Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

“The Worst Part About My Pregnancy Was Stuff That Didn’T Have To Do With My Pregnancy”: Medicaid Beneficiaries’ Pregnancy Intentions & Experiences In South Carolina, Andrew Michael Chen

Senior Theses

Low-income women and women of color experience adverse birth outcomes at disproportionately higher rates in the United States than most people who give birth. This thesis examines individual interviews conducted with 30 low-income women whose most recent birth was covered by Medicaid, the United States’ largest means-tested public health insurance program. The aim of this thesis is to examine how the women in the study thought about pregnancy, and how they described their intentions to become or avoid becoming pregnant at various times in their life. While public health researchers often frame pregnancy as an event that is either intended …

The Influence Of Integrated Behavioral Health Primary Care Setting On The Utilization Of Mental Health Services And Depression Treatment Response Among Men, Tendai Masiriri

Dissertations

The 2010-2013 National Health Interview Survey showed that nearly 9% of men had daily feelings of anxiety or depression, yet less than 41% sought help for their symptoms (Blumberg et al., 2016). Men are more reluctant than women to seek help (Angst et al., 2002; Brownhill et al., 2005). The failure to seek help among men is associated with multiple factors related to stigma and gender, yet male suicide rates are approximately 3-5 times higher than their female counterparts. However, they have a higher likelihood of seeking help from a medical provider rather than a mental health provider. If men …

Female Infertility In The United States And India: An Analysis Of Treatment Barriers And Coping Strategies, Devneet Singh

Honors Theses

This research studies barriers to accessing fertility treatment in the United States (U.S.) and India, as well as the coping strategies infertile women use. Barriers include reproductive health knowledge, cost, and politics, while coping is affected by cultural stigma, family, and religion. These two countries were chosen for their different cultural contexts, healthcare systems, and political infrastructure. Ten fertility specialists across both countries were interviewed as expert informants. Reproductive health knowledge was the most important barrier to accessing care in both countries, with similar gaps in understanding when and what type of care to utilize, though social media can educate …

A Short Film That Addresses Substance Use Disorders In Rural Communities And Strategies In Prevention And Treatment Of Addiction, Sarah R. Poteracki

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

This research paper and accompanying video (link to the short film is here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1etDnUmEvkOds8J0EKnq1gnFO79-GggjY) offer insight into the current state of research collaboration surrounding substance use disorders in West Virginia. This professional project explores the importance of collaboration both in a research and clinical setting and in the social realm. The film was shown at the 2nd annual meeting for the Appalachian Node of the National Institute on Drug Abuse Clinical Trials Network on February 25, 2021. I interviewed 14 researchers and experts from a diverse range of disciplines who shared insights and strategies in the prevention and treatment of …

Mental Health Challenges Among Ethnic Minorities College Students, Fiorella G. Valles, Ruben Gonzalez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This research study explored the challenges of mental health-seeking services of college students of color in the San Bernardino area. College students of different ethnicities have unique needs and challenges that contrast with the general student population. Previous research stated that students of color deal with a greater number of unmet mental health needs and indicates a connection between mental health and attaining a college degree (Arria et al., 2013). To increase the utilization of mental health amongst students of color, this study aimed to identify the influencing factors that prevented students from help-seeking. The research design of this research …

Social Consequences Of Obesity: Case Study Of Bariatric Population At Ellis Hospital, Kara Leyden

Honors Theses

Despite the fact that the majority of adults living in the United States are overweight or obese, obesity remains a highly stigmatized physical condition. Society often sees obesity as a physical manifestation of personal faults such as the lack of self-control and laziness. Obese individuals thus experience discrimination in places of employment, have lower educational attainment, are underrepresented in popular culture, and often have difficulty finding and sustaining intimate relationships. For individuals with extreme obesity (BMI greater than 40), bariatric surgery is the most effective strategy to improve health and lose weight. Individuals who have undergone bariatric surgery typically experience …

A Multifactorial Intervention To Reduce Weight Bias In Healthcare Providers, Rose M. Flinchum

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

No abstract provided.

Associations Of Sex, Gender, And Gender Role Beliefs With Mental Health Attitudes, Ariel Erazo

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Mental health stigma is a strong deterrent for individual with mental illness utilizing mental healthcare. Individuals living with a mental illness experience shame and marginalization due to stigma. Stigma is perpetuated through stereotypes created and used by people in the majority. Studies have been done to assess individual’s attitudes toward mental healthcare seeking in regards to gender, age, race, and profession. This study aimed to look at traditional gender role beliefs, sex, and gender expression as predictors of individual’s mental health attitudes and individual’s views of mental health norms. Using a cross-sectional survey, 392 participants completed scales that included the …

The Cultural Isolation Of Providers And Educators Caused By Stigma And Compassion Fatigue When Serving Survivors Of Invisible Wounds, Bronwyn G. Pughe

Ed.D. Dissertations in Practice

Abstract

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to give voice to the lived experience of providers and educators regarding stigma and compassion fatigue. In this study, using critical social theory as a lens, I seek to understand how providers and educators experience and recognize the stigma they carry, their own compassion fatigue and what they do to stay healthy—including mental physical, emotional/psychological, intellectual, and spiritual health.

Talking About Aphasia: The Two Voices Of Insight, Elizabeth O'Brien

College Honors Program

This thesis aims to understand the lived experience of communication disorders (CDs), including the challenges, stigmas, and misconceptions related to CDs. It draws upon in-depth interviews with speech-language pathologists (SLPs), participant observations of people with aphasia, and observations of aphasia forum websites. During the data collection process, people talked about the stigmas and hardships of CDs and the subjective experience of having trouble communicating with others. This thesis will use their words and ideas to highlight the important aspects of coping with and treating CDs. It discusses how people with aphasia think about space, their body, and time, and considers …

Looking At Levels Of Medicalization In The Institutional Narrative Of Substance Use Disorders In The Military, Chase Landes Mccain

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to examine the institutional narrative of substance use disorders (SUDs) in the U.S. military and the extent to which it reflects the medicalization process. Three general research questions guided my analysis of the narrative surrounding SUDs in the military: (1) How does the military characterize the problems and resolutions of SUDs? (2) How and to what extent does this narrative reflect medicalization? (3) What are the limitations inherent in the institutional narrative of SUDs in the military? In order to address these questions, I draw on three conceptual lenses: (1) The work of Loseke …

"Being Stuck": Understanding The Health-Related And Everyday Lived Experiences Of Young Mothers In Rexdale, Ontario Through A Social Determinants Framework, Jaspreet Kaur

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of the ways the health-related and everyday lived experiences of young mothers are shaped by various social determinants, and in the context of their neighbourhood. Using a critical qualitative methodology, five mothers between the ages of 17 to 19 were interviewed from Rexdale, a neighbourhood in the City of Toronto characterized by a number of social risk factors(e.g. high rates of visible minorities, unemployment, and teen mothers). In-depth thematic analysis led to the emergence of four themes: 1) Living in Rexdale: Representations and realities; 2) Leaving Rexdale and wanting something …