Mental and Social Health Commons^™

Addressing The Potential Impacts Of Mental Illness Symptoms On Daily Occupations For Adolescents, Ashley Manjai, Mary Greer, Terah Harrison

Summer 2024 OTD Capstone Symposium

This presentation discusses a program developed for adolescents to address mental illness symptoms and its impact on personal hygiene, academic performance, leisure, and social participation. The modules were developed under the title "Healthy Living" to take a more holistic approach to addressing mental health and the issues teenagers face daily. This presentation will provide an overview of the program's purpose, methods, and conclusion.

Extending Pain Psychology Beyond The Psychologist: The Need For A Professional Clinical Identity, Tyler D. Barrett

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

This paper outlines the argument for establishing a commonly understood designation for allied health clinicians who specialize in psychological interventions for chronic pain. There is a growing need for clinicians with skills in psychological interventions for pain (“pain psychology”). However, there are not enough pain psychologists to meet the demand. Recent research has suggested that allied health professionals from varying disciplines can safely and effectively deliver pain psychology interventions. Clinical training in psychological interventions for pain outside of clinical psychology has been growing but remains limited. As the pool of cross-discipline clinicians with expertise in pain psychology expands, this specialization …

Using The Tarot To Heal: A Study Of The Use Of Tarot In Therapeutic Settings And The Creation Of A Major Arcana, Venae Demarte

Honors College

The purpose of this project is to determine whether the use of Tarot has merit in clinical use of mindfulness techniques. Both mindfulness and Tarot alike have been used to help those who struggle with their mental health (Nehra, et al., 2013; Semetsky, 2010). This study aims to combine these two notions by researching the use of Tarot readings as a mindfulness technique.

With Tarot already being used as a healing method to those who are open to its use, it makes sense to bring Tarot into a more empirical light, rather than limit its use to those who are …

Investigating Outcomes Of Emerging Treatments For Cerebral Palsy, Hannah Halt

University Honors College

Cerebral palsy presents a complex neurological challenge affecting movement and posture, with significant implications for individuals' quality of life. This essay provides a thorough examination of cerebral palsy, covering its prevalence, types, and associated health conditions. It explores current treatment modalities, including constraint-induced therapy, gaitfocused physical therapy, and cell-based therapies, highlighting their effectiveness and cost considerations. Ethical dilemmas in stem cell research for cerebral palsy are being discussed, alongside ongoing clinical trials and their potential impact. Through a multidisciplinary approach, this essay sheds light on the evolving landscape of cerebral palsy treatment, emphasizing the importance of early detection and intervention …

Counseling And Mental Health Awareness In Higher Education Institutions: A Phenomenological Exploration Of Mental Health And How It Affects Degree Completion Among Black Undergraduate College Women, Shaquina D. White, Desirae N. Williams

Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore Black undergraduate women’s lived experiences with mental health management and pursuance of degree completion. This study used a phenomenological approach, guided by the following research questions: 1) What barriers are Black undergraduate college women facing regarding their accessibility to counseling services on their campus? and 2) How do Black undergraduate college women with mental health issues effectively manage stressful situations while pursuing and completing a college degree? The current literature that examined Black women’s utilization of counseling is limited, especially among Black women enrolled in college. This study aimed to fill …

Expressive Arts Therapy To Support Positive Experiences Of Embodiment Among Rural Lgbtq+ Adults: A Literature Review, Ann Stromgren

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This paper investigates the use of expressive arts therapy to support LGBTQ+ adult clients in rural communities. Caring professionals in rural areas often lack training on how to work with LGBTQ+ clients, and best practices for clinical mental health counseling with rural LGBTQ+ clients have yet to be defined. Some evidence suggests that using “metronormative” best practices with rural clients may be irrelevant or cause harm (Giano et al., 2020). Although some recommendations exist for using expressive therapies with LGBTQ+ clients, they are rarely evidence-based, as very few empirical studies exist evaluating the effectiveness of expressive therapy interventions with LGBTQ+ …

An Occupation Based Program: Supporting Mothers Through Pregnancy And Postpartum, Precious Barnett, Monica Watford, La'shandra Russell

Summer 2023 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

This capstone project aimed to discover the effects of occupational therapy services with women who may experience or who are at risk for postpartum depression. Supporting Mothers Through Pregnancy and Postpartum is the developed capstone program. This program included occupation-based activities and resources to encourage occupational participation and engagement. This program used an integrative approach to support the participants of this project. This poster presentation includes background information regarding this population, the methods used to develop the program, program topic themes and goals, and links to view the program’s deliverables.

Breaking The Chains Of Generational Trauma, Carmen Parra

Sociology Student Work Collection

Negative experiences may be passed down from generation to generation resulting in Generational Trauma, many of us may be living with those consequences without ever noticing it. This analysis takes a look at the roots of generational trauma and how it is developed from one generation and repeatedly passed down without a stop. We explore different methods that can be followed for healing and further therapeutic methods for more severe cases.

Therapeutic Gardening For Mental Health In Substance Use Recovery, Stephanie E. Schafer

Master's Projects and Capstones

Abstract

As the clinical nurse leader (CNL) in this project, I used the “[CNL]

Essential 1: Background for Practice from Sciences and Humanities” (Competencies and Curricular Expectations for Clinical Nurse Leader Education and Practice, 2013) and its competencies to focus on designing nursing care for a clinical or community-focused population based on biopsychosocial, public health, nursing, and organizational sciences and to synthesize evidence for practice to determine appropriate application of interventions across diverse populations. With the help of the CNL competencies and collaboration with the healthcare team, we created and implemented a therapeutic garden for residents in a substance use …

Therapeutic Gardening For Addiction Recovery, Hugo A. Rivera Lopez

Master's Projects and Capstones

Problem: The use of evidence-based alternative forms of therapy like horticulture therapy and therapeutic gardening is underutilized in substance use recovery programs in the United States. As the country continues to struggle with addiction, it is important that recovery programs look to and incorporate these alternative therapies into official curricula. Currently, 46.3 million individuals living in the United States are living with a substance use disorder (U.S Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2022).

Context: The intervention was implemented at an all-male substance use treatment facility in San Jose, CA that houses up …

Behavioral Health Leadership Strategies To Increase Telehealth Engagement, Ramona Singletary-Robertson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

One of the challenges brought on by the recent COVID-19 pandemic has been the promotion and use of telehealth services. While recent data from Medicare has depicted an increase in this new service delivery modality (over 4,000%), there has been a stark disparity in the use of telehealth services in lower socioeconomic demographics, such as rural and underrepresented communities, and among Medicare recipients. Equitable, consistent, and optimal service expansion of the telehealth modality requires therapists and leaders of behavioral health organizations to develop and deploy creative tactics to remedy this disparity. In this case study, leaders of Miss Emma's Behavioral …

Exploring The Therapy Experiences Of Latinx Individuals Working With Non-Latinx Therapists, Edith Del Moral

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

Latinos are the largest minoritized ethnic group in the United States. Despite having a population of 62.1 million Latinos in the United States, the representation of Latinx therapists remains low. Therefore, the chance for Latinx individuals and families to receive mental health services from a Latinx therapist is very low. This phenomenological study examines the experiences of six Latinx individuals who worked with non-Latinx therapists. The resulting themes included therapist client match, awareness, respect for boundaries, and genuineness. These themes informed by the personal stories of people who have gone through the therapeutic process will aid professionals in the field …

Multi-Center, Single-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Functional Electrical Stimulation Therapy To Conventional Therapy In Incomplete Tetraplegia, Kim D Anderson, Radha Korupolu, Kristin E Musselman, Jacqueline Pierce, James R Wilson, Nuray Yozbatiran, Naaz Desai, Milos R Popovic, Lehana Thabane

Student and Faculty Publications

Background

Loss of upper extremity function after tetraplegia results in significant disability. Emerging evidence from pilot studies suggests that functional electrical stimulation (FES) therapy may enhance recovery of upper extremity function after tetraplegia. The aim of this trial was to determine the effectiveness of FES therapy delivered by the Myndmove stimulator in people with tetraplegia.

Methods

A multi-center, single-blind, parallel-group, two-arm, randomized controlled trial was conducted comparing FES to conventional therapy in adults (≥18 years) with C4–C7 traumatic incomplete tetraplegia between 4 and 96 months post-injury, and with a baseline spinal cord injury independence measure III -self-care (SCIM III-SC) …

Therapists’ And Teachers’ Experiences Of Children With Aggression: A Children’S Partial Hospitalization Program, Kimberlee Joy Dunlap

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Aggression is an indicator of future criminal behavior. It can be a result of trauma, substance-abusing parents, or executive functioning. Research has shown that aggression in childhood often creates criminal behavior later in life, thus researchers suggest that more studies are conducted on programs that help children with aggression. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the experiences of therapists who work with aggressive children in a children’s partial hospitalization program, and those teachers who have had these children in class before entering the program and upon discharge from the program. The qualitative study was done using semi-structured …

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

Theses and Dissertations

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

Associations Between Parent Characteristics And Acceptability Of Exposure-Based Treatments For Child And Adolescent Anxiety, Allison Rumelt

Selected Full Text Dissertations, 2011-

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), particularly exposure therapy, is the most effective treatment for anxiety disorders in children and adolescents (Kendall et al., 2005). Little research has been done to explore parent acceptability of treatment for anxiety in children and adolescents, and no research has explored the acceptability of exposure for this population. The purpose of the present study was to examine parent acceptability of exposure for child and adolescent anxiety as well as variables associated with acceptability. Parents completed a demographic questionnaire, the Clinically Useful Anxiety Outcome Scale (Zimmerman et al., 2010), and the Family Accommodation Scale – Anxiety (Lebowitz et …

Through The Lens Of Eaat Facility Manager: Benefits Of Equine-Assisted Activities And Therapies To College-Aged Students, Annalee Parker

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study aimed to explore and gather information on the benefits of equine assisted activities and therapies (EAAT) to college-aged students so that the information may be given to college students as an educational source and a mental health relief resource. This study strived to explore, through the lens of managers of EAAT organizations and their coworkers, how EAAT has positively affected college-aged students, including those with PTSD, behavioral problems, communication obstacles, Down syndrome, family differences, abusive relationships, depression, anxiety, and/or physical ailments. As a whole, EAAT is viewed as more of a recreational activity rather than a method of …

Dialectical Behavior Therapy For Dual Diagnosis: Treating Adolescent Substance Use Disorder And Co-Occurring Mood Disorders, Melody R. Gately

Senior Honors Projects

No abstract provided.

Art-Making And Wellbeing With Professional Artists During A Pandemic, Ilyse Lindsey, Schelsey Mahammadie-Sabet, Nicole Rademacher

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

This research project aims to explore the relationship between art-making and wellbeing in professional artists during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study involves 14 respondents who were invited to complete a Qualtrics survey as well as a process of arts-based inquiry. Researchers analyzed participants’ survey and art responses using an iterative collaborative process to identify emergent themes. These themes included a non-optional and internally-located drive to create; positive emotional, social, and physiological impacts associated with art-making and art-sharing; and, positive impacts on art practice associated with the pandemic. These findings emphasized the unique strengths and challenges associated with the professional artist …

Let’S Dance: Exploring The Physical, Psychological, And Social Effects Of Dance In Children, Alexis Sunderlage

Senior Theses

Movement and dance have a lot of positive health benefits, physically, psychologically, and socially. Children love to intrinsically move and creating a structured dance program is one way to gain the benefits of dance. The purpose of this study is to explore the physical, psychological, and social effects of dance in children while gaining insights that could be applied to the setting of occupational and physical pediatric therapies. This was done by conducting a literature review and exploring how children react to learning and following dance videos in a classroom setting by evaluating ability, engagement, and enjoyment by creating Let’s …

Clash Of Values: Workplace Bullying And Moral Injury, Jarl B. Anderson Ma, Mftc

Counseling and Family Therapy Scholarship Review

Moral injury is a psychological construct developed in military context, and although it has been expanded to include specific occupational fields outside of the military, it has not yet been proposed as an outcome of workplace bullying. Employees may experience moral injury when their personal values and the legitimate values of the workplace clash with unacknowledged shadow values during incidents of workplace bullying. Workplace bullying could be considered a potentially morally injurious event (PMIE) because it is transgressive, it is asymmetric, and it involves high stakes: livelihood and identity are at risk. Regarding counseling considerations, the use of ritual has …

Finding Parity Through Preclusion: Novel Mental Health Parity Solutions At The State Level, Ryan D. Kingshill

Dickinson Law Review (2017-Present)

Recently, the federal government has taken numerous steps to promote the equal treatment (also known as parity) of mental and physical health issues. The two most impactful actions are the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Act of 2008 and the Affordable Care Act. These acts focus on the traditional avenue for parity change—insurance regulation. While these acts have improved parity, major gaps in coverage and treatment between mental health/substance use disorder treatment and medical/surgical treatment persist. ERISA Preemption, evasive insurer behavior, lack of enforcement, and lack of consumer education continue to plague patients and healthcare professionals. On its own, federal …

The Social Work Perspective Regarding The Underutilization Of Mental Health Services Among African American Families, Carissma Tempest Hughes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The underutilization of mental health services amongst African American families has been a long-standing concern in the African American community within large metropolitan cities in Texas. The metropolitan cities are Austin, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio and McAllen. There remain experiences that impede families’ ability to engage in mental health services. These experiences involve the conflict between prayer and therapy, stigma, lack of awareness of local mental health services, and cultural competency. The purpose of this qualitative research study was to explore experiences of African American families and how those experiences affect mental health engagement, as well as how practicing …

An Exploration Of Interventions For Healing Intergeneration Trauma To Develop Successful Healing Programs For Aboriginal Australians: A Literature Review, Alison J. Simpson, William Abur, James A. Charles

Australian Indigenous HealthBulletin

Introduction

Health outcomes and life expectancy of Indigenous people throughout the world are far poorer than non-Indigenous populations. Emerging evidence from research shows that many social issues which impact on Indigenous peoples globally is linked to trauma over generations. This review explores literature about Indigenous people from around the world to seek interventions which have been successful in healing intergenerational trauma.

Method

To identify interventions that have been successful in healing intergenerational trauma amongst Indigenous populations globally, a systematic search strategy was conducted using keywords and synonyms related to the topic. Peer reviewed academic literature was sourced from four …

Analysis Of Newspaper Coverage Of Psilocybin From January 1, 1989 To December 31, 2019, Dax Oliver

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Psilocybin is a chemical compound that has received a lot of attention from medical researchers in recent years. However, this research is not merely a medical issue but a social and political one as well. In the 1960s, psilocybin and other psychedelic compounds were widely ingested outside of clinical settings. This alarmed some of the American public, resulting in severe legal restrictions on psilocybin use and research.

Today, many psilocybin advocates hope that it will avoid the negative public sentiment of the 1960s. To help gauge public sentiment about other psychoactive compounds, some studies have examined newspaper coverage, but there …

Are Effort And Helpfulness Ratings Of Session Activities Associated With Improved Outcomes In Web-Based Acceptance And Commitment Therapy (Act) For Caregivers?, Hannah R. Cragun

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Family caregivers for people with dementia are providing care for up to ten years because people with dementia are living longer. This role can be demanding because the person with dementia can have behavioral and psychological symptoms that can be stressful for the caregiver to witness and manage. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in its traditional face-to-face format has strong scientific support in helping caregivers to be less depressed and better cope with the stress associated with taking care of their loved one. However, because caregiving is a time-demanding role, caregivers can struggle with accessing face-to-face therapy, making online ACT …

Controlled Observation: The Challenges Of Therapy For The Mentally Ill Incarcerated Population, Esther Tingué

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Popular perception and objective of incarceration is confinement, brutality and in some cases inhumane conditions. But what about the incarcerated population who suffer from the additional burden of mental illness? How does confinement affect mentally ill inmates? This capstone project asks: (1) how do individuals/organizations provide rehabilitative services in this evolved culture of crime and punishment? And (2) how is therapy provided in a restricted environment? I examine these questions from the perspective of the therapist, the person who (in a restricted environment) takes on the responsibility of treating and managing the effects of mental illness for this population.

Kin(A)Esthetic Paper Play: A Community Engagement Project Offering A Therapeutic Experience By Exploring An Emergent Method Of Expressive Arts Therapy With Clinicians Who Studied Expressive Arts, Bed Hermin

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

For this community engagement project, I explored an emergent practice of Kin(a)esthetic Paper Play with expressive arts therapists. This practice aligns with Buddhist philosophy and practice in the West and its benefits can be explained through the theory of Embodied Simulation. The literature on Buddhism and Embodied Simulation highlights the positive benefits of abstract meditative processes done in groups. My goal was to explore the therapeutic elements of K(a)P within a community group setting. When elements of Kin(a)esthetic Paper Play were introduced to a group of alumni from Lesley’s Expressive Arts Therapy graduate program it was received well. I learned …

Attachment Dynamics As A Precursor For Sexual Risk-Taking Behaviors In Emerging Adulthood (18-25 Years Old), Eimileanne Delaney

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This study explored the relationship between attachment and sexual risk-taking behaviors in emerging adulthood. Understanding and identifying the variables that influence sexual risk behaviors are important to the design and implementation of therapeutic interventions and psychoeducation. It was hypothesized that there is a statistically significant relationship between attachment and increased levels of sexual risk-taking behaviors in emerging adults. To investigate the research hypothesis, this study used a quantitative correlational design to examine the relationship(s) between the variables. The participants completed three online questionnaires: a demographic questionnaire, the Sexual Risk Survey (SRS), and the Relationship Questionnaire (RQ). Results suggested that there …

Integrating The Natural Healing Process For Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Treatment In Veterans Through A Healing Garden., Taiwo A. Ajibade

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

In 2002, several ex-service personnel brought a court case against the Ministry of Defense for the inability to identify PTSD issues at an early stage and to provide support and effective treatment (Langston et al. 2007). Also in recent times, reports have suggested that US marine and army infantry units returning from duty in Iraq and Afghanistan have a higher level of expected proportions of mental disorders and that about 10% of personnel are returning home are with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (Smith et al., 2008). This discovery made it pertinent to look for natural ways to assist veterans …