Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Examining The Relationship Between Psychological Well-Being And Academic Performance Among First-Year College Students In A U.S. Mid-South University, Ya-Hsin Hsiao

Dissertations

This study examined the relationship between psychological well-being and college students. In addition, I looked at how COVID-19 impacted their psychological well-being. I used Ryff and Keyes’ (1995) 18-item Scale of Psychological Well-Being (SPWB-18) to measure participants' psychological well-being. Other demographic information such as race, gender, first-generation college student status, college readiness, and Pell Grant eligibility were collected from the WKU’s Institutes of Research.

Data were analyzed using multiple regressions that controlled for the effects of ethnicity, gender, first-generation status, and socioeconomic status. Moreover, the impact of COVID-19 on psychological well-being was evaluated and reported. In this dataset, the internal …

Developing Mental Health And Wellness Awareness In Schools, Leah Wood

Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic increased concerns for anxiety and depression in adolescents (Jones et al., 2021). As these concerns increased, students’ coping skills and mental health declined (Meherali et al., 2021). This mixed-methods study based in improvement science sought to develop mental health supports for teachers and students in a secondary setting. A mental health team convened for the purpose of this study completed a root cause analysis for a high school to determine the barriers to mental health supports. We identified the problem and potential barriers preventing proper mental health education and supports for teachers, students, and parents. The analysis …

The Prevalence Of Mirror Gazing Behaviors In Men, Rutuja Pramod Chinchankar

Dissertations

Muscle Dysmorphia is when the individual is preoccupied with the idea that his or her body build is too small or insufficiently muscular. This study looked at the distinct criteria of MD, which is persistently and obsessively checking one’s appearance in the mirror and being dissatisfied with it. It studied the reasons behind these repetitive mirror-gazing behaviors. This study also attempted to understand the effect of an individual’s age, educational background, religious orientation, sexual orientation, and socio-economic status on his predisposition to MD via mirror-gazing behaviors. This study used a qualitative research design. Part I of the study included participants …

The Perceptions Of Educators On Transition Planning & The Postsecondary Transition Readiness Outcomes Of Students With Disabilities, Marisa Duarte

Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative descriptive research was to gain the perspective of educators on transition planning for students with disabilities in two public school districts in the state of Kentucky. The Individual Disabilities Education Act and Workforce Innovation Opportunities Act are laws requiring students with disabilities to be transition ready upon their graduation from high school. A sample of 12 educators, representing two Kentucky districts, who participate in transitioning students with disabilities, completed The Secondary Educator Transition Questionnaire survey. Data from the districts’ state report cards indicated students with disabilities were not transition ready in comparison with students without …

Clinicians' Use Of Mhealth Applications In Interventions For Substance Use Disorders, James Daniel Bender

Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to examine how clinicians are identifying, evaluating, and utilizing mHealth apps as treatment adjuncts with their clients who have a substance use disorder. A sample of 93 participants (20 males, 72 females, and 1 not listed) completed measures of demographics and inquiries about their use and evaluation of mHealth apps in their practices. Clinicians who work at mental health centers and private practicing clinicians were recruited. The majority of the sample (71%) reported that they had not utilized mHealth apps with their clients who have a substance use disorder diagnosis. Participants who have attended …

Examining Treatment Acceptability Of An Eight-Week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Protocol, Blake William Palmer

Dissertations

The goal of this study is to examine whether levels of perceived stress, experiential avoidance, personality traits including openness to experience and agreeableness, and demographic variables will predict the treatment acceptability (indicated by responses on the Treatment Acceptability and Adherence Scale) of an eight-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program. This study collected data in the Spring of 2019. The final number of participants in the study was 116 (40 females, 76 males, Mage = 36, age range: 22-69 years). Participants completed measures including the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II), the agreeableness and openness to Experience domains …

Comparison Study: Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy And Acceptance And Commitment Therapy For Trauma, Colleen Marie Kirsch Hiltz White

Dissertations

There is a need for more evidenced based treatments for adolescents with trauma related disorders. Currently, Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF CBT) is the gold standard, but clients and clinician need the ability to choose between effective treatments. This study completed a direct comparison between six weeks of treatment in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Trauma and TF CBT via telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic. Treatments were measured using the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale and the Child PTSD Symptom Scale. Both treatments were found to be effective in reducing trauma related symptoms in two 12-year-old females.

Psychometric Properties Of The College Athlete Psychological Screening Tool: Validation Of The Depression And Anxiety Subscales, Joseph C. Case

Dissertations

The aim of the present study was to gain a better understanding of the descriptive psychometric properties of the College Athlete Psychological Screening (CAPS) measure. The CAPS is a newly developed assessment screening measure designed to assess 14 common problem areas for college athletes. For the present investigation, 395 participants completed the 108-item CAPS measure. To establish criterion validity, participants also completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). The present study had three research questions. Question one discussed the descriptive psychodynamic properties (Cronbach’s alpha, means, and standard deviations) of the 14 CAPS subscales. Question two …

Team Creation Methods In Practice: Understanding The Potential Effects Of Nonverbal Communication In The Leadership Of Team Formation, Troy Allen Robertson

Dissertations

Teams require leadership, even if they are self-managed. The group of individuals who make up a team must be gathered in some form or another. For self managed teams to function successfully, the first step is the process of creating the team. Many aspects may factor into the creation process. Often time is of the essence and methods to quickly assess and form teams show merit. First impressions in general are based largely on nonverbal communication. The focus of this mixed-methods concurrent embedded study is to analyze the potential effects of nonverbal communication on influencing team creation. A group of …

Physician Stress: Is The Electronic Health Record To Blame?, Zack Ward

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the potential relationship between Family Medicine physician burnout and the electronic health record. To do so, this study utilized the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory to assess burnout among physicians, along with specific questions regarding usage of the electronic health record and measurement of physician perceptions of the electronic health record. Members of the Kentucky Academy of Family Physicians were sent two separate invitations to participate in the study twice over a one-month period via email.

The study yielded no significant differences in Family Medicine physician demographics and their degree of burnout, or the …

A Collaborative Perspectives Approach For Understanding Effective Care Coordination In Autism Spectrum Disorder, Rachel Severs

Dissertations

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that causes significant impairment in social and communication areas. The severity of the disorder can often result in a substantial degree and amount of service access and expenditures relating to a child’s needs. This study examined the experiences of how family caregivers and service providers of children with ASD view service delivery using a basic qualitative research design. For the study, 10 participants (five family caregivers and five service providers) were enrolled and interviewed. Interview data were collected and coded to produce a qualitative analysis of the experiences of these individuals who …

Finding Hope In Chaos: The Development Of A Tool To Identify Key Factors That College Students Use To Effectively Deal With Adversity, Joetta Harlow Kelly

Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to identify techniques that could be developed into a resource for counselors and other professionals who assist college students in dealing effectively with adversity. In a series of four surveys, 200 people were asked to participate. These included professional counselors and ministers both on and off campus, as well as directors in Student Affairs, such as those in student support services and student life. To accomplish this, questionnaires were developed to identify and allow for tabulation of the counseling techniques most commonly used for students dealing with adversity by those working with college students. …

Evaluating The Kentucky Association Of Extension 4-H Agents Annual Conference Using The Re-Aim Framework, Michael Elijah Wilson

Dissertations

The Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (REAIM) evaluation framework, as first introduced by Glasgow, Vogt, and Boles (1999), offers a straightforward method for evaluating Extension related programs. In this study, the RE-AIM framework is used to evaluate the Kentucky Association of 4-H Extension Agents (KAE4-HA) annual conference by examining pre-existing organizational data and records that include the results from KAE4-HA post-conference surveys that had never been reviewed as part of a comprehensive program evaluation.

This dissertation is divided into five chapters. Chapter I provides an overview of the study. Chapter II reviews the history of Extension in Kentucky, program …

Effectiveness Of Autism Education In Accredited Dental Hygiene Programs, Stephanie M. Riehn

Dissertations

The increase in the prevalence of individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has increased dramatically over the last few decades, causing an increase in the exposure of dental professionals to patients with the disorder in a clinical setting.

The purpose of this study is to understand the influence of the licensed dental hygienists’ professional attitude towards treating a patient with ASD, and the level of accommodations provided to patients with ASD during a routine dental visit, based on the amount of knowledge provided about the disorder during an accredited dental hygiene program. Survey data were collected from 78 registered …

The Influence Of Culture On The Use Of Healthcare Services By Refugees In Southcentral Kentucky: A Mixed Study, Chika N. Ejike

Dissertations

The world as a global village has become a ubiquitous trope in the popular discourse, and Bowling Green, Kentucky, with its substantial immigrant population, may be considered an exemplar of this idealized community. It has become an ideal location for research regarding the challenges faced by immigrants. Due to the diverse cultural identities of the refugee/immigrant population, it is particularly well suited for studies into complex culturally dependent healthcare utilization patterns.

The central research question for the study was as follows: What are the healthcare-seeking behavioral patterns (as influenced by culture) among refugees at their nearest healthcare facilities? This mixed …

Factors That Influence Physicians To Assume Leadership Roles: A Focus On Clinical Integration, Jennifer Lynne Jackson

Dissertations

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (PPACA) drastically altered the healthcare industry in the United States. Along with multiple other directives, the PPACA mandated that physicians and hospitals work together in strategies known as clinical integration. For effective clinical integration to be achieved, interdependence among physicians and hospitals is required to provide the highest quality outcomes for patients at the best possible value. To this end, healthcare leaders have identified that the key to establishing successful clinical integration is the presence and commitment of physician leaders (Penlington & Marshall, 2016).

This study explores factors that influenced a …

Kentucky Middle School General Education Teachers: Perceptions On Sensory Integration Of Students On The Autism Spectrum, Lynda C. Harrison

Dissertations

This study examines the perceptions of general education teachers in Kentucky middle schools regarding their knowledge concerning Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), and their abilities to implement strategies designed to accommodate students on the spectrum. Participants included both general and special education teachers though the original targeted sampling included general education teachers only. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire and a Likert scale survey created by the researcher and distributed through a web based program. Demographic characteristics collected included number of graduate credit hours, age, years of teaching experience, credited hours of training on ASD at …

Perceptions Of Incivility In Nursing Education: A Survey Of Associate And Baccalaureate Program Nursing Students, Kim Elaine Young Vickous

Dissertations

This study explored differences of nursing students’ perceptions of student and faculty incivility, measured using the Incivility in Nursing Education survey, across semesters and between Associate and Baccalaureate of Science nursing students. A sample of 262 Associate and Baccalaureate of Science nursing program students enrolled in second, third, and fourth semesters from a state university located in the mid-south participated in the study. Descriptive statistics, Analysis of Variance, and Independent t-tests were conducted to examine the research questions. These questions explored what student and faculty behaviors were perceived as uncivil and most frequently occurring (disruptive and threatening) uncivil behavior in …

First Year Baccalaureate Nursing Program Outcomes: Effects Of Prerequisite Courses And Preadmission Testing, Sonya House

Dissertations

Schools of Nursing are faced with the difficult task of selecting students for admission into nursing programs. This responsibility is challenging as the number of students applying to programs typically outweighs the number of students who can be admitted. As a result, faculty must identify methods for selecting students who have the greatest likelihood of being successful. As noted in the literature, attrition that occurs as the result of being academically underprepared is found in the beginning of nursing programs (Murray, Merriman, & Adamson, 2008). The central research question represents the purpose of the study: To what extent do prerequisite …

A Case Study On Pharmacy To Explore The Perceptions Of Pharmacy Leaders And Policy Makers On The Benefits, Risks, And Alternatives Of The Doctorate As The Entry Level Degree In Health Professions, Heidi Marie Crocker

Dissertations

The clinical doctorate is an emergent trend in many health profession disciplines. Collier (2008) projects continued momentum toward higher degrees for entry into practice and advancing the field in health professions. There has been minimal research on how the trend of doctoral education in health professions will affect health professions education, delivery of services, and interdisciplinary relationship among health care providers, or the wider society (Freburger, King, & Slifkin, 2008). This research focused on the transition to the clinical doctorate in one profession, Pharmacy, retrospectively examining the inception and enactment phase of the Pharm.D. The study provides important insight into …

Caring, Interaction, And Active Teaching Strategies: Factors That Contribute To The Success Of The Associate Degree Nursing Student, Penelope Sue Logsdon

Dissertations

This exploratory study examined successful associate degree nursing students’ perceptions regarding the importance of caring by the nursing faculty, nursing faculty/student interaction, and faculty use of active teaching strategies. Participants completed a researcher developed survey instrument that measured both the importance and frequency of the caring, interaction, and active teaching strategies. The survey instrument measured six demographic factors and 30 statements regarding caring, interaction, and active teaching. Participants rated the statements for both importance and frequency on a four-point Likert scale. Five community and technical college associate degree nursing programs participated in the research with a total of 270 successful …