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Reducing Mass Incarceration: Lessons From The Deinstitutionalization Of Mental Hospitals In The 1960s, Bernard Harcourt

Faculty Scholarship

In a message to Congress in 1963, President John F. Kennedy outlined a federal program designed to reduce by half the number of persons in custody. The institutions at issue were state hospitals and asylums for the mentally ill, and the number of such persons in custody was staggeringly large, in fact comparable to contemporary levels of mass incarceration in prisons and jails. President Kennedy's message to Congress – the first and perhaps only presidential message to Congress that dealt exclusively with the issue of institutionalization in this country – proposed replacing state mental hospitals with community mental health centers, …

The Journal Project: Written Expression Of Trauma As Intervention For High School Students In Ayacucho, Peru, Shannon J. Curry

Theses and Dissertations

This between groups quasi experimental study examined the efficacy of Pennebaker's Written Expression Paradigm (WEP; Pennebaker & Beall, 1986) as a multiculturally responsive therapeutic intervention among Peruvian high school students who grew up in Ayacucho during the Sendero Luminoso's guerilla insurgency. Journaling about prior traumatic experiences eludes many of the cultural and contextual limitations of the traditional Euro therapeutic model; enabling a person to disclose their deepest thoughts and emotions privately, without expense, and at the time and location they choose. It was hypothesized that written expression would be perceived by local participants as less value threatening than traditional psychotherapy, …

Schizophrenia, Acculturation, And Chinese American Families : A Review And Clinical Recommendations For Treatment, Lorena Ho

Theses and Dissertations

Schizophrenia is a disorder that appears across cultures, typically creating a tremendous amount of suffering and loss for both the individual diagnosed, and his or her family. While psychosocial family treatment (along with medication) has proved thus far to be the most promising treatment for schizophrenia in Western cultures, it has yet to be proven effective with ethnocultural minority groups. Furthermore, literature shows that Western treatments for schizophrenia cannot be uniformly applied to ethnocultural minority groups with the expectation of similar results. In the United States, Asian Americans, and specifically Chinese Americans, continue to underutilize mental health services for schizophrenia, …

Feasibility Study Among Military Personnel With Traumatic Amputation During Military Combat Or Training, Michele (Shelly) R. Burdette-Taylor Phd, Msn, Rn-Bc, Cwcn, Cfcn

Dissertations

Military operations have resulted in a significant number of mangled extremities leading to traumatic amputations. Extremity injuries predominate, representing 50% to 70% of all injuries treated (Melcer, 2010). The majority of injuries sustained in Operation Endearing Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) are combined penetrating, burn and blast injuries, traumatic amputation, and infections from the multi-drug resistant organism, Acinetobacter (Melcer, 2010). The purpose of this study was to measure the quality of well-being and impact of events in a group of adults who served in the U.S. armed forces and sustained the loss of one or more limbs during any combat or …

Damaged Goods, Danna Michelle Parker

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Art is a form of expression. When used as a channel for emotional catharsis from trauma, it facilitates healing. Research has found that victims of childhood trauma often cannot find words to express their feelings, and are paralyzed and unable to move on with their lives after trauma. My research explores how creativity and metalsmithing have provided the tools necessary for me to construct my own method of expressing emotions, through visual representation. Repeatedly, I have made the same mistakes in life; and time and time again have worked to figure out not only why, but also how to repair …

Asian Americans And Cultural Values : Encountering And Overcoming Sociocultural Barriers To Community Mental Health Services : A Project Based Upon An Independent Investigation, William Lee

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This qualitative study explored the narrative experience of Asian American/Pacific Islanders (AA/PIs), who have received or are currently receiving community mental health services. This study was an attempt to illuminate their experience of encountering and overcoming socio-cultural barriers to these services. Historic underutilization of mental health services among AA/PI communities motivated the need to explore what cultural and/or institutional factors reduce barriers to services. Four AA/PIs, with an average length of 7.25 years in treatment, were recruited from a community mental health agency in San Francisco, CA. They participated in 45- minute to one hour semi-structured interviews discussing their experience …

Ethical Dilemmas In Managed Mental Health Care, Kolina J. Delgado

Psychology Student Publications

In the United States, health care has become a significant political, social, economical, and ethical concern. It is difficult to identify a professional or personal area of life that is not impacted in some way by health care. According to the United States Census Bureau (2010) approximately 255 million Americans were enrolled in some form of managed health care in 2009. The current paper describes the evolution of managed care, common practices in managed care, and ethical issues inherent to working in a managed mental health care system.

Dual Diagnosis: Impact, Assessment, And Treatment In Co-Occurring Substance Abuse And Severe Mental Illness, Kolina J. Delgado

Psychology Student Publications

Mental illness and substance use disorders individually comprise a challenging area of work for health care professionals. In combination, these issues create an even greater demand; a demand that many health care professionals find themselves ill prepared to address (McKeown, 2010). The prevalence rates of substance disorders and psychiatric disorders co-occurring in one person, a condition referred to as dual diagnosis, are astoundingly high.

Religious Coping And Social Support As Mediators And/Or Moderators And Acculturative Stress In A Latino Community Sample, Priscilla Vasquez

Master's Theses (2009 -)

This study examined whether religious coping and social support are moderators and/or mediators between acculturative stress and psychological distress in a Latino community sample. Particularly, the buffering model, the deterioration model, and the counteractive model were tested. Two hundred and twenty-eight Spanish-speaking and English-speaking participants filled out surveys, and it was found that both religious coping and social support mediated the relationship between acculturative stress and psychological stress. However, the results did not support any of the coping models. This study shows that religious coping and social support are associated with an increase in psychological distress.

"We Shall Not Cease From Exploration": Narratives From The Hyde Inquiry About Mental Health And Criminal Justice, Anne Derrick

Dalhousie Law Journal

When I embarked on my journey at the Hyde Inquiry I really felt I knew nothing. The place I came to know for the first time, at the end, was a place I had really not known before. I was taken there by the narratives that made up the threads of the Inquiry and it is some of these narratives I am going to discuss here.

Medicine And The Law: The Challenges Of Mental Illness, Beverley Mclachlin

Dalhousie Law Journal

In this lecture, I offer some thoughts on a medical/legal issue that is old, yet perennially pertinent; that is common, yet extraordinary; that is wellknown, yet all too often swept under the carpet. I refer to the issue-or more accurately the plethora of issues-that surround mental health and the law.

Law And Mental Health: A Relationship In Crisis?, Sheila Wildeman

Dalhousie Law Journal

What is the significance of the rule of law to the area of professional knowledge and practice that is "mental health"-or to the interaction of those two aspirational, one might say euphemistically-named social systems: the mental health and justice systems? This question centres upon the rule of law-specifically, I suggest (as I relate further in closing), a thick conception of the rule of law grounded in an ideal of state-subject reciprocity-and not, or not directly, upon the individual and social good ofhealth. It is this overarching question that I wish to pursue in setting the stage for the two lectures …

The Influence Of Collective Self-Esteem And The Impact Of Perceived Stigma From Others On Sorority Women's Attitudes Toward Seeking Mental Health Services : A Project Based Upon An Independent Investigation, Lauren Michelle Baron

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

Although researchers are aware of the fact that public and group stigma affect mental health help-seeking behavior, there has been no research on level of collective self-esteem and stigma within specific social networks related to members' attitudes toward seeking mental health services. This study aimed to identify a relationship between sorority women's collective self-esteem, or how much they value their membership in the sorority, and their perceived stigma from their fellow sorority members on their overall attitudes toward seeking mental health services. Fifty-one sorority women between the ages of 18-24 self-selected to participate in an online survey composed of three …

How Tibet Buddhists In The United States Negotiate Mental Health Concerns, Paul Peter Sireci

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

No abstract provided.

What The Governor’S Panel Learned, Aradhana "Bela" Sood

Washington and Lee Journal of Civil Rights and Social Justice

No abstract provided.

So Many Choices, So Little Time: Religiosity And The Stress Of Making Decisions, Joshua David Boeke

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Numerous studies have appeared in the literature demonstrating that religiosity and mental health are positively related. However, although investigators have identified several variables that partially mediate the effects of religiosity on mental health, much of this relationship remains unexplained. The goal of this survey study was to examine to what extent religious individuals experience better mental health outcomes because they experience less stress when making decisions. Specifically, this study evaluated whether religious individuals reduce the number of decision alternatives they consider when making decisions, which in turn should make decision making easier and reduce decision-making stress. Participants were asked to …

Willingness Of Individuals To Seek Mental Health Treatment: The Impact Of Gender And Parent Therapy Experience, Amanda Kristin Mcclure

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether parent therapy experience and gender influenced men's and women's attitudes toward seeking mental health treatment. Participants included 207 women and 212 men ages 18 to 30 years attending Western Kentucky University. Participants completed a demographics survey and the Inventory of Attitudes Toward Seeking Mental Health Treatment. Results indicated that more favorable attitudes toward seeking mental health services were exhibited by participants who reported that a parent attended therapy. Additionally, a gender difference in attitudes toward mental health services was uncovered, in that women were found to display more positive attitudes toward …

Concurrent Associations Among Sleep Problems, Indicators Of Inadequate Sleep, Psychopathology, And Shared Risk Factors In A Population-Based Sample Of Healthy Ontario Children, J. Aimée Coulombe, Graham J. Reid, Michael H. Boyle, Yvonne Racine

Paediatrics Publications

Objectives Examine the contribution of sleep problems and indicators of inadequate sleep to psychopathology among children after accounting for shared risk and comorbid psychopathology. Methods Secondary analyses of cross-sectional data on 4- to 11-year-old (N = 1,550) children without chronic illness or developmental delay or disability. Parents provided information about sleep problems, indicators of inadequate sleep, symptoms of psychopathology, and risk factors for psychopathology. Teachers provided information about indicators of inadequate sleep and symptoms of psychopathology. Results Adjusting for risk factors and comorbid psychopathology, sleeping more than other children was related to parent-rated aggression. Nightmares and trouble sleeping were related …

Anxiety In The Math Classroom, Jean Benner

Mathematics Graduate Theses

Math anxiety is a learned response that inhibits cognitive performance in the math classroom. It is widespread among students from elementary age through college. Students suffering from math anxiety have difficulty performing calculations and maintaining a positive outlook on mathematics. Math anxiety is the result of a cycle of math avoidance that begins with negative experiences regarding mathematics. Facts pertaining to math anxiety are discussed and strategies are suggested to assist teachers in helping students to overcome math anxiety or avoid the phenomenon altogether.

The 71f Advantage: Applying Army Research Psychology For Health And Performance Gains, Paul T. Bartone, Ross H. Pastel, Mark A. Vaitkus

Books

This book grew out of paper presentations and discussions at the Army Research Psychology Biennial Conference held April 24–25, 2008, in Bethesda, Maryland. It provides a snapshot of groundbreaking research currently being done by Army research psychologists around the globe. The book illuminates the many contributions of Army research psychologists to supporting Soldiers and their families, as well as enhancing their performance and wellbeing.

Social Relationships And Mortality Risk: A Meta-Analytic Review, Timothy B. Smith, Julianne Holt-Lunstad, J. Bradley Layton

Faculty Publications

Background: The quality and quantity of individuals' social relationships has been linked not only to mental health but also to both morbidity and mortality. Objectives: This meta-analytic review was conducted to determine the extent to which social relationships influence risk for mortality, which aspects of social relationships are most highly predictive, and which factors may moderate the risk. Data Extraction: Data were extracted on several participant characteristics, including cause of mortality, initial health status, and pre-existing health conditions, as well as on study characteristics, including length of follow-up and type of assessment of social relationships. Results: Across 148 studies (308,849 …

The Effects Of Client Therapist Racial And Ethnic Matching: A Meta Analytic Review Of Empirical Research, Raquel Cabral Bowman

Theses and Dissertations

In a widely cited 2003 report, the U.S. Surgeon General criticized mental health and social services within the United States for failing to adequately serve the needs of clients of color. The report highlighted the fact that therapists often do not adequately account for cultural variables in their evaluations or interventions. Clients of color are rarely seen by therapists who adequately understand their cultural values and backgrounds. To address this discrepancy, researchers have explored a variety of therapy process and outcome variables across clients seen by therapists of their same race vs. another race (often called "ethnic matching"). Over 200 …

Pepperdine Magazine - Vol. 2, Iss. 1 (Spring 2010), Office Of Public Affairs, Pepperdine University

Pepperdine Magazine

Megan Huard, editor.

A Feminist Analysis Of Mental Health Providers' Perspectives Of Latina Women, Caroline Ruth Smith

College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences Theses and Dissertations

Researchers have documented that Latina women involved in the mental health system face a number of barriers to access to services and ongoing use of services. Latina women involved in the mental health system are often viewed as at-risk. This study challenges traditional pathological views of Latina women in the mental health system. This study uses a feminist analysis to examine mental health providers’ perception of Latina women. It views Latina women as mental health system survivors and suggests that resilience and strength-based perspectives can transform the treatment of Latina women. Secondary data from twenty-two interviews with agency directors, psychiatrists, …

Disclosure, Social Reactions To Disclosure, And Mental Health Outcomes Among Adult Child Sexual Abuse Victims., Holly E. Hopson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a frequent problem in American society associated with a wide range of negative mental health outcomes. Some evidence suggests that disclosure may moderate the relationship between CSA and mental health. However, the specific reactions a victim receives following disclosure may directly affect the impact that disclosure has on mental health. The current study directly and simultaneously evaluated the roles of disclosure and social reactions in relation to mental health outcomes. The sample consisted of 652 undergraduate students at East Tennessee State University who completed an on-line, self-administered questionnaire. Forty-four (6.75%) of the participants reported experiencing …

Vol. 1 No. 2, Spring 2010; Iraq Veterans' War With The U.S. Department Of Veterans Affairs: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Claims Under A Procedural Due Process Analysis, Purvi Shah

Northern Illinois Law Review Supplement

This Comment explores the Department of Veterans Affairs and its current disability compensation and medical care systems for soldiers who have returned from the War on Terror with mental health disabilities, such as post traumatic stress disorder. More specifically, this Comment analyzes two assertions made by veterans groups — Veterans United for Truth and Veterans for Common Sense — against the VA: (1) there is a lack of neutral decision-makers for veterans who would like to appeal their compensation amount , and (2) there is a lack of an additional procedure allowing a veteran with a mental health emergency to …

Violence, Depression, Parental Stress, And Child Neglect Among High Risk Postpartum Women, Kristen D. Lambert Phd, Msn, Rn

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to characterize a vulnerable population of postpartum women at risk for family violence and maladaptive outcomes and to determine the degree the identified attributes increase the risk of child neglect and psychological aggression. Lazarus' Appraisal Theory and Scaer's Traumatic Spectrum framework provided a conceptual basis to examine the interrelationships between intimate partner violence (IPV), depression, previous traumatic history, and child neglect. A descriptive correlation design using secondary analysis of longitudinal data collected for the Healthy Families San Diego Clinical Trial was used. Standardized measures including the CTS, CTS2, CTSPC, CES-D and PSI were administered …

The Provision Of Mental Health Services By Rural Health Clinics, John A. Gale Ms, Stephanie L. Loux Ms, Barbara Shaw Jd, David Hartley Phd, Mha

Rural Health Clinics

The number of Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) providing specialty mental health services remains limited. This study examined changes in the delivery of mental health services by RHCs, their operational characteristics, barriers to the development of services, and policy options to encourage more RHCs to deliver mental health services. Key Findings: Approximately 6% of independent and 2% of provider-based RHCs offer mental health services by doctoral-level psychologists and/or clinical social workers. Models used to provide mental health services include contracted and/or employed clinicians housed in the same facility as primary care providers. A key element in the development of mental health …

Associations Between Sport And Screen-Entertainment With Mental Health Problems In 5-Year-Old Children, Lucy J. Griffiths, Marsha Dowda, Carol Dezateux, Russell R. Pate

Faculty Publications

Background: Few studies have examined the benefits of regular physical activity, and risks of sedentary behavior, in young children. This study investigated associations between participation in sports and screen-entertainment (as components of physical activity and sedentary behavior), and emotional and behavioral problems in this population.

Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of data from 13470 children (50.9% boys) participating in the nationally representative UK Millennium Cohort Study. Time spent participating in sports clubs outside of school, and using screen-entertainment, was reported by the child's mother at child age 5 years, when mental health was also measured using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire.

Results …

Therapeutic Alliance And Client Satisfaction From The Client’S Perspective, Colleen Peterson, Armeda Stevenson, Katherine M. Hertlein, Stephen Fife

Graduate Research Symposium (2010 - 2017)

This was the second phase of a two phase mixed methodology study. Presented is the qualitative portion consisting of semi-structured phone interviews conducted with past clients in order to examine the relationship of the therapeutic alliance and client satisfaction with client retention and termination status.Findings were classified into three main categories: therapist characteristics, treatment structural characteristics and process characteristics.