Digital Commons Network^™

Reduction Of Stress In High School Freshman Through Mindfulness Practice, Jacob L. Arveson

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Toxic stress is common in modern adolescence and can be detrimental to one's long-term physical and psychological well-being. Adolescents spend vast quantities of time at school and thus school is an ideal venue to introduce stress reducing mechanisms. Mindfulness interventions center on bringing non-judgemental awareness to one's breath and thoughts, and have proven beneficial in a wide range of clinical settings. It is only in the past two decades that mindfulness interventions have been researched in the K-12 classroom setting, but the results have been promising. This study examines whether participation in a tri-weekly five-minute guided meditation would reduce stress …

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

Law Library Newsletters/Blog

No abstract provided.

Exploring The Relationships Of Email Overload, Stress And Burnout In Social Workers, Lisa M. Lowrie

Social Work Doctoral Dissertations

Technostress is the inability to cope with information and communication technology which may result in stress and burnout. Email overload, stress, and burnout among social workers is a phenomenon that may impact retention in social and human service organizations. This mixed methods design uses the transactional theory of stress as the theoretical framework for measuring the relationship of email overload (email invasion, email volume, and email rapid response extraction) to stress and burnout in the social work workforce. This dissertation also explores the generational cohort, gender, and social work degree as predictors of email overload. Participants in this study were …

An Investigation Into The Relationship Between Academic Pressure And Non-Medical Prescription Stimulant Use Among University Of South Carolina Undergraduate Students, Arslan Valimohamed

Senior Theses

One hundred and six undergraduate students of the University of South Carolina were surveyed to understand misuse of prescription stimulants and how perceived academic pressure may play a role in this behavior. Overall, the survey revealed that 33.0% of participants reported illicit use of prescription stimulants in the last 30 days, and 52.8% reported illicitly using prescription stimulants at least once during their time in college. Data from the survey responses indicated that students perceiving academic pressure were more likely to have misused prescription stimulants at least once during their time in college, but only if these students also reported …

A Phenomenological Study Of Graduated Nursing Student Athletes' Experiences Balancing Academics And Athletics, Robert E. Steed

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study is to describe the lived experiences of eleven graduated nursing student athletes who completed traditional, four-year nursing programs while concurrently finishing four years of athletic eligibility in their respective sport at three private, Christian, Midwest universities and across three different competitive collegiate athletic divisions. The theories guiding this study are Tinto’s Theory of Individual Departure from Institutions of Higher Learning, Astin’s Theory of Student Involvement, and Lazarus and Folkman’s Transactional Model of Stress Response, as they relate to student athletes’ persistence to graduation and to nursing students who reportedly experience higher levels of …

The Influence Of Stressful Life Events On The Development Of Type 2 Diabetes, Joshua Minks

Dissertations

This study examined the relationship between distress and the development of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in the presence of established risk factors. Distress secondary to mental health disparities, stressful life events, and work conditions has been shown to promote insulin resistance and the development of T2DM.

Subjects (N=79) diagnosed with T2DM within the previous six months were recruited from SSM Health Centers and VA Medical Centers in the greater St. Louis area. They completed the Recent Life Changes Questionnaire, ENRICHD Social Support Instrument, and a demographic survey and analyses were conducted to determine differences between the veteran …

Behavioral And Neuroanatomical Outcomes Following Altered Serotonin Expression And Hypoxic-Ischemic Injury In A Neonate Rodent Model, Sharon G. Casavant

Doctoral Dissertations

Children born prematurely (weeks, GW) risk numerous adverse medical events, with risks increasing as GW/size decreases. Preterm infants may experience ischemic and/or hemorrhagic events due to cardiovascular immaturity, leading to negative neural sequelae. These same infants are exposed to repeated painful/stressful procedures as part of life-saving care within the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Although necessary, chronic painful/stressful events have been associated with methylation of SLC6A4, a gene coding for serotonin transport proteins. Methylation of the gene is associated with reduced serotonergic tone, increased anxiety, depression, and incidence of autism. To gain a deeper understanding of the events associated with …

Health Information Seeking As A Coping Strategy To Reduce The Stress Of Informal Caregivers Of Individuals With Alzheimer’S Disease And Other Forms Of Dementia, Nia Francis Mason

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study explored the relationship between information seeking and the perceived stress levels of informal Alzheimer’s and dementia caregivers. An additional component was added to determine whether health literacy and emotional state moderated the relationship.

The study involved conducting qualitative interviews followed by collecting survey data to answer the following research questions: 1) What motivating factors lead informal AD caregivers to seek out information? How do their information needs change? Why do informal caregivers choose to utilize certain resources more than others? Is there a correlation between information seeking and resulting stress levels? Does health literacy moderate the association between …

H/L Ratio As A Measurement Of Immune Function In Terrapene Ornata Species, Vesa Govori

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

White blood cells are a key part of the immune system, and changes in white cell count can reveal the overall state of health and the immune systems functional ability of a species. White blood such as heterophils and lymphocytes are essential for being able to fight off infections. Analyzing different cell ratios has been commonly done before as a way to observe immune function in bird species as well as other species. Understanding that there are different functions between the different white blood cells provides an extra interesting perspective to what could be happening in the immune system function …

The Physiological Effects Of Walking Pilgrimage, M. Brennan Harris

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

M. Brennan Harris presents in ‘The Healthy Body’ his kinesiological research conducted on the Camino de Santiago, examining the effects of walking pilgrimage on the self-identified experience of well-being in pilgrim bodies.

Stress-Induced Epinephrine Enhances Lactate Dehydrogenase A And Promotes Breast Cancer Stem-Like Cells, Bai Cui, Yuanyuan Luo, Pengfei Tian, Fei Peng, Jinxin Lu, Yongliang Yang, Qitong Su, Bing Liu, Jiachuan Yu, Xi Luo, Liu Yin, Wei Cheng, Fan An, Bin He, Dapeng Liang, Sijin Wu, Peng Chu, Luyao Song, Xinyu Liu, Huandong Luo, Binhua P. Zhou

Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Chronic stress triggers activation of the sympathetic nervous system and drives malignancy. Using an immunodeficient murine system, we showed that chronic stress–induced epinephrine promoted breast cancer stem-like properties via lactate dehydrogenase A–dependent (LDHA-dependent) metabolic rewiring. Chronic stress–induced epinephrine activated LDHA to generate lactate, and the adjusted pH directed USP28-mediated deubiquitination and stabilization of MYC. The SLUG promoter was then activated by MYC, which promoted development of breast cancer stem-like traits. Using a drug screen that targeted LDHA, we found that a chronic stress–induced cancer stem-like phenotype could be reversed by vitamin C. These findings demonstrated the critical importance of psychological …

The Role Of Social Support In Predicting Depression And Task Overload Among College Students, James M, Duncan, Mallory Lucier-Greer, Anthony J. Ferraro, Kayla Reed-Fitzke

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

Guided by the Relationships Motivation Theory, this short-term longitudinal study examined associations between social support (i.e., relatedness), depression, and stress in the form of task overload among emerging adult, university students (N = 184 at time one; N = 105 at time two; 69.2% female). Results from a series of path models indicated a significant relationship between decreased perceptions of social support over time and an increase in perceived task overload with significant mediating effects through depressive symptomology. Implications for counseling services as well as intervention and awareness points for university professionals are discussed.

Technology-Aided Meditation At Work: Evaluating The Impact Of Biofeedback On A Mindfulness Program In The Workplace, Charles Morris

Mindfulness Studies Theses

The rise of secular mindfulness has been buoyed in large part by scientific research into its benefits. The availability of consumer-grade biofeedback devices promises to bring the objectivity of results seen in a research lab to personal experience. This mixed methods study examined the experience of 12 participants in a workplace mindfulness program, comparing the experience of an experimental group whose meditation practice was supported with the use of a HeartMath™ Inner Balance device to a control group who learned to meditate without it. The effects on stress, focus and motivation were captured via questionnaire, along with biofeedback data and …

The Moderating Role Of Culture In The Job Demands-Resources Model, James A. De Leon

Doctoral Dissertations

During the past few decades, occupational health researchers have examined the effects of work characteristics on job stress and employee wellbeing (Beehr & Franz, 1987; Caulfield, Chang, Dollard, & Elshaug, 2004; Jex, 1998; Jex & Britt, 2014; Schaufeli & Greenglass, 2001; Sparks, Faragher, & Cooper, 2001). With the help of the Job Demands-Resources model (JD-R model; Bakker & Demerouti, 2007; Bakker, Demerouti, & Schaufeli, 2003; Demerouti, Bakker, de Jonge, Janssen, & Schaufeli, 2001; Schaufeli & Bakker, 2004), researchers have been able to examine the impact of jobspecific work characteristics (demands and resources) on employee wellbeing. The work processes outlined in …

Pace Brain Boosters Program To Promote College Success Through Stress Reduction In Nursing Students, Deborah Kramer, Sandra Hillman

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

In 2016, a randomized-control pilot was conducted to assess the effectiveness of using the PACE Brain Gym Program to enhance learning and decrease anxiety through the use of physical activities over six weeks. Participants completed a demographic survey, and anxiety and stress scales. Pre and post results were analyzed.

Stress And Coping Among Public School Principals In A Midwest Metropolitan Sample, Jason A. Kaufman

Educational Leadership Department Publications

The present study sought to investigate perceptions of stress and coping among public school principals. School principals are daily called upon to make decisions regarding a range of unscripted events. The position can be stressful, and stress is known to interfere with sound decision making. It was predicted that present samples of school principals would report a mean level of elevated stress. Contrary to expectations, school principals did not report an elevated level of stress. They instead reported an ostensibly effective reliance on problem-focused and emotion-focused coping skills. It remains unclear how the school principals developed such adaptive means for …

Retaining Special Education Teachers For Students Within The Juvenile Justice System, Kendra Byrd

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

The number of juveniles with disabilities entering the juvenile justice system is growing at a rapid rate. Many juvenile justice facilities are unable to provide adequate special education services due to the nationwide shortage of special education teachers. This dissertation uses the theoretical framework of teacher efficacy to examine the correlation among the retention of special education teachers who serve students within the juvenile justice system and teacher efficacy, stress, support, workload stressors, and burnout. The participants of this study consisted of 155 special education teachers who currently or previously provided special education services to juveniles within the juvenile justice …

An Extension Educator Perspective On Trauma-Informed Care, Stephen A. Small, Mary Huser

Journal of Extension

Trauma-informed care has become a major priority in recent efforts to address trauma and stress in the lives of children, adults, and families. Interest in trauma-informed care among Extension professionals has grown over the past several years as Extension partners and other child- and family-serving organizations initiate trauma-informed care programs, trainings, and community-wide initiatives. In this article we present a literature review–based overview of trauma-informed care and examination of trauma-informed care principles and assumptions, and we consider implications for Extension professionals.

An Extension Educator Perspective On Adverse Childhood Experiences, Stephen A. Small, Mary Huser

Journal of Extension

Research on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) has garnered a great deal of attention and is increasingly used to demonstrate the negative impact of stressful and traumatic childhood experiences on psychological and physical health. ACEs have become a focus of local and state organizations and coalitions concerned about the well-being of children and their families, resulting in a growing number of Extension professionals becoming involved in these initiatives. In this article we provide an overview and analysis of seminal and more recent ACEs research and offer suggestions about where an understanding of and response to ACEs might fit into the work …

An Onsite Self-Care Break To Decrease Stress And Promote A Culture Of Wellness, Pamela C. Mulligan, Catherine Alvarez

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Replenish at Work is a mind body restorative intervention that can be performed onsite during the workday to mitigate stress and promote self-care. Our intervention improved engagement and was a positive experience for the staff.

Impact Of Psychological And Physical Stressors On The Exercise-Induced Immune Response In Collegiate Swimmers, Connor Alexander Kuremsky

LSU Master's Theses

Evidence suggests high-intensity exercise training increases incidence of upper respiratory infection in young-adult athletes (Spence et al. 2007). Collegiate athletes experience chronic stress, which has been shown to result in increased proportions of late-differentiated CD8+ T-cells of a dysfunctional phenotype (Bosch et al. 2009). However, many studies fail to consider possible moderators such as psychological stress and cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection. Purpose: To examine the impact of psychological stress, CMV infection, and exercise on proportions of early- and late-differentiated CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells in collegiate swimmers over a 7-month training period. Methods: Data were collected from NCAA …

Work–Family Conflict And Counterproductive Work Behaviors: Moderating Role Of Regulatory Focus And Mediating Role Of Affect, T. T. (Rajan) Selvarajan, Barjinder Singh, Peggy A. Cloninger, Kaumudi Misra

Organization Management Journal

Evidence suggests work–family conflict can lead to numerous negative consequences in the workplace, including behaviors detrimental to the organization and its members, such as counterproductive work behaviors (CWBs). Yet relatively little research has addressed the relationship between work–family conflict and CWBs. This study builds on the structural model of stress and regulatory focus theory to addresses this major gap in the literature. Our model proposes that negative affect and self-regulation can help us understand how and why work–family conflict may be related to CWBs. We hypothesize that work–family conflict is positively related to negative affect, which in turn is positively …

Psychometric Properties Of A Korean Version Of The Perceived Stress Scale (Pss) In A Military Sample, Kimberly F. Colvin, Sung Yong Park

Educational & Counseling Psychology Faculty Scholarship

Background

Perceived stress reflects a person’s feeling of how much stress the individual is under at a given time. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) is a popular instrument measuring the extent to which individuals perceive situations in their life as excessive relative to the ability to cope. Based on a literature review, however, several issues related to the scale remain: (a) the dimensionality is not established, (b) little information about the individual items exists, and (c) much research is based on university student samples. To address these, this study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Korean version of the Perceived …

Social Behavior Of Zebrafish (Danio Rerio) And The Expression Of The Stress Hormone Cortisol, Vanessa Finazzo

Undergraduate Honors College Theses 2016-

Zebrafish are often used in studies involving social behavior because they readily form shoals. A shoal is any group of fish congregating together for social reasons. Zebrafish form shoals because of the many benefits these social groups provide such as defense against predators and improved foraging success. Because the zebrafish is an animal that exists in a large social grouping, it provides an interesting perspective on understanding the influences of stress on social behavior. Using zebrafish as a model, this thesis aims to determine how specific social situations are affected by and affect stress and associated cortisol levels. In order …

Creating Confident And Connected Families: A Program To Improve Parental Self-Efficacy In The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Kelly Simpson

Occupational Therapy Program Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) require life sustaining intervention for weeks to months after birth. This intervention is remarkably stressful for both the infant, who is ill-equipped to handle life outside the womb, and for the parents who are filled with fear and stress due to the illness of their son or daughter. The experience of hospitalization can lead to stress, shame, anxiety, and even post-traumatic stress disorder for families of NICU infants. Knowledge about the unique stressors, challenges, and needs for support of preterm infants has proven helpful to boost confidence and feelings of wellbeing within …

Mental Health Disorders In Dpt Students: Identifying Needs, Support Systems, & Challenges, Jennifer M. Bogardus

Department of Physical Therapy Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Background: There is an increase in the incidence and severity of mental health disorders in university students. Doctor of Physical Therapy students are at increased risk due to physiological, environmental, and generational factors. Design: Mixed-Methods, multi-site, descriptive study Participants: Current DPT students (N= 1228 ) completed a survey and DASS-42; 20 students demonstrating moderate severity on the DASS participated in telephone interviews. Methods: Surveys were emailed to 238 DPT program directors with a request to forward to students. Following the survey, a total of 20 interviews were completed. Results: DPT students were found to have higher DASS scores than their …

Prevalence And Correlates Of Food Insecurity Among U.S. College Students: A Multi-Institutional Study, Aseel El Zein, Karla P. Shelnutt, Sarah Colby, Melissa J. Vilaro, Wenjun Zhou, Geoffrey Greene, Melissa D. Olfert, Kristin Riggsbee, Jesse Stabile Morrell, Anne E. Mathews

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background: College students may be vulnerable to food insecurity due to limited financial resources, decreased buying power of federal aid, and rising costs of tuition, housing, and food. This study assessed the prevalence of food insecurity and its sociodemographic, health, academic, and food pantry correlates among first-year college students in the United States. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among first-year students (n = 855) across eight U.S. universities. Food security status was assessed using the U.S. Department of Agriculture Adult Food Security Survey Module. Cohen’s Perceived Stress Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and Eating Attitudes Test-26 were used to …

Are Health Problems In Adulthood Linked To Our Experiences In The Womb? An Epigenetic Approach, Simone Tendler

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

The origins of adult disease have been a prime topic for research, as deciphering causes can lead to strategies for preventions and cures. There has been recent intrigue focused on the environment in the womb. Records from England and Wales in 1911 show that those who suffered from cardiovascular disease were geographically correlated with regions high in infant mortality in the past, seventy years before the study. When looking into the cause of the neonatal death rates, low birth weight, poor maternal health, and high maternal death rates during childbirth were clearly associated. Barker inferred that there is much happening …

Examining Mother And Father (Dis)Agreement Of Youth Mental Health Among Ethnically Diverse Families, Areti Vassilopoulos

Theses and Dissertations

Many children and adolescents in the United States experience externalizing behavior problems identified as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, and conduct disorder. These behavior problems cause disruptions in the youth’s socioemotional functioning and academic success. The assignment of a diagnosis from the DSM-5 is often the first step in treatment planning, because many clinics and third-party payers require a diagnosis for authorization of treatment payment. However, research has repeatedly revealed that informants differ in the information they provide regarding youth mental health. While studies have separately examined the association of youth characteristics, parent characteristics, and family characteristics and informant agreement, …

Resiliency And Proactive Coping Methods Targeting Perceived Stress Levels In Older Adults, Katie Holmes

OT Student Capstones

Stress, or perceived stress, has the potential to be life-threatening to those that experience it on a regular basis. Community-dwelling older adults may be particularly vulnerable to perceived stress and its effects due to stressors such as negative life events, chronic disease or declining health, loss of loved ones experienced with the aging process, and social isolation. Stress and mental health and well-being are not being adequately addressed in independent and assisted living communities for older adults. An eight-week stress management program focusing on the concepts of resiliency and proactive coping was implemented at a local retirement community. An overall …