Digital Commons Network^™

A Literature Review Of Art Therapy For Women With Breast Cancer, Soraya Hage Obeid

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Breast cancer among women causes many psychosocial symptoms in these patients which include depression, fatigue, and anxiety. Interventions such as art therapy have been successful in reducing the level of stress and enhancing mental well-being in women with breast cancer. This literature review highlights the saliency of art therapy to enhance the quality of life and mental health of women with breast cancer, and help women cope with their illness, and find meaning to it. Furthermore, in this literature review, art therapy is discussed to affect psychosocial factors that are related to levels of mortality and survivorship in breast cancer …

Exploring Factors Influencing Refugees' Mental Health Help-Seeking, Frediane Ndikumana

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Newly resettled refugees are at a higher risk of mental health disorders, but few seek formal psychological help. The purpose of this study is to explore the factors influencing refugees’ formal mental health help-seeking. Data were collected by surveying a sample of 45 refugees from three countries of the Great Lacs Regions of Africa: Burundi, Congo, and Rwanda. Multiple linear regression was conducted to examine the association between formal mental health help-seeking and factors of mental health knowledge, stigma beliefs, and socioeconomic factors.

Results show that mental health knowledge factors and the stigma belief factors measured as stigma towards socializing …

Double Jeopardy: Minority Stress And The Influence Of Transgender Identity And Race/Ethnicity, Krystina Millar, Jason Eastman

Honors Theses

This study assessed gender and racial/ethnic differences in gender-related discrimination and psychological distress within a sample of transgender and gender nonconforming individuals. Prior research suggests transgender individuals with multiple minority statuses experience higher psychological stress than their singly disadvantaged counterparts, and both minority race/ethnicity and transgender minorities experience more frequent and severe forms of discrimination than white and cisgender individuals. Using data from a convenience sample of 101 self-identified transgender and gender nonconforming adults recruited through LGBTQ+ organizations from across North America, I analyzed the relationship between race/ethnicity, gender-related minority stress, and psychological distress. Gender-related discrimination and gender-related victimization did …

Stress In The Veterinary Medical Field: A Literature Review, Taylour K. Erickson

Honors Capstones

Stress is something that affects most people on a regular basis. School can be a major stressor in the lives of students, and a person’s job can be highly stressful for some professionals. Veterinary students in particular are often stressed due to the nature of the education and the quantity of material that must be learned. Practicing veterinarians are considered to have a stressful job due to long hours, workload, difficult cases, and more. This paper reviews the available literature on stress in the veterinary medical field, and summarizes the research on the stressors faced by members of this field, …

Stressed And Sleep: The Relationship Between Stressors And Sleep Loss In Adolescents Transitioning To High School, Kaitlyn Elyse Batt Brodar

Open Access Theses

Sleep loss is associated with a host of negative physical, psychological, and academic outcomes in adolescents, and past research indicates that stress contributes to sleep loss. Although the transition to high school represents a particularly stressful time for adolescents, no research is currently available on how transition stressors are related to sleep loss. This study sought to examine how transition stressors relate to concurrent and prospective sleep problems in adolescents transitioning to high school. Additionally, it sought to understand the role that gender, family support, and repetitive negative thinking might play in the relationship between stress and sleep. Participants were …

Non-Pharmacological Approaches To Stress Reduction And The Treatment Of Migraines, Megan O'Connell

Senior Honors Projects

Migraines are a disabling neurological medical condition that affects about 12% of the population. Traditionally, migraines are managed with medication however many patients still experience migraines even while on medication. Stress reduction methods such as meditation, deep breathing, reiki, yoga and hypnosis can help with the treatment of a variety of diseases. This study examines the effects of these non-pharmacological treatments on migraines. First, a systematic literature review was completed to explore the effectiveness of alternative treatment approaches. Twenty-four studies were included in the review and the literature concluded patients with migraines can benefit from psychological interventions. Second, a qualitative …

Music Therapy Strategies For Wellness, Suzanne B. Hanser

Crossroads of Music and Wellness

A revolution in healthcare, known as integrative health, is supporting the use of nontraditional treatments that take into account the needs and capacities of the whole person. Music therapy is supported by a growing body of evidence in favor of improved psychosocial, physical, neurological, emotional, and spiritual outcomes, in addition to quality of life, and its interventions serve individuals at home, in hospital, and wherever they might need a coping strategy.People encountering everyday stress, others with life-threatening or painful conditions, and anyone else open to self-discovery can benefit.

Effects Of Corticosterone In Drinking Water, Samantha A. Corey

Honors Capstones

Every day we experience some type of stress. High levels of stress are a common contributor to health problems. In our lab we have previously found that exposure to 10 days of unpredictable stress reduced motivation for a sucrose reward (Bond, Anderson, McWaters, & Matuszewich, 2015). When stress occurs, our bodies release the stress hormone cortisol (corticosterone in animals). The present study was designed to assess whether administering corticosterone through drinking water would elevate blood levels of corticosterone and therefore it can be used to accurately simulate chronic stress in rats. In this study rat’s plasma corticosterone levels were evaluated …

Finding Inner Peace: My Journey To Relieve Stress And Anxiety, Shannon Mitchell

Senior Honors Projects

Modern life can create the conditions for increased levels of stress and anxiety. This is particularly true for college students who experience a lot of changes and pressures regarding academics, romantic relationships, friendships, and career plans. More and more people are turning to alternative ways of relieving their stress and anxiety. One of the most popular approaches is yoga. The definition used is this: yoga is a Hindu spiritual and ascetic discipline that focuses on breath control, meditation, and specific body postures, and is widely practiced for physical and spiritual health, as well as relaxation. Yoga uses a holistic way …

Landscape Of Stress: Does Drought Prevail Over Anthropogenic Activity In Influencing Cortisol Levels And Fitness In The Pacific Fisher?, Jennifer R. Kordosky

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Fishers (Pekania pennanti) are a species of concern in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California. Cortisol is a glucocorticoid hormone released to mobilize energy in response to stress and has been used as an indication of an individual’s physiological response to its environment. By collecting samples of fisher hair and measuring an individual’s cortisol, we examined the physiological stress response of the animals to human disturbances (housing density, road density, habitat type, and silvicultural treatements) and drought (tree mortality) in their home ranges. Using AICc model selection, we found that levels of tree mortality within a fisher’s home …

Religious Attendance, Surrender To God, And Suicide Risk: Mediating Pathways Of Feeling Forgiven By God And Psychopathology, Kelley Pugh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Suicide is a national public health concern, and college students may be at increased risk. Symptoms of psychopathology (i.e., stress, anxiety, and depression) may contribute to risk, whereas religiosity (i.e., religious attendance, surrendering to God, and feeling forgiven by God) may reduce risk. Students from a rural southeastern university (N=249) completed self-report measures. Serial mediation analyses indicate that attendance and surrender to God are inversely- predictive of suicide risk, both directly and through the indirect pathways of feeling forgiven by God (1st order mediator) and psychopathology (2nd order mediators). In all models, specific indirect effects occurred through feeling forgiven by …

Mindfulness-Based Interventions For Adolescents With Cancer And Teen Cancer Survivors, Daniela Ramirez-Ibarra

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Adolescence is a significant period for identity construction and self development (Jones, Blunda, Biegel, Carlson, Biel, & Wiener., 2013). This critical development period is quickly disrupted for adolescents with cancer. With the challenges of undergoing cancer treatment, come abnormal daily routines and changes to the developing self, which may cause anxiety, depression, and other mental health disorders (Jones et al., 2013). Even after an adolescent survives cancer, he or she may be likely to face chronic adjustment difficulties, cognitive challenges, struggles at school, social deficits, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression (Jones et al., 2013). To address the stressful …

The Effects Of Meditation In Lowering Blood Pressure And Reducing Symptoms Of Stress In Baccalaureate Nursing Students, Isabella Fleming

Honors Theses

Hypertension and stress are two conditions that have the capability to cause extensive and long-term damage to both mental and physical health. Baccalaureate nursing students report high levels of stress while in the process of obtaining a degree. This population is at risk for consistently high stress levels; therefore, they are also at risk for physiologic complications of stress such as hypertension.

In this study, all participants were asked to complete two short surveys: one assessed their stress, and one survey assessed their perceptions of meditation. The blood pressure (BP) of all participants was measured as well. Once the surveys …

Social Media Usage And Body Image: The Role Of Personality And Stress, Dylan M. Cleary, Trina Ganguly, Georgtoria J. Wion, Thomas W. O'Kane

STEM Student Research Symposium Posters

Body image, the opinion someone has of their own body, is an important construct to study as a poor body image is associated with many aspects of general well-being, such as poor quality of life (Duarte, Ferreira, Trindade, & Pinto-Gouveia, 2015; Griffiths et al., 2017), poor self-esteem (Furnham, Badmin & Sneade), and eating disorders (Polivy & Herman, 2002). Researchers have sought to identify factors predictive of the development body image in an effort to provide evidence-based programs to promote a healthy body image. Some factors associated with body image are social media usage, personality, and stress. In the present study …

Meditation As An Intervention To Help College Students Cope With Stress, Marissa Bottos

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

According to the American College Health Association (ACHA) (2017), in a survey of 31,463 students, 31.7% stated that stress negatively impacts their academic performance (lower grades, dropped course, etc.). Additionally, 45.1% of the students stated they have more than average stress levels. The purpose of this evidence-based practice (EBP) project was to determine if mindfulness meditation was effective in helping college students cope with stress. Based on current evidence, Jon Kabat-Zinn’s online application for mindfulness meditation is supported as an effective way to help college students cope with stress (Regehr et al. 2013; Yusufov et al. 2018; Cavanagh et al. …

Improving Librarians’ Occupational Performance Through Stress Management Strategies: An Overview, Usuka Enweremadu Isaac Department Of Library And Information Science, Faculty Of Education, Nwachukwu Ndubuisi Victor Professor, Department Of Library And Information Science, Faculty Of Education, Ekere Chimaobi Felix Professor, Department Of Library And Information Science, Faculty Of Education

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Abstract

Librarians occupational performance include their task, contextual and adaptive performance which are practical and strategic tools for achieving libraries’ set objectives. Stress management strategies are activities, readjustments, methods and techniques that are employed in managing, dealing, coping, reducing and eradicating the harmful effects of stress. The paper discussed improving librarians’ occupational performance through stress management strategies as an overview. It was established that stress management strategies help librarians in dealing, handling and coping with stress and its harmful effects. Librarians can achieve high occupational performance when they are stress free. The paper explored an overview of librarians’ occupational performance, …

Rsa In Young Adults: Identifying Naturally-Occurring Response Patterns And Correlates, Brittany K. Willey

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

Few studies have focused on the joint contributions of baseline and stress-responsive RSA on mental health outcomes, and no research to date has examined naturally-occurring profiles of RSA, which may be more predictive of emotion regulation ability and mental health outcomes than looking at either component of RSA alone. Participants were 235 (87.1% female, 73.6% Caucasian) undergraduates ages 18-39 (M = 19.62, SD = 2.12). In Part 1, latent growth mixture modeling (LGMM) was used to identify naturally-occurring physiological profiles accounting for both resting and stress-reactive RSA among young adults. In Part 2, multivariate ANCOVAs were used to predict …

Relationship Stress: Social Media Edition, Sidney Stover, Natalie Ross, Tish Whitney, Laura Rice

COLA Research and Creativity Conference

Couples involved in a romantic relationships (dating, engaged, married) face a variety of stressors that can determine the quality and sustainability of the relationship. These stressors can include money, children, work schedules, and opinions of family and friends about the relationship or one’s significant other. With arrival of the internet, the use of social media has become a new source of stress among relationships. Altshule (2015) found social media use negatively impacts a relationship when one’s significant other is always on social media, engages in appropriate activity online, or is overly private when online (i.e. hiding online activity from their …

Clinical Floatation And Perceived Stress In College Students, Keyton Sampson

COLA Research and Creativity Conference

Clinical Floatation and Perceived Stress in College Students

Clinical floatation has been proposed to address a number of common concerns, such as to relieve stress, recover from injuries, fight addiction, and improve chronic pain. Previous studies have demonstrated that clinical floatation is classified as an emotion-focused coping strategy, reducing blood pressure, cortisol levels, heart rate, and muscle tension (Van Dierendonck & Te Nijenhuis, 2005). The goal of the study is to determine whether clinical floatation benefits perceived stress to a great extent than do traditional interventions or no intervention. It is hypothesized that those partaking in the float sessions will …

The Role Of Gender In Workplace Exhaustion: Female Perceptions Of Stress In The Technology Workplace, Madison C. Wills

Honors College Theses

As the role of the information technology professional expands, an increasing amount of technology employees are experiencing workplace exhaustion. Adding to that stress, women face other obstacles as minorities in the field. This project identifies characteristics of how gender influences perceived stress and exhaustion in the technology workplace. Through the use of statistics and spreadsheets, this study analyzes survey data regarding information technology professional job perceptions. Expanding upon previous research on this data set, this study adds the element of gender. It was discovered that men were more likely to experience stressors such as role conflict, role ambiguity, and a …

Stress In College Students: Worse Than The "Freshman 15?", Kristen Higgins

Steeplechase: An ORCA Student Journal

College students experience more change within a few years than most other age groups. This change, among other aspects, can cause increased amounts of stress (Lau et al, 2006). Past research has indicated that certain individuals lack the coping skills necessary to deal with stress adequately, causing a wide range of negative effects (D’Zurilla & Sheedy, 1991; Ross, Niebling, & Heckert, 1999). Brougham, Zail, Mendoza, and Miller (2009) also found significant genetic differences between males and females and their use of coping mechanisms. This current study examined the effects of different coping mechanisms on stress levels in college students, as …

“It Creates Fear And Divides Us:” Minority College Students’ Experiences Of Stress From Racism, Coping Responses, And Recommendations For Colleges, Ladrea Ingram, Barbara Wallace

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Prior research underscored the association between experiences of racism and biopsychosocial outcomes for minority college students, including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and negative impacts on physical health. Within the lens of social justice, power is often ascertained by increased wellness and education attainment; therefore, addressing minority college students’ experiences of racism is critical to advancing national efforts to eliminate health disparities and for achieving social equity. Thus, this mixed methods study used an online survey to examine the prevalence of experiences of racism and/or oppression (e.g. sexism) for a convenience sample of undergraduate and graduate minority college students. Quantitative …

Toward Reducing Stress And Anxiety In Nursing Students: Implementing An Evidence-Based Mindfulness Program, Susan Mckee

DNP Final Reports

Stress and anxiety are increasing in college students, especially in nursing students who complete didactic and clinical courses concurrently. Nursing students report feeling overwhelmed, with distress affecting academic performance and balance of school and personal demands. Mindfulness is an evidence-based method of reducing human suffering due to troubling conditions such as pain, chronic illness, or psychological issues including stress and anxiety. This paper addresses the state of the science of mindfulness and details the current mental health concerns of college students, specifically nursing students. The body of evidence, gathered through a systematic search, suggests that mindfulness reduces stress and anxiety …

Perceptions Of Coach’S Response To Stress On Football Player’S Quality Of Experience, Taylor Mcvay

Senior Honors Projects

This research further explores the Cognitive Resource Theory (CRT; Fielder & Garcia, 1987), which is an approach to leadership in which effective leadership depends on a leader’s intelligence and experience and how these factors affect a leader’s ability to cope with stress. Extending CRT as a theoretical framework, the present research seeks to determine if players perceptions of a coach’s ability to handle stress and make good decisions has an impact on the quality of their football experience and their feelings of stress during stressful situations. It is hypothesized that players’ stress levels during rivalry games (i.e., high stress situations) …

Efficacy Of Mindfulness On Stress And Anxiety In Adolescents: A Systematic Review, Callimarie Bell

Psychology Capstone Projects

Most mental health problems begin early in life, with 50% of all problems beginning by the age of 14. Thus, adolescents are a vulnerable population and factors impacting their mental health should be examined. One factor is stress. Stress has been linked to both mental and physical health problems, depression, and anxiety. Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent mental health problem among adolescents. A potential treatment is that of mindfulness. Mindfulness originated from Buddhism and is the non-judgmental acceptance of thought, feelings, and experiences. Mindfulness has been found to reduce symptoms of stress and anxiety, alleviate chronic pain, and reduce …

Mental Health Stigma In College Students By Academic Major, Kristen Miller

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Stigma is best defined as the disapproval and shame felt by people who display characteristics not widely accepted in society. Although mental illness has become more prevalent in society through advocacy and awareness campaigns, it fails to be accepted and often individuals may feel shame that prevents them from seeking help (Dyrbye, Eacker, Durning, Brazeau, Moutier, Massie, S., et al, 2015; Givens & Tjia, 2002). Physicians in particular have been shown to have decreased help-seeking behaviors for psychological issues due to fear of professional repercussions (Dyrbye et al., 2015). Physicians also show increased levels of stress, anxiety, depression, and elevated …

Nonsuicidal Self-Injury, Stress, And Self-Differentiation, Trevor J. Buser, Terry L. Pertuit, Daneilla L. Muller

Adultspan Journal

No abstract provided.

Assessment Of Peripartum Psychological Disturbances In Relation To Modes Of Delivery, Ali S. Radeef, Muna Kh Al-Kubaisi, Akbar B. John, Nur Khairulnisa Ai

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: Anxiety disorders are common during peripartum period. This study aimed to identify which mode of delivery was more prone to develop psychological disturbances. Methods: This prospective cohort study conducted among 541 pregnant women presented for spontaneous labour, induction or elective caesarean section in a Malaysian hospital. The severity of depression, anxiety and stress symptoms are assessed by using self-rated depression anxiety and stress scales in four different occasions; pre-labour/operation, 24 hours postnatal, 2 weeks, and at 6 weeks. Results: In the prenatal period, there was no statistically significant difference in the mean score of depression between …

The Effects Of Acute Stress On Responses To Nociceptive And Non-Nociceptive Stimuli, Danielle Mack

Honors Thesis

Stress-induced analgesia is characterized by a reduction in response to painful stimuli. However, a sufficiently stressful stimulus may exhibit a pro-nociceptive effect in addition to its anti-nociceptive effect. Previous studies suggest that endocannabinoids reduce responses to nociceptive stimuli and may contribute to stress-induced analgesia. However, endocannabinoids can also have pro-nociceptive effects by increasing responses to non-nociceptive stimuli. In this study, I hypothesized that stressful stimuli could produce both pro- and anti-nociceptive effects and that these effects were endocannabinoid-mediated. In these experiments, the medicinal leech (Hirudo verbana) was shocked twice per minute for 15 minutes. Response to nociceptive stimuli was measured …

Calm And Focused: Reducing Test Anxiety Among Elementary Students, Alicia M. Derollo

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Elementary school students are experiencing heightened levels of test anxiety which is blocking their access to learning. Practices such as art therapy, meditation, and mindfulness are rising in popularity as means for controlling and reducing anxiety. Recent studies have found success in using these practices with students to reduce test anxiety (Putwain et al., 2014; Cho, Ryu, Noh, & Lee, 2016). This study used a pre- and post-test quantitative quasi-experimental design to compare the levels of test anxiety between the treatment group (n = 21) who received an intervention of coloring while listening to a guided meditation before a math …