Kinesiology Commons^™

The Anatomical Embodiment Of Morning Routines In The Reduction Of Anxiety: An Intervention, Natalie Wright

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The topic under investigation is whether physically embodying a morning routine that was designed through the lens of Laban Bartenieff Movement Analysis (LBMA) will reduce daily symptoms of individuals diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder.

Since morning routines play a significant part in one’s preparation for the day, I created an individualized LBMA morning routine for a specific client to embody. In addition to the routine, the client documented the process of their anxiety levels on a weekly basis. This client was a white, female, 19-year-old, lesbian college student who was previously diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). The movement analysis …

Depression, Anxiety, And Estimated Cardiorespiratory Fitness In College Students, Christian Ison

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Depression and anxiety disorders are two common mental health conditions worldwide. College students are considered a high-risk population for the development of these conditions. Improved cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) has been shown to decrease depression and anxiety risk, symptoms, and severity but this relationship and the extent to which improved CRF can reduce these risks has yet to be examined in the college student population. Validated and reliable non-exercise estimated cardiorespiratory fitness (eCRF) algorithms could be used to identify relationships and associations with depression and anxiety severity levels among college students. The purpose of this study was to assess eCRF and …

Exercise And Mental Health Over The Course Of A Semester, Jamie Alexis Whitney

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction and purpose: Anxiety and depression are two of the most common mental health struggles in the United States each year. There has been promising research noting the positive effects of exercise on lowering symptoms of both anxiety and depression. Anxiety and depression are highly prevalent on college campuses, especially during high stress portions of the semester. The purpose of this study was to observe the changes in mental health over the course of the semester and if exercise level mediated any of these changes in the university population. Methods: Participants scanned a QR code or followed a link to …

Effects Of Home-Based High-Intensity Interval Training Versus Continuous Walking On Cognition In Overweight And Obese Women, Kelsey C. Bourbeau

Health, Exercise, and Sports Sciences ETDs

Objective: The purpose of the present study was to determine whether six weeks of home-based high-intensity interval training versus six weeks of moderate-intensity walking improves cognition, depression, and anxiety in women that are overweight or obese. Design: A randomized control trial design. Subjects: Twelve sedentary women characterized as overweight or obese were randomized into either a six-week home-based high-intensity interval training (HIIT, n = 6, 26.6 ± 8.9 years, 37.4 ± 4.9% body fat) group or a six-week moderate-intensity walking (Walk, n = 6, 22.5 ± 3.7 years, 40.2 ± 4.1% body fat) group. Main Measures: Pre- and post-intervention, participants …

Confidence And Anxiety When Returning To Play Post-Injury, Gianna Sciarappa

Honors Senior Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

A Comparison Of The Magnitude Of The Mental Health Benefits Of Exercising Outdoors Vs Exercising Indoors: A Review, Greta M. Rueschmann

MSU Graduate Theses

Many people in the United States suffer from poor mental health which can lead to suicide, self-harm, or negative effects on job performance and relationships. Not everyone can afford traditional therapy nor feels comfortable with it. With a greater emphasis placed on taking care of one’s mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic, there should also be a greater emphasis placed on finding alternative types of therapy that can be matched to individuals based on their personalities and preferences. One such alternative is outdoor exercise. This review was conducted to examine whether exercising or performing physical activity outdoors results in greater …

Exploring The Usefulness Of Mindfulness Practices Through Zoom Meetings In Reducing Anxiety And/Or Stress Of Adults With Learning And Developmental Disabilities During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Thatiane Abra

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This thesis explored which mindfulness meditations or mindfulness practices could be beneficial in the online sessions, the extent to which adults with learning and developmental disabilities could learn the practices remotely, and how stress and anxiety disorders could be reduced through online mindfulness interventions. Furthermore, it was also necessary to address the online sessions as the only mental health treatment possibility during the Coronavirus pandemic for the clients observed and the benefits and limitations of these interventions. Additionally, the importance of structure and routine for this population, the multi-modal structure of the interventions, and how attunement plays an important role …

Effects Of A Mental Skills Training Program On Performance In Distance Runners, Neil Patrick Bangs

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Anxiety affects nearly 20% of the United States population and can have a significant impact on athletic performance. However, athletes can mitigate the effects of performance anxiety through the use of mental skills and mindfulness training. Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine if a mental training and mindfulness intervention could reduce anxiety and enhance performance in distance runners. Hypothesis: The hypothesis of the study was that athletes would experience less anxiety, increased levels of mindfulness, and improved performance following a four-workshop intervention. Methods: Distance runners engaged in a mental skills and mindfulness training program where we …

An Investigation Of Athletic Buoyancy In Adult Recreational And Sport Club Athletes, Jackie Rae Victoriano Calhoun

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Athletic buoyancy is the ability of an athlete to effectively handle the daily setbacks and challenges they face during training and competition. Although buoyancy has received ample research in the academic domain, a dearth of information exists regarding buoyancy in the athletic domain. Therefore, the overall purpose of this dissertation was to investigate athletic buoyancy’s independent contribution to sport psychology while also exploring antecedents and outcomes in adult athletes.

Study 1 compared athletic buoyancy to other cognate constructs, or similar constructs, to determine their conceptual boundaries. A one-time, online questionnaire was distributed to 294 recreational athletes (M age = …

A Qualitative Investigation Into The Influence Of A Mental Health Physical Activity Intervention On University Students, Heather M. Tunks

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Objective

Among the university student population, mental illnesses are highly prevalent. Adults aged 20-30 years have the highest rates of mood and anxiety disorders than any other age group, with approximately 12.0% diagnosed with an anxiety disorder and 7.0 to 9.0% experiencing clinical depression (Nunes et al., 2014; Pedrelli, Nyer, Yeung, Zulauf, & Wilens, 2015). Reducing or preventing the effects of mental illness among this population may have lifelong implications including improvements in coping and management of mental illness throughout the lifespan(Jaworska, DeSomma, Fonseka, Heck, & MacQueen, 2016). This research examines the lived experiences of volunteers and participants in a …

Pilot Study: Heart Rate Variability Analysis And Mental Health Outcomes In University Female Hockey Players, Kaitlyn Jacobs

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Exercise improves anxiety and depression, both of which are associated with impaired autonomic regulation of heart rate (HR). In turn, HR variability (HRV) is a reliable physiological indicator of external stressors. The following research tested the hypothesis that HRV is indicative of chronic resilience towards mental stress in female varsity hockey players. Seventeen varsity hockey players (HOCK, age 21 ± 1.5) and fifteen healthy controls (CTRL, age 21 ± 2.2) at Western University participated three times throughout a 7-month season. Participants completed questionnaires (brief resilience scale, BRS; generalized anxiety scale, GAD-7; mental health inventory, MHI; visual analog scale, VAS; short …

Examining The Relationship Between State Anxiety And Vestibular And Ocular Motor Impairments And Symptoms In High School Athletes With Concussion, Mallory Kathleen Mcelroy

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Anxiety has been associated with vestibular and ocular motor impairment in the general population. However, there is limited research regarding the connection between the vestibular and ocular motor systems and anxiety following sport-related concussion (SRC). OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to compare state anxiety between concussed adolescent male and female athletes with and without vestibular and ocular motor impairments and symptoms. DESIGN: Prospective, repeated measures SUBJECTS: Thirty adolescent athletes between the ages of 15-18 years, diagnosed with a SRC completed the STAI-State at initial and medical clearance clinical visit. These adolescent athletes were categorized into vestibular and ocular …

Examining Anxiety And Achievement Goal Theory In Physical Activity Settings, Timothy Michael Dasinger

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In the United States (US), a majority of adults do not meet the recommended guides of physical activity despite the many benefits. One benefit of activity is the reduction of anxiety. Although there is robust evidence demonstrating the anxiolytic effects of physical activity, the mechanism is not fully understood. Some psychological explanations are related to a lack of confidence in one’s ability. Because of this, Achievement Goal Theory (AGT) may be a viable framework to explain the anxiolytic effects of physical activity. The focus of this dissertation is to examine the efficacy of AGT as a mechanism and to explore …

Effects Of A Peer-Assisted Physical Activity Program On Depression And Anxiety In College Students, Crystal Stroud

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the effects of a peer-assisted, self-selected physical activity program on depression and anxiety in students at a four-year university, and to explore the various possible mechanisms by which depression and anxiety were affected. These mechanisms included physical activity, self-efficacy, relatedness, competence, and autonomy. A secondary purpose was to examine the benefits of participation for the physical activity buddies who provided the peer-support. In-depth interviews were conducted with three program participants with depression and/or anxiety, six physical activity buddies who supported the participants, and three referring professional healthcare providers. A qualitative data …

An Investigation Of The Generalizability Of Buoyancy From Academics To Athletics, Jackie Rae Victoriano

LSU Master's Theses

Buoyancy, the ability of an individual to handle everyday setbacks, has been applied successfully to academics, and has implications for performance and well-being. The purpose of this investigation was to determine if the concept of buoyancy can be successfully applied to the domain of sports (i.e., athletic buoyancy). This study sought to examine the relationship between academic and athletic buoyancy, as well as the efficacy of five sport-oriented predictors (5Cs), confidence, coordination (planning), commitment, composure (anxiety), and control, on both athletic and academic buoyancy. Sport club athletes (N = 285) aged 18 to 31 years completed a one-time survey assessing …

The Relationship Between Competitive Trait Anxiety And Optimism In College Aged Individuals, Allison M. Heiskell

Honors College Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between competitive trait-anxiety and optimism in college students. A sample of 112 undergraduate students from a university in the Southeast completed three questionnaires: a demographics survey, a Life Orientation Test and a Sport Competition Anxiety Test. The data werethen analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics to determine if a relationship exists. The hypothesis was that there would be a negative correlation between competitive trait anxiety and optimism levels in college students. This meant that as trait-anxiety in an individual increased, the optimism level decreased. It was found that a statistically …

Parental Pressure, Anxiety, And Performance Among Age Group Swimmers, Timothy Michael Dasinger

LSU Master's Theses

Background/Purpose: Parents introduce children to youth sport and can increase a child’s level of enjoyment in the sport. However, parents can also place too much pressure on the child, which can lead to increased pre-competition anxiety and decreased performance (Bois, Lalanne, & Delforge, 2008; Scanlan & Lewthwaite, 1984). The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among perceived and desired parental pressure, pre-competition state anxiety, subsequent performance, and intention to continue the sport in youth swimmers ages 9-18. Method: A sample of 43 swimmers (17 male, 26 female; M=12.8±2.6 years) on a United States Swimming (USS) sanctioned club …