Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Association Between Frequent Mental Distress And Insurance Status Using The 2022 Brfss, Christina Clayson

Capstone Experience

Objectives

Determine if there is a direct relationship between frequent mental distress and health insurance coverage.

Methods

Data from the 2022 BRFSS was used to calculate adjusted percentages. Crude odds ratios for both mental distress and insurance coverage. Multivariate analysis calculated crude and adjusted odds ratios for frequent mental distress by insurance coverage with income as a covariate.

Results

Individuals reporting frequent mental distress had lower income, less education, and were younger. Individuals without health insurance were more likely to be younger, Hispanic, and not have graduated high school. There was no significant association between frequent mental distress and not …

Comprehensive Literature Review: Assessing The Impact Of Covid-19 Policies, School Closures And Social Distancing, On The Mental Health Of School Age Children, Fatuma A. Hassan

Capstone Experience

Mental health is vital to the well-being of all individuals, especially children. COVID-19 unveiled a significant public health issue with poor mental health during the pandemic. There is limited literature about the mental health implications of COVID-19 policies for children and adolescents and preventive strategies for future pandemics. This comprehensive literature review seeks to further investigate the mental health impacts of school shutdowns and social distancing, which were nonpharmaceutical strategies, on school-aged children, 5-18 years old, and propose recommendations for public health officials to mitigate the mental health impacts for future pandemics. Additionally, the review aims to highlight the potential …

Rural And Agricultural Natural Disaster Stress And Recovery Study: Identifying Experiences And Community Preferences, Kristin K. Gaffney

Capstone Experience

Objective: The Rural Natural Disaster Stress and Recovery study surveyed flood and tornado affected residents (N=159 for analysis) in Arkansas and Nebraska, U.S., to address three hypotheses: 1) agricultural producers have different stress and recovery experiences compared to non-agricultural counterparts, 2) rural residents prefer community resources over external resources for disaster stress relief, and 3) communities can provide effective emotional health supports after disaster.

Methods: Demographics, exposure, stress, and recovery measures, and a resource use and effect inventory were analyzed in SAS with Chi-square tests, t-tests, Wilcoxon tests, and multiple linear regression modeling to identify differences between agricultural and non-agricultural …

Helping Our Heroes: An Evaluation Of Mental Health And Organizational Policies Surrounding Suicide Prevention And Postvention Strategies For Nebraska First Responders, Maria S. Mickles

Capstone Experience

Suicide is ranked as one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Over 40,000 individuals die by suicide each year (Stanley, Hom, & Joiner, 2016; Vigil et al, 2021), and, in 2020, it was ranked in the top 9 causes of death for all ages (10-64), and second for those 10-14 and 25-34 years of age (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022). These statistics disproportionately reflect first responders (i.e., firefighters, dispatchers, law enforcement, EMS, paramedics, etc.), as they die by suicide more than the general public (National EMS Management Association, 2016). Within their line of work …

Addressing And Evaluating Health Literacy In Mhealth: A Scoping Review, Margaret Emerson, Sydney Buckland, Maxwell A. Lawlor, Danae Dinkel, David J. Johnson, Maria S. Mickles, Louis Fok, Shinobu Watanabe-Galloway

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

BACKGROUND: Recent surveys have revealed many adults have basic or below basic health literacy, which is linked to medical errors, increased illness, and compromised public health. Health literacy as a concept is multi-faceted extending beyond the individual to include social structures and the context in which health information is being accessed. Delivering health information via mobile devices (mHealth) expands the amount of information available while presenting challenges to ensuring these materials are suitable for a variety of literacy needs. The aims of this study are to discover how health literacy is addressed and evaluated in mHealth app development.

METHODS: A …

The Ecology Of Mental Health And The Impact Of Barriers On Mental Health Service Utilization, Alisha Aggarwal

Theses & Dissertations

Mental health has emerged as a major public health concern in recent times with several disparities and barriers related to adequate health service utilization. Different age groups experience diverse symptoms and face distinct barriers in accessing and utilizing healthcare. Policies like Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act were launched to improve insurance coverage and delivery of mental health services. However, a large gap of unmet needs exists for adequate mental health service utilization in the country. This dissertation aims to describe the financial and non-financial barriers to mental health service utilization …

Giving Birth At A Critical Time: Assessing Perinatal Depression Among Syrian Refugees In Low Resource Settings, Nada Alnaji

Theses & Dissertations

Refugee mothers are at an increased risk of suffering from stress and mental health conditions during the first year after giving birth to a child. The objective of this study is to enhance the early identification of treatable mental health conditions among perinatal women living within humanitarian settings. The central hypothesis is that a culturally specific approach can be helpful for the long-term success of mental health efforts. In this study, we use qualitative interview methods to understand the cultural paradigms and predisposing factors for perinatal depression related to being a Syrian refugee in Lebanon during the COVID-19 pandemic. In …

Predictors Of Poor Glycemic Control In Diabetic Clients With Mental Health Illness, Community Alliance, Omaha, Nebraska, Rachelle Flick

Capstone Experience

People with severe mental illness tend to die 10-25 years earlier than the general population (WHO). Main contributors to these premature deaths include comorbidities such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Diabetes prevalence in mentally ill people is 2 times higher than the general population (WHO). The World Health Organization is taking action to improve the health of people with severe mental illness. These efforts include creating protocols of prevention, identification, assessment, and treatment for mentally ill people, as well as improving access to general health services through the integration of physical and mental health services. Community Alliance, located in …

Barriers Associated With Mental Health Services For People With Refugee Background In Douglas County, Mustapha Barry

Capstone Experience

INTRODUCTION: The United States of America has been one of the leading countries where refugees from all over the world seek safety and security under the refugee resettlement program. Research suggests that refugees underutilize mental health services throughout the United States, despite the higher rates of mental health issues among refugees.

OBJECTIVE: This study explored barriers, support services, and factors associated with mental health services utilization among people with refugee backgrounds in Douglas County, Nebraska.

METHODS: Data from 30 participants were collected through a telephone survey and analyzed to determine participant’s level of mental health services utilization, barriers to mental …

The Development Of A Suicide Prevention Program For American Indian Youth In Nebraskan Communities, Sara Donovan

Capstone Experience

In Nebraska and nationally, American Indian (AI) youth have higher rates of depression, suicide attempts, and suicide completions than other racial and ethnic groups. These statistics highlight the need for accessible and culturally aware behavioral health planning and support. In Nebraska, access to care by AI youth is limited by a behavioral health provider shortage and concerns of affordability, stigma, trust, cultural competence, and historical trauma. The developed culturally humble suicide prevention program for AI youth aged 19-24 to be implemented in community settings addresses an existing service gap. Strategies were developed with input from the population of focus, and …

Protecting And Serving Yourself: The Mental Health Of Police Officers In Kaukauna, Wisconsin, Caina Weiner

Capstone Experience

The service learning hours performed at the Kaukauna Police Department served as a valuable learning experience to better understand an organization that is involved in public health. Although some may view this as non-traditional, the police department is quite involved in the community’s health. They work closely with public health officials and are also involved in certain public health programs, such as drug and alcohol programs. The health of a police officer must also be considered as a public health topic. A police officer is part of a vulnerable population of individuals that are “first responders.” These individuals are at …

Identifying The Newly Insurable Medicaid Coverage Gap Population Under The Affordable Care Act: Who They Are And Where They Live, Samuel L. Woodruff

Capstone Experience

The goal of this Capstone Project is to better define and geographically locate the potential distribution of individuals who fall within the current Medicaid Coverage Gap and those populations who would be eligible for Medicaid under the expansion of Medicaid within the state of Nebraska. Using data from multiple United States Census Bureau sources, along with available data from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), this project looks to also locate populations of these individuals that may live within established Medically Underserved Areas (MUA's) or Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA's) within the state. American Community Survey 5-year Public Use …

Mental Health Provider Perceptions On The Implementation Of Behavioral Health Interventions To Increase Access To Mental Health Care Services In Rural Nebraska, Grant Brueggemann

Capstone Experience

Abstract

Rural Nebraska communities are influenced by socioeconomic conditions and lack health care resources which contributes to the prevalence of mental health. As such, there is a need to implement effective intervention programs and evaluate current programs to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with mental health.

Goals: To assess the perceptions of mental health practitioners regarding public health programs and support services. This project also intends to gauge the effectiveness and viability of specific programs as potential solutions for increasing access and use of rural mental health care services. Furthermore, this project aims to inquire perceptions about the role …