Digital Commons Network^™

Puerto Rican Cultural Arts And Expressive Arts Therapies: Mental Health And Collective Resilience Post-Hurricane Maria, Stephanie Soler-Martinez

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The research aimed to study how integrating Puerto Rican popular cultural arts with the expressive arts therapies could assist the recovery process post Hurricane Maria. During post-disaster recovery efforts, access to formal psychological services are not always viable to survivors and the services available are usually not enough to cover the demand. The literature review examined the relationship between: mental health in the aftermath of natural disasters; cultural relevancy within the field of psychology in Puerto Rico; resilience in post-disaster communities; and psychosocial community interventions. Findings encouraged for programing for Puerto Rico’s psychosocial recovery from Hurricane Maria, or any future …

Ptsd In U.S. Veterans: The Role Of Social Connectedness, Combat Experiences And Discharge, Sara Kintzle, Nicholas Barr, Gisele Corletto, Carl A. Castro

Social Work Faculty Research

Service members who transition out of the military often face substantial challenges during their transition to civilian life. Leaving military service requires establishing a new community as well as sense of connectedness to that community. Little is known about how social connectedness may be related to other prominent transition outcomes, particularly symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The purpose of this study was to explore the role of social connectedness in the development of PTSD, as well as its relationship to the known risk factors of combat exposure and discharge status. Data used were drawn from a needs assessment survey …

Evaluation Of A Youth Emergency Room Enhancement Program For Behavioral Health, Anne Thatcher

Dissertations

Problem. Pediatric mental health complaints and subsequent hospitalizations have been steadily increasing. The Behavioral Health Network (BHN) developed an intensive outreach case management program aimed at reducing youth mental health emergency department (ED) visits and inpatient psychiatric admissions. The Youth Emergency Room Enhancement (YERE) program was a process improvement initiative to provide immediate case management to youth and caregivers for mental health care.

Methods. A Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) method utilizing a retrospective case record review occurred over a six-month period. A convenience sample of youth aged 6-20 years presenting to one of eight healthcare facilities for either ED or inpatient hospitalization …

Hope For Utah:? Exploring The Long-Term Impacts Of Peer-Based Suicide Prevention Among Adolescents, Meagan Rose Rainock

Theses and Dissertations

Current research studies on the success of peer-based outreach programs for adolescent suicide prevention are inconclusive (Mann et al. 2005; Gould et al. 2003). Fewer still have measured the feelings and experiences of the peers who are responsible for reaching out to suicidal friends within such a program. This exploratory research study examines the experiences and perspectives of past participants of an adolescent peer-based outreach program, Hope4Utah. Findings from this mixed-method study of Hope4Utah support that peer-outreach suicide prevention programs have far-reaching benefits, on both the participants and their surrounding communities, which extend into adulthood. Themes that emerged from analysis …

School-Based Mental Health Care Program Evaluation, Adriana Torres

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study aimed to determine if the Department of Behavioral and Mental Health at a local school district is improving the academic outcomes of the students it provides services to. The purpose was to evaluate its effectiveness in order to improve and expand services. This is important since schools have become a primary setting to address the mental health needs of children and youth. The research design consisted of a quantitative, one-group pretest-posttest as students’ outcomes were assessed before and after treatment. The data was analyzed using a paired samples t-test. The findings from this study demonstrated no statistical significance …

The Impact Of Mental Health Issues On Academic Achievement In High School Students, Patricia Lea Sutherland

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

An adolescent’s time in school is not merely academic; they are developing socially, physically, and emotionally. Prior research has demonstrated a correlation between a student’s poor academic performance and his/her need for emotional and mental health support. This research project sought to answer the following research questions: 1) Do mental health services in a high school setting help facilitate students’ academic achievement? and 2) Does a focus on mental health issues improve overall health and well-being in high school students? Participants for this study are 10 staff members (including teachers, administrators, counselors, and others) of a high school in San …

An Examination Of The Impact Traumatic Events Has On Psychosocial Impairment In Eating Disorder Patients, Jennifer Parker Hackett

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Research suggests that trauma has an impact on eating disorders. While prior research has demonstrated that the trauma from abuse has a significant impact on eating disorders, research has failed to explore other types of trauma. In addition, previous studies have stopped short of examining the impact trauma has on functioning among individuals with an eating disorder. This study aimed to address that gap in the literature. The purpose of this study is to examine whether traumatic life events impact psychosocial functioning among individuals living with an eating disorder. Furthermore, this study aimed to identify which traumas are shown to …

Master Of Social Work Students' Perceived Preparedness To Address Mental Health Needs Of Caregivers Working Toward Reunification, Stephanie Ramirez, Vanessa Romero

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to assess Master of Social Work (MSW)

students’ perspectives on their preparedness to identify mental health needs of

caregivers that are working toward reunification. Research has established that

caregivers with mental illness have children removed by the child welfare system

at higher rates. In order to reunify successfully, it is critical that any mental health

needs are identified to provide appropriate linkage to services. This quantitative

study used a self-administered survey questionnaire with a case study vignette.

MSW students have some exposure to diagnosing during their MSW program,

however, the findings suggest that key …

Cross - Professional Comparison Of Social Work Burnout, Heather Lynn Schaal

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Burnout in the social work field is becoming increasingly common due to the emotional intensity of the client-social worker relationship and job demands. Research has shown that burnout has detrimental effects not only on the social worker themselves but on clients and agencies as well. Limited research exists examining which professional setting of social work experiences the highest level of burnout. This study used secondary data collected by, Dr. Lizano in 2016 from the 4^thAnnual California State University, San Bernardino BASW and MSW Field Instructor Training. A quantitative method was used to analyze which setting of social work …

Prison Rehabilitation: The Sociological, Physiological, And Psychological Effects Of Animal-Assisted Interventions, Daisy Corleto

Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science

This paper examines animal-assisted interventions as a new form of rehabilitation in the prison setting. It focuses specifically on the multiple benefits that this form of therapy/intervention can bring to inmates, such as the reduction in recidivism and the acquirement of new skills. Additionally, this paper considers the reasons for which rehabilitation in general is necessary in order to truly transform an individual. The first section provides a brief history of AAI in the prison environment and its effects on the prisoners. The paper then transitions to an account of analyzing the sociological, physiological, and psychological effects of AAI on …

A Match Made In Mental Health: An Exploration In Using Drama Therapy As An Adjunct Therapy Paired With Psychoeducation, Natalie Doyle

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This project focuses on the use of drama therapy as an adjunct therapy with psychoeducation to increase insight, engagement, and information retention with adults who are managing severe mental illness. The facilitator (this writer) utilized drama therapy and psychoeducation to aid adult clients (20-75years of age) in a goal-setting group. It was conducted with a mixed diagnoses group in a community mental health agency partial care program. The group was made up of English speaking only, Spanish speaking only, and bi-lingual clients. Most of the clients receive government benefits such as Medicaid, SSI, etc. The study took place over the …

Older Mexican Americans: Role Of The Family And Mental Health Service Utilization, John M. Gonzalez, Denise A. Longoria, Romeo Escobar, Leyla Feize

Interdisciplinary Journal of Best Practices in Global Development

This study explored role of the family and mental health service utilization by older Mexican-Americans. Using qualitative exploration, the study investigated family factors influencing their mental health service utilization. The researcher used a purposive sample and interviewed 20 older Mexican Americans, who completed outpatient mental health services located in Texas. Kleinman’s explanatory model (1980) guided the ethnographic content analysis. Findings show the family took several roles to facilitate use of mental health services. The family was involved with respondents throughout the process of help-seeking and accessing mental health services. Family members helped respondents recognize their mental distress by noticing behavior …

The Influence Of Therapist-Patient Religious/Spiritual Congruence On Satisfaction With Therapy: A Review Of Research, Tammy E. Henderson

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this review was to examine the relationship between mental health and religion and/or spirituality. Specifically, it was believed that religion and spiritual congruence had a positive influence on satisfaction with therapy. Indeed, the literature reviewed suggests that therapists should be more open to addressing a patient's religious and/or spiritual beliefs as it could lead to more attuned therapeutic sessions. The importance of congruence between patient and therapist is a factor that can impact the therapeutic alliance, based on the literature, this concept appears to hold true for those that are or are not religiously and/or spiritually inclined.

Hear Me When I’M Well: A Convergent Parallel Mixed Methods Study Of Psychiatric Advance Directives In Virginia, Anne Metz

Dissertations, 2014-2019

Psychiatric advance directives (PADs) are legal documents that allow individuals to express their wishes and desires regarding potential future psychiatric care. PADs have been theorized as a way to empower individuals through improved clinical outcomes, reduced coercion, and minimized involvement of individuals with mental illness in the criminal justice system. Since 2010, the Commonwealth of Virginia has had legislation in place to support the use of these advance planning documents. The purpose of this convergent parallel mixed methods study was to enhance our understanding of PADs in Virginia. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected concurrently via survey and follow-up interview …

Counseling Staff Perceptions Of Visibility Of Mental Health Services At Community Colleges In Southeast United States, Dava Lorene Brock

Student Theses and Dissertations

Today’s college students are under pressure not experienced by the previous generations. College counseling centers are experiencing increasing demands due to the changing needs of students. Unfortunately, with less university funding, increase demands of students, and lack of qualified counselors the college counseling centers have a difficult time meets the campus community’s needs. Community college are in a unique situation compared to the four-year institutions. The population tends to be from more disadvantaged backgrounds creating increased stress and a need for mental health services. However, due to the lack of funds and sources, many community colleges have limited mental health …

Children's Mental Health: Reimagining Teacher Preparation, Karolina Camacho

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Current research sheds light on the importance of the mental health of school-age children and researcher’s efforts continuously point out that there is need for more to be done to support children with mental health needs, in the context of the classroom, in the United States. Particularly focusing on children with internalizing behavior under Emotional Disturbance, this paper will provide reasoning as to why these children have a need for prevention and intervention services, the reality of the lack of general knowledge teachers have on children’s mental health, and the need for elementary school teachers to have children’s mental health …

Representations Of Mental Health In Young Adult Literature: A Cultural Analysis Of The Three Ps Of Patient, Practitioner And Population, Christine Gonzales Severn

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the representations of mental health in young adult literature by categorizing texts into a new framework established by this thesis as the Three Ps of patient, practitioner and population. Looking at the Three Ps from an interdisciplinary, cross-cultural view recognizes ways in which literature with themes of mental health is progressively changing with the times. In analyzing John Neufeld’s Lisa, Bright and Dark (1969), Emily Danforth’s The Miseducation of Cameron Post (2012), and Ned Vizzini’s It’s Kind of a Funny Story (2006), this thesis identifies the changes in mental health visibility and awareness, Sexual Orientation Change Efforts’ …

A Systematic Review Of Rural Veteran Homelessness, Jonathan Fasse

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study is a systematic review to examine homeless veterans identified to be most at risk of unsuccessfully completing the VA’s housing program (HUD-VASH), which promotes the use of Housing First (HF) as it’s model for treating homelessness. The literature review identified those who were rural and experiencing comorbid substance use disorders (SUD) and mental health issues to likely be those who were most at risk. There were multiple reasons why this subgroup was most vulnerable including limited access to resources, higher levels of substance use and more serious mental health diagnoses, and chronic health needs. Both the literature review …

Addressing Culturally Specific Mental Health Care Needs In The Us: The Asian American Population, Moira Lewerk

Honors Scholar Theses

As the fastest growing minority group in the US, Asian American health needs and disparities are becoming critical areas to address, particularly in the mental health domain (Leong, Park, & Kalibatseva, 2013). Currently, the culturally specific needs of this group are not being adequately met. This includes appropriately serving low English proficiency (LEP) patients who experience different healthcare quality and outcomes than other individuals. Additionally, recognizing culturally unique perspectives, emotional burdens, and immigrant experiences is crucial in developing culturally tailored mental health interventions and shifting mental health toward individualized care. This work aims to examine current policies surrounding culturally competent …

What Are The Most Important Dimensions Of Quality For Addiction And Mental Health Services From The Perspective Of Its Users?, Priscilla Liu, Shawn Currie, Jassandre Adamyk-Simpson

Patient Experience Journal

There is a need to better engage service users in improving their experience with the care received in Addiction and Mental Health (A&MH). Dimensions of patient experience that are most salient to A&MH service users still remain to be properly defined from the patient perspective. This research focuses on identifying key domains of service experience important to patients of Addiction and Mental Health using patient focus groups. In addition, through a patient and family advisory committee, patients were also engaged as co-partners of the research team. The patient advisors had a major role in overseeing the research project, assisting with …

The Importance Of The Biopsychosocial Approach In The Mental Health Feild, Rachel Zacharczyk

Academic Festival

No abstract provided.

Abstracts From The 24th Annual Health Care Systems Research Network Conference, April 11–13, 2018, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Founded in 1994, the Health Care Systems Research Network (HCSRN) is a consortium of 18 research centers that are housed in community-based health systems. The organization's annual conference serves as a venue for research teams to disseminate scientific findings, stimulate new collaborations, and share insights about conducting research in real-world care-delivery settings. Abstracts accepted for presentation at HCSRN 2018 are published within this supplement of the Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews.

13 Reasons Why Not: Examining Peer Networks And Barriers To Help Seeking, Katharine Comber

Social Work Theses

This paper examines mental health perceptions on a college campus, with an emphasis on the importance of peer networks, the barriers to help-seeking behaviors, and the persisting stigma against mental health treatment. The researcher hypothesized that students will report confiding in family, friends, and peers in times of emotional distress, rather than more formal support networks. The study utilized a 13-item survey that examined what barriers students face in seeking help, to whom students turn in times of distress, and if they feel that there is stigma on campus that is a deterrent to formal mental health treatment. The results …

Increasing Access To Care By Delivering Mental Health Services In Schools: The School-Based Support Program, Danielle Swick, Joelle D. Powers

Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

It is widely estimated that approximately 25% of school age youth face mental and behavioral health challenges. The vast majority of these youth are insufficiently treated, leaving them vulnerable to negative school outcomes such as attendance, behavioral, and academic problems. One common barrier to treatment is a lack of access to appropriate and consistent care including assessment and intervention. Often when students are identified in schools as potentially struggling with mental health issues, the child is referred out to the community for treatment. While well-intended, this approach is largely unsuccessful if families face challenges such as a language barrier, a …

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

Munn Scholars Awards

No abstract provided.

Perinatal Depression: Investing In Our Mothers Before It's Too Late, Katelin Dietel, Anna Garbers, Kailee Hrubetz

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

Currently, there is no consistent, universal screening process within the United States healthcare system that considers the mental health of a new mother. Mandatory screening for perinatal depressive symptoms would improve the lives of new mothers, children, and their families nationwide. Home-visiting programs, such as the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program supported by Healthy Families America, should be universal and available in every locale in the U.S. Individual state policies within these programs should be tailored to meet the needs of each unique mother, child, and family. Early, nurturing relationships are critical to a child's development. …

Invisible No More: Bringing Awareness To Mental Health In Older Adults Living In Rural Minnesota, Abigail Schaper, Carley Ledoux, Kristry Danielson

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

Approximately 8 million Americans 65 years of age and older have mental health disorders. It is estimated that these numbers could reach 14.4 million by 2030. Minnesotans turning 65 in this decade (about 285,000) will be greater than the past four decades combined (Aging: MN State Demographic Center, 2018). Anxiety and depression are two of the more common mental health disorders in older adults and are associated with severe consequences, including life dissatisfaction, illness, and mortality. With this growth comes many barriers. The rural mental health system is not equipped to address this growth. The system is underfunded, largely uncoordinated, …

Launch-Ing Minnesota Early Childhood Mental Health Into The Future, Molly Abdo, Alyssa Baker, Elizabeth Holz

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

What is Social-Emotional Development? The foundation for lifelong mental health, including social and emotional development, is established early in life and shaped by children's relationships with parents, caregivers, and peers. This foundation is critical to all aspects of healthy development and growth in early childhood. Social-emotional development can be defined as "the capacity to form secure relationships; experience, express, and manage a range of emotions; and learn and explore one's environment."

Why is it Important? When children fail to develop social-emotionally, mental health symptoms begin to emerge and can "cause distress, interfere with relationships, limit the child's participation in daily …

A Peer-Support Mental Health Response Training For Lgbtqia+ Adolescents., Megan A Chernosky

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

This paper will discuss the correlation between participation in a mental health peer-support training and adolescents’ self-reported feelings of preparedness to deal with mental health crises. The paper will focus on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, and other non-heterosexual, non-cisgender youth (LGBTQIA+) between the ages of 13 and 21 years old. The study used a quantitative, written survey with eighteen questions before the intervention, and another with five questions after the intervention. The study originally involved eleven participants, but the number of participants decreased to seven due to attrition. The intervention was administered to every participant. The data …

Barriers To Addressing Hiv-Associated Neurocognitive Disorder (Hand): Community-Based Service Provider Perspectives, Renato M. Liboro, Francisco Ibanez-Carrasco, Sean B. Rourke, Andrew Easton, Claudia Medina, Daniel Pugh, Allan Rae, Lori E. Ross, Paul A. Shuper

Psychology Faculty Research

HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorder (HAND) is an emergent public health issue in developed countries. Consequently, people living with HIV who experience HAND will increasingly require support from community-based HIV service providers. The objective of our qualitative study was to identify barriers service providers face in addressing HAND among people living with HIV. Thirty-three providers from 22 AIDS service organizations across Ontario, Canada, were interviewed. Using thematic analysis, three types of barriers were identified: (a) personal/professional, (b) service access, and (c) systemic. This paper draws attention to HAND-related obstacles that service providers encounter in their work and presents options to overcome them.