Mental and Social Health Commons^™

Drivers Of Being Unhoused And The Prevalence Of Health Conditions Among Unhoused Individuals In Asheville, Nc, Andrea K. Yontz, Amber Beane, Tessa Frank, Amy Upham, Dustin V. Patil, Dan Pizzo, Steve Buie, Jacqueline R. Halladay

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Background

During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an increase in the number of unhoused individuals in Asheville, North Carolina resulting in more tent encampments.

Understanding the physical, mental, and socially determined health characteristics associated with being unhoused can help guide stakeholders with policy development, healthcare program planning, and funding decisions to support unhoused individuals.

Methods

In this study, we used an observational cross-section methodology. Using a convenience sample approach, we interviewed 101 participants who were receiving services from 2 emergency hotel shelters, a day center, and a resource center. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and open-ended responses were collected …

Wellness Review 2023, Part 1, Brian A. Ferguson, Martin Huecker

Journal of Wellness

Introduction: The 2023 Part 1 summary reviews research on wellness in healthcare professionals published outside of JWellness from January 1, 2023 to June 30, 2023.

Methods: Editors conducted a Boolean search of titles and abstracts in PubMed utilizing keyword identifiers pairing healthcare personnel (providers, nurses, and other staff) with a well-being metric. Of 416 relevant articles, an intriguing and innovative 30 were selected for inclusion, with two additional articles manually curated.

Literature in Review: This sample of the recent literature into healthcare professional wellness included multiple targeted interventions and studies of resilience. Main themes that emerged include: positive systematic healthcare …

Prevalence Of Substance Use Among Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual High School Students In 2019 Vs. 2021, Jordyn Lee, Elisabeth Hayes, Adam Wyatt

Nursing & Health Sciences Research Journal

Background: Studies suggest that LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, plus) youth are at increased risk of engaging in alcohol and substance use. The COVID-19 pandemic forced many students to isolate in 2020 and 2021, and the impacts of this have been purported to be detrimental. This study examines the prevalence of alcohol and substance use among lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) U.S. high school students before the pandemic in 2019 versus 2021. Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study used results from the 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) and the 2021 Adolescent Behavior and Experiences Survey (ABES). The 2019 YRBS …

Access To Prenatal Care And Mental Health In Pregnant Women During Covid-19: A Systematic Review, Chloe Feezel, Marin Kahoun, Kaija Kunttu

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

COVID-19 affected the world in many ways. Pregnant women were greatly impacted by a change in their access to prenatal care, from in-person care to telehealth methods, and social support being limited by social isolation. Compared with prevalence of anxiety and depression in pregnant women pre-COVID-19, pregnant women during COVID-19 reported higher levels of anxiety and depression symptoms due to the stress of circumstantial changes. The purpose of this systematic review is to review and critically appraise the evidence about access to prenatal care and mental health in pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic. The following PICOT formatted question will …

How Has The Pandemic Exacerbated Nurse Burnout, And What Can Be Done To Improve Their Psychological And Emotional Well-Being?, Lisette Diaz

Nursing | Senior Theses

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected millions of people, both emotionally and physically. Nurses are among the people who are most affected. The nurses' quality of life and the way they provide care has been changed by the pandemic. Nurses are so focused on providing the best possible care for their patients that they neglect to look after themselves.

Objective: The purpose of this literature review is to identify and evaluate how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected nurses and their well-being. The significance of this research was to establish how the ongoing pandemic has impacted nurses’ performance and …

Parent And Child Anxiety Evaluated During An Early Period Of The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Mixed-Methods Study, Karla M. Abela, Darlene Acorda, Stanley Cron, Geri Lobiondo-Wood

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: The objective of this study was to explore parent and child anxiety during the pandemic. Unlike previous pandemics, measures implemented to prevent the transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus have been much more limiting.

Methods: An explanatory convergent mixed-methods design was used to describe anxiety of children 9–17 years of age and their parents during August–October 2020. Adult and child versions of State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) were used to examine levels as measured on STAI’s state-anxiety subscale. Web-based interviews with a subset of patients were conducted qualitatively to analyze anxiety-related themes.

Results: A total of 188 parents …

Wellness Review 2022, Part 1, Martin Huecker, Brian A. Ferguson, Jacob Shreffler

Journal of Wellness

Introduction: This article represents the first of a two-part assessment of 2022 literature addressing wellness in healthcare professionals published from January 1, 2022 to June 30, 2022.

Methods: Three editors conducted a similar keyword search in Pubmed, also adding manually curated articles. Focusing chiefly on clinical trials and other prospective research, we settled on a final 25 significant papers focusing on wellness in medical professionals to include in this review.

Literature Review: Recent literature into HCW wellness continues to describe burnout factors and COVID-19 impact, but includes more resilience-targeting interventions and systematic reviews of trials seeking bolstering of well-being. Subsections …

Evaluating Burnout, Secondary Traumatic Stress, And Sleep Disturbances In Healthcare Professionals During A Global Pandemic, Laura K. Miller, Sarah Pehlke

Journal of Wellness

Introduction: For healthcare workers, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in increased workload, work related stress and patient acuity potentially leading to burnout, secondary traumatic stress (STS), and sleep disruptions. This study aims to assess the prevalence of burnout and STS symptoms, as well as sleep disturbances among healthcare personnel working in the United States during the pandemic.

Methods: Healthcare workers from all disciplines and settings in the United States completed a cross-sectional survey about work and personal characteristics from January 20-March 1, 2021. Participants reported on symptoms of burnout, STS, and sleep disruptions.

Results: A total of 360 participants in the …

The Effects Of Covid-19 On Well-Being Of Healthcare Workers, Hannah Meissner

Honors Theses

The development of the new coronavirus disease, COVID-19, led to the spread of turmoil across the United States and further around the globe. With the virus creating uncertainty among the population, the evidence began to demonstrate that individuals could have devastating health effects, including death. Healthcare workers are among those who were on the frontlines in order to care for the infected, ultimately increasing their own chances of acquiring the virus and putting their health at risk. These workers have experienced a direct impact due to this exposure in the form of isolation, anxiety, depression, suicide, and sleep disturbances. With …

Wellness Review 2021, Part 2, Brian A. Ferguson, Martin Huecker

Journal of Wellness

Introduction: This article presents Part 2 of the biannual JWellness Review of literature from 2021 (July – December). We emphasize new science and resilience initiatives published outside of JWellness that seek understanding of burnout and thriving among healthcare professionals (HCPs).

Methods: For the interval of July 1 to December 30, 2021, PubMed was queried for empirical and observational research studies, review articles, guideline summaries, letters, and editorials. Of 93 results, we reviewed methods and salient points to arrive at a final list of 48 articles for inclusion.

Literature in Review: Common themes that emerged included teamwork, EMR optimization, group decompression, …

Covid-19 Vaccine Uptake Among College Students, Erin Hoening, Elizabeth Morse, David Phillippi, Krystal Huesmann

DNP Scholarly Projects

Background: Public health strategies to improve COVID-19 vaccine uptake among college students living in residential communities varied, some universities opted to mandate COVID-19 vaccines while other universities opted to promote and influence the choice for vaccination.

Purpose: This descriptive, cross-sectional study examined the voluntary uptake of COVID-19 vaccines among residential students on a college campus in the southeastern U.S. that elected an evidence-driven health promotion strategy that included strong health promotion messaging coupled with coordinated efforts to make the vaccine accessible and appealing to students on campus.

Methods: Analysis of vaccine uptake was derived from campus electronic health records during …

Virtual Versus Face-To-Face Cognitive Behavioral Treatment Of Depression: Meta-Analytic Test Of A Noninferiority Hypothesis And Men’S Mental Health Inequities, Carly M. Charron, Kevin M. Gorey

Social Work Publications

Global rates of depression have increased significantly since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is unclear how the recent shift of many mental health services to virtual platforms has impacted service users, especially for the male population which are significantly more likely to complete suicide than women. This paper presents the findings of a rapid meta-analytic research synthesis of 17 randomized controlled trials on the relative efficacy of virtual versus traditional face-to-face cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in mitigating symptoms of depression. Participants’ aggregated depression scores were compared upon completion of the therapy (posttest) and longest follow-up measurement. The results …

Auto- Ethnography With A Deep Dive Into Changes Mental Health During The Pandemic And A Look Into The Way The Pandemic Has Shaped Nursing Protocols For Recent Nursing College Graduates, Audrey Shaffer, Sarah Bereznay

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

In this project we completed a deep dive into how the Covid-19 pandemic reshaped our mental health and has affected our preparation for careers as registered nurses through a series of auto- ethnographic narrative journals using scholarly articles to support this idea. By utilizing personal narratives, we analyzed and reflected upon the cognitive and mental changes we experienced throughout this pandemic. We fulfilled this by comprising two personal narratives with inquiries pertaining to each shared narrative by utilizing the common themes of being nursing students and living through a pandemic. Within these personal narratives, we discussed how the pandemic influenced …

Student Pharmacists’ Emotional Responses And Coping During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Hannah E. Johnson, Deaundre Bumpass, Aric Schadler, Jeffrey Cain

Journal of Wellness

Introduction: Health professions students, including student pharmacists, have been impacted by the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19 pandemic) as schools have transitioned to remote learning and cancelled milestone events. During times of crises, media consumption and hobby participation also impact well-being. The adverse emotional responses and coping strategies of student pharmacists amidst the COVID-19 pandemic have not been evaluated, nor have factors that may contribute to emotional responses. The purpose of this study is to determine Doctor of Pharmacy students’ emotional responses and coping precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the influence of media use, working status, and participation in hobbies. …

Impact Of Social Isolation In Hiv-Positive Individuals During A Pandemic, Corina Jane Bakoylis

Dissertations

Problem: The global pandemic of COVID-19 caused concern for immunocompromised individuals. The purpose of this quality improvement initiative was to assess the impact of social isolation on feelings of loneliness, depression, and social isolation experiences in HIV-positive individuals residing in a long-term care facility.

Methods: A mixed-method convergent design with a purposeful sample of HIV-positive adult residents residing in a long-term care facility was utilized. An evaluation of loneliness using the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness Scale (Version 3) and depression using the Patient Health Questionnaire-8 (PHQ-8) were completed. Personal experiences were also assessed with five predetermined open-ended …

The Disproportionate Impact Of Covid-19 On Women, Ava Stallone

Honors Scholar Theses

The impact of COVID-19 is placing a large strain on women. This can be seen through reports of mental health and financial concerns. Women are more vulnerable to COVID-19 related economic effects due to existing gender inequalities, which in turn may also have a negative effect on mental health. Through this study gender disproportion is looked at between mental health and COVID-19 financial concerns among women and men. The aim is to asses how COVID-19 financial concerns may be contributing to stress, anxiety, and depression. It is hypothesized that; women will report worse mental health and greater economic concerns than …

Covid-19’S Psychological Influences: How Have University Students Been Affected?, Julaby Dalman

Nursing | Senior Theses

Undergraduate students are well-known as a vulnerable population prone to stress, anxiety, depression and various other psychological problems during their academic time at university or college. With the introduction and sudden integration of the COVID-19 pandemic into the daily lives of these high-risk students, globally, many people are concerned with how the mental health of this population will be affected, given the presence of the pandemic in addition to the multiple safety measures put in place in an attempt to contain the virus. This includes students having been subjected to prolonged implementation of shelter-in-place mandates and requirements of social-distancing across …

When Covid-19 Enters In A Community Setting: An Exploratory Qualitative Study Of Community Perspectives On Covid-19 Affecting Mental Well-Being, Naureen Akber Ali, Anam Shahil Feroz, Noshaba Akber, Rida Feroz, Salima Nazim Meghani, Sarah Saleem

School of Nursing & Midwifery

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an increased level of anxiety and fear among the general population related to its management and infection spread. Considering the relevance of present circumstances, we explored perceptions and attitudes of community members towards their mental well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Setting: We conducted an exploratory qualitative study using a purposive sampling approach, at two communities of Karachi, Pakistan.
Participants: In-depth interviews were conducted with community members including, young adults, middle-aged adults and older adults of both genders. Study data were analysed manually using the thematic analysis technique.
Primary outcome: The primary outcome is …

Depression Symptoms And Covid-19, Kaylee Armendariz

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Student Works

The COVID-19 pandemic presents new challenges in behavioral healthcare. Americans may face anxiety surrounding the virus, economic strain, isolation, and grief, putting them at increased risk for depression symptoms. This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) quality improvement project aimed to increase depression screening rates and utilized data from a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) to identify population groups at higher risk for depression symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) depression screening tool, a statistical analysis determined if being tested for COVID-19 or testing positive for COVID-19 had an impact on depression symptoms. Additionally, this project …

The Effect Of Covid-19 On The Mental Health Of College Athletes, Molly Mcardle

Senior Theses

This research aimed to explore how the mental status of student athletes at the University of South Carolina has been affected by the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 61 student athletes between the ages of 17 and 24 participated in the study and completed a series of questions including the Depression-Anxiety-Stress Scale 21 (DASS-21) and the Group Environment Questionnaire (GEQ). Independent samples t-tests and descriptive analyses were used for comparisons between gender and age. The results showed that female athletes reported statistically significantly higher levels of anxiety and stress than male athletes (p = 0.049 and p = …

Mental Health Of Children And Adolescents Amidst Covid-19 And Past Pandemics: A Rapid Systematic Review, Salima Meherali, Neelam Punjani, Samantha Louie-Poon, Komal Abdul Rahim, Jai K. Das, Rehana A. Salam, Zohra S. Lassi

School of Nursing & Midwifery

Background: The COVID‑19 pandemic and associated public health measures have disrupted the lives of people around the world. It is already evident that the direct and indirect psychological and social effects of the COVID‑19 pandemic are insidious and affect the mental health of young children and adolescents now and will in the future. The aim and objectives of this knowledge-synthesis study were to identify the impact of the pandemic on children's and adolescent's mental health and to evaluate the effectiveness of different interventions employed during previous and the current pandemic to promote children's and adolescents' mental health.
Methodology: We conducted …

The Effects Of Administrative Support On Registered Nurse Well-Being During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Cassandra Fox

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Student Works

Attention to the well-being of nurses is necessary to ensure the healthcare system can operate effectively, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The workplace environment and support from nursing leadership strongly contribute to nurses’ well-being. Currently, there is little evidence on the effect nursing leadership has on nurses’ well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. This DNP clinical inquiry project sought to learn more about the effects of caring leadership behaviors on nurses’ well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. A survey composed of questions from previously validated and reliable surveys used in the field of nursing was used to collect data. Neuman’s systems theory …

Innovative Strategies To Support Mental Wellbeing, Victoria Y. Mccue

Nursing & Health Sciences Research Journal

The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has adversely affected many people’s mental wellbeing. COVID-19 has led healthcare organizations to reconceptualize and reform healthcare through an innovative lens that will foster resilience. Finding strategies to support mental wellbeing, especially for frontline clinicians, is crucial to ensure a comprehensive recovery. This manuscript describes innovative strategies implemented within one healthcare organization in the Southeastern United States to nurture mental wellbeing for the community and frontline healthcare clinicians.

Perinatal Anxiety And Depression During The Covid 19 Pandemic, Helen Xumin Chen, Nancy Selix, Marcianna Nosek

DNP Qualifying Manuscripts

Abstract

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak places perinatal women at higher risk of developing anxiety and depression. Uncertainty, fear, and confusion in medical, social, economic, occupational and political aspects of life in the US add to existing stressors that perinatal women experience. To optimize the quality of perinatal care during the pandemic, appropriate mental health interventions must be implemented to prevent and alleviate perinatal anxiety and depression and improve maternal and infant outcomes. Measures include increased screening, non-pharmacologic and/or pharmacologic interventions and the use of telehealth for care delivery.

Keywords: perinatal anxiety, perinatal depression, COVID-19, SARS CoV-2, maternal …

Exploring The Mental Health Needs Of Intensive Care Unit Nurses Facing The Pandemic Of Covid-19, Bushra Salamah

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Student Works

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has spread domestically and internationally, with approximately 134 billion confirmed cases worldwide and over 2 million deaths attributed to the virus. Frontline healthcare workers are at a substantially higher risk of infection and death due to excessive COVID-19 exposure while also facing mental health challenges. Epidemiological data on the mental health statuses of frontline nurses is still limited. The aim of this study was to examine mental health (burnout, stress, emotional exhaustion, disengagement) and associated factors among Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Nurses who are caring for COVID-19 patients to support and maintain their psychological well-being.