Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

How The Lockdown Of Covid-19 Influenced The Neurocognitive And Psychosocial Development Of Preschoolers, Kay Picson

Nursing | Student Research Posters

The COVID-19 pandemic instilled a new normal across the world. Businesses turned to take out services and faced financial struggle. Hospitals enacted a visitor policy, limiting contact with patients, their families, and their friends. Schools closed their classrooms and moved to online learning from home, isolating children from their teachers, peers, and an optimal learning environment.

The literature review consists of six articles pertaining to the influence of the COVID-19 lockdown on preschoolers neurocognitive and psychosocial development. Specifically, the influence of the lockdown on preschooler mental health, executive function, and social skills. According to the research, the results were differential, …

Transition Skills Lab: A Telehealth Intervention For Improving Healthcare Transition In Youth With Special Health Care Needs, Angela Combs, Alaina Linafelter, Jordan Sevart, Michele H. Maddux

Research Days

The goal of this abstract is to evaluate youth skill-building and confidence across health care tasks through the virtual Transition Skills Lab.

Predictors Of Family Retention In Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (Pcit), Patricia Dixon, David Bennett

St. Chris Research Day

No abstract provided.

Bridging Services To Evidenced-Based Care: Implementing A Psychology Consult Check-Up Clinic, Jacqueline Pabis Phd, Sabrina Ung Ma, Angela Combs Ma, Mallory Netz Phd, Carisa Parrish Phd, Casey Lawless Phd

Research Days

This quality improvement project examines the feasibility, satisfaction, and preliminary outcomes of a hospital follow-up program for the CMH Inpatient Psychology Consultation & Liaison team.

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of A School-Based Cognitive Behavioral Youth Depression Prevention Program In Improving Life Satisfaction, Roshani Patel, Steven M. Brunwasser, Alissa Hochman

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide, known as the global burden of disease. Incident cases from 1990 to 2017 have increased by 49.86%. Additionally, rates have been seen to dramatically rise in adolescents aged 18-25 (17%) compared to rates in individuals aged 10-14 (1.1%). This makes it beneficial to have prevention programs for middle school aged children. The Penn Resiliency Program (PRP) is a youth depression prevention program focused on cultivating healthy thinking styles and behavioral coping skills. In our study, we used archival data from a randomized control trial of PRP to evaluate whether the program led …

Evaluating The Efficacy Of Universal Depression Screenings In The High School Setting, Telisha Anthony Msn, Fnp-Bc, Jennifer Thorsen Bsn, Rn, Jackie Sharp Dnp, Pmhnp-Bc, Sharon Little Dnp, Fnp-Bc

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Purpose/Background

Depression in adolescents is rising each year. Early detection of depression has been shown to result in better health outcomes and success in school. This scoping review aims to evaluate the implementation of universal depression screenings in the high school setting and how this detection of depression and initiation of treatment.

Methods

From August 2022 to November 2023, we used the Medline, PubMed, Elsevier, Google Scholar, and PsycINFO databases, using specific keywords related to depression in adolescents. Of the 38 articles found, 10 were chosen after extensive article critique. The publication dates ranged from 2014-2023, were full-text, and from …

Pediatric Anxiety Disorders And Their Accommodation In The Classrom, Olivia Hobson

Honors Theses

This project is an exploration of the origins, neurology and impacts of pediatric anxiety disorders, as well as the research-backed best practices for their accomodation within the school classroom setting.

A Responsible Parrhesia? A Review Of The Price Of Secrecy, Sara Tafakori

RadioDoc Review

The Price of Secrecy immerses the listener in stories of individual trauma, of child abuse and rape, yet also draws lessons from them of wider social significance. It includes moments of narrative catharsis, interspersed with repeated reminders that the stories are unfinished and open-ended—that the solutions lie out there, in social action, rather than in the stories themselves. The series also gestures towards structural critique, especially of ‘the legal constraints’ it identifies, yet it places greater importance on changing the wider culture through challenging the culture of secrecy and shame around victims’ stories of rape and abuse. This centrally means …

Childhood Cancer Survivorship: Navigating A New Normal In Middle Tennessee, Karli M. Beaumont

OTD Capstone Projects

Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt in partnership with Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center offers REACH for Cancer Survivorship, a pediatric cancer survivorship clinic. REACH provides a full range of follow-up care designed to meet the physical, emotional, and practical needs of survivors and continuous surveillance of deleterious effects of cancer and its treatments. The purpose of this project was to meet population and agency needs through research of long- and late-term sequela while advocating for occupational therapy’s role in the oncology population through the proactive therapy and prospective surveillance models. The process of creating this project included synthesizing the literature, …

A Longitudinal Study Of The Development Of Social Anxiety In Young Autistic Children, Gillian K. Marshall

Senior Theses

Social anxiety is a prevalent anxiety disorder marked by fear and discomfort in social situations where scrutiny or evaluation by others is anticipated. This thesis investigates the interplay between social anxiety and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by social and communication challenges. Individuals with ASD often face heightened levels of anxiety, intensifying their social difficulties and impeding their social development. Early identification of social anxiety symptoms, particularly in ASD children, is crucial for timely intervention and improved outcomes. However, diagnosing social anxiety in preschool-aged children, especially those with ASD, presents challenges due to the complexity of symptoms …

Annual Research Review: The Power Of Predictability – Patterns Of Signals In Early Life Shape Neurodevelopment And Mental Health Trajectories, Elysia Poggi Davis, Laura M. Glynn

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

The global burden of early life adversity (ELA) is profound. The World Health Organization has estimated that ELA accounts for almost 30% of all psychiatric cases. Yet, our ability to identify which individuals exposed to ELA will develop mental illness remains poor and there is a critical need to identify underlying pathways and mechanisms. This review proposes unpredictability as an understudied aspect of ELA that is tractable and presents a conceptual model that includes biologically plausible mechanistic pathways by which unpredictability impacts the developing brain. The model is supported by a synthesis of published and new data illustrating the significant …

General Cognitive Ability In High School, Attained Education, Occupational Complexity, And Dementia Risk, Jimi Huh, Thalida Em Arpawong, Tara L. Gruenewald, Gwenith G. Fisher, Carol A. Prescott, Jennifer J. Manly, Dominika Seblova, Ellen E. Walters, Margaret Gatz

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

INTRODUCTION

We address the extent to which adolescent cognition predicts dementia risk in later life, mediated by educational attainment and occupational complexity.

METHODS

Using data from Project Talent Aging Study (PTAS), we fitted two structural equation models to test whether adolescent cognition predicts cognitive impairment (CI) and Ascertain Dementia 8 (AD8) status simultaneously (N_{Cognitive Assessment} = 2477) and AD8 alone (N_{Questionnaire} = 6491) 60 years later, mediated by education and occupational complexity. Co-twin control analysis examined 82 discordant pairs for CI/AD8.

RESULTS

Education partially mediated the effect of adolescent cognition on CI in the cognitive assessment aample and …

Temporal Relation Between Pubertal Development And Peer Victimization In A Prospective Sample Of Us Adolescents, Jessica A. Marino, Elysia Poggi Davis, Laura M. Glynn, Curt A. Sandman, Jennifer Hahn-Holbrook

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Peer victimization typically peaks in early adolescence, leading researchers to hypothesize that pubertal timing is a meaningful predictor of peer victimization. However, previous methodological approaches have limited our ability to parse out which puberty cues are associated with peer victimization because gonadal and adrenal puberty, two independent processes, have either been conflated or adrenal puberty timing has been ignored. In addition, previous research has overlooked the possibility of reverse causality—that peer victimization might drive pubertal timing, as it has been shown to do in non-human primates. To fill these gaps, we followed 265 adolescents (47% female) prospectively across three-time points …

Infant Hedonic/Anhedonic Processing Index (Hapi-Infant): Assessing Infant Anhedonia And Its Prospective Association With Adolescent Depressive Symptoms, Jessica L. Irwin, Elysia Poggi Davis, Curt A. Sandman, Tallie Z. Baram, Hal S. Stern, Laura M. Glynn

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Background

Anhedonia, an impairment in the motivation for or experience of pleasure, is a well-established transdiagnostic harbinger and core symptom of mental illness. Given increasing recognition of early life origins of mental illness, we posit that anhedonia should, and could, be recognized earlier if appropriate tools were available. However, reliable diagnostic instruments prior to childhood do not currently exist.

Methods

We developed an assessment instrument for anhedonia/reward processing in infancy, the Infant Hedonic/Anhedonic Processing Index (HAPI-Infant). Exploratory factor and psychometric analyses were conducted using data from 6- and 12-month-old infants from two cohorts (N = 188, N = 212). …

Self-Efficacy And Parental Miscarried Helping In Adherence And Transition Readiness Among Adolescents And Young Adults With Epilepsy, Kirby-Estar G. Laguerre

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Background: Given the complex regimen associated with epilepsy, ensuring that adolescents and young adults (AYAs) adhere to their medications, and are ready to transition from pediatric to adult care, is crucial to optimizing their health outcomes. Several social and ecological factors such as self-efficacy and parental miscarried helping can strengthen or weaken an adolescent’s medication adherence and readiness to shift from pediatric to adult care. Intending to contribute to informing and improving clinical care, this study sought to understand the relationships between self-efficacy, parental miscarried helping, medication adherence, and transition readiness. Methods: Using a cross-sectional observational design, 46 AYAs with …

Associations Among Psychosocial Factors, Health-Related Quality Of Life, And Adherence In Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Cecelia I. Nelson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a prevalent disorder among youth in the United States. IBD is one of the leading causes of chronic pain in adolescence and symptoms can lead to reduced quality of life, social embarrassment, and lower self-esteem. Adherence to medical regimens for IBD is incredibly important to prevent morbidity, mortality, and impaired health-related quality of life (HRQOL). However, adolescents struggle generally with adherence and the regimen for IBD can be complicated and include aversive side effects. Psychological factors, such as depressive symptoms, are key factors associated with non-adherence. Nevertheless, gut-specific anxiety (GSA) is a psychological factor that …

Identifying Youth Appeals In Alcohol Alternative Social Media Content Through Framing, Melina Oneal

West Chester University Master’s Theses

Proposed regulations for alcohol advertising prevent beverage companies from targeting people under the legal drinking age. However, similar regulations for alcohol alternative beverages are less explored, which could allow alcohol alternative products to create awareness for alcoholic beverages among youth. Alcohol alternatives beverages, including no-alcohol and low-alcohol products, are increasing in popularity and can function as compliments to alcoholic products to decrease the total alcohol volume consumed or as substitutes for alcoholic products. Framing theory can be operationalized through the Content Appealing to Youth Index, an index of content elements found in research literature to be appealing to youth, to …

Examining The Evidence Base For Burnout, Renzo Bianchi, Irvin Schonfeld

Publications and Research

Burnout has elicited growing interest among occupational health specialists in recent decades. Since 2019, the World Health Organization has characterized burnout as a syndrome resulting from chronic, unmanageable workplace stress. Accordingly, three symptoms define the entity: (i) feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion; (ii) increased mental distance from one’s job or feelings of negativism or cynicism towards one’s job; and (iii) a sense of ineffectiveness and lack of accomplishment. We call into question the definition of burnout embodied in the Maslach Burnout Inventory and incorporated into the ICD-11. We draw stakeholders’ attention to the fact that burnout’s symptoms and etiology …

Building Resilience To Treat Trauma And Improve Social Participation With Youth In Foster Care, Rachel Greene, Keisa Boykin, Dana Madalon

Fall 2023 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Childhood trauma is classified by adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) that caused the trauma. An ACE is a traumatic event that an individual has observed from birth to 18 years old (Atchison & Suarez, 2021). ACEs include but are not limited to physical, sexual, or emotional abuse, and neglect. ACEs also include household dysfunctions such as domestic violence, divorce, incarceration of family, substance abuse, food scarcity, poverty, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Building resilience promotes healthy coping skills, the ability to trust and engage with support systems, and the prevention of retraumatization (Bethell et al., 2017). Trauma and resiliency are invertedly related, …

Disordered Eating Behaviours In Adolescents With And Without A Formal Ed Diagnosis: Comparing Individual And Contextual Factors, Eve G. Chapnik

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This study explored various psychosocial factors associated with disordered eating in adolescents accessing mental health services across Ontario, Canada. Data were collected using the interRAI Child and Youth Mental Health (ChYMH) assessment tool and participants were categorized into three groups: individuals with diagnosed eating disorders (ED, n=207), disordered eating without a formal ED diagnosis (sub-ED, n=888), and other treatment-seeking youth (non-ED, n=3285). The ED and sub-ED groups did not differ in many ways, presenting with a similarly greater prevalence of mental health issues, and dysfunctional family and peer relationships, in comparison to non-ED youth. However, the ED …

Identifying Associations Between The Family Environment And Anxiety And Depression Among Children Ages 0-17 In The United States, Reagan A. Richardson, Nicole M. Holt

OUR Journal: ODU Undergraduate Research Journal

This study analyzes whether physical, emotional & neurological, family environment, or community-related factors display the strongest association with anxiety and depression among children ages 0-17 in the United States.

Using IBM SPSS v. 27, we conducted a univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis on data from the 2017 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) with a sample size of 21,599. Our independent variables included 30 questions from the NSCH which were compared to a mental health index score.

Our study shows that about 10.6% of children suffer from either anxiety, depression, or both, and the univariate model found that 19 …

Academic Motivation Decreases Across Adolescence For Youth With And Without Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Effects Of Motivation On Academic Success, Zoe Smith, Marcus Flax, Stephen P. Becker, Joshua Langberg

Psychology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

This longitudinal study examined growth trajectories of academic motivation in youth with and without attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) across the important developmental transition from middle school to high school, and associations with academic success. Consistent with self-determination theory (SDT) of motivation, trajectories of amotivation, extrinsic motivation, and intrinsic motivation were modeled.

Adverse Childhood Experiences Among Adolescent Girls In Residential Treatment: Relationship With Trauma Symptoms, Substance Use, And Delinquency, Akemi E. Mii

Department of Psychology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) refer to negative events during childhood or adolescence including abuse, maltreatment, and exposure to household dysfunction (Kalmakis & Chandler, 2014). ACEs are associated with negative outcomes including mental and behavioral health concerns and offending (Fox et al., 2015). The risk of negative outcomes associated with ACEs increases when an individual experiences polyvictimization (experiencing multiple types of adverse events; Felitti et al., 1998; Finkelhor et al., 2011). A majority of adolescents served by residential treatment programs (RTPs) have experienced polyvictimization (Briggs et al., 2013). Research examining juvenile offending and youth delinquency has focused on boys. Thus, research …

A Review Of The Role Of Anxiety In Diagnosis Of Children And Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Paradigm Shift In Conceptualization And Diagnosis, Evan Wahlquist

Dissertations

Early evidence of co-occurring anxiety symptoms in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) dates back to the first descriptions of ASD by Leo Kanner (1943) and Hans Asperger (Frith & Mira, 1992). While current research has identified anxiety disorders as one of the most prevalent co-occurring disorders in children and adolescents with ASD, little is known about the nature of the relationship between these disorders. In an effort to explain these high prevalence rates, recent research has started to investigate the relationship between these two disorders. To join these efforts, this clinical research project explored the role of …

Incorporating Poi As A Therapeutic Modality For Preschool Aged Children In The Care Clinic, Danielle Zirkle

Department of Occupational Therapy Entry-Level Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Breaking The Chains Of Generational Trauma, Carmen Parra

Sociology Student Work Collection

Negative experiences may be passed down from generation to generation resulting in Generational Trauma, many of us may be living with those consequences without ever noticing it. This analysis takes a look at the roots of generational trauma and how it is developed from one generation and repeatedly passed down without a stop. We explore different methods that can be followed for healing and further therapeutic methods for more severe cases.

Talking With Horses: Equine Assisted Activities To Promote Social Engagement In Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Amy Ezhaya

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Purpose of Project: The purpose of this evidenced-based project is to gather data on how therapeutic horseback riding (THR) facilitates social engagement in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The project aims to provide alternative treatment options and disseminate information to providers on the importance of community partnerships.

Background: In 2020, it was estimated that 1 in 54 children had ASD, which is a 170% increase since 2000. Often, those diagnosed with ASD also experience co-occurring mental health diagnoses placing a large burden of care on our healthcare system. THR is a growing alternative treatment option and has been found …

The Benefits Of Art Therapy On Stress And Anxiety Of Oncology Patients During Treatment, Helen Shiepe

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Within the last ten years research on art therapy and its positive impact on oncology patients’ stress and anxiety during treatment has been minimal. Oncology patients whether they are children or adults when diagnosed experience similar reactions due to their diagnosis, treatment, and in some cases end of life care. The current question is whether or not art therapy does have a positive impact on decreasing the stress and anxiety with oncology patients while undergoing treatment. Deane, Fitch & Carmen (2000), discussed art therapy as a healing art that is “intended to integrate physical, emotional, and spiritual care by facilitating …

My Path To Advanced Practice, Hannah Oiselle Knisley

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Du Undergraduate Showcase: Research, Scholarship, And Creative Works, Caitlyn Aldersea, Justin Bravo, Sam Allen, Anna Block, Connor Block, Emma Buechler, Maria De Los Angeles Bustillos, Arianna Carlson, William Christensen, Olivia Kachulis, Noah Craver, Kate Dillon, Muskan Fatima, Angel Fernandes, Emma Finch, Colleen Cassidy, Amy Fishman, Andrea Francis, Stacia Fritz, Simran Gill, Emma Gries, Rylie Hansen, Shannon Powers, Jacqueline Martinez, Zachary Harker, Ashley Hasty, Mykaela Tanino-Springsteen, Kathleen Hopps, Adelaide Kerenick, Colin Kleckner, Ci Koehring, Elijah Kruger, Braden Krumholz, Maddie Leake, Lyneé Alves, Seraphina Loukas, Yatzari Lozano Vazquez, Haley Maki, Emily Martinez, Sierra Mckinney, Mykaela Tanino-Springsteen, Audrey Mitchell, Kipling Newman, Audrey Ng, Megan Lucyshyn, Andrew Nguyen, Stevie Ostman, Casandra Pearson, Alexandra Penney, Julia Gielczynski, Tyler Ball, Anna Rini, Christina Rorres, Simon Ruland, Helayna Schafer, Emma Sellers, Sarah Schuller, Claire Shaver, Kevin Summers, Isabella Shaw, Madison Sinar, Claudia Pena, Apshara Siwakoti, Carter Sorensen, Madi Sousa, Anna Sparling, Alexandra Revier, Brandon Thierry, Dylan Tyree, Maggie Williams, Lauren Wols

DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive

DU Undergraduate Showcase: Research, Scholarship, and Creative Works