Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Student Athlete Wellness Portal: Translating Student Athletes’ Prescription Opioid Use Narratives Into A Targeted Public Health Intervention, Anne E. Pezalla, Hyejeong Choi, Francis Mckee, Michelle Miller-Day, Michael L. Hecht

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Background and Objectives: The opioid epidemic has permeated all strata of society over the last two decades, especially within the adolescent student athletic environment, a group particularly at risk and presenting their own challenges for science and practice. This paper (a) describes the development of a web-based intervention called the Student Athlete Wellness Portal that models effective opioid misuse resistance strategies and (b) details the findings of a single-group design to test its effectiveness. Materials and Methods: Formative research included 35 student athletes residing in the United States, ages 14 to 21, who had been injured in their …

Positive Digital Communication Among Youth: The Development And Validation Of The Digital Flourishing Scale For Adolescents, Jasmina Rosič, Sophie H. Janicke-Bowles, Luca Carbone, Bojana Lobe, Laura Vandenbosch

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Research has extensively studied the negative effects of digital communication on adolescents’ well-being. However, positive digital experiences and behavior in adolescence are still poorly understood. The recently developed Digital Flourishing Scale addresses this gap and focuses on the positive perceptions of a user’s experiences and behaviors in digital communication among adults. In this paper, we developed an adolescent version of this scale. Study 1 demonstrated the internal consistency of the scale and the same factor structure for adolescence as for adulthood: connectedness, civil participation, positive social comparison, authentic self-presentation, and self-control. Study 2 confirmed the identified factor structure with a …

Emergency Care For Youth Who Experience Suicidality And Identify As Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer/Questioning (Lgbtq+): An Interpretive Phenomenology, Theresa Schultz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: Suicide is a leading cause of death in children; youth who identify as LGBTQ+ are at an exponentially higher risk of suicide. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of young adults who identify as LGBTQ+ and sought emergency care for suicidality when they were adolescents.

Methods: Heideggerian hermeneutics phenomenology is the research method used in this study. Youth, ages 18-25 years, who identify as LGBTQ+ and sought emergency treatment for suicidality when they were adolescents (13-17 years) were recruited to participate;fifteen youth enrolled. Individuals ranged in age from 20 to 25 years. Participants described …

Ask Your Doctor About: Prescribing Activism For Eco-Anxiety In Adolescents, Lexi Nutkiewicz

Master's Projects and Capstones

Climate change is an ongoing public health crisis. Efforts to protect future generations' physical and mental health are more urgent than ever. Youth, in particular, are experiencing eco-anxiety, a specific form of anxiety relating to stress or distress caused by environmental changes and one’s knowledge of them due to the climate crisis. This scoping review provides a better understanding of the value of youth climate change activism as a strategy to mitigate eco-anxiety. This review evaluates the current definitions of eco-anxiety, the risk factors for eco-anxiety among adolescents, and considers the benefits and drawbacks of youth activism. To identify relevant …

Dance Movement Therapy Interventions To Build Coping Skills And Identity In Adolescent Patients Dealing With A Cancer Diagnosis: Development Of A Method, Ariel Hortin

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Adolescents are a special category in pediatric oncology because of their unique physical and mental development. This patient population has needs specific to both their development and cancer diagnosis. Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) focuses on building awareness of inner sensations so that the patient can then connect those observations with felt emotions and thoughts. Connecting the physical experience with the emotional experience can provide helpful information for the patient as a tool for change. Building and strengthening relationships with family members also strengthens the critical support system for the patient. Dance Movement Therapy interventions may be effective in working with …

Practicing Trauma-Informed Care In Nursing For A Better Outcome In Hospitalized Adolescents With Adverse Childhood Experiences And Trauma, Allysa Mia Fabricante

Nursing | Senior Theses

As nurses we want to give our patients the best care. That is why trauma-informed care (TIC) is important to include into nursing practice. TIC is a fairly new idea that addresses a patient's whole past and present life. Incorporating it into nursing practice can benefit patients who have adverse childhood experiences and trauma. Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are traumatic events that occur to a person starting from birth to 17 years old. In a hospital setting an adolescent patient can be triggered if ACEs and trauma is not properly addressed. The long-term effects of ACEs can affect adolescents into …

Enhancing Depression Screening For The Adolescent Population In The Pediatric Emergency Department By Utilizing The Patient Health Questionnaire: A Quality Improvement Project, Chelsea Alvarez

DNP Projects

Background:

Mental health disparities make up 16% of the global burden of disease and injury in people ages 10-19. Many cases of mental health are unidentified and left untreated. Failure to address mental health disorders in children can lead to poor outcomes of health and well-being. Evidence-based practice supports the utilization of screening tools such as the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) for depression screening in adolescents ages 12-18 years.

Objectives:

By implementing the PHQ-9 in the pediatric emergency department, the goals for this quality improvement project were to increase staff knowledge on the PHQ-9, improve staff screening compliance, and to …

Children Of Divorce Parents Group Manual, Sheyenne Hokit

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Divorce is something that is, unfortunately, becoming a commonality for a lot of children, and due to the complexity of divorce, many children struggle when trying to understand divorce and how it affects them. Some effects of divorce are various emotional and behavioral issues such as increased anger and decreased emotion regulation. Social, health, and academic concerns were also found. Counseling interventions like narrative therapy, emotion-focused family therapy, emotion-focused therapy, and play therapy were found to be effective with this population (Hirschfeld & Wittenborn, 2016, Thomas & Gibbons, 2009). The identified interventions provide peer-based social support, education on the misconceptions …

The Impact Of Outcomes On Depression Literacy In School-Age Children Who Received Depression Education, Loretta Q. Smith Aprn, Pnp-Bc, Bobby Bellflower Dnsc, Nnp-Bc, Faanp

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Purpose/Background Recognizing mental illness is crucial in adolescence. It is the second leading cause of suicide and death in children 10-19 years of age. Early identification and recognition of signs and symptoms could prevent progressive mental health illness in early childhood and adulthood. We are seeking to answer the PICO question: In adolescents between 10 and 19 years of age who are enrolled in school (P), how does receiving education on depression awareness (I) compared to not receiving education on depression awareness (C) affect depression scores (O)?

Methods This review was conducted on articles about adolescent children. These articles were …

Mental Health Problems And Service Gaps Experienced By Pregnant Adolescents And Young Women In Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review, Joan Mutahi, Anna Larsen, Pim Cuijpers, Stefan Swartling Peterson, Jurgen Unutzer, Mary Mckay, Grace John-Stewart, Teresa Jewell, John Kinuthia, Manasi Kumar

Brain and Mind Institute

Background: Pregnant adolescent girls and young women (AGYW, aged 12–24 years) are at high risk for mental health problems, particularly in the Sub-Saharan African (SSA) region.

Methods: We performed a systematic review of mental health studies among pregnant AGYW in SSA published between January 1, 2007 and December 31, 2020 in PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, PsycInfo, and Global Index Medicus following PRISMA guidelines (PROSPERO: CRD42021230980). We used Bronfenbrenner's bioecological model to frame and synthesize results from included studies.

Findings: Our search yielded 945 articles from which 18 studies were included (N = 8 quantitative, N = 9 qualitative, …

How Social Workers Contribute To Outcomes Of Adolescent Participants In Wilderness Programs, Tracy Dockler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The wilderness environment has become recognized as a viable treatment modality for addressing the psychosocial and behavioral needs of treatment-resistant adolescents. Even though social workers provide services in these specialized programs, little is known about how they perceive the contributions they make to the outcomes of the adolescent participants. The conceptual framework of wilderness treatment with a focus on the wilderness experience, as well as on the physical, social, and psychosocial aspects of participant functioning guided this study. In this qualitative study, a semistructured interview guide was used to elicit the thoughts of five master’s level social workers (MSWs) regarding …

The Connection Between Positive Coping Skills And Cutting For Young Adults In Adolescence, Nicoletta Weide

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

According to recent studies, the instances of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in adolescents have sharply risen in recent years. Cutting is the most prevalent form of NSSI in adolescence which leads to scarring, social stigma, and an increased risk of suicide. NSSI and cutting are considered maladaptive coping skills. The purpose of this general qualitative study is to explore how positive coping skills and self-regulation impacted their instances of cutting. Self-regulation theory was used to analyze if having positive alternative skills was enough to regulate the behavior and have an impact on their instances of cutting. This general qualitative research study …

Social Media Use And Mental Health: An Educational Intervention To Reduce Depression And Anxiety In Adolescents, Natalie Catlett

DNP Projects

Background: Most adolescents spend a great deal of their time using various social media platforms. However, excessive and maladaptive social media use is correlated with worsening symptoms of depression and anxiety among adolescents.

Objective: This project aimed to determine whether an educational intervention could help decrease overall time spent using social media and improve mood and mental health outcomes among adolescents with depression or anxiety disorders.

Methods: This was a quasi-experiment with a pretest and posttest design. An educational intervention about the relationship between social media use and symptoms of depression and anxiety among adolescents and strategies to minimize risk …

Eating Disorders In Adolescents: Facts And Recommendations For The Oral Health Care Team, Catherine A. Miller Md, James R. Boynton Dds, Ms, Terrill Bravender Md, Mph

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Eating disorders typically begin during the adolescent years. These disorders are a spectrum of thoughts and behaviors related to food, weight and exercise that lead to significant psychological and physical morbidity. Medical complications of eating disorders are common and can be life-threatening. Dental providers can play an important role in care by recognizing oral signs and symptoms associated with eating disorders, giving advice on mitigating these issues, and helping patients and families connect with appropriate care. In this article, we provide key information about eating disorders, the complications including oral health issues, and advice for dental providers regarding care and …

Interpersonal Psychotherapy For Depressed Adolescents: A Systematic Review Of Quantitative Studies Exploring Effectiveness, Concomitant Findings, And Mediating And Moderating Variables, Luke Rex

Theses and Dissertations

Depression is one of the leading causes of illness and disability among adolescents. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (2022), almost one-fifth of adolescents ages 12 to 17 years in the United States had at least one major depressive episode in 2020, representing 4.1 million people, and over half did not receive any treatment. An interpersonal approach to therapy for adolescents known as Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Depressed Adolescents (IPT-A), developed by Dr. Laura Mufson, has been regarded as having well-established efficacy in treating depressed adolescents. This systematic review of quantitative studies (without meta-analysis) was conducted to (a) examine …

Role Of Social Media In Adolescent-Parent Relationships Among At-Risk Youths, Jennifer Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social media has been linked to online crimes and cyberbullying among 88% of teens. The purpose of this study was to understand the role of adolescent and parent social media use on adolescents reported at-risk behaviors, as well as the role of social media among at-risk youths and their parents using the attachment theory. An interpretive phenomenological analysis design was used in this study to describe relationships between adolescents and their parents involving social media use and reported at-risk behaviors. Semi-structured interviews were performed with a total of six pairs of individuals resulting in 12 total participants. There were four …