Mental and Social Health Commons^™

An Updated Look At Mental Health Services In American Public And Private Prisons, Lieren E. Tyira

Student Theses

People residing in American prisons have the legal right to mental health care while incarcerated (Justia, 2021). This is important, as the prevalence of mental disorders is high in this population (Prins, 2014), and incarceration is a psychologically damaging experience, which hinders a person’s success at rehabilitation. Numerous of issues related to the mental health services (MHSs) in both public and private prison facilities have been reported in recent years, which warrants systematic exploration. The little existing research comparing the presence of MHSs in these facilities has produced mixed results, it uses out-of-date datasets, and none has explored MHSs in …

Suicide Among South Asians In The United States: A Growing Public Health Problem, Aruna Jha, Manik Ahuja, Rajvi J. Wani

ETSU Faculty Works

This research study quantifies and describes suicide among South Asian Americans (SAAs), an emerging population that are underrepresented group in suicide research. The purpose of this study was to examine key characteristics of suicide deaths among SAAs. Data were employed from DuPage County, IL, a county with a large SAA population. Following federal recommendations for disaggregating Asian American data at a granular level, four SAA researchers used name recognition to identify all SAA cases classified as suicide in the DuPage County coroner’s database from 2001 to 2017 (N = 38). Coroner’s reports were analyzed for contextual details and correlating …

The Clinical Healthcare Provided To Homeless Communities Across The United States: A Literature Review, Saylor Sisemore

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Homelessness has become a global public health concern as it results in poorer physical and mental health than age-matched people living in permanent housing (Ortiz & Roser, 2017). The area that comprises Northwest Arkansas (NWA), like other areas of the United States experiencing rapid growth, has seen a marked increase in the number of people experiencing homelessness in recent years. The homeless population is one of the most vulnerable and underserved groups of individuals in NWA and beyond. Public health nursing as a discipline is dedicated to providing compassionate care and exceptional service for all members of communities, with special …

A Descriptive Analysis Of Patients With Attempted Suicide At A Rural Level I Trauma Center, Evelyn Coile, Tatiana Eversley-Kelso, Eric K. Shaw, Cynthia Ponir, Mickey M. Ott

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Objectives

For patients with self-harm, suicide attempt, or suicide completion, the trauma bay is often the single point of contact. Regional differences and patterns exist for suicide that should be studied to enhance preventive strategies. Our goal was to critically evaluate the suicidal population of Southeast Georgia over a 9-year period.

Methods

A retrospective review of our trauma database from January 2010 through December 2019 was conducted at a Level I Trauma Center. All ages were included. All patients arriving with attempted suicide or death due to a suicidal complication were included. Patients with deaths highly suspicious for suicide were …

Patient Perspectives On Opioid Risk Discussions In Primary Care, Stephanie A. Hooker, Inih J. Essien, Caitlin M. Borgert-Spaniol, Rebecca C. Rossom, Anthony W. Olson, Katrina M. Romagnoli, Leif I. Solberg

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: Both patients and clinicians have described discussions of potential opioid risks as challenging. This study’s goal was to understand patient perspectives on discussing opioid risks with primary care clinicians (PCCs).

Methods: Patients identified to be at elevated risk for problems with opioids (ie, opioid use disorder [OUD] diagnosis, taking a medication for OUD, or having ≥ 3 opioid prescriptions in the last year) were recruited from an integrated, Upper Midwest health system to participate in semi-structured qualitative interviews. Interview questions aimed to better understand patient views on conversations about opioid risks with PCCs and perceptions of OUD screening and …

Learning From Lived Experience: Substance Use Policies, Emergency Shelters, And Harm Reduction In London, On, Jesse Cram, Dena Salehipour

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

Since 2018, the number of overdoses reported by London housing and emergency shelter agencies to the city of London has increased by 790%.These agencies currently have inconsistent overdose response policies that lack research-based support, and want to establish comprehensive best practices that support those involved at all levels.

Through a community based course, we initially collected and analyzed survey data from managers and staff from various London housing and emergency shelter agencies with the aim of understanding the limitations of the current approaches to the opioid crisis. Wanting to expand on this, our current project focuses on those who are …

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 …

Identifying Critical Aging Care Challenges And Opportunities In High-Income Countries: A Cross-Country Comparison Of Denmark, Germany, And The United States, Cassandra Martin

Capstone Collection

Despite the rapid growth in the aging population in the United States, insufficient resources and attention are invested in improving the support systems this population relies on. This discussion explored the question of how the United States as a high-income country fails to operate an aging care support infrastructure that has comparable comprehensiveness, availability, affordability, and overall quality to other high-income countries. Comparing financing structures, long-term care models, and various aging care supports is important for answering this question. This paper approached exploring this question by analyzing specified indicators from publicly available data across the United States, Germany, and Denmark. …

Virtual Behavioral Health Treatment Satisfaction And Outcomes Across Time, Mindy R. Waite, Sara Diab, James Adefisoye

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic continues to have major and long-lasting impacts on health care delivery and mental health. As health care shifted to telehealth, legislation was adjusted to expand telehealth allowances, creating a unique opportunity to elucidate outcomes. The aim of this study was to assess long-term patient and clinician satisfaction and outcomes with virtual behavioral health.

Methods: Data were obtained over 16 months from surveys to patients and clinicians receiving/providing virtual treatment. Outcomes data also were collected from medical records of adults receiving in-person and virtual behavioral health treatment. Data were summarized using descriptive statistics. Groups were compared using …

Can Variables From The Electronic Health Record Identify Delirium At Bedside?, Ariba Khan, Kayla Heslin, Michelle Simpson, Michael L. Malone

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Delirium, a common and serious disorder in older hospitalized patients, remains underrecognized. While several delirium predictive models have been developed, only a handful have focused on electronic health record (EHR) data. This prospective cohort study of older inpatients (≥ 65 years old) aimed to determine if variables within our health system’s EHR could be used to identify delirium among hospitalized patients at the bedside. Trained researchers screened daily for delirium using the 3-minute diagnostic Confusion Assessment Method (3D-CAM). Patient demographic and clinical variables were extracted from the EHR. Among 408 participants, mean age was 75 years, 60.8% were female, and …

Partnering To Advance Health Equity And A Welcome Opportunity To Gather: Proceedings From The 28th Annual Conference Of The Health Care Systems Research Network, Robert T. Greenlee

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

In April 2022, the Health Care Systems Research Network (HCSRN) — a consortium of 20 research institutions affiliated with large health systems spread across the United States (and one in Israel) — held its 28th annual conference in Pasadena, California, with 275 researchers, health care colleagues, and external academic partners in attendance. With a conference theme of “Promoting Collaboration and Partnerships to Advance Health Equity,” the scientific program was assembled by a multisite planning committee with input from representatives of informal local host Kaiser Permanente Southern California. Objectives of the annual conference are to showcase scientific findings from HCSRN projects …

Mental Health, Chronic Disease, And Substance Use: Findings From Rural Texas, Subi Gandhi, Ryan Glaman, Elizabeth Wachira, Muna Bashir, Sushma Sharma, Chelsea Mowles, Jasmine Luttrell

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

There are vital links among mental health conditions, chronic diseases, and substance use disorders. Simultaneous examination of the relationship among these three conditions is essential for providing well-integrated care to rural residents who have limited resources and for representing medically underserved areas. We aimed to assess the burden of behavioral health conditions and chronic diseases from a rural Texas community to garner context-specific insights and inform effective health promotion strategies in similar communities. We conducted a cross-sectional study among 181 residents from various zip codes in a rural Texas county. A self-administered, 18-item health-needs questionnaire was used to collect data …

The Use Of Occupational Therapy Services In Outpatient Mental Health, Kelsey A. Wasik, Matt T. Valois, Kaylee M. Essenberg, Kelcie P. Beck

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study is aimed to explore the structure and utilization details of occupational therapy in outpatient behavioral health settings. Two occupational therapists participated in qualitative phenomenological interviews which were transcribed and analyzed using the thematic approach. A total of two themes emerged: billing and coverage, and education and advocacy. Participants identified there are necessary factors for reimbursement of services, in addition to the need for education and advocacy for occupational therapists to practice in outpatient behavioral health settings. Future research should be aimed at recruiting more participants, occupational therapists, and from other roles in these clinics such …

Factors Affecting Emergency Department Mental Health Visits, Logan Daul

Honors Thesis

Research has shown that current quantities of emergency department visits for mental health and substance use are increasing at a startling rate. These increases are acknowledged in quantitative studies and some important information can be gathered from qualitative studies however determining specific causes for these emergent visits are difficult. The purpose of this study is to derive findings from statistical analyses focusing on quantities of emergency department visits for mental health and substance use disorders. Comparisons will be drawn at the state level between the per capita quantity of emergency department visits and poverty rate, climate, psychiatric healthcare infrastructure, urban …

Spending On Public Benefit Programs And Exposure To Adverse Childhood Experiences, Megan Collins

Research Days

Watch recording of live presentation.

Background: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been shown to be associated with poor health outcomes, and children living in poverty are more likely to experience ACEs. Our objective was to estimate the association between spending on benefit programs and cumulative exposure to ACEs among children.

Methods: This cross-sectional study examined state and federal spending, at the state-level, on 5 categories of public benefit programs: cash, housing, and in-kind assistance; housing infrastructure; childcare assistance; refundable Earned Income Tax Credit; and Medical Assistance Programs (e.g., Medicaid). The primary exposure was median annual spending per person living below …

Analyzing The Effects Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Mood Disorders In Patients, Alexa Golub, Joanna Petrides, Meagan Vermeulen

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

The COVID-19 pandemic brought about restrictions on social interactions, altered work settings/job losses, decreased access to groceries and essentials, and more

With strict prevention measures and isolating quarantine experiences, it was anticipated that the lockdown would have psychological effects

Some contributing psychological stressors included duration of quarantine, fear of infection, boredom, lack of supplies, inadequate information, and finances

This study aimed to quantify and evaluate any change in mood disorder diagnoses since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic

Lead Poisoning, Education, And Advocacy For Prevention (L.E.A.P.) Study, Stephen Acheampong, Britney Aderinto, Zander Turcich, Ali Harb

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Lead poisoning has been regarded as a major threat due to its irreversible and harmful effects. This includes severe cognitive and developmental impairments, especially in children.

Over the years, the CDC has reduced the benchmark for acceptable blood lead levels (BLL) from 10 μg/ml to 3.5 μg/ml to allow for earlier intervention and prevention.

Despite increased awareness and government programs that lead to a decline in mean blood levels across the country, testing for elevated BLLs, especially in low-income households, continues to be disproportionately lower.

The Effect Of Covid-19 On Depression In Hispanic Vs. Non-Hispanic Populations In South Jersey, Rana Cheikhali, Daniel Casal

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

The COVID-19 pandemic has been challenging for Americans and the world as a whole. It has especially taken a toll on mental health. Studies show that the incidence of depression in the United States was three times greater during the pandemic compared to pre-pandemic times. One specific community in the United States that has been greatly affected by the pandemic is the Hispanic American community. Many Americans across the country have received federal surveys that aim to determine the social and economic impacts of COVID-19. Results revealed that the Hispanic population had the greatest rise in mental illness, with 40% …

What Motivates Patients To Enroll In A Naloxone Co-Prescribing Program?, Christina Kanagawa, David Aloisio, Eshani Choksi, Manasa Gowda, Tyler Klecha, Charles M. Defendorf

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Patients were contacted via phone call to establish knowledge of and prescription status regarding naloxone. They were then invited to enroll in a research study consisting of two online surveys.

The patients who had been prescribed naloxone by the time the study had started ranked being persuaded by a medical professional as being the most important reason for accepting the naloxone prescription.

Insufficient data collected during the six-week time frame to draw statistically significant conclusions about what motivates patients to receive naloxone co-prescriptions.

Correlations seen in this study are interesting and warrant further investigation.

Implementing Best Practices For Co-Prescribing Naloxone In Your Agency: A Guide For Healthcare Professions, Michael Anyanwu, Emmanuel Asenso Jr., Ahmad Hussein, Jessica Baaklini, Michael Sunderhauf

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

From April 2020 to April 2021, it has been recorded that there have been 75,673 opioid overdose-related deaths in the United States. This number is up almost 20,000 more from the last period that deaths were recorded, coming in at 56,064 from April 2019 to April 2020. The use of naloxone, has been proven to save the lives of overdose patients on opioids by reversing its effects. It has already shown significant reduction in opioid overdose related mortality. Pharmacists are now able to prescribe naloxone with opioid prescriptions without a script from a doctor. EMS units are active in communities …

Understanding Changes In Mortality With Implementation Of Safe Injection Sites, Shubh Bhambri

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

The purpose of this study is to analyze mortality due to overdose in areas that have implemented supervised injection sites and understand what factors these facilities affect that can lead to a change in outcomes.

Income And Its Effects On Health Literacy: A Study Between A Student-Run Free Clinic And A Family Medicine Office, Shayna Peterzell, Sahil Parikh, Thomas Ruta, Rabiye Ayaz, Srujan Dadi, Emily Forester, Olivia Choi, Rachel Fletcher-Slater, Melodi Harfouche, John Cruz, Roma Padalkar, Sobiah Khan, Rebecca Moore

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

More than 1/3 of people nationwide (80+ million) have limited health literacy, which contributes to poor health outcomes and lifestyle choices. Health literacy is defined as the understanding and application of words, numbers & documents (i.e., medication labels, medical forms). The Rowan Community Health Center (RCHC), located in Lindenwold NJ, is a student-run clinic that wanted to assess the health literacy of our patients in order to further provide better care. RCHC provides cost-free primary care services regardless of income, insurance, or legal status. To assess health literacy, RCHC used the New Vital Signs (NVS) literacy assessment tool to investigate …

The Need For Depression And Anxiety Screenings At A Student-Run Clinic, Shayna Peterzell, Sahil Parikh, Alicia Podwojniak, Vibha Chauhan, Riya Tandra, Emily Forester, Saumil Parikh, Jessica-Sophie Horoschak, Patrick Pearce, Roma Padalkar, Sobiah Khan, Tara Pellegrino

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

General anxiety and major depressive disorder are common and treatable mental health disorders. The US Preventive Services Task Force provides strong evidence that early screening helps identify depression in primary care settings, promotes intervention and facilitates treatment. Many medical offices use validated screening tools, GAD-7 and PHQ-9, to measure symptom severities and further help guide treatment modalities for patients with anxiety and depression, respectively. The Rowan Community Health Clinic (RCHC) in Lindenwold, NJ is a student-run free clinic that serves patients regardless of patient gender, race, income, or insurance status. This study aims to determine if there is a need …

Preferences For Support Resources Among Loved Ones Of Adults Prescribed Opioid Medications, Mansi Patel, Desta M. Pulley, Daniel Manvich

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

The opioid epidemic continues to be a leading cause of overdose and related deaths in America. While most interventions are focused on the individuals with opioid and substance use disorder (OUD/SUD); the impact caregivers and family can have on the treatment of patients with OUD is non-existent. The purpose of this study is to collect pilot data on peers, friends, and family members of patients with SUD/OUD to understand the barriers in psychosocial support and maintaining treatment retention; barriers to accessing medication assisted therapy (MAT) and naloxone; and caregiver fatigue and barriers for caregivers. The collected data will be used …

A Systematic Review Of The Barriers Of Opioid Addiction Treatment For Young Adult Males (Ages 18-26) Living In Low Income Areas In The United States Of America, Atish Gandhi, Asim Shafique, Jillian Baker

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

NOTE: This is a broad literature review, not a systematic review.

This systematic review aims to analyze the reasons behind reduced access to opioid addiction treatment for individuals of low socioeconomic standing. Understanding these barriers may allow communities to build a more comprehensive plan to lower addiction rates. In addition, this review will be examining further developments of theopioid crisis due to the recent COVID-19 pandemic. The literature search used publications from the following databases: PubMed, Google Scholar, and NCBI. The keywords searched were “opioid addiction”, “substance abuse”, “low-income area”, “barriers to treatment”, “young male addiction”, “opioid treatment”, “Narcan”. There …

Eat Well, Be Well: Basic Needs Initiative's Online Hub For Nutrition Education, Misha Moseley

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Basic Needs Initiative at California State University, Monterey Bay is a department that provides students with food, housing, and wellness resources. Over half of the university's students experience food insecurity, and over 85% use non-academic resources to learn about nutrition. This project adds a dietary health section to the department’s website to increase students’ access to nutrition education. It addresses the micro-level agency problem that too few students eat a healthy, balanced diet. Unhealthy eating is a risk factor for food insecurity, so the project indirectly addresses the macro-level health problem that too many college students in California experience food …

Is Health Literacy A Defined Risk Factor? A Literature Review Of Health Literacy As It Relates To Immigrant Populations In The U.S., Kelly Zdanuczyk

International Development, Community and Environment (IDCE)

Throughout its lifespan the definition of health literacy in the United States has been ambiguous and disagreeable. This discrepancy has created disparity among health outcomes for vulnerable populations who are classified with lower degrees of health literacy and thus have a harder time interacting with the healthcare system. This paper will review published peer-reviewed literature on the topic of health literacy as it relates to immigrant populations in the United States and explore the ways in which low health literacy results in negative health outcomes. The literature review finds the discrepancies among health literacy, as it pertains to immigrant communities …

Health Disparities In Adults With Developmental And Intellectual Disabilities, Tulsi Patel

Nursing | Senior Theses

This paper reviews literature pertaining to the treatment of people with developmental disabilities. It will emphasize the inadequacies of health care in this population. The literature that will be discussed focuses on disparities in care via proxy, sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with disparities, assessing the needs of this population, the prevalence of disabilities in rural and urban settings, and the comparison of health disparities between adults with and without developmental disabilities.

For the purpose of this paper, a few terms will be defined. Developmental disabilities (DD) will be defined as “a group of conditions due to an impairment in …

Pandemic-Related Caregiver Burden Among Public Health Workforce: A Mixed-Method Analysis, Tony Lee

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by a highly contagious novel virus called SARS-CoV-2, has led to significant global morbidity and mortality. The healthcare workforce (HCW) is disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and is more likely to report depression, burnout, moral injury, compassion fatigue, and post-traumatic stress. However, research among the public health workforce (PHW) remains limited. Given the burden of COVID-19 itself, coupled with the work-related pressure of rapid pandemic management strategies, risk of exposure, potential fatigue, etc., understanding the mental health needs of PHW and related professionals is critical. As such, the purpose of this study is to …

Long-Acting Antipsychotic Injectables Vs. Oral Antipsychotics: Comparing Compliance, Relapse, And Re-Hospitalization Rates, Latoria Boyland Bsn, Rn, Kara Darretta Bsn, Rn, Ansley Geno Bsn, Rn, Keevia Porter Dnp, Np-C, Rn

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Purpose/Background Psychosis is a psychiatric disorder characterized by hallucinations and delusions. These symptoms not only negatively impact a patient’s quality of life but can also make treatment compliance difficult. This lack of treatment compliance ultimately leads to higher relapse and re-hospitalization rates among this population. Thus, it is imperative that effective treatments are developed, utilized, and made readily available for patients. Antipsychotics are medications that block dopamine D2 receptors. These medications are used for psychosis to help to improve patient outcomes. Currently, two routes of antipsychotic administration are available, oral antipsychotics or long-acting antipsychotic injections (LAIs). Oral antipsychotic administration requires …