Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

So, You're Going On A Trail Ride, Gabriela Murza, Katelyn Barsnick, Karl Hoopes

All Current Publications

Horse trail rides provide an opportunity for individuals to partner with horses to experience the natural world in a new way. However, we should consider the physical demands it places on both riders and horses. Adequate preparation, including selecting appropriate clothing, employing safe riding practices, and engaging in pre-ride stretches to enhance rider fitness, allows participants to fully appreciate the experience.

Skills To Support Mental Health In Uncertain Times, Part 1: Being Open, Rachel Byers, Heather H. Kelley, Ty Aller, Timothy Keady

All Current Publications

This fact sheet describes the skill of being open, an important component of psychological flexibility. Psychological flexibility, being able to respond to uncomfortable thoughts and feelings in a flexible and values-aligned way, can help protect and improve an individual's quality of life. Openness includes learning to accept uncomfortable thoughts and sensations rather than pushing them away. The fact sheet includes exercises that research has shown can help increase openness. Two other fact sheets are part of this Skills to Support Mental Health in Uncertain Times series, including "Part 2: Cultivating Awareness," and "Part 3: Being Engaged."

Skills To Support Mental Health In Uncertain Times, Part 3: Being Engaged, Heather H. Kelley, Rachel Byers, Ty Aller, Timothy Keady

All Current Publications

This fact sheet is the third in a series of three about skills to improve mental health. It addresses how being engaged involves aligning your actions with your values (what you care about). This can be done by setting goals and committing to following through with the goals.

Skills To Support Mental Health In Uncertain Times, Part 2: Cultivating Awareness, Heather H. Kelley, Rachel Byers, Ty Aller, Timothy Keady

All Current Publications

Uncertainty and worry can be a common struggle for many people, whether they are uncertain about their jobs, health, or relationships. Events such as COVID-19 and the recent wars in Israel and Ukraine increase the stress and uncertainty many people face. This fact sheet discusses awareness, a fundamental part of psychological flexibility, which can help individuals maintain a high quality of life—even when experiencing uncertainty and mental health concerns.

Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (Nas): What You Need To Know, Maren Wright Wright Voss, Amelia Van Komen, Emily Hamilton, Aarica Cleveland, Jaclyn Miller

All Current Publications

National overdose deaths continue to rise, with 2021 marking the first time U.S. overdose deaths topped 100,000 in a 12-month timeframe. Substance use, such as alcohol, cocaine, opioids, and marijuana, during pregnancy is also increasing. As the U.S. struggles with harmful substance use, a growing number of infants are born with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), a harmful outcome of fetal exposure to substances. This fact sheet will talk about why and what to do, with recommendations for safe treatment and support during pregnancy.

Cross-Cultural Collaborations For Addressing Opioid Use Disorder In Utah, Michelle Q. Chapoose, Cassandra Manning, Erin Fanning Madden, Katie Zaman, Claire Warnick, Suzanne M. Prevedel, Sandra H. Sulzer

All Current Publications

Cross-cultural collaboration allows for more effective interventions for opioid use disorder among tribal communities. Practicing cultural humility, incorporating Indigenous knowledge, and amplifying Indigenous voices are crucial to the cross-cultural collaboration process. This process can ensure that interventions that address opioid use disorder meet the needs of tribal communities.

Coping With Grief And Loss For Agricultural Producers, Jacob D. Gossner, Elizabeth B. Fauth, Tasha Howard

All Current Publications

As humans, we are social beings who form strong relationships; when these relationships end, through death, divorce, or estrangement, it is natural to feel a sense of loss. This resource is meant to provide some ideas for agricultural producers (individuals and families) seeking to cope with and respond to losing a loved one. We also include information for agricultural producers experiencing other types of loss, such as losing the farm or livestock.

Accepting Uncomfortable Emotions: Learning From Car Dashboards And Manure, Jacob D. Gossner, Elizabeth B. Fauth, Tasha Howard

All Current Publications

Agricultural producers can face many stressors, such as long hours coupled with challenging, unpredictable conditions, which can give rise to challenging thoughts and feelings at times. Phrases you may hear in modern culture as you approach difficulty may be "pull yourself together," "quit worrying," or "get over it." However, these aren't the best processes for working through hard emotions. Cultivating acceptance is a way to combat traditional rationalization and work through emotions.

Opioid Facts For Youth, Timothy Keady, Stacey Macarthur, Gabriela Murza, Suzanne Prevedel

All Current Publications

This fact sheet explains what opioids are, lists street names, and reviews the risks of using or misusing opioids. It reviews reasons why youth may abuse opioids. Ways youth can help and support peers are included as well as resources to get educated and find treatment for substance abuse and addiction. Several poster-styled and social media-compatible posters are included as an additional file that youth can share with other youth to spread the message and encourage safety.

Opioid Fast Facts For Parents, Timothy Keady, Paige Wray, Katie Zaman, Gabriela Murza, Gabriel Glissmeyer, Elizabeth Elsmore, Maren Wright Wright Voss, Suzanne Prevedel, Sandra H. Sulzer

All Current Publications

This fact sheet explains what opioids are and how they are used--or misused, which can lead to opioid use disorder (OUD). The information provided can help parents understand what questions to ask if a doctor prescribes opioids, and ways parents can safeguard their child against opioid misuse. It also includes ideas for managing an emergency, namely, using naloxone to address overdose.

Opioid Use Disorder (Oud) And Pregnancy In Utah, Saralyn Margetts, Erin Fanning Madden, Lauran Hymas, Katie Zaman, Gabriela Murza, Suzanne Prevedel, Sandra H. Sulzer

All Current Publications

Over the past twenty years, opioid use during pregnancy has become much more common (Haight et al., 2018). Opioids may be prescribed for pain management or the treatment of an opioid use disorder (OUD). For example, methadone or buprenorphine are medications recommended for pregnant women with OUD. Opioid use may also include misusing prescription painkillers or using illicit drugs such as heroin. Regardless of the nature of opioid use, it is important for pregnant women to know how opioid use can impact their pregnancy and what treatment options are available.

If You Suspect Your Child Is Using Opioids, Gabriela Murza, Timothy Keady, Paige Wray, Elizabeth Elsmore, Gabriel Glissmeyer, Suzanne Prevedel, Sandra H. Sulzer

All Current Publications

Opioid use disorders touch the lives of many families, and numerous factors influence the decision to use substances. Your child’s drug use does not mean that you are unsuccessful at parenting. This fact sheet considers actions a parent can take to support a child suspected of using opioids. A number of local and national resources are also listed for further guidance and support services.

Mejore Su Salud, Celina Wille, Laura Licon, Laura Paola Johnson, Anny Galvin

All Current Publications

Create Better Health/Mejore su salud es una versión cultural adaptada de Create Better Health evaluada por expertos y escrita en español, Create Better Health es un currículo del programa Create Better Health Utah SNAP-Ed originalmente adaptado de Creates: Essentials in Creating Family Meals por Debra Christofferson, M.D.A., R.D., C.D. Los miembros del equipo de publicación de la versión en inglés son: Casey Coombs, M.S., R.D., C.D., subdirectora de Create Better Health Utah; Jaqueline Neid-Avila, M.D.A., R.D., C.D .; y editores / colaboradores Heidi LeBlanc, M.S., directora de Create Better Health Utah.

Pregnancy And Substance Use, Elise Withers, Krista Thompson, Emily Hamilton, Maren Wright Voss

All Current Publications

The use of alcohol and other harmful substances, such as cocaine, opioids, and marijuana during pregnancy has increased over the last decades (Sebastiani et al., 2018). Using these substances can be very harmful to the unborn baby and mother (Viteri et al., 2015). This fact sheet covers (1) the consequences of substance use and (2) the current recommendations for substance use during pregnancy.

Exercise And Chronic Pain, Maren Wright Voss, Mateja R. Savoie-Roskos, Casey Coombs, Gabriela Murza, Cindy Nelson, Elise Withers

All Current Publications

Chronic pain is perhaps the most pervasive medical issue in the United States. The long-term impacts of chronic pain often cause individuals to reduce or eliminate physical activity. Chronic pain can impact physical, mental, and emotional well-being, which can limit daily activity and quality of life. The purpose of this fact sheet is to address the common barriers to being physically active with chronic pain and provide suggestions for safe ways to be physically active even when chronic pain is present.

Caring For A Family Member During Stressful Times: Considerations For Maintaining Mental Health, Sarah Hodgskiss, Ty Aller, Elizabeth Fauth

All Current Publications

Caring for a family member can take many forms. Whether you are caring for your mother with dementia or your son with a disability, caregiving for a family member can be very rewarding yet very stressful. As a family caregiver, it is likely that your stress has increased even more due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now more than ever, you might find it helpful to “care for the caregiver.” This fact sheet will help you identify your own stress, explore strategies to manage this stress, and then use additional resources for further support and assistance.

A Crisis Of Her Own: Fatal Opioid Overdose, Opioid Use Disorder, And Intimate Partner Violence Among Rural Utah Women, Timothy Light, Erin Fanning Madden, Debasree Das Gupta, Hilary Disch, Katie Zaman, Suzanne Prevedel, Sandra H. Sulzer

All Current Publications

The Centers for Disease Control report that the rate of overdose deaths among women is rapidly increasing, with women experiencing a 532% increase in fatal opioid overdose deaths between 1999 and 2017, compared to a 355% increase for men. Among women, those in rural areas have disproportionately higher drug overdose death rates than women in urban areas (Mazure & Fiellin, 2018), indicating an opportunity for targeted rural public health interventions to slow overdose fatality increases among women. This fact sheet reviews Utah trends, potential factors increasing fatal opioid overdose, intimate partner violence and substance use disorders, and provides resources for …

Cognitive Behavioral Therapies For The Management Of Chronic Pain, Kira Swensen, Maren Wright Voss, Alise Williams Condie, Ashley Yaugher

All Current Publications

Chronic pain is pain that lasts longer than six months and may continue even after illnesses or injuries have healed (Cleveland Clinic, 2017). Pain signals in the nervous system can remain active for several years if they are altered in the spinal cord, becoming stronger than they normally would or should be (Reichling & Levine, 2009). Chronic pain can also occur without illness or injury (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, 2019). Fortunately, many evidence-based strategies for managing chronic pain are available to ease the discomfort. This fact sheet reviews those strategies.

Diet, Nutrition, And Substance Use Disorder, Mateja R. Savoie-Roskos, Ashley Yaugher, Alise Williams Condie, Gabriela Murza, Maren Wright Voss, Kandice Atisme

All Current Publications

Consuming a healthy diet can benefit everyone—especially individuals with substance use disorder (SUD), a disorder that occurs when frequent use of drugs or alcohol causes impairment, health issues, and difficulties with managing daily responsibilities (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration [SAMHSA], 2020). Although often overlooked, nutrition can play a key role in the treatment and recovery process for individuals with SUD, and should be included as part of a holistic approach toward recovery. In this fact sheet we will review how diet and nutrition are impacted during an active addiction, and the influence nutrition can have on treatment and …

Postpartum Depression: What Is It And How Can Family And Friends Help?, Latisha Tornabeni, Ty Aller

All Current Publications

Peripartum depression, now called

postpartum depression (PPD), is an adjustment disorder manifesting symptoms throughout pregnancy or after childbirth. Women suffering from PPD often experience feelings of depression and fatigue, making it difficult to carry out daily activities (American Psychological Association, 2013). This condition should not be confused with the “baby blues,” which affects up to 80% of mothers and naturally subsides within a couple of weeks after childbirth (National Institute of Mental Health, 2013). Research shows that one in seven women experience PPD (Wishner et al., 2013). This fact sheet reviews how to work through the process of identifying, supporting, …