Drd2 Rs6276 Polymorphism And Trait Impulsivity In Individuals With Mixed Behavioral And Substance Addictions, Gabriela Zdunek, Remigiusz Recław, Aleksandra Suchanecka, Krzysztof Chmielowiec, Dariusz Larysz, Patryk Ilków, Kinga Łosińska, Jolanta Chmielowiec, Łukasz Jaworski, Anna Grzywacz

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Background/Objectives: Impulsivity is a key transdiagnostic trait linked to dysregulated reward processing in both behavioral and substance-related addictions, as recognized in DSM-5. Dopaminergic genes, including DRD2, may modulate individual differences in impulsivity, particularly under conditions of increased addiction vulnerability. This study examined whether the DRD2 Exon 8 rs6276 polymorphism predicts impulsivity levels in men with mixed addictive behaviors compared with healthy controls. Methods: A total of 328 males (128 with mixed behavioral and substance addictions and 200 controls) were assessed. Diagnoses were confirmed using the MINI interview, and impulsivity was measured with the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11). Genotyping of …

Opportunities And Barriers To Engaging Caregivers In Firearm Suicide Prevention: Findings From Focus Groups With Caregivers Of Veterans., Katherine Macwilliams, John Marmion, Dee Blascyk, Sharon Urbina, Rachel Moyers, Gala True

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: Firearms are involved in more than 70% of U.S. Veteran suicides. Caregivers, defined as family members or concerned significant others, can play an important role in firearm suicide prevention through initiating conversations about secure firearm storage with Veterans. Our objective was to explore caregivers' experiences with lethal means safety (LMS) conversations and identify perceived barriers to caregivers discussing LMS with healthcare providers and with Veterans. Methods: We conducted focus groups with 32 caregivers with experience caring for a Veteran at risk for suicide. Qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: We identified three primary themes: 1) caregivers recognize …

Neuroanatomical And Morphometric Differences In Children Who Stutter, Mohammad A. Khan

Honors Scholar Theses

Childhood-Onset Fluency Disorder commonly known as stuttering is a neurodevelopmental speech disorder characterized by disruptions in speech fluency. While genetic and neurobiological factors are implicated, the structural brain differences underlying stuttering remain unclear. This study investigated neuroanatomical alterations in children who stutter (CWS) compared to typically fluent children (TFC), focusing on gray matter volume, cortical thickness, and surface area in speech-related regions; the Inferior Frontal Gyrus, Middle Temporal Gyrus, and Pre-motor Operculum. High-resolution MRI data from 100 children (48 CWS, 52 TFC) aged 3–12 years were analyzed using FreeSurfer. Group comparisons revealed no statistically significant differences in cortical thickness, surface …

How Does Exposure To Early-Life Stressors Shape Eating Behaviors In Adulthood?, Surabhi Panda

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

The objective of this literature review is to explore the relationship between early-life stress and the development of disordered or dysregulated eating in adulthood. A search was conducted across PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, and PsycINFO databases. Results from each study were compared and synthesized. Twelve studies were analyzed including case reports, systematic reviews, cohort studies, and cross-sectional studies. Research indicates that childhood emotional abuse, often more prevalent than other forms of maltreatment, is a significant risk factor for eating pathology, with studies investigating psychological mediators such as anger, anxiety, and dissociation in this relationship. Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and early life …

Cardiovascular Risk Factors In The Autism Spectrum Disorder Population, Christian C. Iannuzzelli, Andrea L. Iannuzzelli

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

The population of patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have multiple risks and barriers that may make access to proper health care more difficult. After extensive research, some of these barriers may have been identified that pose greater risks to generating proper care for those with ASD. Some of these barriers include medical complexity, more sedentary lifestyles, poor food choices, as well as health comorbities. Some of these health comorbidities include hypertension, metabolic dysfunction, sleep apnea, and inflammation. This study aims to understand what barriers and risks for CVD are present in those with ASD.

Beyond Opioids: The Role Of Polysubstance Exposure In Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Treatment And Hospitalization, Caelyn Harrison

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis explores the impact of prenatal polysubstance exposure, specifically focusing on the need for pharmacological treatment for Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) and the duration of their hospital stay. A retrospective analysis of 462 infants, including 121 exposed to polysubstances during pregnancy, showed significant associations between polysubstance exposure and adverse neonatal outcomes. Infants with prenatal polysubstance exposure were more likely to require pharmacological treatment for NAS (52.8%) compared to non-exposed infants (38.7%), as determined by chi-square analysis (χ²(1, N = 462) = 7.36, p = .007). Additionally, infants exposed to polysubstances experienced longer hospital stays on average (M = 14.88 …

Optimizing Interventions For Major Depressive Disorder And Provider Burnout: Self-Speak Exercise Dosing (Sed), Laureen Maloney-Gepfert

Lynchburg Journal of Medical Science

ABSTRACT

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is ranked highest among mental illnesses in the United States (US) and significantly contributes to the mental health care crisis. Patients experience resistance to pharmacologic interventions, side effects, co-morbidities, and mental health provider shortages. Subsequently, 33 % of Serious Mental Illnesses (SMIs) are being redirected to Primary Care Providers (PCPs). Concurrently, prescriber mental health is in crisis. Growing workloads for physicians and Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) have increased provider burnout syndrome (BOS). Major Depressive Disorder and BOS are positively affected by exercise, Cognitive Restructuring (CR), and Behavioral Activation (BA). Sports medicine and psychology research shows …

Long-Acting Injectables: A Strategy To Mitigate Nonadherence In Bipolar Disorder, Justin Faden, Elina Maymind

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

No abstract provided.

Resilience And Reality: Exploring The Lived Experiences Of People Living With Hiv In Texas During The Covid-19 Pandemic – A Qualitative Study., Ahmed F. Alanazi

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

This study investigated the lived experiences of individuals living with HIV (PLWH) in the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) area of Texas during the COVID-19 pandemic, using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) framework. The research examined the intersection of health, social dynamics, and psychological resilience among PLWH, who faced compounded vulnerabilities due to systemic inequities and the dual public health crises of HIV and COVID-19. Through semi-structured interviews with ten participants from diverse backgrounds, the study captured the profound impacts of disrupted healthcare systems, heightened stigma, and social isolation on this marginalized population. The findings reveal that the pandemic exacerbated existing inequities …

Weighted Family History Density Of Substance Use: Influence On Participant Substance Use Onset, Escalation, And Duration, Carleigh A. Litteral

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Substance use disorders impose a staggering toll on the United States (U.S.), straining healthcare systems, destabilizing communities, and profoundly impacting both individuals and families. Approximately one in six Americans aged 12 and older had a past-year substance use disorder in 2022 (Key Substance Use, 2022), and nearly one-third of adults experience a substance use disorder in their lifetime (Wu, 2010), contributing to an economic burden exceeding $400 billion annually (National Drug Threat Assessment, 2011). Family history of substance use disorders is a key predictor of vulnerability, with individuals who have affected relatives being 2–8 times more …

The Contributions Of Motor Skill Proficiency To Cognitive And Social Development In Early Childhood, Catherine M. Capio, Norman B. Mendoza, Rachel A. Jones, Rich S.W. Masters, Kerry Lee

Health Sciences Faculty Publications

With limited evidence from intervention studies, causal relationships between motor competence and cognitive and social development have yet to be clearly established. In this research, we investigated whether a targeted training programme to improve fundamental movement skills (i.e., object control, locomotor) in young children would also lead to improvements in the cognitive (i.e., executive function) and social (i.e., socioemotional competence) domains. Using a two-arm group randomised intervention design, 185 children aged 36 to 60 months (mean 47.51, SD 8.11 months) were allocated to a motor skill intervention group or an active control group. The intervention was implemented over one school …

Improving Healthcare Utilization Models And Uncovering Health Behavior Patterns In Asian Americans Through Data Disaggregation, Luke Cho

Undergraduate Research Symposium Podium Presentations

Although Asian Americans are made up of 20+ distinct ethnicities with unique health outcomes, previous healthcare research has treated them as a monolithic group, covering up many important disparities in health outcomes and healthcare utilization patterns. This study examines how disaggregating Asian American health data by ethnicity improves models analyzing healthcare utilization patterns, focusing on routine physicals, dental checkups, alternative medicine consultations, and preference for ethnic concordance.

Using data from the 2015 Asian American Quality of Life survey (2,609 adults in Austin, Texas), binomial generalized linear models (GLMs) analyzed the impact of income, age, gender, insurance status, and ethnicity on …

Driving Healthy Behaviors Through Social Support: The Role Of Co-Responsibility In Weight Loss And Maintenance, Melanie Knufinke-Meyfroyt, Carlo Lancia, Yentl Lodewijks, Simon Nienhuijs, Eva Deckers

Patient Experience Journal

Objective: The effectiveness of out of hospital lifestyle interventions in healthcare is likely co-dependent on social support from involved one's. We sought to investigate the interrelationships between patient-partner Co-responsibility, Spousal Support, and Self-efficacy and the mechanisms through which they contribute to health behaviors and outcomes relevant to weight loss and maintenance. Methods: Co-responsibility, Spousal Support, self-efficacy, health outcomes and health behaviors like total weight loss, physical activity, OBESI-Q, and health satisfaction were assessed through a questionnaire among 868 individuals attempting to lose weight. Full and semi-partial correlations were used to understand the association between Co-responsibility, Spousal Support, Self-efficacy …

Digital, Social Micro-Interventions To Promote Physical Activity Among Midlife Adults With Elevated Cardiovascular Risk: An Ambulatory Feasibility Study With Momentary Randomization., Danielle Arigo, Leah M Schumacher, Kiri Baga, Jacqueline A Mogle

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

BACKGROUND: Although regular physical activity (PA) mitigates the risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) during midlife, existing PA interventions are minimally effective. Harnessing social influences in daily life shows promise: digital micro-interventions could effectively engage these influences on PA and require testing.

PURPOSE: This feasibility study employed ecological momentary assessment with embedded micro-randomization to activate two types of social influences (i.e., comparison, support; NCT04711512).

METHODS: Midlife adults (N = 30, MAge = 51, MBMI = 31.5 kg/m2, 43% racial/ethnic minority) with ≥1 CVD risk conditions completed four mobile surveys per day for 7 days while wearing PA monitors. After 3 days …

Correspondence To "A Preliminary Study Of Collaborative Group Intervention With Recovered Peer Supporters For Eating Disorders: Analyses Including Comparisons Between In-Person And Online Sessions", Nirjal Thapa, Don D Shamilov, David F Lo

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

We read with pleasure the article by Mochizuki et al., ¹ titled “A preliminary study of collaborative group intervention with recovered peer supporters for eating disorders: Analyses including comparisons between in‐person and online sessions.” We would like to offer additional commentary on the conclusions regarding group intervention and peer support and its heavy influence on combating eating disorders. We hope these perspectives may provide insight into areas that may require further research and improvement.

Self-Harm In Female Youth With Undiagnosed Adhd: Implementing American Academy Of Pediatrics Screening Guidelines, Roselie M. Woodard

Dissertations

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. If undiagnosed or untreated, ADHD can lead to severe psychosocial issues such as academic failure, substance abuse, unplanned pregnancy, and incarceration. The financial burden in the U.S. from diagnostic errors creates an immense, rising fiscal impact. Early diagnosis and management are crucial to prevent these complications.

Females with ADHD, particularly those with the inattentive subtype, often face diagnostic challenges due to symptom masking and over-compensation. This results in poorer cognitive functioning and self-esteem compared to males with ADHD. ADHD is linked to autonomic nervous …

The Impact Of Vitamin Supplementation (D, B12, B9) On Behaviors Associated With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Rohan Mehra

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Background: One in 36 children in the United States are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Although heritability of the condition ranges from 40 to 80%, other factors such as vitamin levels, may have a significant impact on the risk of development. These vitamins include D, B12, and B9.

Purpose: To assess the impact vitamin supplementation has on behaviors associated with ASD, and to determine which specific aspects of ASD may be improved with vitamin supplementation.

Methods: A literature review was performed. The search was utilized PubMed, JSTOR and Web of Science. Keyword strings included: “Vitamin D B12 B9 folate …

The Effects Of Controlled Breathing And Physical Postures On Anxiety And Stress In Mental Health Patients, Kristen Killingsworth

DNP Research Projects

Objective: Anxiety and stress are debilitating disorders that have been on the rise in recent years following the COVID-19 pandemic. Medication alone has not been shown to be successful in mitigating the disorders, necessitating research into other alternatives for anxiety and stress management. The purpose of this project was to assess if a single complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) relaxation session had an impact on stress and anxiety levels. Method: A comprehensive literature review was conducted to identify strategies for reducing stress and anxiety. Guided by the Holistic Care Model of Self-Regulation, the nurse-led CAM relaxation session was developed. The …

The Correlation Between Traumatic Brain Injury And Incarceration Among Adult Males In The United States, Shadi Shams

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

The United States has one of the largest growing prison populations in the world. A large amount of social and economic resources go towards the cost and maintenance of correctional facilities each year. Additionally, the current correctional programs are insufficient in assisting inmates with getting back to society; especially those with traumatic brain injury (TBI) who often remain undiagnosed and are usually treated unfairly in the prison system instead of receiving the appropriate help. Prior scholarly work has shown that patients in the post-TBI stage are more likely to enter the judicial system. In the recent population-based cohort study, the …

Utilization Of A Multimodal De-Escalation Class To Improve Staff Confidence When Caring For Behaviorally Escalating Patients, Tara B. Neuner

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Workplace violence is a common challenge seen in the healthcare settings across the world. This problem is steadily increasing in all types of hospitals, including a level one trauma center located in an urban area. There has been a steady rise in the number of assaults and workplace violence reported from bedside staff at this hospital. The leadership of the organization formed a work group to help combat the workplace violence and staff assaults that were occurring. In this process, a behavior response team was created to help nursing staff with escalating behavior in patients, and to help de-escalate the …

Behavioral Parent Training For Adhd And Sleep: A Dream Pair, Whitney Rolling

Research Days

Background: Estimates for children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and comorbid sleep disorders range from 25-75% (4,5,10). Among childhood sleep disorders, behavioral insomnia is one of the most common, with the treatment of choice being behavioral parent training (BPT) (4). BPT therefore is a common treatment element for both sleep disturbance and ADHD and presents a unique opportunity for more holistic pediatric care.

Objectives/Goal: Our objective was to implement and evaluate a behavioral sleep intervention in an ADHD behavioral parent training (BPT) program. Goals of the intervention were to decrease behavioral sleep symptoms, increase sleep duration, and decrease ADHD impairment.

Methods/Design: …

Multimodal Approach To Chronic Pain Management And Prevention Of Opioid Use Disorder, Hannah Elston

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Background. Chronic pain (CP) is a major public health problem that affects one-third of the population and can interfere with the activities of daily life and cause decreased quality of life. Patients with CP have been increasingly prescribed opioids, contributing to the rise in the opioid epidemic. Due to the long-term nature of CP, the use of opioids as the sole treatment for CP can cause tolerance and increased dosages overtime which can lead to addiction and potentially overdose. Therefore, CP treatment should include multimodal approaches to treatment to prevent opioid misuse, opioid use disorder (OUD), and overdose. Multimodal treatments …

The Feasibility And Utility Of Harnessing Digital Health To Understand Clinical Trajectories In Medication Treatment For Opioid Use Disorder: D-Tect Study Design And Methodological Considerations, Lisa A. Marsch, Ching-Hua Chen, Sara R. Adams, Asma Asyyed, Monique B. Does, Saeed Hassanpour, Emily Hichborn, Melanie Jackson-Morris, Nicholas C. Jacobson, Heather K. Jones, David Kotz, Chantal A. Lambert-Harris, Zhiguo Li, Bethany Mcleman, Varun Mishra, Catherine Stanger, Geetha Subramaniam, Weiyi Wu, Cynthia I. Campbell

Dartmouth Scholarship

Introduction: Across the U.S., the prevalence of opioid use disorder (OUD) and the rates of opioid overdoses have risen precipitously in recent years. Several effective medications for OUD (MOUD) exist and have been shown to be life-saving. A large volume of research has identified a confluence of factors that predict attrition and continued substance use during substance use disorder treatment. However, much of this literature has examined a small set of potential moderators or mediators of outcomes in MOUD treatment and may lead to over-simplified accounts of treatment non-adherence. Digital health methodologies offer great promise for capturing intensive, longitudinal ecologically-valid …

A Comparison Of Positive And Negative Reinforcement To Decrease Disruptive Behavior During Medical Demands, Rachel Commodario

Thesis Projects

Medical demand tolerance is imperative for improving and maintaining physical health, but a disproportionate number of intellectually disabled individuals do not readily cooperate with medical procedure demands. Research suggests that although function-based treatments can be effective, in some contexts nonfunctional interventions can also produce therapeutic results (Briggs et al., 2019; Carter, 2010; Dowdy et al., 2018; Gardner et al., 2009; Lalli et al., 1999; Piazza et al., 1997). The purpose of this study was to compare the treatment effects of using functional and nonfunctional reinforcement to decrease escape-maintained medical demand noncooperation with intellectually disabled children. A reversal design embedded within …

Desire For Control Moderates The Relationship Between Perceived Control And Depressive Symptomology, Liam Alexander Mackenzie Myles, Emanuele Maria Merlo, Antonia Obele

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Background. The prevalence of psychological difficulties is rising at an alarming rate, with an increasing number of individuals reporting symptoms of depression. A decline in both perceived control and desire for control has previously been associated with the onset of depression. However, previous research has failed to examine whether perceived control and desire for control interact in their relationship with depressive symptomology. Methods. A sample of 350 participants completed the Spheres of Control Scale, the Desirability of Control Scale and Beck’s Depression Inventory. Process Macro was used to examine whether desire for control moderated the relationship between perceived …

How Does A Medical Team In The Oncology Department React To The Covid-19 Pandemic?, Secil Omer, Andreea Maria Smarandache, Ioana Omer, Anda-Natalia Ciuhu, Roxana-Andreea Rahnea-Nita, Valentin-Titus Grigorean, Liliana Florina Andronache, Alexandru-Rares Stoian

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

The Covid-19 pandemic was and still is a great challenge for the entire world population. People in the first line, among them doctors being a very important category, faced the risk of disease and, in some cases, even became infected. The emotional consequences of this risk are highlighted in this paperwork which tries to stress, with the help of applied questionnaires, the presence of psycho-emotional disorders among the medical staff of the Oncology Department of St. Luke's Hospital, Bucharest, during the pandemic.

The medical staff had a low level of stress, adapting to the evolution of the pandemic "to some …

Effect Of Presence And Absence Of Parents On The Emotional Maturity And Perceived Loneliness In Adolescents, Sana Fatima, Momal Bashir, Kainat Khan, Sheeza Farooq, Sidra Shoaib, Sheeba Farhan

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

The present study was conducted to examine the Emotional Maturity and Perceived Loneliness of adolescents with respect to the presence and absence of parents. It was hypothesized that the absence or presence of parents of adolescents would affect the level of emotional maturity and perceived loneliness among adolescents. The adolescent participants N=250 (males n=125 and females n=125; age range= 13-18; M=16.63; SD=0.87) were approached through purposive convenient sampling technique. Measures included the Emotional Maturity Scale and the UCLA loneliness scale V-III. Results indicated that adolescent who lived with their guardians had greater perceived loneliness than those who lived with their …

Role Of Emotional Intelligence In Job Performance Of Healthcare Providers Working In Public Sector Hospitals Of Pakistan, Nimra Zaman, Khalida Naz Memon, Faryal Zaman, Komal Zaman Khan, Shazia Rahman Shaikh

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Objective. To determine the association between emotional intelligence (EI) and job performance (JP) of health care providers (HCPs). Methods. Healthcare professionals from various hospitals were chosen for a cross-sectional study. The survey was conducted using a three-part questionnaire including the demographic profile, Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence (EI) Scale, and an individual work performance (JP) questionnaire. The relationship of predictor variables on JP was sought by applying Chi-square test and multiple regression analysis. Results. About 43.3% of the 50.8% of participants who scored well on the EI scale also scored high on the JP scales. The remaining …

Historical Trauma Response Scores As A Function Of Unresolved Grief And Substance Use Disorder In American Indian Populations, Andrew R. Saunders

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Abstract

Researchers are interested in the outcomes of interventions, specifically, measuring historical trauma (HT) among American Indian/Alaska Native communities and the long-term distress and substance abuse as a result of historical trauma response (HTR). Previous literature has implicated limitations in the clinical conceptualization of the relationship between intergenerational transfer of HTR and substance abuse. The aim of the current study is to examine treatment efficacy of 50 homosexual, American Indian males randomized to a culturally-adapted juxtaposition of (1) Group Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT), (2) Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and (3) Historical Trauma and Unresolved Grief Intervention (HTUG), or (4) waitlisted on …

Scope Of Attention Variation As A Function Of Anxiety And Depression, Kathleen Anne O'Donnell

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

As a social species, correct emotional perception is so vital, that the human brain has evolved a mechanism to control attentional choices by exerting a narrowed field of perception during danger, called the scope of attention (SoA). The SoA determines what information will be focused on or ignored by blocking the perception of non-relevant items and increasing selective focus on danger; even if danger is merely a sad-face. The emotional items blocked from perception cannot be remembered because they were never perceived. But, attention-control to emotional stimuli also varies with mood, as seen in mood-disorders. A mood-disorder’s effect upon the …