Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Demystifying First-Time Mothers’ Postpartum Mental Health: A Phenomenological Study Of The Transition To Becoming A Mother, Megan Dooley Hussmann

Dissertations

Becoming a mother is a significant life event that can greatly impact maternal mental health. Understanding maternal mental health is an important interdisciplinary goal because it could lead to mother’s receiving better care and support from both mental health and medical professionals. Seven first-time mothers with a baby under the age of one were interviewed for a phenomenological qualitative study, which investigated first-time mothers’ postpartum mental health experiences. This study was guided by two research questions: How do new mothers experience their postpartum mental health in comparison to how they experienced their mental health before having their baby, and how …

Comorbidity And Quality Of Life Of Hiv-Positive Adults Living In Supportive Housing, Rose Sharp

Dissertations

Problem: Life expectancy for people living with HIV significantly increased with widespread use of antiretroviral therapy, resulting in population increases in comorbidity prevalence. The increased burden of living with both HIV and comorbidities lowers health-related quality of life (HRQoL).

Methods: Using a descriptive, correlational, cross-sectional design, a convenience sample of HIV-positive adults was selected from seven supportive housing communities. Comorbidities were assessed using a modified Self-Administered Comorbidity Questionnaire, and HRQoL using the Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System Scale v1.2 – Global Health.

Results: A sample of 17 (N = 17) adults reported a mean of 4.2 (SD = …

Compassion Fatigue And The Emergency Department, Alexandra Myers

Dissertations

Problem The emergency department (ED) is a high-stress environment. Nurses exposed to this stress for prolonged periods are subject to compassion fatigue (CF). The purpose of this quality improvement project was to identify and reduce the level of CF in ED nurses by implementing Real Time Transformative Response^© (RTR). RTR^© is a technique that uses combinations of neurofeedback response awareness, biofield therapy intervention, and clearing of unwanted energy.

Method A purposeful sample of ED nurses working at a moderately-sized, suburban, Midwestern hospital ED who were scheduled to work 24-hours or more per week completed a Professional Quality of …

Mitigating Suicide Risk Post-Discharge From Inpatient Crisis Stabilization: Safety Planning Intervention, Leighia M. Mcghee

Dissertations

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this program evaluation is to evaluate the effectiveness of a newly implemented safety planning intervention (SPI) tool, comparing patient outcomes relating to suicide attempt rates, emergency department (ED) encounter rates, and inpatient rehospitalizations rates pre and post its integration to care in a suburban behavioral health hospital.

Methods: A descriptive cohort design utilizing a retrospective chart review was completed over six months, three months pre, and three months post implementation of the SPI program. A convenience sample of inpatient charts was reviewed to assess the rate of suicide attempts, ED encounters frequencies, and hospitalization rates …

Anxiety, Attributions, And Marital Quality: A Mediation Model, Tara Vossenkemper

Dissertations

Marital quality plays a significant role in the physical and mental health of many people. The purpose of this study was to examine anxiety, attributions, and marital quality in a sample of females. The first two hypotheses aimed to assess the relationship between anxiety and marital quality, and the relationship between attributions and marital quality. The primary research question aimed to assess attributions as a mediator in the relationship between anxiety and marital quality. Participants (N = 358) completed a demographic questionnaire, the Quality Marriage Index (QMI; Norton, 1983), the Marital Adjustment Test (MAT; Locke & Wallace, 1959), the …