Mental and Social Health Commons^™

Flowers Or Flora?: Understanding The Effects Of Probiotics On Depression, Nicole Collopy

Student Research Posters

Chances are, we all know someone who has had their life affected by depression and anxiety; and we have all experienced these feelings on some level. What if the key to unlocking these problems lied within every one of us -- inside of our gut? The research topic being explored is the relationship between gut health and mood disorders. The question of interest is: Does the use of probiotic supplementation have an effect on feelings of depression?

Connection between gut health and mental health is significant as approximately 6.7% of adults in the U.S. suffer from major depressive disorder. There …

Open Ears, Open Mind, Open Heart: Active Listening, Mia Nguyen

Service-Learning | Student Scholarship

Active listening is the act of listening with all senses– the body, the mind, and the soul. It means empathizing with another person and finding that place within ourselves where we can listen beyond our initial judgements and personal feelings. It is listening beyond words and allowing our souls to understand, connect, and accept one another. Active listening sparks internal purity eliminating all types of judgement and allowing us to truly take in what another person has to offer. It is “an experience of language as a bodily felt process” in which we have a felt understanding rather than a …

Measuring Physiological Responses To Sensation In Typical Adults, Sarah Button, Kristen Christensen, Emily Minor

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Objective: Sensory processing issues can have a large negative impact on the ability to participate in daily occupations such as ADLs, access to work, school and leisure environments, and social interactions (Dunn, 2001). The evidence documenting sensory processing issues in adults is sparse. Physiological information can be used as objective evidence to support the claim that those with over-responsivity to sensations are experiencing their environment differently than the typical population. Understanding more about sensory processing in adults may lead to increased recognition of the problem and more opportunities for intervention to increase occupational participation. The purpose of this quantitative study …

Cruel And Unusual: A Look Into Prisoner Mental Health Care, Adonia Delgado Hipp

Scholarly and Creative Works Conference (2015 - 2021)

The United States incarcerates more of its citizens than any other country (Blumstein & Wallman, 2000). In fact, the rate of incarceration is more than five times higher than most of the countries in the world. Recent studies indicate that “Crowded living quarters, lack of privacy, increased risk of victimization, and solitary confinement within the institution have been identified as strong correlates for self-harm and adaptation challenges for those with mental health conditions in prison settings” (Gonzalez et al., 2014). One of the greatest persistent injustices of modern criminal law is that not only are poor people and people of …

A Sensory-Based Program To Enhance Occupational Performance For Dementia, Naomi Grace Wong, Jacob Joseph Gantan, Ivy Annahi Torres-Flores, Heather Anne August

Student Research Posters

Dementia is a neurological disease, causing behavioral and cognitive symptoms, that progressively impairs an individual’s ability to engage in meaningful activities. Progressive deterioration associated with dementia impacts occupational performance and independence and quality of life. Sensory based interventions, such as drumming groups, have been hypothesized to be a non-pharmacological intervention for individuals with dementia. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of a sensory based intervention program, in this case participation in a drumming group, on functional engagement during self-feeding for individuals with dementia. Researchers gathered data over the course of two days using the Functional Behavior …

Schizophrenia And Its Effects On An American Family: A Call To Action For The 21st Century, Cynthia Newton Captain

Senior Theses

Our country’s healthcare system is at a moral crossroads. The way we treat those whom we call “the homeless” is deplorable. The majority of the homeless are mentally ill and need treatment. Our country needs to treat those with the severe brain diseases of schizophrenia, schizo-affective disorder, and bi-polar disorder just as we would Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Those with severe mental illness, who have no insight into their illness, should not be allowed to dictate their own treatment. If a homeless person is brought to San Francisco General Hospital and is found to be a schizophrenic in psychiatric …

Gender Differences In Drinking Habits Among College Students, Margaret Anne Demayo

Student Research Posters

Binge drinking is a common problem found among college students. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in six U.S. adults binge drink about four times a month, consuming about eight drinks per binge." Over time, binge drinking in college can cause negative factors for students such as, poor academics and health problems.

The purpose of my study is to evaluate how stress factors such as environment and peer relationships affect drinking habits in male and female college students. Students experience stress factors such as environment (e.g. housing), peer relationships (e.g. peer pressure, relationships), school (e.g. …

Healthy Aging Website: Providing Online Occupation Based Information, Haley Caruthers, Samantha Talavera, Stephanie Vera, Jackeline Ulloa

Student Research Posters

Older adults (OAs) over the age of 65 are the fastest growing age group in the United States. They are also the fastest growing population of Internet users as they use the Internet to access health information related to optimizing independence, productivity, and social engagement. Although there is an abundant amount of information available that is devoted to healthy aging, the validity of the information can be questionable and the information may be confusing.

Dominican University of California’s (DUC) Healthy Aging website contains relevant and evidence-based research, including activities and local community based programs that promote healthy aging. To expand …

Facilitating Effective Communication Between First Responders And Older Adults During Fall Incidents: An Educational Intervention, Krystin M. Beeman, Erica L. Berger, Isabel A. Cabezas, Nicole M. Mathews

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

PURPOSE. The purpose of this project was to provide first responders with communication strategies for older adults that may help when responding to fall- related calls. General information was also provided to First Responders on working with older adults with a focus on the aging process, fall risk factors, and communications strategies.

METHODS. A series of educational sessions to first responders at a local fire district were developed and presented by occupational therapy students. Materials were developed by presenters from evidence-based resources and tailored to the target population. Each presentation focused on statistics about older adults, the aging process, fall …

Capturing Success At Autistry Studios: A Qualitative Study, Ali Ives, Vince Colombano, Joey Bava

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

This qualitative study examined the perceived outcomes of participation at Autistry Studios among young adult students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Autistry Studios is a unique program offering services to individuals with ASD similar to that of a pre-vocational training program. The mission of Autistry Studios is to help students with ASD become independent adults by engaging in “project-based therapy.” A setting is provided where individuals with ASD can achieve personal and functional growth with the use of creative resources like art supplies, raw materials, and power tools to pursue and complete a project that is client-centered. The purpose of …

Re-Injury Anxiety & Return-To-Sport Outcomes In College Students, Megan C. Callen

Scholarly and Creative Works Conference (2015 - 2021)

When athletes are injured, they are faced with the initial injury stage, physical therapy, rehabilitation, and then the return-to-sport. When athletes have a negative outlook, they are less likely to recover from the injury at the proposed date of return-to-sport, take a longer span of time to recover, and have higher levels of stress and anxiety. Wadey, Podlog, Hall, Hamson-Utley, Hicks-Little, & Hammer, (2014) examined the dimensions of reinjury anxiety and found athletes with greater reinjury anxiety were in denial of the severity of their injury by wishing things would get better and had a greater focus on their distress. …

Reflective Materials And The Use Of Glitter In Art Therapy, Amber Dee Mazza

Art Therapy | Master's Theses in Print

This paper hypothesizes that glitter is an important media in art therapy. This research asked the question, what is the significance and clinical application of glitter in art therapy? Glitter is a commonly used art material and research on the subject matter is absent. The method used was survey research with quantitative and qualitative questions. Seven hundred and fifty eight members of the American Art Therapy Association completed the survey. Glitter has significant meaning in reference to Cathy Moon’s theory of materiality, and can be used to bring light to client art work.

Stained Glass At The Cutter's Edge, Jocelyn Fitzgerald

Art Therapy | Master's Theses in Print

This thesis explored the personal experience of creating a stained glass window with five adolescents who had previously been identified as causing self-harm to themselves. The narratives of these five adolescents between the ages of thirteen to seventeen were collected in qualitative interviews. This study emphasized the importance of; self-object and transitional object, destructive and creative process, power and self-esteem. The literature illuminates; the history of self-mutilation, the current issues with self- mutilation, including the internet and cultures outside of the United States, the combination of narrative therapy with art therapy, the use of stained glass as an intervention, and …

Using The Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory-School Form, House-Tree-Person And Person Picking A Mango From A Tree In Salvadorian Children, Ana Enosensia De Ocampo

Art Therapy | Master's Theses in Print

The purpose of this study is to investigate the validity of the House Tree Person and Person Picking a Mango from a Tree as measured by FEATS as measures of self-esteem by comparing the results to the Coopersmith Self- Esteem Inventory - School Form (SEI-SF). In addition, the researcher hopes to obtain a better understanding of Salvadorian children's self-esteem. Forty male and female Salvadorian student ages 8-11 years-old participated in this study. They were first administered the Coopersmith SEI-SF to determine levels of global self-esteem, followed by instructions to draw in pencil a House, Tree and Person. Lastly, participants were …

Narrative Art Therapy For Families That Have A Child With A Life-Threatening Illness, Andrea A. Seitz

Art Therapy | Master's Theses in Print

Researchers have recognized the importance of meaningful collaboration between family medical and family therapy practitioners. A report published this year (2005) by the American Academy of Pediatrics spells out the need for pediatricians to be cognizant of the entire family’s needs when treating a child. Given the demands on pediatricians it seems almost impossible for them to provide psycho-social support needed by families. Therefore, a partnership between an MFT and a physician is a more realistic alternative. This proposal will offer an intervention model for working with families who have a child with a catastrophic illness. The treatment modality. Narrative …