Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Assessing Quality Outcomes In A Behavioral Oncology Program: Capstone Project, Elizabeth M. Archer-Nanda

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

The landscape of cancer care has changed dramatically over the past several decades. An illness that was once often fatal, now represents both an acute life threatening illness and a chronic condition. While there have been tremendous advancements in the treatment of the physiological aspects of cancer, management of related psychosocial and emotional issues have not seen this same progress. Limited information exists related to both the evaluation and outcome metrics associated with the screening and management of psychiatric sequelae after referral to specialized psychiatric services in cancer patient populations. This capstone project focused on (a) implementation of consistent use …

Multiple Dimensions Of The Symptom Experience In Patients With Advanced Cancer And Their Impact On Quality Of Life, Stephanie Gilbertson-White

Stephanie Gilbertson-White

Many people with advanced cancer experience multiple severe symptoms as their disease progresses such as pain, sleep problems, fatigue, and depression. These symptoms can be a result of the cancer itself, cancer treatment or an interaction of the two. The studies reported in this dissertation uses the patients' own responses to survey questions to describe the multiple dimensions of the symptom experience; the factors that predict the total number of symptoms; as well as the optimal cutpoint between a low and a high number of symptoms and the between group differences in patient outcomes (i.e., depression, anxiety, quality-of-life).

Determination Of Cutpoints For Low And High Number Of Symptoms In Patients With Advanced Cancer, Stephanie Gilbertson-White, B. Aouizerat, T. Jahan, S. Paul, C. West, K. Schumacher, M. Dodd, M. Rabow, A. Abu Raddaha, C. Miaskowski

Stephanie Gilbertson-White

While patients with advanced cancer experience a wide range of symptoms, no work has been done to determine an optimal cutpoint for a low versus a high number of symptoms. Analytic approaches that established clinically meaningful cutpoints for the severity of cancer pain and fatigue provided the foundation for this study. The purpose of this study was to determine the optimal cutpoint for low and high numbers of symptoms using a range of potential cutpoints and to determine if those cutpoints distinguished between the two symptom groups on demographic and clinical characteristics and depression, anxiety, and quality of life (QOL). …

Parent Need And Impact On Family For Parents Whose Children Have Special Healthcare Needs, Jennifer Emilie Mannino Ph.D., R.N.

Faculty Works: NUR (2010-2023)

Statement of the Problem: Parenting a child with special healthcare needs adds to the everyday parenting challenges as parents become caregivers. When providing care for a child with special healthcare needs often the increasing needs of parents are overlooked. Unmet parental needs may lead to stress, anxiety, and depression.
Purpose: To examine the relationship among a child’s special healthcare need, parent need, and family impact; and to identify attributes that mitigate parent risk and maladaptive behaviors.
Subjects: A convenience sample of 33 parents/guardians of children enrolled in a mid-Atlantic coordinated health service plan has been identified, invited and signed consents. …

Healthcare Provider's Adherence To The Centers For Disease Control And Prevention's Guidelines Regarding The Human Papillomavirus Vaccine In Males, Thomas Fisher, Lori Barkley, Tawanda Johnson

MSN Research Projects

The purpose of this study is to identify how many patients in the primary care setting diagnosed with depression were appropriately screened for suicide and, if screened, were referred to another facility.

Suicide Screening In Primary Care With Patients Diagnosed With Depression, Thomas Fisher, Lori Barkley, Tawanda Johnson

MSN Research Projects

The purpose of this study is to identify how many patients in the primary care setting diagnosed with depression were appropriately screened for suicide and, if screened, were referred to another facility.

Spirituality, Religiosity, Depression, Anxiety, And Drug-Use Consequences During Methadone Maintenance Therapy, Linda B. Piacentine

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Substance addiction is damaging to the health of persons, families, and society. Often the person with addiction has decreased spirituality and religiosity and suffers from anxiety, depression, or both, increasing the risk for continued substance use and its concomitant negative consequences. The study purpose was to describe spirituality and religiosity, among persons enrolled in methadone maintenance therapy and to examine associations between spirituality, religiosity, anxiety, depression, and drug-use consequences. Using a descriptive and cross-sectional correlational design, 108 participants completed questionnaires assessing the study variables. Spiritual well-being was similar to other addiction samples and lower than healthy person samples. Most participants …

Metabolic Syndrome And Depression: A Systematic Review Of The Association, Michael S. Robinson

Student Works

Purpose: To explore whether there is an association between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and depression, the nature of the relationship, and implications for practicing health care professionals. Data Sources: Peer reviewed articles obtained through electronic database search in: CINAHL, The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, and PsychINFO between the years of 2006 and 2013. Results: MetS and depression have a bidirectional association; MetS leads to depression and vice-versa. More severe depression has a stronger association with MetS. Increased waist circumference (AKA: abdominal obesity, body mass index [BMI]), elevated triglycerides, and low HDL cholesterol are the MetS components most commonly/strongly associated depression. Though not …

Leisure-Time Physical Activity In Relation To Depressive Symptoms In African-Americans: Results From The National Survey Of American Life, Elisa R. Torres, Carolyn M. Sampselle, David L. Ronis, Harold W. Neighbors, Kimberlee A. Gretebeck

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Objective

To examine the frequency of leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) in relation to depressive symptoms in a nationally representative sample of African American (AA) women and AA men with guidance by Stokols' Social Ecological Framework.

Method

A secondary analysis of AA women (n = 1811) and AA men (n = 1038) was performed on the National Survey of American Life, where a four stage national area probability sampling was conducted. Interviews were conducted 2001–2003. Clinically depressed AA were excluded from the current study. LTPA was measured by self-report frequency (never, rarely, sometimes, often) of participation in sports/exercise. Depressive symptoms were …

Implementation Of Mental Health Screening In An Adolescent Health Care Clinic, Lisa Colleen Isenberg

Dissertations

The purpose of this project was to increase the awareness of adolescent mental health issues and emphasize the importance of screening for depression and suicidal ideations, to provide clinicians mental health screening tools, and to determine the barriers and challenges involved in performing mental health screenings in practice. This project implemented mental health screenings in an adolescent, urban, walk in health clinic and evaluated the mental health screening and implementation process from the patient and the provider perspectives and determined the resources needed for follow up. This practice evaluation project included a mental health screening on consenting 18-24 year olds, …

Depression Screening Of Young Adult Freshmen Students, Marlee R. Steele

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Depression is a mental health issue that requires prompt identification and treatment. According to the CDC, it is estimated that in the U.S .one in 10 adults suffer from depression (CDC, 2011) with 4.7% of young adults, 18-39 years, suffer from depression (CDC, 2006). Many young adults report that college life is often more stressful than anticipated and the demands placed not only academically, but also socially, adversely affect their psychological and physical health (Dyson & Renk, 2006). The purpose of this EBP project was to answer the PICOT question: How does a depression screening tool in combination with a …

Toward A Model For Predicting Depression Among Veterans, Nita Aurora Magee-Cornelius

Dissertations

Major depression, identified as a leading cause of disability in the United States, is often first diagnosed by primary care providers. This disability is associated with increased morbidity, mortality, and a lower quality of life. With approximately one in every three veteran diagnosed with depression and the rate of suicide increasing in the United States military (Department of Veterans Affairs, 2009), the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 items (PHQ-2) can be instrumental in identification and monitoring of depressive symptoms. The purposes of this retrospective study were to determine the prevalence of depression, as measured by the federally mandated PHQ-2 in the VA, …

Risk Perception In Cardiovascular Disease, Michelle Ellen Block

Dissertations

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains among the leading causes of death in the United States despite widespread knowledge about risk factors as well as effective primary prevention strategies. Risk perception is a complex phenomenon that plays an important role in how persons view disease and ultimately how they make health behavior choices. This study is supported by the knowledge that few studies have examined how persons perceive cardiovascular risk or the variables thought to contribute to the formation of risk perception.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine how accurately persons perceive personal risk for cardiovascular disease and identify …

Control Group Design: Enhancing Rigor In Research Of Mind-Body Therapies For Depression, Patricia Anne Kinser, Jo Lynne W. Robins

School of Nursing Publications

Although a growing body of research suggests that mind-body therapies may be appropriate to integrate into the treatment of depression, studies consistently lack methodological sophistication particularly in the area of control groups. In order to better understand the relationship between control group selection and methodological rigor, we provide a brief review of the literature on control group design in yoga and tai chi studies for depression, and we discuss challenges we have faced in the design of control groups for our recent clinical trials of these mind-body complementary therapies for women with depression. To address the multiple challenges of research …

Evaluation Of Depression Screening Practices For College Women In A Primary Care University Health Clinic, Sarah E. Lester

DNP Projects

Mental disorders, including depression, are increasing in frequency and intensity in the college student population. College-aged women appear to be particularly vulnerable to depression. Primary care providers play an important role in addressing this issue, as they are the principal health care contacts for more than 50% of patients with mental illnesses. Guidelines from the 2009 United States Preventative Services Task Force recommend screening all adults (age 18+) for depression in primary care when depression care supports are in place. However, current screening rates for depression in the primary care setting from are estimated at only 1.6 to 3.3% (United …

Relationship Between Dysphoric Moods, Risk-Taking Behaviors, And Toxoplasma Gondii Antibody Titers In Female Veterans, Allyson Radford Duffy

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The number of female veterans is increasing daily. Previous research conducted on veterans has focused primarily on males or with small samples of females. Depression and suicidality are becoming increasingly evident in returning veterans. Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular parasite that is common in the Middle East and has been reported to cause changes in personality and behavior.

The purpose of the current study was to examine relationships between T. gondii antibody titer and socioeconomic variables, dysphoric moods, and risk-taking behaviors in a sample of 70 female veterans. Blood samples were collected and analyzed for T. gondii antibody titer and …

Race/Ethnicity, Subjective And Objective Sleep Quality, Physical And Psychological Symptoms In Breast Cancer Survivors, Pinky H. Budhrani

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Breast cancer is a major health problem and comprises the largest population of cancer survivors in the United States, estimated at 2.9 million women, accounting for 22% of all cancer survivors (National Cancer Institute, 2013). The advances in breast cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment has increased the importance of survivorship needs. A major concern among breast cancer survivors (BCS) is sleep disturbances. This study used an innovative approach to examine ethnic and racial disparities in sleep disturbances present in BCS. In addition, this study also explored sleep disturbances across different races/ethnicities. This study was a secondary data analysis of baseline …

The Strong Black Woman, Depression, And Emotional Eating, Michelle Renee Offutt

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Eighty percent of all black women are overweight or obese which can lead to greatly increased morbidity and mortality, increasing healthcare costs and loss of healthy years of life. While multiple factors may contribute to obesity in black women, the cultural persona of the Strong Black Woman (SBW), an ideology that promotes unflagging toughness and denial of self-needs, may be the basis for behaviors that contribute to steady state obesity in this group. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between the SBW persona, depression, and emotional eating.

Two predominately black churches in Florida were approached …