Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Medicine and Health Sciences Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 30 of 82

Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences

Juvenile Justice And The Criminalization Of Mentally Ill Individuals, Michael Collins Jan 2021

Juvenile Justice And The Criminalization Of Mentally Ill Individuals, Michael Collins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Juvenile justice systems in the United States are using incarceration as a solution to the problem of youths with mental health disorders who commit violent crimes. Juvenile justice systems across the United States have a revolving door effect that arrests, adjudicates, and incarcerates youth offenders but fail to address the factors that contribute to recidivism. The purpose of the qualitative case study was to identify which treatment procedures were most appropriate for juvenile offenders who committed violent offenses in an effort to reduce recidivism for this offender population. For this study, an ecological psychology theory was used as a lens …


Exploring Culturally Competent Mental Health Outreach To Black Churches, Michele Marie Fry Jan 2021

Exploring Culturally Competent Mental Health Outreach To Black Churches, Michele Marie Fry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Black individuals and communities have held distrust toward mental health services and experience barriers in seeking services. Although the church is a significant support system in the Black community, it can also pose a barrier to congregation members seeking mental health services, as the Black church community has often stigmatized those seeking mental health services as weak. Ways to reach the Black community with trauma-informed, culturally competent, and spiritually sensitive mental health services through establishing connections with Black churches and church leaders were explored in this study. Previous research indicated that the COVID-19 pandemic increased depression and anxiety in the …


An Examination Of The Absence Of A Comprehensive Smokefree Law In Georgia On College And University Campuses, Nakki Price Jan 2021

An Examination Of The Absence Of A Comprehensive Smokefree Law In Georgia On College And University Campuses, Nakki Price

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractCigarette smoking is the number one preventable cause of death and disability in the United States. Although there are policies that govern the use of tobacco products, there are jurisdictions that do not employ these policies. Comprehensive smokefree laws govern private-sector entities and prohibit smoking in public places, specifically restaurants, bars, and workplaces. While states have the authority to implement these laws, some include exceptions that limit the intention of the law. Colleges and universities are specific communities for learning and serve as housing for students and an employer for the greater community. There is a gap in the literature …


Why African American Men Diagnosed With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Continue To Smoke, Vashonda Laniece Allen Jan 2021

Why African American Men Diagnosed With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Continue To Smoke, Vashonda Laniece Allen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe purpose of this research was to explore why some African American men diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) continue smoking following their diagnosis. The theory of planned behavior (TPB) guided the development of this research. The research questions were developed to understand the attitudes, behavioral intentions, subjective norms, social norms, perceived power, and perceived behavioral control that influence their continuing or quitting smoking based on the TPB model. The study’s research method was qualitative. A pilot study, using the same criteria as the main study, confirmed the reliability of the interview guide. Participants were informed about the study …


Helping In The Home: Counselors’ Experiences Providing Clients With In-Home Services, Melissa Jane Franzen Jan 2021

Helping In The Home: Counselors’ Experiences Providing Clients With In-Home Services, Melissa Jane Franzen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Counseling is an essential service that helps individuals work through struggles and live their best lives. Such service now includes providing counseling in clients’ homes. Counselors may require specific training or education to prepare for counseling in a home environment. This need for training and education is due to a lack of knowledge of the lived experiences of counselors providing services in the home. Transcendental phenomenology was used to guide a qualitative exploration into the lived experiences of counselors providing services in clients’ homes. Participants were 7 professional counselors, 5 female and 2 male, having met minimum state licensure requirements …


Lived Experiences Of Pakistani American Women Who Sought Mental Health Treatment, Marriam Ashraf Jan 2021

Lived Experiences Of Pakistani American Women Who Sought Mental Health Treatment, Marriam Ashraf

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractDespite the research on how mental illness manifests in the United States, there is more to be known about mental health in the Pakistani American population. The goal of this qualitative phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of Pakistani American women who sought mental health treatment. Ecological theory provided the framework for the study. Data were collected from semi structured interviews with 10 participants via telephone and face-to-face conversations. Data were analyzed using managing, reading, memoing, describing, classifying, interpreting, representing, and visualizing techniques. Findings indicated that seeking help for mental health played a positive role in participants being …


A Phenomenological Exploration Of How Nursing Experience Shapes The Transitional Performance Of Primary Care Nurse Practitioners, Helen Okeke Jan 2021

A Phenomenological Exploration Of How Nursing Experience Shapes The Transitional Performance Of Primary Care Nurse Practitioners, Helen Okeke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractPoor access to healthcare and a shortage of primary care providers in underserved communities paved the way for reliance on advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs). This increased reliance on APRNs as primary care providers necessitates expanded public policy on APRN practice; however, information on APRN transitional experiences remains inadequate to inform policymakers effectively. Illinois’ Nurse Practice Act requires APRNs to incorporate the scope of practice of registered nurses into their practice but does not describe what that experience should be. Using Kanter’s theory of organizational structural empowerment and Benner’s novice to expert nursing model as theoretical lenses to ground the …


Lived Experiences Of Police Officers And Their Roles During Opioid Overdose, Sean Banks Jan 2021

Lived Experiences Of Police Officers And Their Roles During Opioid Overdose, Sean Banks

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have conducted multiple studies regarding opioid users, opioid addicts, relatives of addicts, and health professional responses. The opioid crisis has been a focus for scholars following the first wave of prescription in 1991 (CDC, 2016). However, there is limited research that examines the lived experiences of law enforcement officers and their roles during an opioid overdose. As the opioid crisis has continued to negatively affect individuals, families, communities, cities, and countries, federal, state, and local policymakers have searched for ways to combat the opioid crisis. For many law enforcement agencies, policymakers have enacted policy that mandates patrol officers carry …


Understanding Resilience Among Individuals With Adverse Childhood Experiences (Aces), Meghan Larson Jan 2021

Understanding Resilience Among Individuals With Adverse Childhood Experiences (Aces), Meghan Larson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), such as abuse, neglect, and dysfunction in a child’s home are considered a public health crisis due to their correlation to health disparities and psychosocial problems in adulthood such as substance use, relationships, education, and maintaining employment. However, some individuals are resilient and demonstrate the ability to adapt and function well despite experiencing adverse events. To better understand resilience when ACEs are present, I conducted a basic qualitative research study to explore the lived experiences of individuals in Tennessee with elevated ACE and resilience scores. A purposeful sample of 12 participants who scored high on ratings …


Territoriality As A Factor In Nursing Incivility, Carolyn Wright Jan 2021

Territoriality As A Factor In Nursing Incivility, Carolyn Wright

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractIncivility and hazing in health care results in unsafe environments, not only for the nurse but also for the client, facility, and other health professionals. The project site, a privately owned medical clinic, has a high employee turnover rate with exit interviews indicating bullying and incivility from long-term nursing staff toward new employees as critical reasons for employee resignation. The literature offers minimal information regarding territoriality, a concept associated with aggressive (i.e., alpha) behaviors in animals and humans and incivility in nursing. The purpose of the project was to identify whether territoriality was a behavioral factor that may have contributed …


Staff Education On Medication Screening Tool For Nursing Home Residents, Jinkee Sarah Beltran Jan 2021

Staff Education On Medication Screening Tool For Nursing Home Residents, Jinkee Sarah Beltran

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The prevalence of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) among nursing home residents continues to be high. Researchers have demonstrated that the use of a medication screening tool identifying PIMs can improve medication safety among older adults. Screening tools, such as the Beers criteria and the Screening Tool for Older Persons’ Prescriptions (STOPP), are evidence-based guidelines that use several validated criteria to identify PIMs in older adults’ medication regimens. While the use of these tools is standard in the acute care setting, limited studies have been conducted regarding their use in the nursing home setting. The purpose of this project was to …


Motivational Interviewing: A Strategy To Improve Health Professional's Communication, Lanita James Jan 2021

Motivational Interviewing: A Strategy To Improve Health Professional's Communication, Lanita James

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Miscommunication between patients and healthcare professionals is common in U.S. hospitals and is considered one of the chief factors in reduced patient satisfaction with care. Collaboration with the nurse researcher who reviewed the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Survey (HCAHPS) data for a local hospital noted that negative ratings were directly related to the miscommunication between the patient and care providers. Further identified that the nursing staff was not knowledgeable about evidenced-based strategies needed to communicate effectively with the patients. The purpose of this DNP project was to develop an education program to increase nurses' knowledge about …


Social Determinants And Academic Success For Online Undergraduates Mediated By Mental Health, Jamie Michelle Claus Getz Jan 2021

Social Determinants And Academic Success For Online Undergraduates Mediated By Mental Health, Jamie Michelle Claus Getz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractSocial determinants of health (SDH) are social and economic systems that directly contribute to health disparities and inequalities. This study examined SDH and their relation to education, also an SDH. The relationship between SDH and online undergraduate achievement, as measured by grade-point average (GPA), was studied. Cumulative inequality is the theoretical framework that guided the study; it underscores the complexity of interaction between personal, social, and environmental stressors in relation to a student’s academic performance. The quantitative survey design allowed for potential relationships between variables to be observed and studied based on the survey responses per self-report from 212 online …


Relationship Between Social Support And Childhood Trauma On Resilience, Carol Krieger Jan 2021

Relationship Between Social Support And Childhood Trauma On Resilience, Carol Krieger

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

People who have not overcome childhood trauma and who have developed mental illnesses have difficulties dealing with life challenges. The purpose of this quantitative study used a correlational design to test any relationship between childhood trauma experience levels and resilience against life challenges in adulthood. The theoretical framework used for this study was Barnes’ social support theory. Data were collected from 104 participants over a 7-week period. Participants voluntarily answered the ACE questionnaire, 2-way support scale, and resilience scale. Key results indicate that people with mental illness who receive social support are positive impacted by that support. Receiving adequate levels …


Retrospective And Forecasting Analysis Of Increased Long Term Care Demand In Niagara, Breanne Alissa Hines Jan 2021

Retrospective And Forecasting Analysis Of Increased Long Term Care Demand In Niagara, Breanne Alissa Hines

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A problem exists within the Canadian healthcare system as many patients experience longer lengths of stay (LOS) in acute care (AC) and complex care (CC) beds within hospitals because of a lack of long term care (LTC) facilities. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the extra days patients wait for placement and assess the benefits of increasing the number of LTC beds. The theoretical framework used was the four-level model of the health care system. Research questions involved 2017-2019 data for the number of LTC beds required to eliminate waits and evaluate beds needed in the future. This …


The Experience Of Therapists Working With Mexican American Children Of Substance Abusing Parents, Tracy M. Basile Jan 2021

The Experience Of Therapists Working With Mexican American Children Of Substance Abusing Parents, Tracy M. Basile

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe need for culturally competent mental health providers and the Mexican American immigrant population in the United States are growing. This study focused on themes from therapists’ narratives that may help to comprehend the intricacy of difficulties facing Mexican American children living with substance-abusing parents. The firsthand knowledge and experiences of the therapists who have worked with this population provided a basic understanding of what to expect and which therapeutic interventions may work best for both the child and their parents. The purpose of this narrative inquiry was to qualitatively identify therapists’ lived experiences and understand how they interacted with …


Perspectives Of Key Court Personnel On The Prosecution Of Domestic Violence Cases, Crystal M. Schoeder Jan 2021

Perspectives Of Key Court Personnel On The Prosecution Of Domestic Violence Cases, Crystal M. Schoeder

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Domestic violence (DV) continues to be a public health and criminal justice problem. Several criminal justice system changes have been made to combat DV, such as mandatory arrest policies, no-drop prosecution policies, and specialized DV courts. Perspectives on these policies, DV, and the criminal justice system have been obtained from the victims, police officers, and victim advocates. However, perspectives from those within the criminal justice court system are missing. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to obtain the perspectives of key court personnel in small rural communities regarding the prosecution of DV cases. Narrative policy framework was used …


A Lebanese Health Care Organization’S Strategies To Secure Sustainable Funding, Dania Mahmoud Al Assadi Jan 2021

A Lebanese Health Care Organization’S Strategies To Secure Sustainable Funding, Dania Mahmoud Al Assadi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Fundraising and donations are the main sources of revenue for behavioral health care nonprofit organizations (NPOs) worldwide. Economic, political, social, or health crises impact fundraising and donation sources for behavioral health care NPOs. This qualitative case study addressed strategies that senior leaders of a Lebanese behavioral health care NPO could use in times of crisis. The study also addressed the behavioral health leaders’ experience managing a funding crisis. The Baldrige conceptual framework was used to assess the organization’s effectiveness in seven key areas. Interviews with the senior leaders and analysis of the organization’s archival data were used to inform the …


Data Modeling Of Cognitive Structure In Physiotherapy Students Learning Gross Anatomy, William Allan Besselink Jan 2021

Data Modeling Of Cognitive Structure In Physiotherapy Students Learning Gross Anatomy, William Allan Besselink

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cognitive structures that promote deep learning of gross anatomy are integral to musculoskeletal physiotherapy practice yet poorly understood. This quantitative, criterion-related validation study addressed two data modeling strategies (multidimensional scaling and Pathfinder networks) as a potential visual and quantitative representation of the cognitive structures of physiotherapy students learning gross anatomy. The study was grounded in the Adaptive Control of Thought-Rational theory of cognition. The research questions addressed the agreement (reliability, accuracy, and association) between student and expert cognitive structures and included the derived quantitative parameters as predictor variables in multiple regression to examine potential relationships with unit grades. An online …


Coping Strategies Of Dual-Role Informal Caregivers, Lorilee Maldonado Jan 2021

Coping Strategies Of Dual-Role Informal Caregivers, Lorilee Maldonado

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There are nearly 43.5 million informal caregivers (ICGs) in the United States, and this number will nearly double by 2030. Trying to fulfill the needs of an aging family member and commitments to work, home, and other relationships create a constant state of stress that may result in either leaving the workforce or placing the care recipient in a facility. Finding strategies that support both roles is economically and socially critical. This study explored the strategies that some ICGs have acquired that enable them to cope with these pressures. Work-family conflict theory, focusing on the conflict between work and family …


A Behavioral Healthcare Approach To At-Risk Youth Substance Prevention Program Development, Debra Mcintyre Jan 2021

A Behavioral Healthcare Approach To At-Risk Youth Substance Prevention Program Development, Debra Mcintyre

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Providing quality services that meet the needs of clients is key to organizational sustainability for behavioral health organizations. Strategic development of substance prevention programs for at-risk youth will play an important role in capacity building. The focus of this study was to identify the need for developing a targeted and effective substance abuse prevention program to support at-risk youth who have trauma experiences before they begin misusing substances to cope with their challenges. The Baldrige excellence framework was used to guide this descriptive case study of a behavioral health organization in the Northeastern region of the United States. The data …


Relationship Between Social Media Screen Time, Sedentariness, And Bmi Among Young Adults, Helen Golod Jan 2021

Relationship Between Social Media Screen Time, Sedentariness, And Bmi Among Young Adults, Helen Golod

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obesity has quickly become an epidemic that affects adults and youth not only in the United States, but also increasingly elsewhere in the global community. Research suggests that most children and adolescents spend a significant amount of time indulging in screen-based leisure, especially on social media. Such behavior may also be linked to sedentary lifestyle, which can impact an individual’s body mass index (BMI). There is a lack of understanding concerning how sedentary behavior moderates the relationship between screen time spent on different types of social media and BMI among young adults in the United States. To address this research …


Nurse Perspectives Of Trauma-Informed Care, Lee Ann Blazejewski Jan 2021

Nurse Perspectives Of Trauma-Informed Care, Lee Ann Blazejewski

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is growing interest in trauma-informed nursing methods to better respond to the needs of patients with histories of adverse childhood experiences and other traumatic events. Recent advances in the understanding of how trauma can negatively affect long-term health outcomes have fostered a shift towards trauma-informed care as a method to decrease patient retraumatization in nursing practice. With the implementation of trauma-informed care in many areas of healthcare and public health, several challenges have been exposed. The purpose of this study was to examine nurses’ lived experience of implementing trauma-informed care into nursing practice for the care of patients with …


Post-Conflict Mental Health Policy And Substance Use Among Liberian Adults, Ekua Amonoo-Lartson Jan 2021

Post-Conflict Mental Health Policy And Substance Use Among Liberian Adults, Ekua Amonoo-Lartson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe objective of post-conflict countries after an extended period of war and trauma is to maintain peace and stability. However, the physical and psychological effects of substance use to cope with the devastation of war remains long after the crisis has ended. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to examine substance use among Liberian working-age adults, including their substance use habits, experiences with substance use, and access to mental health rehabilitative treatment. The access to medical care theoretical framework was used to guide the study. Data were collected from face-to-face semistructured interviews with 15 individuals regarding their experiences …


Examining Clinicians' Perspectives Screening For Depression In Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Vickie Lavette Bland Jan 2021

Examining Clinicians' Perspectives Screening For Depression In Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Vickie Lavette Bland

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The United States has a significant diabetes problem. This chronic disease affects the body physically and mentally. One of the emotional effects of diabetes is depression. Depression is often present in individuals with diabetes, chiefly in those with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). While depression is common in T2DM and can interfere with treatment adherence, clinician screening for depression in T2DM patients is low. The purpose of this study was to examine clinicians' attitudes, behaviors, and perceptions concerning screening patients with T2DM for depression. Through a qualitative case study approach centered on reasoned action theory, 3 physicians and 5 nurse …


The Lived Experience Of Family In Biological Children Living In Therapeutic Foster Homes, Maria K. Betts Jan 2021

The Lived Experience Of Family In Biological Children Living In Therapeutic Foster Homes, Maria K. Betts

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Therapeutic-level foster homes provide housing and care for special needs children removed from their own homes. The addition of a special needs child can lead to increased family stress. However, recent reviews of the literature show that there is very little literature aimed at understanding what the biological children in these homes experience. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the experience of family in adults who, as children, were these biological children. The family stress and coping model was used as a conceptual framework of understanding. Data were obtained from participants in Upstate New York from both …


Strategies For Establishing A Diverse Workforce Within A University Health System’S Department, Shanee Chantel Morgan Jan 2021

Strategies For Establishing A Diverse Workforce Within A University Health System’S Department, Shanee Chantel Morgan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Balanced diversity in health care promotes patient satisfaction and enhances innovation. Obtaining a culturally balanced workplace requires recruitment strategies that encourage inclusiveness among team members from various backgrounds. The purpose of this doctoral study was to explore the issue of lack of diversity in a behavioral health organization’s (BHO’s) student intern program and identify strategies for creating greater diversity in the workplace. The Baldrige excellence framework, the conceptual framework that guided the research, was designed to help BHOs to improve their overall business performance to accomplish goals and increase organizational sustainability. Three themes emerged from the data analysis: diversity training, …


Issues Facing Community-Based Social Workers When Providing Female Offenders With Reunification Services, Karen N. Vertti Jan 2021

Issues Facing Community-Based Social Workers When Providing Female Offenders With Reunification Services, Karen N. Vertti

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe goal with this action research project was to understand how community-based social workers (CBSWs) could address female offenders’ and their children’s needs while striving to reintegrate them into the community of Central Los Angeles County, California. Postrelease female offenders with children suffer from a variety of issues related to housing, employment, and personal childhood trauma. The trauma exacerbates the risk of revictimization and recidivism. CBSWs play a pivotal role in helping female offenders overcome barriers to successful reentry and reunify with their children. This study incorporated Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory which provided a systems lens to this project. The …


Mental Health Provider Experiences Among Juvenile Offenders With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Vanessa West Jan 2021

Mental Health Provider Experiences Among Juvenile Offenders With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Vanessa West

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research has indicated various treatment options available such as medication management or family therapy for juvenile offenders struggling with a diagnosis of, or symptoms of, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Exploring mental health clinicians’ perceptions may provide insight into treatment needed for this population to contribute positively to society. Past researchers refrained from obtaining mental health clinicians’ perspectives on treatment when working with this population. Rational choice theory indicates that individuals examine the costs and benefits of their actions prior to making decisions. Gestalt/feature-intensive processing theory promotes the inclusion of necessary information to help with processing when making decisions. Youth …


Parental Stress Coping And Middle-School Students’ Grades And Behavioral Conduct, Stephanie Buckner Jan 2021

Parental Stress Coping And Middle-School Students’ Grades And Behavioral Conduct, Stephanie Buckner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractAccording to Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, factors such as parental stress influence family functioning and affect children’s adaptive development. This quantitative study was conducted to better understand the association of parental stress coping skills with two dependent measures: the grades and behavioral conduct of middle-school students. Sixty-six parent/guardians completed the Coping Skills Assessment 2nd Revision (COSA R2), an assessment of parental stress coping skills and a brief questionnaire to collect data on their middle-school-aged children’s grades and conduct, along with demographic variables of race/ethnicity, age, family income level, number of children in the household, and partner status. No significant difference …