Digital Commons Network^™

Improving Collaboration With Hospital Security And Nursing Staff, When Treating Patients In Acute Crisis, By Implementing A Modified Sbar Card., Yuna Choi

Doctor of Nursing Practice Papers

Inpatient psychiatric units provide assistance to patients experiencing acute mental health crises such as psychosis or suicidal ideation. Patients experiencing acute mental health crises can sometimes become agitated or aggressive towards staff, themselves, or other patients, which can pose a significant risk to everyone’s safety. The purpose of the project is to improve staff satisfaction and collaboration by standardizing the interdisciplinary communication between hospital security and nursing staff. Over a period of two weeks, the facilitator educated security and unit staff on a SBAR card during shift huddle to implement on the unit in the event of an acute mental …

The Associations Of Childhood Adversities And Mental Disorders With Suicidal Thoughts And Behaviors - Results From The World Mental Health International College Student Initiative, Philippe Mortier, Xue Yang, Yasmin Altwaijri, Jacob Holdcraft, Nancy Sampson, Yesica Albor, Ahmad Alhadi, Jordi Alonso, Nouf Al-Saud, Lukoye Atwoli

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Objective: To investigate the associations of demographic variables, childhood adversities (CAs), and mental disorders (MDx) with onset, transition, and persistence of suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STB) among first-year university students.

Method: Poisson regression models within a discrete-time survival framework were constructed using web-based self-report survey data from 72,288 incoming university students across 18 countries (response rate=20.9%; median age=19 years, 57.9% female, 1.4% transgender, 21.0% non-heterosexual). These models examined the associations of four demographic variables, five CAs, and eight MDx with STB outcomes.

Results: Lifetime prevalence of suicidal ideation, plans, and attempts was 47.0%, 26.0%, and 9.6%, respectively; 12-month estimates were …

Examining The Predictive Validity Of Adolescent Complete Mental Health On High School Academic Performance, Nai-Jiin Yang

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This multiple-paper dissertation examines how adolescent complete mental health, based on the Dual-Factor Model, predicts high school academic performance. The Dual-Factor Model considers both psychological distress (such as internalizing and externalizing symptoms) and subjective wellbeing (such as life satisfaction and positive affect). The main research objective is to determine whether this comprehensive framework offers stronger predictive power for academic success than symptom-based approaches alone.

Two studies were conducted using self-report mental health data collected at three time points during an academic year. These data were analyzed alongside end-of-quarter grade point averages in English Language Arts, math, and overall GPA using …

Give Me A Break: Exploring The Use Of A Reset Room On Secondary School Students And Resilient Practices In Tennessee, Alex White

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The culmination of toxic stress and social-emotional instability can result in significant challenges for students. Incorporating an appropriate response to address the social-emotional needs of students must be a priority if schools seek to see improvements in attendance, discipline, and ultimately academic success. Resilient middle and high schools recognized the need to create innovative spaces for students to learn how to self-regulate challenging emotions during the school day. The purpose of this quantitative research study was to investigate the relationship between chronic absenteeism, office disciplinary referrals, and the use of Resilient Schools Reset Rooms in middle and high schools from …

The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On The Lives Of Individuals In Kuwaiti Society During Curfew, Hend Batel Al-Ma’Seb, Maha Meshari Al-Sejari

Journal of Arts and Social Sciences

The main aim of this study is to assess the extent to which the Covid-19 pandemic has affected individuals in Kuwaiti society in its various aspects, such as economic conditions, social relations, personal hygiene, and physical health, which are determined by demographic factors such as age, gender, marital status, and level of education. The study employed a descriptive approach and recruited 703 individuals who lived in Kuwait during the pandemic. The main tool used was an online questionnaire. This questionnaire consists of several sections, including an introduction, demographic information about respondents, and a scale of the impact of the pandemic …

Addressing Anxiety And Depression In The Allergy Clinic Through Motivational Interviewing, Brief Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, And Curious Questions, Marylee Verdi, Dominic Candido, Juliette Madan, Jonathan A Bernstein, Don Bukstein, Aikaterini Anagnostou, Matthew Greenhawt, S Shahzad Mustafa, Julie Wang, Anna Nowak-Wegrzyn, Elissa M Abrams, John Oppenheimer, Alexandra E Conway, Andrew A White, Taylor A Doherty, Richard P Morse, Marcus Shaker

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Allergic diseases, particularly food allergy, can be associated with significant psychosocial impairment. Allergist-immunologists can provide evidence-based information to correct misperceptions and misunderstandings regarding food allergy that may perpetuate cycles of fear and anxiety. Whereas motivational interviewing can be an empathetic approach to empower patients to actualize health goals, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) aims to provide disease-state insight to facilitate an understanding of risk that can transform health beliefs and behaviors. Brief CBT is a clinical approach that can help address ineffective management paradigms through conversations that begin with curious questions. In this review, we discuss evidence supporting implementation of an …

Seeking Existential Meaning In The “Sea Of Trees:” A Qualitative Exploration In The Depths Of Japan’S Aokigahara “Suicide” Forest, Sophia Bates

Masters Theses, 2020-current

This thesis explores the intercultural perceptions of suicidality and the role that these perceptions have on meaning of life in Japanese culture through an exploratory, autoethnographic analysis of my journey walking through Japan’s Aokigahara “suicide” Forest. In June 2024, I traveled to Fujikawaguchiko, Japan to conduct an autoethnographic analysis of my experiences walking through Aokigahara Forest using shinrin-yoku and mindful walking (Jung, 2014) as supplemental research methodologies to make empirical observations and take notes on my journey walking through suicide forest as an embodied sensory experience. Drawing upon the research and ideas of cultural anthropologist and existential philosopher Ernest Becker, …

Emotional Pathways To Trauma: Racialized Policing And Psychological Distress In Black Adolescent Males, Rochelle S. Parrish

All Theses

Introduction: Black American males, including adolescents, are disproportionately subjected to aggressive policing, often without criminal wrongdoing (Geller et al., 2014; Sewell et al., 2016). These encounters are frequently described as traumatic, marked by fear, loss, and emotional disruption (Smith Lee & Robinson, 2019). Whether direct or vicarious, such experiences can produce lasting psychological effects, particularly among Black boys who face compounded vulnerability from racialized surveillance and community-level trauma (DeVylder et al., 2018; Smith & Patton, 2016). Proactive policing tactics, such as investigatory stops and verbal aggression, have been linked to symptoms consistent with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), including hypervigilance, avoidance, …

Ed-Filter: Dynamic Feature Filtering For Eating Disorder Classification, Mehdi Naseriparsa, Suku Sukunesan, Zhen Cai, Osama Alfarraj, Amr Tolba, Saba Fathi Rabooki, Feng Xia

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Eating disorders (ED) are critical psychiatric problems that have alarmed the mental health community. Mental health professionals are increasingly recognizing the utility of data derived from social media platforms such as Twitter. However, high dimensionality and extensive feature sets of Twitter data present remarkable challenges for ED classification. To overcome these hurdles, we introduce a novel method, an informed branch and bound search technique known as ED-Filter. This strategy significantly improves the drawbacks of conventional feature selection algorithms such as filters and wrappers. ED-Filter iteratively identifies an optimal set of promising features that maximize the eating disorder classification accuracy. In …

Cultural Adaptation Of The Act Guide For Immigrant Community Members, José Manuel González Vera

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Undocumented immigrants face many challenges that can harm their mental health, such as anti- immigrant policies, the threat of deportation, and difficulty accessing mental health care. Online mental health programs can make mental health care more accessible. The ACT Guide is a self-paced online tool designed to help with anxiety and depression. While it has mainly been used by white college students, similar ACT-based programs have been effective for diverse communities worldwide. The first paper was focused on gathering feedback from community members and Latine psychologists. This was done in partnership with United We Dream (UWD) and the Latinx Immigrant …

Mind Mentor, The Workplace Mental Health Navigator: Evaluating The Utility Of A Self-Paced Web-Based Mental Health Awareness Training For Supervisors, Lauren Offermann

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The growing prevalence of mental health challenges in the workplace – such as anxiety and depression, burnout, suicide, and substance abuse – has increased demand for evidence-based supervisor training programs that promote psychological well-being. This study evaluated the effectiveness of Mind Mentor: The Workplace Mental Health Navigator, a 1.5-hour, web-based, self-paced adaptation of the Mental Health Awareness Training (MHAT; Dimoff, 2016) for supervisors. The training aimed to enhance mental health knowledge, awareness, self-efficacy, and supportive behaviors among U.S.-based supervisors with at least one direct report. Using a pre/post/follow-up design (baseline N = 51, immediate post-test N = 35, and 4-week …

Assessment Of Mental Health Needs For Chronically Unhoused Individuals Living In A Bridge Housing Community, Isabel Furse Augur

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Higher rates of psychopathology and substance use are reported in individuals experiencing homelessness compared to the general population, especially in those who are chronically unhoused. Chronically homeless individuals are also less likely to access treatment for these problems because of barriers to care. Addressing housing needs is an important first step in engaging people who are homeless with the care they need. This project focused on assessing the mental health needs of a Housing First community in Northwest Arkansas, which has few barriers for entry but does not provide direct support for mental health. This project adopted a community-based participatory …

Understanding The Experiences And Perceptions Of Faculty Supporting Undergraduate Students With Mental Health Challenges, Jenna Ranee Parbati Jamieson

Dissertations

College is a big adjustment for students, and it doesn't come without its challenges, including being in a new place with new responsibilities. This is a stressful time that presents new obstacles and frustrations that can lead to increased stress, anxiety, depression, and mental health challenges that may cause faculty to engage and support undergraduate students with mental health challenges. As students adjust and transition to college, it is vital for university faculty to feel confident and comfortable supporting students from diverse backgrounds with varying levels of distress. By interviewing faculty, a better understanding of their lived experiences and perceptions …

Direct And Indirect Associations Of Childhood Adversities With Functional Impairment And Life Stress Among Military Personnel, Laura Campbell-Sills, Emily R. Edwards, Sam D. Strizver, Karmel W. Choi, Jason D. Kautz, Santiago Papini, James A. Naifeh, Pablo A. Aliaga, Paul B. Lester, Ronald C. Kessler, Robert J. Ursano, Murray B. Stein, Paul D. Biese

Faculty Publications

Background

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with physical and mental health difficulties in adulthood. This study examines the associations of ACEs with functional impairment and life stress among military personnel, a population disproportionately affected by ACEs. We also evaluate the extent to which the associations of ACEs with functional outcomes are mediated through internalizing and externalizing disorders.

Methods

The sample included 4,666 STARRS Longitudinal Study (STARRS-LS) participants who provided information about ACEs upon enlistment in the US Army (2011–2012). Mental disorders were assessed in wave 1 (LS1; 2016–2018), and functional impairment and life stress were evaluated in wave 2 …

Anxious Traits Intensify The Impact Of Depressive Symptoms On Stigma In People Living With Hiv, Alexia Koukopoulos, Antonio Maria D'Onofrio, Alessio Simonetti, Delfina Janiri, Flavio Cherubini, Paolo Vassalini, Letizia Santinelli, Gabriella D'Ettorre, Gabriele Sani, Giovanni Camardese

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background/Objectives: Despite medical advances, stigma remains a major challenge for people living with HIV (PLWH). This study examined clinical, sociodemographic, and psychological predictors of HIV-related stigma, and explored whether affective temperament moderates the impact of depression on stigma.

Methods: This cross-sectional observational study included 97 PLWH attending a tertiary infectious disease unit in Rome, Italy. Participants completed a battery of validated psychometric instruments assessing depressive symptoms, anxiety, manic symptoms, mixed affective states, general psychopathology, impulsivity, and affective temperament. HIV-related stigma was evaluated using the Berger HIV Stigma Scale, which measures personalized stigma, disclosure concerns, negative self-image, and concerns …

Insights From The Front Line: Uplifting Stories Of The Covid-19 Pandemic Through The Eyes Of The Public Health Workforce In Iowa, Heidi Haines, Amanda Sursely, Hanh Pham, Rylee Beltran, Daniel K. Sewell, Lina Tucker Reinders, Natoshia Askelson, Sarah Dixon, Kaitlin Emrich, Christine Estle, Michelle Lewis, Jimmy Reyes

Faculty Publications

Introduction: SARS-CoV-2 was declared a pandemic in March 2020. Studies have characterized some of the negative impact of the pandemic on public health workers (PHW), but few have explored the strength and coping strategies used. Our study documents the experiences of PHW in Iowa during the pandemic. Methods: We used an innovative mixed methods data collection tool, SenseMaker^® to gather stories from PHW in Iowa between March and July 2022. Participants provided additional data about their story via structured follow-up questions. We conducted descriptive analyses of the quantitative questions. A qualitative thematic and sentiment analysis was applied to all …

Act With Nmosd: A Targeted, Telehealth-Delivered Mental Health Intervention For Patients & Caregivers, Darcy C. Esiason, Patrick J. Smith, Charles L. Peppers, Emily Wakschal, Leigh Andrews, Chelsi N. Nurse, Hallie M. Kushner, Christopher F. Drescher, Heather Bruschwein, Wendy Erler, Tom Hattrich, Ankita Deshpande, Michael Levy, Thomas P. Leist, C. Virginia O'Hayer

Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior Faculty Papers

PURPOSE: The rare, unpredictable, debilitating nature of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) constitutes a unique psychological burden. This single-arm, pilot clinical trial examined the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) tailored to meet the psychological burden of NMOSD, a brief telehealth-delivered intervention, targeting this burden.

METHODS: Forty-three adults with NMOSD (76 % aquaporin-4 seropositive (AQP4+)) in USA, with elevated anxiety and/or depression completed 6-weeks of an experiential talk therapy designed to increase psychological flexibility and valued action, specifically tailored to address the psychological burden of NMOSD: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) w NMOSD. Patients attended via Zoom, along with …

Understanding The Willingness Of Christian Ethnic Minority Student-Athletes To Seek On-Campus Mental Health Services: A Mixed Methods Approach, Benael J. John-Rose

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Romans 12:1 tells Christians that their unique physical abilities are gifts from God that should be used to honor Him (New International Version Bible, 1978/2011). Christian racial/ethnic minority student-athletes (CMSAs) often navigate complex intersections of spirituality, identity, and stigma in relation to mental health. Despite growing research in biopsychosocial-spiritual (BPSS) models, CMSAs remain underrepresented in mental health literature. This mixed-methods study explored the willingness of CMSAs to seek on-campus mental health services at a public university in the Southwestern United States. Data was collected through a web-based survey (N = 20) and semi-structured interviews with a subset of participants (N …

Need Frustration And Poor Mental Health Among Collegiate Athletes: The Indirect Role Of Ruminative Thinking, Alanni N. Brown, Adrian J. Bravo, Stimulant Norms And Prevalence 2 (Snap2) Study Team

Journal of Athlete Development and Experience

Vulnerability to negative mental health outcomes (i.e. anxiety and depression) among DI collegiate athletes may best be understood using Self Determination Theory (SDT) and the framework that need frustration impairs autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Need frustration may also relate to negative mental health symptoms via higher ruminative thinking, known to relate to both need frustration and poor mental health. The present study tested these two path models (i.e., SDT need frustration components [autonomy, relatedness, competency]-->rumination facets [problem-focused thoughts, counterfactual thinking, repetitive thinking, anticipatory thoughts]-->mental health problems (one for depression and one for anxiety as outcomes) among 341 collegiate …

Screening For Bullying In A Middle School Setting, Paige Bernau

Dissertations

Problem: Bullied youth are two and a half times more likely to experience depression and three times more likely to experience anxiety and suicidal ideation than their peers (Li et al., 2024). Schools represent a key access point for mental health support and treatment for youth (Duong et al., 2020). Despite this, schools typically do not have formal bullying screening integrated into student support services.

Methods: This program evaluation used a descriptive, observational design to evaluate a bullying screening program in a suburban middle-school. This program used the California Bullying Victimization Scale (CBVS) to assess for bullying victimization (BV) followed …

Implementing A Standardized Protocol To Screen For Depression In A Gastroenterology Outpatient Clinic, Catherine M. Karle

Dissertations

Problem: There is a lack of mental health screenings for depression taking place in outpatient gastrointestinal (GI) clinics. Outpatient gastrointestinal (GI) offices are not consistently screening patients for depression despite a rise in depression rates and the known adverse impact depression can have on the GI tract.

Methods: This Quality Improvement (QI) study used a descriptive research design guided by the Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice (JHNEBP) Model. Its purpose was to implement a 10-week PHQ-2/PHQ-8 depression screening protocol at a large midwestern health center's gastroenterology outpatient clinic. The study used purposive sampling, including all GI outpatients aged 18+ with …

The Psychological Impact Of Parenting Child Victims Of Trauma, Stephanie Faulkingham

Dissertations

Abstract

Research indicates that non-offending caregivers of traumatized children (NOC) is a population with an elevated risk for increased levels of depression and anxiety and are an underserved population for mental health services. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to determine if screening caregivers of traumatized children using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-8) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) improves identification of depression and anxiety. Participants of this investigation were individuals enrolled in the Children’s Advocacy Services of Greater St. Louis’ 12-week parenting group, TASK (Trauma, Assessment, Skills, and Knowledge). Each participant was asked to complete the PHQ-8 and …

Abstracts From The 2025 Health Care Systems Research Network (Hcsrn) Annual Conference, St. Louis, Missouri, Health Care Systems Research Network

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

The Health Care Systems Research Network (HCSRN) comprises 19 learning health systems with integrated care delivery and embedded research units. The network’s annual conference serves as a forum for research teams from member institutions to disseminate project findings, explore scientific collaborations, and share insights about population-based research practices that can measurably improve health and health care for all. The theme of this year’s conference was “Optimizing Collaborations to Advance Health in a Dynamic Research Landscape.” Abstracts presented at HCSRN 2025 are published in this issue supplement of the Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews, the journal of record for …

"Chatgpt Told Me To Say It": Ai Chatbots And Class Participation Apprehension In University Students, Daisuke Akiba

Publications and Research

The growing prevalence of AI chatbots in everyday life has prompted educators to explore their potential applications in promoting student success, including support for classroom engagement and communication. This exploratory study emerged from semester-long observations of class participation apprehensions in an introductory educational psychology course, examining how chatbots might scaffold students toward active and independent classroom contribution. Four students experiencing situational participation anxiety voluntarily participated in a pilot intervention using AI chatbots as virtual peer partners. Following comprehensive training in AI use and prompt design given to the entire class, participants employed systematic consultation frameworks for managing classroom discourse trepidations. …

The Impact Of Mental Health Support On Academic Achievement, David Ersig, Tyrone Bynoe

Excelsior: Leadership in Teaching and Learning

Mental health concerns are becoming more pressing in American culture. There is an increasing call for mental health issues to be prioritized in policy discussions involving need, strategy, and funding. Addressing the cultural stigma and various barriers surrounding treatment and support for mental health issues are concerns that have infiltrated our school system; these concerns have exerted increased pressure on educators to provide effective and efficient mental health support mechanisms. There is growing recognition and observation that improving students’ mental health will help to remove barriers or hinderances to learning and achievement. With the increased pressure schools already face regarding …

Feasibility Of A Peer-Facilitated Video-Based Mental Health And Substance Use Service-Learning Program, Mara Carmina A. Tamayo, King Filart, Maria Regina Hechanova

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

This study examined the feasibility of implementing a peer-facilitated mental health and substance use video-based program delivered by psychology students as part of service learning. The program was delivered on-site and online. Findings reveal improvements in knowledge, attitudes, refusal self-efficacy, and adaptive coping among on-site participants. However, there was no effect on online participants given many implementation challenges. Recommendations include delivering the program on-site, strengthening training for facilitators, increasing program duration, and shortening the videos.

Perceptions To Care, (Education) And Treatment Reviews (C(E)Trs) Of Mental Health Clinicians Working With Adults With Intellectual Disability In England: A Cross-Sectional Study, Rohit Shankar

Peninsula Medical School

Introduction: Care (Education) and Treatment Reviews (C(E)TR)are meetings to review individualized needs of people withintellectual disabilities (PwID) at risk of or currently undergoingpsychiatric hospitalization. We aimed to understand C(E)TRimpact and effectiveness from professionals working with PwID.Methods: An online mixed-methodology survey whichincluded 34 questions (either Likert or free text) was sharedwith networks including relevant professionals. Quantitativedata are presented descriptively. Thematic analysis was conducted on free-text responses.Results: Of 66 people representing multiple intellectual disability teams across the UK, 67% found the C(E)TR process useful,35% felt C(E)TRs made a difference to their clinical care, while36% felt it did not. Thematic analysis showed four …

Utah Women And Mental Health: A 2025 Update, Sadie Wilde, Chloe Bhowmick, Kolene Anderson, Susan R. Madsen

Marketing and Strategy Faculty Publications

According to the World Health Organization, “mental health is a state of well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community.”¹ Based on a 2025 ranking from WalletHub, Utah is the 4th “Happiest” state in the nation, so one might draw the conclusion that Utahns experience good mental health. However, the rankings also reveal that Utah does not perform as well in the “Emotional & Physical Well-Being” category (in 27th place).² Because mental health is an important indicator of overall well-being, this report …

Physical Work Environments: An Integrative Review And Agenda For Future Research, Bukky Akinsanmi Oyedeji, Yea Hee Ko, Sunkee Lee

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This review examines the effect of physical work environments—the dedicated, tangible spaces where employees carry out their professional tasks—on organizational processes and outcomes. We synthesize decades of research across various disciplines using a conceptual framework that defines physical work environments along three key dimensions: ambience, spatial configuration, and aesthetics. These dimensions are analyzed for their effects on both internal stakeholders, such as employees, and external stakeholders, including clients, suppliers, and investors. Our analysis reveals two major themes in prior research: (1) task accomplishment, which focuses on how physical work environments influence physical and mental health, motivation and attitudes, as well …

Engage & Empower: Foundations Of Social Work Practice, Elhanan Marvit

Open Touro Created

2025

Engage & Empower: Foundations of Social Work Practice is an open educational resource for social work students in “foundations of social work practice” courses. It begins by explaining Open Educational Resources and their benefits. Students then explore social work fundamentals, including the diverse roles of social workers.

With this foundation, students engage with the NASW Code of Ethics’ key terms, and principles. This ethical grounding prepares them for the “growth work” needed to develop cultural competence and cross-cultural awareness. They then learn to apply various Generalist Practice skills across different-sized systems to empower client populations.

Next, the book explores …