Digital Commons Network^™

I Tie Flies In My Sleep: An Autoethnographic Examination Of Recreation And Reintegration For A Veteran With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Warren D. Price

Theses and Dissertations

This autoethnographic account details the author's ongoing struggle with combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and how leisure was integral to his journey toward recovery. By showing the mental and emotional struggles of life with the disorder, this paper offers an alternative viewpoint from the traditional scientific studies of PTSD which bury soldier's voices under layers of analysis. The purpose of this paper is to deepen and expand an understanding of both combat-related PTSD and the power of leisure in an individual's recovery from combat trauma

Mindfulness Meditation: Effects Of A Brief Intervention On Cardiovascular Reactivity During Acute Stress, Dustin Lamar Jones

Theses and Dissertations

Mindfulness has historically been cultivated via formal meditation practice and the majority of meditation research examines individuals with extensive training or participants in Mindfulness based stress reduction programs that require considerable expense, a trained facilitator, and take approximately 8 weeks to complete. However, current literature does not speak directly to those who do not have the time or ability for such commitments. Formal mindfulness meditation practice and interventions reduce stress in various populations; however, the outcomes of a one-time intervention are relatively unknown. This study aims to examine whether a one-time (20-min) mindfulness meditation intervention would improve cardiovascular variables during …

The Effects Of Coping, Self-Esteem, And Social Support On Stress And Wellbeing, Emily Meyerhoffer-Kubalik

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

The present study aimed to add to the literature on the internal and external factors that may buffer the negative effects of stress. Specifically, the present study examined the effects of coping styles, self-esteem, and social support on both psychological wellbeing and stress. Participants (N = 198) were administered a measure of coping styles (COPE), self-esteem (Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale), social support (SSQ-R), psychological wellbeing (MHI), and stress (ICSRLE). Results showed problem-focused coping and emotion-focused coping were associated with better psychological wellbeing and lower stress. Avoidant coping was associated with lower psychological wellbeing and higher stress. Self-esteem was also related to …

A Curriculum Of Experiences: Environmental Elements That Facilitate Or Mediate Stress, Compassion Fatigue And Burnout Among Educators, Scott David Mcmanus

Dissertations, Theses and Capstone Projects (Full IR Collection)

This study is a qualitative phenomenological exploration of the curriculum of experiences with environmental elements that contribute to, or mitigate, stress, compassion fatigue, and burnout among educators that work with special education students. A convenience sample of 24 participants representing 10 different job types was drawn from four schools in a single school district adjacent to a large metropolitan area in the Southern United States. Focus groups, semi-structured interviews, and prompted journal writings provided data that was systematically analyzed through holistic and contextually sensitive inductive processes to reveal seven emergent themes. Findings include narratives telling the stories of: how participants …

The Effects Of Acute Psychosocial Stress On Cognitive Performance, Anne I.S. Gray

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of acute psychosocial stress on cognitive performance. Psychosocial stress evolves from the perceived presence of a social evaluative threat and results in the activation of the home hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. As part of this reaction the stress hormone cortisol is secreted into the blood stream, ultimately crossing the blood-brain barrier, where it can have profound effects on various aspects of cognition. A review of the literature reveals that that attention, working memory, spatial judgment and cognitive processing efficiency are particularly susceptible to stress induced changes in performance level. A test battery …

Human Milk Cortisol Is Associated With Infant Temperament, Katherine R. Grey, Elyssia Poggi Davis, Curt A. Sandman, Laura M. Glynn

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

The implications of the biologically active elements in milk for the mammalian infant are largely unknown. Animal models demonstrate that transmission of glucocorticoids through milk influences behavior and modifies brain development in offspring. The aim of this study was to determine the relation between human milk cortisol levels and temperament of the breastfed infant. Fifty-two mother and infant pairs participated when the infants were three-months old. Milk cortisol levels were assessed and each mother completed the Infant Behavior Questionnaire (IBQ), a widely used parent-report measure of infant temperament. Analyses revealed a positive association between milk cortisol and the negative affectivity …

We Must All Work To Solve Childhood Obesity, Lisa Barkley

UCF Forum

Obesity is a global epidemic. It is particularly affecting our children and adolescents. This new phenomenon of having a chronic medical condition affecting such a large proportion of those under 18 years old is unprecedented.

Causes Of Stress And Coping Strategies Adopted By Undergraduate Health Professions Students In A University In The United Arab Emirates, Kadayam G. Gomathi, Soofia Ahmed, Jayadevan

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

Objectives: This study aimed to compare causes of stress and coping strategies adopted by a sample of undergraduate health-profession students at the Gulf Medical University, United Arab Emirates. Methods: An anonymous voluntary questionnaire-based survey was conducted, from January to July 2011, among first- and second-year medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and physiotherapy students (N = 212) to identify causes of stress. Coping strategies were studied using the Brief COPE Inventory. Results: Worries regarding the future (54.2%) and parental expectations (40.1%) were the major stressors. Poor diet (36.8%) and a lack of exercise (36.3%) were also reported to cause stress. Students used multiple …

An Experimental Investigation Of The Relationship Between Hoarding And Stress, Ashley M. Shaw

Open Access Theses

Hoarding is an impairing disorder characterized by difficulties with discarding one’s belongings and often excessive acquisition, which lead to extreme clutter. Of the hypothesized risk and maintenance factors for hoarding, stress has emerged as an important risk construct. Traumatic and stressful life events have been associated with greater hoarding symptoms and possibly the onset of symptoms; yet, past research is marked by methodological limitations. Using experimental methodology and multi-method assessments, the current study investigated the direct effect of a stress manipulation on subsequent hoarding behaviors; the associations of biological and subjective stress response with hoarding behaviors, symptoms, and cognitions; and …

All Work And No Play: New Reference Librarians And Stress, Anne Larrivee

Library Scholarship

Poster presented on the stresses of new reference librarians.

Stress, Depression, Quality Of Life, And Language Recovery In Constraint Induced Aphasia Therapy (Ciat), Brian Sharp

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Traditional aphasia treatment approaches focus initially on restoration of language, but quickly move to use of alternative modes of communication when progress is slow. Constraint Induced Aphasia Therapy (CIAT), a more intensive form of treatment, is based on the concept of frequent, long sessions and forced use of the impaired language system. Prior to the present study, the relationship between CIAT and stress had not been explored; therefore, this study compared cortisol stress levels and improvement of language skills in two groups of subjects, all of whom presented with expressive aphasia. Ten subjects participated in CIAT, and received 10 days …

Volunteering Among Surviving Spouses: The Impact Of Volunteer Activity On The Health Of The Recently Widowed, Kimberly J. Johnson

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Numerous studies link volunteering to positive mental and physical health for older adults, and recent studies have suggested that volunteering may be particularly beneficial for those who are widowed. This research examines the potential of volunteering to buffer participants from stress-related health declines associated with the death of a spouse.

Using the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), this research investigates the moderating role of volunteering on the self-rated health and depressive symptoms of recently widowed older adults. Consecutive waves of the HRS are used to identify respondents who experience the death of a spouse or who remain married, and those …

Identifying Medical Resident Stress With Work Domain Representation, Daniel Nystrom

Theses

Resident physicians must endure substantial amounts of stress to acquire the necessary skills and knowledge to become competent, certified physicians. Multiple factors that contribute to high levels of stress in different areas of the healthcare domain have been identified, but stress continues to be a major problem despite this knowledge and efforts to reduce it. This thesis describes a holistic approach to the problem of resident stress by employing methods of Cognitive Work Analysis to systematically review and organize relevant research literature, observations, interview responses, and survey information according to the area of the work domain where each stressor is …

The Investigation Of Risk Factors For Upper Respiratory Infections Among College Students, Romie Barnes

Honors Theses

Upper respiratory tract infections and cold-like illnesses are common sources of morbidity among college students. The emphasis of hand-washing and reducing the dispersal of aerosol droplets by covering coughs and sneezes reduces the spread of the common cold. However, less emphasis is placed on other risk factors for reducing cold-like illness such as: stress level and physical activity (Doyle and Cohens 2009). An increase in stress and a decrease in physical activity are common among college students (Nichol et al 2005). For this reason, the present study analyzed the effects of stress and physical activity on the incidence of upper …

Exploring The Relationships Of Perceived Workplace Incivility, Stress And Burnout On Nurses' Turnover Intentions, Turnover Rate And Perceived Level Of Psychological Empowerment Through The Lens Of Complexity Science, Olubunmi O. Oyeleye

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Session presented on Sunday, April 14, 2013:

This study was designed to explore the relationships between perceived workplace incivility, stress and burnout on turnover intentions, turnover rates and perceived level of psychological empowerment among critical care and medical surgical nurses in community and tertiary hospitals through the lens of complexity science. Nurses' turnover and empowerment have become a workplace priority in healthcare. A non- experimental study was done using a 72 item survey. Findings demonstrated significant relationships (P

Examining Stress And Performance Anxiety As Predicting Factors Of Athletic Burnout In Collegiate Student-Athletes, Drew Barnard

Undergraduate Psychology Research Methods Journal

In the past, burnout has been a popular topic for research. However, within the realm of athletics, a majority of such research has been focused on coaches, athletic department staff, and athletic trainers. The purpose of this study was to assess potential contributing factors of burnout among student-athletes at Lindenwood University, an institution with National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division II and Student-Life athletic programs. Completion of four questionnaires was required in this study; a Perceived Stress Scale (Cohen, 1983), a Self-Rated Anxiety Scale (Zung, 1979), a Modified Burnout Questionnaire (Harris, 2005), and a Demographic Questionnaire. The student-athletes who participated …

Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence And People’S Abilities To Cope With Stress, Lucile Michel

Undergraduate Psychology Research Methods Journal

Nowadays, it is really important for the researchers to understand the origins of stress, because it has been established that stress is really harmful for the human beings and is the cause to many diseases. Emotional intelligence has been shown to influence various areas of life, while several research studies state that EI has an effect on people’s abilities to cope with stress. Many studies affirm that EI, because of its effect on perceived stress, would have an influence on people’s aptitudes to manage a team, communicating with colleagues, and leadership skills. Because, today, in many workplaces, for interviews, managers …

Work/Life Boundary Management In An Integrative Environment: A Study Of Residence Life Professionals Who Live At Their Place Of Work, Pressley Robinson Rankin Iv Phd

Dissertations

How individuals manage work/life boundaries when they live at the place they work, as opposed to working from home, is a gap in both work/life literature and in higher education literature. An obvious example from higher education is the resident life professional that lives in the residential facility that she or he oversees. Living in a residential facility creates challenges to boundary creation. The job requirements; pressures from students and staff; supervisor expectations, both spoken and unspoken; and the physical location of their home within the building creates a highly boundary integrative environment making the establishment of boundaries difficult. The …

Stress, Coping, And Depression In Adolescents： A Longitudinal Analysis Of Data From National Longitudinal Study Of Adolescent Health, Xiaoyun Zhang

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The study examined the relationships among stress, coping and depression using the public-use data from the first three waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Harris & Udry, 1994-2008). The total sample of 3844 participants aged from 11 to 27 was included in the analysis. Latent growth curve modeling was used to identify the developmental trajectories of depressive symptoms and stressful life events from age 12 to age 24, respectively; Latent growth curve modeling with two-construct parallel processes was used to examine the associations between stressful life events and depressive symptoms over time. Path analysis was used to …

Ethical Imperatives Of Teaching Stress Control To Promote Well-Being., Clayton Coleman

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

The overarching purpose of this thesis is to explain why the creation of a program that facilitates and maintains good mental health is ethically imperative. This paper will focus on the ethical primacy of mental health within a population as opposed to physical health. A key factor that this paper will take into account is the way that stress affects physical health and how stress is disproportionately spread through the population. It recognizes that an individual’s mental health status can be influenced by their particular life circumstances and/or socioeconomic status, which can be seen as constitutive luck. Those disadvantaged segments …

Factors Affecting Daily Stress In Siblings Of Children With Special Needs, Todd Blackwill

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

For families who have a children with disabilities, a great amount of stress are put on not only the primary caregivers but all members of the family unit. This study examined what factors influence stress experienced by siblings of children with disabilities. These factors included severity of the children’s disabilities, gender of the siblings, how much help the siblings provide in the care of the children with disabilities, and the number of people in the families. The purpose was to raise awareness of the participants and pinpoint certain characteristics that affect how frequent and how intense stress is experienced by …

Family-Friendly Work Environment? An Investigation Of Women's Job Stress And Satisfaction, Nina Ciric

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Little research has focused on women with and without children in the workplace and their work-life balance. This study is conducted through the lens of organizational culture in order to determine how different workplace policies can influence women and their job satisfaction and level of job stress. The participants for this study included 172 female students and staff (working full and part time) from an institution of higher education in South Texas. Results showed no significant differences in women's job satisfaction or stress level at work, regardless of having children or not. However, there is a positive relationship between women's …

Self-Reported Emotional States And Air Traffic Controller Operational Error Rates In Advanced Air Traffic Control Students, Aaron Jon Sour

Theses and Dissertations

Maintaining high safety standards is essential for the aviation industry. Reducing the rate of human error throughout the various fields of aviation is essential in order to continue to promote and mitigate aviation incidents. Air traffic controllers work in high stress environments, requiring them to make hundreds or even thousands of individual decisions in regard to aircraft positioning on a daily basis. All it takes is for one small operational error in order for an accident to occur and hundreds of lives to be lost. Understanding potential influences upon air traffic controllers’ decision making processes is crucial in order to …

Teacher Stress And Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Annie M. Ellis

Honors Theses

There are many factors that can contribute to teacher stress in a primary school classroom. The classroom experience can be examined through various aspects, including the particular types of students that make up the class. Teachers can experience stress at a variety of levels in response to certain situations in their classroom experience, such as the presence of students with suspected and/or diagnosed ADD/ADHD in the classroom. Previous research has argued that teaching these students can be more challenging than when teaching other students. In this study, stress was measured using an altered version of the Perceived Stress Scale. The …

Assessing Behavior Change Related To Acute Stress Exposure In The Zebrafish, Christine E. Breazeale

Honors Theses

Stress affects how we function in all aspects of our lives. It is our physiological response to a threat. In fact, its origins were very adaptive. Stress can cause an animal to flee a predator and avoid being eaten. In today’s society, stress can prompt us to work harder to achieve a good education or promotion at work so that we can afford food, shelter, and entertainment. But stress can also impair performance at work, on tests, and even can cause long-term bodily harm. In order to fully understand the deleterious effects of stress and thereby properly treat it, it …

Exploring Executive Control As An Underlying Mechanism Of Emotion Regulation And Stress Response, Meghan E. Quinn

Open Access Theses

Previous research has demonstrated a link among stress response, emotion regulation, and executive control, such that greater executive control is associated with ability to use emotion regulation strategies that may promote adaptive responding to stressors. However, evidence of this relation is correlational and it is therefore not clear whether the ability to adaptively respond to stressors is caused by executive control abilities. Recent research has found that changing cognitive biases through training results in changes in emotion regulation ability. Additional research indicates that executive control may also be trained in a similar manner. The current study employed a training design …

An Examination Of School Principals', Teachers', And Other Support Staff's Perception Of Stress In The School Setting, Shunji Quenae Brown-Woods

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Job stress in school staff is a concern for school systems and has an impact on many organizational factors within the school setting. The extent to which school personnel are aware of their stress, coping mechanisms and coping strategies is the focus of this study. The literature review highlights various aspects of stress including the physiology of stress, economic implications, specific job stressors in the field of education, burnout indicators for teachers, principal's awareness of stress, and coping strategies available and reportedly used by school staff.Three job type groups participated in the study: principals, teachers, and support staff. The study …

Early Prenatal Food Supplementation Ameliorates Thenegative Association Of Maternal Stress With Birth Size In A Randomised Trial, Amy L. Frith, Ruchira T. Naved, Lars Ake Persson, Edward A. Frongillo Jr.

Faculty Publications

Low birthweight increases the risk of infant mortality, morbidity and poor development. Maternal nutrition and stress influence birth size, but their combined effect is not known.We hypothesised that an early-invitation time to start a prenatal food supplementation programme could reduce the negative influence of prenatal maternal stress on birth size, and that effect would differ by infant sex. A cohort of 1041 pregnant women, who had delivered an infant, June 2003–March 2004, was sampled from among 3267 in the randomised controlled trial, Maternal Infant Nutritional Interventions Matlab, conducted in Matlab, Bangladesh. At 8 weeks gestation, women were randomly assigned an …

How The Stresses Of Generational Status Predict The Self-Efficacy And Academic Performace Of Undergraduate Students, Kyriante' Savonn Henry

XULAneXUS

No abstract provided.

Compassion Meditation Vs. Mindfulness Meditation: Effect On Attitude And Disposition, Graham G. Maione

Senior Honors Projects

Meditation is a practice that originated primarily in the Eastern spiritual traditions over twelve thousand years ago. Mindfulness meditation, also called Samatha meditation in Buddhism, is the practice of quieting one’s mind by turning focused attention to the senses currently being experienced, in particular; the breath. This sort of purposeful attention to breath alone creates a feeling of serenity rarely experienced in everyday life due to the quieting of mind in synchronization with the body. Compassion meditation, also called Metta meditation differs in the sense that its main objective is to harness feelings of love, positivity and compassion towards others …