Anne Wattick

Capstones and Honors Theses

To investigate the relationship between dietary quality and mental health status of young adults in an Appalachia college setting we 1) assessed the overall dietary quality of students 2) assessed the frequency of depression and anxiety symptoms of students and 3) assessed the relationship between these factors and food insecurity of students. A cross-sectional design was used in a large, Appalachian college population in fall 2017. Survey items included the Dietary Screener Questionnaire (DSQ), experience of depression or anxiety symptoms over the past 30 days, and the US Adult Food Security Survey Module, demographic variables and BMI. Participant responses (n=1956) …

A Tele-Mentoring Tobacco Cessation Case Consultation And Education Model For Healthcare Providers In Community Mental Health Centers, Ludmila Cofta-Woerpel, Cho Lam, Lorraine R Reitzel, William Wilson, Maher Karam-Hage, Diane Beneventi, Jennifer Cofer, Ellen Baker, David W Wetter, Paul M Cinciripini, Janice Blalock

Project ECHO Bibliography

Smoking prevalence among individuals with mental and behavioral health needs is considerably higher compared to the general population, but evidence-based smoking cessation therapies are underutilized in mental and behavioral healthcare settings, despite the fact that these treatments are both safe and effective. The goal of this paper is to present the background, design and pilot of Project TEACH (Tobacco Education and Cessation in the Health System) developed to improve clinical practice by offering specialized training in the provision of smoking cessation interventions to care providers in community mental health centers in Texas. This is achieved through engaging the expertise of …

Expanding Clinical Practice With Complementary And Integrative Health, Such As Tai Chi, As Therapeutic Interventions, Connor A. Burton

Clinical Practice in Athletic Training

No abstract provided.

The Grip Of Trauma: How Trauma Disrupts The Academic Aspirations Of Foster Youth, Brenda Morton

Faculty Publications - College of Education

The academic challenges foster youth encounter during their P-12 education have been widely reported. Yet, despite these challenges, the majority of foster youth desire postsecondary education. What is less known is the reason why so few foster youth alumni who desire a four-year college degree, achieve this goal. For the participants in this four-year longitudinal study, maltreatment, resulting in foster care placement, and the ensuing exposure to the foster care system, resulted in trauma histories and mental health diagnoses. Anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), were the most common diagnosis. The participants shared the ways in which these mental …

Mental Health Interventions For Adolescent Cancer Patients, Kelsey A. Faherty

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Background: According to the National Cancer Institute (2017) approximately 15,270 individuals’ ages 0 to 19 years would be diagnosed with cancer in 2017. Although pediatric cancer survival rates continue to rise, there are high rates of anxiety, fear, and depression amongst this population. The purpose of this literature review was to explore mental health interventions for adolescent cancer patients.

Methodology: A total of 165 articles were found in a literature search. Databases used include: CINAHL Plus with Full Text, Cochrane Center Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Clinical Answers, MEDLINE, and PsycINFO. As results were further narrowed based on relevance and …

Mental Health - Family, Najma Motan

A with Honors Projects

Through research and interviews with mental health professionals at local facilities, this student seeks to discover the current state family therapy practice.

The Moderating Relationship Of Comorbid Psychopathology And Treatment Outcome For Young Adult Offenders In Drug Court, Patrick Mcgonigal, Kathleen A. Moore, Matthew Scott Young

Mental Health Law & Policy Faculty Publications

Title: The moderating relationship of comorbid psychopathology and treatment outcome for young adult offenders in drug court.

Background: The drug court system is an alternative to incarceration that provides offenders with non-violent, substance motivated crimes with an opportunity to dismiss their charges and undergo a rigorous substance abuse treatment program. It is unknown whether drug court is effective for young adult clients and the role of co-occurring psychopathology within this context.

Methods: This study evaluated the overall effectiveness of a drug court system applied to young adult offenders ages 18-26, and additionally explored the moderating relationship of psychiatric symptoms on …

Psychedelic Medicine For Mental Illness And Substance Use Disorders: Overcoming Social And Legal Obstacles, Mason Marks

Scholarly Publications

Mental illness is a public health crisis. Millions of Americans suffer through their days crippled by symptoms of mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders. These conditions take large social and economic tolls on our communities. However, the medicines used to treat them have remained largely unchanged for over fifty years. Though helpful to many people, traditional psychiatric drugs are often ineffective, prompting patients and physicians to seek alternatives including psychedelic compounds such as ketamine, psilocybin, MDMA, and DMT. These drugs showed therapeutic potential in the mid-twentieth century until the U.S. War on Drugs halted all research. Now, having few alternatives, …

Assessment Of Stress Related Issues And Coping Mechanisms Among College Students, Emeka Okoro

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this research was to identify frequency of stressors and evaluate current levels of stress of undergraduate students. This study also analyzed and identified coping strategies implemented by college students. Two surveys were used in this study. The University Stress Scale developed by Stallman (2009) was used to identify perceived stressors and measure stress levels of participants. Brief Cope Inventory developed by Carver (1997) was used to assess coping strategies.

SPSS was used for data analysis and computation of scores. Academic/coursework demands was the highest perceived stressor among sampled undergraduates. Procrastination, study/life balance, finances and money problems were …

Mental Health And Drivers Of Need In Emergent And Non-Emergent Emergency Department (Ed) Use: Do Living Location And Non-Emergent Care Sources Matter?, Moira C. Mcmanus, Robert J. Cramer, Maureen Boshier, Muge Akpinar-Elci, Bonnie Van Lunen

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Emergency department (ED) utilization has increased due to factors such as admissions for mental health conditions, including suicide and self-harm. We investigate direct and moderating influences on non-emergent ED utilization through the Behavioral Model of Health Services Use. Through logistic regression, we examined correlates of ED use via 2014 New York State Department of Health Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System outpatient data. Consistent with the primary hypothesis, mental health admissions were associated with emergent use across models, with only a slight decrease in effect size in rural living locations. Concerning moderating effects, Spanish/Hispanic origin was associated with increased likelihood …

The Systemic Multigenerational Implications Of Education: Second-Generation Haitian- American College Graduates’ Perspectives, Daphney Farah Lundi

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

Similar to other immigrant populations in the United States, Haitians have a migratory history of escaping from political turmoil, natural disasters, and extreme poverty (Zephir, 2004). However, Haitian Americans remain one of the underserved populations in the United States. Marginalized yet resilient, Haitian families in the U.S. continue to display strength in the face of adversity. Second-generation Haitian-American college graduates are the evidence of such strengths. There is very little research focused on second-generation Haitian-American college graduates’ perspective on the possible familial influences pertaining to education. Using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) design and Bowen’s Family Systems Theory as a …

An Autoethnographic Exploration Of Hypnotherapeutic Experience, Jimena Castro

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

Family therapy researchers have conducted a variety of studies of brief approaches to family therapy (e.g., MRI, Solution Focused, Strategic). However, despite the fact that Milton Erickson’s approach to hypnosis and psychotherapy was a significant influence on these models, few family therapy researchers have studied Ericksonian hypnosis directly. Hypnosis is a way of communicating with the body to elicit psychological and physiological responses that are not organized by conscious awareness (Erickson, 1980i). Hypnosis becomes hypnotherapy when the context and the participants are oriented toward therapeutic change (Flemons, 2002). Employing the methodology of autoethnography (Ellis & Bochner, 2016) and using Interpersonal …

How Anthropogenic Climate Change Exacerbates Vulnerability In Prison Communities; A Critical Environmental Justice Analysis, John L. Veit

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

This thesis examines the link between anthropogenic climate change and mass incarceration by examining how governments address conditions in and around prisons resulting from hurricanes and wildfires. Critical Environmental Justice, Treadmill of Production and Destruction theories are synthesized using what is debuted here as an intersectional camera based on the theory of intersectionality. It examines how Trump administration policies will greatly exacerbate dangers caused by climate change and increase risks and dangers caused by mass incarceration. In addition to being a call to action, this project is intended to serve as a resource for prisoner rights activists. Prisons have become …

Religion/Spirituality And Mental Health/ Well-Being Among Women Living With Hiv, Haley Medved Kendrick

All ETDs from UAB

Depression among people living with HIV (PLWH) is associated with social factors such as employment, poor adherence to HIV medication and treatment, and HIV disease progression. However, estimates of prevalence rates of depression among PLWH vary widely, from 1% to 48%. Women living with HIV (WLWH) often report spirituality as an important factor in coping with stressors associated with HIV infection. Spirituality has been found to be associated with social involvement, effective coping, decreased stress, psychological adjustment, and positive mental health outcomes among PLWH. The current study aims to longitudinally examine trends of spirituality and mental health/well-being in the lives …

Acculturation And Post-Migration Psychological Symptoms Among Iraqi Refugees: A Path Analysis, Joseph W. Lemaster, Carissa L. Broadbridge, Mark A. Lumley, Judith E. Arnetz, Cynthia Arfken, Michael D. Fetters, Hikmet Jamil, Nnamdi Pole, Bengt B. Arnetz

Psychology: Faculty Publications

Refugees frequently experience symptoms of posttraumatic stress and depression, which impede their acculturation in the new host country where they are resettling. There are few longitudinal studies investigating predictors of mental health and acculturation during the early postmigration period. We conducted a longitudinal study of 298 Iraqi refugees, assessing them upon arrival to the U.S. and 1 year after migration. Premigration trauma was associated with increased PTSD and depressive symptoms at baseline, and with decreased acculturation 1 year later. Resilience was associated with depressive symptoms at 1-year follow-up, but not with other resettlement outcomes (PTSD symptoms, English-language skills, or acculturation). …

A Body A Day: Constructing Deviance At The Mississippi State Asylum, Rachel Christine Childs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Though the first graves of assumed-former asylum patients were discovered at the University of Mississippi Medical Center over 25 years ago, it wasn’t until 2017 that the estimated body count—which had been rising in reports for several years—rose above 7,000. Along with national attention, the growing burial site has prompted large-scale efforts by a consortium of scientists and scholars to determine how best to utilize and memorialize the remains, and yet to date, a complete cultural study that explores the sociopolitical context which these people represent has yet to be published. Consisting primarily of archival material and interviews, my research …

Community Strengthening And Mental Health System Linking After Flooding In Two Informal Human Settlements In Peru: A Model For Small-Scale Disaster Response, Carmen C. Contreras, M. Aguilar, B. Eappen, C. Guzmán, P. Carrasco, A. K. Millones, Jerome T. Galea

Social Work Faculty Publications

Background: Mental health is an important factor in responding to natural disasters. Observations of unmet mental health needs motivated the subsequent development of a community-based mental health intervention following one such disaster affecting Peru in 2017.

Methods: Two informal human settlements on the outskirts of Lima were selected for a mental health intervention that included: (1) screening for depression and domestic violence, (2) children's activities to strengthen social and emotional skills and diminish stress, (3) participatory theater activities to support conflict resolution and community resilience, and (4) community health worker (CHW) accompaniment to government health services.

Results: A total of …

Mental Health In U.S. Prisons: How Our System Is Set Up For Failure, Katherine Daifotis

CMC Senior Theses

During the past 60 years, United States prisons have become one of the primary institutions caring for mentally ill individuals. Factors such as privatization of mental health care with a focus on profit-maximization, ineffective jail diversion programs, and unsuccessful mental health courts have contributed to prisons having an increased population of mentally ill inmates. In fact, about 20% of people who are currently incarcerated suffer from a major mental illness (Mason, 2007). Other elements outside of the justice system such as a lack of mental health awareness and a lack of resources have led to damaging interactions between the mentally …

Conduct Disorder In Times Of Crisis In The Eastern Mediterranean Region, Ruaa A. Al-Juboori

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

Background: The Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR), comprising of 22 countries, has a high burden of conduct disorder (CD) and has the largest burden of displaced populations. Violence and displacement increase the need for mental health services.

Methods: Using descriptive study design, 2015 global CD burden (disability-adjusted life years DALYs per 100,000 populations) was compared to the EMR burden. Across 25 years (1990-2015) trend of CD in 22 EMR countries was graphed and compared with the global CD burden. Association of CD with a) Corruption Perception Index; b) Global Peace Index; c) Human Development Index was assessed using correlation analysis. CD …

Childhood Adverse Events And Adult Physical And Mental Health: A National Study, Lauren E. Clatch

Law Faculty Publications

Prior research has established the negative effects of childhood adverse events on adult health. Despite this, few researchers have accounted for the impact of potentially confounding factors, including adulthood adverse events. The current study used data obtained from a uniquely generalizable sample (N = 34,653) to investigate the predictive effects of reported experience of any childhood adverse event, count of childhood adverse event types, and severity of childhood adverse events on quality of adult physical and mental health. A hierarchical linear regression analysis indicated that, for adult physical health, there was a significant main effect for experience of adulthood adverse …

An Analysis Of Teachers’ Judgements Of The Executive Capacities Of Students Classified As Emotionally Disturbed/Behaviorally Disordered And A Matched, Non-Clinical Student Group, Catherine Forster

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Research has shown that EF difficulties are evident in the symptomatology of numerous psychopathologies and mental health disorders, especially in children. Due to the pervasiveness of EF difficulties related to a majority of the emotional and mental disorders experienced by children, there is a clear need to identify, carefully, the specific nature of the EF difficulties demonstrated by a child so that appropriate interventions can be identified and implemented. Despite this need, currently available individuallyadministered tests and rating scales are not constructed on the basis of a comprehensive theory of executive capacities, and therefore focus only on one or a …

Impact Of The School Health Innovations Grant Act On Healthcare Access, Outcomes, And Cost In The District Of Columbia, Robert West

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

This paper provided a prospective policy analysis of the Washington, D.C. School Health Innovations Grant Act. This act establishes a grant program to facilitate the formation of school-based telehealth centers to provide mental health services to District school children. The purpose of this act is to improve access to mental health services for children, especially children in disadvantaged populations, such as those low-income, predominantly African American neighborhoods in eastern Washington, D.C., where a high burden of need is compounded by a shortage of health professionals.

This analysis was guided by the Bardach framework of policy analysis. The various factors affecting …

Well-Being And Mental Health Impact Of Household Flooding In Guyana, The Caribbean, Muge Akpinar-Elci, Shanomae Rose, Michele Kekeh

Center for Global Health Publications

Guyana has annually experienced excessive rainfall and flooding since 2005. This study investigated the general well-being and mental health problems among occupants of households affected by the December 2008 flooding in Guyana. A cross-sectional study design was used to administer validated questionnaires, which included sections on demographics, environmental exposure, general health, and personal behavior. The response rate to the survey was 70% (130/185). The findings indicate an increased self-reported poor health for study participants who smelled moldy odors inside of their home (OR: 4.1, 95% CI: 2.0‐12.0) and for individuals who had mold or mildew inside of their homes (OR: …

Log Kya Kahenge: Psychological Well-Being And Perceived Stigma In The South Asian American Community, Khushboo Jain

Pomona Senior Theses

Current research has independently studied depression, stigma, and coping mechanisms in relation to culture, yet the effects of perceived stigma on the relationship between depression and control coping are heavily understudied. Typically, studies have broadly focused on comparing eastern and western cultures, but have not analyzed how populations with mixed cultural influences experience depression and stigma and further engage in control coping mechanisms. This study thus explores how perceived stigma moderates the relationship between depressive symptoms and control coping mechanisms for South Asian Americans. The study hypothesizes that the level of perceived stigma will moderate the relationship between depression and …

Evaluating The Attitudes And Practices Of Exercise Prescription Among Psychotherapists, Igor Vasilj

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

Exercise has been shown to improve mood, anxiety, stress, and promote neuroplasticity (Conn, 2010; Donaghy, 2007; Josefsson, Lindwall, & Archer, 2014; Silveria et al., 2013; Stathopoulou et al., 2006). However, limited research on the topic suggests that many psychologists and mental health providers are not incorporating exercise into psychological treatment, and many lack the confidence to do so (Burton, Pakenham, & Brown, 2010; Weir, 2011). The purpose of this study was to evaluate current exercise prescription trends among practicing psychologists and trainees, including identifying their current beliefs, attitudes, training, and the perceived barriers hindering psychotherapists from recommending and prescribing exercise. …

Political Activism And Mental Health Among Black And Latinx College Students, Elan C. Hope, Gabriel M. Velez, Carly Offidani-Bertrand, Micere Keels, Myles I. Durkee

College of Education Faculty Research and Publications

Objectives: The current study investigates the utility of political activism as a protective factor against experiences of racial/ethnic (R/E) discrimination that negatively affect stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms among Black and Latinx college freshmen at predominately White institutions. Method: Data come from the Minority College Cohort Study, a longitudinal investigation of Black and Latinx college students (N = 504; 44% Black). We conducted multiple regression analyses for each mental health indicator and tested for interaction effects. Results: For Black and Latinx students, the relationship between R/E microaggressions and end of freshman year stress varied by political activism. For Black students, …

Creating Effective Mental Health Programs In Rural Middle Schools: A Case Study Of Challenges, Policy And Programming, Katelyn Kempf

Honors Theses

Using a case study approach, this study investigated the current status of mental health programs and resources within a specific middle school in Eastern Rural Pennsylvania. Interviews were conducted with a school counselor, principal, teacher, social worker and mental health liaison in order to uncover the perceived strengths and weaknesses of mental health resources at this school, and the perceived barriers to providing mental healthcare. Data analysis revealed that the main barriers included parental involvement, parental follow-through, transportation and funding. Further questions were identified for future research within this school in order to create specific recommendations for improvement. Additionally, a …