Mental and Social Health Commons^™

Development And Presentation Of A Lesson On Mental Health For High School Students During The 2021 Covid-19 Pandemic, Daniel Yang, Sana Farhat, Jhocelin Morquecho, Rutva Patel, Rui Shi, Md Fateha, Mary Duggan

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

With the support of the HRSA, the Health Careers Opportunity Program (HCOP) was established to increase the number of students from underrepresented backgrounds to pursue careers in healthcare. HCOP combines the efforts of high school, undergraduate, and medical students in creating an original project to serve a need within the community. In this HCOP project, we aim to address the issue of mental health with high school students at two New Jersey high schools: Pennsauken and Williamtown.

The Dopamine D3 Receptor Antagonist Vk4-40 Attenuates Morphine-Induced Hyperactivity But Not Cocaine-Induced Hyperactivity In Mice, Desta M. Pulley, Jessica J. Debski, Daniel Manvich

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

In light of the increasing rates of opioid abuse in the US, the search for viable medications to treat opioid abuse disorder (OUD) has become ever more urgent. Opioids exert their abuse-related effects in part by indirectly increasing dopamine (DA) neurotransmission in the mesolimbic system, a dopaminergic projection arising in the ventral tegmental area and terminating in the nucleus accumbens. The DA D3 receptor (D3R), which belongs to the D2 family of dopamine receptors (D2, D3 , D4 receptor subtypes), is highly expressed in these brain regions and has shown strong potential as a pharmacotherapeutic target for the treatment of …

Acute Flecainide Toxicity Treated With Intravenous Lipid Emulsion, Joseph S. Schreiner

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Flecainide is a Vaughn-Williams class IC antiarrhythmic used in the treatment of supraventricular tachycardias including atrial fibrillation. While overdose is rare, its negative effects on cardiac inotropy and conduction pathways can be readily fatal. This is further complicated by the redistribution of the drug out of the plasma and deposition in tissue, rendering reversal by sodium bicarbonate (the standard first line treatment agent) relatively ineffective. A case study of the successful treatment of hemodynamic collapse using sodium bicarbonate in conjunction with intravenous lipid emulsion (ILE) in a patient who ingested a large amount of flecainide in a suicide attempt will …

A Holistic Approach To Physical And Mental Health: Associations Between Chronic Disease And Psychiatric Conditions, Pooja Patel, Alison Mancuso

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

OBJECTIVE:

• To investigate the link between chronic medical conditions and psychiatric disorders

BACKGROUND

• Limited research has been done studying the relationship between chronic medical conditions and psychiatric disorders in patients comorbid with both types of conditions.

• Prior research studies have demonstrated that patients with chronic medical conditions are more likely to develop psychiatric disorders compared to healthy individuals without any medical conditions.

• As individuals develop chronic medical conditions, they may encounter additional obstacles in their lives,

Alzheimer's Patients’ Mental Health During The Covid 19 Pandemic, Maryanna Schweininger, Yvonne Maduka, Ajh'shana Collins

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a degenerative brain disease caused by β Amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, which results in memory loss and cognitive decline. It is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. Approximately 50% of those with AD experience some degree of depression during the course of the disease, which has been shown to accelerate functional decline, institutionalization, and even mortality.

Many who cannot care for themselves live in an assisted living facility or retirement home. Since the beginning of the COVID 19 pandemic, people have been urged to social distance in order to decrease the …

Barriers To Alternative Narcotic Education And Treatment In Young Adults In New Jersey, Shubh Bhambri

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

The purpose of this study is to determine alternative methods and programs that result in better outcomes for young adults dealing with opioid addiction in New Jersey while identifying potential barriers that prevent the implementation of these programs.

Establishing A Resident-Lead High School Outreach Program To Improve Physician Community Engagement, Dylan Mcdivitt

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

New Jersey’s Cumberland County is home to a vastly diverse population of people, comprised of numerous racial, ethnic, economic, health, and educational backgrounds among its nearly 150,000 residents. Per U.S. Census data, about 15% of the population is below the poverty line, including about 20% of those below the age of 18. With economic hardship often come health problems and disparities, and Cumberland County’s rates of obesity, tobacco use, lung cancer, and drug-induced deaths are all above the national averages.

Notable student survey findings:

• 67 students reported a friend had shared thoughts of depression with them in the last …

Opioid Lifeline Community Service Project, Ekrem Cetinkaya, Cam'ron Klotz, Harvy Patel

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

The opioid epidemic has claimed the lives of thousands of people over the last decade due to overprescribing, synthetic opioids, and lack of treatment options. Project Opioid Lifeline was created as a mission to combat this issue by equipping the Camden County, NJ population with the necessary information to advocate for themselves and others. This project aims to find and centralize available resources for residents of Camden County by including addiction treatment centers, Narcan training and distribution, and unused medication drop off locations. Over the last nine months, partnerships were formed with community leaders and organizations, such as the Neuromusculoskeletal …

Death Anxiety, Artmaking And The Facilitation Of Death Discourse, Heather Conley

Art Therapy Counseling Final Research Projects

Discussion about death, known as death discourse, has been historically limited to the confines of the palliative care, elderly and hospice arenas (Bradshaw, 1996; Granek, 2013; Safrai, 2013; Zimmerman, 2012). This study examined the impact of artmaking on facilitating death discourse in college-aged students from a midwestern United States campus. A mixed methods design was implemented in which participants completed the Communication Apprehension about Death Scale (CADS; Carmack & DeGroot, 2016), an artmaking directive addressing feelings about death, followed by a Post-Artmaking Reflection about their artwork. Following a 10-day time period after the artmaking session, participants were re-administered the CADS …

How College Men Describe Their Understanding Of Sexual Assault, Sarah Anolik

Dissertations, 2020-current

Despite the proliferation of many vital bystander intervention programs across the country, approximately one in four college women will experience sexual violence. Though it was once believed that a small minority of men were responsible for the vast majority of sexual violence, an estimated 12%-25% of college men report having used sexual violence as an undergraduate student. Research across disciplines suggests several factors associated with the perpetration of sexual violence. While numerous studies have explored these constructs quantitatively on and off college campuses, there have been far fewer qualitative studies that provide insight into how men who have perpetrated violence …

Rationale For Participation In Jmu Worksite Wellness Programs, Rebecca Mathien

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Effective employee wellness programs require an adequate understanding of the needs of employees. An employee wellness needs assessment was created to target the understanding of specific topics of interest, incentives and barriers to participation, and general health status of university employees. The majority (74.1%) of the 639 survey respondents (15.3% response rate) were female (age 45.7 ± 11.7 years), full-time employees. Employees were most interested in participating in programs involving physical activity, nutrition, and lifestyle wellness. Stages of change related to these topics include physical activity (pre-action: 42.3% and action: 44.7%), nutrition (pre-action: 37.4% and action: 42.2%), and work/life balance …

Case Of New Onset Alice In Wonderland Syndrome In Adolescent After Prolonged Hospitalization, Michaela Margolis, Timothy Wong, Richard Hadi

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Alice in wonderland syndrome (AIWS) has been described as body image illusions involving distortions of the size, mass, or shape of the patient’s own body or its position in space, often occurring with depersonalization and derealization. Most cases typically affect young children.

Common distortions are micropsia, macropsia, metamorphopsia, and pelopsia.

The term was adopted from the book by Lewis Carroll, wherein the main character perceived her size and shape to change in different scenarios.

These distortions are often expressed as sensory perceptions rather than illusions or hallucinations, and are often distressing to the patient.

AIWS onset has been found to …

An Analysis Of Phenibut (Ss -Phenyl-Y-Aminobutyric Acid) Withdrawal, Michael Morris, James Espinosa, Robin Lahr, Alan Lucerna

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Phenibut (ß -phenyl-y-aminobutyric acid) is a psychoactive GABA analogue marketed as a nutritional supplement and “nootropic” online. Phenibut consumption poses a high risk of potential abuse. Withdrawal from Phenibut mimics benzodiazepine and alcohol withdrawal. Without proper management, Phenibut withdrawal may be equally as dangerous as benzodiazepine and alcohol withdrawal. Baclofen can be prescribed for outpatient symptomatic relief of Phenibut withdrawal.

Mental Health Outcomes At A Student-Run Free Clinic, Jessica-Sophie Horoschak, Riya Tandra, Sahil Parikh, Shayna Peterzell, Roma Padalkar, Tara Pellegrino

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

In this project we aim to:

1. Assess the outcomes of screening, management, and diagnosis for patients at the Rowan Community Health Center (RCHC).

2. Compare the outcomes of screening, management, and diagnosis between different groups (gender, race, income, insurance status) using validated surveys.

3. There is a need for accessible and affordable primary care in the South Jersey area, which the RCHC is hoping to meet.

Hypothesis:

The quality of mental health care available to patients at the RCHC is comparable to that at other insured practices.

The Therapeutic Benefits Of Attunement Through Lindy Hop, Sarah Trowbridge

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Dance/movement therapy (DMT) was developed as a tool to aide in therapeutic healing. A foundational aspect of DMT is attunement, the emotional/kinesthetic connection between two people that allows for meaningful and healing bonds to emerge. Lindy Hop is a partnered dance that fosters an environment of attunement, as it is accessed both subconsciously and consciously. This research explores Lindy Hop as a possible method of therapeutic treatment. The literature indicates the physiological need for attunement and how safety plays a key role in strengthening senses of self-identity, nervous system development, and worldview. Four experienced Lindy Hoppers were recruited to engage …

A Tailored Multicomponent Intervention In Primary Care For Survivors Of Adverse Childhood Experiences (Aces), Rebecca L. Peterson

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) include 10 traumatic events of abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction that occur before 18 years of age. Adverse childhood experiences affect greater than 60% of the population, and approximately one in six individuals affirm that they have experienced four or more types of ACEs. They are associated with negative, long-term health outcomes in adults, including 9 out of the 10 leading causes of death in the United States (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, n.d.; Felitti et al., 1998). The purpose of this evidence-based practice project was to implement a tailored, multicomponent intervention to mitigate the …

Perceived Ability To Treat Opioid Use Disorder In West Virginia, A. Brianna Sheppard, Jonathan C. Young, Steve M. Davis, Garrett E. Moran

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) is an evidence-based therapy for opioid use disorder (OUD) that has not been fully implemented in rural areas due to patient, provider, and logistical barriers. Limited information is available on provider perceptions of barriers to MAT in rural Central Appalachia which has very high rates of OUD compared to the rest the United States.

Purpose: Determine perceived barriers for potential prescribers to using MAT, including buprenorphine, as part of treatment for OUD in West Virginia.

Methods: A 30-question, anonymous survey was sent to physicians, physician assistants and advanced practice registered nurses using an online link. Link …

Loss Of Obstetric Services In Rural Appalachia: A Qualitative Study Of Community Perceptions, Caroline R. Efird, David Dry, Rachel F. Seidman

Journal of Appalachian Health

Background: As rural hospitals across the United States increasingly downsize or close, the availability of inpatient obstetric services continues to decline in rural areas. In rural Appalachia, the termination of obstetric services threatens to exacerbate the existing risk of adverse birth outcomes for women and infants, yet less is known about how the cessation of these services affects the broader community.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explain how the loss of local obstetric services affects perceptions of healthcare among multi-generational residents of a remote, rural Appalachian community in western North Carolina.

Methods: An interdisciplinary team of researchers …

Dnp Final Report: Safety Huddle, Chukwuemeka Ogobuiro

DNP Final Reports

Over 70% of reported sentinel events are due to communication failure between patients, care providers, and/or administration. Safety Huddle has been shown to increase effective communication among healthcare providers. The application of Safety Huddle concept to behavioral health inpatient care is new. Therefore, this scholarly project utilizes the evidence-based practice change steps to improve teamwork and patient safety in the behavioral health inpatient units using Safety Huddle concepts. The Safety Huddle is a team-building tool that increases effective communication among healthcare providers. A review of the literature was conducted. The evidence suggests that Safety Huddle, a tool for effective communication, …

Impact Of Covid-19 On Physical Activity And Health Influences Among College Students, Rachael Larkin

Honors Theses

Objective: To assess the associations between physical activity, subjective well-being (SWB), and social media influences before, during, and after the 2020 COVID-19 period among college-aged students. Participants: Male and female students from the University of Mississippi who were between the ages of 18-25 volunteered to participate in this study. Out of 10,000 invitation emails distributed, a total of 290 individuals responded and were used for the subsequent analysis. Results: Almost half of the respondents (46.1%) noted a decrease in physical activity from before March-May (M-M) 2020 to during M-M 2020. In addition, 41% of the respondents reported an increase in …

Parental And Peer Influences On College Students' Relationships With Food, Body Image, And Intuitive Eating Behaviors, Ann Mcqueen Whatley

Honors Theses

Society is flooded with beliefs and knowledge concerning health, diet, and beauty, which all significantly impact people’s relationships with food, eating, body image, and parental and peer relationships. The present study sought to investigate parental and peer influences on college students’ relationships with food, body image, and intuitive eating behaviors by distributing a self-report survey to a sample of 197 undergraduate students at the University of Mississippi. The survey consisted of six demographic questions regarding age/undergraduate classification, gender, geographical region of hometown, relationship status, childhood living arrangements, and current living arrangement to serve as the independent variables. In addition, the …

An Analysis Of Reflections On Researcher Positionality, Oluwatoyin Olukotun, Elizabeth Mkandawire, Jeri Antilla, Faten Alfaifa, Jennifer Weitzel, Victoria Scheer, Mary Olukotun, Dr. Lucy Mkandawire-Valhmu

The Qualitative Report

Reflexivity is a central tenet of qualitative research. Engaging in self-reflexive praxis allows researchers to identify areas of tension in the research process that need to be further deconstructed. In this paper, we draw on our collective self-reflective experiences as qualitative health researchers whose scholarship is informed by critical and postcolonial feminist epistemologies to offer some guidance on how to approach the concept of insider versus outsider in the research process. Specifically, we analyze recurring methodological tensions related to positionality and outline how they were addressed. The lessons learned from our studies can be instructive to other qualitative researchers.

Body Positivity: Movement And Misconceptions, Bellas

Body Positivity

No abstract provided.

Support For Me: Key Stakeholder Interview Summary, Katie Rosingana Ba, Mary Lindsey Smith Phd, Karen Pearson Mlis, Ma, Evelyn Ali Bs, Tyler Egeland Ba, Mark Richards Bs

Substance Use Research & Evaluation

This summary feedback report is organized to inform the Office of MaineCare Services goal of addressing barriers and finding new and/or improved ways to increase capacity in Maine for people who seek treatment and recovery services for substance use disorder. Interview protocols were designed to assess critical domains of interest for the state, which include: current and potential provider capacity, access to care & service delivery provider willingness, and financial/ administrative policies.

Key Highlights from the stakeholder interviews indicated that:

• While there have been improvements in the integration of care for persons with behavioral health (BH) diagnoses, this integration has …

Perspectives Of Caregivers On Early Onset Dementia: An Investigation Of The Role Of Attachment And Shifts In Identity, Claire Wood

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

Early onset dementia (EOD) alters the lives of person with dementia (PWD) and caregivers as it broadens from helping with the instrumental activities of daily living to full time assistance with essential activities of daily living. Research literature reports that pre-morbid attachment style continues to be emotionally and behaviorally expressed over the course of dementia; individual and shared narratives contribute to maintenance of personhood and identity; and that maintenance of self and other contributes to quality of life. The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in caregiver perceptions of themselves and their quality of life in the caregiving …

The Effects Of Virtual Reality Therapy On Acrophobia: A Literature Review, Emma Zobal

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper examines the effects of virtual reality therapy on acrophobia. Virtual reality therapy is a valuable tool that can be utilized to expose individuals to their phobias in a controlled, virtual setting with the use of technology. Acrophobia is described as an extreme fear of heights and can interfere with the daily lives of individuals. In this review, four studies were examined that focused on the use of virtual reality therapy in individuals with acrophobia. The overall findings indicated that virtual reality therapy was effective in reducing symptoms of acrophobia. Furthermore, this literature review examines the benefits and successful …

Body Positivity On Social Media, Bellas

Body Positivity

No abstract provided.

Body Positivity: Coping With Stress And Exams, Bellas

Body Positivity

No abstract provided.

Nutrition And Gym: Maintaining Body Positivity, Bellas

Body Positivity

No abstract provided.

Psychological Wellbeing And Sense Of Community Among African Americans: Does Purpose In Life Matter?, Yatesha D. Robinson

Dissertations

This dissertation examined the relationships between sense of community, purpose in life, and psychological wellbeing among African Americans. It investigated whether purpose in life moderated the relationship between sense of community and psychological wellbeing. Although previous studies have linked a sense of community and purpose in life with wellbeing, few studies have examined these relationships among African Americans using a multidimensional model. The data for the current analysis were drawn from the third wave of the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States study (MIDUS 3), collected between 2013–2014. The sample included 98 African American men (n …