Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Relationship Between Parent Asthma Knowledge, Parental Control Of Child's Asthma, And Parent Qol, Glori Sommerer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The long-term responsibility of caring for a child with asthma can result in parents

experiencing a lower quality of life (QoL), especially if the child's asthma is not well

controlled. Asthma knowledge can enhance asthma control practices among parents.

However, research has not explored these variables together to determine whether

parental control of child's asthma mediates the relationship between parent asthma

knowledge and parent QoL. This quantitative research study explored whether parental

control of child's asthma mediated the relationship between parent asthma knowledge

and parent QoL. The theoretical foundation was asthma self-regulation theory, focused

on the importance of asthma knowledge …

Experiences Of College Freshmen Women Who Eat In A Social Environment, Kylie Cowens Blodgett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The social cognitive theory suggests that social surroundings influence health behaviors, and social modeling literature supports that eating behaviors are influenced by social norms. Eating decisions are especially vulnerable to social influence during the transition to college, although current interventions do not address social influence in the context of the eating environment itself or consider how men and women may experience this environment differently. This generic qualitative study explored how freshmen women perceived their experiences eating in a cafeteria setting. The research questions investigated freshmen women’s perceptions about social influence on self-efficacy, self-regulation, outcome expectations, and modeling of normative information …

Enhancing The Resilience Of Acute Care Psychiatric Nurses Through A Brief Gratitude Intervention, Patricia D. Sullivan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Stressors affecting healthcare providers have accelerated in recent years, causing increasing rates of burnout and emotional exhaustion. Evidence suggests that improving general mental well-being of nurses could enhance their resilience and ability to cope in stressful situations. Psychiatric nurses are at risk by caring for involuntary and manipulative patients who can be violent and abusive. The purpose of this project was to improve psychiatric nurses' mental well-being through the implementation of a gratitude practice and examined the effect of this brief gratitude intervention on their mental well-being. Models informing this project were human caring theory, resilience theory, and positive psychology …

Understanding Behavioral Health Stigma Within The Healthcare Workforce, Jason Robert Martin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Individuals who seek mental health treatment in the United States face significant barriers. One such barrier is the belief that those seeking mental health treatment are subpar people with some moral failure. One area where this phenomenon exists is the behavioral healthcare workforce. This study was conducted to understand the phenomenon of stigma that behavioral healthcare leaders exhibit toward behavioral healthcare patients using the Baldrige framework as its conceptual framework. Using a qualitative approach and case study design, interviews were conducted with 6 leaders within a large healthcare system in the suburbs of a major metropolitan area to evaluate their …

The Long-Term Biopsychosocial Effects Of Children Reared In Blended Families, Kerene T. Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Family dynamics have experienced an immense transformation in the last 4 decades. Children are less likely to live in a 2-parent household with parents that are both biologically related to them due to various factors. Blended families (especially the children) face many adversities during the initial stages of formation and rarely receive specialized intervention when compared to nuclear families. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to understand the long-term biopsychosocial effects experienced by young adults who lived in a blended family household. In addition, what services or interventions were offered to newly established blended family systems were also …

Treatment Interventions For Tobacco Cessation At An Inpatient Mental Health Facility, Stephanie Marie Stansell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 36.5% of adults with any mental illness use tobacco compared to 25.3% of adults without a mental illness; however, there are limited data to determine the best approaches for tobacco cessation among the mentally ill. The purpose of this quantitative, quasi-experimental study was to investigate the differences among 1-on-1 counseling versus group counseling in tobacco cessation rates among psychiatric patients aged 18 years old and older who were identified as a tobacco user upon admission to …

Experiences Of Resiliency And Family Support In Older Women With Mental Illness, Dawn Harbin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lack of a support system for older females with mental illness may cause reduced resiliency skills and an increase in mental illness symptoms while they attempt to manage independent living. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the individual stories of older women living independently who suffer from a mental illness and have a support system. Social learning theory and self-efficacy theory provided the framework for the study. Data were collected from face-to-face interviews with 8 women ages 65-80 years who are in treatment at a mental health center in South Carolina. Findings from coding analysis showed that …

Managing Energy As Experienced By Female Federal Senior Managers, Gwendolyn Jones Crimiel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Senior managers experience a drain on personal energy while trying to meet the demands of work. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore how female senior managers describe lived experiences of managing and renewing personal energy while at work. The theoretical framework included conservation of resources theory and effort recovery theory. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews with 14 female senior managers who experienced managing and renewing their personal energy at work. Data analysis involved coding to capture the essence of the experiences and to identify common themes. Findings indicated that insufficient energy affected participants’ mental and …

Hospice Interdisciplinary Use Of The Social Work Assessment Tool For Military Families, Miranda Lishell Rankin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The development of the social work assessment tool (SWAT) was an initiative designed by members of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization to move hospice and palliative care social workers into the arena of viewing the family as an extension of the patient. Of those dying in the United States, 1 out of 4 is a military veteran (vet) in need of assessments, culturally relevant interventions, and/or supports at the end of life. For military families, caring for vets at the end of life can prompt stressors that may require culturally unique assessments and/or interventions. Tsai’s (2003) theory of …

Attitudes And Beliefs Related To Risk Of Sexually Transmitted Infection In Swingers Who Do Not Use Condoms, Deborah Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sexually transmitted infection (STI) affects the public as a hidden epidemic of contagious disease with significant economic and health impacts. There are 110 million living with STI in the United States, with 20 million new infections annually. Condom use can reduce STI, but some people have sex without condoms, with risk for contracting or transmitting STI increasing when a person is in the same sexual network. Swingers are a growing sexual network and are a group at high risk of developing and spreading STI. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to develop an understanding of the attitudes and …

Atheoretical Versus Theory-Based Approaches In Promoting Safer Adhd-Medication Prescribing For Adults, Kathleen A. Fairman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Gaps between treatment guidelines and medical decisions persist despite interventions with physicians, which are mostly atheoretical. The purpose of this retrospective cross-sectional study was to compare atheoretical and theory-based logistic regression models of a binary outcome: potentially unsafe prescribing of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medications to adults. Social cognitive theory and self-determination theory provided the framework for the study. Predictors were framed as social cognitive theoretical constructs: knowledge (e.g., physician specialty) and environmental influence (e.g., interventions). Atheoretical hypotheses were based on legislation mandating meaningful use of electronic health records and computerized decision support (CDS). Theory-based hypotheses were derived from literature …

Assessing Pain-Related Factors As Predictors Of Distress During Transitional Musculoskeletal Pain Experience, Gary Robert Ahlstrom

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

During people’s pain experience, certain difficulties may emerge within individuals’ psychological and social domains that can confound and exacerbate the frequency of their pain-related distress episodes. Previous research has consistently found psychosocial factors evident during the first months of unresolved pain are reliable predictors of pain chronicity and disability at 12 months. This exploratory descriptive quantitative multivariate study included 2 nationwide online surveys that examined the frequency of moderate-to-severe symptoms of distress within the anxiety-depression spectrum, and the extent that 8 pain-related factors influenced and predicted episodes of anxiety and depressed mood, which included 2 demographic risk factors (age range …

Job Self-Efficacy, Alexithymia And Secondary Traumatic Stress Among Correctional Officers, Paulette Andrea Gayle

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Correctional officers work in a volatile environment and are regularly exposed to inmates’ violence or cruelty. These factors negatively affect their job performance, contribute to physiological and mental health issues that could result in secondary traumatic stress (STS) symptoms. Researchers have identified job self-efficacy and alexithymia traits as mitigating factors against elevated stress. Other researchers have identified the traits as strongly associated with mental health illnesses. The purpose of this quantitative study, using a convenience sampling strategy, was to determine whether job self-efficacy and alexithymia traits were predictors of STS among a sample of 79 correctional officers working for Her …

Mental Health Care Practitioners, Self-Care, And Men Who Are Postincarcerated, Aduke Mccoy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mental health practitioners often suffer physical exhaustion, burnout, and increased stress from providing care to postincarcerated men with elevated mental illness. When working in these high environments, helping professionals, may neglect self-care when caring for clients under stressful conditions. Neglected self-care can have adverse implications for both the patient and the mental health professional. The research question aligned with the purpose of this study was to understand what grounded theory that explains how mental health practitioners manage self-care while providing services to postincarcerated men with elevated mental illness. Self-care theory was used as a conceptual framework for this qualitative grounded …

Positive Behavior Support-Based In-Home Services For Traumatic Brain Injury, Charles Jack

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have demonstrated the effectiveness of positive behavior support (PBS) services in the in-home (IH) setting but few studies examined its use with traumatic brain injury (TBI) clients, and most of these were small sample cases. Additional research on IH PBS services for TBI clients was recommended, in particular using larger samples. The purpose of this study was to address that need by examining the effectiveness of IH PBS services in treating TBI-related challenging behaviors on a larger sample. The theoretical foundations for PBS, behaviorism, cognitive constructivism, social learning theory, and the biopsychosocial model of behavior, are described. The research …

Information Security Ambassadors’ Perceptions Of Peer-Led Motivation In Phishing Detection, Kingkane Malmquist

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Phishing rates are increasing yearly and continue to compromise data integrity. The need to guard business information is vital for organizations to meet their business objectives and legal obligations. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore security ambassadors’ perceptions of motivating their peers to adopt safe internet behaviors in a large medical campus in Minnesota. Hackman and Oldham’s job characteristic motivation theory was used to frame the study. Data were collected from semistructured interviews with 20 security ambassadors. Data coding and analysis yielded 7 themes: rewarding, value, personal interest, limited information security knowledge, increased interest, communication, and topics …

Stress And Job Satisfaction As Predictors Of Teacher Turnover Intentions, Alrick Thompson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

High teacher turnover is problematic because of the costs associated with recruiting and training new hires. However, some of the factors originating outside of the working environment that may influence teacher turnover intentions are not fully understood. The purpose of this quantitative correlational design study was to examine the extent to which job satisfaction, commuting stress, and financial stress are predictors of teacher turnover intentions. The study involved a purposive sampling of 227 teachers within a school district in the South Eastern part of the United States. Hobfoll’s conservation of resources theory provided the theoretical framework for the study. Validated …

Predictors Of Intention To Use Health Literacy Strategies Among Physicians In Grenada, Arlette Wildman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Low health literacy is linked to poor health outcomes. Adequate health literacy depends on effective communication between patients and their healthcare providers, so it is important physicians use health literacy strategies. Grounded in the theory of planned behavior, the aim of this quantitative correlational study was to investigate the relationship between health literacy knowledge, health literacy experience, gender, the region of training, years of practice, and intentions to use health literacy strategies among physicians in Grenada. One hundred and eighteen physicians were sampled using a cross-sectional survey method. The results of the multiple linear regression analysis were significant, F(5, 112) …

Impact Of Race-Related Stress And Intraracial Microaggressions On Self-Efficacy Of African Descendants, Samina Long

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Race-related stress such as ancestral trauma and experiences of out- and in-group microaggressions can be intergenerationally transmitted from parent to child. The current study was conducted to address the need for research on race-related trauma and out- and in-group discrimination by providing evidence-based research on whether African descendants experiencing and witnessing race-related stress and intraracial microaggressions results in low self-efficacy. The purpose of this quantitative, multiple regression design was to explore the relationships among race-related stress, intraracial microaggressions, and self-efficacy, which may provide clarity on the psychological impact of these stressors. This study addressed the question of whether race-related stress …

Qualitative Inquiry Of Resilience In Veterans Transitioning To Civilian Life, Brenda D. Nicholson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This qualitative phenomenological research focused on the resilience of 10 veterans transitioning back to civilian life. An increase in suicide rates among veterans over the last 10 years has become a major concern for the U.S. Congress and Department of Defense (DoD). The theoretical frameworks guiding the study are Durkheim’s suicide theory, Lindenberg and Frey’s social production function theory, and Diener’s deindividuation theory. Many veterans have no self-awareness of their need for psychological and transitional assistance, leaving them vulnerable during a time of potentially increased and unfamiliar stress. Understanding the need for effective psychological adjustment and resilience in military members …

Help-Seeking Behaviors Among Filipino Americans: Understanding Enculturation, Depression, And Anxiety, Kristoffer John Almazan Rouse

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Filipino Americans have some of the highest levels of psychological distress among all Asian Americans. However, underrepresentation in psychological studies and a unique set of cultural values and norms contribute to the lack of literature on the sources of this distress among Filipino Americans. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine how aspects of cultural assimilation and norms of Filipino culture affect willingness of Filipino Americans to seek mental health services. Several factors, enculturation, anxiety, and depression, among Filipino Americans were examined to predict influence on help-seeking behaviors. A sample of 120 Filipino Americans living in the Pacific …

Evidence-Based Diagnosis Of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Using Quantitative Electroencephalography, Roger Yoder

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Diagnosing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is challenging and is currently, diagnosis through self-administered checklists. Because a diagnosis of PTSD can open up significant benefits to compensation, education, and medical care, people can tailor their responses to the checklist to help ensure a diagnosis of PTSD. The purpose of the study was to examine the utility of the quantitative electroencephalograph for diagnosing PTSD. Frequency and presence of biomarkers and alpha brain wave symmetry in the frontal and parietal lobes were examined. Research questions involved examining the presence of alpha wave imbalance across the frontal lobe and between the right and left …

Measuring Knowledge Of Chronic Kidney Disease (Ckd) Among Community College Students, Jacquelyn Caldwell Moore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) once detected is easily treated; however, it has become a major health problem associated with increased morbidity and mortality rates, creating an economic burden worldwide. While approximately 24 million Americans over the age of 20 suffer from CKD, there is a lack of awareness among the general population. Using a pre/post assessment, this quantitative study measured the impact of a 75-minute workshop on 126 community college students' knowledge of kidney disease, perception of its severity, and perceived susceptibility. The theoretical framework for the study was the health belief model, which suggests that individuals will make positive …

Comparison Of Advance Care Planning Interventions And Older Adults’ Advance Directive Completion Rates, Tammy Biehler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite the benefits of advance care planning (ACP), only one third of older adults in the United States have completed it. To address this gap, health care organizations are implementing ACP programs to engage older adults in the process. These programs can be delivered in various ways, including 1:1 conversations, classes, and web-based tools. The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate which ACP option was associated with highest participation and advance directive (AD) completion rates in older adults. Social cognitive theory provided the framework to understand the impact the ACP environment and personal characteristics’ have on the odds …