Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Relationship Between Screentime And Depressive Symptoms And Associated Mediators For African American Adolescents In The United States, Brittney Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The prevalence of adolescent depression in the United States is increasing as adolescents’ use of electronic screen devices increases. Some studies have found associations between screentime and adolescent depression, and other researchers have posited that screentime is not intrinsically harmful. High screentime in African American adolescents may place them at risk for worse depressive symptom outcomes, but the relationship between screentime and depressive symptoms for this population is unknown. The three research questions of this study addressed whether there is a relationship between screentime and depressive symptoms in African American adolescents, and whether sleep duration and the frequency of physical …

Relationship Between Screentime And Depressive Symptoms And Associated Mediators For African American Adolescents In The United States, Brittney Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The prevalence of adolescent depression in the United States is increasing as adolescents’ use of electronic screen devices increases. Some studies have found associations between screentime and adolescent depression, and other researchers have posited that screentime is not intrinsically harmful. High screentime in African American adolescents may place them at risk for worse depressive symptom outcomes, but the relationship between screentime and depressive symptoms for this population is unknown. The three research questions of this study addressed whether there is a relationship between screentime and depressive symptoms in African American adolescents, and whether sleep duration and the frequency of physical …

Evaluating Sbirt In A Behavioral Health Urgent Care, Christina L. Williams

Dissertations

Background: Adolescent substance use (SU) is a major health concern. Most youth who engage in alcohol and other SU do not meet criteria for SU disorder (SUD). Nonetheless, evidence shows SU during adolescence impacts cognitive, social, and emotional development, increases risk of physical injury, and may progress to SUD in adulthood. Only half of clinicians properly screen adolescents for SU; those identified with SUD often receive no intervention. Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) is an evidence-based intervention to address this problem. The purpose of this project was to evaluate implementation of SBIRT using CRAFFT 2.1+N, a SU …

Adolescent Suicide Prevention Via Parental Education, Junelle Shepard, Mary Val Palumbo

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

Purpose. Up to 24% of children from the ages of 12 to 17 have reported suicidal ideation, with 7-11% reporting at least one suicide attempt in the past 12 months (Hetrick, 2017). In a study by Jones et al (2019) over 50% of parents were unaware their child was exhibiting suicidal ideation. This project aims to increase community awareness of suicidal ideation and teach community members how to talk with adolescents about this sensitive topic.

Methods. Five online training sessions were offered in Fall 2021, with each session lasting 90 minutes. Using Smith et al.’s Suicide Knowledge and Skills Questionnaire, …

Understanding The Profiles Of Adolescents Engaged In Intentional Self-Poisoning With Suicidal Intent And The Role Of Primary Care In Early Intervention In Vermont, Rachael Comeau

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Suicide prevention is a top public health priority in Vermont. It is a complex issue, requiring a multi-faceted response from many different public and private stakeholders. Because intentional self-poisoning with suicidal intent is rarely lethal, it presents a particularly good opportunity for secondary interventions in the primary care setting. Extensive research has been done on intentional self-poisoning with suicidal intent and its relationship to subsequent risk of death by suicide, but gaps exist in research utilizing poison center data in the primary care setting. This dissertation employs an explanatory sequential mixed method research design to (a) develop a profile of …

An Interdisciplinary Study To Understand Treatment Seeking Behavior Among Female Survivors Of Anorexia Nervosa, Meaghan Victoria Tipton

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study was done to examine what psychosocial factors influence treatment seeking behavior among female survivors of eating disorders. This study uses a mixed methods survey consisting of open-ended item questions regarding treatment experience and social environment, and close-ended items to measure constructs from the Health Belief Model. Fourteen participants were recruited for this study to retrospectively detail their experiences of treatment during their eating disorder. All fourteen participants identified as Caucasian, thirteen identified as female, one identified with other gender, each with a history of medically diagnosed anorexia nervosa. The mean of age of current participants was 29.46, and …

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 …

Mental Health Service Utilization Among Urban Adolescents: The Roles Of Perceived Mental Health Problems, Attitudes Towards Professional Help, And Stigma, Yi Tak Tsang

Wayne State University Dissertations

Mental health among adolescents is widely acknowledged as a significant concern in the United States. Based on a national survey, Merikangas et al. (2010) found that among 13-17 year olds, 42% to 48% reported experiencing mental health concerns. It is estimated that only half of adolescents with mental health problems utilize mental health services (Costello et al., 2014). An initial study found that caregivers of disadvantaged youth appeared to function as the “gatekeepers” to mental health services (Tsang et al., 2020). Also, the results suggested that positive attitude towards professional psychological help, but not stigma, predicted service enrollment. The current …

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 …

Acknowledging And Addressing Adolescent Depression, Johnsie Burke Hughes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A family practice was found to inconsistently screen adolescents for depression even with the necessary Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) screening tools being readily available in their electronic medical record. The development of a practice guideline that offers a systematic approach to screening using the PHQ2 and the PHQ9 will potentially result in an increased guidance and provider willingness to screen for adolescent depression in the family practice setting. The purpose of this DNP project was to determine if an algorithmic practice guideline would increase provider willingness to assess for adolescent depression and identify any barriers to the use of the …

The Impact Of Mother And Adolescent Offspring Distress Reduction Training On Maternal Anxiety And Alcohol Related Behaviors Following Conflict, Sarah Ann Bilsky

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nearly half of people suffering from psychopathology meet criteria for more than one disorder. Scholars have focused on understanding factors that may simultaneously maintain multiple psychiatric problems. Elevated distress during interpersonal conflict is likely to maintain both alcohol use and anxiety psychopathology. Reducing distress elicited by normative mother-adolescent conflict holds particular promise. Conflict is common in families with problematic drinking and anxiety disorders and the affective impact of parent-offspring conflict is malleable. Distress reduction skills, such as cognitive reappraisal, are effective in reducing distress during conflict. The current study examined the unique and combined effects of training mothers and adolescents …

Stress Management: A Group Curriculum For Female Adolescents, Taylor Schaible

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

In recent years, research has found that adolescents are experiencing stress at an astounding rate, even compared to adults. With a thorough review of the literature, it has been found that schools in the United States are experiencing an adolescent stress epidemic. Furthermore, students are experiencing stress in ways beyond an academic arena. With that being said, there seems to be a connection between stress leading to anxiety, as well as stress having a profound affect for students who have experienced traumatic experiences. Additionally, the research has shown that there are structural differences within a developing brain that may cause …

Opioid Abuse In Rural Communities Among Adolescents With Bipolar Disorder, Sherlina Daishernai Holland

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

Low population density in rural areas makes it difficult to deliver services to people with mental health problems and nonmedical prescription opioid abuse remains a problem in the United States. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to determine whether a parent's socioeconomic status affected care opportunities for children 12 to 17 years of age and whether bipolar disorder increased the likelihood of substance abuse in those children. The theory of reasoned action/planned behavior provided the framework for the study. Secondary data from the Interuniversity Consortium for Political and Social Research 36361 data system, specifically the National Survey on …

A Meta-Synthesis Of Adolescent Psychological Help-Seeking, Karen Barnes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although adolescents experience psychological difficulty at a rate higher than any other age group, most do not get the support they need. The purpose of this study was to explore perceptions about barriers, facilitating factors, and help-seeking preferences for psychological support among adolescents. This study involved Best, Gil-Rodriguez, Manktelow, and Taylor’s conceptual framework pathways to online help-seeking to help explain adolescents’ perceptions of factors that influence them seeking support as well as identify pathways for support. A qualitative meta-synthesis design was used to synthesize findings of individual qualitative studies into themes around the central phenomenon of adolescent help-seeking. Data were …

Resting-State Functional Connectivity In Youth With Gender Dysphoria, Felix L. Garcia

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Current developmental models of gender identity and gender dysphoria (GD) lack sex-specific profiles of brain function that differentiate between typically-developing and cross-gender identified youth, as postulated by models like the unified theory of the origins of sex differences (Arnold, 2009) and the neurobiological theory of the origins of transsexuality (Swaab & Garcia-Falgueras, 2009). Previously, investigators have used brain imaging modalities such as Resting-State functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (R-fMRI) to demonstrate differences in resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) between typically-developing male and female youth, and between typically-developing and GID-diagnosed youth. In the present pilot study, I used R-fMRI to investigate differences in …

A Dance/Movement Therapy Method For Improving Mood States Of Adolescent Girls In A Residential Treatment Center, Selena Coburn

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The purpose of this study is to examine dance/ movement therapy (DMT) sessions as a method of intervention, through observing with Laban Movement Analysis (LMA) and Kestenberg Movement Profile (KMP) and recording shifting mood states in participants living in a residential treatment center. The participants are adolescent female clients age 13-17 years old. They have co-morbid diagnoses including depression, eating disorders, ADHD, histories of abuse and neglect, and oppositional defiant disorder. Laban Movement Analysis (LMA) and verbal check-ins are used to determine mood states before, during, and after a DMT session. Data is collected via observations made using a designated …

Mental Health Interventions For Adolescent Cancer Patients, Kelsey A. Faherty

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Background: According to the National Cancer Institute (2017) approximately 15,270 individuals’ ages 0 to 19 years would be diagnosed with cancer in 2017. Although pediatric cancer survival rates continue to rise, there are high rates of anxiety, fear, and depression amongst this population. The purpose of this literature review was to explore mental health interventions for adolescent cancer patients.

Methodology: A total of 165 articles were found in a literature search. Databases used include: CINAHL Plus with Full Text, Cochrane Center Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Clinical Answers, MEDLINE, and PsycINFO. As results were further narrowed based on relevance and …

Rural Ontario Youth And Mental Wellness, Brad Ross

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Currently, there is a significant lack of knowledge regarding rural Ontario youth and their mental wellness. This study addresses the following research questions: 1) How do rural youth maintain mental wellness? and 2) What factors facilitate or hinder the mental wellness of rural youth from their perspective? Eight rural participants, four male and four female, aged 16-23 provided data via one on one interviews. It was found that many rural youth have adapted to utilize their rural environment, social support, and intrapersonal techniques to maintain their mental wellness. Furthermore, four main themes act as both facilitators and hindrances to their …

Implementation Of The National Asthma Guidelines In A Residential Pediatric Clinic, Patricia A. Foster-Staples

Dissertations

Abstract

Purpose: Foster care children admitted to residential facilities are a unique and vulnerable group, many presenting with undiagnosed or poorly managed asthma. The alarming rate of residents admitted to a particular residential primary care clinic with a diagnosis of asthma led to the project question: “Based on record reviews, does staff education about the importance of utilizing the national guidelines for asthma education influence the implementation of such guidelines in a residential pediatric clinic?” The purpose of this quality improvement project was to implement a systematic process to influence practice change. The project was conducted over a period …

Improving Nursing Attitudes Toward Suicide Prevention In The Emergency Department: The Implementation Of An Adolescent Suicide Risk Screening Tool, Julie A. Simpson

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

The Center for Disease Control ranked suicide as the second leading cause of death for American adolescents (2015). This crisis of adolescent suicide warrants evaluation and improvement of current suicide prevention practices. The Emergency Department (ED) offers 24-hour services and may be the only organized healthcare for utilized by some individuals. Nurses are the front-line provider of care in the ED and this role offers opportunity to identify an adolescent with increased suicide risk. The purpose of this EBP project is to evaluate nursing attitudes toward suicide prevention by implementing the best practice screening tool for adolescent suicide risk assessment. …

Implicit Family Process Rules Specific To Eating-Disordered Families, Mallory Rebecca Wolfgramm

Theses and Dissertations

Family environment is a significant factor in the development of eating disorders in young-adult females. Clinical experience, research and theories about eating disorders indicate that constrictive implicit process rules within a family are correlated with eating-disordered families. This study identified implicit family process rules that are unique to eating-disordered families and how well these rules predict membership in eating-disordered and non-eating-disordered families. One hundred and two families (51 eating-disordered and 51 comparison families) participated in the study. Mothers, fathers, young-adult female children, and siblings in each family completed the Family Implicit Rules Profile (FIRP). The design included cluster analysis of …

A Longitudinal Examination Of Parental Psychological Control And Externalizing Behavior In Adolescents With Adolescent Internalized Shame As A Mediating Variable, Iesha Renee Nuttall

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between parental psychological control and adolescent externalizing behavior with adolescent internalized shame acting as a mediating variable. Gender differences were also examined. Three hundred eleven two-parent families with an adolescent were included in this study, 154 were male adolescents (Mean age at wave 6 = 16.28 years, SD = .98) and 157 were female adolescents (Mean age at wave 6 = 16.21 years, SD = .99). Results indicate that parental psychological control for both mothers and fathers at wave 4 was positively related to adolescent externalizing behavior for both boys …

Complementary And Alternative Medicine (Cam) And Adolescent Body Mass Index (Bmi): A National Population-Based Study, Laura Y. Defrain Lpn

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE (CAM) AND ADOLESCENT BODY MASS INDEX (BMI): A NATIONAL POPULATION-BASED STUDY

Abstract

Background

Childhood obesity rates in the United States have remained around 17% since the 1990s - this figure translates to an estimated 12.7 million obese children. Maintaining a healthy weight through adolescence may limit subsequent health risks in adulthood. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) encompasses a variety of non-pharmacological treatments and lifestyle choices that have been utilized in addition to or in place of typical Western medicine. The relationship between adolescent Body mass index (BMI) and the use of complementary and alternative medicine has …

Adolescent Grief: The Nurse's Role In Promoting Healthy Coping Mechanisms And Preventing Future Hospitalizations, Erica C. Reighard

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Age and developmental stage directly influence the grieving individual's ability to understand and process death. Adolescents are especially vulnerable to developing negative coping skills such as substance abuse, self-destructive behaviors, and eating disorders. After a loss occurs, nurses can use their role as a caregiver who is neither a parent nor a peer to provide adolescents with an opportunity to express their grief. Nurses can educate grieving adolescents on the differences between positive and negative coping skills and can therefore reduce the number of future hospitalizations related to ineffective coping mechanisms.

High School Teachers' Perceptions Of Mental Health And Adolescent Depression, Christine Ann Breuer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Adolescents have a high rate of untreated mental health issues, specifically related to depression. Current literature does not indicate the impact of teachers' attitudes toward mental health on their decisions to refer students for services. This study provides understanding specifically, how teachers' beliefs about mental health, as well as their age, gender, ethnicity, years of education, and years of teaching, were analyzed to determine the impact each these characteristics had on the decision to refer a student for services. 92 high school teachers participated in this quantitative study by completing a survey measuring their attitudes of mental health, and then …

Through My Eyes: The Effect On Family Life Of Having Siblings With Autism Spectrum Disorder As Experienced By A Typically Developing Adolescent, Samantha L. Brand

Honors Theses and Capstones

As the prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) continues to increase, research efforts have begun to focus on the effects a person with ASD has on family life. The dominant voice in the extant literature is that of parents and caregivers, but only a small body of research explores the experiences of siblings. Using a phenomenological approach, a qualitative study was conducted to understand how a typically developing (TD) adolescent experiences the effects of having siblings with ASD on family routines and activities. Findings indicate that the family’s performance context—including routines, relationships, and activities—acts as the mediator of the bidirectional …

Through My Eyes: The Effect On Family Life Of Having Siblings With Autism Spectrum Disorder As Experienced By A Typically Developing Adolescent, Samantha L. Brand

Honors Theses and Capstones

As the prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) continues to increase, research efforts have begun to focus on the effects a person with ASD has on family life. The dominant voice in the extant literature is that of parents and caregivers, but only a small body of research explores the experiences of siblings. Using a phenomenological approach, a qualitative study was conducted to understand how a typically developing (TD) adolescent experiences the effects of having siblings with ASD on family routines and activities. Findings indicate that the family’s performance context—including routines, relationships, and activities—acts as the mediator of the bidirectional …

Parent And Adolescent Attachment And Adolescent Shame And Hope With Psychological Control As A Mediator, Natasha K. Bell

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if parent adolescent attachment is correlated with adolescent hope and shame two years later with parent psychological control in the year in between as a mediator. Data at wave four, five, and six for 308 families from the Flourishing Families Project were used. In previous studies attachment has been shown to be important in adolescent development. This study found that the adolescent's perception of the relationship is negatively correlated with shame and positively correlated with hope in the adolescent. Additionally the adolescent's perception of their relationship with both mother and father was …

The Caregiver–Child Relationship, Youth Mental Health, And Placement Stability In A Child Welfare Sample, Laura A. Rindlaub

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objective: Healthy relationships between adolescents and their caregivers have been robustly associated with better youth outcomes in a variety of domains. Youth in contact with the child welfare system are at higher risk for worse outcomes including mental health problems and home placement instability. A growing body of literature points to youth mental health problems as both a predictor and a consequence of home placement instability in this population; the present study aimed to expand our understanding of these phenomena by examining the interplay among the caregiver-child relationship, youth mental health symptoms, and placement change over time. Method: The sample …

The Relation Between Adiposity And Anxiety In Youth: Analysis Of Peer Victimization, Teasing, Sociocultural Influences, And Internalization Of Appearance Ideals As Explanatory Variables, Natasha L. Burke

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the current study was to examine putative mediators and moderators in the association between adiposity and anxiety in a sample of overweight and obese youth. In addition, anxiety was examined as a potential moderator between adiposity and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Participants were youth (N = 137) between 8 and 17 years old (M = 13.09, SD = 2.61) and their legal caregivers recruited from four medical clinics affiliated with the University of South Florida. Youth were primarily overweight (28.5%) or obese (64.2%) and ethnically diverse. Data were analyzed by path analysis. Weight-related teasing significantly mediated …