Digital Commons Network^™

An 8-Week Peer Health Coaching Intervention Among College Students: A Pilot Randomized Study, Zi Yan, Jessica Cellucci, Juliana Cohen, Laura Kurdziel, Sarah Benes, Seungbin Oh, April Bowling

Health Sciences Faculty Publications

This study explored the effects of an 8-week peer coaching program on physical activity (PA), diet, sleep, social isolation, and mental health among college students in the United States. A total of 52 college students were recruited and randomized to the coaching (n = 28) or the control group (n = 24). The coaching group met with a trained peer health coach once a week for 8 weeks focusing on self-selected wellness domains. Coaching techniques included reflective listening, motivational interviews, and goal setting. The control group received a wellness handbook. PA, self-efficacy for eating healthy foods, quality of sleep, social …

The Association Of Emotional Eating With Overweight/Obesity, Depression, Anxiety/Stress, And Dietary Patterns: A Review Of The Current Clinical Evidence, Antonios Dakanalis, Maria Mentzelou, Souzana K. Papadopoulou, Dimitrios Papandreou, Maria Spanoudaki, Georgios K. Vasios, Eleni Pavlidou, Maria Mantzorou, Constantinos Giaginis

All Works

(1) Background: Emotional eating is considered as the propensity to eat in response to emotions. It is considered as a critical risk factor for recurrent weight gain. Such overeating is able to affect general health due to excess energy intake and mental health. So far, there is still considerable controversy on the effect of the emotional eating concept. The objective of this study is to summarize and evaluate the interconnections among emotional eating and overweight/obesity, depression, anxiety/stress, and dietary patterns; (2) Methods: This is a thorough review of the reported associations among emotional eating and overweight/obesity, depression, anxiety/stress, and dietary …

Student-Athlete Perceptions Of Sources Of Stress And Coping, Tyler Richardson, Lucas Lancaster, Cory Driskill, Melissa D. Long

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

The purpose of this study was to explore stress in student-athletes. Stress, especially distress, can lead to mental health issues. This topic has traditionally not been discussed in coaching but is becoming more necessary. Student-athletes are more in tune with their mental health than even before, and coaches are not always sure how to handle situations that arise on this topic. PURPOSE: The intent of this study was to help strength and conditioning coaches become more aware of their student-athletes’ stress and coping mechanisms. METHODS: This study was conducted through an emailed survey to student-athletes. No identifying information …

Conditioned Place Avoidance Is Associated With A Distinct Hippocampal Phenotype, Partly Preserved Pattern Separation, And Reduced Reactive Oxygen Species Production After Stress, D. Parker Kelley, Lucas Albrechet-Souza, Shealan Cruise, Rajani Maiya, Aspasia Destouni, Siva S.V.P. Sakamuri, Alexander Duplooy, Meghan Hibicke, Charles Nichols, Prasad V.G. Katakam, Nicholas W. Gilpin, Joseph Francis

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Stress is associated with contextual memory deficits, which may mediate avoidance of trauma-associated contexts in posttraumatic stress disorder. These deficits may emerge from impaired pattern separation, the independent representation of similar experiences by the dentate gyrus-Cornu Ammonis 3 (DG-CA3) circuit of the dorsal hippocampus, which allows for appropriate behavioral responses to specific environmental stimuli. Neurogenesis in the DG is controlled by mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and may contribute to pattern separation. In Experiment 1, we performed RNA sequencing of the dorsal hippocampus 16 days after stress in rats that either develop conditioned place avoidance to a predator urine-associated …

Salivary Cortisol Analysis In Collegiate Female Lacrosse Athletes, Jenna L. Carter, Stephanie L. Mathews, Yvette L. Figueroa, Jennifer A. Bunn

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 16(6): 242-251, 2023. Cortisol is a hormone that corresponds to physiological and emotional stress. The purpose of this study was to 1) evaluate the changes in cortisol in female Division I collegiate lacrosse players (n = 15) throughout the competitive season, and 2) evaluate the correlation between cortisol and athlete wellness and workload. Salivary cortisol samples were collected weekly in the morning throughout the entirety of the 2021 competitive season (12 weeks). Subjective athlete total wellness scores and sub-scores (muscle soreness, sleep quality, fatigue, and stress) were taken on the same days. Objective total …

A Preliminary Study Of Perceptions Of Community Hospitals In Cairo, Egypt: Towards Healthy Environmental Design, Veronica Iskander

Theses and Dissertations

Hospitals are a place that people dread and often avoid. Negative experiences in hospitals can contribute to pain and suffering, as well as to stress, loss of control and overall discomfort. While architecture has the power to heal when designed and maintained, it also has the power to harm if not done right. Each architectural element then has the potential to either reduce stress or contribute to it. From the location of the hospital to the colors used, there are many factors that work together to create a safe welcoming space promoting healing for all. In this study, a checklist …

The Metabolic And Physiological Demands Of A Simulated Fire Ground Test Versus A Live-Fire Training Evolution In Professional Firefighters, Drew Edward Gonzalez, Hunter Waldman, Matthew J. Mcallister

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 16(7): 230-241, 2023. Objective: This study examined the similarities in metabolic and physiological demands of a fire ground test (FGT) and a live fire training evolution. Methods: Twenty-seven firefighters completed either a FGT (n = 13) or a live fire training evolution (n = 14). Salivary samples were collected pre, immediately post, and 30-minutes post FGT and live fire training evolution, and analyzed for cortisol, uric acid, and interleukin-1β (IL-1β). Heart rate (HR) was measured pre- and post-task. Results: Both tasks resulted in significant elevations in cortisol, IL-1β, and HR. Conclusions: Both the …

The Relationship Of Social Determinants And Distress In Newly Diagnosed Cancer Patients, Brandon Okeke, Cheron Hillmon, Jasmine Jones, Grace Obanigba, Ann Obi, Meagan Nkansah, Nicholas Odiase, Kamil Khanipov, Ikenna C. Okereke

Surgery Articles

Patients with a new cancer diagnosis can experience distress when diagnosed. There are disparities in treatment of cancer patients based on social determinants, but minimal research exists on the relationship of those social determinants and distress after a new cancer diagnosis. Our goals were to determine the social determinants associated with distress after a new cancer diagnosis and determine the relationship of distress with outcome. Patients with a new cancer diagnosis at one institution from January 2019 to December 2020 were analyzed. Patients were given the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) distress thermometer during their first visit. Demographics, tumor characteristics, …

Police Demographics And Stress Relief Program Utilization, Michael Wayne Whittington

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Police officers face challenges from operational and organizational stressors. Officers often have access to stress relief programs offered by their employers such as Peer Support Programs, Employee Assistance Programs, or Chaplaincy Programs. The implementation of these stress relief programs is based on the perception of need and anecdotal evidence. Police stress and stress relief studies offer mixed results as to the way an officer chooses one program or another. One understudied area to determine stress relief program utilization is demographics. Variables such as experience, education, marital status, race, sexuality, and gender may factor into the decision as to which stress …

Emotional Distress, Self-Management, And Glycemic Control Among Participants Enrolled In The Glycemia Reduction Approaches In Diabetes: A Comparative Effectiveness (Grade) Study, Jeffrey S Gonzalez, Heidi Krause-Steinrauf, Ionut Bebu, Gladys Crespo-Ramos, Claire J Hoogendoorn, Aanand D Naik, Andrea Waltje, Elizabeth Walker, Dominic Ehrmann, Janet Brown-Friday, Andrea Cherrington

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVE: We examined emotional distress in relation to metformin adherence, overall diabetes self-management, and glycemic control among adults with early type 2 diabetes (T2DM) enrolled in the GRADE study.

METHODS: Linear regression models examined cross-sectional associations of baseline depression symptoms and diabetes distress with adherence to metformin, self-management, and HbA1c, adjusting for covariates. Cognitive-affective (e.g., sadness) and somatic (e.g., sleep/appetite disturbance) depression symptoms and diabetes distress subscales were also examined.

RESULTS: This substudy of 1,739 GRADE participants (56 % Non-Hispanic White, 18 % Non-Hispanic Black, 17 % Hispanic, 68 % male, mean[SD] age = 57.96[10.22] years, diabetes duration = 4.21[2.81] …

Racial Microaggressions: Experiences Among International Students In Australia And Its Impact On Stress And Psychological Wellbeing

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

No abstract provided.

Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Techniques In Chronic Illness, Anna Celia Gil

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Chronic stress and its effect on both physical and mental health have been a topic of increasing interest in the past several decades. There is mounting evidence that recurrent, persistent stress of both a physiologic and psychological nature leads to a dysfunction in the hypothalamic pituitary axis (HPA), the system which helps the body recover and adapt to short term stress. In long term stress, this HPA dysfunction leads to impairment of the immune and neuroendocrine systems resulting in chronic low-grade inflammation. This type of chronic inflammation acts as a precursor to several chronic illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension, …

An Examination Of Discrimination On Stress, Depression, And Oppression-Based Trauma During The Covid-19 Pandemic And The Racial Awakening Of 2020, Ardhys N. De Leon, Jacqueline Woerner, Robert D. Dvorak, Jonathan Cox, Tatiana D. Magri, Emma R. Hayden, Manik Ahuja, Angela M. Haeny

ETSU Faculty Works

Background

Methods

A Prospective Evaluation Of The Effects Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Youth With Primary Headache Disorders., Mark Connelly, Jennifer J. Dilts, Madeline Boorigie, Trevor Gerson

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Alterations in certain academic and social/family routines during the COVID-19 pandemic have been speculated to be either a risk factor or buffer for poor health outcomes for youth with stress-sensitive health conditions such as primary headache disorders. The current study evaluated patterns and moderators of pandemic impacts on youth with primary headache disorders, with an aim of extending our understanding of the relationship between stress, resilience, and outcomes in this population. Children recruited from a headache clinic in the midwestern United States reported on their headaches, schooling, routines, psychological stress, and coping at four timepoints ranging from within a few …

Coping Mechanisms In Graduate School: A Discipline Comparison, Sandra P. Montenegro

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

The current study aimed to provide an overview of graduate students’ stress and coping mechanisms. Per self-reported questionnaires, participants (N=95) rated their experiences with academic-related stressors, common coping mechanisms, and strain outcomes (somatic symptoms, insomnia, and burnout). This study found that task-related stressors were the most prevalent for graduate schoolwork. More specifically, graduate students in STEM, Arts & Humanities, and Social Sciences rated the amount and difficulty of the tasks (quantitative and qualitative properties of tasks) as the highest stressors in graduate school. The preferred coping strategies across all fields were planning and emotional coping. Additionally, students in STEM reported …

A Scoping Review Of Campus-Based Animal-Assisted Interactions Programs For College Student Mental Health, Tanya K. Bailey

People and Animals: The International Journal of Research and Practice

Background: People have long found support by interacting with animals, which has developed into a health care modality called animal-assisted interactions (AAI). In the past 10 years, AAI has increased as a way to support college students’ mental health; however, there is no comprehensive evidence on the effectiveness of these programs.
Method: A scoping review was conducted using the JBI and PRISMA-ScR criteria. Empirical articles were identified through Academic Search Premier (EBSCOhost), PsychINFO (Ovid), and Web of Science using three groups of keywords: AAI, college students, and mental health.
Results: Of the 1,195 publications identified, 37 met this study’s eligibility …

Creating Equitable And Sustainable Opportunities For Nature Immersion To Support Restoration From Stress Within Mental Health Nursing: A Critical Interpretive Synthesis, Sarah Howes, Paul Warwick

School of Nursing and Midwifery

In the face of global environmental changes threatening health, and despite increased calls for nurses to broker access to nature-based well-being interventions for people with mental health difficulties, there is a surprising absence of literature examining the nature–nursing relationship, inhibiting its inclusion within nursing curricula and practice. This critical interpretive synthesis supports the notion that nature immersion has the capacity to increase positive affect, reduce negative affect, provide restoration from everyday stress, promote meaning-making, enhance belonging, and foster an interest in caring for the natural world. Yet, critical examination of the literature reveals multiple social and environmental inequalities and unmasks …

Effect Of Nascent Entrepreneurs' Training On Their Stress: The Role Of Gender And Participants' Interaction, Etienne St-Jean, Maripier Tremblay, Franck Barès, Monica Simionato

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

Purpose: A career in entrepreneurship is stressful, especially during the start-up phase. Training programs for these nascent entrepreneurs are designed to improve entrepreneurial competencies and, more generally to generate learnings. Although learning outcomes can reduce stress, the conditions under which this can happen are not fully understood. The study looks particularly at the effect of learning, interaction with other participants and gender.

Design/methodology/approach: A six-month three-wave longitudinal study of 120 nascent entrepreneurs has been conducted to investigate the before-and-after effects of training on stress reduction. The training is specially designed to develop competencies, share knowledge about business creation and support …

Developing An Ecological Model Of Turnover Intent: Associations Among Child Welfare Caseworkers’ Characteristics, Lived Experience, Professional Attitudes, Agency Culture, And Proclivity To Leave, Dana M. Hollinshead, Rebecca Orsi

QIC-WD Journal Articles

Almost a quarter of the child welfare workforce leaves their job each year, and despite clarion calls over the decades, our insights into dynamics underlying turnover remain limited. Using survey data from 276 caseworkers in a Midwestern state, this analysis explores an array of personality, stress, attitudinal, and perception measures and their association with three measures of turnover intent: thinking about quitting, intending to search, and intent to leave. Findings indicate that controlling for demographic factors, burnout, and confidence in decision support from agency leadership had consistent and strong associations with all three outcomes (positive for burnout; negative for decision …

Impact Of Perfectionism, Social Media, And Sleep Hygiene, On Stress In Students From Health Professions Programs, Dayton Duane Braley Spt, Madisyn Ann Dingmann Spt, Brooke Elizabeth Grussing Spt, Justin Daniel Heinrichs Spt, Trystin Renae Nilson Spt

Physical Therapy Student Research Projects

Title: Impact of Perfectionism, Social Media, and Sleep Hygiene, on Stress in Students from Health Professions Programs

Purpose: Explore the impact and relationships of perfectionism, sleep, and social media on stress in health profession students.

Methods: After IRB approval, 62 health pre-professional/professional students completed this non-experimental survey via Qualtrics. The survey consisted of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (FMPS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), questions about social media usage, and demographic characteristics. Surveys were completed in 2021.

Results: Participant demographics included: 50 female, 12 male; Mean Age (24.16); Program of Study (23 PT, 9 OT, 13 …

What I Need: Self Care At The Unit Level, Jessica A. Tindal

Nursing Posters

Purpose:

Self-care is individualized and best done when awarded on a small scale.

Goals:

For all employees of the ICU to:

• Feel valued outside of work
• Be recognized for taking care of themselves
• Participate in positive discussions
• Be rewarded for work life balance
• Be reminded of self-care
• Not feel alone with their thoughts
• Pause and reflect
• Help others, spouses, kids, etc.

Future plans include:

• Seasonal questions of things to see, places to explore
• Recipe sharing
• Hobby experts
• Focusing on staffs' interests

Therapy Dog Utilization On A University Campus And The Effects On Stress, Anxiety, And University Connection, Mistie M. Bibbee

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this non-experimental, descriptive study was to determine the effects that regular, brief visits with therapy dogs may have on the stress, anxiety, and university connection of college students who live in the residence halls via a qualitative research design involving the use of observations, questionnaires, and individual interviews. The study involved a sample (n = 6) of undergraduate students who engaged in observed visits with therapy dogs and their handlers over the course of three to four weeks. Students completed a pre-and-post Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS) questionnaire and a final interview. Based on the findings …

Stress In The Clinical Education Environment: Exploring The Lived Experiences Of Physical Therapy Students, Christina E. P. Anderson

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many Americans experience high levels of stress, particularly young adults and college students. Stress has been found to be particularly high among students in the health professions, including physical therapy students. High levels of stress, chronic stress, or stress that is not well managed can have negative effects on physical and mental health. Stress can also have positive effects, particularly at low or moderate levels and when it is transient. Clinical education is the liminal space between a student’s educational program and practice in which students have the opportunity to experience real-life stressors, practice stress management skills, and develop habits …

Social And Economic Capital As Effect Modifiers Of The Association Between Psychosocial Stress And Oral Health, Abby L J Hensel, Noha Gomaa

Dentistry Publications

OBJECTIVES: To assess the extent of the association of psychosocial stress with oral health in an Ontario population stratified by age groups, and whether any association is modified by indicators of social and economic capital.

METHODS: We retrieved data of 21,320 Ontario adults, aged 30-74 years old, from the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS: 2017-2018), which is a Canada-wide, cross-sectional survey. Using binomial logistic regression models that adjusted for age, sex, education, and country of birth, we examined the association of psychosocial stress (indicated by perceived life stress) with inadequate oral health (indicated as having at least one of the …

Promoting Well-Being Among Intercollegiate Student-Athletes: A Gratitude Intervention Using Positive Psychology, Laura Kruger

Dissertations and Theses

Intercollegiate student-athletes face rising stress and pressures which challenge their well-being and mental health, and sometimes with alarming concerns. Over the years, supportive services and resources specifically available to student-athletes have not evolved at the same pace as student-athlete needs. Also, barriers and stigmas hinder student-athletes from readily accessing supportive mental health services. The high stress of student-athletes can contribute to the development of negative mental health symptoms and impairs positive well-being. Evidence supports how outreach initiatives help student-athletes. Positive psychology, including gratitude as a positive psychological state, has shown benefits to well-being. This experimental study design researched if the …

Down The Leash: A Phenomenological Study Of K9 Officers Stresses And Rewards, Jennifer C. Anglin

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to understand and relay the phenomenon of stress in K9 officers compared to before they took on the additional responsibilities of becoming K9 officers and the rewards that come with their position. Qualitative semi-structured interviews with K9 officers was the tool used to collect and analyze the data. Research questions began with basic demographic information and transitioned into lifestyle and stress-related questions. Eight K9 officers representing state troopers, county sheriff deputies, and city officers participated in the interviews where data saturation was obtained. After the data were coded and analyzed, five distinct themes emerged: family life, extra …

The Effects Of A Six-Week Mindfulness Intervention Designed For Adolescents On Emotion Regulation And Perceived Stress In College Students, Theodora Malinowski

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

College students are a vulnerable population to developing mental health problems. Without adequate emotion regulation abilities and adaptive coping skills to manage stress, college students are at risk of experiencing negative mental and physical health outcomes. Mindfulness has been shown to improve mental and physical health. Unfortunately, many mindfulness interventions are developed with the needs of adults in mind. Some features of common mindfulness programs, such as cost and required length of daily practice, make the interventions difficult for most college students to access. The present study investigated the effects of a six-week mindfulness intervention (Learning to BREATHE) that was …

The Effect Of Educational Versus Recreational Screen Time On Depression Levels Among University Students, Gage Guettler

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Despite the amount of people currently using technology and the overwhelming amount of data already presented on the topic of how technology affects a person's mental health, there seems to be little information on how the different types of activities on the different types of screens affect university student's mental states. This research study examined the amount of time that a University of Central Florida (UCF) student spends on what was defined as educational activities in front of screens and what was defined as recreational. The definitions of what is educational and what is recreational screen time came from a …

Occupational Therapy Practitioners’ Perceptions Of Workplace Stressors In One Nursing Home Post Pandemic, Owen T. Tabelisma

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Executive Summary

Background:

Multiple stress-related issues brought on by the pandemic affected healthcare staff, including occupational therapists. Nursing home settings were particularly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. It is important to understand how occupational therapy practitioners in nursing home settings managed stress during the pandemic and how they perceived stress after it passed.

Purpose:

The purpose of this qualitative study was to evaluate occupational therapy practitioners ’perceptions of workplace stressors in one nursing home during the pandemic and to understand how these stressors may have changed post-pandemic.

Theoretical Framework:

The Occupational Adaptation (OA) model was the theoretical framework that served …

Perceived Nexus Between Non-Invigilated Summative Assessment And Mental Health Difficulties: A Cross Sectional Studies, Amanda Graf, Esther Adama, Ebenezer Afrifa-Yamoah, Kwadwo Adusei-Asante

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The COVID-19 pandemic rapidly led to changes in the mode of teaching, learning and assessments in most tertiary institutions worldwide. Notably, non-invigilated summative assessments became predominant. These changes heightened anxiety and depression, especially among individuals with less resilient coping mechanism. We explored the perceptions and experiences of mental health difficulties of students in tertiary education regarding non-invigilated alternative assessments in comparison to invigilated assessments. A pragmatic, mixed method cross sectional design was conducted online via Qualtrics. Thematic analysis of text was carried out using NVivo 12. In the quantitative analysis, univariable and multivariable ordinal logistic models were used to examine …