Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Consequences Of Homophobia: Analysis Of Discriminatory Medical And Legislative Policies And Their Influence On Health Disparities, Kaiden J. Fandel

Honors Thesis

Are there specific roots that influence the introduction and incorporation of discriminatory medical policies? What are the sources of such stigma, discrimination, and prejudice, in what forms does such discrimination take place, and what negative impacts does such hatred have on health outcomes, quality of care, and health disparities? Through a review of existing literature on this topic, intertwining the examination of the evolution of discriminatory policies and other explanatory literature in the United States, this thesis aims to answer the questions above, and explain the roots of such homophobic discrimination and its prevalence in the United States. Through the …

Examining The Effects Of A Week-Long Social Media Abstinence Intervention, Iweek, On General Well-Being, Mental Health, And Body Image Concerns In Latina College Students, Roberto Sagaribay

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Latina college students, on average, spend approximately 30 hours per week on social media, highlighting the pervasive influence of social media on their lives. While social media can facilitate interpersonal relationships, its impact on mental and physical health is evident in the literature. Problematic social media use has been associated with increased rates of depression, anxiety, and decreased life satisfaction. Additionally, exposure to idealized images on social media platforms often leads to lower body satisfaction, particularly among women. Social media may also influence eating behaviors through the abundance of food advertisements and contribute to sedentary behavior, as individuals spend significant …

Implementation Of Prenatal And Postpartum Depression Screening For A Telehealth Company, Allison Herrmann, Lori Deibel

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Abstract

Depression is a leading mental health disorder. Depression occurring during the perinatal and postpartum periods has become highly prevalent throughout the world, impacting 5-10% of women during (van de Loo et al., 2018) and 9-23.5% postpartum (Bauman et al., 2020). Proper diagnosis and treatment of perinatal and postpartum depression (PPD) is crucial, as depression can lead to poor outcomes including relationship complications and negatively affect child development (Slomain, 2019). The implementation of screening tools can help identify women at risk based on their signs and symptoms of PPD (Bauman et al., 2020). The primary goal of this project was …

Influence Of Medication Assisted Treatment Weaning On Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome And Outcomes Among Infants Born To Women With Opioid Use Disorder, Rakesh Adelli

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) is a drug withdrawal syndrome exhibited by infants born to mothers with opioid use disorder (OUD). The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and other professional societies endorse opioid agonist pharmacotherapy (MATs) as the optimal treatment for OUD during pregnancy. This study focuses on impact of weaning of MAT drugs on the incidence of NAS and neonatal birth outcomes among babies born to women with opioid exposure.

The study population included eighty-six pregnant women with OUD, divided in to weaning and non-weaning groups based on their choice to wean the MATs during pregnancy. Univariate analysis was …

Exploring The Lived Experience Of Self-Care In Young Adults With Type 2 Diabetes, Holly Berry-Price

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction

The prevalence of prediabetes in adults aged 18 or older was as high as 38% between 2017-2020. Youth-onset T2DM is a more aggressive phenotype than T2DM that occurs later in life. Young adults with T2DM have poorer health outcomes, lose an average of 15 years of life, all resulting in significant economic burden impacting the person. Current self-management interventions do not improve health outcomes in young adults with T2DM.

Purpose

The purpose of this research was to explore the self-care experiences of young adults living with T2DM.

Methods

Existential hermeneutic phenomenology informed the research. Inclusion criteria as follows: adults …

Social Workers’ Preparedness For Practice With Patients Experiencing Psychotic Disorders, Paula Crespin

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The present study explored the preparedness of social workers when providing services to individuals diagnosed with psychotic disorders who present with non-affective psychosis. The present study sought to examine the perceived barriers to mental health service utilization for individuals diagnosed with psychotic disorders as well as the perceived preparedness of social workers when providing services to individuals with non-affective psychosis. Social workers are crucial frontline workers in the treatment and support of individuals diagnosed with psychotic disorder. This qualitative study was comprised of twelve semi-structured interviews to gauge the preparedness of social workers (N=12). Results from the thematic analysis demonstrated …

Factors That Contribute To Disparities In Access To Mental Health Services Within Hispanic Adults, Jasmine Soriano

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The focus of this research project was to understand and identify the challenges Hispanic adults face when accessing their mental health services to better understand this concerning issue and help support social workers in bridging that gap in the Hispanic community. The study took place at a mental health clinic in Southern California through virtual interviews for those who chose to participate. This agency provides mental health therapy to individuals 0-21 years of age, but for the purpose of this study, only adults aged 18-21 qualified to participate. The study consisted of twelve voluntary participants from both Hispanic adult clients …

The Greater Implications Of Self-Perceptions Of Aging Among Younger Adults: Results From The Socially Nutritious Volunteer Training Program, Ashlyn Cobble

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The rapidly growing rate of the older adult population has created a need to better understand younger adults’ self-perceptions of aging and current trends of ageism. The purpose of this secondary data analysis research project was to determine changes, if any, in participants’ self-perception of aging after the Socially Nutritious facilitator or nutrition ambassador volunteer training, which aims to develop knowledge and skills related to aging trends, older adult nutrition, preventing ageism, and communication and educational considerations when working with older adults. Findings indicate that participants with more frequent interactions with older adults had a more positive perception of their …

Validation Of A Novel Heritable Rodent Model Of Drug Abuse Vulnerability In Psychosis And Investigation Of Therapeutic Targets, Loren D. Peeters

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Schizophrenia is a severe neuropsychiatric disorder of largely unknown etiology that is often accompanied by high rates of cigarette smoking, reduced quit success, and high relapse rates. Dysregulated dopamine signaling and aberrant synaptic plasticity in the mesocorticolimbic pathway are implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and conferred substance abuse disorder and relapse vulnerability. Genetic factors are presumed to play a significant role in the development of schizophrenia, with a 40-50% concordance rate for monozygotic twins, although genetic markers are inconsistent. As such, epigenetic factors have instead been implicated. Specifically, there is strong evidence to suggest DNA methylation at several candidate …

Familial Sex Trafficking In East Tennessee, Mary K. Brannock

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation was completed in partial fulfillment of the Doctor of Public Health program at East Tennessee State University. The dissertation follows the Manuscript Format which includes three manuscripts, these manuscripts regard familial sex trafficking and are as follows, a scoping review, an empirical study on regional familial sex trafficking, and a policy implications paper on criminal record relief for survivors of familial sex trafficking.

The scoping review includes eight peer reviewed studies on familial sex trafficking and a summary of grey literature. Thematic analysis was used to map the existing literature onto the Three Ps of human trafficking: Prevention, …

Molecular Mechanisms Of Opioid Use Disorder In Human Brain Models, Emily Mendez

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a national and global public health crisis with no end in sight. While studies from animal models hint at widespread epigenetic and transcriptomic alterations of opioid drugs, the molecular consequences of long-term exposure to opioid drugs in human brain is still unclear, and human-centered translational models are necessary to discern the human cell type-specific effects of OUD.

Using postmortem brain Brodmann area 9 (BA9) from the UTHealth Brain Collection for Research on Psychiatric Disorders, I identified angiogenic gene networks perturbed in the RNA and protein of OUD subjects, as well as downregulation of many neuron-correlated …

Mindfulness For Middle School Students Receiving Adapted Physical Education Services: Quality Improvement Program, Kaila Mangrum

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Middle school students with disabilities are often isolated from their peers with decreased opportunities for participation, struggle with social emotional regulation, and self-efficacy. This has been evident among students with various disabilities who are from various age groups receiving special education services including adapted physical education (APE). Research has shown mindfulness amplifies learning and promotes a positive environment that supports children’s overall wellbeing. This quality improvement project focused on developing an occupational therapy centered mindfulness program to enhance social participation, self-efficacy, and social-emotional regulation. Data collection occurred pre and post program from specialized program teacher assistants (SPTAs) using the School …

Evaluating Mental Health Outcomes In Covid-19 Icu Survivors: A Scoping Review Of Measurement Tools, Kimberly T'Ng, Justin Kenardy, Andree Hartanto

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Objective: The objective of this scoping review was to map the range of measurement tools used to study the prevalence of common mental health conditions in COVID-19 ICU survivors. Introduction: Increased rates of admission to and survivorship from intensive care units (ICUs) have been observed in recent years, particularly during the global pandemic. ICU patients are at a higher risk of developing depressive, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms. Due to the high burden of disease, an accurate understanding of long-term mental health challenges for this population is key. Unfortunately, there is significant variability in reported prevalence rates. Heterogeneity in measurement tools …

Comparing Ait And Eft In Reduction Of Negative Emotions Associated With A Past Memory: A Randomized Control Study, Gregory Brown, Kavita Batra, Emily Dorin, Raveena Bakhru, Andrew Han, Arianna Palermini, Robert Sottile, Sherine Khanbijian

Psychiatry & Behavioral Health Faculty Research

PURPOSE: To assess whether Quick AIT was statistically equivalent to Basic Recipe Clinical EFT for the reduction of negative emotion associated with a past event.

Abnormality Of Early White Matter Development In Tuberous Sclerosis Complex And Autism Spectrum Disorder: Longitudinal Analysis Of Diffusion Tensor Imaging Measures, Siddharth Srivastava, Fanghan Yang, Anna K Prohl, Peter E Davis, Jamie K Capal, Rajna Filip-Dhima, E Martina Bebin, Darcy A Krueger, Hope Northrup, Joyce Y Wu, Simon K Warfield, Mustafa Sahin, Bo Zhang, Tacern Study Group

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background:

Abnormalities in white matter development may influence development of autism spectrum disorder in tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). Our goals for this study were as follows: (1) use data from a longitudinal neuroimaging study of tuberous sclerosis complex (TACERN) to develop optimized linear mixed effects models for analyzing longitudinal, repeated diffusion tensor imaging metrics (fractional anisotropy, mean diffusivity) pertaining to select white matter tracts, in relation to positive Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule–Second Edition classification at 36 months, and (2) perform an exploratory analysis using optimized models applied to all white matter tracts from these data.

Methods:

Eligible participants (3-12 months) …

Impact Of Genetic Counseling On Patient Empowerment After Diagnosis Of Fetal Anomaly, Carley Brueckner

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Approximately 3-5% of pregnancies are affected by fetal anomalies, often leading to structural and functional differences that impact infant health and mortality. When anomalies are identified on prenatal ultrasound, genetic counseling (GC) and genetic testing may be offered to investigate the potential for a possible syndromic cause. Genetic counselors provide education on the chance for a genetic etiology, available testing options, potential changes in medical intervention related to an identified etiology, and psychosocial counseling and resources. Regardless of a patient’s testing decision, genetic counseling should include psychosocial counseling to support and empower patients in a time of prognostic uncertainty and …

Major Factors Of Sustaining Recovery After Relapse From A Substance Use Disorder, Amanda Tei Sandhurst

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Relapse is a common and often-expected occurrence among individuals with substance use disorders. Relapse can be defined as returning to a problematic behavior after abstaining for a period of time (Marlatt & Witkiewitz, 2005). It is the inability to maintain life in sobriety and is not an isolated event, but rather a process (Gorski & Kelley, 1996). The problem with relapse is that it can result in continued substance use and abuse, which can then lead to other major consequences. This study looks at ten individuals in recovery who experienced a past relapse after having a period of abstinence and …

Art Therapy For Bereaved Siblings After Pediatric Cancer Death, Daniela Ramirez-Ibarra

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Children and adolescents whose siblings die due to pediatric cancer are at an increased risk for several mental health issues and high risky behavior engagement. There is currently very little literature on the topic of a sibling’s grief despite its potentially critical and persisting consequences. Through qualitative research in analyzing art projects made by bereaved siblings, this is an exploratory study of how an art program may help bereaved or grieving children access their feelings using a non verbal modality of expression. The research study was conducted at a community-based non-profit organization which focuses on supporting families of children with …

A Medical Perspective On Policy Prohibiting Gender-Affirming Care For Missouri Minors: A Policy Review, Hayley Lange

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

The Save Adolescents from Experimentation (SAFE) Act is a law enacted in August of 2023 that bans gender-affirming medical care for individuals under eighteen years old in Missouri and states any medical provider who gives medical gender-affirming care to a minor will have their professional medical license revoked. The impact of medical professionals withholding proven gender-affirming care is a clear concern for the medical community, advocates, and other care professionals.
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/="/">PURPOSE: The purpose of this policy review is to compare the content of the Missouri Save Adolescents from Experimentation (SAFE) Act with states with similar policies and standard-of-care …

Examining The Relationship Between Deafness And Mental Health Status: An Analysis Of The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (Brfss) 2022, Brianna Stroud-Williams

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Objective: The objective of the research is to examine the association between mental health status as measured by number of mentally healthy days in the past month and deafness and binge drinking.

Methods: The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) study was conducted via telephone survey in 50 states, including the District of Columbia and US territories. The sample size is 402,156 participants. Univariate, bivariate, and multivariate regressions, odds ratio, and 95% confidence interval were used to measure the data.

Results: Deaf respondents have 1.56 times the odds of having poor mental health than those who are not deaf. (95% …

Integrating Collective Art Healing Practices Into Contemporary Art Therapy, Taleene Armen, Nicole Aviel, Ej Liao, Brianna Mitjans, Mandy Schuster

LMU Theses and Dissertations

Five graduate students from the Marital and Family Art Therapy Program at Loyola Marymount University (LMU) conducted a research study to explore the characteristics and attributes of collective art practices and how they contribute to healing. A survey including quantitative measures and qualitative responses were administered on the Qualtrics platform, allowing for a wide geographic reach and rapid data collection. The subsequent qualitative analysis involved the creation of visual artworks by the researchers, utilizing the arts as data to identify additional common themes contributing to healing attributes. The data revealed three major themes, or characteristics, of how art contributes to …

Social Support In An Internet Weight Loss Community, Richard Freund, Marta Favara, Catherine Porter, Jere Behrman

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Many low- and middle-income countries have introduced public works programs (PWPs) to fight poverty. This paper provides the first evidence that children from families who benefit from PWPs show increased foundational cognitive skills. The results, based on unique tablet-based data collected as part of a long-standing longitudinal survey, show positive associations between participation in the Productive Safety Net Programme (PSNP) in Ethiopia during childhood with long-term memory and implicit learning, and suggestive evidence for working memory. These associations appear to be strongest for children whose households were still PSNP participants in the year of data collection. Evidence suggests that the …

The C-Terminal Domain Of Minc Inhibits Assembly Of The Z Ring In Escherichia Coli, Gabriel R Fries, Sarah H Sperry, Tamsyn E Van Rheenen, Emma Morton

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Cross-Cohort Replicable Resting-State Functional Connectivity In Predicting Symptoms And Cognition Of Schizophrenia, Chunzhi Zhao, Rongtao Jiang, Juan Bustillo, Peter Kochunov, Jessica A Turner, Chuang Liang, Zening Fu, Daoqiang Zhang, Shile Qi, Vince D Calhoun

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Schizophrenia (SZ) is a debilitating mental illness characterized by adolescence or early adulthood onset of psychosis, positive and negative symptoms, as well as cognitive impairments. Despite a plethora of studies leveraging functional connectivity (FC) from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to predict symptoms and cognitive impairments of SZ, the findings have exhibited great heterogeneity. We aimed to identify congruous and replicable connectivity patterns capable of predicting positive and negative symptoms as well as cognitive impairments in SZ. Predictable functional connections (FCs) were identified by employing an individualized prediction model, whose replicability was further evaluated across three independent cohorts (BSNIP, SZ …

Developing A College Readiness Skills Program Aimed At Improving Self-Efficacy For Foster Youth In Academic Settings, Natasa Janjusic

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The proposed work focused on the development and feasibility of a project aiming to introduce college readiness skills to youth who were in the foster care system in order to increase their perception of self-efficacy in an educational setting. With this increase in self-efficacy, foster youth who are generally disadvantaged when attaining and completing a college degree can have the skills necessary to combat this barrier. The project involved the development of contents of the program and the procedures performed at Bamboo Sunrise Foster Care Agency, where this Capstone project was carried out. Participants in the program consisted of three …

Implementation And Effectiveness Of Stress Management Strategies Among Stem Students At The University Of Nebraska-Lincoln, Dylan Hiser

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

High-stakes exams often induce significant stress among STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) students, impacting their academic performance and overall well-being. As the opportunity for careers in STEM grows rapidly, understanding the stressors that students face remains critical in mitigating the effects of this stress and ensuring the success of these students. The objective of this study is to determine how well STEM students respond to recommended interventions that mitigate exam stress and to identify trends in these students’ exam scores. To accomplish this, a set of surveys was sent to undergraduate STEM students at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The …

Examining Theoretically Derived Mechanisms Underlying The Relationships Between Sexual Arousal, Alcohol Use History, And Sexual Aggression, Kailey Ann Richner

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Various interventions have attempted to reduce the rates of sexual violence perpetrated by college men; however, meta-analyses suggest interventions need to further evaluate theoretically derived mechanisms to improve outcomes (Malamuth et al., 2018; DeGue et al., 2014; Vladutiu, et al., 2011). To address this concern, the present study utilized the Integrated Theory of Sexual Offending (ITSO; Ward et al., 2016; Ward & Beech, 2008; 2006) to explore mechanisms underlying the relationships between sexual arousal, alcohol use history (AUH), and sexual aggression. Working memory, impulsivity, and affective forecasting paradigms were selected to map onto the ITSO’s neuropsychological mechanisms. The interaction between …

"My Longest Relationship Is With Food": Exploring Eating Related Behaviors Throughout The Gender Identity Journey Of Transgender Males, Angeles Polett Coss

Dissertations

This study sought to explore how transgender adult males have navigated the development of their eating behaviors throughout their gender identity trajectory. While recent research has focused on gender identity development and protective factors of the transgender community, this study explored and examined elements regarding the eating related behaviors of transgender males. Interviews were conducted with six participants within the United States during semi structured virtual sessions; the age range of participants was 19 to 35. Results of this research revealed identity management, Sociopolitical discourse, identity management and inter-relational identity affirmations as inter-multicultural segments that connected with eating related behaviors …

Alcohol Use Disorder: Behaviors And Comorbidities In Recovery, Ryann Schochet

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

The purpose of this study was to determine the connection between length of sobriety, for people with alcohol use disorder, and their experience with related disorders and traits. Impulsivity, compulsions, obsessions, generalized anxiety, panic attacks, and neuroticism have all been researched in relation with the development of alcohol use disorder and drinking behaviors. This study strived to determine the presence of these symptoms and behaviors within one’s recovery, and their effect on one’s overall sobriety. This study compared self-reported symptoms of Alcoholics Anonymous members to their current length of sobriety and past relapses. Symptoms of Attention- deficit/hyperactivity disorder, Obsessive Compulsive …

Sufferance For Snuff Puffs: The Acceptability And Behavior Of Smoking Marijuana And Tobacco Inside The House, Eusabeia Silfanus, Oliver Lopez, Vincent Berardi

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Secondhand smoke (SHS) released from indoor smoking contributes to household air pollution, releasing large quantities of fine particulate matter which can pose negative health outcomes, especially for developing children who spend most of their time at home. The increased legalization of marijuana increases its recreational and medicinal use along with its acceptability. With tobacco use remaining prevalent, the use of marijuana and/or tobacco remains common and may occur inside the home. Project Fresh Air conducted in San Diego County studies the air quality in households (n = 298) with at least one adult smoking tobacco and/or marijuana living with at …