Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Effects Of A Crisis Intervention Team Assessment Center On Emergency Department Length Of Stay, Carlissa Lam

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Final Clinical Projects, 2016-2019

Introduction: Emergency departments are overburdened with mental health patients who lack adequate access to behavioral health resources. The influx of patients has led to an increased length of stay in the emergency department for patients who are being evaluated for mental health concerns. Overcrowding can lead to delays in treatment, undesirable medical events, and patient mortality. Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) models bring law enforcement, mental health providers, emergency departments, and individuals with mental illness together to improve care for patients in crisis. They have been instrumental in identifying patients in crisis and transporting them to a Crisis Intervention Team Assessment …

Caring For The Whole Clinician: A Body-Based Framwork For Self-Care And Supervision, Aliza Roth

Creative Arts Therapies Theses

The purpose of this program development project was to create a framework for clinical supervision that utilizes yoga and dance/movement therapy in support of the holistic wellness of mental health professionals. Clinicians are at risk for burnout and compassion fatigue, especially when they place more emphasis on their client’s well-being than their own. Research points to the significance of incorporating self-care, stress-management and embodied awareness of self and client into the supervision process; however, there remains an underdeveloped body of knowledge related to body-based frameworks for clinical supervision and how such frameworks relate to clinician self-care. Utilizing the five yogic …

Art That Heals, Christina Cardona

Capstones

Beryl Brenner was a creative arts therapist for 40 years, and helped veterans heal from war traumas through art all across the city. For the past 11 years, she was at the Brooklyn Campus of the VA NY Harbor Healthcare system in Bay Ridge, where she developed the art therapy program. https://christinacardona1.wordpress.com

Cost Of Caring: The Effects Of Euthanasia On Animal Shelter Workers, Kim L. Nguyen-Finn

Theses and Dissertations

This mixed-methods study focuses on animal shelter workers, a population that has often been overlooked in research and clinical practice, and the emotional strains of the task of euthanasia. The effects of employment in a kill or no-kill shelter, participation in euthanasia, and number of years employed on mental health issues of substance abuse, anxiety, depression, secondary traumatic stress, and burnout were examined. A three-way MANOVA was run to test the hypothesis that there is a cell effect among the type of shelter employed in, participation in euthanasia, and years of experience on mental health, which was not supported by …

The Role Of Migration-Related Stress In Depression Among Haitian Immigrants In Florida: A Mixed Method Sequential Explanatory Approach, Dany Amanda C. Fanfan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Recognizing, appropriately treating depression, and meeting the mental health needs of the growing number of Haitian immigrants in the United States (US), continue to pose a challenge because of differences in culture, beliefs, idiom of distress, expression of depression as well as specific stressors associated with the migration process. Previous studies, while limited, document high levels of depression among Haitian migrants, and postulated that migration-related stress (MRS) may play a significant role. Aspects of the migration process, more specifically stressors endured during settlement in the US may negatively precipitate the development of depression.

This study used a mixed method sequential …

Improving A Discharge Process To Decrease Readmission Rates, Erni Ensing

Master's Projects

No abstract provided.

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 …

Examination Of A Screening Tool For Athletes’ Mental Health And Its Direct Implications To Sport Training And Competition, Jesse Scott

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Sport Interference Checklist (SIC) is a psychometrically validated instrument designed to assess how often cognitive and behavioral factors interfere with athletes performance during training and/or competition as well as the extent to which athletes are interested in pursuing sport psychology to address these problems. The success of this scale inspired an interest in developing new items that assess the influence of specific mental health concerns on sport performance using the SIC format. The Sport Interference Checklist’s Sport Specific Screen for Mental Health (SIC-SSSMH) was empirically developed using 259 athletes to assist in the identification of mental health problems explicitly …

Evaluation Of A Youth Emergency Room Enhancement Program For Behavioral Health, Anne Thatcher

Dissertations

Problem. Pediatric mental health complaints and subsequent hospitalizations have been steadily increasing. The Behavioral Health Network (BHN) developed an intensive outreach case management program aimed at reducing youth mental health emergency department (ED) visits and inpatient psychiatric admissions. The Youth Emergency Room Enhancement (YERE) program was a process improvement initiative to provide immediate case management to youth and caregivers for mental health care.

Methods. A Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) method utilizing a retrospective case record review occurred over a six-month period. A convenience sample of youth aged 6-20 years presenting to one of eight healthcare facilities for either ED or inpatient hospitalization …

Perspectives Of Older Blacks And Whites Living With Serious Mental Illness About Outpatient Mental Health Services, Rosalyn Roker

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the United States, over three million adults, age 50 and older, reported a diagnosis of serious mental illness (SMI) in the past year. Most of them live in community-settings and are less likely than younger adults to utilize mental health treatment. Lack of and insufficient treatment for SMI places them at increased risk of morbidity, earlier mortality, cognitive decline, and diminished quality of life. The current study aimed to: (1) examine the factors that influence Black and White older adults, who live with SMI, to seek and engage in outpatient mental health treatment; (2) identify the perspectives of Black …

The Impact Of Mental Health Issues On Academic Achievement In High School Students, Patricia Lea Sutherland

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

An adolescent’s time in school is not merely academic; they are developing socially, physically, and emotionally. Prior research has demonstrated a correlation between a student’s poor academic performance and his/her need for emotional and mental health support. This research project sought to answer the following research questions: 1) Do mental health services in a high school setting help facilitate students’ academic achievement? and 2) Does a focus on mental health issues improve overall health and well-being in high school students? Participants for this study are 10 staff members (including teachers, administrators, counselors, and others) of a high school in San …

An Examination Of The Impact Traumatic Events Has On Psychosocial Impairment In Eating Disorder Patients, Jennifer Parker Hackett

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Research suggests that trauma has an impact on eating disorders. While prior research has demonstrated that the trauma from abuse has a significant impact on eating disorders, research has failed to explore other types of trauma. In addition, previous studies have stopped short of examining the impact trauma has on functioning among individuals with an eating disorder. This study aimed to address that gap in the literature. The purpose of this study is to examine whether traumatic life events impact psychosocial functioning among individuals living with an eating disorder. Furthermore, this study aimed to identify which traumas are shown to …

Metabolic Syndrome Screening Among Inpatient Psychiatric Patients, Susan Magorno

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Background: More than 50% of patients with severe mental illness carry undiagnosed Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) comorbidities of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, or diabetes. These patients are three times more likely to die of cardiovascular-related causes; however, this population is not routinely assessed for MetS and frequently lack appropriate treatment.

Objective: The objective is to implement a screening tool designed to identify risk for MetS and trigger appropriate treatment.

Design: The screening tool triggers the provider to address positive criteria through interventions such as further evaluation, medical and/or diabetes educator consultation.

Results: Although overall rates of screening improved significantly, follow-up interventions were …

The Influence Of Therapist-Patient Religious/Spiritual Congruence On Satisfaction With Therapy: A Review Of Research, Tammy E. Henderson

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this review was to examine the relationship between mental health and religion and/or spirituality. Specifically, it was believed that religion and spiritual congruence had a positive influence on satisfaction with therapy. Indeed, the literature reviewed suggests that therapists should be more open to addressing a patient's religious and/or spiritual beliefs as it could lead to more attuned therapeutic sessions. The importance of congruence between patient and therapist is a factor that can impact the therapeutic alliance, based on the literature, this concept appears to hold true for those that are or are not religiously and/or spiritually inclined.

Exploring The Relationship Between Team Characteristics And Mental Health Symptoms Amongst Student Athletes, Dylan Owens

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Depression and anxiety are disabling conditions that are particularly prevalent amongst young adults (Wolanin, Hong, Marks, Panchoo, & Gross, 2016). Student athletes must cope with extensive time demands that go beyond those of ordinary young adults, consequently putting them at increased risk to experiencing mental health issues. Numerous factors may influence an athlete’s well being, such as gender, injury, and type of sport. This study tests these various factors but also extends previous literature by analyzing the effects of team dynamics on student athlete mental health. An anonymous multi-part questionnaire was sent out to all JMU athletes in the Fall …

Nature's Effect On Mental Health, Hannah Thomas

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

The United States has an overwhelming number of people suffering from mental illness, especially anxiety and depression. These disorders can be debilitating in many areas of the person’s life. Not even half of those diagnosed with these conditions are treated effectively and costs are expected to rise significantly in the coming years. One population that is often overlooked that suffers from these conditions is health professionals themselves. Physicians and nurses have high rates of depression and anxiety due to the stress from their occupation. In order for more patients and providers to be treated and for the health care system …

Hear Me When I’M Well: A Convergent Parallel Mixed Methods Study Of Psychiatric Advance Directives In Virginia, Anne Metz

Dissertations, 2014-2019

Psychiatric advance directives (PADs) are legal documents that allow individuals to express their wishes and desires regarding potential future psychiatric care. PADs have been theorized as a way to empower individuals through improved clinical outcomes, reduced coercion, and minimized involvement of individuals with mental illness in the criminal justice system. Since 2010, the Commonwealth of Virginia has had legislation in place to support the use of these advance planning documents. The purpose of this convergent parallel mixed methods study was to enhance our understanding of PADs in Virginia. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected concurrently via survey and follow-up interview …

Overwhelmed: A Qualitative Study Of The Mental Health Experiences Of Mothers Of Minor Children After Release From Jail And Prison, Ann Elizabeth Stanton

Theses and Dissertations

Mass incarceration in US jails and prisons is a major public health concern. Over one million women are released from US jails and prisons each year. Incarcerated women experience disproportionately high rates of mental health issues and most incarcerated women are mothers of minor children. Mothers of minor children who leave jails and prisons with mental health issues face increased risks of experiencing substance use, risky behaviors, homelessness, and recidivism. Their children are also at increased risk for adverse mental health, behavioral, and social outcomes. The purpose of this study was to explore the mental health experiences of mothers of …

Attitudes Of Middle School Children Towards Mental Health Programs, Catherine Taylor

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Abstract

Despite years of school mental health services, today’s youth remain in need of mental health resources. While schools provide a variety of services to help reduce mental health disparities, there is limited information concerning the success of services offered. The purpose of this study was to examine the attitudes of middle school children towards mental health programs offered at the selected study site. The design utilized was a cross sectional design using a convenience sample of middle school children in Northwest Arkansas. The results indicated that middle school children need a unique variety of programs offered to support their …

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 …

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 …

The Rise And Fall Of The Stock Market: A Look At Financial Professionals Suicide Ideation, Jefferson Mcclain

Undergraduate Honors Theses

On October 24, 1929, the United States stock market crashed. Will Rogers, a local newspaper writer, said of that experience, “When Wall Street took that tail spin, you had to stand in line to get a window to jump out of, and spectators were selling space for bodies in the East River” (Lowenthal 1987). Tales of ruined stockbrokers jumping from the windows of tall buildings ran across the country. These stories have prompted interest in the interaction between workplace environment and mental health. In this study, we looked at the relationship between stock market performance and suicide ideation for working …

The Effect Of Dance And Team Sports On Mental Health, Kayla Hulburt

Honors Senior Capstone Projects

This study uses the World Health Organization model of physical, social, and mental health to examine the effect of participating in dance and team sports during childhood on mental health in adulthood. Prior research has suggested that physical activity is strongly integrated with mental and social health and therefore is a protective factor among mental illness. However, there is not sufficient research comparing the differences among dance and team sports on mental health. This study hypothesized that dancers would experience more positive mental health in adulthood than team sports due to the basis of physical activity in dance, but the …

Complicated Grief And Art Therapy, Rachel Brandoff

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

Complicated grief (CG) has come to be a common enough occurrence in mental health treatment to warrant research, literature, and discussion of markers, causes, prevalence, symptoms, measures, and treatment protocols. Art therapy presents one possible mode of treatment for individuals suffering from CG, and yet few art therapists know about CG or have training in this area. A systematic review of art therapy programs and educational requirements showed no current standards or training requirements for grief or CG. Art therapists are master’s trained clinicians who work with people with a variety of mental health challenges, and training in CG may …

An Examination Of Factors That Affect The Utilization Of Mental Health Services By Adolescents, Nichole A. Murray

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Mental disorders among adolescents are on the rise and are among the most common chronic conditions, constituting a national epidemic. Prevalence rates indicate that 20–40% of the adolescent population in the U.S. suffers from emotional or behavioral difficulties significant enough to lead to functional impairment. Further, estimates suggest that more than 20% of the adolescent population has a diagnosable mental disorder, which significantly impacts their functioning substantially at school, at home and in their communities. Despite national agendas to address the mental health needs of adolescents, studies suggest that approximately 50 percent of adolescents with mental health needs do not …

Disordered: Conversations About Mental Health And Society, Rachel Brown

Theses and Dissertations

Disordered is a collaborative, participatory street art project designed to destigmatize mental health challenges like depression and anxiety, and reframe health as a societal issue. Through social practice and guerrilla strategies, Disordered intervenes in public spaces, creating conversations, stickers and metal signs to inspire personal, social and political transformations.

Assessment Of Stress Related Issues And Coping Mechanisms Among College Students, Emeka Okoro

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this research was to identify frequency of stressors and evaluate current levels of stress of undergraduate students. This study also analyzed and identified coping strategies implemented by college students. Two surveys were used in this study. The University Stress Scale developed by Stallman (2009) was used to identify perceived stressors and measure stress levels of participants. Brief Cope Inventory developed by Carver (1997) was used to assess coping strategies.

SPSS was used for data analysis and computation of scores. Academic/coursework demands was the highest perceived stressor among sampled undergraduates. Procrastination, study/life balance, finances and money problems were …

The Relationship Between Dietary Quality And Mental Health In A Young Adult Appalachian, Rachel A. Wattick

Munn Scholars Awards

No abstract provided.

The Systemic Multigenerational Implications Of Education: Second-Generation Haitian- American College Graduates’ Perspectives, Daphney Farah Lundi

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

Similar to other immigrant populations in the United States, Haitians have a migratory history of escaping from political turmoil, natural disasters, and extreme poverty (Zephir, 2004). However, Haitian Americans remain one of the underserved populations in the United States. Marginalized yet resilient, Haitian families in the U.S. continue to display strength in the face of adversity. Second-generation Haitian-American college graduates are the evidence of such strengths. There is very little research focused on second-generation Haitian-American college graduates’ perspective on the possible familial influences pertaining to education. Using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) design and Bowen’s Family Systems Theory as a …

Autoethnography Of A Whitegirl Marriage And Family Therapist's Experience Working On The Rez, Andrea L. Cuva

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

Despite the abundance of literature regarding potentially effective treatment modalities for Native American clients, researchers have been unable to identify an empirically proven effective treatment modality for this population. Common recommendations/considerations for therapists working with Native clients have been identified throughout literature; however, such findings were gathered by insiders (i.e., Native researchers or trained Tribal staff), which has left questions regarding the efficacy of such recommendations when applied by non-Native therapists. Due to Native American history, elaborate IRB requirements were put in place to ensure ethical research with this population but impedes the research process. I conducted an analytic autoethnography …