Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Art Of Surviving: Alchemy Of Healing Trauma In Relation To Identity: A Self Study., Rebecca Morgan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The following thesis explores trauma’s physical and psychological aspects concerning identity as an artistic practice. Through exploring materials, subject matter, and media, my approach to trauma is based on personal and socially engaged experiences and my attempt to re-conceptualize that experience through the language of contemporary art. Extensively this work is governed by childhood memories and the critical aspect of being raised as a female in a patriarchal society. Being raised female comes with a certain number of expectations and requirements. This work creates a physical and spiritual connection between trauma and the identity of what is female. Discussing these …

Disharmony Of The Soul: A Philosophical Analysis Of Psychological Trauma And Flourishing, Adam Blehm

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation I argue that psychological trauma hinders human flourishing by disrupting psychic harmony and hindering virtuous relationships. Given the negative symptomology of posttraumatic stress related disorders (i.e., PTSD) this conclusion may seem a bit obvious to some. However, making the case for trauma as a hindrance to human flourishing is more complicated than it may first appear.

First, in the extant literature, trauma as a concept tends to be unclear. In much of the empirical and philosophical literature, trauma can include a certain kind of event, experience, effect, or a combination of all three. Furthermore, because of practical …

Mental Health Screening After Trauma: A Concise Review, Christine Mcgahey

DNP Qualifying Manuscripts

OBJECTIVE: To gain a better understanding of the value of mental health screening for PTSD risk in hospitalized trauma survivors.

DATA SOURCES: Studies were pooled from a literature search performed on the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), PubMed, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.

STUDY SELECTION: Relevant studies published between 2015 and 2022 in English, excluding traumatic injuries incurred during combat.

DATA EXTRACTION: Ten articles were selected for inclusion in this review.

DATA SYNTHESIS: There is a significant and widespread mental health burden following traumatic injury. Early screening to quantify the risk for PTSD can …

Risk Factors Of Cyberbullying Victimization: The Impact Of Developmental Trauma, Yuliya Mykytyn

Dissertations

Trauma has been considered as one of the significant causes of psychological distress, especially if the traumatic event occurred in the childhood. At the same time, due to wide popularity of social media as a source of communication, cyberbullying emerged as a new way to harass someone, with specific focus on adults and young adults. The area of focus of this research project is to investigate whether experienced trauma, specifically developmental trauma might serve as a risk factor for cyberbullying victimization. Additional focus was on the differences in traumatic experiences and their impact for people with diverse cultural and ethnic …

Trauma Exposures Across The Life Course For Individuals Who Experience Incarceration, Maria Morrison

Brown School Theses and Dissertations

The U.S. incarcerates more people than any other country in the world, with 2.2 million people currently behind bars, 60% of whom are people of color. At the same time, there is an unprecedented political consensus to develop strategies for reducing the incarcerated population and safely returning the majority of incarcerated individuals to society. While there has been a substantial research focus on the potential of this population to commit acts of violence post-release, this tells only half the story. This dissertation hopes to provide a more complete picture of the role of violence in the lives of individuals released …

Determining The Effectiveness Of Virtually-Delivered Written Exposure Therapy For Treatment Of Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms, Stephanie M. Haft

Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted individuals with mental health issues (Swendsen, 2020). Although the peak destruction of the COVID-19 pandemic has passed, the psychological fallout remains. Social isolation, home confinement, and travel restrictions have exacerbated mental health issues during the COVID-19 pandemic, contributing to negative psychological distress (Smith et al., 2020). Survivors of trauma have higher vulnerability to prolonged psychological distress than the general population and others with non-trauma-related mental health conditions, which has been exacerbated during and following the COVID-19 pandemic. For these reasons, survivors of trauma may particularly benefit from virtual-delivery of trauma-focused treatments. Mental health providers …

Effect Of A Trauma Informed Care Tool In A Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit, Taylor Park

Dissertations

Problem: Parents of infants less than one-year-old with complex congenital heart disease (CCHD) experience significant stress while their child is admitted to the pediatric cardiac intensive care unit (PCICU), often resulting in trauma to parents and their families. Trauma informed care (TIC) seeks to minimize the impact of emotional trauma and it acknowledges previous trauma an individual may have experienced.

Methods: The purpose of this quality improvement (QI) project was to assess the thrive guide’s ability to decrease parental stress in the pediatric cardiac intensive care unit (PCICU). The aim was to decrease parental Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) scores by …

Addressing Perceived Barriers To Screening For Adverse Childhood Experiences In Primary Care, Trenton Conway

Dissertations

Problem: Inconsistent screening for Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) in primary care settings leads to fewer appropriate behavioral health (BH) referrals and may increase risk for and incidence of chronic health conditions.

Methods: This quality improvement (QI) project used a descriptive observational design with prospective and retrospective data collection. The CDC’s ACE screening tool was administered to patients 18 years and older presenting to primary care. Data collection included number of ACE screenings completed and the number of BH referrals made following the screening. In additional, information was collected from medical assistants (MAs) and providers about the ACE screening process.

Results: …

Preexisting Sexual Trauma And The Impacts On Psychological Well-Being Of College Students, Victoria Johnson

Dissertations

Childhood sexual abuse appears to be a taboo topic with a long history of being left out of the discussion regarding mental health in adulthood despite the varied and devastating consequences. The overall lack of research on this topic, especially regarding the college student population, can be considered a barrier to treatment for those individuals. The current literature review attempts to fill the research gap by discussing the epidemiology, prevalence, and description of preexisting sexual trauma in college students. The potential negative effects of preexisting sexual trauma and how they occur with college students were explored to highlight how pervasive …

Where I’M From: Internal Manifestations Among Cambodian Women Using The Expressive Arts A Literature Review, Noeun Chhim

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Chronic mental illness has affected many Cambodian people, but, culturally, Cambodians aren’t accustomed to opening up and discussing their feelings, rather defining mental illness to craziness and seeking help is presumed taboo. Thus, Cambodians are often reluctant to talk about their experiences and/or their related illnesses. Though Cambodians have experienced inconceivable suffering and violence during the Khmer Rouge era, for the purpose of this thesis, I will be discussing the role of Cambodian women and investigate the extent of what they’ve witnessed and experienced. Cambodian women have suffered through many years of trauma and grief, during and after the Khmer …

Dance/Movement Therapy As A Transdisciplinary Approach To Treating Trauma, Destany Schadder

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This thesis considers dance/movement therapy as a transdisciplinary approach to treating trauma in the body. It explains what the functions of the brain are, how trauma negatively affects it, and how posttraumatic stress disorder is expressed in both the body and the brain. It discusses multidisplinary approaches, it shows how these approaches leverage the body in treating trauma. Moreover, it demonstrates the benefits and advantages of a dance/movement therapist in supporting individuals who have experienced traumatic events. To achieve these goals, this thesis discusses research by neuroscientists, such as Damassio (1999), who maintain that the body and mind directly affect …

An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Of The Lived Experience Of Parental Caregivers For Children With Severe Epidermolysis Bullosa, Michael J. Valentine

Theses and Dissertations

Providing care to child with a chronic, rare diseases has been identified as a major life stressor with a myriad of negative physical and mental health consequences. These stresses have previously been found to create burden that may impair caregiving efforts and increase the risk of mortality for both the caregiver and affected child. Many rare diseases affect children. It is not known how caregiver burden and the source of stress varies by disease. Qualitative methods have been used to understand caregiver experience with the rare disease, epidermolysis bullosa (EB), but no such studies have occurred in the United States. …

The Effect Of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder On First Responders Following A Disaster: A Literature Review, Briar Butner

Capstone Experience

First responders work in a high-stress environment that can potentially produce traumatic situations. This includes aiding in the recovery and response efforts of critical events such as a disaster. A significant risk factor for developing post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms is people who have been through a disaster (National Institute of Mental Health, 2019). This literature review aims to search for evidence on PTSD in first responders following a disaster, identify the factors associated with the development of PTSD, and make recommendations on best practices to reduce or mitigate the incidences of PTSD. The search was conducted in three academic databases: …

Trauma-Informed Care In The Emergency Department, Kayla Kvell, Kristin Oscarson

Nursing DNP Projects

Introduction: This project aims to analyze the effectiveness of trauma-informed care (TIC) education on attitudes of registered nurses (RNs) and psychiatric associates (PAs) towards TIC. The purpose of this project was to educate ED (emergency department) RNs and PAs on the effects of trauma and increase attitudes towards implementing a TIC approach to care for mental health (MH) patients in the ED.

Method: This project followed a pre–post-survey design with quantitative data. Participants included RNs and PAs newly hired to the ED, and/or if they had no previous TIC education. Data were collected utilizing a 10-question Likert scale survey.

Results: …

Organizational Implementation Of Trauma And Violence Informed Care, Tanaz Javan

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

For the past several decades, social and health services have increased their efforts to enhance service delivery and close the ‘science-to-service’ (or ‘evidence-to-practice’) gap by implementing effective interventions. At the same time, there has been growing recognition of the prevalence of trauma and violence in the lives of those served and those providing care and the impact of these experiences on service needs and interactions. This study explored the implementation of trauma- and violence-informed care (TVIC), a complex intervention focused on providing safety and choice for service users in the context of their life experiences and conditions, exploring factors that …

The Genetics Of Pain: An Exploration Of Gene-By-Environment Interactions And Their Effects On Pain, Mohamad F. Fakhereddin

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The findings presented in this dissertation are part of the bigger SYMBIOME project which aims to use the biopsychosocial model of pain to develop a prognostic clinical phenotype for people that experience musculoskeletal (MSK) trauma. Chapter 2 presents an exploratory analysis to assess the relationships between genetic polymorphisms and pain severity and interference. Early childhood trauma was also explored as a moderator between genetic polymorphisms and pain outcomes. For pain severity, major allele carriers (A/A and G/A) of FKBP5 rs9394314 reported significantly higher scores than minor allele carriers (G/G). Further, major allele carriers who had at least one adverse childhood …

Healing Through Mother Earth, Taylor A. Russell

Dance (MFA) Theses

This thesis deals with mental health, with a focus on Black women. Historically, Black women are often so compromised, being constant caregivers and helping everyone else, that they forget to help themselves, not having the time and financial means to do so. If we go back in the time of slavery, many Black women were taking care of slave owners' children and suckling the white women’s babies instead of their own. By the time they got home and after diligently caring for other people’s children they were focused on their own children, who they had been away from for hours …

A Literature Resource For Those Supporting Patients With Autism Spectrum Disorder And Cancer, Kaylee James

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that impacts both social interaction and patterns of behavior. ASD is rooted in genetic, biological, and environmental causes. Cancer begins when cells grow out of control and there is also a genetic and biological cause of cancer. There is an overlap between the genetic and biological causes of ASD and cancer. As a result, evidence supports an increased risk of developing some types of cancer as well as protective factors for some times of cancer for individuals with ASD. Therefore, individuals with ASD may be at a heightened risk to develop cancer, …

Equine Assisted Psychotherapy: Implications For Treating Trauma, Kara L. Harrison Psy.D.

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

Trauma related symptoms and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) have been increasingly recognized for the key roles they occupy in mental health and overall individual well-being within both adult and childhood populations. They often represent significant barriers to the provision of mental healthcare within military populations and individuals diagnosed with serious mental illness (SMI). This original contribution to practice explores the significance of Equine Assisted Psychotherapy as a novel adjunctive approach to treating trauma. symptoms in adults and children. An extensive literature review examines current research and discussion on common definitions and nomenclature. It begins with discussion on the broader areas …

Focused Surrogate Decision-Maker Identification In The Traumatically Injured Adult, Kelly Ann Evans

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractPatients in the trauma care setting are often dependent on their families and physicians to decide medical treatments when they cannot participate in the process.But in up to one-third of cases, the surrogate decision-maker (SDM)selected by the patient is not the emergency contact listed in the electronic medical record (EMR).SDM identification and documentation will ensure that the patient is best represented by someone who knows their values and goals if they become incapacitated.Nurses can facilitate identifying a patient’s SDM and document this choice in the EMR.The purpose of this study was a staff education program to improve intensive care unit …

Development Of A Capacity Building Program To Promote Trauma-Informed Services, Juan Miguel Medina

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Wichita County, Texas experienced decreased academic performances of elementary level children in 24 out of 45 communities. Higher numbers of traumatic experiences increase a child's risk of not meeting developmental benchmarks. The purpose of this capstone project is to support the development of a trauma-informed capacity-building program. Ungar's resiliency theory was used to understand the factors related to building resilience in children to prevent trauma. Using action research, the researcher explored how developing program content may improve an agency's system readiness to deliver effective trauma-informed care. Data were collected from a focus group with local social workers. Content analysis was …

Experiences Of Individuals With Opioid Use Disorder In Medication Assisted Treatment Programs, Lynda M. Maxfield

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractOpioid use accounts for many deaths each day in the United States. Although research has shown that retention in medication assisted treatment (MAT) programs increases quality of life for those individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) and decreases premature death, there has been limited research on the perspectives of individuals with OUD in MAT programs and why they remained in or left the programs. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study, guided by Merleau-Ponty’s theory of perception, was to explore the lived experiences of those with OUD treated in a MAT program. An algorithm type interview was conducted to ask …

Assessing Violence And Mental Health With The 2019 Nevada Youth Risk Behavioral Survey, Samantha Graham

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The effects from childhood trauma can interfere in all aspects of a child’s life, including their education. School delivery systems need to be trained to identify these risks and how to reduce further risks of re-traumatization by applying trauma-informed practices. This study addressed the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on mental health and behavioral issues. The study was guided by Bandura’s social cognitive theory and the socioecological model. The correlation between ACEs and mental health as well as ACEs and physical violence were examined based on data from the 2019 Nevada Youth Risk Behavioral Survey, which was a high …

Interleukin-1 Receptor 1 Signaling In Mild Tbi: Do Endothelial Cells Play A Major Role?, Colleen N. Bodnar

Theses and Dissertations--Neuroscience

Across the world, over 69 million people sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI) per year making TBI a major health concern worldwide. Of all the TBIs that occur each year, it is suggested that up to 90 percent are mild in nature. Even a mild TBI causes both physical damages to the cells of the brain and activation of a variety of biochemical cascades. Inflammation is an extremely common pathology seen in the brains of TBI survivors of all severities. Chronic inflammation can cause detrimental effects within the brain including neurodegeneration. A major pro-inflammatory cytokine, interleukin-1 (IL-1), is upregulated within …

Icu-Related Medical Trauma: A Socioecological Exploration Of Contributing Factors And Experiences Of Traumatic Stress In Adult Icu Survivors, Jacqueline Hanson

Theses and Dissertations

Advances in biomedical technologies and critical care are leading to increased survivorship rates of ICU patients. During critical care, patients confront a variety of stressors that may contribute to adverse psychological outcomes, including posttraumatic stress. The nature of posttraumatic stress in this population differs from that associated with traditional trauma. The phenomenon of medical trauma in ICU survivors is complex: it is highly subjective, exists on a continuum, is cumulative in nature and carries cumulative effects, involves a combination of endogenous and exogenous, physical and emotional stressors that vary in intensity and duration, occurs in an interpersonal context that involves …

The Value Of Educating Teachers, Coaches, And Athletic Trainers On The Management Of Dental Trauma., Laura Satoski

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The aim of this study is to investigate the baseline knowledge and assess the benefit of educating teachers, coaches, and athletic trainers about the management of sports-related dental injuries.

Methods: Teachers, coaches, and athletic trainers working in youth sports activities across the city of Richmond and the Greater Richmond Region were recruited via email. Participants answered a pre-seminar survey to evaluate their baseline knowledge and determine whether they experienced dental trauma with their athletes previously. The survey also indicated whether they participated in a public or private sports facility. The participants watched a pre-recorded virtual seminar educating them on …

The Relationship Between State Level Funding, Designated Trauma Centers, And Trauma Related Morbidity, Ginger Henry

All ETDs from UAB

This study examined the relationship of funding and the number of designated trauma centers and age-adjusted trauma mortality across the 50 states. State level funding was defined as monies that were paid to the designated trauma hospitals in aggregate by state and by year for the years 2008 to 2017. The number of designated trauma hospitals were considered in the categories of total number of state trauma hospitals and designation levels 1 through 4. Age-adjusted mortality included the ICD-10 codes for trauma from the WISQARS database. The strategic adaptation theory was used to inform the trauma hospital manager’s need to …

Youth Who Run Away From Out-Of-Home Care In Wisconsin, 2010-2020, Sydney Shafer

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

A sample of 27,599 youth 5-17 years old who entered the child welfare system in Wisconsin between 2010 and 2020 were analyzed to examine differences in those who run away from out-of-home care and those who do not. Risk factors analyzed included age at entry into the system and measures of sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, witness to family violence, placement restrictiveness, youth home county socioeconomic disadvantage and urbanicity, and distance from placement to home. Analyses were presented in gender- and race- specific strata. In this sample, 2434 (8.8%) ran away from their out-of-home care placement at least …

Parental Attitudes Regarding The Primary Dentition, Dental Decay, And Trauma, Kathryn Dundervill

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify the ability of parents in the VCU Pediatric Dental Clinic to recognize signs of decay and trauma and to determine their knowledge regarding the primary dentition.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study that determined parental attitude and knowledge toward the function of primary teeth, childhood dental decay and dental trauma. Study data was collected through REDCap, a secure web-based survey application. Parents who brought their child to the VCU Pediatric Dental Clinic for a new patient examination or a recall examination were included in the study. The survey was only formatted …