Digital Commons Network^™

Helping Veterans Through Outreach, Rodney B. Ebersole

Justice

The present Master's project seeks to develop a better understanding of Veterans and what they are going through. Research methods include extensive data on the high suicide rates of Veterans. Veteran and service members are in need of a service to them that will address the issue of suicide and what can be done to help and eliminate this problem. The programs that need to be designed to help needs should be in locations that have Veteran populations so as to serve them with their needs. Ultimately, Veterans Affairs (VA) officials have boosted their mental health personnel and suicide hotline …

Navigating Culture: An Exploration Of Domestic Violence And Abuse Resource Provision To The Harrisonburg Iraqi Refugee Community, Kaitlin Michelle Holland

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

There are currently 22.5 million refugees worldwide who have been displaced from their home countries due to war, conflict, or persecution. Of this total, only 1% are recommended for resettlement each year. In recent years, many of these resettled refugees have come from Iraq, fleeing conflict stemming from the Iraq war and ISIS. Upon resettlement, refugees face significant acculturation difficulties that can negatively affect mental health. Additionally, experiencing domestic violence and abuse (DVA) can also negatively affect physical and mental health. I researched how the refugee migration experience and domestic violence and abuse affect mental health as well as what …

Improving Adherence To Mental Health Treatment In A Low-Income Clinic, Janice G. Gandy

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Final Clinical Projects, 2016-2019

The increasing prevalence of mental illness in the United States presents significant challenges for primary care providers in low-income settings. Integrated Behavioral Health (IBH) programs have resulted in improved general health for low-income participants; however, managing appointment adherence, in which the patient attends appointment as scheduled, is particularly challenging. The purpose of this pilot project was to implement bundled interventions at a low-income primary care clinic to improve patient adherence to behavioral health treatment. The bundle of interventions included: 1) educational interventions emphasizing the benefits of IBH care 2) warm patient handoffs between the primary care provider to a behavioral …

How Primary Care Can Contribute To Good Mental Health In Adults, Kurt C. Stange

Faculty Scholarship

The need for support for good mental health is enormous. General support for good mental health is needed for 100% of the population, and at all stages of life, from early childhood to end of life. Focused support is needed for the 17.6% of adults who have a mental disorder at any time, including those who also have a mental health problem amongst the 30% who report having a long-term condition of some kind. All sectors of society and all parts of the NHS need to play their part. Primary care cannot do this on its own. This paper describes …

The Effects Of Exercise On Mental Health: A Research Review, Kaylani Benson

Honors College Theses

This research review looks at the effects exercise and physical activity have on mental health. The results of this review are based upon the results of the formal studies that have been included. These studies are Benefits of Exercise on Physical and Mental Health in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients, Exercise Effects on Mental Health of Preschool Children, The Effect of Morning Exercise on Mental Health of Female Police Employees, Exercise and Mental Health of People Living with HIV: A Systemic Review, Exercise Improves Physical Function and Mental Health of Brain Cancer Survivors: Two Exploratory Case Studies, Effect of Yogic and Physical …

Student Perceptions Of The Impact Of Participation In Community College Mental Health Counseling On Retention, Graduation, And Transfer, Matt Jordan Quin

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examined community college transfer students’ perceptions of how mental health concerns interfere with academics, the ability to stay in school, graduate, and transfer to a 4-year university. The study also examined if community college transfer students perceive that mental health counseling improves their ability to stay in college, graduate from community college, and overcome barriers that interfere with the ability to transfer to a 4-year university. The study employed descriptive statistics and one-way between subjects ANOVAs to examine the effects of demographic characteristics and presenting mental health concerns on the ability to remain in community college, graduate from …

The Misconception Of Social Anxiety Disorder: Creating Understanding Through Motion Graphics, Kaijun Qu

Theses

This thesis project explores Social Anxiety Disorder, by showing emotions and feelings of the person who suffers from social phobia to help his/her friends and classmates to understand them.

The symptoms of a person with social phobia can be seen as being afraid of communicating with other people, appearing in public, and/or being the center of attention. In such situations, others may easily misunderstand them, so the patient can lose the chance to communicate to others. As a result, the patient's condition will be getting worse. Therefore, it is very hard for people with social phobia to make new friends. …

Increasing Depression Screenings In Adults With Advanced Non-Surgical Heart Failure Using 2013 Accf/Aha Recommendations And Healthy People 2020 Target Goals, Valerie Valencia

Doctor of Nursing Practice

The purpose of this evidence-based practice project was to increase depression screenings in adults with non-surgical advanced heart failure using reliable and valid tools, 2013 American College of Cardiology Foundation/American Heart Association recommendations, and Healthy People 2020 Target Goals as a method to identify and facilitate appropriate mental health referral, patient education, and follow-up for depressive symptoms. Interventions took place June 5, 2017, through August 10, 2017. This intervention project involving 246 adults with advanced heart failure demonstrated that an evidence-based intervention for depression screenings increased the number of patients screened from 5% to 44%. At project completion, 65% of …

Latino Lgbq Young Adults' Coming-Out Experiences, Monica Munoz

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

There is limited research on Latino LGBQ individuals and their coming-out experiences. To understand the coming out process of Latino LGBQ individuals, interviews were conducted with 10 Latino LGBQ young adults between the ages of 18 and 30 years old. Using Moustakas (1994) phenomenological approach, six themes derived from the study: (a) The disclosure process impacts family closeness and distance, (b) Latino LGBQ individuals’ family members enter a state of disbelief about their sexual orientation, (c) control of disclosure influences Latino LGBQ young adults’ perception of their coming-out experience, (d) the experience of coming-out for Latino LGBQ individuals is influenced …

Allowing The Untellable To Visit: Investigating Digital Folklore, Ptsd And Stigma, Geneva Harline

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In the introduction of 2012 issue of The Journal of Folklore Research, Diane Goldstein and Amy Shuman issue a “call to arms for folklorists … to concentrate on the vernacular experience of the stigmatized.” (Goldstein and Shuman, 2012:116). Drawing on this call to arms, this thesis investigates how Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is portrayed in social media through memes and captioned images. I argue that the genres of memes and captioned images in digital folklore work to help mitigate the stigma of PTSD because the veneer of anonymity in the digital world allows people with PTSD to be willing …

Mind, Body, And Soul, Kate Henreckson

The Voice

No abstract provided.

Do The Lessons From Micro-Conflict Literature Transfer To High Crime Areas?: Examining Mexico’S War On Drugs, Muhammad Nasir, Marc Rockmore, Chih Ming Tan

Economics & Finance Faculty Publications

Exposure to political violence has been found to affect behavioural parameters. The effects of high levels of criminal violence, however, are largely unknown. We examine the effects of Mexico’s war on drugs on risk aversion, mental health and pro-social behaviour. Using a nonlinear difference-in-differences (DiD) model, we find that the post 2006 surge in violence significantly increased risk aversion and reduced trust in civic institutions without any simultaneous strengthening of kinship relationships. Although the deterioration of mental health due to violence exposure has been hypothesised to explain changes in risk aversion, we find no such effect.

Differences In Mental Health Education Across Baby Boomers, Generation X, And Millennials, Ashlyn M. Avera

Honors College Theses

There is no denying that mental illness has gained a strong prevalence in the United States. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, approximately one in five adults in the United States experiences a mental illness in any given year. Although mental health stigmas have played a role in the past, it does not mean they must continue to play the same role in the future. Research is now looking toward ways to decrease mental health stigma through increasing mental health knowledge. This study examines the starting point for which a society becomes literate in mental health. Using a …

Reflections On The Challenging Proliferation Of Mental Health Issues In The District Court And The Need For Judicial Education, Jessie B. Gunther

Maine Law Review

Maine's courts constantly deal with litigants with mental health issues. Historically, our decisions have relied on expert testimony addressing specific issues of responsibility, risk, and treatment. In recent years, by my observation, court involvement in the treatment process has increased, but the availability of expert evidence has decreased. Thus, we as judges have become the ultimate decision-makers regarding litigants' mental health treatment in both criminal and civil contexts, without supporting expert testimony. In the face of this development, three interconnected issues arise. The first issue is whether judges should even attempt to fill the void caused by lack of expert …

Personal Resilience, Workplace Civility, And Staff Retention In Behavioral/Mental Health Crisis Stabilization Units, Paula D. Stover

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Translational and Clinical Research Projects

Retention of behavioral/mental health (BMH) staff is a critical need in public safety net systems, but a challenge to sustain. Chronic attrition in BMH settings is costly and can have adverse effects on client care. Researchers recommend investigation of personal resilience and workplace civility as potential retention factors. However, no studies explored relationships between these factors in BMH crisis stabilization units (CSU). A southeastern United States public safety net agency needed baseline data to inform workforce retention initiatives. A correlation design was used to measure relationships between personal resilience, workplace civility, and the intention to continue working at three CSUs …

Addressing Mental Health, Substance Abuse, And Recidivism In The Juvenile Justice System, Danielle N. Gieschen

Theses and Dissertations

Research has shown links between mental health concerns, substance abuse concerns, and recidivism for youth. However, the vast majority of studies have not examined the impact that receiving services or treatment compliance has on this relationship. In this study, mental health concerns, mental health treatment, alcohol and substance abuse concerns, alcohol and substance abuse treatment and recidivism within the juvenile justice system were examined. The electronic and paper probation files and the paper court files for 77 youth were examined to determine the impact that receiving mental health or substance abuse services has on reducing the likelihood of recidivism. Furthermore, …

Unrecognized Epidemic Kills Farmers, M. Susan Jones, Deborah B. Reed, Matthew L. Hunt

Nursing Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Sex Work And Compromised Health: Health Conditions And The Barriers To Accessing Treatment Services In Pelourinho, Salvador, Amelia Fox

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Sex workers remain one of the most marginalized populations in Brazilian society, both coming from and living within realities defined by poverty and poor health. Through partnership with Força Feminina – an organization located in Salvador, dedicated to aiding local sex workers– I explored the day-to-day health complications sex workers encounter and the impact these problems have on quality of life. I then questioned how discrimination and stigma impact a woman’s willingness to prioritize her health and seek out healthcare services. To pursue these questions, I utilized participant observation, interviews with 4 staff members – a pastoral educator, financial coordinator, …

Workforce Well-Being: Personal And Workplace Contributions To Early Educators' Depression Across Settings, Amy M. Roberts, Kathleen C. Gallagher, Alexandra Daro, Iheoma Iruka, Susan Sarver

Buffet Early Childhood Institute Reports and Publications

Building on research demonstrating the importance of teachers' well-being, this study examined personal and contextual factors related to early childhood educators' (n =1640) depressive symptoms across licensed child care homes, centers, and schools. Aspects of teachers' beliefs, economic status, and work-related stress were explored, and components of each emerged as significant in an OLS regression. After controlling for demographics and setting, teachers with more adult-centered beliefs, lower wages, multiple jobs, no health insurance, more workplace demands, and fewer work-related resources, had more depressive symptoms. Adult-centered beliefs were more closely associated with depression for teachers working in home-based settings compared …

The Perceived Mental Health Effects Of China’S One-Child Policy, Avery Rasmussen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study looked at the perceived impacts of China’s 30 year One-Child Policy (OCP). Previous studies suggested the OCP affected Chinese culture and society in a number of ways, however no studies (to the knowledge of the principal investigator) had looked at perceptions of the effects of the OCP on anxiety levels and other mental health issues of students in China. This study sought to fill the aforementioned knowledge gap and aimed to determine perceptions about the mental health effects of the OCP on students. Specifically, this study endeavored to gain a better understanding of perceptions of the effects of …

Lived Experiences Of Men With Dissociative Identity Disorder, Melissa Zeligman, Jennifer H. Greene, Gulnora Hundley, Joseph M. Graham Jr., Sarah Spann, Erin Bickley, Zachary Bloom

Adultspan Journal

No abstract provided.

Socioemotional Selectivity And Mental Health Among Trauma Survivors In Old Age, Derek M. Isaacowitz, Timothy B. Smith, Laura L. Carstensen

Faculty Publications

Empirical tests of socioemotional selectivity theory support the contention that the developmental trend in adulthood to focus increasingly on fewer, but emotionally significant, social partners is associated positively with psychological well-being. Tenets of the theory, however, also suggest conditions in which selectivity could instead lead to an increase in negative emotional experiences. In particular, if the socioemotional world of the individual includes emotional distress, selective focus on emotions and close relationships may detract from rather than enhance well-being. In the current study, we examined selectivity and associated well-being in Holocaust survivors, Japanese-American internment camp survivors, and comparably-aged people who lived …

Disadvantaged Status And Health Matters Networks Among Low-Income African American Women, Erin Pullen, Carrie B. Oser

Sociology Faculty Publications

A significant gap in current network research relates to understanding the factors that shape the health matters (HM) networks of marginalized, socially disadvantaged populations. This is noteworthy, given that these networks represent a critical resource for mitigating the adverse health effects of both acute and chronic strains associated with marginalized status. Further, research has suggested that the networks of such populations—especially low-income African American women—are unique, and may operate in substantively different ways than those of other groups. Using two waves of data from a sample of low-income African American women, this research identifies the demographic, health status, and health …

Exploring The Relationship Of Urban Form And Mental Health In The 500 Largest Cities Of The United States, Daniel Sam Harrison

Master's Theses

Sustainable development efforts frequently focus on understanding and promoting the factors that influence health and wellbeing. Urban environments have received attention in recent years as spaces which can increase psychological distress. Despite hypothesized reports of urban environments being less conducive to good mental health then natural environments, few studies have investigated the effects of urban form characteristics (size, density, nuisances, transportation, and housing characteristics) and mental health measures at the city level. Using 2014 data from the 500 largest cities in the United States, this thesis evaluates the relationship between urban form and aggregate self-report scores of poor mental health. …

Understanding Resilience Strategies Among Minor-Attracted Individuals, Allyson Walker

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The field of criminology generally assumes that attraction to minors is synonymous with sex offending. This erroneous and reductive assumption has led to a lack of exploration into the lives of individuals who are attracted to minors and who live their lives without offending. The lack of research on this topic reinforces the already overwhelming stigma against this population, and has limited our understanding of how individuals who are attracted to minors strategize to refrain from offending. This knowledge may also help others struggling with these attractions to remain resilient.

This dissertation is a result of efforts to learn more …

Examining The Impact Of A University-Driven Exercise Programming Event On End-Of-Semester Stress In Students, Tessa L. Koschel, John C. Young, James W. Navalta

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 10(5): 754-763, 2017. Stress levels in university students peak during the final exam period. An inverse association exists between Physical Activity (PA) and poor mental health. UNLV has created Fitness4Finals (F4F), an event novel in its approach to academic stress reduction by incorporating both physical activity and mental relaxation. To our knowledge, a university-driven programming event aimed at reducing physiological and psychological stress among students approaching final exams had never been studied. Therefore, the aims of this research were to 1) examine the influence of F4F on physiological stress and perceived psychological stress (PPS) and …

Changing Police Culture: Raising Awareness Of The Importance Of Mental Health, Mary Dombroski

Justice

The suicide rate involving police officers has produced alarming statistics for decades. Until recently, however, little has been done to prevent suicide in law enforcement and even fewer efforts have been made to change the root of the problem. This paper reviews why a law enforcement officer may choose to take their life, looks at preexisting programs and resources that departments can choose to embrace, and supplies departments with a new approach to destigmatizing suicide within the police culture starting at the academy level.

Mental Health And Academic Outcomes Among Adolescents In South Korean Orphanages, Hollee Ann Mcginnis

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Research conducted over the past 100 years in Western nations support the adverse effects of orphanages on children’s emotional, developmental, and social well-being as well as economic costs to society (Save the Children UK, 2009; Bakermans-Kranenburg, Van IJzendoorn & Juffer, 2008; Williams & Greenberg, 2010). Globally, the number of orphaned and abandoned children is conservatively estimated to be around 143 million, of whom the majority reside in Asia, followed by Sub-Saharan Africa (UNICEF, UNAIDS, & USAID, 2004). South Korea (hereafter “Korea”) is an exemplary nation for study because it has a well-established child welfare system, including family-based alternatives (domestic and …

Designing For Humanity's Growing Disconnect From Nature, Hadley Allen

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

The Industrial & Interaction Design 5th year thesis project process began with an exploration of our personal passions. I started by researching mental health and outdoor activity. After realizing the fact that the two have been very closely connected in

Depressive Symptoms In Mexican-Origin Adolescents: Interrelations Between School And Family Contexts, Prerna G. Arora, Lorey Wheeler

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Faculty Publications

This study, as guided by cultural-ecological frameworks, examined multiple contextual stressors, including subjective economic hardship, acculturation, discrimination, and negative perceptions of school safety, as simultaneously linked to adolescents’ depressive symptoms, as well as the role of gender, familism values, family cohesion, and school connectedness on these associations. Data come from the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study (Portes and Rumbaut 2012) that included second-generation 8th- and 9th-grade children of foreign-born parents from the Mexican-origin subsample (n = 755; 52% male; time 1 M age = 14.20 years). Adolescents were either born in (60%) or immigrated prior to age 5 to …