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Yoga To Decrease The Stress Response: Gentle Yoga Encourages Faster Decline In Salivary Cortisol Concentrations Following Participation In Tsst, Tabetha Gaile Hopke

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Short-term, activation of the human stress response system is beneficial as it prepares the body to deal with stressors at hand (McEwen & Stellar, 1993). If this system is overactive or chronically active however, it can negatively impact health and longevity (Cohen, Janicki-Deverts, & Miller, 2007). According to a review conducted by Ross & Thomas (2010) implementation of a yoga practice has been shown to down-regulate the stress response system. The present study aimed to expand on current research involving yoga for stress reduction by exploring whether participation in gentle yoga could decrease the stress response more quickly than naturally …

Decreasing Stress Through An Emotion Regulation And Non-Judging Based Intervention With Trauma-Exposed College Students, Megan Cherry

Doctoral Dissertations

Among college students, trauma and PTSD symptomatology are associated with negative consequences (e.g., poor academic performance, stress sensitivity, and negative coping). College is often a stressful time, and those who have experienced trauma, particularly those experiencing PTSD symptoms, are vulnerable to heightened stress sensitivity and negative outcomes. It is imperative to identify interventions that decrease stress for trauma-exposed college students to reduce the deleterious effects of related outcomes. The purpose of this study was to examine whether emotion regulation and non-judgment could be enhanced in trauma-exposed college students through a short, mindfulnessbased intervention, and whether the intervention would lead to …

Increasing Student Success Through In-Class Resilience Education, Marianne Moore, Laura K. Montgomery, Tonia D. Cobbs

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Session participants will be able to identify themes related to student resilience and self-care, list self-care modalities which can be effective in a classroom setting, and identify course changes that can promote active learning of nursing student self-care.

Law Library Blog (August 2019): Legal Beagle's Blog Archive, Roger Williams University School Of Law

Law Library Newsletters/Blog

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Band For Former Military-Connected Students When Transitioning Schools: A Phenomenological Study, Beverly Purifoy Goehring

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the role of wind band for former military-connected (MC) students that graduated Carn Schools (pseudonym) in the past five years who experienced a transition to a new school. The theories guiding this study were Gates’ music participation theory as it describes reasons and explanations of why people actively participate in music and Vygotsky’s social constructivist theory as it relates to learning in a social context. The central research question for this study was as follows: How do former MC children describe their experiences in wind band during a transition to …

The Differences In Mathematics Self-Efficacy Scores Between Military Dependent Students And General Population Students, Jeffrey Thomas Harris

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The United States has now been engaged in war for fourteen years, the longest war in American history. A war like this has created an atmosphere of extended deployments for members of the military resulting in separation from their family. Deployments can affect many areas of family life, and the child’s academics is one such area. A student’s success often depends on his/her confidence, or “self-efficacy”, in academics. This can be affected by the inconsistencies of military life, such as constantly moving and transferring schools, which can shake that confidence causing him or her to struggle academically. The purpose of …

Perspectives Of Stress And Self-Care Among Perinatal African American Women: Implications For A Mindfulness-Based Intervention, Karen M. Sheffield, Cheryl W. Giscombe

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

This research study explores the unique stressors that African American women experience during the perinatal period. The results of this study explicate the individualized experiences and perspectives of perinatal African American women and help to inform the development of a culturally relevant mindfulness based intervention.

Examination Of Stress And Sleep In The Icu On Family Caregiver Health, Paula Cairns, Kevin E. Kip, Cindy L. Munro, Cecile A. Lengacher, Victoria K. Marshall, Andrew Bugajski

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Attendees will learn the current state of the science on post intensive care syndrome in family caregivers (PICS-F). Examination of family caregiver stress levels, quality of sleep in the ICU, and risk of PICS-F will be discussed.

Effectiveness Of Using An App To Teach Mindfulness Meditation To Nurse Residents, Susan C. Cobb, Deborah Baldassarre

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

This poster presents preliminary findings from a study evaluating the feasibility and acceptability of a mindfulness meditation practice delivered by an app for Nurse Residents (Registered Nurses recently graduated and new to practice). This study uses a mixed-methods design incorporating quantitative research instruments, journaling and a focus group.

The Effects Of Auricular Acupressure On Stress, Anxiety, Depression, And Heart Rate Variability Of Nurses, Sena Lee

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

The effects of Auricular Acupressure on Stress, Anxiety, Depression and Heart rate variability of Outpatient Nurses. The results of this study showed that depressive therapy decreased depression scores, and the depression-related physiological index, serotonin, also significantly changed.

Stress And Mindfulness In Nursing Students, Katrina Embrey, Helen M. Taggart, Haresh Rochani

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Nursing students experience significant stress that can lead to physiological and psychosocial disturbances. Regular mindfulness practice can lead to reduced stress. The purposes of this study were to identify (1) the level of stress in the beginning and end of the semester and (2) student perception of benefits of mindfulness.

Examining The Effects Of Stress And Age On Neural Reward Processing: Considerations For The Role Of Individual Differences In Autonomic Reactivity, William Mccuddy

Dissertations (1934 -)

Acute stress is unavoidable and may hinder basic reward processing underlying adaptive decision-making. Additionally, older adults may be at an increased risk of poor decision-making after exposure to acute stress due to age-related changes in cognitive and autonomic functioning. The current study assessed the influence of acute stress, autonomic reactivity, and age on a simple behavioral task during fMRI. Specifically, old and young adults completed a basic reward processing paradigm (i.e., where participants received monetary rewards and punishments) after exposure to acute stress (i.e., social evaluative cold pressor) or control procedure between-subjects. In the young group, differential responses for monetary …

Sleep, Stress, And Sweat: Implications For Client Physiology Prior To Couple Therapy, Christina Michelle Rosa

Theses and Dissertations

Physiological state greatly influences one’s ability to emotionally regulate and connect to a partner in couple therapy. As individuals encounter real or perceived threats in relationships, they are likely to experience sympathetic nervous system (SNS) responses of fight, flight, or freeze, thereby inhibiting the ability to connect with a partner or therapist made possible by the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). This study, guided by the Polyvagal theory, examines the influence of client sleep, daily stress, and exercise on physiological baseline prior to a couple therapy session. Participants included 23 married couples who attended couple therapy at the Brigham Young University …

The Impact Of Mindfulness Practices On The Dispositions Of Eight Third-Grade Elementary Students At An Elementary School In The Southeast Region Of The United States, Jakob Lauffer

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to examine the impact mindfulness sessions had on the dispositions of eight third-grade students. In the Spring of 2019, mindfulness practices were presented to third-graders in their regular classroom setting every Monday and Thursday over the six-week qualitative action research study. During this time, the teacher-researcher administered 15-minute mindful lessons that aimed to help increase coping strategies in the student population. The instruments used for data collection in this qualitative action research study were: a pre/post-intervention questionnaire, weekly exit slips utilizing multiple choice and open-ended questions, field notes, and digital video recordings. Students utilized …

Decreasing Caregiver Stress, Dexter Ramos

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Stress is both critical and personal experience and has significant effects on caregivers’ physical, mental, and social well-being. The nature of caregiving and the responsibility to work and serve individuals at their illness conditions are very personal encounters that often result in adverse effects on the health and well-being of caregivers (Frederick, 2016). A decrease in stress experience can lead to the satisfaction of caregiver roles and improvement of patient’s quality of life (Choi, Jisun & Boyle, Diane, 2013; Yada, Nagata, & Inagaki, 2014). This scholarly project determined that evidence-based stress management interventions have decreased the perceived stress in caregivers. …

American Expatriates' Experiences Of Stress And Burnout While Teaching In International Schools Within Southeast Asia: A Phenomenological Study, Sandra N. Jackson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe and understand American expatriates’ perceptions of their lived experiences with burnout and stress while teaching in international schools in Southeast Asia. The theories guiding this study were Hans Selye’s (1951) theory of stress, as it explains the physiological stages of stress the body goes through, and Christine Maslach’s (1997) theory of burnout, which explains the factors associated with burnout. The present study was guided by five research questions, including a single central research question, to discover the participants’ lived experiences with stress and burnout. Four additional subquestions explored emotional exhaustion, …

Office Clutter And Its Influence: Assessing Engagement, Satisfaction, Tension, Stress, And Emotional Exhaustion, Trina N. Dao

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Psychological home is a relatively new topic within the field of psychology, defined as a person’s need to self-identify with a physical environment. Clutter, defined as the over-accumulation of material items, is even less studied. Previous research has shown that clutter in the home may negatively influence a person’s well-being, but this tendency has not been investigated in workplace settings (Crum & Ferrari, 2019a; Crum & Ferrari, 2019b; Roster, Ferrari & Jurkat, 2016). Within workplace research, there is a construct called work-related well-being (Narainsamy & Van Der Westhuizen, 2013; Rothman, 2008), consisting of job satisfaction, employee engagement, burnout, and occupational …

Avoidant Coping Mediates The Relationship Between Socioeconomic Status And Stress, Amanda Schar, Julia Fraterrigo, Emma Slattery, Alyssa Rogalski, Kathryn Steininger

Celebration of Learning

The current study will examine how socioeconomic status affects perceived social support and coping strategies and how these two factors affect stress levels and post traumatic growth. This could lead to developments in how to better educate people on the most effective ways to deal with stress and providing community resources to populations particularly vulnerable to stress. Perceived social support and coping have been shown to affect post-traumatic growth and stress. Differences in coping strategies and availability of support may be partly driven by an individual's socioeconomic status. Perceived social support is defined as the extent to which someone believes …

Stress And Suicidality: Effects Of Stressful Life Events, Contextual Socioeconomic Disadvantage, And Early Life Traumas, Muhammed Yildiz

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Determining the risk factors and associated pathways that lead individuals to suicidal behavior is an important endeavor in developing appropriate intervention and prevention strategies. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, this dissertation examines how stressful life events, contextual socioeconomic disadvantage, and major early life traumas are associated with suicidal tendencies of U.S. individuals. In addition to direct associations, some of the potential mediating mechanisms that these stressors exert their effects through were also investigated. The major findings indicated that stressful life events increased the risk of suicidal ideation and attempt among adolescents, both directly, …

The Influence Of Technological Reliability And Supervisor Supportiveness On Work Stress, Justin W. Morgan, Jonathan S. Gore

Kentucky Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship

Despite the prevalence of workplace stress, little research has identified both the social and technological sources of it. In two studies, we examined the role of supervisor support and reliable technology in the alleviation of stress. In Study 1, working adults in Mechanical Turk (n = 225) completed an online survey asking them about their workplace attitudes and opportunities. Results of a regression analysis showed that supportive supervisors and reliable technology were the only predictors of lowered stress, even while accounting for coworkers, pay, promotion opportunities, and everyday workplace tasks. In Study 2, undergraduate students (n = 186) …

Overcoming Barriers: Helping Navy Chaplains Understand The Need And Implementation Of Self-Care, Carl Muehler

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

Muehler, Carl B. “Overcoming Barriers: Helping Navy Chaplains Understand the Need and Implementation of Self-care.” Doctor of Ministry. Major Applied Project, Concordia Seminary, 2019. 115 pp.

The Navy Chaplain serves with Navy, Marine, and Coast Guard personnel throughout the world and often in challenging environments including at sea and combat operations. The Navy Chaplain is unique because the chaplain has complete confidentiality and may be the only caregiver with a deployed unit, which can take its toll on the chaplain. Self-care is critical for the chaplain on a personal level and to maintain effectiveness in the support to the personnel …

Criminal Justice Involvement And Young Adult Health: The Role Of Adolescent Health Risks And Stress, William M. Clemens, Monica A. Longmore, Peggy C. Giordano, Wendy D. Manning

Sociology Faculty Publications

Background: Although some studies have found that incarceration is associated with young adults' poor health, confounding factors including adolescent health risks, and mediating influences such as stress have not been examined in the same study. We assessed whether variation in criminal justice system experience (none, arrest only, incarceration) influenced young adults' self-reported depressive symptoms and poor physical health after accounting for prospective risks to health including adolescent health risks. We then assessed whether stress mediated associations between criminal justice involvement and the two health indicators.

Methods: Data are from Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study (TARS) (n =990), which included young adults, …

Stress, Self-Compassion, And Coping Mechanisms Among Graduate Social Work Students, Elizabeth Contreras

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Graduate students are often exposed to many stressors during their rigorous academic programs which may impact their overall well-being. Researchers have long believed that self-compassion can be used as an emotion-regulated strategy to cope with stress. The purpose of this cross-sectional study is to examine the relationship between self-compassion levels and coping mechanisms for stress among graduate social work students. Data were collected from 97 graduate social work students in a Hispanic-serving university in Southern California (N =97). Using non-parametric techniques, the Kruskal-Wallis Test and the Mann-Whitney Test, this study analyzed the correlation between self-compassion and coping mechanisms for stress, …

Stress Among Caregivers Of Individuals With Special Needs, Ida Benavides

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This research study focuses on gathering data on stress among caregivers caring for an individual with special needs. The participants selected were from three agencies in Southern California. Once the participants were selected, an interview was conducted using an audio recording device to gather and analyze the data collected. The researcher dictated the responses provided during the interview if the participants did not wish to be recorded. All participants received a $5 Starbucks gift card for their participation. This study was conducted to inform clinicians and any reader on the daily struggles and challenges caregivers face by caring for individuals …

Developing Resilience Training For The Healthcare Employee In A Rural Medical Center, Sandra E. Gothard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the clinical setting and in their personal lives, health professionals are confronted with many stressors that impact their time and the clarity of their role. Stressors are emotional, moral, or spiritual in nature as a result of exposure to suffering and death. There are often occupational stressors, such as reduced social support, excessive workload, or a prolonged misalignment among personal needs, individual values, and the work role. As a result of these challenges, health care employees need to create coping skills when stressors and demands become hindrances to personal well-being and their professional ability to care for others. Developing …

Mindfulness For Chronic Pain Management, Maren Wright Voss, Kandice Atisme, Ashley Yaugher, Sandra H. Sulzer

All Current Publications

Chronic pain often occurs even after healing in the injury site because of changes in the way the brain perceives pain. Mindfulness is a simple mental activity, proven to reduce pain and the need for pain medication. Mindfulness increases the ability to mentally regulate pain, emotion, and behavior, alters the way the brain processes rewards, and restores positive feelings. Mindfulness can be learned in a class or at home and is an accessible alternative for managing pain.

The Effects Of A Mindfulness-Based Intervention On Middle School Students With Special Needs, Michelle Castillo

Education | Master's Theses

Adolescence is a vulnerable period to a child’s emotional and social environment due to the puberty-related changes in hormones, which has an effect on their judgement, impulse control, and emotional regulation. Middle school students face several daily stressors at school, at home, and in their communities. Although adolescents face stressors in and out of school, a mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) can be beneficial. This research focuses on the effects of a mindfulness-based intervention on middle school special education students in regards to their attention and behavior in general education classes as well as their self-perception. While prior studies address the benefits …

Differences In Stress Reactivity Between Zebrafish With Alternative Stress Coping Styles, Ryan Y. Wong, Jeffrey French, Jacalyn B. Russ

Biology Faculty Publications

Animals experience stress in a variety of contexts and the behavioural and neuroendocrine responses to stress can vary among conspecifics. The responses across stressors often covary within an individual and are consistently different between individuals, which represent distinct stress coping styles (e.g. proactive and reactive). While studies have identified differences in peak glucocorticoid levels, less is known about how cortisol levels differ between stress coping styles at other time points of the glucocorticoid stress response. Here we quantified whole-body cortisol levels and stress-related behaviours (e.g. depth preference, movement) at time points representing the rise and recovery periods of the stress …

A Heartfulness Meditation Intervention In University Students Using Mixed Methodology, Dipta Amatya

Health and Kinesiology Theses

Objective: This is a mixed methods study in which Heartfulness meditation was introduced to university students. The objective of this study was to demonstrate a link between Heartfulness meditation and mental health as well as a link between Heartfulness meditation and Emotional Intelligence. The study also explored the experiences of the students after the meditation practice.

Background: College students have greater levels of stress and psychopathology now than at any other time in the nation’s history. Increases in mental distress can lead to serious mental health disorders in the future so there is a need for self-care skills for students …

Songwriting As Self-Care - A Burnout Prevention Tool For Mental Health Professionals: Development Of A Method, Brittany Leonard

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

In this capstone thesis, songwriting is examined through a critical, humanistic lens to determine whether or not it can be used as a legitimate method of self-care to prevent burnout and minimize perceived symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression in mental health professionals. Therapeutic songwriting is an intervention grounded in analytical theory that aims to access the unconscious mind and uncover deep emotions, which is the foundation of this study. Rather than focusing on the effects songwriting has on clients, the researcher was interested in the benefits of songwriting for individuals working in the field of mental health. This project …