Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Editorial For Issue 20(2), Jeff Moe, Peighton Corley, Aaron Albright

Counseling & Human Services Faculty Publications

[Introduction] Hello to the readers of the Journal of LGBTQ Issues in Counseling. Like many counselors, counselors-in-training, scholars, and other individuals you may be coming to the journal looking for insights into your counseling work. Along with publishing original research that creates space for exploring LGBTQ+ lifeways from an open and affirmative perspective, the manuscripts published in the journal have always been grounded in application.

Caught In The Midwife’S Hands: A Black Feminist Exploration Of Reproductive Health And Justice In Massachusetts, Nina Bakum

Gender, Sexuality, and Intersectionality Studies Honors Papers

No abstract provided.

Observation, Analysis, Compassion, William J. Maloney Dds, Pgcertmed, Facd

Journal of the American College of Dentists

Drawing on examples from literature, art, and history, this article argues that optimal health care rests on a triad of observation, analysis, and compassion. Referencing physician-writers and keen observers such as Anton Chekhov, Arthur Conan Doyle, and Leonardo da Vinci, the discussion illustrates how careful attention to the human condition enhances diagnostic insight and ethical care. In the context of unprecedented global migration and strained health care systems, clinicians are challenged to move beyond technical competence toward a deeper understanding of patients’ fears, cultural barriers, and dignity. At the intersection of careful observation, thoughtful analysis, and genuine compassion, the highest …

The Untold Art History Of Grillz: An Introduction Exhibition At The Ica, Helena Opuama

MA in Fine and Decorative Art and Design Dissertations

The Untold Art History of Grillz: An Introduction Exhibition at the ICA is a prompt multisensory exhibition scheduled to open 15th April 2028 in celebration of World Art Day, at the Institute of Contemporary Arts, in London, UK. The exhibition critically utilises postcolonial frameworks to explore the dismissed decorative history of dental adornment and its influence on contemporary grill design today.

Through a limited chronological selection of physical objects, holographic projections, archival photographs, oral histories, and social media contributions; the exhibition co-narrates the history of dental adornment across four historical periods. These periods include Precolonial Traditions (14th-15th century); Colonial Evolutions …

Creativity In A Flash: Exploring The Perceived Therapeutic Effects Of Combining Creative Arts Therapies And Flash Technique, Celia J. Gagnon

Art Therapy | Doctoral Dissertations

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, research has revealed a significant strain on mental healthcare systems and healthcare professionals. Concurrently, there has been a rapid escalation in the prevalence of anxiety, depression, loneliness, and adolescent suicide rates, all of which have reached critical levels (World Health Organization, 2025; World Health Organization, 2022; Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, 2025; American Psychiatric Association, 2024). Post-pandemic, these statistics continue to rise across all nations and socioeconomic groups (WHO, 2025). Consequently, there is an urgent need to intensify research that supports the enhancement of mental health services globally (Institute for Health Metrics …

Guitar Amplifier Directivity, Rachel C. Edelman, Brian E. Anderson, Samuel D. Bellows, Timothy W. Leishman

Directivity

No abstract provided.

Exploring Vocal Fatigue In Female Singers, Cory M. Pinto

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Vocal fatigue is a complex issue that may signal underlying vocal pathology or exist independently, especially among professional voice users such as singers, whose high vocal demands make them particularly susceptible. This dissertation investigates vocal fatigue in young adult female singers using both objective and subjective voice assessment measures during a novel vocal loading task. Key research questions addressed in this dissertation are as follows: (1) Which voice assessment measures demonstrate significant change over time in response to vocal loading? (2) which Participant Profile Characteristics most accurately predict changes in perceived vocal fatigue severity? (3) In what ways do symptom …

Hyphema Associated With Water Bead Projectile Toys: A Retrospective Comparative Study, Aashri I. Aggarwal, Priya K. Singh, Diego E. Arias, Peter A. Netland

Department of Ophthalmology Faculty Publications

Purpose: Superabsorbent water beads can be used in projectile toy guns. We aimed to characterize water bead-related hyphema and compare the prevalence with other causes of traumatic hyphema.

Methods: In this 10-month retrospective review, we identified 35 consecutive patients with traumatic hyphema presenting to the emergency department. Cases were grouped by injury mechanism, water bead-related compared with all other causes. Clinical data on initial presentation and subsequent visits were compared.

Results: In the patients with traumatic hyphema, 8 (23%) cases were due to water bead trauma. Bead-related cases involved significantly younger patients (16 ± 9 years) compared with other cases …

J Am Coll Dent 2026 92 2b

Journal of the American College of Dentists

This special issue of the Journal of the American College of Dentists responds to a growing but long-underrecognized demand for humanities and ethics in dental education, practice, and scholarship. It emerges from the work of the National Collaborative on Humanities and Ethics in Dentistry (NCHED), a multi-institutional partnership formed in 2023 to address the persistent exclusion of dentistry from broader health humanities conversations. Through national webinars and scholarly collaboration, NCHED has demonstrated substantial interest in ethical reflection, historical analysis, narrative inquiry, and the arts as essential to understanding oral health and dental care.

The unexpectedly strong response to the call …

Between Tradition And Transition: Cultural Negotiations And Contraceptive Perceptions Among Ghanaian Students In The United States, Beatrice Amissah

Theses and Dissertations

As global mobility continues to rise, international students often encounter new cultural norms and health practices that differ from those in their home countries. While some studies have focused on contraception within the context of gender and types, less focus has been placed on diasporic populations, especially how students navigate tensions surrounding contraception within new cultural environments. This study explores how Ghanaian students in the United States interpret, negotiate, and respond to contraceptive messaging while navigating the cultural transition between their heritage and host societies. Drawing on Berry’s (1980)  Acculturation Theory, the study examines the tensions students experience, the strategies …

A Word From The Writing Team (January 2026), Pam Walter, Mfa, Laura Deloretta, Phd

A Word From the Writing Team (Newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Responding To Social Isolation: The Tole Of Chaplaincy In Addressing Social Determinants Of Health (Sdoh) In Pediatric Contexts, Adam Lubbers, Forest Melton, Simbarashe Sigauke, Sophie Le

2026

This poster describes a pilot program that integrated chaplaincy services into the care pathway for pediatric patients and families who screened positive for low social support, a key social determinant of health. The findings suggest chaplain-led interventions provide effective emotional, spiritual, and practical support, helping address social isolation, caregiver burden, financial insecurity, and other health equity concerns while offering culturally responsive care.

Health Matters: Advancing Pediatric Health Equity Through Accessible And Engaging Health Literacy Activity Books, Lorraine Sheldon

2026

This poster describes the development and implementation of the Health Matters activity book series, a health literacy initiative designed to provide engaging, accessible, and developmentally appropriate health education for pediatric patients and their families. Through multidisciplinary collaboration, audience-centered design, and distribution across more than 30 departments, the project demonstrates how interactive educational materials can advance pediatric health equity, support family engagement, and improve health literacy outcomes.

Dr. William Thomas Green Morton, Civil War Hero, Peter H. Jacobsohn Dds, Facd

Journal of the American College of Dentists

This article examines the overlooked Civil War contributions of Dr. William Thomas Green Morton, the dentist best known as the Father of Surgical Anesthesia. While Morton’s role in introducing ether anesthesia to surgery is well documented, his service as a volunteer anesthetist for the Union Army remains largely unrecognized in Civil War literature. Drawing on contemporary accounts, letters, and eyewitness descriptions, the article highlights Morton’s presence on major battlefields, where he administered ether to thousands of wounded soldiers. His work dramatically reduced surgical pain, improved morale, and marked the earliest example of organized military anesthesia in American history.

Imagined Afterlives: Anti-Black Medical Violences In Contemporary Black Arts, Katie Schadler

Honors Theses

“Imagined Afterlives: Anti-Black Medical Violences in Contemporary Black Arts” is a multi-genre exploration that studies the following works: Venus (1996) by Suzan Lori Parks, Get Out (2017) by Jordan Peele, and Dawn (1987) by Octavia Butler. I respectively study an experimental play, a psychological horror film, and a speculative novel to understand how Black creatives are depicting and responding to anti-Black violences, particularly medical violences. This work brings together Black art spanning from the late 1980s to 2017 as well as historical events and figures from the eighteenth century all the way to a not-so-distant future. While these works defamiliarize …

"Why Don't I Talk To A Therapist?": Motivations And Reflections Of Female-Identifying Chinese Immigrants Seeking Psychotherapy For Depression, Qiuyi Wei

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of Chinese immigrants and temporary residents struggling with depressive symptoms and their process of seeking and accepting psychotherapy support. The study aimed to describe the factors that motivated participants to enter therapy for depression while also addressing their internal concerns about treatment. Nine female-identified Chinese immigrant adults with such experiences were recruited. Participants’ perceptions of their depressive symptoms and the factors contributing to their decision to seek professional therapy were explored through in-depth, semi-structured qualitative interviews conducted in Mandarin. The interview transcripts were analyzed in Mandarin using interpretative phenomenological analysis, through which four …

Adolescent Girls’ Experiences Of Digital Dating Abuse Through Social Media: A Scoping Review, Kiara E. Rodriguez

Social Work Theses

Teen dating violence (TDV) is a prevalent adverse childhood experience with lasting psychological and behavioral consequences. As adolescents increasingly engage with social media, with 95% of teens aged 13-17 reporting using it, digital spaces have become a significant context in which dating abuse can occur. Digital dating abuse (DDA) refers to patterns of abusive behaviors that are directed toward a dating partner through digital technologies, including social media and mobile phones. Despite the growing role of social media in adolescent relationships, research on how adolescent girls experience DDA in these contexts remains limited. The central question for this scoping review …

We-Making Through Technology: Social Cohesion And Virtual Adaptation In Community Arts Organizations For Artists With Idd During Covid-19 Pandemic, Yumi Shirai, Michelle Boulanger Thompson, Tamara Shetron

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

COVID-19 public health restrictions disrupted in-person arts participation, increasing risks of social isolation and reduced community access. Prior research shows that many people engaged in home-based arts and cultural activities during lockdown, supporting emotional regulation, a sense of belonging, and social connection; however, little is known about how these shifts affected community arts organizations that serve artists with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD), a population disproportionately impacted by the pandemic and longstanding inequities. We examined how community-based arts organizations adapted programming for artists with IDD during the COVID-19 pandemic, including barriers and unanticipated outcomes relevant to equitable access and participation …

Aging With Mercy, Thriving In Place, Emma Layne Katzman, Karen Weis, Jennifer Rugletic Washko

Entry Level Occupational Therapy Doctoral Capstone Projects Class of 2026

Occupational engagement, spirituality, and quality of life are recognized as important dimensions of aging, however, these factors remain underexplored among older adults residing within faith-based communal living environments. This doctoral capstone experience, Aging with Mercy, Thriving in Place, consisted of two distinct but complementary components: an Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved mixed methods research study and a quality improvement initiative. The purpose of the research study was to explore occupational engagement, occupational role transitions, spirituality, identity, and perceived quality of life among older adults residing within a faith-based communal living environment. Quantitative data were collected using the World Health Organization Quality …

Spiritual And Religious Lay Community Support For Informal Caregivers Of Adults At The End Of Life: A Literature Review, Rachel Lenko

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

• Informal caregivers of adults at the end of life often experience significant physical, psychological, and economic burden because of their caregiving and bereavement (Schulz et al., 2003; Skantharajah et al., 2022) 
• Prior evidence suggests that spirituality and/or religiosity contribute to positive religious coping and improved adjustment to bereavement (Damianakis et al., 2012; Stelzer et al., 2020) 
• Spiritual and religious communities often provide practical and social, in additional to spiritual/religious, support to their members 
• There is limited evidence describing practical and social support from spiritual/religious lay communities for informal caregivers of patients in the terminal phase of a disease

Belting In Musical Theatre: Vocal Pathologies, Injuries, And Pedagogical Implications, Kaylee Piatt

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Belting has become one of the most defining and contested vocal styles in contemporary musical theatre. Valued for its dramatic immediacy, speech-like intensity, and ability to cut through amplified orchestration, belting is frequently associated with heightened injury risk and pedagogical controversy. This thesis examines the relationship between belting, vocal pathology, and pedagogy through an interdisciplinary lens that integrates voice science, clinical literature, and professional performance practice. Rather than framing belting as an inherently harmful or stylistically aberrant technique, this study conceptualizes belting as a functional vocal coordination shaped by physiological mechanisms, cumulative vocal load, and occupational demands.

Drawing on existing …

Increasing Hpv Vaccination Among Early Adolescents Using A Game-Based Digital Intervention: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Angela Chia-Chen Chen, Lihong Ou, Elizabeth Reifsnider, Kimberly Arcoleo, Ashish Amresh, Michael Todd

Ellmer School of Nursing Faculty Publications

Background/Objectives: Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination coverage among adolescents remains below public health targets despite strong evidence of vaccine effectiveness in preventing HPV-related cancers. Digital interventions (e.g., serious games) may improve HPV vaccine uptake, but evidence for effects on vaccination behavior remains limited. Methods: This secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial evaluated a co-designed, game-based digital intervention to increase HPV vaccine initiation among unvaccinated youth aged 11-14 years and their parents. The sample included 64 parent-adolescent dyads (33 intervention and 31 usual care dyads). The primary outcome was HPV vaccine initiation at 2-month follow-up. Results: A significantly greater proportion of …

Understanding The Impact Of Psychosocial Barriers On Colorectal Cancer Knowledge In Emerging Black Men, Chelsey Mcgill, Maria D. Thomson, Caroline Kuno, Emmanuel Taylor, Kimberly Lawrence, Alison J. Patev, Arnethea L. Sutton, Ruth Nyagaka, Oxana Palesh, Larry D. Keen Ii

Research and Infrastructure Service Enterprise (RISE) Faculty Publications

In the United States, Colorectal Cancer (CRC) is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers and the third leading cause of death among non-Hispanic African American/Black (henceforth Black) men. Inadequate CRC knowledge leads to missing early warning signs, delaying prevention and increasing risk. Emerging adulthood (18-25) is a key period for building healthy behaviors and addressing barriers to CRC knowledge in addition to understanding attitudes and practices to CRC screening. Psychosocial barriers - including social support, medical mistrust, and perceived racial discrimination - contribute to the lack of CRC knowledge among older Black men, yet emerging adult Black men remain …

Visual Aids And Numeracy In Healthcare: Leveraging The Drawing Effect, Zephyr J. Markley

Capstone Showcase

Healthcare decisions often require patients to interpret numerical risk information under stress, yet many struggle with low numeracy, which can distort comprehension and undermine informed consent. Well-designed visual aids can improve diagnostic inference, calibrate confidence, and support better choices, especially for patients with limited numeracy, but their impact depends on whether users can actually interpret the format accurately. Drawing may further enhance these tools by adding a tactile, generative layer that engages visual, semantic, and motoric processing while helping patients organize information into concrete models.

Passive visual aids appear useful but limited because they often position patients as observers rather …

Bodies Of Knowledge: The Accuracy Of Medical Anatomical Drawings From The 14th To The 18th Century, Marina G. Mitchell

Honors Undergraduate Theses

From the fourteenth to the eighteenth centuries, European anatomical illustration underwent major transformations in response to changing scientific methods, technologies, and visual conventions, reflecting critical transitions in anatomical history. Scientific evolution allowed these images to achieve increasing structural precision and internal detail, though they frequently diverged from anatomical forms as they are understood today. This study examines how anatomical inaccuracies across five centuries emerged not from ignorance, but from deliberate mediation between purpose, observation, pedagogy, artistic convention, and cultural ideology. Through close analysis of works in visual comparison to their modern counterparts, this thesis identifies specific deviations from the twenty-first …

Digital Technology And Women’S Health In Nigeria: A Feminist Sts Walkthrough Analysis Of Mdoc Digital Health, Edith Michael Ogbodo

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This thesis critically examines how a Nigerian digital health platform, mDoc, represents and constructs women’s health. Drawing on Feminist Science and Technology Studies (STS) and Light et al.’s (2018) walkthrough method, the study interrogates the values, assumptions, and power relations embedded in mDoc’s design, language, and governance structures. The analysis reveals that mDoc, despite positioning itself as an equitable solution to Nigeria’s health crisis, reproduces and depoliticizes the structural inequalities it claims to address. Through its neoliberal emphasis on self-care, the individualization of structurally produced suffering, and the datafication of women’s bodies, the platform encodes gendered, colonial, and class-based assumptions …

Analyzing Early Medieval Perspectives Of Fetal Development, Nivedha Srinivasan

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis examines early medieval perspectives of fetal development by analyzing two manuscripts: British Library, Cotton Tiberius A III and Leiden University, Vossianus lat. Q69. This study will investigate how knowledge of pregnancy was shared throughout England before the establishment of universities. Interest in medieval reproductive language has piqued in importance in recent years, especially due to modern legal debates surrounding reproductive rights. By examining descriptions of the nine months of fetal development in these two manuscripts, as well as in widely known earlier medical texts like Pliny’s Natural History and Vindicianus’ Gynaecia, this research explores how monastic writers in …

Life In Laughter: Comedy’S Impact On Student Health And Success, Julia Weinstein

Honors Undergraduate Theses

College students face rising rates of anxiety, depression, and stress, highlighting the need for accessible, stigma-free wellness interventions. While comedy is often seen as entertainment, research indicates laughter produces measurable psychological and physiological benefits, including reduced cortisol and increased endorphins. Life in Laughter, a creative-research hybrid project, investigates how live and digital comedy experiences affect college students’ mood, stress, and sense of belonging. Using mixed methods, data were collected through anonymous audience surveys, app-based reflections via JoyScroll, and interviews, supplemented by a mini-documentary. Findings suggest humor functions as both an emotional regulation tool and a means of fostering …

Pillpetz: A Smarter Way To Encourage Medication Adherence In Children, John H. Begley

CMC Senior Theses

Medication adherence is usually framed as a problem of patient behavior, but this thesis argues that it is equally a problem of design. Children who take daily medication face barriers that adults often do not: developing executive function, dependence on caregivers, shifting school and home routines, privacy concerns, and stigma around being perceived as different. The standard prescription bottle, by contrast, was designed primarily for dispensing efficiency, safety, and accidental ingestion prevention—not for sustained daily use by a developing child.

This thesis proposes PillPetz, a smart pill case and digital companion that uses routine, play, dose confirmation, and caregiver-connected support …

Music Interventions For Critically Ill Patients: Evaluating Effects Of Music On Psychoemotional Symptoms In Critically Ill Patients Receiving Respiratory Support, Allyson Crighton

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Critically ill adults receiving respiratory support in intensive care units (ICUs) frequently experience psychoemotional disturbances such as agitation, anxiety, and delirium, which contribute to prolonged ventilation, increased sedative use, and adverse patient outcomes. While pharmacologic management remains standard practice, associated risks including oversedation and delirium highlight the need for safe, complementary interventions. Emerging evidence suggests that music-based interventions may offer a non-invasive, cost-effective strategy to reduce psychological or emotional distress in this vulnerable population. This integrative literature review examined the effects of music interventions, including passive music listening and structured music therapy, on agitation and related psychoemotional outcomes in critically …