Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Animation As Therapy For Mental Health Treatment Across Diverse Populations And Contexts, A Literature Review, Daneile Tabana

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Scientific research has explored and identified the beneficial relationship between health and creative expression, recognizing art therapy as a source of healing. Animation has been newly recognized as an art therapy medium with potential for therapeutic healing and increased psychological well-being. This review of the literature on animation therapy explores the history of the modality’s interaction with the population observed and the effects of animation on the cognitive processes, discusses current theoretical orientations and treatment options for treating a range of conditions that affect mood, thinking, and behavior with animation therapy, and considers culturally informed and client-centered practices alongside traditional …

Improving Mental Health Support For Nursing Students Through Mental Health First Aid (Mhfa) Training Of Clinical Faculty, Amy Sands

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

This project aimed to implement a process improvement program at the Louisville campus of Galen College of Nursing to improve the mental health support for nursing students through the training of Clinical Instructors (CIs) in using adult Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) and the ALGEE actions described within that program.

Examining The Relationship Between Deafness And Mental Health Status: An Analysis Of The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (Brfss) 2022, Brianna Stroud-Williams

Capstone Experience

Objective: The objective of the research is to examine the association between mental health status as measured by number of mentally healthy days in the past month and deafness and binge drinking.

Methods: The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) study was conducted via telephone survey in 50 states, including the District of Columbia and US territories. The sample size is 402,156 participants. Univariate, bivariate, and multivariate regressions, odds ratio, and 95% confidence interval were used to measure the data.

Results: Deaf respondents have 1.56 times the odds of having poor mental health than those who are not deaf. (95% …

Parental Beliefs About Mental Health And Available Support, Michele O'Geare

Master's Theses

This study adds information to the field by investigating the relationship between parental beliefs about mental health and the services they use to support their child’s mental health issues. The study targeted 224 parents from a private K-12 school in the Midwest. The school was selected because of the many students from diverse backgrounds. This study does not intend to influence parental beliefs but investigates ways families seek support for their children. Descriptive statistics like mean and standard deviation were combined to analyze quantitative data used to interpret parents’ beliefs toward mental health and the use of specific mental health …

Youth Mental Health Awareness, Juana Tomas

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

In 2019, the Salinas Union High School District began to provide services for high school students through Wellness Centers. The centers are intended to act as mental, social-emotional and medical health resources. (Cuevas, 2019). Many students have untreated mental health challenges that can significantly interfere with their well-being and ability to learn, grow and develop. The Wellness Center supports students with their social, emotional, and behavioral challenges. They help students with their overall well-being. This project is a presentation awareness video that will recognize the importance of mental health, provide essential coping skills that students can use, and highlight how …

Sharing My Story Through Public Speaking: Young People And Mental Health, Alexandra Isabella Bush

Honors Theses

Recent years have shown a worsening mental health crisis in America. Between the high prevalence of mental illness, lack of treatment, high rates of suicide and overdoses, and increasing rates of substance use, the United States has an abundance of problems, all of which relate to mental health. One contributing factor is the insufficient education about mental health topics, also known as mental health literacy. Therefore, American citizens lack necessary knowledge, such as the signs and risk factors of mental illness, treatment options, and ways to improve mental health, to name a few. One impact of low mental health literacy …

Links Between Mental Health And Employment Outcomes Among Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Emma Atkinson

Honors Theses

Problem: Mental health outcomes related to Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have been extensively researched, although most research in the area is on children with ASD. Studies on adults with ASD are scarcer. More specifically, studies that analyze the association between mental health and work-life balance (WLB) as well as mental health and job satisfaction (JS) among employed adults with ASD is limited. The purpose of this study was to analyze the association between mental health and WLB among adults with ASD, the association between mental health and perceived JS among adults with ASD, and whether or not ASD severity moderates …

The Moral Hygiene Movement In The United States, 1840s—1920s, Marissa Seib

History Theses

During the 19th and 20th centuries, the mental health care system in the United States underwent a series of reforms in an effort to better care for some of the country’s frailest citizens. This period, called the moral hygiene era of mental health care, emerged from a further understanding of psychiatry and psychology which led to structural changes in the mental health care system.

This thesis examines the beginnings of the Kirkbride system, which sought to reform the whole of American mental health care through landscaping and architecture as well as the specific treatment plan for each individual. Using case …

Designing A Work-Life Balance Learning Module For Cal Poly Construction Management Department, Alex Jones

Construction Management

The construction industry is known to create a highly stressful work environment given its unpredictability and mental/time demanding nature, which creates challenges for professionals to maintain a healthy work-life balance. This senior project aims to research and identify the key areas that foster this stress and propose a learning module for the Cal Poly Construction Management Department to implement into class curriculum. Having this learning module taught to students will raise awareness of the topic for future industry professionals and equip them with the tools to maintain a healthy equilibrium between their work demands and personal life. The learning module …

New-R Intervention For Clients With Severe Mental Illness And Obesity: Grant Writing For Implementation Funds Supporting Occupational Therapy Interventions, Kaitlyn Hoffman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Increasing numbers of people suffer from obesity and severe mental illness co-morbidly. If these conditions remain untreated, they can harm an individual's health and well-being. Unfortunately, there are very few programs currently available that target both management and improvement of these conditions simultaneously. Even so, despite the lack of programming options, it must be noted that the NEW-R program strives to reach those goals, although there hasn't been an abundance of literature supporting the effectiveness of this program. This poses a concern for occupational therapy practitioners who hope to assist their clients in managing these conditions as occupational therapy treatments …

Does Cultural Immersion Around The World Create Stronger Students? A Study Of The Benefits Of Studying Abroad On Students’ Mental Health And Wellbeing., Hanna Lynn Strombom

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

Mental illnesses have been increasing throughout the population of the United States. College-aged students are being affected by mental illnesses at alarming rates. This is a pivotal age range for people as they transition towards more adult responsibilities. Universities provide its students a lot of opportunities to prepare them for the real-world. One of these opportunities that has become popular amongst students is studying abroad. This research focuses on the effects of study abroad on students’ mental health and wellbeing. 104 students from the summer 2022 CIMBA study abroad program participated in this study. This set of respondents encompassed ten …

The Economic, Mental Health, And Social Stressors During The Covid-19 Pandemic Among Native Americans In South Dakota, Savannah E. Lukkes

Honors Thesis

American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities test positive for COVID-19 and experience higher mortality than other racial and ethnic groups. These high rates of vulnerability could be connected to the systemic inequalities that have been experienced for centuries. This study aimed to compare socioeconomic stressors, concerns, and mental health experiences during the early COVID-19 pandemic between AI/AN and non-AIAN populations in South Dakota. The study sample (n=1,586) was grouped by AI/AN and non-AI/AN status based on self-identification of being AI/AN alone or in combination with another race/ethnicity. Participant responses to socioeconomic stressors and concerns (e.g., top concerns, level of concern, self-isolation, …

Mental Health In Sports Media, Samuel Ridgley

Communication & Media Studies | Senior Theses

This paper looks at the increasingly popular conversation surrounding mental health in sports. It provides a glimpse into how common the struggle of mental health can be for many high-level athletes while also examining the narrative and expectations that society and the media have created. The paper also provides examples of prominent athletes from a variety of different sports and delves into their personal mental health experiences in the eyes of the media. The goal of this paper is to show the progression and change of how the media portrays mental health amongst athletes in today’s ever-changing world.

The Experiences Of Transgender And Gender Diverse Individuals Seeking Mental Health Treatment, Brice T. Marks

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Transgender and Gender Diverse (TGD) individuals are underserved in communities despite experiencing disproportionately higher rates of mental health distress. The cisheteronomativity of society creates chronic stressors that impact the mental health outcomes of TGD individuals. TGD individuals face the highest rates of discrimination in healthcare settings. Yet, little is known about the population's specific experiences seeking mental health care. Using a phenomenological approach, this study interviewed eight TGD individuals to understand the experience of seeking mental health care. There were six themes: facilitation of seeking behaviors, barriers, type of care, characteristics of providers, identity disclosure, and burden of advocacy and …

Evidence-Based Suicide Assessment And Managment Training For Mental Health Professionals, Clara Abit

DNP Scholarly Projects

Background: Suicide is a significant public health concern both nationally and globally. While the suicide rate has been decreasing in recent years, evidence shows that the rate of suicide among teenagers and adolescents has been on the rise. Teenage suicide accounts for 14% of all deaths by suicide in the United States, calling for effective interventions in various settings. However, inadequate knowledge of the potential signs and risk factors of suicide hinders mental healthcare professionals' ability to recognize at-risk patients.

Purpose: The project's objective was to evaluate the effects of the intervention on mental health workers' knowledge, skills, and screening …

Sub-Saharan African Immigrants’ Experiences In Utilizing Mental Health Services In Baltimore, Helen Tanwani

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractMental illness is associated with poor quality of life evidenced by unemployment, homelessness, and substance abuse. Despite the adverse effects of mental illness, research has indicated that mental health-seeking behaviors and experiences in accessing mental health services among immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa are under-researched. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of sub-Saharan African immigrants in accessing mental health services in Baltimore, Maryland. To achieve the objective of this study, a descriptive research study was conducted utilizing semistructured one-on-one in-depth interviews with eight sub-Saharan African immigrants in Baltimore. Braun and Clarke’s six-step thematic data analysis approach …

How Black Americans Accessed And Used Mental Health Services During The Covid-19 Pandemic, John K. Anderson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The COVID-19 pandemic created barriers to accessing mental health services for the general population, but for Black Americans, it exacerbated systemic barriers that have historically influenced help-seeking behaviors. Drawing from the concept of obstructed use, this qualitative study explored those barriers and, using a narrative approach, explored how Black Americans described their experiences of accessing mental health services during the COVID-19 pandemic The participants included six men and two women who identified as U.S.-born Black American adults who sought mental health services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Narrative data were analyzed through thematic analysis, identifying themes and subthemes of the participants' …

Social Worker Perspectives Of Working With Aging African Americans With Depressive Disorders, Sherian Waite

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although there is a greater proportion of people living with depressive disorders within the African American older adult population compared to their White counterparts, fewer African Americans are engaging in mental health treatment when compared to the Caucasian community. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences and practices of social workers who are providing mental health care treatment to African American older adult patients (aged 65 and over) living with a depressive disorder. The study was framed using both the health belief model and critical race theory. To address the research questions, a generic qualitative design …

Occupational Burnout Factors Among Correctional Mental Health Providers, Morgan Gruhot

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Burnout rates of correctional employees are higher than employees in the general public. The purpose of this study was to identify how occupational factors impact burnout rates among correctional mental health workers. Grounded in the job-demands theoretical model, this study compared burnout rates among mental health staff within county jails and state prisons. Burnout was measured using the Maslach Burnout Inventory and Occupational factors were measured using the Areas of Work life Survey and Pandemic Experience and Perception Survey. Data was analyzed using IBM SSPS software to address multiple a priori directional research questions. Research questions considered how occupational factors …

Help-Seeking Behaviors And Employment Hope Among Depressed Black Male Foster Care Alumni, Vanessa Jennings

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Traumatic depression is a system of experiences where the mind, heart, and gut track happenings lingering among systemic models of prevention and intervention and personal stories. This nonexperimental correlational study aimed to provide insights into mental help-seeking and employment hope among depressed Black/African American foster care male alums. The central research question was to what degree, if any, a positive relationship exists between employment hope and seeking access to mental health-related services among male foster care alums who identify with depression. It was hypothesized that a statistically significant relationship exists. The social cognitive career theory and theory of planned behavior …

Help-Seeking Behaviors And Employment Hope Among Depressed Black Male Foster Care Alumni, Vanessa Jennings

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Traumatic depression is a system of experiences where the mind, heart, and gut track happenings lingering among systemic models of prevention and intervention and personal stories. This nonexperimental correlational study aimed to provide insights into mental help-seeking and employment hope among depressed Black/African American foster care male alums. The central research question was to what degree, if any, a positive relationship exists between employment hope and seeking access to mental health-related services among male foster care alums who identify with depression. It was hypothesized that a statistically significant relationship exists. The social cognitive career theory and theory of planned behavior …

Utilization Of Mental Health Services For Caregivers Of Hemophiliacs, Anna Maria Bell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The utilization of mental health services for caregivers of hemophiliacs is an underserved area. Andersen’s behavioral model of utilization was the conceptual framework in this generic qualitative study. I used surveys and semi-structured interviews to obtain 20 participants’ information for nonprobability sampling, specifically purposive sampling. Narrative analysis was used as the foundation of the coding process The study findings revealed seven themes: cultural impact/stigma of mental health services; normalizing mental health services in the hemophilia community (national impact); inconsistencies in hemophilia treatment centers’ (HTCs’) service delivery; clarity of the role of the HTC social worker; member organizations emphasis on mental …

Sub-Saharan African Immigrants’ Experiences In Utilizing Mental Health Services In Baltimore, Helen Tanwani

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractMental illness is associated with poor quality of life evidenced by unemployment, homelessness, and substance abuse. Despite the adverse effects of mental illness, research has indicated that mental health-seeking behaviors and experiences in accessing mental health services among immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa are under-researched. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of sub-Saharan African immigrants in accessing mental health services in Baltimore, Maryland. To achieve the objective of this study, a descriptive research study was conducted utilizing semistructured one-on-one in-depth interviews with eight sub-Saharan African immigrants in Baltimore. Braun and Clarke’s six-step thematic data analysis approach …

Discipline Without Punishment For African American Male Juveniles: From The Eyes Of A Mental Health Professional, Mia Nichole Lee

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Juvenile rehabilitation and incarceration among African Americans are not equal and up to the standards and recommendations of society. This study focused on identifying the differences between the juvenile rehabilitation and incarceration punishment among African American offenders, with the goal of helping improve the way that the society looks at African Americans. The paper followed qualitative research methodology, which provided social evidence and helped in breaking down information. Data were collected from focus groups, observations, questionnaires, and interviews. The research highlights issues regarding juvenile rehabilitation and incarceration of African Americans, which can encourage change.

Occupational Burnout Factors Among Correctional Mental Health Providers, Morgan Gruhot

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Burnout rates of correctional employees are higher than employees in the general public. The purpose of this study was to identify how occupational factors impact burnout rates among correctional mental health workers. Grounded in the job-demands theoretical model, this study compared burnout rates among mental health staff within county jails and state prisons. Burnout was measured using the Maslach Burnout Inventory and Occupational factors were measured using the Areas of Work life Survey and Pandemic Experience and Perception Survey. Data was analyzed using IBM SSPS software to address multiple a priori directional research questions. Research questions considered how occupational factors …

Help-Seeking Behaviors And Employment Hope Among Depressed Black Male Foster Care Alumni, Vanessa Jennings

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Traumatic depression is a system of experiences where the mind, heart, and gut track happenings lingering among systemic models of prevention and intervention and personal stories. This nonexperimental correlational study aimed to provide insights into mental help-seeking and employment hope among depressed Black/African American foster care male alums. The central research question was to what degree, if any, a positive relationship exists between employment hope and seeking access to mental health-related services among male foster care alums who identify with depression. It was hypothesized that a statistically significant relationship exists. The social cognitive career theory and theory of planned behavior …

Discipline Without Punishment For African American Male Juveniles: From The Eyes Of A Mental Health Professional, Mia Nichole Lee

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Juvenile rehabilitation and incarceration among African Americans are not equal and up to the standards and recommendations of society. This study focused on identifying the differences between the juvenile rehabilitation and incarceration punishment among African American offenders, with the goal of helping improve the way that the society looks at African Americans. The paper followed qualitative research methodology, which provided social evidence and helped in breaking down information. Data were collected from focus groups, observations, questionnaires, and interviews. The research highlights issues regarding juvenile rehabilitation and incarceration of African Americans, which can encourage change.

Examining The Association Between Covid-19 And Anxiety In College Students With Varying Personality Traits, Ridha Anjum

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The goal of this thesis was to examine the relationship between personality types (i.e., extraversion and neuroticism) and anxiety levels among college students during the height of the pandemic. Specifically, this study examined whether factors contributed to anxiety and whether differences in anxiety scores differed by personality trait. It was hypothesized that individuals who scored high in both extraversion and neuroticism would report an increase in anxiety during the height of COVID-19 pandemic. Neuroticism is linked to emotional responses to a negative event (e.g., such as COVID), which may play a role on anxiety levels. The level of extraversion that …

Migrant Minds: A Proposed Explorative Survey Examining Cultural Barriers And Mental Health Aid In Mexican Immigrant Women, Alexandra Melissa Garcia

Senior Projects Spring 2023

Women on the Move (WOM) are an at-risk population of women who leave their home countries with the hope of a better quality of life (QOL). WOM is a wide umbrella term and for this paper, it encompasses documented, undocumented, migrating, immigrating, and emigrating women. This proposal focuses on Mexican WOM and their mental health; to better understand their experiences with professional mental health in the United States and any barriers they face. This topic is under-researched, and the quantitative studies on the topic are prone to “frequently inconsistent and contradictory” generalizations. This exploratory study will collect qualitative data. By …

Mental Health In Black Women With Endometriosis-Related Symptoms During Covid-19, Anjanette Jaye Blunt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Endometriosis is an incurable chronic illness impacting 190 million women worldwide. Despite the prevalence of this painful disease, research addressing how it affects Black women in the United States was limited. Research addressing this phenomenon during the COVID-19 pandemic was further limited. The purpose of this qualitative study employing an interpretative phenomenological analysis was to understand the mental health of Black women with endometriosis-related symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic and how having the illness during the pandemic might have impacted individuals in this population. The strong Black woman schema and biopsychosocial model were the theoretical foundations for the study. Data …