Digital Commons Network^™

A Program Evaluation Of Universal Screening For Depression In The Primary Care Setting, Samantha W. Burns

Doctoral Projects

Depression is a chronic condition affecting millions of Americans annually and is often associated with poor clinical outcomes, multiple co-morbidities, a negative economic impact, and an increased mortality rate. Many primary care settings have implemented universal depression screening programs following the recommendations of governing healthcare entities such as the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) and Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Due to positive benefit, universal depression screenings have now been included as a quality measure in the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) to increase organizational reimbursement. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) is a widely used screening …

Healing, Together, Courtney Cleek

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

This portfolio reviews the topics of mutual rehabilitation and the human animal bond (HAB) as a holistic approach to addressing topics of mental health, suicide prevention, and innovative services. Displaying work through the Ten Specialization Year Competencies and the Five Elements of Advanced Integrative Practice, we examine ways to expand social justice, amplify voices, and promote healing within our communities.

From Digital Distress To Wellness: Counseling Implications Of Social Media Use In Adolescents And Emerging Adults, Anna K. Owens, Arantxa Mascarenas

Faculty Articles

The pervasive use of social media among secondary and post-secondary students has raised significant concern regarding its impact on mental health and academic success. Excessive social media use (SMU) has been linked to anxiety, depression, social comparison, body image concerns, disrupted sleep, and diminished academic focus. These risks highlight the urgent need for counselors to integrate social media considerations into both clinical and educational practice. This article reviews evidence-based interventions that address the psychological and emotional consequences of SMU, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to challenge distorted beliefs, mindfulness strategies to improve emotional regulation, digital detox programs to recalibrate online …

Making Space For Learning: Textile Based Learning Resources For Material Reuse, Mary-Evelyn Mcconkie Howell

Instructional Psychology and Technology Graduate Student Projects

This paper outlines two textile-based learning resources that I created for Making Space Thrift (MST), a community-focused creative thrift store in Utah. MST expressed a need for instructional materials that promote intentional material use, support customer well-being, and strengthen ties with their community. To address these needs, I conducted interviews with stakeholders and local textile hobbyists to understand what learning resources would benefit MST. As a result, I created two projects. The first is called Making Peace with Materials, an interactive, decision-based digital experience housed on the MST website. This resource helps learners navigate the emotional, practical, and sustainable …

Towards A Typology Of Mental Health Crisis Care Services For Children And Young People In England And Wales: A Cross-Sectional Survey And Analysis Of Implementation Practices, Clare Bennett, Claire Fraser, Ben Hannigan, Leanne Sawle, Jessy Williams, Aled Jones, Steven Pryjmachuk, Mair B. Elliott, Martin Elliott, Nicola Bennett, Euan Hails, Iain Mcmillan, Rachael Vaughan

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Background: The mental health and wellbeing of children and young people is a global concern. Alongside approaches emphasising mental health promotion in schools, communities and in the home, many countries are also investing in crisis services. These aim to meet the needs of young people experiencing acute psychosocial distress. A recent synthesis of the international evidence found a paucity of research in this area. This study sought to address this gap while simultaneously situating the findings within the international context and drawing out implications for policymakers and practitioners. Methods: A cross-sectional study aiming to describe and map approaches to the …

A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of The Effects Of Having A Mentor On The Emotional, Mental, And Spiritual Health Of Bi-Vocational Clergy, Kenneth E. Hall Jr.

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study is to understand the effect of a mentor/mentee relationship on the feelings of isolation and loneliness of bi-vocational clergy. The prevalence of bi-vocational clergy is on the rise across all denominations. Coupled with the number of clergy people leaving the ministry annually, bi-vocational clergy will become even more commonplace within the church structure. As the prevalence of bi-vocational clergy increases and the number of roles that they are expected to fill grows, safeguarding their mental, emotional, and spiritual health needs to be a priority. Bi-vocational clergy are at great risk for burnout and …

Lay-Led Crisis Intervention Strategies In The Adult 3 Ministry Of First Baptist Dallas, Jeffrey Adams

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This DMIN action research project focused on the care, counsel, and advocacy lay leaders can provide to church members who experience a crisis. Due to the growing member-to-minister ratio at First Baptist Dallas, lay leaders can supplement the work of the ministers by providing frontline support. The problem is that most lay leaders within the church have limited training in crisis management outside their own life experiences. If lay leaders are equipped in biblical crisis management and intervention responses, then they will be able to provide guidance to church members in crisis. The qualitative research for this project was completed …

Asian College Students' Well-Being During A Period Of Rising Anti-Asian Sentiment, Kyuhan Choi, Ying Shi, Maria Zhu

Center for Policy Research

We use a large survey of students in U.S. colleges to study the distinct ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic and accompanying anti-Asian rhetoric shaped the experiences of Asian and Pacific Islanders (APIs). Using a difference-in-differences approach, we find that the pandemic led to Asian students experiencing more discrimination, feeling less safe during the day, and using fewer mental health services compared to White peers. The increase in discrimination and the perceived lower safety are concentrated among East and Southeast Asians, while South Asians were not affected. Despite these effects, we detect no relative deterioration in severe psychological distress or …

Navigating The Graduate Student Experience: Grit, Growth, And Persistence, Magdalen Kramer, Mitchell Buerkle, Heather Arlen, Ali Gravelle, Eli Bruess

The Journal of Advancing Education Practice

Graduate students navigate challenges in higher education with determination and tenacity. Postgraduate studies are enticing for career and personal advancement, but with an attrition rate of 12 – 26%, even the best students fail. The expectation and pressure to maintain high academic standards are often daunting. Many graduate students battle with emotional health and feelings of isolation, work-life balance, asynchronous learning, and other invisible factors, but still manage to find motivation to persist. We used personal experiences, information, and insight from our Winona State University leadership communication class to examine potential difficulties graduate students face. We backed our findings with …

Understanding Medical Information And Emotional Support Needs In Mental Health Questions With Large Language Models, Chen Liu, William Yu Chung Wang, Gohar Khan

All Works

Purpose – This study seeks to bridge the gap between users’ multidimensional needs and the single-task capabilities of existing Mental Health Question Answering (MHQA) systems by tackling the underexplored challenge of jointly understanding medical informational needs and emotional support needs within complex consumer mental health inquiries. Design/methodology/approach – Grounded in Rhetorical Structure Theory (RST), the proposed Multi-Needs and Context Recognition (MNCR) framework decomposes mental health question understanding task into four interrelated subtasks: Medical Needs Recognition (MNR), Medical Needs-related Context Extraction (MNCE), Emotional Needs Recognition (ENR) and Emotional Needs-related Context Extraction (ENCE). A new benchmark dataset, MHQ-MedEmo, was constructed through multi-layered …

More Girls In The Classroom Improves Adolescent Mental Health, Monica Deza, Maria Zhu

Population Health Research Brief Series

Mental health challenges are common among adolescents in the United States. This brief summarizes findings from a study using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), a nationally representative survey of middle and high school students conducted in 1994-1995. The analysis included over 17,000 students from 133 schools across the United States. The authors find that the mix of boys and girls in a classroom affects adolescent mental health and school satisfaction. When classes have more girls, both boys and girls experience better mental health outcomes. Boys in classes with more female peers are 10% less …

Quality Improvement Project: Nursing Faculty Mental Health Literacy Assessment And Evaluation, Elesha Roberts

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Mental illness is a major healthcare concern affecting young adults enrolled in college. College students enrolled in nursing programs in particular face intense academic pressure due to the demands and rigor of the program. Students commonly report symptoms associated with depression, anxiety, and suicide. Nursing faculty often do not feel comfortable approaching students about these concerns and other related mental health issues. Many faculty members lack the knowledge and skill to identify mental health issues and provide resources to support students in need. Faculty should be mental health literate and aware of campus resources. The purpose of this quality improvement …

Hurricanes And Human Health In Louisiana: Insights From Hurricanes Laura, Delta, And Ida, Shobha Kumari Yadav, Robert V. Rohli, M. E. Betsy Garrison, Elisabeth Ponce-Garcia, Nazla Bushra, Charleen Mcneill

Faculty Publications

Louisiana is one of the most disaster-prone states, with hurricanes ranking among the most destructive hazards. Hurricanes impede sustainability by straining hospital infrastructure, overwhelming emergency departments, and disrupting continuity of care. Louisiana’s healthcare system, characterized by high uninsured rates, limited rural access, and notable racial and socioeconomic disparities, is particularly vulnerable during disasters. This research explores trends of mental and respiratory health in Louisiana surrounding Hurricanes Laura (2020), Delta (2020), and Ida (2021). Analysis reveals a substantial increase in admissions after landfall of all three storms, with mental health conditions showing a larger surge than respiratory ones in already-vulnerable communities. …

Associations Between Food Insecurity And Gpa Among Full-Time California State University Undergraduates During Covid-19: The Impact Of Mental Health, Lindsey Jones

Master's Theses

Food insecurity is a persistent public health concern among college students that has been associated with student’s academic and mental health outcomes. This thesis examined the associations between food insecurity, academic performance (measured by GPA) and mental health (using Kessler 6 psychological distress and self-perceived mental health impacts on academic performance), among full-time undergraduate students within the California State University (CSU) system. Cross-sectional analyses were conducted using data from the Spring 2021 CSU National College Health Assessment, administered across all 23 campuses. Of the 20,167 respondents, 12,899 students were included in the analytical sample. Bivariate analyses were conducted to analyze …

Let’S Talk Mental Health: An Assessment Of Oregon Agricultural Stakeholders Discussing Mental Health, Whitney Stone, Lauren Chase, Taylor Foerster

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

Working in agriculture presents some unique mental health stressors, including financial difficulties, climate variability, and isolation. Currently, Extension offers mental health literacy programming addressing mental health and suicide in agricultural communities; however, some of the programming is underattended, and resources are underutilized. We sought to find out how communicating about mental health resources was perceived by agricultural stakeholders who work closely with farmers and ranchers, including agribusiness employees, leaders in the community, and pre-service agriculture teachers. Through this mixed-method study using focus groups and a survey, we wanted to find out the perceptions of mental health resources to help inform …

Full Issue, Volume 13, Number 3, Donna J. Peterson Dr., Scott Cummings, Elizabeth Gregory North

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

No abstract provided.

Where's Waldo?: Finding The Missing Voice Of The College Counselor, Krystyn K. Dupree

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

College counseling has been integral to higher education for more than a century; however, the role of college counselors has become increasingly complex amid rising student mental health needs, growing symptom severity, and constrained institutional resources. Despite extensive research on college student mental health, little contemporary scholarship has examined the lived experiences of the professionals providing these services. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how college counselors who provide mental health services perceive their professional role within the context of higher education.

Guided by Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, this study conceptualized college counselors as embedded within interconnected …

Barriers To Mental Health Access Among Immigrant Populations In The U.S., Cecilia Menzinger

Capstones

No abstract provided.

Quality Improvement Project Enhancing Documentation Practices In Community Mental Health Clinics, Carol Parker

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Accurate and timely documentation are essential for safe, high-quality care in community mental health settings. This quality improvement (QI) project addressed inconsistent documentation practices among licensed, unlicensed, and Qualified Mental Health Specialist (QMHS) staff at an outpatient clinic. The purpose of the QI project was to implement and assess a structured in-service training program using the Accountable Health Communities–Health-Related Social Needs (AHC-HRSN) screening and documentation tool to improve staff knowledge, enhance documentation accuracy, and facilitate care coordination. Guided by the Iowa Model of Evidence-Based Practice and Lewin’s Change Management Model, a pre- and post-intervention design was used. Fifteen staff members …

Gender Differences In Psychological Strengths Among Rural Adolescents, Angela Preston, Jodi Bullard, Rachel Smith, Ashlyn Peppler

Nursing Faculty Publications and Presentations

Purpose: Rural adolescents often lack access to mental health care along with increased rates of depression and suicide completion. While psychological strengths have been associated with positive outcomes globally, little is known regarding the prevalence of these indicators (hope, self‐efficacy, resilience, optimism, and gratitude) among adolescents living in rural Texas. The purpose of this study was to describe how rural adolescents report their psychological strengths and examine the data for potential gender differences.

Design and Methods: A secondary analysis of cross‐sectional data was performed on the RStudio platform using tests of central tendency and inferential statistics. Results: There were 425 …

Drought, Worry, And Preparing For The Future: The Ethnopsychology Of Climate Distress In Kilifi County, Kenya, Edna Bosire, Syed Wahid, Linda Khakali, Benjamin Oestericher, Felix Agoi, Anthony Ngugi, Rosebella Iseme, Jasmit Shah, Zul Merali, Lukoye Atwoli

Brain and Mind Institute

The impacts of climate change in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) presents a chronic and intensifying disaster, with drought, flooding, and extreme heat, presenting unique challenges and profound disruptions. Growing evidence links such events to ecological grief, ecological anxiety, and solastalgia – negative affective states that reflects responses to climate change related destruction of nature, species, culturally significant or sacred spaces, and other ways of life. While this literature is expanding in the Global North, little is known about how communities in SSA perceive and respond to deteriorating or depleting natural ecosystems. This article explores the ethnopsychology of distress precipitated by environmental …

A Subdural Hemorrhage, Marianne Koleng

be Still

This piece attempts to weave together an understanding of medicine, healing, trauma, and neuroscience through an exploration of past injury and how pivotal moments as such can influence a future career pursuing medicine. This piece also demonstrates how seeking attention can lead to deleterious health impacts and investigates the importance of tempering pride with humility.

Influence Of Food Insecurity On Adolescent Mental Health: A Comprehensive Literature Review, Sarah Foss

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Food insecurity is a growing public health concern with significant implications for adolescent mental health. This literature review provides an overview of current research on the relationship between food insecurity and adolescents’ mental health in the United States. A literature review was completed to identify studies examining the association between food insecurity and anxiety, depression, or attention deficit disorder (ADD)/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Evidence shows that the experience of food insecurity in adolescence is associated with a higher risk of developing or experiencing an exacerbation of anxiety, depression, or ADD/ ADHD. This review utilizes the socioecological model to explain …

Building Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Student Competencies For Telemental Health Treatment Through Simulation, Amy Dievendorf Dnp, Aprn, Fnp-Bc, Agacnp-Bc, Phyllis Raynor Phd, Aprn, Pmhnp-Bc, Beverly Baliko Phd, Rn, Pmhnp-Bc, Abbas Tavakoli Drph, Mph, Me

Publications

Depressive disorders are common mental health conditions that are often undiagnosed or undertreated. Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioners (AGACNPs) are educated in the management of acute and critically ill patients but are often uncomfortable identifying and treating mental health conditions. Telehealth instruction is useful in mental healthcare and is required as part of the AGACNP’s efficient patient care competencies. This article reports findings from a mental health-focused telehealth instructional activity integrated into an existing AGACNP curriculum. This instructional activity was designed to introduce students to telehealth delivery and build AGACNP competencies using telehealth technology to assess patients with depressive mood …

Bridging The Gap: Culturally Responsive Bereavement Support In Latino Families, Maria I. Hernandez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Hospice of the Central Coast (HCC), a division of Montage Health, delivers high-quality end-of-life care and bereavement support to adults and families in Monterey and select areas of San Benito County. This capstone project sought to address the disparities by developing and implementing an eight-week bereavement support group curriculum translated and adapted for Spanish-Speaking Latino families. Despite the organization’s longstanding commitment to compassionate and inclusive healthcare, internal data reveal substantial gaps in service for the latino population: of 628 patients served in 2023, only 47 patients were of Hispanic or Latino origin. This discrepancy stems from ingrained barriers such as: …

From Stigma To Strength: Exploring Workplace Wellness At Nami Monterey County, Maria G. Zamudio

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Employees in Monterey County face persistent challenges related to poor mental health, driven by high costs of living, limited access to providers, workplace stress, and stigma surrounding help-seeking behaviors. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Monterey County, a grassroots organization committed to education and advocacy, primarily serves caregivers and families of individuals with mental illness but is expanding efforts to address systemic workplace mental health barriers. This capstone project involved designing and piloting workplace-focused interventions, including presentations for a Public Works Department, a customizable training binder, and pre/post-assessment tools. The initiative sought to reduce stigma, increase awareness of resources, …

Communication And Privacy Management Between Female Veterans, Their Military Voluntary Kin, And Biolegal Family Members, Carol Lee Tschampl-Diesing

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Military voluntary kin (MVK) refer to relationships between Service members and/or Veterans that they consider to be “like family,” despite lacking blood or legal ties. The purpose of this qualitative/interpretive communication study was to explore how female Veterans, who are the largest growing population of U.S. Veterans, discursively construct MVK relationships, navigate communication, privacy management, and boundary turbulence with their MVK and biolegal families (BLF). The researcher undertook in-depth interviews with nine female U.S. Veterans who reported having at least one MVK. The researcher posed four research questions, engaging in an interpretive analysis.

Participants described three ways they navigated interactions …

Mental Health Outcomes Of A Pediatric-Focused Obesity Randomized Control Trial In Rural Communities, Brittany D. Lancaster, E. Goldenberg, A. S. Trofimoff, Y. Dai, B. Forseth, R. S. Romine, K. Fleming, Ann M. Davis

Publications

Objective: This study explores the impact of iAmHealthy, a rurally focused pediatric obesity intervention, on mental health outcomes and examines how baseline mental health affects body mass index (BMI) outcomes for child–parent dyads in rural communities. Method: Eighteen schools were randomly assigned to iAmHealthy or the Newsletter Control group. iAmHealthy consists of health coaching and group sessions via televideo. Child and parent height and weight, child depression, child quality of life, and parent distress were assessed at baseline, posttreatment (8 months), and follow-up (20 months) from October 2017 to December 2021. Multilevel modeling assessed treatment effects on mental health and …

Evaluation And Identification Of Risk Factors For Stress Among Maquiladora Workers Based On The Mexican Official Standard 035 Survey Tool, Andrea Baca Melendez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background and significance: Occupational psychosocial risk factors are workplace conditions that can trigger physiological, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral changes. They are strongly associated with mental health issues such as anxiety and depression, as well as non-mental health conditions like myocardial infarction, stroke, and occupational injuries. Analyzing these risks from a sociodemographic perspective provides valuable insights for improving work environments and workers’ well-being. Purpose: This study aimed to identify and determine the levels of occupational psychosocial risk factors among workers in a manufacturing company in Cd. Juárez, Chihuahua, and to examine their relationship with sociodemographic variables to inform future interventions in …

The Relationship Between Socioecological Factors And Resilience Among Urban Workers During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Puttaporn Onkhamsee, Sukanya Tantiprasoplap,, Wanna Sanongdej

Jurnal Keperawatan Indonesia

The global outbreak occasioned by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has affected people of working age in urban communities, both socially and psychologically, making resilience an important aspect of efforts to cope with such a crisis. Against this backdrop, this study identified and investigated the socioecological factors associated with the resilience of employable urban residents against the COVID-19 pandemic as part of a conceptual framework that encompasses individual, family, and community resilience. This cross-sectional research involved 368 working-age individuals recruited via simple randomization from communities in seven areas in central Bangkok. Data were collected through a questionnaire survey and examined …