Mental and Social Health Commons^™

Rural Mental Health Care During A Global Health Pandemic: Addressing And Supporting The Rapid Transition To Tele-Mental Health, Shawnda Schroeder, Holly Roberts, Thomasine Heitkamp, Brandy Clarke, Heather J. Gotham, Erika Franta

Indigenous Health Faculty Publications

The adoption of tele-mental health by mental health professionals has been slow, especially in rural areas. Prior to 2020, less than half of mental health agencies offered tele-mental health for patients. In response to the global health pandemic in March of 2020, mental health therapists across the U.S. were challenged to make the rapid shift to tele-mental health to provide patient care. Given the lack of adoption of tele-mental health previously, immediate training in tele-mental health was needed. This article describes collaborative efforts between two mental health technology transfer centers and one addiction technology transfer center in rural regions of …

Urban Land-Based Healing: A Northern Intervention Strategy, Nicole Redvers, Melanie Nadeau, Donald Prince

Indigenous Health Faculty Publications

Urban Indigenous populations face significant health and social disparities across Canada. With high rates of homelessness and substance abuse, there are often few options for urban Indigenous Peoples to access land-based healing programs despite the increasingly known and appreciated benefits. In May 2018, the first urban land-based healing camp opened in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada, one of the first to our knowledge in Canada or the United States. This camp may serve as a potential model for an Indigenous-led and Indigenous-based healing camp in an urban setting. We seek to present preliminary outcome data from the healing camp in a …

Identification Of Cancer Related Risk And Protective Factors For American Indian Youth: A Mixed Studies Review, Melanie Nadeau, Kathryn Wise, Vianca Farfan Cuela, Devon Olson, Karan Saravana

Indigenous Health Faculty Publications

Introduction: Many causes of cancer related morbidity and mortality can be traced back to childhood behaviors. The culmination of cancer related risk and protective factors impacting the health and wellbeing of American Indian youth is unknown. The aim of this Mixed Studies Review was to identify cancer related risk and protective factors among American Indian youth. Results will be shared with Tribal communities to inform surveillance efforts.

Methods: A Mixed Studies Review process was deemed most appropriate for the search process and data collection. 7 databases were included in the search along with 3 databases that were hand searched. Google …

Managing Anxiety With Pharmacogenomic Testing, Ashley Pommer

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Papers

Anxiety affects approximately three to seven percent of the United States population, and nearly 50% of the diagnosed patients fail to respond to first-line treatment regimens (Boland, Duffy, & Meyer 2018). Traditional first-line treatments include medication therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), or the combination of both. With such a high initial failure rate, recent studies indicate promising results in managing anxiety with pharmacogenomic testing. Pharmacogenomic testing is allowing providers to prescribe medication based on individual genetic makeup, focusing on how each patient metabolizes certain medications. The purpose of this literature review was to determine if first-line methods or pharmacogenomic testing …

Outcomes In Treatment Of Major Depressive Disorder: Pharmacogenomic Testing Vs. Treatment As Usual, Zachary Horoshak

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Papers

The goal of this systematic literature review is to evaluate the efficacy and cost effectiveness of pharmacogenomic testing (PGx) versus treatment as usual (TAU) in the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD). According to Huang & Lin (2015), MDD is characterized by multiple signs and symptoms consisting of mood, vegetative, cognitive, and even psychotic behaviors that may cause substantial impairment in the functioning and quality of life in an affected individual. This literature review consisted of articles found in PubMed, Cochrane, and PsychINFO which were extensively reviewed. Articles prior to 2008 were excluded due to the ever-changing landscape of PGx …

Can Early Intervention With Group Therapy Or Individual Therapy Improve The Family Dynamic In Ptsd Patients?, Killian Norton

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Papers

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health disorder that affects an individual directly, while also affecting their family members around them. While PTSD is not directly correlated to the development of Secondary Stress Disorder (STS), PTSD has been shown to lead to increased rates of divorce and mood disorders in children whose parents are diagnosed with PTSD. Children who have grown up with divorced parents, or parents with PTSD, have been shown to have an increased chances of developing mood disorders and risky lifestyle behaviors. The combination of having a parent with PTSD who are also divorced, would likely …

Relationships Between Parent-Reported Parenting, Child-Perceived Parenting, And Children’S Mental Health In Taiwanese Children, Ching-Yu Huang, Yi-Ping Hsieh, April Chiung-Tao Shen, Hsi-Sheng Wei, Jui-Ying Feng, Hsiao-Lin Hwa, Joyce Yen Feng

Social Work Faculty Publications

The current study examines the relationship between parents’ and children’s reports of parenting and their effects on children’s mental health symptoms. Six hundred and sixty-six parent-child dyads in Taiwan participated in this study. The parents and the children filled out the parenting questionnaires, and the children also reported their general mental health. The results demonstrated that parental-reported and child-perceived parenting were positively correlated, but parents tended to report lower scores on authoritarian parenting and higher scores on Chinese parenting than did their children. There were also significant gender differences: The mothers reported higher authoritative parenting than did the fathers; and …

A Comparison Of Pharmacologic Interventions In Pregnant Women With Opioid Use Disorder, Catherine M. Bopp

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

The purpose of this research and systematic literature review is to determine which pharmacotherapeutic agent, methadone or buprenorphine, leads to better outcomes in cases of pregnant mothers with opioid use disorder (OUD). Outcomes considered are maternal compliance, neonatal abstinence syndrome severity, and neonatal length of hospital stay. In the review, PubMed, Clinical Key, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and DynaMed Plus were searched. Key terms searched were “methadone, buprenorphine, pregnancy”, “opioids, pregnancy”, “neonatal abstinence syndrome” and “medication assisted treatment, pregnancy”. Several studies were excluded, as their study population was not specified to have diagnosed OUD in pregnancy. The drawbacks to …

The Use Of Dehydroepiandrosterone For Treatment Of Depression, Bryan Tipton

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Papers

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its sulfated ester (DHEA-S) are important pre-hormones that also have direct neurohormonal effects on the central nervous system. Over the last twenty years, data have revealed that serum DHEA peaks in a person’s mid-20s and steadily declines throughout their lifetime. In addition, women tend to have lower values than men. This is of note because lower serum values tend to be correlated with increased risk of depression, worse depressive symptoms, and increased risk of relapse into depression. A review of literature concerning DHEA’s age related values, its association with depression, and its use in the treatment of …

Can Early Intervention With Group Therapy Or Individual Therapy Improve The Family Dynamic In Ptsd Patients?, Killian Norton

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health disorder that affects an individual directly, while also affecting their family members around them. While PTSD is not directly correlated to the development of Secondary Stress Disorder (STS), PTSD has been shown to lead to increased rates of divorce and mood disorders in children whose parents are diagnosed with PTSD. Children who have grown up with divorced parents, or parents with PTSD, have been shown to have an increased chances of developing mood disorders and risky lifestyle behaviors. The combination of having a parent with PTSD and being divorced would likely …

Pharmacotherapy For Impulsivity-Hyperactivity Behaviors In Autism Spectrum Disorder, Jenna Katnis

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

Hyperactivity is a shared behavior with ASD and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Medications such as Methylphenidate (MPH) and α 2-a adrenergic receptor agonists are used to modify hyperactivity behavior in ADHD and thus have been used as management in ASD. A review of literature was done to evaluate the use of medications typically used for ADHD in the use of ASD. The databases searched included PubMED, PsycINFO, Cochrane, and Clinical Key. After reviewing the literature, it was found that both MPH and 2-a adrenergic receptor agonist have a potential role in pharmacotherapy for ASD. MPH may be slightly more …

Managing Anxiety With Pharmacogenomic Testing, Ashley Pommer

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

Anxiety affects approximately three to seven percent of the United States population, and nearly 50% of the diagnosed patients fail to respond to first-line treatment regimens (Boland, Duffy, & Meyer 2018). Traditional first-line treatments include medication therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), or the combination of both. With such a high initial failure rate, recent studies indicate promising results in managing anxiety with pharmacogenomic testing. Pharmacogenomic testing is allowing providers to prescribe medication based on individual genetic makeup, focusing on how each patient metabolizes certain medications. The purpose of this literature review was to determine if first-line methods or pharmacogenomic testing …

Treating Peri And Postnatal Depression And Anxiety, Emily M. Stevenson

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Papers

While diagnoses of depression and anxiety are not uncommon for women during pregnancy and after delivery, one of the greatest challenges in the plan of treatment is to ensure that the offspring are kept safe while the psychological well-being of the mother is appropriately cared for. The objective of this literature review is to evaluate the commonly prescribed treatment methods for prenatal and postnatal depression, focusing on the efficacy of antidepressant medications and nonpharmacologic treatments while evaluating the effects these medications have on the fetus/breastfeeding infant. The method of research included 15 studies completed within the past ten years on …

Exercise In The Treatment Of Major Depressive Disorder, Larissa Ann Haug

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Papers

Objective

The purpose of this research and systematic literature review is to determine how exercise can be incorporated into the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) and its efficacy.

Methods

In this review, four databases were searched including SportDiscus, Pubmed, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and PsycInfo from October 1 to January 5, 2018. A variety of key terms were used when searching. Works chosen for review were published after the year 2000, were peer reviewed, and included randomized control trials (RCTs), pilot studies, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses. Sources that were excluded included those published prior to the year 2000, …

Childhood Trauma: An Analysis Of Associated Co-Morbidities And Various Psychotherapies, Brittney L. Benson

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Papers

American and European studies suggest that anywhere from 14 to 67% of children have experienced at least one traumatic event throughout their life. Furthermore, about 13.4% of them go on to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or symptoms (Diehle, J., Opmeer, B.C., Boer, F., Mannarino, A.P., & Lindauer, R.J., 2015). One study suggests that as many as 63.9% of adults suffer from ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) (CDC, 2016). The 4th Edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV) states that PTSD is the most common Axis I disorder in children that are victims of abuse with statistics ranging from 20% …

Childhood Trauma: An Analysis Of Associated Co-Morbidities And Various Psychotherapies, Brittney L. Benson

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

American and European studies suggest that anywhere from 14 to 67% of children have experienced at least one traumatic event throughout their life. Furthermore, about 13.4% of them go on to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or symptoms (Diehle, J., Opmeer, B.C., Boer, F., Mannarino, A.P., & Lindauer, R.J., 2015). One study suggests that as many as 63.9% of adults suffer from ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) (CDC, 2016). The 4th Edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV) states that PTSD is the most common Axis I disorder in children that are victims of abuse with statistics ranging from 20% …

Exercise In The Treatment Of Major Depressive Disorder, Larissa Ann Haug

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

Objective

The purpose of this systematic literature review is to determine how exercise can be incorporated into the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) and its efficacy.

Methods

In this review, four databases were searched including SportDiscus, Pubmed, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and PsycInfofrom October 1 to January 5, 2018. A variety of key terms were used when searching. Works chosen for review were published after the year 2000, were peer reviewed, and included randomized control trials (RCTs), pilot studies, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses. Sources that were excluded included those published prior to the year 2000, had poor study …

Treating Peri And Postnatal Depression & Anxiety, Emily M. Stevenson

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

- The objective of this research is to evaluate the commonly prescribed treatment methods for prenatal and postnatal depression, focusing on the efficacy of antidepressant medications and nonpharmacologic treatments while evaluating the effects these medications have on the fetus/breastfeeding infant.

- The method of research included 15 studies completed within the past ten years on women who were pregnant or who had delivered a baby within the past 12 months. One study did evaluate long-term effects on offspring, which included a participant number of 3,342 children who were exposed to antidepressants during pregnancy. The total number of participants in the …

Opioid Maintenance Treatment: Methadone, Buprenorphine, And Naltrexone, Nicole Lemieux

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

Opioid dependence plagues the United States with millions of people suffering from the effects. Throughout recent years, there has been a surge in research in treatment options for patients suffering from opioid dependence. Three medications have stood out: methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone. The purpose of this study was to investigate the three and decipher which provides the best outcomes for patients. Research was conducted by reviewing literature via PubMed, PsychInfo and Cochrane. A review of the literature found that methadone has been used the longest and has been shown to be efficacious, but can be severely limiting for patients due …

Evaluating Internet Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy In Adults With Depression, Togan Cottrell

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

• Depression is one of the most prevalent and costly mental health issues worldwide.

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) has been a long-standing treatment for patients with depression. CBT has been proven to reduce or eliminate depression symptoms while increasing quality of life.

• Due to lack of access to care and a deficiency of mental health providers throughout the United States, the frequent and lengthy visits that are required for traditional CBT may not be an option.

• The use of internet based CBT has been studied as an alternative to traditional therapy and may serve to fill a …

Folate As An Adjunctive Therapy For Treatment Resistant Depression, Katherine Mcfarland

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

Numerous medications are available to treat depression, yet many patients do not achieve remission or recovery of their symptoms with traditional therapies alone. Folate supplementation has been shown to be beneficial in the treatment of depression when used in addition to traditional prescription therapy. A literature review was conducted to determine the effect of low folate levels on depression and if supplementation with either folic acid or L-methylfolate benefits this patient population. Key search terms including folate, folate deficiency, methylfolate, nutrition, and depression were used to perform searches of multiple databases and journals including PubMed, CINAHL, PsycInfo, and the American …

Treatment Options For Patients With Irritable Bowel Syndrome & Comorbid Depression, Elizabeth Morton

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

• Irritable bowel syndrome & depression are common comorbidities, however there is a wide variability regarding the appropriate treatment regimens for these patients.

• IBS is classified as a functional bowel disease in which patients suffer from recurrent abdominal pain or discomfort associated with alterations in bowel habits.

• While the cause of IBS is multifactorial, studies have revealed that the dysfunction of the brain-gut pathways are a culprit to disease appearance and progression, as seen in the biopsychosocial model of IBS. This model proposes that abdominal symptoms secondarily impact anxiety & depression symptoms and that psychological factors influence physiologic …

A Comparison Of Traditional Care And Cognitive Behavioral Therapy For Treating Depression Following Open Heart Surgery, Derryk Allen

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

Depression occurs shortly after open heart surgery in many patients. When depression is identified, traditional treatment consists of antidepressant medications along with cardiac rehabilitation and follow up care but these visits may not address depression. The purpose of this study compares traditional care with cognitive behavioral therapy. Does cognitive behavioral therapy more effectively manage depression than traditional care among male and female patients that have undergone open-heart surgery and acquired depressive symptoms? An article search of the following databases was conducted: PubMed and The Cochran Library. The review of literature explored studies that compare treatment between traditional care and CBT …

Safety And Efficacy Of Electronic Cigarette Use In Smoking Cessation, Matthew R. Coy

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

• Smoking is the most prevalent cause of avoidable mortality in the world

• Smoking cessation decreases likelihood of developing CV disease, stroke, cancer, and chronic lung diseases

• The purpose of this study is to assess if E-Cig’s are effective in smoking cessation and to evaluate the safety of their use

Treatment Of Resistant Depression, Brittany Michels

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

• Depression is a common and debilitating disease complicated by comorbidities, medication side effects, limited alternative treatment options, and poor patient adherence.

• Currently, clinical practice guidelines are available outlining the indications and treatment options for depression.

• Discussion will involve pathophysiology of the disease process and possible treatments, such as pharmacotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy and somatic therapy, including electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).

• ECT is widely accepted as an effective treatment for severe refractory depression, but has a negative social stigma despite its effectiveness.

• This paper has shown ECT remains the most effective treatment of severe refractory depression in …

Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated With Streptococcal Infection Antibiotic Prophylaxis Treatment Compared With Alternative Treatment Options, Heather Watkins

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

• Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders associated with Streptococcal Infection, known as PANDAS, is a clinical diagnosis made after a child develops Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and/or ticks after a Streptococcal Pharyngitis. Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders associated with Streptococcal Infection is diagnosed in children 3 years of age until 14 years of age. The purpose of this study is to determine if antibiotics versus selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor with cognitive behavior therapy versus prophylaxis with antibiotics should be used in the treatment of children who develops PANDAS. The review of literature will explore studies that compare current treatment options with new research …

Adverse Cardiovascular Function Secondary To Inappropriate Exogenous Androgenic Anabolic Steroid Usage In Young Adult Males, Nicholle Rothengass

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

• In today’s society body image and athletic performance are emphasized and influenced by peers’ perception. The inappropriate use of AAS in young males has steadily increased over the past few decades. The purpose of this study is to determine the long-term effects AAS have upon the cardiovascular system. The review of literature will explore studies that identify long-term abuse of injected AAS, which are used by adult male athletes’ ages 18-40 compared to those equivalent male athletes who have never used any form of drugs or steroids and their effects on the cardiovascular system. The researcher plans to analyze …

Implementing Animal Therapy Into Current Medicinal Practices, Jenna Schiefelbein

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

• The purpose of this study was to explore an unconventional intervention of medicine; specifically the integration of animals into current healthcare practices.

• The review of literature evaluated the implementation of animal therapy in medicine, both in the past and present.

• It was demonstrated that incorporating animal-assistance therapy into modern day medicine had a positive correlation with overall patient health, pain control, and disposition.