Mental and Social Health Commons^™

Reducing Length Of Hospital Stay For Intellectually Disabled Psychiatric Patients With Chronic Medical Problems, Joseph Wigwe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Length of hospital stay (LOS) is a major indicator for measuring efficient care. Intellectually disabled psychiatric patients (IDPP) with chronic medical problems have longer LOS due to challenges faced by providers in jointly managing both psychiatric and medical problems. The purposes of this study were to understand the significance of LOS for IDPP, create an intervention toolkit to reduce LOS, establish the content validity of the toolkit, and recommend its implementation. The items of the toolkit are pharmacology, somatic, rehabilitation, psychosocial, and monitoring patients' psychiatric and medical symptoms across care domains. The toolkit was created from the constructs of the …

Embodied Creative Arts Therapy Interventions With Trauma: A Qualitative Study, Brian Timothy Harris

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

With the primary purpose to extend therapists’ knowledge base, open dialogue on treatment efficacy, and stimulate creative yet effective interventions, this two-phase qualitative study pursued the guiding research question, How do creative arts therapists use embodied interventions in the treatment of psychological trauma? Phase One of the study was conducted with music therapists who had extensive experience with trauma and reported on their experiences with and awareness of embodied trauma treatment through a broad spectrum of creative modalities. Phase Two was grounded in theories of body awareness and creative arts therapy applications and included therapists specializing in music, dance/movement, art, …

Adlerian Psychotherapists' Perspectives Of Using Psychodrama In The Treatment Of Neurotic Clients, Anabella Shaked

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore Adlerian psychotherapists’ perspectives on using psychodrama in the treatment of neurotic clients, its therapeutic value, and the training requirements to implement a psychodramatic intervention. The study explored whether and how the use of psychodrama affected therapists, clients, and the therapeutic process. Forty-five Adlerian psychotherapists attended a single psychodrama workshop designed to train them to implement a psychodramatic intervention previously used in a pilot study. Following the workshop, 21 participants implemented the psychodramatic intervention with 42 clients previously assessed as neurotic. Following the workshop and implementation of the psychodramatic intervention, participants completed a …

Art Therapy Using Possible Selves And Digital Media For Individuals With Alcohol Addiction In Korea, Sojung Park

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

The primary purposes of this mixed methods study were to (a) examine whether using an art therapy intervention based on the theory of possible selves enhanced the motivation for change among individuals with alcohol addiction in Korea, and (b) to explore the study participants’ lived experiences of the self as it emerged from the specific art therapy intervention. This study consisted of three distinct theoretical frameworks: the transtheoretical model (TTM); the theory of possible selves; and art therapy—which bridged the two aforementioned theories. A total of seven participants completed five individual sessions each, creating a series of possible future selves …

Developing A Dance/Movement Therapy Approach To Qualitatively Analyzing Interview Data, Tomoyo Kawano

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

The objective of this research was to develop a model for an embodied-artistic approach to analyzing interview data that could contribute to an enhanced narrative account and/or offer an alternate perspective. A new model was formulated by adapting and/or critically applying a combination of previously developed analytical frameworks. Dance/movement therapy (DMT) skills that encompass ways of listening through an embodied, empathic, aesthetic manner; and a movement observation and assessment tool, Laban Movement Analysis (LMA) were at the core of this explicatory process. The researcher’s movement preferences were identified in the preparatory phase with a certified movement analyst (CMA) as a …

The Effect Of Personal Portrait Photographs On Cultural Attitude Among Jewish And Arabic Expressive/Art Therapists In Israel, Varda Serok-Jeppa

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to offer young expressive therapists in Israel, a country with a complex cultural narrative, a tool that might enhance ethno-cultural empathy competencies. The research question was: What is the effect of Personal Portrait Photographs on cultural attitude among Jewish and Arabic expressive/art therapists in Israel? A qualitative arts based study based in constructivist empirical phenomenology was executed collecting data via photo elicitation, through use of portrait photographs of faces of women wearing three religious head dresses: Jewish, Muslim and Christian. The photographs were revised to portray participants’ faces in the portrait photo. Participants were …

Do We Choose What We Desire? – Persuading Citizens To Make Consistent And Sustainable Mobility Decisions, Christopher Lisson, Margeret A. Hall

Interdisciplinary Informatics Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

A dilemma in urban mobility with tremendous effects on citizens’ wellbeing is the unconscious antipode between their short- and long-term goals. People do not anticipate all consequences of their modal choices and thus make decisions that might be incoherent with their desires, e.g. taking their own car due to convenience but causing a congested city. Omnipresent Information Systems on smartphones provide the necessary information and coordination capabilities to support people for sustainable and individually coherent mobility decisions on a mass scale. Building upon extant work in travel behavior and social psychology, a framework is proposed to coordinate research efforts in …

Exploration Of The Misuse, Abuse, And Diversion Of Gabapentin, Rachel Vickers Smith

Theses and Dissertations--Epidemiology and Biostatistics

Gabapentin is currently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as an adjunctive anti-convulsant and an analgesic for post-herpetic neuralgia. Though gabapentin was initially presumed to have limited or no abuse potential, which may have contributed to its widespread off-label prescribing, there have been increasing anecdotal and published reports of its misuse by substance abusers in the community and penal system. However, to date, there has been limited systematic evaluation of the scope and risk of gabapentin misuse and its associated effects. This dissertation assesses the etiology and prevalence of gabapentin misuse, abuse, and diversion in a multi-faceted approach, …

Identifying Future Effective Foster Parent Characteristics: Using The Casey Foster Family Assessment, Jennifer Grimes-Vawters

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2014, Washoe County Department of Social Services in Nevada, licensed only 50 of 400 parents who applied to foster children. Lack of long-term effective foster parents creates instability within the system. Significant concern over increased numbers of children entering foster care and a decreased number of qualified foster care applicants continues. The Casey Foster Family Assessment (CFFA), a comprehensive assessment of key traits of effective foster parents may further enhance the fostering application process. The identified CFFA subscales most predictive of future foster parent effectiveness, may help WCDSS more effectively identify applicants likely to provide long-term stable homes for …

Integrated And Reducing Re-Entry Into The Criminal Justice System, Scott Huntington

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Numerous studies have focused on the effectiveness of integrated treatment services for people with cooccurring disorders (CODs) within the criminal justice system (CJS). However, there has been a paucity of research on the effectiveness of community-integrated treatment services with CODs and influences on decreasing their interaction within the CJS. This study quantitatively examined the possible relationships between integrated treatment services and CODs and their effect on decreasing interactions within the CJS. The sample (N = 320) consisted of people with CODs from a community-based facility. The statistical analysis was a 2-way (2 x 2) and 3-way (2 x 2 x …

Behavioral Health Medical Interpreters: Cluster Analysis Of Vicarious Traumatization And Posttraumatic Growth, Pauline N. Stahlbrodt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Medical interpreter services will be essential for developing and implementing culturally relevant interventions and treatment for limited English proficiency (LEP) populations. This study sought to identify the possible risks or protective factors that may be associated with vicarious traumatization (VT) or vicarious posttraumatic growth among medical interpreters in behavioral health settings. A 2-step cluster analysis was conducted yielding 2 distinct groupings of medical interpreters (Subtype 1, n = 73; Subtype 2, n = 101). The most important predictor determining the 2 subtypes was whether the participant had a personal history of trauma. In addition, there were significant differences between the …

The Danger Zone: How The Dangerousness Standard In Civil Commitment Proceedings Harms People With Serious Mental Illness, Sara Gordon

Scholarly Works

Almost every American state allows civil commitment upon a finding that a person, as a result of mental illness, is gravely disabled and unable to meet their basic needs for food and shelter. Yet in spite of these statutes, most psychiatrists and courts will not commit an individual until they are found to pose a danger to themselves or others. All people have certain rights to be free from unwanted medical treatment, but for people with serious mental illness, those civil liberties are an abstraction, safeguarded for them by a system that is not otherwise ensuring access to shelter and …

Animal Mourning: Précis Of How Animals Grieve (King 2013), Barbara J. King

Animal Sentience

Abstract: When an animal dies, that individual’s mate, relatives, or friends may express grief. Changes in the survivor’s patterns of social behavior, eating, sleeping, and/or of expression of affect are the key criteria for defining grief. Based on this understanding of grief, it is not only big-brained mammals like elephants, apes, and cetaceans who can be said to mourn, but also a wide variety of other animals, including domestic companions like cats, dogs, and rabbits; horses and farm animals; and some birds. With keen attention placed on seeking where grief is found to occur and where it is absent …

The Affordable Care Act And Addiction Treatment: Preparing The Undergraduate Human Services Professional, Chaniece Winfield, Rebekah Cole, Laurie Craigen

Counseling & Human Services Faculty Publications

The steady growth of the substance abuse and addiction field in addition to the passing of the Affordable Care Act (ACT) increases the need for competent and credentialed substance abuse professionals. As generalists in the helping field, human services professionals would benefit from education and sufficient credentialing in substance abuse and addiction treatment. The authors of this article suggest that substance abuse and addiction education be considered for inclusion at the accreditation level for human services programs. Furthermore, a discussion of the Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ADC) international credential and its benefits and implications for human services professionals will be …

The Happy Boomer: Baby Boomer Life Satisfaction Through Affect And Feeling Of Belonging, Brooke Christina-Marie Massey

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The age cohort of 65 years and older is a growing population. It is part of the group referred to as Baby Boomers, the generation born between the years 1946-1964. It will be the largest population to reach late adulthood to date. In the United States alone, the Baby Boomer cohort is expected to reach 70 million by 2030. In response to this growing elderly population much research has been conducted on Baby Boomer quality of life issues. Such research uncovered the phenomenon known as the well-being paradox. The well-being paradox refers to the findings that older adults' life satisfaction …

Experiences Of Colorado Parents As They Recognized Their Child's Mental Illness, Lori Salgado

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mental illness is not only the leading cause of disability among adults, but there is also an emerging public health crisis in childhood mental illness. A majority of parents do not recognize symptoms of psychological disorder in their children, and current policies and programs for mental health service delivery are not sufficiently responsive to the early help-seeking dynamics of families. Using a concurrent mixed methods design, this study explored how parents in the Pikes Peak region of Colorado learned to recognize their child's mental illness. Phenomenological interviews, augmented by poetic inquiry and quantitative measurements, were used to discover factors that …

Creating A Community Of Practice To Prevent Suicide Through Multiple Channels: Describing The Theoretical Foundations And Structured Learning Of Pc Cares, Lisa Wexler, Diane Mceachern, Gloria Difulvio, Cristine Smith, Louis F. Graham, Kirk Dombrowski

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

It is critical to develop practical, effective, ecological, and decolonizing approaches to indigenous suicide prevention and health promotion for the North American communities. The youth suicide rates in predominantly indigenous small, rural, and remote Northern communities are unacceptably high. This health disparity, however, is fairly recent, occurring over the last 50 to 100 years as communities experienced forced social, economic, and political change and intergenerational trauma. These conditions increase suicide risk and can reduce people’s access to shared protective factors and processes. In this context, it is imperative that suicide prevention includes—at its heart— decolonization, while also utilizing the “best …

Test–Retest, Retest, And Retest: Growth Curve Models Of Repeat Testing With Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment And Cognitive Testing (Impact), Arthur C. Maerlender, Caitlin J. Masterson, Tiffany D. James, Jonathan Beckwith, Per Gunner Brolinson, Joe Crisco, Stefan Duma, Laura A. Flashman, Rick Greenwald, Steven Rowson, Beth Wilcox, Tom W. Mcallister

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Computerized neuropsychological testing has become an important tool in the identification and management of sports-related concussions; however, the psychometric effect of repeat testing has not been studied extensively beyond test–retest statistics. The current study analyzed data from Division I collegiate athletes who completed Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) baseline assessments at four sequential time points that varied over the course of their athletic careers. Administrations were part of a larger National Institutes of Health (NIH) study. Growth curve modeling showed that the two memory composite scores increased significantly with successive administrations: Change in Verbal Memory was best represented …

Reasons For Tubal Sterilisation, Regret And Depressive Symptoms, Karina M. Shreffler, Arthur L. Greil, Julia Mcquillan, Kami L. Gallus

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Objective—To examine the associations between sterilisation reasons, regret, and depressive symptoms.

Study Design—Black, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic White US women ages 25–45 who participated in the National Survey of Fertility Barriers (NSFB) and reported a tubal sterilisation surgery were included in the sample for this study (n=837). Logistic regression was used to examine how characteristics of the sterilisation surgery (reasons for sterilisation, time since sterilisation, and new relationship since sterilisation) are associated with the odds of sterilisation regret, and linear regression was used to examine associations between sterilisation regret, sociodemographic factors, and depressive symptoms.

Results—Findings revealed that 28 …

Low Self-Esteem Leads To Depression Among Elderly: Case Study Of Nursing Home, Savera Aziz Ali, Nadir Suhail, Sumera Aziz Ali

School of Nursing & Midwifery

Background: Self-esteem is defined as “how we value our self”; it affects our trust and relationships in every part of life. Person with low self-esteem may feel powerless and incompetent about himself/herself. Moreover, low self-esteem operates as a risk factor for depression, which is most common disorder among elderly people both in developed and developing countries, causing multiple behavioral changes as well as may increase the chances of depression and suicide among the elderly people. Objective: The objective of this case study was to understand the problems faced by elderly people in the nursing home and to relate the self-esteem …

Supporting Student Veterans Utilizing Participatory Curriculum Development, Bryce A. Doehne

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

An organizational level program utilizing Participatory Curriculum Development (PCD) (Taylor, 2003) is presented to assist postsecondary institutions with development, implementation, and evaluation of programs to support student veterans. Postsecondary institutions are provided with a “how to” program manual that includes literature-based core and supplemental programs, trauma-informed theory, and a methodological framework to implement programs. Practical program evaluation measures are offered to assist postsecondary institutions with evaluating the outcomes of their efforts to support student veterans. The electronic version of this dissertation is at AURA: Antioch University Repository and Archive, http://aura.antioch.edu/ and OhioLink ETD Center, https://etd.ohiolink.edu

Perceptions And Attitudes Of A Sample Of Primary Care Patients Receiving Psychological Care From Their Pcp, Nadine Henzes Gowarty

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

With millions of Americans suffering from a mental health disorder and slightly more than half receiving treatment, the demand for psychological services far outweighs the number of practitioners available to provide direct care. Therefore, the majority of all primary-care visits are based on psychosocial factors; one third of a PCP’s caseloads consist of patients with mental-health problems. Given the fact that PCPs provide comprehensive psychosocial care, it is important to determine the beliefs and perceptions of their patients. Results from this study identified numerous factors that influence the relationship between patients receiving mental health care from their PCP. Specifically, if …

Sex, Drugs And Alcohol: What Adventist College Students Say About The Role Of Parents And Religion, Alina M. Baltazar, Duane C. Mcbride, Curtis J. Vanderwaal, Kathryn Conopio

Faculty Publications

Relationships with peers, parents, and God make a difference in the behavior choices of youth. If a young person spends time with peers who don’t use substances and are planning to wait until they get married to have sex, they are less likely to engage in these behaviors. In addition, if the youth has a close relationship with parents who clearly state their standards regarding substance use and premarital sex, they are less likely to practice these behaviors. Finally, when the young person has a close relationship with God, they are more likely to care about the religious standards such …

Two Sudden And Unexpected Deaths Of Patients With Schizophrenia Associated With Intramuscular Injections Of Antipsychotics And Practice Guidelines To Limit The Use Of High Doses Of Intramuscular Antipsychotics, Nasratullah Wahidi, Katie M. Johnson, Allen Brenzel, Jose De Leon

Psychiatry Faculty Publications

Intravenous haloperidol has been associated with torsades de pointes (TdP). These two sudden deaths were probable adverse drug reactions (ADRs) following intramuscular (IM) antipsychotics. The autopsies described lack of heart pathology and were highly compatible with the possibility of TdP in the absence of risk factors other than the accumulation of antipsychotics with a high serum peak after the last injection, leading to death within hours. The first case was a 27-year-old African-American male with schizophrenia but no medical issues. His death was probably caused by repeated IM haloperidol injections of 10 mg (totaling 35 mg in 2 days). The …

A Feasibility Study Of Lqts-Specific Problem-Solving Workshop: Parents' Problem-Solving Skills, Coping, Hope, And Worry, Elizabeth A. Phelps

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Long-QT Syndrome (LQTS) is an inherited cardiac condition that predisposes individuals to cardiac arrhythmias and is a potentially fatal disorder that affects approximately 1 in 2,000 people. The triggers are difficult to avoid and may cause children and their families to make major life changes to avoid scenarios that can precipitate cardiac events. Parent may become more aware of the risks and may be hypervigilant of their child’s surroundings and exposure to potential triggers. Social problem-solving skills have been shown to enhance the ability to cope with both minor and major daily stressors and minimize psychological problems associated with physical …

The Effects Of A Trauma-Informed Care Training Program On Mental Health Professionals Knowledge, Skills, And Attitudes With The Smi, Angelina Pelletier

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Trauma has been found to be highly prevalent among individuals diagnosed with SMIs. Mental health professionals have been reported to misdiagnose or avoid addressing trauma in this population. There is a need to provide information about trauma and to foster awareness among mental health professionals who are treating individuals diagnosed with SMIs. With a TIC approach, operating from a recovery-oriented philosophy, there have been interventions created to address trauma and SMIs with the aim of developing awareness about trauma and the impact it may have on someone’s life. With these factors in mind, mental health professionals should be competent in …

Design And Commissioning Of A Community Scale Solar Powered Membrane-Based Water Purification System In Haiti, Shavin Pinto, Yung Wong, Kyle Fennesy, Yan Tang, Marc Compere

Publications

This paper presents the design and commissioning of a solar powered water purification system at the Ryan Epps Home for Children (REHC) in Michaud, Haiti. This system supplies clean drinking water to the 200 children who live and go to school at REHC and also to the community in the form of a micro-business. This micro-business is the mechanism for income generation for sustainable system operation. The purifier uses a three stage filtration system with a disc-type sediment filter, a 0.1 micron ultrafiltration membrane, and an ultraviolet light for disinfection. The backwash cycle extends the life of the ultrafiltration membrane …

Determinants Of An Individual's Suicide Intention In South Korea, Nam Keun Choi

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

This study has examined a variety of variables that influence an individual’ s suicide intention, and analyzed the impact of these variables. The data are from the 2014 wave of the Korea Welfare Panel Survey (KoWePS). I analyze data on 13,687 out of 17,134 survey participants.

The dependent variable of my study is suicide intention such as suicidal thoughts and behaviors. The independent variables are classified into three categories: socio-demographic, psychological and mental health. Socio-demographic variables are gender, age, education, marital status, and income. Psychological variables are self-esteem, satisfaction with life, and religion. Mental health variables are depression, alcohol use, …

Reducing Depression Among Older Adults: Informal Helping Versus Volunteering, Salih Salihoglu

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Volunteerism is an unpaid productive activity that is exercised within a formal organization to benefit others that are not part of family or friends (Musick & Wilson, 2008). Alternatively, individuals could engage in informal helping which would be an activity undertaken outside a formal, structured organization. This paper addresses whether informal helping is also effective in reducing depression for older adults alongside volunteering. I hypothesize that informal helping is effective in reducing depression only when exercised for short durations. On the other hand, I hypothesize that volunteerism is only effective when exercised for long periods of time. I try to …

A Cross-Sectional Study On Patients' Access To Healthcare In A Developing Nation, Pawan Bhandari

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The objective of this research study was to gauge the current status of patients' access to health care services in a developing nation or least-developed country (as defined by the World Bank and United Nations), Nepal. Many patients are not privileged to have a hospital at a close proximity in Nepal. They are also forced to travel and wait for long hours due to their inability to pay for services offered by private healthcare institutions. A survey questionnaire was developed to get a snapshot of how long patients travel to get to a public hospital for an outpatient service. The …