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Not Groovy Man: Psilocybin's Long And Complicated History With The Law, And Its Potential To Treat The Growing Mental Health Crisis In America, Zachary Lecompte

University of Cincinnati Law Review

No abstract provided.

Addressing Systemic Inequities: A Psychoeducational Group For Advocating For African Americans, Jaree' Barnwell

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

This paper will discuss and describe the development of an open psychoeducational group that will empower people of the community through education to advocate for African American/Black people within institutions that may perpetuate barriers. Acknowledging that one in four people struggle with mental health issues, it is imperative to consider an appropriate treatment modality that destigmatizes mental health and equips participants with information. This group is especially relevant as one in three African Americans, who struggle with mental health concerns, will never receive the appropriate care comparatively afforded to white populations. This thesis will concisely discuss the education system, the …

Shining A Light On Mental Health, Mark Christians, Jon W. Moeller, Leah Mouw, Melanie Wynja

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"Each profession faces unique situations when it comes to serving those needing support with mental health, and it is important as Christians that we come together with a holistic approach."

Posting about care for individuals with mental health crises in the various professions from In All Things - an online journal for critical reflection on faith, culture, art, and every ordinary-yet-graced square inch of God’s creation.

https://inallthings.org/shining-a-light-on-mental-health/

Mental Health In Historically Black Communities: The Role Of Local Non-Profits, Cindy N. Ledat

2022 Spring Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

This study examined the role that local non-profit organizations play in bridging the gap to mental healthcare services in historically Black communities. With a focus on the Oak Cliff neighborhood of Dallas, Texas, semi-structured interviews were gathered from participants working for local non-profit organizations, specifically those that connect the community to mental health services. Utilizing a phenomenological approach to qualitative analysis, the key themes that emerged were those of combatting shame, building trust, and engaging with community stakeholders. Additionally, there were themes of helplessness in the face of systemic barriers as well as empathy towards a participant’s cultural community. Though …

The Effect Of Trauma On The Mental Health Of Forensic Scientists, Carley Sistrunk

Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis was to determine the existence of any correlation between forensic scientists experiencing trauma and levels of mental health disorders, such as anxiety, depression, and PTSD. A survey created in Qualtrics with demographic questions and measurement questionnaires for each mental health disorder was utilized for this study. While there was little statistical analysis due to a small sample size, results showed a correlation between experiencing anxiety and PTSD. Research also illustrated that there were no respondents that reported having no level of the mental health disorders listed.

Keywords: forensic scientist, trauma, mental health, anxiety, depression, PTSD

Inter-Agency Collaborations Among Mental Health And Law Enforcement Professionals In San Bernardino County During Covid-19: A Qualitative Study, Sonya Mcisaac

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

As first responders, law enforcement officers and mental health professionals are constantly sought after regarding the delivery of critical services to people in need. However, the COVID-19 pandemic brought almost everything to a halt. It is therefore important to understand how social services were delivered during the crisis. It has been assumed in the literature that interprofessional collaboration is an important service delivery framework. However, because COVID-19 is a relatively recent public health phenomenon, relevant studies on interprofessional collaboration between law enforcement officers and mental health professionals are scant, if not non-existent. This qualitative study addresses this gap by exploring …

The Impact Of Implicit Bias On The Overdiagnosis Of Schizophrenia, Ace Ogbebor

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

According to the American Psychiatric Association (2017), Black Americans are more likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia and less likely to be diagnosed with a mood disorder in compassion to their White counterparts presenting with the same symptoms. To address mechanisms of implicit bias and the implications for mental health practice, it is imperative to investigate the diagnostic process of students who will enter the field of mental health.

According to the Council on Social Work Education, 80% of MSW graduates work in positions providing micro-level direct service to individuals, families, and groups (CSWE, 2019). Moreover, 80% of MSW graduates …

Understanding Mental Health Related Factors And High-Risk Behaviors Among Emerging Adults Through The Lens Of The Social-Ecological Model, Sheralyn Sanchez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Emerging adulthood is a transitional period where young adults are faced with new challenges while exploring their identity and experimenting with life choices. However, during this time, young adults are more at risk of engaging in risky behaviors. The focus on emerging adults is important since the health and development of young adults can influence their health and life outcomes. The social-ecological model was used to understand the relationship between mental health and high-risk behaviors, in addition to the influence from different ecological factors (individual, relationship, and community). This study examined the relationship between the presence of mental health issues …

The Feasibility And Utility Of Harnessing Digital Health To Understand Clinical Trajectories In Medication Treatment For Opioid Use Disorder: D-Tect Study Design And Methodological Considerations, Lisa A. Marsch, Ching-Hua Chen, Sara R. Adams, Asma Asyyed, Monique B. Does, Saeed Hassanpour, Emily Hichborn, Melanie Jackson-Morris, Nicholas C. Jacobson, Heather K. Jones, David Kotz, Chantal A. Lambert-Harris, Zhiguo Li, Bethany Mcleman, Varun Mishra, Catherine Stanger, Geetha Subramaniam, Weiyi Wu, Cynthia I. Campbell

Dartmouth Scholarship

Introduction: Across the U.S., the prevalence of opioid use disorder (OUD) and the rates of opioid overdoses have risen precipitously in recent years. Several effective medications for OUD (MOUD) exist and have been shown to be life-saving. A large volume of research has identified a confluence of factors that predict attrition and continued substance use during substance use disorder treatment. However, much of this literature has examined a small set of potential moderators or mediators of outcomes in MOUD treatment and may lead to over-simplified accounts of treatment non-adherence. Digital health methodologies offer great promise for capturing intensive, longitudinal ecologically-valid …

Managing Mental Health Risks On Short-Term Study Abroad Programs: A Faculty Development Approach, Katherine A. Hoffswell

Masters Projects

Over the past several decades, the increase in college students participating in study abroad programming has coincided with the increase in students reporting issues with their mental health. Faculty directors who lead short-term study abroad trips are responsible for creating a safe environment that supports student health, wellbeing, and learning while abroad. However, literature suggests that many faculty directors feel unprepared to address issues with student mental health as they facilitate their programs. This project seeks to improve faculty director competency and confidence regarding mental health risk management abroad through the creation and implementation of a virtual professional development series. …

Mental Health Focus As A Deterrent For Justice Involved Youth, Miyah Seckinger

Honors Projects

Tough-on-crime policies regarding youthful offending have resulted in a pendulum swing in which the juvenile justice system has shifted from a rehabilitative focus to one of punishment. The current paper evaluates different mental health program alternatives, as an option to return to a rehabilitative focus for juveniles, with a major focus on the Juvenile Treatment and Support Court in Kent County, Michigan. Through a qualitative analysis, there were findings of initial success with the youthful offenders presented in the court. Recommendations and limitations from the study are presented to aid further policy change and research.

Evaluating A Relationship Education Program With Incarcerated Adults, Terra L. Jackson, Francesca Adler-Baeder, Leah Burke, Silvia Vilches

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

Research indicates healthy family relationships can reduce recidivism. More effort has been placed towards providing family life programming in prisons to promote healthy individual and relational functioning, yet only a handful of studies have evaluated and provided insight on relationship education (RE) for incarcerated adults. This study contributes to this emerging effort and examines changes following participation in a RE program, using a sample of 461 incarcerated men and women. Findings indicate significant improvements in anxiety and depressive symptoms and conflict resolution skills. Additional tests of moderation of change by gender, relationship status, and child age revealed a greater change …

Modern Sentencing Mitigation, John B. Meixner Jr.

Northwestern University Law Review

Sentencing has become the most important part of a criminal case. Over the past century, criminal trials have given way almost entirely to pleas. Once a case is charged, it almost always ends up at sentencing. And notably, judges learn little sentencing-relevant information about the case or the defendant prior to sentencing and have significant discretion in sentencing decisions. Thus, sentencing is the primary opportunity for the defense to affect the outcome of the case by presenting mitigation: reasons why the nature of the offense or characteristics of the defendant warrant a lower sentence. It is surprising, then, that relatively …

Reformation Within The Nation: Adapting The Nordic Rehabilitation And Reintegration Model To Positively Recondition The United States Criminal Justice System, Jessica Cornell

Helm's School of Government Conference - 2021-2024

An analytical and statistical based comparison of criminal sentencing, incarceration, rehabilitation and reintegration in the United States of America to those of the five countries which follows those of the Nordic Criminal Justice System.

What Makes My Client Guilty? Discussing The Processes, Effects, And Costs Of Wrongful Convictions, Shawn Page

Criminology Student Work

The basis of this paper will be to discuss my chosen career path following graduation. The career path that I will be exploring is that of an attorney. After I finish my athletic career, my next goal will be to enroll in law school and graduate in three years with my Juris Doctorate. My father is a partner at a law firm that handles many different cases, from malpractice allegations to criminal charges. My sister is also a public defender in Pittsburgh and represents individuals who can not afford to hire a private attorney. As a public defender you may …

“Trapped In Their Shame”: A Qualitative Investigation Of Moral Injury In Forensic Psychiatry Patients, Sophia L. Roth, Aamna Qureshi, Heather M. Moulden, Gary A. Chaimowitz, Ruth A. Lanius, Bruno J. Losier, Margaret C. Mckinnon

Neuroscience Institute Publications

Individuals who engage in criminal behavior for which they are found not criminally responsible (NCR) may be at increased vulnerability to experience moral pain and, in extreme circumstances, moral injury after regaining insight into the consequences of their behavior. Yet, almost no research exists characterizing the nature, severity, or impact of moral pain in this population. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine forensic psychiatric patients and 21 of their care providers. Narratives were explored using thematic analysis. Findings demonstrate that NCR patients endorse symptoms consistent with moral injury, including feelings of guilt toward victims, shame for one’s behavior, and a …

A Macro Social Examination Of The Relationship Between Disabilities And Crime Using Neighborhood And County Level Data, Natasha A. Baloch

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Over the last few decades, there has been a consistent increase in mental illnesses in the US population. This has also lead to increased interactions of those with mental illnesses and/or disabilities with law enforcement and the criminal justice system. Despite these instances, there is limited research on the relationship between disabilities, mental health issues and crime in the large body of criminological research. Further, the current extant research is a) outside the field of Criminology, b) primarily focuses on those with only intellectual or developmental disabilities and/or c) does not examine this relationship at the macro level, despite evidence …

Social Determinants Of Health And Depression Among African American Adults: A Scoping Review Of Current Research, Brooks Yelton, Daniela B. Friedman, Samuel Noblet, Matthew C. Lohman, Mark M. Macauda, Mayank Sakhuja, Katherine H. Leith

Faculty Publications

Depression in the United States (US) is increasing across all races and ethnicities and is attributed to multiple social determinants of health (SDOH). For members of historically marginalized races and ethnicities, depression is often underreported and undertreated, and can present as more severe. Limited research explores multiple SDOH and depression among African American adults in the US. Guided by Healthy People (HP) 2030, and using cross-disciplinary mental health terminology, we conducted a comprehensive search to capture studies specific to African American adults in the US published after 2016. We applied known scoping review methodology and followed Preferred Reporting Items for …

Racially Informed Care: A Treatment Approach And Exploration Of The Implications Of Race Related Barriers In The United States, Charae Mcconnell

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Social factors surrounding race and ethnicity often create barriers to meaningful occupation and keep people of color from achieving a greater quality of life (Pooremamali et al., 2016). These barriers often result in occupational deprivation and feelings of alienation in society. Research has shown that these barriers created by systematic racism exist for individuals across different environments and persist over their lifetime (Pooremamali et al., 2016). Because of these barriers and the prolonged stress responses caused by racism, people of color, especially black and brown, have significantly higher rates of chronic illness than White Americans. People of color, specifically African …

Ecospirituality In Forensic Mental Health: A Preliminary Outcome Study, Clark Patrick Heard, Jared Scott, Stephen Yeo

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: In this study, the personal experience of spirituality in nature (the concept of ecospirituality) was supported by occupational therapy and spiritual care staff enabling a community-based group for persons affiliated with a forensic mental health system in Ontario, Canada. Spirituality is a key, though debated, tenet in occupational therapy practice. At the same time, immersive participation in nature has been linked to positive health outcomes.

Methods: A qualitative method consistent with Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was employed. Data was collected via the completion of semi-structured interviews (n = 9). Collected data was transcribed verbatim and then coded for …

Stigma And Criminalization Of Mental Health In An Inpatient Versus Jail Setting, Zachary C. B. Dumay, Jessica T. Harnais, Christina M. Cerminara

The Graduate Review

Stigmatization is the perceived, negative stereotype assigned to a group of individuals. This stigmatization has contributed to the criminalization of mental health, meaning that individuals with mental health issues are more likely to be arrested for behaviors that are not criminal. This project examines mental health stigma toward an individual in a psychiatric setting and a correctional setting. We hypothesized that when reading a vignette about an individual experiencing a mental health crisis, participants will stigmatize them more if they are incarcerated than if they are in a psychiatric facility. Results showed that participants exhibited a higher level of discrimination …

‘A Learning Experience’: Disciplinary And Parenting Practices Among Native American Families, Catherine Mckinley, Hannah Knipp, Jenn M. Lilly

Social Service Faculty Publications

Research indicates that effective disciplinary practices, such as offering praise and teaching acceptable versus non-acceptable behaviour, can act as protective factors against the social and behavioural health disparities experienced by Native Americans (NA). The purpose of this critical ethnographic study (n = 436 qualitative elder, adult, youth and professional participants) was to use the Framework of Historical Oppression, Resilience, and Transcendence (FHORT) to qualitatively examine participants' reported experiences of disciplinary practices. Thematic analysis of qualitative results indicated several approaches to disciplining children, which included the following themes: (a) Establishing Structure and Boundaries; (b) Taking Away Privileges and Rewarding Good Behavior; …

Racism Experiences And Mental Health: An Examination Of Direct, Vicarious, And Appropriated Racism Experiences On Mental Health Symptom Expression, Christina Barnett

Theses and Dissertations

The current study aimed to corroborate existing models of racism-related experiences by creating an explanatory model that operationalized direct, vicarious, and appropriated racism experiences. This study explored whether the factors of direct and vicarious racism experiences influenced mental health outcomes via appropriated racism experiences in a sample of Black women. This association was not present. However, results showed a positive association between vicarious and direct racism experiences, as well as predictive relations between direct and vicarious racism experiences and depression and trauma symptoms. Results, limitations, implications, and recommendations for future research are included.

Keywords: vicarious racism, appropriated racism, direct racism, …

Delusions, Moral Incapacity, And The Case For Moral Wrongfulness, E. Lea Johnston

UF Law Faculty Publications

Responsibility is a legal—not medical—construct. However, science can be useful in exposing faulty assumptions underlying current doctrine or practice, illuminating changes in practice or evidentiary standards to better effectuate the law’s animating purpose, and even suggesting updates to legal standards to account for modern understandings of functionalities of concern. This Article uses the science of delusions to assess the law regarding, and practice of establishing, criminal irresponsibility for defendants with psychosis. Over the last two decades, researchers from the cognitive sciences have compiled strong evidence that a host of cognitive and emotional impairments contribute to the origin and maintenance of …

Sexual And Intimate Partner Violence Among The Lgbtq+ College Population, Courteney Lewis

Honors Undergraduate Theses

College-aged students have the highest sexual assault and intimate partner violence victimization rates. Previous studies have linked victimization with poor mental health scores, especially in the LGBTQ+ college population. They also showed a higher rate of victimization for LGBTQ+ students. The goal of this study was to investigate the relationship between victimization and mental health in the LGBTQ+ college population. To conduct this study, I used data from the Spring 2021 and 2022, American College Health Association (ACHA) - National College Health Assessment (NCHA). The results of the study established statistical significance in the rates of sexual violence in LGBTQ+ …

Mental Illness As A Vulnerability For Sexual Assault: A Retrospective Study Of 7,455 Sexual Assault Forensic Medical Examinations, Leslie Miles, Julie L. Valentine, Linda Mabey, Nancy R. Downing

Faculty Publications

Background: Persons with severe mental illness (MI) are at a high risk of becoming victims of sexual assault (SA). Vulnerability for SA with any type of MI is unknown. This study aimed to identify the prevalence of preexisting MI and other significant factors in patients reporting preexisting MI at the time of their SA medical forensic examinations (SAMFEs).

Method: A retrospective SAMFE chart review of patients ( N = 7,455) from 2010 to 2020 was conducted. Sexual assault nurse examiners completed SAMFEs. Inclusion criteria included (a) aged 14 years and older, (b) completed SAMFE with SA kit evidence collection, and …

Continuity Of Care For Adult Offenders With Severe And Persistent Mental Illnesses: An Action Research Study, Lakeshia C. Gonzalez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

For decades, the representation of adults with severe and persistent mental illnesses (SPMI) in the criminal justice system has steadily grown despite public recognition and increased federal implementation of mental health courts and diversion programs. Though more is known about risk factors associated with psychiatric and criminal recidivism among this population, a gap in the literature remains on collaborative interventions and continuity of care between inpatient mental health and criminal justice facilities. Grounded in resilience theory, the purpose of this qualitative study was to examine challenges social workers faced when attempting to facilitate discharge planning between inpatient mental health facilities …

Envisioning A Grassroots Framework For Community-Based Mental Health Crisis Intervention, Xandra C. Gradine

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The mental health and well-being of both individuals and communities are going to be best served by community-based services and care completely unreliant on traditional top-down models that often include inaccessible services and/or coercive methods. This is especially prevalent in the case of mental health crisis intervention; where most state-based interventions involve coercive agents who often are not given any specific training on mental health crisis response. As mental health crisis and suicide rates continue to rise in the U.S., and even the most well-respected model of crisis intervention has done little to resolve the issues of prisons serving as …

Mental Health Support For The Spanish-Speaking Community, America Yvonne Gutierrez Solorio

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Mariposa Wellness Center in Watsonville, CA empowers its mental health community through wellness, meaningful activity, and community connection. The purpose of the report is to focus and empower individuals on the long-existing issue of the lack of mental health support for the Spanish-speaking community. This report focuses on the importance of Hispanic individuals having access to proper mental health support in their community. The contributing factors in this report range from language barriers and stigma created within mental health illnesses to the lack of education. In addition, this report focuses on numerous consequences Hispanics face as they struggle with finding …

A Case For The Decriminalization Of Simple Possession Of Narcotics In Mississippi, Stroud Tolleson

Honors Theses

Through its incarceration of simple possession offenders, Mississippi is failing to acknowledge the severity of addiction and importance of mental health. In this paper, I will examine Mississippi’s history of opinion and policy on drug use. In order to gain a better understanding of addiction and Mississippi’s criminal justice system, I interview several individuals with experience in varying aspects of these issues. Mississippi has one of the highest rates of incarceration in the United States, with stringent laws regarding the possession of narcotics. Mississippi’s mental health resources have been deemed unconstitutionally deficient on more than one occasion, and addicts are …