Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Perinatal Substance Use Screenings In Marin County: A Brief Overview Of Screening Protocols And Identifying Gaps In Care, Breanna Wiliams

Master's Projects and Capstones

Introduction

Perinatal substance use continues to be a major public health issue in women’s health. The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of substance use screenings in care and assess how well the existing services in Marin County are serving the needs of pregnant and parenting women and identifying the gaps and/or weaknesses in current practice.

Methods

Data for this study was collected via semi-structured interviews with five professionals that worked at the local community clinic, hospital and a non-profit agency. Some questions were slightly modified to be configured toward the participant’s specific profession.

Results

Results from …

Acculturation, Psychological Well-Being And Substance Use Behaviors In Asian Indian Americans, Sonia Y. Amin

Dissertations

The American population is becoming more diversified with increases in the number of immigrants and refugees entering the country. These new Americans bring distinct cultural values, traditions, and worldviews. With this diversity, an important need has arisen to better understand the interplay of culture, physical, and mental health concerns that affect specific racial and ethnic populations. This increase in knowledge and awareness will aid in the development and provision of culturally-sensitive mental health services. The stress of immigration and the multifaceted sociocultural and psychological adaptations involved in adjusting to living in a new country with a Eurocentric dominant culture can …

The Life-Saving Drug That No One Knows About: Naloxone Education And The Health Belief Model, Sarah Tilford

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Naloxone hydrochloride, popularly known by the brand name Narcan, is an emergency treatment used to reverse an overdose on opioid drugs. The CDC reports upwards of 26,000 individuals saved by naloxone between 1996 and 2014 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015). Despite this success rate, those outside of the medical field largely remain unaware of what naloxone is or how they can use it in an emergency, leading to needless loss of life. Many studies focusing on naloxone access and education have been unable to offer findings meant to increase the use and ownership of the drug by lay …

A Pilot Study Of Mindfulness-Based Music Therapy In An Intensive Outpatient Program For Adults With Co-Occurring Mental Health And Substance Use Disorders, Jennifer Rebekah Hicks

Theses and Graduate Projects

This pilot study was designed to explore the use of mindfulness-based music therapy in an intensive outpatient program for adults with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. All participants completed the Brief Serenity Scale (Kreitzer et al., 2009) as a pre-test prior to their participation in this study. Participants took part in four monthly 50-minute mindfulness-based music therapy groups. At designated points throughout each music therapy session (including the beginning, end, and after each specific experience), the participants marked on a Likert scale where their thoughts were, in relation to the past, present, and future. Post-test measures of the …

Determining The Effectiveness Of A Peer Support Person In Individuals With Depression Symptoms, Donna K. Reeves

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

This study’s aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of an existing peer support program as an adjunct treatment for patients with depression. This retrospective evaluation analyzed the total scores of 110 patients with depression on the PHQ-9 questionnaire at the initial assessment (Time 1), at 6-weeks (Time 2), and then at 12-weeks (Time 3). The participants were divided into two groups, those who enrolled in a peer support program (n = 55) and those without peer support (n = 55). PHQ-9 total scores for each time interval were compared for the two groups utilizing independent sample t-tests …

Adhd Symptoms And Substance Use Among Adolescents In Ontario: A Cross-Sectional Study Examining Sex Differences And Covariates, Shannon W. Wong

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Objective: 1) Estimate the prevalence of self-reported ADHD symptoms in sample of youth (grades 9-12) in Ontario schools, by sex; and 2) Assess the relationship between ADHD symptoms and substance use (alcohol, tobacco cigarettes, cannabis, stimulants) by sex, controlling for socio-economic status, internalizing and externalizing problems.

Methods: Data from 2015 and 2017 (n = 6,923) Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey, included self-reports of ADHD symptomatology and substance use. Statistical analyses included bivariate tables and multinomial regressions.

Results: Prevalence for ADHD symptoms was 20.22%, 95% CI [18.52, 22.03] (males = 16.42%, 95% CI …

Group Treatment Effectiveness For Substance Use Disorders: Abstinence Vs. Harm Reduction, Jill D. Parramore

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to compare group treatment effectiveness for substance use disorders within the U.S. across treatment philosophies as it relates to the primary research question, Is there a significant difference of group treatment effectiveness between Abstinence and Harm Reduction treatment philosophies? It was hypothesized that group treatment will remain an effective intervention to treat substance use disorders between treatment philosophies and that no significant differences exist between-group comparisons. The aim of this study is to provide evidence of treatment effectiveness that will ultimately improve treatment outcomes for substance use disorders, provide guidance for …

What Are The Relationships Between Adverse Childhood Experiences And Age Of Initiaton Of Substance Use?, Alisha Dozier

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Child abuse and substance abuse are significant health problems in the United States and they negatively impact the physical, emotional, and biological health of millions of individuals. It is estimated that one in four children experience child abuse, which is a risk factor for the development of substance abuse problems later in life (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [HHS], 2018). Rates of substance abuse are increasing nationally, making the relationship between child abuse and the development of substance abuse problems important to study.

This research project analyzes the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and subsequent age of …

Barriers And Facilitators To Opioid Use Treatment And Recovery Services During Pregnancy, Loralie Woods

Dissertations

Purpose: To identify barriers and facilitators to opioid use treatment and recovery services among pregnant and nonpregnant women who misuse opioids.

Background: Over 130 Americans die daily after overdosing on opioids. Women have not been immune from opioid use disorders (OUDs), with a 4-fold increase from 1999-2010. The prevalence of opioid use among pregnant women increased from 1.5 per 1,000 hospital deliveries to 6.5. Although the annual National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) has provided information on risk factors for OUD related to socioeconomic and demographic factors, no studies using this data have identified barriers to opioid use …

A Follow-Up Phone Call To Post-Operative Patients Using The Five A’S, Brittney Ochs

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Abstract

Background: The 2016 National Survey on Drug Use and Health reported that 53 percent of people that misused pain relievers in the past year received them from a friend or relative. The NIDA describes that from 2002 to 2008 that drug abuse in service members went from 2% to 11%. Often patients are initially prescribed and introduced to opioid medication for acute pain. One such circumstance is in the perioperative period that could provide an opportunity to promote opioid-sparing techniques to reduce the exposure to opioids.

Purpose of Project: To assess discharge medication characteristics and reinforce discharge medication instructions …

The Effects Of Motivational Interviewing For Those Afflicted With Opioid Addiction, Kathy Roberts

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Substance use disorders are a worldwide problem, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) there were 70,237 drug overdose deaths that occurred in the United States in 2017, of which 47,600 were opioid related. Illinois had a 14.3% increase of opioid deaths from 2016-2017 (CDC, 2017). Numerous interventions exist to address this health concern, yet evidence shows that Motivational Interviewing (MI) was the most efficient and effective way to promote behavioral change. The purpose of this EBP project was to provide evidence that MI increased referrals and promoted compliance with appointments to treatment programs. The sample for this project …

Identification And Management Of Adolescent Alcohol Use: Screening And Motivational Interviewing, Kelsie L. Berger

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Adolescent alcohol consumption is a serious health problem in the United States. Alcohol is the most widely used substance, and it continues to be the drug of choice for adolescents (CDC, 2018). Over 7 million adolescents and approximately 30 percent of high school students in the U.S. that admit to drinking more than a few sips of alcohol in the past 30 days (NIAAA, n.d.). Underage alcohol use can lead to many complications such as social, school, and legal problems, and when initiated early in life is associated with the development of alcohol use disorder (NIAAA, n.d.). The purpose of …

Polysubstance Exposure And Its Relationship To Pharmacological Treatment Characteristics, Parker Miller

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) remains an ever-growing public health issue and a continued avenue for future research. The research question for this retrospective study was whether polysubstance exposure is related to the dose of medication the infant received or to the number of opioid-medications required to treat the infants’ withdrawal symptoms? The hypothesis for the retrospective study was there will be a significant relationship between polysubstance exposure and the dose of medication the infant received as well as the number of opioid-medications required to treat the infants’ withdrawal symptoms. A bivariate correlational indicated that there was not a significant association …

Developing And Evaluating The Integrated Addiction Recovery Model For The Persons' Engagement And Retention In The Recovery Process Among Clinical Populations From Rwanda, Boniface Harerimana

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Background

To date, research that has investigated psychosocial processes and mechanisms, which underpin addiction recovery outcomes are scarce. This study sought to develop and test an integrated addiction recovery model for the recovery process while accounting for an individual’s psychosocial context.

Methods

This predictive study used consecutive sampling strategies to recruit 315 participants from tertiary addiction care settings in Rwanda. Data on the hypothesized model variables and individual’s characteristics were collected with self-reported measures. Structural equation modelling techniques were used to test the model psychometric measures and associations between latent variables.

Results

Baseline data analyses showed a mean age at …

The Effects Of Involvement In Religious Practices On Recovering Substance Users., Taylor Currier

Honors Theses

This paper reviews empirical studies focused on spirituality and its effects on those in the recovery process from substance abuse. This paper will look at qualitative studies as well as quantitative research to see which form has derived the best results on how spirituality has affected substance abuse recovery. Prolonged recovery is the goal for those that struggle with substance use. Behavior change is an important in sustaining sobriety with those dealing with addiction. It is predicted that those who engage in spiritual growth within their community have a higher likelihood of prolonged recovery than those that do not believe …

Reducing Risk Among Sorority New Members, Juliana G. Nikolich

Senior Theses

This thesis project served to develop harm-reduction strategies for the Panhellenic sorority community at the University of South Carolina and evaluate their effectiveness. These initiatives began with a focus on the 1,445 new members that accepted sorority bids in August 2019 and expanded to include initiated members, resulting in 4,414 total members being included in this project. Multiple strategies were implemented, including new member surveys, peer-led discussions, mentor education, alternative sober events, online risk assessments, and harm reduction interventions before high-risk events. While new members displayed increased drinking frequency and consumption amounts throughout the duration of their sorority membership, they …

Developing A Sustainable Group Tobacco Control Program In A Community Mental Health Clinic, Jennifer Burns

Doctoral Projects

While substantial practical, empirical, and theoretical contributions have been made toward the implementation of healthcare innovations, significantly less attention has been directed towards the sustainability of these interventions. For this reason, many healthcare innovations become unsustainable over time—yielding few long-term improvements, causing stakeholder disenchantment, and wasting valuable resources. The use of tobacco products is a leading cause of preventable death and disease in the United States that is disproportionately prevalent among individuals with severe mental illness, making the development and sustainment of evidencebased tobacco control programs imperative to alleviating this public health burden. As a final project in Grand Valley’s …

Fomo, Liquid Courage, And The Intoxicated Self, Lindsay Pressman

Senior Theses and Projects

“Binge-drinking” cannot simply be recognized as a feature of campus culture, but as the product of a profoundly alienating one, made strikingly evident by our creation of a separate world (“drunk world”). We have created a small world of impossible possibles that exists in the corners of the actual; a separate world, in which the imagining of the self, other, and the world, is not only permissible but promoted. At the heart of college students’ “partying hard” is a longing, hope, and dogged determination that the liberating and unifying aspects of this world can overwhelm the actual...and in the meantime …

Evidence Based Treatment For Excessive Alcohol Consumption And Concurrent Hypertension, Kimberly Ann Ward

College of Nursing and Health Sciences Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Project Publications

Purpose. Excessive alcohol consumption is a preventable risk factor for hypertension, heart disease, and stroke. Though alcohol-related deaths number 88,000 annually in the U.S., alcohol use has the lowest treatment rate of behavioral health disorders at 10%. Excessive alcohol consumption may compromise treatment of hypertension by primary care providers (PCP). This project aims to increase awareness of the hypertension and excessive alcohol use connection and promote screening of alcohol consumption.

Methods A protocol for improving alcohol screening and concurrent hypertension management was developed including: in-person educational presentations; patient education materials; and the use of motivational interviewing. Practice change was assessed …

A Social Review Of The Opioid Epidemic: The History, Pathophysiology, And Effects On Rural America, Holly J. Goehring

Biology and Microbiology Graduate Students Plan B Research Projects

One of the more pressing issues in modern day health care is the nationwide heath care crisis known as the opioid epidemic. The beginning of this literature review will focus on the history of opioid use and early prescription rates, as well as the summary and definitions of the drugs involved in the current opioid epidemic. The review then shifts to the pathophysiology of addiction involving the activation of opioid receptors and opioid use disorder. The main focus of this literature review is the societal impacts of the opioid epidemic, making special reference to the economic burden and effects on …

Pediatric Opioid Endemic, Olivia Maynard, Molly Watson

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Introduction: As of 2017, 54 out of every 1,000 children born in West Virginia were affected by opioid use. NAS Centers provided care to infants who have been diagnosed with, or have been vulnerable to develop, NAS. The purpose of this research study reviewed the Pediatric Opioid Endemic happening in West Virginia and determined if NAS programs and prenatal opioid maintenance therapy would increase access to NAS patients and decrease the cost of treatments.

Methodology: The methodology was a literature review. Thirty-nine sources were referenced for this literature from 2010-2020.

Results: This review examined sources of the Pediatric Opioid Endemic …

Impact In Hospitalization Of Mental Health Patients With Dual Diagnosis As It Pertains To Medicaid And Treatment With Mat Services, Amanda Akmentins

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Introduction

About 17.5 million Americans over the age of 18 have been diagnosed with a mental illness, and about 4 million of those individuals have also been diagnosed with a substance use disorder. Medicaid requirements made to those receiving Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) services provide access to quality care to reduce re-hospitalization by focusing on behavioral changes and accountability. The purpose of this research was to analyze the impact of hospitalization rates to determine unmet needs and barriers to receiving treatment for those that have a dual diagnosis.

Methodology

The methodology was a literature review. Thirty-two sources were referenced for …

Social Stigma, Public Health, And Addiction In Albania, Ediola Malkouari

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Drug use is considered in many countries the plague of today's society. Researchers from medical, psychological and sociological fields, as well as lawmakers, are interested in finding more answers to this widespread phenomenon. All over the world there are known conflicts related to drug producing, transportation routes and distribution, that harm the economy and social standing of the involved communities or countries. Policies towards drug use vary from country to country, but this research focuses on how stigma affects the lives of individuals suffering from substance use disorder (SUD) in Albania. Substance use disorder is not often considered a disease, …

Relationship Between Initial Prescription Opioid Exposure Length And Future Opioid Use Disorder Diagnosis In Opioid Naive Adolescents, Eric Lindahl

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

Objectives: The long-term risks associated with the use of short-term prescription opioids in opioid naïve adolescents in not well characterized. The purpose of this study was to explore the potential association between the days’ supply of the initial prescription opioid exposure and the rates of diagnosed OUD in the subsequent 3-year period. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using a nationwide database of commercially-insured adolescents aged 12-17 at the time of the index opioid fill. A multivariable Cox Proportional Hazard regression model was developed to analyze the association of interest while accounting for known risk factors for the development …

Prescription Drug Abuse Amongst The Elderly, Michael O'Blenis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

This thesis attempts to document and illuminate the growing issue of prescription drug abuse among the elderly population. The average elder in the U.S. takes at least one prescription drug per day, depending upon their health status. Likewise, elders that suffer from multiple chronic conditions are more likely to take multiple prescription drugs. As the lifespan of humankind grows well into their 90's and older, even more elders will be placed on prescription drugs. As part of this study, a narrative literature review was conducted to summarize the topic of prescription drug abuse amongst the elderly. The findings suggest that …

Treating Substance Use Disorders Through An Attachment Lens: A Case Example, Kathleen Locker

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Substance use treatment addresses addiction behaviors, increasing coping skills, and sobriety but current modalities do not address the insecure attachment styles that may contribute to substance use for many individuals. Insecure attachment styles seemingly have a bidirectional relationship with substance use and are therefore are likely an important aspect of treatment. This case example focuses on an attachment therapist’s work with a young man with a substance use disorder and attachment insecurity. Attachment theory interventions are proposed to address potential contributors of continued substance use. This paper proposes that using attachment theory in combination with existing treatment modalities for substance …

Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome: Effectiveness Of Targeted Umbilical Cord Drug Screening In Determining Risk Of Withdrawal, Alecia Karr

DNP Projects

Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) is a condition in which an infant experiences withdrawal from uterine exposure to various substances such as caffeine, nicotine, amphetamines, THC, opioids, benzodiazepines, and other types of substances. Depending on the severity of the symptoms, these infants may experience a longer hospital stay and may need treatment and monitoring in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), resulting in an increase in healthcare costs. The objective of this project was to determine if targeted drug screening of newborns was effective in determining infants at risk of NAS based on a positive screening result. This study utilized a …

Evaluating Providers’ Perceptions On Preconception Care For Women With Sud, Corinna Hughes

DNP Projects

Background: Substance use disorders (SUDs) has become an epidemic. Women of reproductive age with SUDs have particularly complex healthcare needs including an increased risk of having an unintended pregnancy and associated sequela of negative birth outcomes (NBO). Little is known about how medication assisted treatment (MAT) providers are adequately addressing their unique needs. Identifying provider barriers and tools to address the reproductive needs of women with SUDs can optimize their health outcomes and prevent NBOs.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate MAT Nurse Practitioners’ (NPs) knowledge and perceptions of providing preconception care to women with …

Coaching Women On The Impact Of Alcohol Intake On Mental Well-Being: A Systematic Literature Review, Amy Maloney

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Alcohol intake among women has increased in recent years. Women’s bodies metabolize alcohol differently when compared to men and are at increased risk for adverse effects, both physically and mentally. The purpose of this systematic literature review is to explore the evidence related to the impact of coaching in primary care on drinking behaviors and over-all well-being of women. Four databases including PsycInfo, Academic Search Premier, CINAHL Plus with full text, and Gender Studies Database were searched using a variety of key words. Studies were included if they focused on female alcohol use and abuse, interventions specific to female alcohol …

Optimizing The Effectiveness Of Naloxone Distribution In The State Of New Hampshire: A Program Evaluation, Lisa M. Armes

DNP Scholarly Projects

In order to develop an understanding of the state-funded community naloxone distribution program in New Hampshire, a program evaluation was conducted. The project collected data on distributed naloxone and opioid overdose deaths between the years of 2014-2018 but focused primarily on comparing data from 2017 and 2018. There were 409 opioid deaths in 2017 and 399 opioid overdose deaths in 2018 in New Hampshire. Between 2017 and 2018, naloxone supply was increased by 38%-493%, varying widely across New Hampshire counties. Statistically significant increases in naloxone distributed to target users occurred only in Hillsborough and Strafford counties. Significant changes in death …