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Overcoming Stress And Anxiety: Examining The Impact Of Fixed Vs Growth Mindsets Amongst African American High Achievers, Julie Sumner

Theses and Dissertations

A rapidly increasing number of Americans suffer from stress and anxiety (Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 2018; American Psychiatric Association, 2020). It is even more prominent among stress afflicted adults now that we are experiencing civil unrest and a pandemic. Without tools to implement and maintain a growth mindset, those who suffer will struggle with negative thoughts, behaviors, and results (Bergland, 2017). The purpose of this research is to disrupt the cycle of negative energy that leads to social ills and fixed mindsets by developing a structured method to practice positive thinking and goal achievement. This qualitative transcendental phenomenological …

Prefrontal Glutamate Neurotransmission In Ptsd: A Novel Approach To Estimate Synaptic Strength In Vivo In Humans, Lynnette A Averill, Lihong Jiang, Prerana Purohit, Anastasia Coppoli, Christopher L Averill, Jeremy Roscoe, Benjamin Kelmendi, Henk M De Feyter, Robin A De Graaf, Ralitza Gueorguieva, Gerard Sanacora, John H Krystal, Douglas L Rothman, Graeme F Mason, Chadi G Abdallah

Staff and Researcher Publications

Background: Trauma and chronic stress are believed to induce and exacerbate psychopathology by disrupting glutamate synaptic strength. However, in vivo in human methods to estimate synaptic strength are limited. In this study, we established a novel putative biomarker of glutamatergic synaptic strength, termed energy-per-cycle (EPC). Then, we used EPC to investigate the role of prefrontal neurotransmission in trauma-related psychopathology.

Methods: Healthy controls (n = 18) and patients with posttraumatic stress (PTSD; n = 16) completed 13C-acetate magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) scans to estimate prefrontal EPC, which is the ratio of neuronal energetic needs per glutamate neurotransmission cycle (VTCA/VCycle).

Results: Patients …

Stress Classification Using Deep Learning With 1d Convolutional Neural Networks, Abdulrazak Yahya Saleh, Lau Khai Xian

Knowledge Engineering and Data Science

Stress has been a major problem impacting people in various ways, and it gets serious every day. Identifying whether someone is suffering from stress is crucial before it becomes a severe illness. Artificial Intelligence (AI) interprets external data, learns from such data, and uses the learning to achieve specific goals and tasks. Deep Learning (DL) has created an impact in the field of Artificial Intelligence as it can perform tasks with high accuracy. Therefore, the primary purpose of this paper is to evaluate the performance of 1D Convolutional Neural Networks (1D CNNs) for stress classification. A Psychophysiological stress (PS) dataset …

Impact Of Stress And Hypertension On The Cerebrovasculature, Nada Elsaid, Ahmed Saied, Heba Kandil, Ahmed Soliman, Fatma Taher, Mohiuddin Hadi, Guruprasad Giridharan, Richard Jennings, Manuel Casanova, Robert Keynton, Ayman El-Baz

All Works

Objectives: Both stress and hypertension (HTN) are considered major health problems that negatively impact the cerebral vasculature. In this article we summarize the possible relationship between stress and HTN. Methods: We conducted a systematic review of the literature using a database search of MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. Results: Psychological stress is known to be an important risk factor for essential hypertension. Acute stress can induce transient elevations of blood pressure in the context of the fight-or-flight response. With increased intensity and duration of a perceived harmful event, the normal physiological response is altered, resulting in a failure …

An Investigation Into College Induced Stress & Coping Mechanisms And Its Effect On Mental Health, Gráinne Morgan, Madeleine Quinn, Clíodhna Ní Shúilleabháin

International Undergraduate Journal of Health Sciences

The objective of this study was to evaluate college induced stress reported by college students across the Republic of Ireland and identify the coping mechanisms used to deal with such stress. No previous studies regarding this topic had been published in the Republic of Ireland. The authors compiled and distributed a survey on stress throughout various Universities and Institutes of Higher Education across the Republic of Ireland. A total of 144 third level students were surveyed between the 19th of February to the 5th of March 2020. The most common daily stress ranking among both males and females was reported …

First-Generation College Student Baccalaureate Attainment: Investigation Of A Psychological Model Of College Student Retention, Timothy Wasserman

Dissertations - ALL

This dissertation examined predictors of retention and graduation for first-generation (FG), first-year students at a selective, private, residential university in the northeastern United States. The theoretical framework was Bean and Eaton's (2000, 2001/2002) Psychological Model of College Student Retention. The purpose of the study was to test the Bean and Eaton model and ascertain how students' entry characteristics, experiences, psychological outcomes, attitudes, and intent to return impacted retention and graduation outcomes. Previous research shows that FG students face challenges in persisting (Cataldi et al., 2018; Choy, 2001; Ishitani, 2016); yet it is through graduating from a prestigious four-year institution that …

Perceived Stress Of College Students During Covid-19: Adverse Childhood Experiences, Kristina Morreale

Honors Theses

ACEs are adverse childhood experiences experienced in the first 18 years of life. They are present in over a third of the population and lead to adverse health outcomes (Karatekin, 2017). The goal of this study was to examine whether ACEs could be used to identify stress levels of college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data on ACEs and stress levels were collected from students actively enrolled at a college or university (N= 183). Findings indicated that high ACEs were predictive of high stress, specifically considering stressful factors experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of this study suggest the …

Strategies To Overcome Special Education Teacher Burnout, Amber Eastwood

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Special education teacher burnout has been a topic of concern dating back to the 1970s when it was first identified and conceptualized and has since been a growing trend in the field of education (Embse, 2019). With the everchanging world of education, the demands of a special education teacher have grown and are causing new triggers that are contributing to their burnout. Research is showing that 40% of new teachers are leaving the profession within the first five years of teaching with stress and burnout at the top of the list contributing to their departure (Herman, 2020). Since researching about …

Workplace Incivility, Megan Paul

Umbrella Summaries

What is workplace incivility?

Workplace incivility refers to “low-intensity deviant behavior with ambiguous intent to harm the target, in violation of workplace norms for mutual respect. Uncivil behaviors are characteristically rude and discourteous, displaying a lack of regard for others” (Anderson & Pearson, 1999, p. 457). Though there is some conceptual and empirical overlap between incivility and ostracism, bullying, and abusive supervision, incivility is considered distinct (Yao et al., 2021). Incivility has been examined from the perspective of both the victim and the instigator, exploring factors related to being the target of incivility and factors related to engaging in uncivil …

Implementing Staff Education To Reduce Stress And Increase Resilience, Samantha Lambert, Mariana Corpus, Sherry Chesak, Susanne M. Cutshall, Diane M. Forsyth, Habibo A. Haji

Nursing DNP Projects

Purpose: Persistent levels of high stress among nurses impact work activities and job performance, leading to burnout, compassion fatigue, lower job satisfaction, high workplace turnover, and diminished quality of patient care (Lin et al., 2018). Nurses who demonstrate resilience are better able to adapt to unexpected events with a positive attitude, self-esteem, and tolerance (Huang et al., 2020). The purpose of this project was to decrease stress levels and improve resilience among nursing staff, utilizing education on holistic stress management and resilience techniques.

Methods: A four-hour mindfulness-based education course was provided to staff members (N=76). Components included an initial two-hour …

Stress And Burnout Among Undergraduate Music Education Majors: An Examination Of Trends, Influences, And Coping Mechanisms, Emily Carroll

Honors Projects

Previous research points to an increase in undergraduate music education major stress. A stress questionnaire was sent to three Midwest collegiate institutions: one was a mid-sized liberal arts school, another was a conservatory, and the last was a large state institution. Findings confirm concerning elevated levels of stress among undergraduate music education majors. The levels of stress appear to be a universal issue in this particular degree program, implying there is a need for change to better student wellness.

Psychological Distress During The Covid-19 Pandemic In Nursing Students: A Mixed Methods Study, Mayantoinette Watson

Dissertations

During such an unprecedented time of the largest public health crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, nursing students are of the utmost concern regarding their psychological and physical well-being. Questions are emerging and circulating about what will happen to the nursing students and the long-term effects of the pandemic, especially now that hospitals are being overwhelmed with COVID-19 cases and patients as well as a significant need for nursing staff (Jividen, 2020). Expectations, demands, change, and the fear of the unknown during this unprecedented time can only contribute to the many stressors that accompany nursing students through laborious clinical and didactic courses …

Stress As A Contributing Factor For Pediatric Obesity: Literature Review And Internship Experience, Jessica Handley

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

This article is an examination of how stress drives diet and physical activity behaviors that contribute to pediatric obesity in the United States. An increasing rate of childhood obesity is being reported in the United States and therefore a multitude of studies and reviews have been conducted on the topic. This review of the literature systematically analyzes how stress, diet, and physical activity behaviors contribute to this rising rate of pediatric obesity. An analysis of the chosen articles for review indicates that stress and its counterpart (resilience) tend to be driving forces in how American children and adolescents participate in …

School Nursing Practice And Experiences During School Closures, Susie E. Birden Brown

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This evidence-based quality improvement project was to evaluate public school nurses’ relationships and reaction to their new work environment during the closure of schools in Northern California resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. This project addressed the change in school nursing, especially the nurses’ working environment. A stress management program was offered to the school nurses as an intervention to give them information on perceived stress. The stress management program included mindfulness and stress-relieving techniques over a 1-month period. The research methodology used in the project was a pre- and postintervention using the Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS) to measure if the …

The Effectiveness Of Faith-Based Group Life Coaching On Stress And Anxiety Levels In Spouses Of Veterans With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Esperanza Pilar Guerra Lugo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Veterans who courageously served in the military are often diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and their spouses are at high risk of suffering in silence from stress and anxiety. Many spouses are also their Veteran’s caregiver which leaves little time for their own self-care needs. Being a Veteran’s 24-hour caregiver can lead to poor physical and mental health, aggravating spouses stress and anxiety levels which is often only treated with medication or goes untreated due to lack of mental health care access and the stigma that comes with it. The literature review explores the research gap of how online faith-based …

Causes Of Burnout Among K-12 Public School Dance Teachers: Preventative Strategies To Improve Teacher Retention In 21st Century Education, Roland Latson

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to evaluate and analyze what contributing factors influence stress and burnout in K-12 public school dance teachers and collect information to analyze the ways in which teachers can minimize stress to prevent burnout. The research was conducted by current and former dance educators with a minimum of 3 years teaching experience in rural and urban school districts. Thirty-two dance teachers participated in the survey study. The purpose of this study was to examine the causes of burnout among K-12 public school dance teachers and preventative strategies to improve teacher retention in 21st century education. …

Psychosocial Risk Factors And Cardiovascular Disease And Death In A Population-Based Cohort From 21 Low-, Middle-, And High-Income Countries, Ailiana Santosa, Annika Rosengren, Chinthanie Ramasundarahettige, Sumathy Rangarajan, Jephat Chifamba, Scott A. Lear, Paul Poirier, Karen E. Yeates, Rita Yusuf, Romaina Iqbal

Community Health Sciences

Importance: Stress may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Most studies on stress and CVD have been conducted in high-income Western countries, but whether stress is associated with CVD in other settings has been less well studied.
Objective: To investigate the association of a composite measure of psychosocial stress and the development of CVD events and mortality in a large prospective study involving populations from 21 high-, middle-, and low-income countries across 5 continents.
Design, setting, and participants: This population-based cohort study used data from the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology study, collected between January 2003 and March 2021. Participants …

Oxytocin Attenuates The Stress-Induced Reinstatement Of Alcohol-Seeking In Male Rats: Role Of The Central Amygdala, Hannah S. Ballas, Samantha M. Wilfur, Nicole A. Freker, Kah-Chung Leong

Psychology Faculty Research

Factors such as stress and anxiety often contribute to alcohol-dependent behavior and can trigger a relapse of alcohol addiction and use. Therefore, it is important to investigate potential pharmacological interventions that may alleviate the influence of stress on addiction-related behaviors. Previous studies have demonstrated that the neuropeptide oxytocin has promising anxiolytic potential in mammals and may offer a pharmacological target to diminish the emotional impact on reinstatement of alcohol-seeking. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of oxytocin on stress-induced alcohol relapse and identify a neural structure mediating this effect through the use of an ethanol …

Examination Of The Association Between C - Reactive Protein(Crp) And Covid-19 Infection Severity And Length Of Hospitalization, Abdulahi Aremu Ayanwale

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Chronic stress can lead to many systemic complications and low-grade systemic inflammation including increased levels of inflammatory cytokines, such as C-reactive protein (CRP). CRP is a marker of systemic inflammation and is associated with depression and perceived stress. Elevations can result in ineffective immune responses, thereby increasing the risk of complications and mortality from infections. Recent evidence suggests that uncontrolled inflammatory responses associated with COVID 19 are a major determinant of disease severity.  The COVID 19 is transmitted from one person to another through droplets from coughing, sneezing, talking, touching droplets on surfaces and contamination by hand-to-mouth routes. The mechanism …

Improving Stress Management For Female College Students, Kelsey Acosta

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Although many college students report feeling stress, women may have a unique perspective and experience regarding stress. Gilligan's theory states that women consider their relationships when considering decisions. This decision-making process can create an added layer of the already existing academic stressors that women face. Stress management techniques that acknowledge the unique stressors that women face are essential to improve mental health and provide an optimal college experience.

Stress Among Ncaa Division Ii Head Coaches, Dee Gerlach

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to identify factors that create stress among head coaches at the National Association Athletic Association Division II level. Data was collected through a demographic questionnaire and the Coaching Issues Survey (CIS), a tool used to measure specific factors that may create stress among coaches. The factors of the CIS include four subscales: Athlete-Concerns, Time-Role, Program-Success, and Win-Loss. Participants (N=416) consisted of head coaches representing the following sports: baseball, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, men’s golf, women’s golf, men’s and women’s golf, softball, women’s tennis, and men’s and women’s tennis. The independent variables for this …

Prevalence And Severity Of Stress Among Under Graduate Medical Students After Application Of Integrated Curriculum In University Of Kufa. A Comparative Cross Sectional Study, Ghufran Abd-Ali, Salam Mohammed

Iraqi Postgraduate Medical Journal

BACKGROUND: Stress is a process by which the environmental demands are more than the adaptive capability of                   a human leading to biological and psychological changes that make the individuals at risk for disorders. Medical students experience elevated stress level throughout their medical school life, and more liable to psychological distress and mental health problems than non-medical students, so that, stressors that confront medical students should be identified early for enabling interventions before development of more serious complications like burnout and depression. OBJECTIVE: Measure stress level among medical students of Kufa and Jabir ibn Hayyan medical colleges by using Kessler10 Psychological …

Mental Fatigue And Its Associated Factors Among Coal Mining Workers After One Year Of The Covid-19 Pandemic In Indonesia, Hendra Djamalus, Budi Utomo, I Made Djaja, Sjahrul M. Nasri

Kesmas

Mental fatigue among coal mining operators was related to driving activities that require high concentration. This study aimed to determine factors that contributed to mental fatigue among coal mine operators in Indonesia, specifically in Kalimantan and Sumatra, after a one-year COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-sectional study was conducted among 480 operators from two companies and seven sites. A self-administrated questionnaire in the Google Form was used to measure mental fatigue, the non-work-related factors (age, education, marital status, residence, and stress level), and work-related factors (working periods, shift pattern, type of shift, and work area in mining). The data analyzed using Chi-square …

To Engage Or Disengage: The Impact Of Coping Strategies, Sex, And Stress History On Cortisol Reactivity Among Urban Adolescents, Madeline Curzon

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Stress affects people daily and can prove maladaptive to mental health if chronic or acute. Effective coping responses may mitigate the negative effects of intense or prolonged stress through physiological processes such as HPA axis activity. Previous research has found one specific coping dimension, engagement/disengagement, to be predictive of cortisol reactivity in response to lab-induced stressors. Sex and stress history also contribute to the relationship between coping and cortisol reactivity. However, these processes are not as well understood in adolescent populations and have not been explored across different types of stressors. The present study explored the relationship between coping and …

Future Forward, Giancarlos Miranda

Kean Quest

As high school students begin to lay the groundwork for their careers, many are under pressure to succeed. According to the Global Organization of Stress, the number one health concern for high school students is stress. The added pressure of making an impression in high school and dealing with family circumstances can present emotions that can be hard to manage. A survey of high school students revealed that students are unsure how to plan for the future, what path they should take, and if they’re doing it for happiness, money, family, or others. “Future Forward” is an online platform providing …

Aspects Of The Physical Work Environment And Nursing Work, Yolanda Keys

Nursing Theses and Dissertations

Objective: The purpose of this body of work is to inform nurse leaders and design professionals of opportunities to leverage the physical environment to enhance the overall work environment for nurses.

Background: The environments in which nursing work takes place need to support the staff who work within them. Healthy work environments have been shown to improve outcomes for patients, nurses, and organizations; however, the contribution of the built environment to the overall work environment for nurses is not fully understood.

Methods: Included in this portfolio are three studies: 1) a descriptive study exploring the experiences of …

Identification Of Nurses' Stressors During Electronic Records Implementation, Brooke Brantley

Theses

The problem was a gap in knowledge regarding the stress nurses experience with electronic medical records. The participants were mostly female nurses working in a hospital during and 6-months after implementation of an electronic medical record. The Clinical Index of Stress was used to measure stress levels and two questionnaires were utilized to determine specific stressors and coping mechanisms. The findings represented no significant increase in stress overall at implementation and 6-months after implementation. There was a significant correlation between increased stress levels and increased age of participant with a Pearson coefficient of 0.771. The conclusions drawn indicate that age …

Coping With The Pandemic In College, Sam Beery

Honors Projects

This experiment studied the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the mental health of a college population from spring 2021 to fall 2021. It measured levels of stress, anxiety, coping strategies, depression, and social support reported by participants via several well validated psychological surveys. It was created with Qualtrics and distributed via advertisements in Campus Update and the SONA scheduler.

The Journey Towards Equilibrium: A Phenomenological Study Of The Master Of Social Work (Msw) Student Experience And Interrole Conflict, Nikol Downing

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the phenomenon of interrole conflict for master level social work (MSW) students in the United States. The two theories guiding this study are role theory and theory of self-care. Role theory allowed a framework for what interrole conflict is and how it impacts individuals who experience it. Understanding role conflict aided in understanding the experience of MSW students during their academic journey. Theory of self- care allowed a framework for understanding how self-care can combat some of the negative results of interrole conflict such as burnout or secondary traumatic stress. This …

The Effects Of Deployments On Alcohol Use, Stress, Mental Health, And Help-Seeking Behaviors In Military Spouses, Joanne Lorraine Coddington

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom have kept the United States military engaged in one of the longest wars in the nation’s history. Due to the high operations tempo during that time, both service members and their spouses have endured enormous difficulties as they learned to navigate the challenges brought forth by frequent deployments. The purpose of this research study was to study the alcohol consumption, mental health, stress, and help seeking behaviors of military spouses who have endured deployments, with the hypothesis that alcohol use will not increase during deployment, military spouses will report poorer mental health and …