Digital Commons Network^™

The Five Foundational Factors To Building Resilience In Young People, Taylor Teichman

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

The Trauma Skilled Approach when working with young people begins with the mindset-shifting question, “what happened to you?” This workshop will explore step 2 of the Trauma Skilled model: Connection, Security (Belonging), Achievement, Autonomy and Fulfillment as the five foundational factors to building resilient youth. There will be opportunities to work in small groups reviewing Purposeful Practices that can be replicated by participants in their own practice.

2024-03: Addressing Mental Health Needs Of Mothers In Minnesota, Liz Fritz, Leah Nachreiner, Jaelynn Pinske, Mary Speer

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

Maternal mental health refers to a range of conditions or illnesses that can occur anytime during pregnancy or the first year following pregnancy. When left untreated, maternal mental health conditions can have long-term negative impacts on the mother, baby, and family. Proper screenings for maternal mental health conditions are critical to ensuring that mental health concerns are detected and that new and expecting mothers receive the care they need. Requiring screening for maternal mental health conditions as part of prenatal and postpartum visits will lead to the care that new mothers deserve.

2024-04: Pathways To Stability And Hope: A Holistic Approach To Permanent Supportive Housing For Individuals With Serious Mental Illness (Smi), Dayna Gums, Ericka Wood, Haddy Jagne, Haley Pollard

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

The absence of accessible permanent supported housing options for individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) poses a critical challenge, contributing to heightened vulnerability, increased homelessness rates, and inadequate support systems. Addressing this disparity demands a comprehensive and nuanced response that prioritizes the development and implementation of sustainable housing solutions tailored to the unique needs and experiences of individuals living with SMI. Effective interventions must embrace a holistic approach that integrates housing stability with wraparound support services, including mental health treatment, vocational training, and social inclusion initiatives.

“Gonna Mess With Your Head”: The Role Of Mental Health In The Lived Experiences Of Black Male Football College Athletes, Todd A. Wilkerson, Alison Fridley, Skye Arthur-Banning, Thomas J. Aicher, Sarah Stokowski

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

No abstract provided.

The Holistic Wellness Of The Female Collegiate Athlete At A Division I Power 5 Institution, Bethany Neeley, Kyle S. Bunds, Jason N. Bocarro, Kimberly Bush, J. Aaron Hipp

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

No abstract provided.

Student-Athlete Perceptions Of Stress, Support, And Seeking Mental Health Services, Betsy A. Cutler, Brendan Dwyer

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

No abstract provided.

Sleep Quality, Mental Health, And Academic Performance Among College Students In South Texas, Sukho Lee, Soyoung Kwon, Shannon Shen, Soojin Yoo, Boram Lim, Vicky Elias

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

College life is shaped by a confluence of factors, encompassing heightened academic demands, complex social transitions, and pervasive stress. Amid this dynamic environment, understanding the interplay between sleep quality, mental health, and academic achievement is crucial. PURPOSE: We aimed to evaluate sleep quality and mental health among college students and to examine whether sleep quality was associated with their mental health and academic performance. METHODS: We analyzed data from 343 college students attending universities in South Texas, with information collected in 2022. To assess the participants’ sleep, mental health, and academic performance, we utilized the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index …

Provision And Long-Term Assessment Of A Specialized Clinical Evidence-Based Practice Curriculum For Master Of Social Work Students, Susan Reay

Social Work Faculty Publications

This study investigated social workers’ knowledge of the common elements in evidence-based practice to treat youth mental health conditions following a specialized curriculum during their Master of Social Work (MSW) education. Participants’ knowledge was measured during their MSW education and in their first 5 years of social work practice after graduation. The quantitative study measured participants’ knowledge of common elements three times; 86 social workers participated in the study with 67 sets of scores at three data points. Study results showed that participants knew more after completing the curriculum but knew less one to five years after graduation. Overall, however, …

Do Professor Characteristics Influence College Students' Mental Health Disclosure?, Giselle Solorio, Kenneth Barideaux Jr.

University of South Carolina Upstate Student Research Journal

Previous studies have provided some evidence that college students may hesitate to disclose their mental health status because of social stigma; however, more research is needed to identify and understand the factors that influence students’ willingness to disclose. For example, it is unclear how professor characteristics impact the likelihood of disclosure. In the current study we examined whether the gender of the professor (male vs. female) and the professor’s teaching discipline (STEM vs. humanities) affected students' likelihood to disclose a mental health problem. Participants read a fictitious syllabus where the professor was either male or female and taught a chemistry …

Factors That Inhibit And Support The Work Of School-Based Mental Health Providers, David B. Naff, Jennifer Murphy, Alexandra Javna, Wyatt Aldrich, Erin Standish, Jeen Joy, Ciana Cross, Sandra Saji

MERC Publications

This research brief comes from the MERC Supporting Mental Health in Schools study. Launched in 2021 in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, this study explores research-based strategies for supporting mental health in PK-12 school settings, as well as the emotional and professional capacity of PK-12 faculty and staff in the MERC region to support the social and emotional wellness of their students. This brief shares takeaways from a systematic literature review that highlight the factors that inhibit and support the work of school-based mental health providers, including school counselors, school social workers, and school psychologists. It outlines the roles …

Scoping Review: Health Care Use In Foster Care Children, Karen Mcwaters

Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate - Innovations in OT Symposium: Transforming Possibilities into Practice

No abstract provided.

The Library Cares About Me: Creating Distinct Spaces To Support Student Wellness And Mental Health, Alison Downey, Rachael Muszkiewicz, Natalie Muskin-Press

Humboldt Journal of Social Relations

In January 2021, the Christopher Center Library at Valparaiso University, commenced a Mental Wellness Initiative to address the growing rates of neurodiversity and mental health concerns that were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This initiative started as a simple plan to increase mental wellness resources and then blossomed into a collaborative, cross-departmental approach to offering wellness spaces and programming within the library. The initial plan for the building was a single mindfulness space where students could relax and take a break from studies, but that quickly evolved into an initiative to include four unique spaces within the library, with one …

Pk-12 Faculty And Staff Capacity To Support Student Mental Health, Chin-Chih Chen, David B. Naff, Xun Liu, Jennifer Murphy, Margaret Wallace, Sunny Shin, Kade Goldin, Shenita Williams, Caleb Armwood, Riley Jenkins, Marlene Gooding

MERC Publications

This report from the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium (MERC) depicts findings from a regional survey of PK-12 faculty and staff exploring their professional capacity to meet the mental health needs of their students. Based on responses from approximately 1,000 educators in the MERC region, there were six dimensions of capacity: mental health knowledge, mental health training and confidence, multi-tiered systems of support, positive mental health culture, supportive policies and practices, and responsibility and impact. Findings in the report include position comparisons along these six dimensions as well as an exploration of how capacity varies by school size and demographic composition. …

“I Learned To Bottle Up My Feelings From A Young Age”: A Narrative Analysis Of Latina Young People’S Family Mental Health Socialization, Jenn M. Lilly

Social Service Faculty Publications

Latina young people report high levels of mental health problems and low levels of help-seeking compared with their white peers, but little research has examined factors influencing their mental health views. Inductive analysis of 25 participants’ narratives revealed that Latina young people described three stages in the development of their mental health-related beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors: undergoing a process of family mental health socialization, suffering in silence, and attaining a new perspective. Within each of these phases, participants shared stories that attest to their agency and resilience. This research uncovers a novel theoretical construct, “family mental health socialization,” which elucidates …

Feasibility Of Influencing Clinician Perceived Knowledge And Competence Of Human Trafficking Via A Continuing Education Workshop, Rachel Wakefield

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Previous research has examined the complex mental and social health deficits of those who were trafficked that clinicians have to treat therapeutically (Litam, 2017; Pascual-Leone et al., 2017). Other research has explored how continuing education workshops often change the knowledge, competence, and attitudes of attendees to use more effective and evidenced techniques and skills (Neimeyer et al., 2009; Raghavan et al., 2008). However, there is a lack of understanding about how a complex topic, specifically treatment considerations of those who were trafficked, changes the knowledge and competence of continuing education workshop attendees. The purpose of the current study is to …

Characterizing The Relationship Between The Presence Of Depression Risk, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, And Benzodiazepine Use To Get High, Julia Kollitz

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

Aim: To determine if there is a relationship between depression risk, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and engaging in benzodiazepine misuse.

Methods: A secondary cross-sectional analysis was conducted on data from a sample of people who use drugs (n=743). Depression risk was assessed via the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale. Meeting DSM-IV criteria for PTSD was identified using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). We used simple and multivariable logistic regression models to estimate the association between mental health factors of interest and benzodiazepine misuse, defined as self-reported benzodiazepine use “to get high” in the past six months.

Results: Of the …

Yoga And Wellness-Based Interventions With Marginalized Populations, Marisa Moore

Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate - Doctoral Capstone Symposium

In the realm of mental health, the intersection of addiction, trauma, and various behaviors represents a complex and multifaceted landscape that requires specialized understanding and treatment approaches. Upward Inertia is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve the mental, physical, and social-emotional health and wellbeing of marginalized populations through the use of therapeutic yoga and mind-body based interventions. Ongoing programming is currently offered at five Idaho prisons, both men's and women's facilities, ranging from minimum to maximum security. This capstone project explores the possibility of expansion to other marginalized populations including pediatrics. After investigation, there are stakeholders that are …

Brief Virtual Intervention Associated With Increased Social Engagement And Decreased Negative Affect Among People Aging With Hiv, Andrea N. Polonijo, Annie L. Nguyen, Karah Y. Greene, Jasmine L. Lopez, Moka Yoo-Jeong, Erik L. Ruiz, Christopher Christensen, Jerome T. Galea, Brandon Browni

Social Work Faculty Publications

Virtual Villages—online communities that deliver supports to promote aging in place—are proposed to mitigate isolation and support the health of aging populations. Using a community-engaged approach, we developed and pilot-tested a Virtual Village intervention tailored for people living with HIV (PLWH) aged 50+ . The intervention employed a Discord server featuring social interaction, regional and national resources, expert presentations, and mindful meditation exercises. In 2022, a sample of PLWH aged 50+ from three U.S. study sites participated in a four-week pilot. Pre- and post-intervention surveys assessed participants’ demographic characteristics; degree of loneliness, social connectedness, HIV-related stigma, and technology acceptance; mental …

The Study Of Baby Boomers And Generation Z’S Attitudes Towards Generational Mental Health Dynamics, Regina M. Luttrell Ph.D., Hunter Harpin, Emma Grace Reville, Yunxiang Yu, Abagail Sweeney

Real Chemistry Emerging Insights Lab

The purpose of this research is to compare and contrast how different historical events have impacted Generation Z members’ and the Baby Boomers’ attitudes towards mental health and how those attitudes have guided members of these generations to feel about medical experts and the technology that they use to deliver their services in the post-COVID era. Studying these topics allows our group to make recommendations as to how medical experts should go about interacting with members of the Generation Z and Baby Boomer generations respectively, based on how historical events have influenced their attitudes towards mental health topics, their perceived …

Student Perspectives On The Adequacy Of Mental Health Curriculum Within The College Of Health And Human Services At Unh, Brianna Lee Meyer

Honors Theses and Capstones

This study aims to understand the confidence students in future healthcare oriented majors feel in regards to treating or interacting with individuals with mental health conditions. It also aims to understand the effect of students' in-major education, outside-major education, and lived experience on this confidence level. Students within the College of Health and Human Services at UNH were the participants who completed a short Qualtrics survey online. The survey collected data from Likert scales and short-answer questions. The Likert scales were then analyzed with a regression and descriptive statistics, while the short-answer questions were analyzed with thematic analysis. The study …

The Unequal Distribution Of Social Risk For Black Men Across The Life-Span. A Novel Framework., Waleed Y. Sami

Adultspan Journal

This conceptual overview offers a comprehensive overview of systemic pathways that negatively impact the mental health of Black Men throughout their lives. Our argument highlights the importance for counselors and mental health professionals to utilize a thorough social risk assessment that considers these pathways in order to effectively address the mental health needs of Black Men while fostering positive working relationships. This overview strongly advocates for the use of context and structural determinants when evaluating mental health symptoms. Without an appropriate understanding of social risk and determinants, counselors may inadvertently perpetuate disparities by decontextualizing symptomology, and reproducing racist discourse.

Evaluating The Mental Health Of Newly Graduated Nurses In Transition From Undergraduate Training To Professional Practice, Victor Louis C. Alinas Iv

Nursing | Student Research Posters

Background: There is an increasing demand for nurses worldwide as healthcare systems slowly recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Simultaneously, there is a high turnover of registered nurses and an even higher turnover in the demographic of newly graduated nurses. Newly graduated nurses (NGNs) are constantly faced with high levels of stress upon starting out in the professional environment and as a result of mental burnout and inadequate preparation, there is a notably high turnover of newly graduated nurses within their first year of employment. Purpose: This research aims to use existing information on the transition from undergraduate training to professional …

The Integrated Behavioral Model Of Mental Health Help Seeking (Ibm-Hs): A Health Services Utilization Theory Of Planned Behavior For Accessing Care, Joseph H. Hammer, David L. Vogel, Patrick R. Grzanka, Nayeon Kim, Brian T. Keum, Claire Adams, Sarah A. Wilson

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

This article introduces the integrated behavioral model of mental health help seeking (IBM-HS), a theoretical model for understanding the constructs (e.g., systemic, predisposing, and enabling factors; mental health literacy; illness perceptions; perceived need; stigma; shame; perceived benefits, motivation) that influence people’s decision making around seeking professional mental health care and their ultimate access to formal treatment. The IBM-HS is a help-seeking-specific adaptation of the empirically supported integrated behavioral model and integrative model, which are themselves evolutions of the theory of planned behavior and theory of reasoned action. The IBM-HS posits that help-seeking determinants (e.g., structural forces; cultural influences; past help-seeking …

Lift Every Voice: Engaging Black Adolescents In Social Justice Service-Learning To Promote Mental Health And Educational Equity, Sonya Mathies Dinizulu, Gabriel M. Velez, Mirinda Morency, Kristen Jacobson, Kelsey Moore, Nichole Carter, Stacy L. Frazier

College of Education Faculty Research and Publications

This study reports on the feasibility and acceptability of a social justice infused service-learning (S-L) program to promote Black adolescent mental health and educational equity. We convened a community advisory board to help adapt and pilot test, via open trial mixed method design, an evidence-based service-learning program for Black middle school adolescents (n = 21) attending summer camp at a faith-based setting. We describe a S-L curriculum, with a focus on the achievement gap, and training for church staff and assess staff and youth reports of feasibility, acceptability, and promise to (a) improve/engage psychological engagement targets, and (b) improve …

Supporting The Mental Health Needs Of Impoverished Youth In The Rio Grande Valley, Leslie Pena

Selected Social Change Portfolios in Prevention, Intervention, and Consultation

Goal Statement: The goal of this project is to enhance access to culturally competent mental health services and support systems for impoverished youth in the Rio Grande Valley, thereby reducing barriers and improving overall mental health outcomes in this vulnerable population. Significant Findings: In the Rio Grande Valley, impoverished youth face significant barriers to accessing mental health care, exacerbated by factors such as economic hardship, immigration-related stressors, and cultural stigma. Research highlights the prevalence of anxiety, depression, and trauma-related disorders among these youth, underscoring the urgent need for targeted interventions. Recommendations include integrating evidence-based practices into school-based mental health initiatives, …

Addressing Adverse Effects On Children Living In Poverty In Trumbull County, Ohio, Kaitlin Spitak

Selected Social Change Portfolios in Prevention, Intervention, and Consultation

Goal Statement: The goal of this social change portfolio is to prevent adverse outcomes for children and adolescents living in poverty in Trumbull County, Ohio. Significant Findings: Trumbull County, Ohio, has an alarming percentage of youth under 18 years old living in poverty. According to the US Census Bureau (n.d.), the current rate is 28.9% and has risen since 2015 (Data USA, n.d.). Black youth are disproportionally affected by poverty, with rates in Trumbull County of 67% (County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, n.d.; Hodgkinson et al., 2017). Youth living in poverty are at risk for developmental delays, adverse experiences, chronic …

Student-Athlete Mental Health: University Of Montana Case Study, Abigail M. Sherwood

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Research suggests that Division I college-student athletes experience higher levels of stress and other behavioral health issues than their non-athlete counterparts, with up to 20% of them suffering from depression (Sudano et al., 2017). Two studies on student athletes’ well-being conducted in 2020, reported that athletes continue to report higher levels of mental health concerns (Johnson, 2022). Since the fall of 2020, rates of mental exhaustion, depression, and anxiety have improved minimally with rates remaining 1.5 to two times higher than reported before the COVID-19 pandemic (Johnson, 2022). Naomi Osaka withdrawing from the French Open in 2021 and Simone Biles …

An Exploration Of The Lived Experiences And Psychological States Of Migrants And Refugees, Zainab Akef, Senel Poyrazli, Isabel Quintero

The Qualitative Report

UNHCR reports that about 82.4 million individuals were forcibly displaced as they attempted to avoid persecution, conflict, or human rights violations in their home countries. In addition to traumatic experiences, refugees encounter stressors such as low income, reduced social support, and language barriers. This qualitative study aimed to explore the impact of pre-migration trauma and political detainment on mental health outcomes and living conditions. A total of eight interviewees participated in video conferencing interviews. A non-probability convenience sampling using the snowballing technique was utilized to identify participants. Data were analyzed using an inductive approach for thematic analysis. The software Dedoose …

Addressing The Crisis In Meaning And Identity Through Covenant Relationship, Jenet Jacob Erickson

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

Our youth are experiencing a profound hunger for connection, evidenced by an epidemic of loneliness and increasing mental health challenges despite the seeming connectivity of a world swimming in social media. The deepest loneliness stems from disruption and disorder in family life, including ruptured or never formed family relationships. In answer to this relational fracturing, the gospel of Jesus Christ offers covenant belonging and connection. The revealed understanding of the nature of our covenant relationship with Jesus Christ and his work in enabling eternal bonds within the family and across the entire eternal family is at the heart of helping …

Perfectionism’S Influence On Adolescent Mental Health, Mark D. Ogletree

BYU Studies

Years ago, I was sitting in my counseling practice with a sixteen-year- old young man. He was a great teenager with many positive qualities. However, on this particular summer day, he came in a somber mood. I asked him what was bothering him. He began to share some of his problems with me. In my opinion, none were out of the ordinary. Nevertheless, I could see his lips begin to quiver, and then he broke down in tears. When he could compose himself, he uttered, “I know that God hates me.” And with that declaration, I knew that we had …