Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Charting And Checking For Suicidality In A Family Medicine Residency Clinic, Bridget Murphy, Stacy Ogbeide

Journal of Human Services Scholarship and Interprofessional Collaboration

Suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States, and many individuals who die by suicide are likely to have seen a primary care physician (PCP) within the month of their death. Thus, the goal of this quality improvement (QI) project was to examine suicidality documentation practices of interprofessional clinicians within a Family Medicine residency clinic, thus providing rationale for continued research and a template for other clinics to emulate. The QI project used the Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle to survey 28 Family Medicine residents, faculty, and trainees for the Plan stage of the cycle in 2022 and assessed their …

Incremental Validity Of The Mmpi-A-Rf And Maci In A Clinical Outpatient Setting, Madison Smart-Mccarthy

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

With the persistent rise of depression and suicide in adolescents, it is imperative that clinicians select empirically supported measures that accurately assess these conditions (Van Orman, 2022; Sellbom & Suhr, 2020). One empirical method used to evaluate measures is incremental validity. Incremental validity examines the level of improvement in predicting a phenomenon when adding a test or procedure to a combination of other instruments (APA, 2020). Experts regard the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory—Adolescent Version—Restructured Form (MMPI-A-RF; Archer et al., 2016) and the Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory (MACI; Millon et al., 1993) as psychometrically sound measures often used in clinical practice. …

The Impact Of Mandatory Substance Abuse Counselor Reporting Requirements On Child Maltreatment Reporting Outcomes, Bilgé Özgé Yilmaz

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The present study sought to examine how state-level mandatory reporting policies are associated with child maltreatment reporting through analysis of the National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect (NDACAN, 2021). This study aimed: 1) to examine how the implementation of substance abuse counselor reporting requirements is associated with the reporting process, including the disposition of reports and the presence of substance abuse; and 2) to examine differences in the above outcomes based on associations between non-specific reporting requirements and specific requirements that mention substance use counselors. A quasi-experimental approach with repeated cross-sectional data was utilized, as it is a …

Nightmares And Self-Injury Among High-Risk Adolescents: Examining The Role Of Emotion Regulation, Kinjal K. Patel

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITBs) are a public health concern among youth. SITB rates rise drastically during adolescence -- a critical and sensitive developmental period characterized by dramatic changes in biological and social systems. Prior research has identified distal risk factors which tell us who is at risk for SITBs. Emerging research suggests proximal risk factors may be useful to identify when an individual may be at risk for SITBs. One promising proximal risk factor for SITBs is sleep problems. Although the relation between sleep problems and SITBs has been widely documented, little is known about the short-term, proximal links …

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 …

Assessing Sexual Minority Women’S Barriers And Facilitators To Seeking And Accessing Mental And Physical Healthcare: A Mixed Methods Study, Charlotte A. Dawson

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Sexual minority women (SMW) experience greater mental and physical health concerns when compared to heterosexual women. Three key areas of health SMW report these disparities are: mental health, binge eating/body size, and sexual and reproductive health. SMW also report difficulties accessing healthcare in these three areas. An exploratory sequential mixed methods design was utilized to assess barriers and facilitators to healthcare access for young SMW. Study 1 included 20 semi-structured interviews with SMW, resulting in themes of barriers and facilitators identified by participants. These themes were converted into scale items. In Study 2, an expert panel of mental and physical …

The Mediation Effects Of Adaptive Blindness Strategies On The Relation Between Institutional Betrayal From Military Sexual Assault And Mental Health Symptoms, Rachel L. Davies

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Military sexual assault is a serious and prevalent issue. The frequency with which military sexual assault occurs and the nature of the response to these events within the military system may contribute to institutional betrayal. Institutional betrayal is the failure of an institution, such as the military, to prevent sexual assault from occurring and/or the failure to support a survivor after sexual assault. Adaptive blindness strategies are forms of coping strategies that help individuals navigate a relationship they depend on when there is a betrayal. Two adaptive blindness strategies are self-blame and minimization. Although the adaptive blindness strategies may allow …

Examining The Experience And Impact Of Teen-To-Teen Crisis Line Work For Youth Volunteers: A Pilot Study, Taylor Kalgren

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

For young people, suicide is a leading cause of death. In addition, suicidal thoughts and behaviors begin during adolescence, and rates are high during this developmental period. Crisis lines are one of the oldest suicide prevention strategies used today. Crisis line work is challenging, and therefore, examining the health and safety of these operators is critical. Teen-to-teen (t2t) crisis lines are a unique resource where adolescent volunteers help their similarity aged peers. The goal of this pilot study was to begin to evaluate the impact of t2t crisis lines for youth volunteers. Twenty youth crisis line volunteers (ages 15-20) were …

The Influence Of Minority Stress, Coping, And A Pandemic On The Relationship Between Sexual Orientation And Mental Health: A Mixed Methods Study, James Michael Macchia

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

For decades, scientific literature has shown that sexual minority individuals across populations are disproportionately affected by negative mental health outcomes when compared to their heterosexual counterparts. These disparities are largely attributable to minority stress. Coping is a significant factor that can impact the content and severity of mental health outcomes and coping behaviors have been shown to vary based on sexual orientation. Mental health outcomes may also differ between sexual minority subgroups due to additional factors such as double discrimination and bisexual invisibility/erasure. Moreover, factors such as internalized homophobia and community connectedness have demonstrated strong associations with sexual minority mental …

Exploring Methods To Reduce Stress In College Students: Dog-Assisted Therapy, Ashley A. Green

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Many young adults find their college years to be highly stressful. The American College Health Association (2021) found 48% of college students reported moderate to severe levels of psychological stress. Research has found that chronic stress, commonly found in the college population, can adversely affect the health and academic performance of college students (Campbell & Svenson, 1992). Universities have begun experimenting with and adopting a variety of strategies to help students manage stressors associated with college attendance. These initiatives have included relatively well-researched procedures such as meditation and yoga as well as emerging practices. Recently, some colleges have begun testing …

The Lived Experiences Of 911 Dispatchers With Compassion Fatigue: An Interpretive Phenomenology, Angela Johnson

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

911 dispatchers are the “first” first responders in an emergency and play an intrinsic role in the public safety continuum. 911 dispatchers are exposed to daily and cumulative stress from the repeated empathic engagement of those they serve, and from shift work, staffing shortages, and inability to make mistakes. However, there is a dearth of peer reviewed literature on 911 dispatchers and compassion fatigue (CF). CF is described as the emotional and physical exhaustion experienced due to the constant exposure to the trauma of others. CF symptomology in 911 dispatchers has far reaching implications for not only the citizens …

The Effect Of Minority Stress On Sexual Minority College Students' Mental Health: The Role Of General Social Support And Sexuality-Specific Social Support, Lee A. Golembiewski

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Sexual minority (SM) college students continue to face greater mental health problems relative to their heterosexual peers (Woodford et al., 2014; Wilson & Liss, 2022). According to minority stress theory, SM individuals face distal (e.g., heterosexist discrimination) and proximal (e.g., expectations of rejection, internalized homophobia, and concealment) stressors related to their SM identity which can have negative effects on their mental health (Douglass & Conlin, 2020; Meyer, 2003). However, social support has been hypothesized to help protect against the effects of minority stress experienced by SM individuals (Cohen & Wills, 1985; Moody & Smith, 2013). Most of the existing research …

Community Healthcare Providers’ Perspectives On Hiv Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (Prep) Use Among Black Women, Kayla Pitchford, Sylvia Shangani, Charlotte Dawson, Kristin Heron

College of Sciences Posters

The most at-risk population among women for HIV diagnosis in the U.S. are Black women, who account for 61% of all new HIV cases. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a safe and effective HIV prevention method for people at risk of HIV acquisition. Despite being disproportionately affected by HIV, Black women’s knowledge, perceived benefits, and uptake of PrEP remain low. The socio-ecological model may be useful for understanding why there is a low uptake of PrEP among Black women by examining the complex interplay between individual, relationship, community, and societal factors. The current study used the socio-ecological framework to explore provider …

Neural Systems Underlying Rdoc Social Constructs: An Activation Likelihood Estimation Meta-Analysis, Rosario Pintos Lobo, Katherine L. Bottenhorn, Michael C. Riedel, Afra I. Toma, Megan M. Hare, Donisha D. Smith, Alexandra C. Moor, Isis K. Cowan, Javier A. Valdes, Jessica E. Bartley, Taylor Salo, Emily R. Boeving, Brianna Pankey, Matthew T. Sutherland, Erica D. Musser, Angela R. Laird

Psychology Faculty Publications

Neuroscientists have sought to identify the underlying neural systems supporting social processing that allow interaction and communication, forming social relationships, and navigating the social world. Through the use of NIMH’s Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) framework, we evaluated consensus among studies that examined brain activity during social tasks to elucidate regions comprising the “social brain”. We examined convergence across tasks corresponding to the four RDoC social constructs, including Affiliation and Attachment, Social Communication, Perception and Understanding of Self, and Perception and Understanding of Others. We performed a series of coordinate-based meta-analyses using the activation likelihood estimate (ALE) method. Meta-analysis was performed …

Examining The Experience Of Teen-To-Teen Crisis Line Work For Adolescent Volunteers: A Pilot Study, Taylor Kalgren Bs, Catherine R. Glenn Phd, Raksha Kandlur Ms, Kelsie Allison Ms, Annie Duan Bs, Cheryl Karp, Morgan Leets, Sandipan Dutta Phd, Madelyn Gould Phd, Mph

College of Sciences Posters

Suicidal thoughts and behaviors are high and increasing among youth. Crisis lines are one of the oldest downstream approaches for suicide prevention, which have demonstrated effectiveness for adults and preliminary effectiveness for youth. Teen-to-teen (t2t) crisis lines are a unique resource where adolescent volunteers help their similarly aged peers (through texts, chats, calls, and emails). However, no research to date has examined the impacts of t2t crisis line volunteering on the youth. The goal of this pilot study is to begin to evaluate the experience of t2t crisis lines for the youth volunteers. Adolescent (n=20, ages 15-20) volunteers were recruited …

Covid-19 Vaccination And Alcohol Consumption: Justification Of Risks, Pavel A. Solopov

Bioelectrics Publications

Since the beginning of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, pharmaceutical companies and research institutions have been actively working to develop vaccines, and the mass roll-out of vaccinations against COVID-19 began in January 2021. At the same time, during lockdowns, the consumption of alcoholic beverages increased. During the peak of vaccination, consumption remained at high levels around the world, despite the gradual relaxation of quarantine restrictions. Two of the popular queries on search engines were whether it is safe to drink alcohol after vaccination and whether this will affect the effectiveness of vaccines. Over the past two …

Ptsd And Alcohol Use Disorders Predict The Pace Of Cellular Aging, Sage E. Hawn, Xiang Zhao, Mark W. Miller, Sara Wallander, Christine Govan, Anjanette Stone, Steven A. Schichman, Mark W. Logue, Erika J. Wolf

Psychology Faculty Publications

Advanced epigenetic age is associated with psychopathology and may help to explain the link between psychopathology and physical health morbidity and mortality. Using a longitudinal sample of 171 trauma-exposed Veterans, we modeled the rate of change in epigenetic age across two time points (averaging 5.58 years apart) using two epigenetic age algorithms (GrimAge and Horvath) and tested associations with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), alcohol use disorder (AUD), and depression. Results showed that PTSD (β = .199) and AUD (β = .186) were associated with a quickened pace of epigenetic aging over time (ps < .021). Results replicate and extend prior work and offer foundational support for identifying interventions that slow the pace of biological aging among those with psychopathology.

Criterion Validity Of Protective Behavioral Strategies For Alcohol Consumption Among College Students, Abby L. Braitman, Amy Stamates, Melissa Colangelo, Sarah J. Ehlke, Jordan Ortman, Kristin E. Heron, Kate B. Carey

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background: Protective behavioral strategies (PBS), or behaviors used to reduce harm associated with alcohol use, are often associated with lower levels of alcohol consumption, lower engagement in high-risk drinking behaviors, and fewer alcohol-related consequences. Although the majority of studies have found significant associations between higher PBS use and lower consumption or consequences, some studies have found nonsignificant or even positive associations. One explanatory hypothesis is that the mixed findings are due to differential content in PBS measures. Objectives: The current study examined the criterion validity of two widely-used PBS measures, the PBSS and the SQ. In a multi-institution online …

Opioid Use Disorder Prediction Using Machine Learning Of Fmri Data, A. Temtam, Liangsuo Ma, F. Gerard Moeller, M. S. Sadique, K. M. Iftekharuddin, Khan M. Iftekharuddin (Ed.), Weijie Chen (Ed.)

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) more than 932,000 people in the US have died since 1999 from a drug overdose. Just about 75% of drug overdose deaths in 2020 involved Opioid, which suggests that the US is in an Opioid overdose epidemic. Identifying individuals likely to develop Opioid use disorder (OUD) can help public health in planning effective prevention, intervention, drug overdose and recovery policies. Further, a better understanding of prediction of overdose leading to the neurobiology of OUD may lead to new therapeutics. In recent years, very limited work has been done using statistical …

Changes In Mental Health As A Predictor Of Cannabis Coping Motives And Consequences: Examining The Impact Of Covid-19 Among College Students, Rebecca Dunaief, Adrian Jorge Bravo, James Henson

Psychology Faculty Publications

Objective: Cannabis use is common among college students and many students use cannabis to cope with negative affect. The COVID-19 pandemic was a particularly stressful time for college students. Subsequently, the present study compared college students who reported increases in anxiety/depression symptoms since COVID-19 stay at home orders to those who reported no change in anxiety/depression symptoms on cannabis coping motives, use frequency, and negative consequences. Specifically, we examined whether self-reported changes (i.e., group that indicated increases) in poor mental health during COVID-19 were associated with problematic cannabis use via higher cannabis coping motives. Method: College students (analytic n = …

The Influence Of Internalized Heterosexism On Life Satisfaction: Comparing Sexual Minority Women In Belgium And Turkey, Esra Ummak, Ezgi Toplu-Demirtaş, Amber L. Pope, Jeffry Moe

Counseling & Human Services Faculty Publications

To date, the majority of research studying lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) health has been conducted in Westernized, predominantly individualistic countries. Building on minority stress theory and models of LGBTQ health, we explored how sexual orientation and nationality moderated the association between internalized heterosexism and life satisfaction for lesbian and bisexual (LB) women living in two countries (Turkey and Belgium) with contrasting social contexts. The results of two-way MANOVA, in a sample of 339 Turkish and 220 Belgian LB women, revealed main effects but no interaction effects. LB women in Belgium reported less internalized heterosexism and more life …

Role Of Nativity In Mental Health Service Utilization Among Asian Americans: A Weighted Analysis Of Complex Survey Data, Anne Dumadag, Hadiza Galadima

College of Health Sciences Posters

Asian Americans represent both the fastest-growing population and the smallest group of consumers of mental health services (MHS) in the United States. The current study aimed to identify factors associated with MHS use and explore differences in MHS use by nativity among Asian Americans. Data from the 2015-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were used to examine past-year MHS use among Asian Americans ages 18 and older. Weighted analyses were used to determine the distribution of the population by nativity and other covariates, and Rao-Scott Chi-Square tests were used to explore the association between past-year MHS use and …

Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy (Eap) In The Treatment Of Military Service Members With Ptsd And/Or Tbi: A Pilot Study, Kimberly Freisenbruch, Carolyn Rutledge

College of Health Sciences Posters

Military members, whether active duty, retired, or separated from service, are at increased risk for developing physical and mental disabilities due to their military service, especially if combat was involved. Equine-assisted psychotherapy (EAP) is a therapeutic intervention that uses horses, trained equine therapists, and mental health professionals in a non-riding environment. Horses respond to very slight changes in their environment, and these responses may help to provide insight into how EAP patients communicate, set boundaries, and confront issues created by TBI and PTSD-related injuries.

The purpose of this study was to ascertain the efficacy of equine therapy on military members’ …

An Investigation Of Healthcare Professionals' Perspectives On The Tasks Of Mental Health Counselors In Hospital Settings, Suelle Micallef Marmara, Gülşah Kemer

Counseling & Human Services Faculty Publications

In this study, we attempted to understand what other healthcare professionals considered mental health counselors’ (MHCs) tasks in their hospital setting to facilitate medical and mental health services and enhance patients’ well-being. Using an exploratory sequential mixed-methods design (concept mapping), we obtained 3 regions of MHCs’ tasks (i.e., Overarching Roles and Responsibilities of MHCs in the Hospital Setting, MHCs’ Specific Roles in the Hospital Setting, and MHCs’ Roles and Responsibilities as a Multidisciplinary Team Member) represented in 11 clusters. We discussed the results with implications for MHCs, healthcare professionals, counselor educators, and researchers, along with the current study's limitations.

Genetic Associations Between Alcohol Phenotypes And Life Satisfaction: A Genomic Structural Equation Modeling Approach, Kaitlin E. Bountress, Shannon E. Cusack, Sage E. Hawn, Andrew Grotzinger, Daniel Bustamante, Robert M. Kirkpatrick, Howard J. Edenberg, Ananda B. Amstadter

Psychology Faculty Publications

Alcohol use (i.e., quantity, frequency) and alcohol use disorder (AUD) are common, associated with adverse outcomes, and genetically-influenced. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) identified genetic loci associated with both. AUD is positively genetically associated with psychopathology, while alcohol use (e.g., drinks per week) is negatively associated or NS related to psychopathology. We wanted to test if these genetic associations extended to life satisfaction, as there is an interest in understanding the associations between psychopathology-related traits and constructs that are not just the absence of psychopathology, but positive outcomes (e.g., well-being variables). Thus, we used Genomic Structural Equation Modeling (gSEM) to analyze …

Vaccination Inequities Among Children 12-23 Months In India: An Analysis Of Inter-State Differences, Octavia K. Goodman, Abram L. Wagner, Dakota Riopelle, Joseph L. Mathew, Matthew L. Boulton

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Background

Previous research has shown that socioeconomic and demographic risk factors in children are additive and lead to increasingly negative impacts on vaccination coverage. The goal of this study is to examine if different combinations of four risk factors (infant sex, birth order, maternal education level, and family wealth status) vary by state among children 12-23 months in India and to determine the impact of ≥ 1 risk factor on differences in state vaccination rates.

Methods

Using data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) conducted in India between 2005 and 2006 (NFHS-3) and 2015-2016 (NFHS-4), full vaccination of children …

Experiences With Covid-19 Stress Among Hispanic/Latino Farmworkers, Brenda Berumen-Flucker, Hadiza Galadima, Sylvia Shangani, Michele Kekeh, Muge Akpinar-Elci

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Hispanics/Latinos, particularly those that identify as foreign-born, are overrepresented in the agricultural sector in the U.S. Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, this subpopulation of farmworkers was recognized as an invaluable group of essential workers unable to implement COVID-19 protections.

METHODS: Previously validated COVID-19 stress scale measures were identified, adapted, and translated to collect COVID-19 stress data from Hispanic/Latino agricultural workers in two heavily agricultural counties in northeastern North Carolina. Participants were recruited using purposive convenience sampling. Data collection took place from June to November of 2021.

RESULTS: The majority of Hispanic/Latino agricultural workers surveyed reported experiencing worries …