Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Psychological And Psychosocial Effects Of Contemplative Practices In The Athletic Population: A Systematic Review, Victoria Baker

West Chester University Master’s Theses

Mental health concerns in athletes are becoming a primary focus for institutions, companies, coaches, and more. An athlete carries an abundant load of stressors due to their lifestyle. The stressors can negatively impact an athlete by producing anxiety, depression, insomnia, and other mental health issues. Previous studies have found a connection between the use of contemplative practices on psychological and psychosocial effects in athletes, creating an opportunity to evaluate the research of contemplative practices in the athletic population. A systematic review was conducted using nine electronic databases. Seven studies were included in this review, each assessing how contemplative practices affect …

Oral Health Inequalities In Adolescents And Young Adults In Ontario, Maria Rahman

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Oral health is consistently linked to physiological, psychological, and social aspects of well-being in adolescents and young adults. In this thesis, I aimed to examine the social determinants of oral health and dental care utilization. First, I conducted a scoping review of the literature, demonstrated the multifaceted nature of oral health and its connections to broader social and economic factors. Then, I conducted a cross-sectional analysis of the Canadian Community Health Survey which showed a social gradient in oral health and dental care utilization among adolescents and young adults in Ontario. When stratified by age, there was a protective association …

Using Social Media To Examine Disabled Veterans’ Adaptive Sports Lived Experience At The National Veterans’ Wheelchair Games, Heather Harding

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Considered the world’s largest annual rehabilitative wheelchair games event for Veterans in the United States, the National Veterans Wheelchair Games (NVWG or the Games), co-hosted annually by the Department of Veterans Affairs and Paralyzed Veterans of America, is a long-standing event that offers a view into how adaptive sports and recreational activities can impact Veterans with disabilities. This hermeneutic phenomenological qualitative study sought to discover if the Veteran athletes, who participated in the NVWG between 2017 and 2021, described their lived experiences through the lens of their public social media posts on Instagram, and if so, what can be gleaned …

Family-Centered Psychosocial Care For Pediatric Oncology Patients, Jessica W. Casey

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Psychosocial conditions are prevalent in pediatric oncology patients (Kahalley et al., 2013). Family and social support are essential aspects of a patient's health care outcomes (Merck & McElfresh, 2019). Anxiety and depression are common in pediatric oncology patients due to trauma during treatment (Pao & Kazak, 2015). These patients also can have preexisting developmental or behavioral conditions before starting treatment. Treatment side effects can also cause cognitive and behavioral changes (Nixon, 2014b). Nurses should be knowledgeable and confident in their ability to care for patients' psychosocial health and development. The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project is …

Lessons Learned Working With A Traumatic Brain Injury (Tbi) Survivor, William Blake Klenke

All Theses, Dissertations, and Capstone Projects

This presentation outlines what a speech-language pathologist does within their scope of practice and follows the progression of a client that was served at the Eardley Clinic for Speech-Language and Hearing. Following the therapeutic approaches taken to remediate language difficulties, this presentation shows the treatment outcomes and the growth in cognitive functions from the beginning to the end of the semester. It also includes lessons learned as a student clinician through this experience and the knowledge gained as a future Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP).

Communication-Related Quality Of Life: Perspectives Of People With Aphasia And Speech-Language Pathology Students, Ethan Kristek

All Theses, Dissertations, and Capstone Projects

Physiological and psychosocial communication components impact communication-related quality of life for people with aphasia. This study aimed to understand how these components were addressed in a university clinic speech-language pathology program. Mixed-methods with inductive coding of interviews and documentation data were used to develop a description of communication-related quality of life, including perspectives of people with aphasia and graduate student participants. Qualitative findings revealed three trends: therapy which aids the ability to communicate, connections with additional people with aphasia, and supportive environments emerged from people with aphasia data. Three trends emerged: communicating effectively, a naturalistic environment, and individualization were shown …

Doctoral Capstone Experience In Education And Program Development- Depaul University, Ashley Saunders

Department of Occupational Therapy Entry-Level Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Supporting The Holistic Treatment Of Adults With Upper Extremity Injuries: Bridging The Gap Between The Clinic And Classroom, Stephanie W. Mcclung

Occupational Therapy Capstone Presentations

Research continues to support the need for holistic and occupation-based treatment of patients with upper extremity (UE) injuries, therefore, occupational therapy students (OTS) would benefit from continued education supporting holistic hand therapy. Thus, the purpose of this capstone experience was to offer a capstone student with an opportunity to provide holistic hand therapy, explore and address barriers to delivering holistic therapy services, and following reflection, use the knowledge and skills gained through this experience to create supplemental educational materials to further peer education in holistic hand therapy. While providing direct patient care, the capstone student developed a better understanding of …

Addressing Psychosocial Outcomes Of Social Isolation In Older Adults, Megan Friesen, Madeline M. Christensen

Nursing DNP Projects

Purpose and Rationale

The aim of the evidence-based practice (EBP) project is to improve psychological outcomes for socially isolated older adults enrolled in a Homebound Program (HP) through the implementation of an EBP intervention. Social isolation has a multitude of negative consequences, including impacting the psychological health (e.g. depression, loneliness, anxiety) of the older adult population.

Synthesis of Evidence

Meta-analyses, systematic reviews, and randomized controlled trials addressing the clinical problem of social isolation were identified. Through critical appraisal of the evidence, physical activity, psychotherapy, and socialization interventions have shown to decrease depression and loneliness in older adults. There were mixed …

Psychosocial Factors And Physical Health In Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients, Olulana Bamiro

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The research problem identified was poor physical health in older adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The problem is important because poor physical health yields unsuccessful aging. The current research aimed to identify psychosocial factors that improve self-evaluated physical health in the study population as a proxy to overall health; the research questions helped identify these factors. The first research question assessed the association between health locus of control and self-evaluated physical health. The second research question evaluated the association between family support and self-evaluated physical health. A final research question assessed the association between health locus of control, …

Influence Of Genetic Counselor Personal Or Family Medical History On Genetic Counseling Specialization And Practice, Kaitlyn K. Amos Ms

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

A personal or family medical history inherently becomes part of a genetic counselor’s life story. Yet the degree to which a counselor’s experience influences his or her specialty choice and their psychosocial practice is unexplored. A medical diagnosis may foster a counselor’s capacity for greater empathy, understanding and rapport-building self-disclosure. Conversely, it could lead to interruptive countertransference, compassion fatigue, and eventually burnout. However, research has not specifically investigated this intersection. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the impact of a genetic counselor’s personal or family medical history on his or her choice of practice area, as well …

The Effect Of Hope On The Relationship Between Personal And Disease Characteristics And Anxiety And Depression In Adolescents And Young Adults With Cancer, Sharon B. Mcneil

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with cancer face physical, psychosocial, emotional, and developmental challenges that are unique to their age group. In facing the crisis of a cancer diagnosis, both social support and hope have been shown to be tools utilized by some AYAs. However, AYAs have higher rates of anxiety and depression than in older adults which may have an effect on their levels of hope.

This cross-sectional study examined the mechanistic effects of hope on the relationship between personal characteristics of age, gender, and social support, the disease characteristics of type of cancer and length of time since …

Psychosocial Predictors Of Chronic Pain And Pain-Related Disability 12 Months After Lower Extremity Fracture, Joshua Judson Van Wyngaarden

Theses and Dissertations--Rehabilitation Sciences

Over 700,000 lower extremity fractures occur each year with a large portion of these patients developing adverse long-term pain and disability outcomes. Current literature indicates that 39% to 62.7% of all patients report continued pain long after traumatic lower extremity fracture. Concurrent physical limitations and reduced quality of life are common, with nearly one-third of all patients reporting pain-related disability seven years after limb threatening trauma, and approximately 50% of these patients having limitations in functional mobility and activities of daily living at long-term follow-up. These poor long-term injury-related pain and disability outcomes are alarming and require further action to …

Identifying The Risk Factors To Postpartum Depression, Jannica Bondoc Santos

Senior Theses

A woman’s life instantly changes after the birth of their child. Furthermore, culture influences the stigma that a mother is the primary caregiver of their children and are accountable for the health and upbringing of the child. Giving birth to a baby and taking up the responsibility of another human life is a great impact in a female’s existence. In addition to the new tasks that come with motherhood, women are also challenged to cope with their emotional and mental state after giving birth. The most chronic mental illness that can develop after labor is postpartum depression (PPD). Women who …

Exploring The Complexities Of Real World Upper Limb Performance After Stroke, Kimberly Waddell

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Stroke is the leading cause of long-term disability in the United States. Hemiparesis, or weakness on one side of the body, is a common impairment following a stroke. Approximately 80% of individuals with stroke will experience upper limb paresis, with only a small percentage regaining full functional use of their paretic upper limb. Individuals report ongoing difficulties with incorporating their paretic upper limb into routine activities after a stroke. Rehabilitation interventions often try to increase real world upper limb use by improving what an individual is capable of doing (i.e. capacity) in the rehabilitation clinic. Both clinicians and researchers assume …

Attitudes Toward And Uptake Of Prenatal Genetic Screening And Testing In Twin Pregnancies, Kathryn M. Reese

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

The rate of twinning is rising and is associated with delayed age at childbirth and increased infertility treatments. Since the introduction of non-invasive prenatal testing, interest in and uptake of genetic screening and testing in twin pregnancies has not been investigated. Therefore, this study aimed to describe the attitudes toward and uptake of current prenatal genetic screening and testing options in twin pregnancies. Forty-two women with twin gestations were recruited from UTHealth and Baylor College of Medicine sites between August 2016 and January 2017 for participation in a descriptive study consisting of a questionnaire (n=42) and semi-structured phone interview (n=15). …

Occupational Therapy In The Intensive Care Unit, Kelsie Colombini, Kristen M. Henderson, Michelle Huie, Courtney Malachowski

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

In recent years, the number of inpatient cardiovascular surgeries has significantly increased in hospitals around America. Occupational therapists in the intensive care unit (ICU) at Mills-Peninsula Medical Center (Burlingame, California) lack a standard protocol for addressing physical, cognitive, and psychosocial factors in patients post cardiac surgery. Furthermore, individuals’ experience and clinical reasoning frequently guides interventions rather than current evidence. The American Occupational Therapy Association’s Centennial Vision encourages occupational therapists to pursue science-driven practices and provide evidence-based interventions. In response to this Vision, an evidence-based clinical pathway was developed for the occupational therapists at Mills-Peninsula Medical Center. The clinical pathway facilitates …

Are Five Sessions Of Individual Based Art Therapy Effective In Reducing Emotional Problems In Swedish Women With Nonmetastatic Breast Cancer Receiving Radiation Therapy?, Sarah C. Hayes

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine “Are five sessions of individual based art therapy effective in reducing emotional problems in Swedish women with nonmetastatic breast cancer receiving radiation therapy?”

STUDY DESIGN: This review is based on three randomized control studies, two which were published in 2009 and one that was published in 2006.

DATA SOURCES: All articles used were published in English, in peer-reviewed journals, and found using PubMed, Ebscohost, and Cochrane Review databases.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: For all studies, factors pertaining to emotional problems were measured through self-assessment questionnaires.

RESULTS: …

The Psychosocial Effects Of Aphasia On The Caregiver, Lauren A. Ferrara

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Studies have investigated the physical and emotional wellbeing of family members and spouses who care for persons with stroke (Bakas, et al. 2006). Literature shows burden of care is high in role reversal and depression is frequent. Variables that affect the caregiver burden with persons with aphasia (PWA) have not been identified prior to this study. Results from caregiver interviews found six themes, some which have not been identified prior, such as feelings of optimism.

Improved Physiology And Psychosocial Well-Being For Children With Physical Disabilities Through Virtual Reality Immersion, Bethany D. Fralish

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The purpose of this case study was to examine the physiological and psychosocial effects of an immersive virtual reality (VR) system in a female, young adult with right side paralysis following a left hemisphere brain bleed in order to determine the usefulness of immersive VR for children with physical disabilities, in particular, cerebral palsy (CP). The current study consisted of six sessions over a span of three weeks, with each session lasting approximately 45 minutes. Physiological factors (upper body mobility, heart rate variability) were assessed via a hand use questionnaire and a heart rate monitor, while psychosocial factors (e.g. positive …

The Psychosocial Effects Of The Li-Fraumeni Education And Early Detection (Lead) Program On Indivdiuals With Li-Fraumeni Syndrome, Jessica L. Ross

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS) is a hereditary cancer syndrome that leads to an increased risk of multiple cancers. In the past five years new screening protocols have been developed that provide improved screening options for individuals with LFS. However, very little has been published on the psychosocial impact of these screening protocols. The goals of this study were to determine how participation in screening impacts individuals psychosocially, to examine the benefits and drawbacks of screening, and to evaluate possible barriers to continued screening. This qualitative study consisted of phone interviews with 20 individuals that took part in an LFS screening program …

Rural Obese African American Women And Depression, Food Culture, And Binge Eating, Tracee Tamiko Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The rural African American population has a high incidence of severe psychosocial problems and a skewed perception of obesity, despite obesity's extremely high prevalence rate in this population. Despite the acknowledgements of these problems, there is a gap in literature relative to the effective treatments for obese African Americans diagnosed with depression. This study measured correlations between obesity and depression, binge eating, and food culture amongst African American women residing in Jefferson County, MS. The health belief model was used to guide an assessment of beliefs, perceptions, susceptibility, cues to action, and self-efficacy. A cross-sectional design was used based on …

Psychosocial Determinants Of Elective Cesarean Section Deliveries In Selected Obstetric Facilities In Nairobi, Kenya, Tom Joseph Oguta

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cesarean section (CS) rates have generally increased across the world in the past decade. Reducing elective cesarean section (ECS) rates is imperative as many countries aim to maintain threshold CS rates at or below 15%, the level recommended by the United States' National Institutes of Health. Women are believed to consider ECS for various interconnected psychosocial reasons, but few quantitative studies have investigated these factors. This prospective cohort study was based on the social ecological model (SEM) and the theory of planned behavior (TPB) models, and identified the psychosocial predictors of ECS among 1,268 expectant women in 2 hospitals in …

Determinants Of Physical Activity In Arab American Children, Wearn Alkhatib Phd

Dissertations

Physical activity is an integral part of preventing and managing childhood and adolescent obesity. Lack of regular physical activity has negative impact on physical and psychosocial health. Arab Americans (AAs), one of the most rapidly growing minorities in United States, tend to have a high prevalence of obesity and low participation in physical activity. The purpose of this study was to describe determinants of physical activity, including self-efficacy, social support, physical environment, and selected demographics among AA children in Southern California. A descriptive correlational study using a cross sectional design was conducted. Self-administered questionnaires were completed by children (N=206) recruited …

The Comparative Effectiveness Of Group Prenatal Care On Women's Psychosocial Health, Emily Heberlein

Theses and Dissertations

Background: High rates of adverse birth outcomes persist in the United States despite increased access to individual prenatal care (IPNC). Psychosocial factors influence birth outcomes and affect infant and child development and maternal functioning. Group prenatal care (GPNC) combines individual physical assessments and facilitated group education and support. Studies of GPNC show promising results, including lowered preterm birth rates, but the GPNC psychosocial mechanisms influencing birth outcomes are unclear.

Methods: Surveys at study enrollment (N=248), late pregnancy, and six weeks postpartum assessed psychosocial effects of each PNC model. Multiple regression models and planned moderator analyses tested whether GPNC participants had …

Predictors Of Psychosocial Adaptation To Pregnancy Among Urban African-American Primiparas, Joan M. Visger

Wayne State University Dissertations

Psychosocial adaptation to pregnancy among urban African-American women has not been well-researched. The purpose of this study was to examine predictors of psychosocial adaptation to pregnancy and to explore relationships among socioeconomic status, experiences and frequency of discrimination, personal control beliefs, social support, planned pregnancy, and model of health care among urban African-American primiparas using life course theory and Lederman's model of psychosocial adaptation to pregnancy as the framework.

One hundred and nine women participated in this descriptive, cross-sectional, correlational study. Participants were recruited from three clinical sites that provided care using medical and/or midwifery models of care. Study variables …

Pediatric Medical Traumatic Stress : The Impact On Children, Parents And Staff, Sarah Mcgarry

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Burns are one of the most painful and traumatising injuries an individual can sustain and constitute a serious global health threat to children. Despite the magnitude of this public health problem, little research has examined the psychological burden of these injuries. This study used a mixed-methods approach to investigate the effect of paediatric medical trauma on children who have sustained a burn, their parents and the healthcare professionals caring for these patients. The paediatric medical traumatic stress model provided a theoretical framework for this study.

Firstly, this study aimed to gain an understanding of the lived experience of children who …

Secondary Lymphedema Due To Breast Cancer: A Look At The Quality Of Life And Psychosocial Treatment Approaches Used By Occupational Therapy Practitioners, Hannah Baldwin

School of Occupational Therapy Master's Theses (2010-2015)

This study examined the degree to which occupational therapy practitioners address psychosocial and quality of life (QOL) sequelae in adult clients with lymphedema resulting from breast cancer treatment. An original survey was sent to 268 practitioners who were listed on the open source contact list on the website of the Lymphology Association of North America. When promoting QOL, respondents indicated that inquiry was the most frequently used assessment and therapeutic exercise was the most commonly reported therapeutic activity. When assessing for psychosocial well-being practitioners reported most commonly using interview, with conversation the most frequently reported therapeutic activity. For both QOL …

An Exploratory Investigation Of The Effects Of Dragon Boating On The Psychosocial Well-Being Of Female Cancer Survivors, Clara Therese Louise Vanherweg

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to prospectively examine the effects of dragon boat participation on the psychosocial well-being of female cancer survivors over time and compared with the population-based norms. Nine female cancer survivors belonging to the dragon boat team, SurvivOars, participated in the initial measurement process. The measurement packet was 21 page compilation of psychosocial questionnaires capturing demographics, quality of life, moods, depressive symptoms, perceived stress, self-esteem, self-efficacy, social support, physical activity levels, body image, and sedentary behaviors. After 8 weeks, 8 subjects completed the same follow-up questionnaire to assess changes in psychosocial variables over time. Scores were …

Quality Of Life, Hope, Social Support, And Self-Care In Heart Failure Patients, Karen A. Mcgurk Phd, Mn, Rn

Dissertations

Heart failure is a significant, chronic health problem. Much is known about physiological factors related to this condition. Less is known about the psychosocial aspects that influence disease risk, progression, and treatment. The purpose of this study was to describe the relationships between quality of life, hope, social support, and self-care. A descriptive, correlational study was conducted. The participants were 65 heart failure patients who attended 2 military-based heart failure clinics. Quality of Life was measured using the Left Ventricular Dysfunction Questionnaire (LVD-36), Hope was measured using the Herth Hope Index (HUI), Social Support was measured using the Medical Outcomes …