Mental and Social Health Commons^™

Association Of Abc (Hba1c, Blood Pressure, Ldl-Cholesterol) Goal Attainment With Depression And Health-Related Quality Of Life Among Adults With Type 2 Diabetes, Bijal M. Shah, Dylan J. Mezzio, Jackie Ho, Eric J. Ip

Faculty Publications & Research of the TUC College of Pharmacy

Aims: To determine the relationship between ABC goal attainment, depression, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among a national sample of patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM).

Methods: A retrospective, cross-sectional analysis was performed examining 808 non-pregnant patients ≥ 20 years old with T2DM from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007-2012. ABC goals were defined as HbA1c < 7%, BP < 130/80mmHg, and LDL-C < 100mg/dL. Patient characteristics associated with ABC goal attainment were examined.

Results: Overall, 23.7% of participants achieved simultaneous ABC goals. Severe depression was significantly associated with lower rates of ABC goal attainment compared to those with no depression (5.0% vs. 25.4%, p = 0.048). ABC goal attainment rates …

The Growing Crisis In Maine: Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, Olivia Avidan

Honors Theses

Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) is a Maine epidemic. In addition to having medical repercussions, NAS is intrinsically linked to social, political and economic factors. NAS is a conglomeration of symptoms, short-term and long-term, that affect a child that has been exposed to opioids in utero. These factors that impact NAS are interdependent. The past decade is characterized by a dramatic rise in NAS cases in Maine. This paper explores the social, political and economic landscape surrounding NAS in an effort to describe fully the syndrome’s effect on both individuals and the community as a whole.

Program Active Ii: Design And Methods For A Multi-Center Community-Based Depression Treatment For Rural And Urban Adults With Type 2 Diabetes, Mary De Groot, Jay H. Shubrook, Frank Schwartz, W. Guyton Hornsby Jr., Yegan Pillay, Chandan Saha

Faculty Publications & Research of the TUC College of Osteopathic Medicine

Objective: Depression affects one in four adults with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and is associated with worsened diabetes complications, increased health care costs and early mortality. Rural and low-income urban areas, including the Appalachian region, represent an epicenter of the T2DM epidemic. Program ACTIVE II is a comparative effectiveness treatment trial designed to test whether a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and community-based exercise (EXER) will offer greater improvements in diabetes and depression outcomes compared to individual treatment approaches and usual care (UC). The secondary aims are to assess changes in cardiovascular risk factors across groups and to …

An Assessment Of The Health Needs Of The Transgender Community In Montana, Karishma Chainani

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Transgender individuals face a unique set of challenges in their day to day lives. While issues regarding stigma and discrimination are well documented in the literature, most of the information about transgender people has been gathered in urban settings. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to explore factors that influence quality of life and risk of infection with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Hepatitis C (HCV), Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD’s) among transgender people living in Montana. A questionnaire was developed after a thorough review of the literature as well as a review of existing assessments. The questionnaire was reviewed by …

Differences In Health Literacy Knowledge And Experiences Among Senior Nursing Students, Sharon S. Williamson, Joanne Chopak-Foss

Community Health: Faculty Publications

Background: Low health literacy has been identified as a significant public health problem. Also, higher expenditures due to longer hospital stays have been reported for persons with low health literacy. Nurses can assist patients with low health literacy to reduce their hospital stays and increase compliance with discharge instructions.

Methods: A quantitative, descriptive research design was employed to assess knowledge and experiences of 192 senior nursing students. These students were administered the Health Literacy Knowledge and Experiences Survey (HL-KES), a 2- part survey that included assessment of knowledge about health literacy and experience in working with populations of …

Friendships For High School Students: With Autism Spectrum Disorder And Without, Alanna Young

Honors Theses and Capstones

People with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) experience deficits in social communication, having difficulty with carrying on conversations, abiding by social norms, and feeling empathy towards others. As social skills are important for successful interactions, these deficiencies can decrease the number of friendships experienced by teenagers with ASD. However, it is also possible that other social barriers are involved, such as stigma, assumed by peers of teenagers with ASD. The influence of deficits in social interaction and stigma was examined through semi-structured interviews and focus groups, comprised of groups with teenagers with ASD and groups with typically developing teenagers. It was …

Visual Voices Participant Recruitment Flyer, Collyn Baeder, Zoe Hull, Rebecca Masterjohn, Virginia Sedarski, Adrian Jung, Michaela A. Hoffman, Nicole O'Brien

Visual Voices: An Arts-Based Assessment of the Perceived Identity of Aging Maine Residents

Participant recruitment flyer for UNE student project Visual Voices: An Arts-Based Assessment Of The Perceived Identity Of Aging Maine Residents. This project was designed to investigate the topics of perception, identity, and aging. Between February and May 2015, over the course of twelve sessions, the UNE team met with six female residents of the Park Danforth senior living community in Portland to have conversations and create art about how the residents perceive themselves in contrast to how they feel perceived by important people in their lives, such as friends, family, and healthcare providers.

The Social Experience Of Internet Gamers: A Pilot Study, Kristy L. Carlisle, Charles P. Carrington

Counseling & Human Services Faculty Publications

The purpose of this phenomenological pilot study was to explore the lived social experiences of Internet gamers. Findings highlighted the impact of Internet gaming on social interactions, social functioning, and social identity. The findings in the pilot study related to addiction supported the need for future research into the legitimacy of Internet Gaming Disorder as a mental health issue.

A Narrative Study Of Emotions Associated With Negative Childhood Experiences Reported In The Adult Attachment Interview, Lynne Hartman

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Attachment patterns, which tend to be stable over time, are passed from one generation to the next. Secure attachment has been linked to adaptive social functioning and has been identified as a protective factor against mental illness. The parents’ state of mind with regard to attachment—as measured with the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) (Main, Goldwyn, & Hesse, 2002)—predicts the attachment classification for the infant in Ainsworth’s Strange Situation Procedure (Ainsworth, Blehar, Waters, & Wall, 1978). Earned-secure individuals have overcome negative childhood experiences to achieve a secure state of mind in adulthood. Earned security, like continuous security, strongly predicts infant security …

Health Behaviors, Hardiness, And Burnout In Mental Health Workers, Jeremiah Brian Schimp

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Burnout has emerged as a significant and costly issue in the modern workforce. Researchers have not fully explored the role of individual health behaviors and personality in burnout among mental health workers. The knowledge gap addressed in this study was the connection between health behaviors, what mental health workers do to take care of themselves, and hardiness, the characteristic way they perceive and interpret environmental challenges. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of health behaviors and hardiness among mental health workers on the 3 dimensions of burnout as measured by the MBI-HSS: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and …

A Tale Of Two Diseases: Mental Illness And Hiv/Aids, Lawrence O. Gostin

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

There have been dramatic advances in the treatment of HIV/AIDS. Whereas HIV was once a dire diagnosis, today it is treatable, and individuals who receive early and consistent treatment can expect to live a normal lifespan. Why has the scientific community made the same strides with mental illness? When I was the Legal Director of the National Association of Mental Health in the United Kingdom in the 1980s, major mental illnesses were primarily treated with powerful antipsychotics, such as haloperidol, that carried the debilitating side effects of tardive dyskinesia—involuntary movements of the tongue, lips, face, trunk, and extremities. When I …

Exploring Perceived Attitudes Of Counseling Between Lds Religious Leaders And Mental Health Therapists, Kawika Allen, Curtis Hill

Faculty Publications

Perceived attitudes between mental health therapists and local congregational LDS religious leaders regarding the value, function, and efficacy of mental health therapy were qualitatively examined. Qualitative data emerging from 4 LDS religious leaders (all male; 3 bishops and 1 stake president) and 7 mental health therapists (5 females, 2 males) were analyzed. Results showed differences in attitudes related to the collaboration process as well as the efficacy and process of counseling between local mental health therapists and LDS religious leaders in a specific Southwest region of the U.S. Additional results are reported. Implications are discussed related to these findings.

The Felt Sense Of Interconnectedness: A Qualitative Analysis Of Perceptions On Finding Resilience In The Aftermath Of Trauma Using The Mind-Body Connections Of Yoga, Ashley Collette

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Members and veterans of the military are at an increased risk of exposure to traumatic experiences due to the very nature of their occupation. The most recent statistics on Canada’s deployment to Afghanistan show that 13.2% of the (Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members deployed have been diagnosed with a mental injury within a five year follow up period of redeployment from the theatre of operations. The present preliminary study was designed to examine Yoga as a therapeutic intervention for trauma in a population of CAF members and veterans. The author interviewed 4 service providers and 2 service users of Yoga-based …

Ancillary Challenges Within The Health System: Exploring Connections Between Low-Income Populations In Missoula, Montana And Khayelitsha, South Africa, Rachael Schmoker

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Abstract

Schmoker, Rachael, BS, May 2015 Community Health

Ancillary Challenges Within The Health System

Faculty Mentor: Peter Koehn, Political Science.

This paper outlines the research conducted and the project implementation for the Davidson Honors College Senior Thesis in a joint project with the Global Leadership Initiative Senior Capstone. This project describes the ancillary challenges of healthcare in Missoula, Montana and Khayelitsha, South Africa. Under the Montana branch of this project it is called the UM Volunteers for Global Health Access (UMVGHA). Within Missoula we are associated with Partnership Health Center; a health clinic that caters to the low-income population of …

Trauma In Patients With Serious Mental Illness: The Acceptability And Impact Of A Brief Psychoeducational Intervention For Trauma In The General Acute Inpatient Psychiatric Setting, Kevin E. A. Giangrasso

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Prevalence rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for individuals with serious mental illnesses (SMIs) are high, with an estimated 49% to 100% being exposed to potentially traumatic events. The consequences of these disorders are serious and lasting, with PTSD being the costliest of mental health disorders. At the same time, established evidence-based treatments for PTSD are often not feasible in treatment settings utilized by individuals with SMIs, namely the general acute inpatient psychiatric hospital. Psychoeducational approaches have been incorporated as a component of evidence-based interventions for trauma and have been feasibly implemented in the general acute inpatient psychiatric hospital. The …

Institutional Aggression: Psychometric Development Of A Predictive Risk Assessment Screening Tool, Lauren Spotts M.S.

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Aggression among those with mental illnesses has been extensively reviewed. Research has shown that aggression within an institutional or hospital setting, that is presently termed “Institutional Aggression,” threatens the ability to provide a safe and therapeutic environment for both patients and staff. Although earlier measures have been designed to address this construct, the present study examines Institutional Aggression based on the parameters of the Overt Aggression Scale (OAS; Yudofsky, Silver, Jackson, Endicott, & Williams, 1986). The purpose of the current study was to determine the predictive relationship between clinical and sociodemographic factors and the rate of Institutional Aggression with the …

Inventory Of Cognitive Distortions: Validation Of A Measure Of Cognitive Distortions Using A Community Sample, Michael B. Roberts

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine and evaluate further the psychometric properties of a self-report inventory of cognitive distortions using a nonclinical, community sample. A group of 474 individuals were contacted via the social networking site, Facebook, and through a college list-serve and were asked to complete multiple measures and also to send the link to other individuals, thus utilizing a snowball sample. The measures used included the Inventory of Cognitive Distortions (ICD), Dysfunctional Attitude Scale (DAS), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and a brief questionnaire to collect demographic information on each participant. Results revealed positive psychometric properties for …

Effectiveness Of Psychoeducation For Adult Survivors Of Sexual And Domestic Violence, Sophia Laun

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The current study investigated psychoeducational programs for adult, female survivors of sexual violence and domestic violence in a community-based, nonprofit organization in the Northeastern United States. Participants’ trauma symptoms were measured by the Trauma Symptom Checklist-40 (Briere & Runtz, 1989) and knowledge of interpersonal violence was measured by a Client Questionnaire developed by the organization. The study used the intent-to-treat analysis, using paired-samples t-tests to examine changes from pretest to posttest. There were 35 participants in the sexual violence sample and 61 participants in the domestic violence sample. The results indicated that for participants in both the sexual violence psychoeducational …

The Effectiveness Of A Computer-Assisted, Cognitive-Behavior Program For Treating Anxiety Symptoms In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Jennifer A. Zabel

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex and multifaceted, neurodevelopmental disorder that severely impacts children and families across a variety of settings. Prevalence rates of ASD are continuing to increase rapidly, with sizeable intervention and treatment costs placed on families and society. Further complicating the matter, many individuals with ASD also evidence co-occurring anxiety symptoms or disorders and tend to be at a higher risk for developing such problems when compared to other clinical populations or typically developing children. This study investigated the effectiveness of a computer-assisted CBT program, Camp Cope-A-Lot (CCAL), in regards to reducing anxiety symptoms in four …

Impact Of Group Cognitive Behavior Therapy On Adolescents With Deficits In Inhibition, Jessica L. Morley

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Existing literature connects impulse control dysfunction to high-risk behaviors and negative life outcomes. Evidence-based interventions for children and adolescents who are at-risk or who are displaying significant levels of impulsive behavior are necessary in order to promote self-control, and in turn, positive life outcomes. This study investigated the impact of an eight-week, school-based GCBT intervention on cognitive inhibition and behavioral impulsivity in adolescent participants. The intention of the study was to evaluate the trend in inhibition and impulsivity from baseline to post-intervention assessments across five middle school students dually enrolled in a residential treatment facility and a center-based emotional support …

Promoting Social Interaction Skills To Influence The Transition To Employment For Youth With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Jennifer Susan Lange

Honors Theses and Capstones

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) affect one in 68 children in the United States and are characterized by deficits in social interaction. Decreased social interaction skills limit youth with ASDs’ ability to obtain and maintain a job. Acquisition of needed social interaction skills must occur during high school years as part of youths’ transition program. The Therefore, the purpose of this qualitative study was to consider ways to facilitate social interaction to influence the transition to employment. The specific aims of the study were to explore strategies currently used to facilitate social skills, identify social skills currently targeted, and identify other …

Effective Youth Suicide Prevention: Evidence From Kentucky, Dessi Slavova, Hatim A. Omar

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

In 2013, Suicide was the second leading cause of death among U.S. young adolescents (15-19 years of age), accounting for 18.4% of all deaths in this age group. According to a nationally representative study on the lifetime prevalence of adolescent suicidal behaviors, 12.1% of U.S. adolescents experience suicidal ideation, 4.0% develop a plan, and 4.1% attempt suicide. The same study estimated that approximately 60% of young people with a suicide plan will attempt suicide, and most of the adolescents who subsequently make an attempt do so within the first year after the onset of ideation.

These findings support the importance …

Starting Off, Hatim A. Omar

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

This book is really a reflection of the past 15 years of work with teens and suicide prevention in the state of Kentucky. The work to establish the "Stop Youth Suicide Campaign (SYS)" has resulted in contact with many young adults and we have found that the most important thing for all of them, was finding a caring person they trust and can talk to. Because of the constant need, the SYS went from a goal of one year awareness campaign to a major community resource, to work with the state and local governments and state legislators to add as …

Disability And Suicide, Divya Nagraj, Hatim A. Omar

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

We provide a systematic review of suicide among adolescents with physical disabilities, intellectual disability and learning disability. A search was performed of English articles published prior to December 2014 in the PubMed database for studies examining suicide, suicidal behavior and suicidal ideation among adolescents with and without varied disabilities. Nine studies were retrieved, of which two studies examined adolescent populations with physical disabilities, three looked at suicide in adolescents with intellectual disability and four studies examined adolescents with learning disabilities. There were consistent results to prove that these adolescents with special needs had an increased tendency to commit suicide and …

Self-Cutting And Suicide In Adolescents, Donald E. Greydanus, Hatim A. Omar

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Deliberate self-harm (DSH) is a common and typically secret phenomenon in adolescents, especially females that involves two main features—self-derogation and negative emotionality. Causes of non-suicidal self-injury include attempts to get help from professionals, express disgust or self-anger, resist suicidal thoughts, and correct episodes of dissociation. DSH is associated with eating disorders and alcohol abuse, as well as other illict drug abuse. Fortunately, most self-cutters are not at high risk for eventual suicide; however, all those with DSH histories should be carefully assessed for suicide as well as offered comprehensive management. Programs for prevention of suicide should be implemented for adolescents …

Law And Ethics Of Experiments On Social Media Users, James Grimmelmann

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

If you were on Facebook in January 2012, there is a chance that it tried to make you sad. If you were on OkCupid, there is a chance that it tried to match you up with someone incompatible. These were social psychology experiments: Facebook and OkCupid systematically manipulated people's environments to test their reactions. Academics doing similar experiments in a university setting would typically need to obtain informed consent from participants and approval from an Institutional Review Board (IRB). But Facebook and OkCupid, and the academics working with Facebook, had neither. This, I believe, is a problem.

These experiments offer …

Developing Executive Functions Through Mindfulness Training In School-Aged Children, Ashley Black Adams

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Well-developed executive functions are necessary for successful classroom functioning. Students with executive function deficits can fall behind academically as well as socially and emotionally, relative to their same-aged peers. Effective interventions for developing executive functions within the school environment are essential for addressing this issue. This study examines changes in students’ executive functions as a result of their participation in a mindfulness training intervention. Participants included four ten-year old elementary school boys who took part in a ten-week mindfulness training intervention. The data were generated through pre and post assessments with an executive function teacher rating scale and a Goal-Attainment …

Impacts Of Objective And Subjective Social Inclusion On The Quality Of Life Of Individuals With Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders And Major Depressive Disorder, Katie A. Johanning-Gray

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Increased social inclusion and enhanced quality of life for individuals with severe mental illnesses (SMIs) are goals of the recovery movement. The present study examined the differences in reported subjective social inclusion (SubSI) and objective social inclusion (ObjSI) between individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSDs) and those diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Furthermore, the amount of variance in quality of life (QOL) which can be predicted by type of diagnosis, SSDs or MDD, symptom severity, and SubSI and ObjSi was determined. An archival data set was used. Participants were 337 individuals whose primary diagnosis was an SSD or …

The Germ Theory Of Dystopias: Fears Of Human Nature In 1984 And Brave New World, Clea D. Harris

Scripps Senior Theses

This project is an exploration of 20^th century dystopian literature through the lens of germ theory. This scientific principle, which emerged in the late 19^th century, asserts that microorganisms pervade the world; these invisible and omnipresent germs cause specific diseases which are often life threatening. Additionally, germ theory states that vaccines and antiseptics can prevent some of these afflictions and that antibiotics can treat others. This concept of a pervasive, invisible, infection-causing other is not just a biological principle, though; in this paper, I argue that one can interpret it as an ideological framework for understanding human existence …

Falls Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Determining The Relationship Between Social Networks And The Risk For Falls, Smita Sikhrakar

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Falls among community-dwelling older adults is a big public health problem, which have an effect on older adults' health, independence, and quality of life. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between social networks and the risk for falls among community-dwelling older adults. This was a descriptive correlational study, which utilized a cross-sectional survey for the data collection. The dependent and independent variable of this study were the risk for falls among the community-dwelling older adults, and the strength and type of social networks respectively. In this study, 218 community-dwelling older adults were recruited, who were living …