Mental and Social Health Commons^™

Prenatal Maternal Stress Programs Infant Stress Regulation, Elyssia Poggi Davis, Laura M. Glynn, Feizal Waffarn, Curt A. Sandman

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Objective: Prenatal exposure to inappropriate levels of glucocorticoids (GCs) and maternal stress are putative mechanisms for the fetal programming of later health outcomes. The current investigation examined the influence of prenatal maternal cortisol and maternal psychosocial stress on infant physiological and behavioral responses to stress.

Methods: The study sample comprised 116 women and their full term infants. Maternal plasma cortisol and report of stress, anxiety and depression were assessed at 15, 19, 25, 31 and 36 + weeks' gestational age. Infant cortisol and behavioral responses to the painful stress of a heel-stick blood draw were evaluated at 24 hours after …

David Grove's Metaphors For Healing, David Pincus, Anees A. Sheikh

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Within the ever-expanding list of approaches to psychotherapy, there is a tendency to overlook deep imagery approaches. The current article reports on one such metaphor-based therapy developed by David Grove (Grove & Panzer, 1989). The approach is analyzed within the context of mainstream contemporary psychotherapy in general, the state of empirical understanding of common processes to psychotherapy, and in relation to other deep imagery-based approaches to therapy. Next, a step-by-step description of the techniques used within metaphor therapy are presented, along with a case example demonstrating the use of these techniques on a case involving pain symptoms. Finally, it is …

Clinical Social Work And The Biomedical Industrial Complex, Tomi Gomory, Stephen E. Wong, David Cohen, Jeffrey R. Lacasse

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article examines how the biomedical industrial complex has ensnared social work within a foreign conceptual and practice model that distracts clinical social workers from the special assistance that they can provide for people with mental distress and misbehavior. We discuss: (1) social work's assimilation of psychiatric perspectives and practices during its pursuit of professional status; (2) the persistence of psychiatric hospitalization despite its coercive methods, high cost, and doubtful efficacy; (3) the increasing reliance on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, despite its widely acknowledged scientific frailty; and (4) the questionable contributions of psychoactive drugs to clinical …

Eating Disorder Metaphors: A Qualitative Meta-Synthesis Of Women's Experiences, Rachael Brooke Goren-Watts

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Eating disorders have reached epidemic levels in the United States and cause immense pain and suffering. Given the high fatality and relapse rates of eating disorders, as well as the numerous medical complications associated with them, it is useful to know more about how individuals view their eating disorder, and the meaning making during the recovery process in order to better understand the experience. Narrative theory, and specifically the metaphors women use to story their experience, enrich our understanding of eating disorders within a social constructionist lens. This qualitative meta-synthesis utilizes hermeneutics and identifies and describes the metaphors that women …

First Elderly Client In Therapy: Factors That Influence Student Interest In Geropsychology, Cristina E. M. Filippelli

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

In the coming decades, the elderly population in United States (U.S) is expected to grow significantly (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1996). Consequently, the number of older individuals seeking mental health services will be greater than at any other time in the history of the U.S. The field of clinical psychology, however, is unable to meet the mental health needs of the current elderly population, and this gap is expected to widen in coming years. There is an ongoing discussion within the field of professional psychology as to how to train more clinicians to work with the elderly population (Gatz …

The Relationship Of Self-Care To Burnout Among Social Workers In Health Care Settings, Jennifer D. Weekes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Self-care is critical in minimizing the symptoms of burnout among human services professionals, but specific information on the role of self-care among social workers in healthcare settings is limited. This correlational study was designed provide a fuller understanding of this relationship. Orem's theory of self-care and the theory of reasoned action and planned behavior served as the theoretical foundations of this study. The sample included 185 members of the National Association of Social Workers, who volunteered to participate in this study. Participants completed online versions of the Maslach Burnout Inventory and Self-Care Assessment Work Sheet. Correlation and analysis of variance …

Tarnished Golden Years: Older Offenders With Mental Health Problems And Late Life First Time Offenders, Brianne Stanback

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Older offenders (offenders 50 years and older) are a distinct groups within the U.S. correctional system. Studies 1 and 2 were intended to investigate mental health and stressors among jailed older offenders.

Study 1 examined the prevalence rates of mental health disorders and explored the relationship between mental health disorders and stressors. Participants 50 years and older (N=330) from the 2002 wave of the Survey of Inmates in Local Jails (SILJ) were studied via descriptive analysis, factor analysis, and a logistic regression to determine which variables were related to the probability of having a mental health problem. 65.8% of participants …

Sisters In Arms: A Case Study Of The Experiences Of Women Warriors In The United States Military, Carmen Teresa Stein-Mccormick

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Presently there are few studies that describe the current experiences of women warriors relative to issues such as sexual hostility, sexual harassment, and other uncommon experiences during their military careers. Very little is known about how being a woman in a male-dominated military may affect women warriors' choices between making the military a career or returning to civilian life. With better understanding of women warriors' military experiences, mental health professionals, educators, and other human services professionals may have a better understanding of the issues that may affect women in the military. To date there are limited studies that have examined …

Parent Response To Adolescent Self-Injurious Behavior: A Collective Case Study, Kylee Sue Tuls

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Research in the area of self-injurious behaviors and the family context is still emerging. The majority of research available is quantitative in nature. The limited qualitative research available in this area has been conducted outside of the United States. A collective case study was conducted with four parents with an adolescent that had been admitted to an inpatient psychiatric residential facility with a presenting problem of self-injurious behavior. The purpose of this study was to gain an in-depth, qualitative understanding of the parent perspective and comprehension of adolescent self-injurious behavior including the parents' ideas on how the parent-child relationship or …

School Psychologists' Communication And Collaboration With Community-Based Mental Health Professionals, Audra St. John Walsh

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Although collaboration between school psychologists and community-based mental health professionals is essential in the provision of comprehensive and effective mental health services for youth with intensive mental health needs, youth may not receive the full benefit of these coordinated efforts, as collaboration may not occur as often as it should. This study investigated the frequency of communication and collaboration between school- and community-based professionals, the purposes and methods of communication, and the benefits and barriers to collaboration. Survey data from 80 members of the Florida Association of School Psychologists were collected and analyzed. Forty-three percent of school psychologists reported communicating …

Measuring A Community-Based Mental Health Organization’S Culture And Climate Scores Stability, David A. Patterson Silver Wolf (Adelv Unegv Waya) Phd, Eugene Maguin Phd, Catherine N. Dulmus Phd, Bruce C. Nisbet

Brown School Faculty Publications

This project builds on the work of Glisson et al., (2008) and the knowledge learned from community-based mental health organization’s internal structures (e.g., culture and climate), which possibly impede the implantation and adoption of new technologies. The Organizational Social Context (OSC) Model measurement system is guided by a model of social context that composes both organizational and individual level constructs, including individual and shared perceptions that are believed to mediate the impact of the organization on the individual. Although the OSC has been developed and validated over time, the literature does not provide guidance on test-retest reliability of the scale.

Depression In Freshmen College Students, Julie Marie Brandy

Dissertations

Adjustment to college life and attending a university for the first time can be a stressful experience for college students. Because of the challenges faced when adapting to these life changes, college students are at risk of developing depressive symptomology. The development of depressive symptoms can lead to negative life events in the lives of college students, the most significant of which is suicide. This study examined whether stress and other factors (social support and spirituality) predicted depressive symptoms and high risk behaviors in college freshmen students. In addition, the mediating role of coping on the relationship between stress and …

Measuring The Symptom Burden Of Lung Cancer: The Validity And Utility Of The Lung Cancer Module Of The M D Anderson Symptom Inventory, Tito R Mendoza, Xin Shelley Wang, Charles Lu, Guadalupe R Palos, Zhongxing Liao, Gary M Mobley, Shitij Kapoor, Charles S Cleeland

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

We conducted a study to establish the psychometric properties of a module of the M. D. Anderson Symptom Inventory (MDASI) developed specifically for patients with lung cancer (MDASI-LC). The MDASI measures 13 common "core" symptoms of cancer and its treatment. The MDASI-LC includes the 13 core MDASI symptom items and three lung cancer-specific items: coughing, constipation, and sore throat. MDASI-LC items were administered to three cohorts of patients with lung cancer undergoing either chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy. Known-group validity and criterion (concurrent) validity of the MDASI-LC were evaluated using the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status and the 12-item Short-Form Health …

Double The Outcomes: Employing Sensory Based Approaches To Improve The Quality Of Care And Reduce The Use Of Restraints On Inpatient Behavioral Health Units, Mary Ellen O'Connell Rn, Bsn, Msn, Mba, Jennifer P. Maloney Ms, Otr/L, Stephanie Lenhart Mba, Cphq

Administration & Leadership

No abstract provided.

Actualizing Empowerment: Developing A Framework For Partnering With Families In System Level Service Planning And Delivery, Kathleen Ferreira

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The engagement of families of children and adolescents with Serious Emotional Disturbance (SED) as full partners in individual treatment, organizational, and system level decision making has become an important focus for systems of care (SOCs) serving youth with emotional and behavioral challenges. SOCs typically include cross-agency partnerships with mental health, child welfare, juvenile justice, and education for the purpose of providing services and supports for youth with SED who have multi-agency needs. Implementation of a federal mandate requiring family driven care (FDC) within systems of care funded through the Children's Mental Health Initiative (CMHI) has revealed that most system of …

Relationship Between Cancer-Related Fatigue And Depression: A Pilot Study, Gloria Michelle Guess

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Fatigue is one of the most bothersome symptoms reported by patients diagnosed with cancer, and research indicates that the majority of patients receiving chemotherapy report symptoms of fatigue. Fatigue can have an effect on quality of life; therefore, it is essential that healthcare providers gain a better understanding and recognition of fatigue.

Fatigue can also be a symptom of depression. Depression is another prominent symptom reported by patients diagnosed with cancer. Unfortunately, there are similarities between the symptoms of depression and fatigue making it difficult for health care providers to distinguish between the two. This study utilizes the subscale of …

The Mediating Role Of Social Support And Fulfillment Of Spiritual Needs In End Of Life Care, Kimberley A. Gryglewicz

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

End of life (EOL) caregiving can be a daunting and challenging endeavor as caregivers adjust to the ever-changing care demands associated with dying. Increased personal care, assisting with symptom and medication management, and attending to the emotional and spiritual needs of the dying person require caregivers to learn new tasks and to assume new roles such as social worker, nurse, and chaplain. As families continue to play an essential role in meeting the health care needs of their dying loved ones, it is imperative for social workers to understand the complexities of the end of life caregiving experience in order …

Friendship Networks, Perceived Reciprocity Of Support, And Depression, Ryan Francis Huff

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Using social network analysis as a theoretical framework, the current study examined the associations between self-reported egocentric network characteristics and depression among a sample of United States college students. It is important to understand factors related to depression among this population due to the severity of its potential outcomes (e.g., suicide and interpersonal problems at school). Drawing inspiration from a recent study conducted by Christina Falci and Clea McNeely (2009), the current investigation used OLS regression to test for both linear and curvilinear relationships between egocentric network size and depression. Potential interactions between network size, density, and gender were also …

Translation And Adaptation Of The Center For Epidemiologic Studies-Depression (Ces-D) Scale Into Tigrigna Language For Tigrigna Speaking Eritrean Immigrants In The United States, Mulubrhan Fisseha Mogos

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Depression is one of the oldest known mental health conditions. It is acknowledged to be a global health problem that affects people from any culture or ethnic group. The prevalence of depression widely varied across countries and cultures. The cross-cultural relevance of the concept of depression, its screening or diagnosis, and cultural equivalence of items used to measure symptoms of depression has been area of research interest. Differences in prevalence rates in depression have been suggested as being due to research artifacts, such as use of instrument developed for one culture to another culture. With the current trend of globalization …

Family Systems And Mental Health Issues: A Resilience Approach, Lynne Cohen, Catherine Ferguson, Craig Harms, Julie Ann Pooley, Stuart Tomlinson

Research outputs 2011

In many cases the consumers of mental health information and support are the families of mental health sufferers. The aim of the project was to understand resilience in people who live with or support a family member with a diagnosed or undiagnosed mental illness. Participants were 15 carers (one male, 14 female). Semi-structured interviews were transcribed and analysed using content analysis. Eight recurring themes emerged which indicated the challenges the carers faced and provided indications of the positive and negative personal, family and social factors that impacted on their lives. These themes were 'Getting to CLAN WA', 'Accessing help including …

Religiosity, Coping, And Psychological Well-Being Among Latter-Day Saint Polynesian In The U.S., Kawika Allen, P. Paul Heppner

Faculty Publications

There is limited knowledge about coping and psychological adjustment in Latter-Day Saint (LDS) Polynesians. This study examined religiosity, collectivistic coping, and psychological well-being among 94 LDS Polynesians residing in the Midwest. As hypothesized, religiously committed LDS Polynesians were more likely to have a healthy psychological well-being and were also likely to use collectivistic coping styles, such that high helpfulness ratings on family support and religion-spirituality coping styles were significantly correlated with a positive psychological well-being. Family support also moderated the relationship between LDS Polynesians’ religious commitment and psychological well-being. Implications are discussed in terms of religiosity, culture, coping, and psychological …