Mental and Social Health Commons^™

Stress Coping Responses Of Undergraduate University Students Prior To & Since The Onset Of The Covid-19 Pandemic, Kaylee Diefenderfer

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The stress coping mechanisms used by undergraduate university students affects their psychological well-being, stress level, and mental health outcomes. Increasing students’ use of positive coping mechanisms may increase academic outcomes, and overall health and well-being. This study evaluated the stress coping mechanisms used by undergraduate university students prior to and since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The Brief COPE inventory was used to measure stress coping responses. The results of this research indicated a significant change in 9 out of the 14 main coping mechanisms used by undergraduate university students prior to since the pandemic began. The top two stress coping …

Evaluating The Relationship Between Orthorexia Nervosa, Eating Disorder Symptomatology, And Related Psychological Constructs In An Undergraduate Mixed-Gender Sample, Kimberly Marie Martinez

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The pursuit of a healthy lifestyle has become a central focus of Western societies over the past few decades. As rates of chronic conditions, such as obesity and type II diabetes, continue to rise, so too has the desire to maintain one’s optimal state of health. For some, the pursuit of a healthy diet becomes an obsession that interferes with one’s physical and psychological wellbeing. Orthorexia Nervosa (ON) is a proposed eating disorder characterized by a pathological fixation on healthy eating. Unlike other established eating disorders (EDs), ON is focused on the quality of one’s diet, rather than the quantity …

Changes In Study Approaches, Self-Efficacy, And Mental Health In Allied Healthcare Students During The Covid-19 Crisis, Elaina J. Dalomba, Tore Bonsaksen, Mary Jan Greer, Saji Mansur

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

There is growing concern about student mental health, particularly during the COVID-19 crisis. Mental health factors impact self-efficacy and study behaviors, thus there is a need to explore changes in these factors during the pandemic. The aim of this study was to explore changes in allied healthcare students’ approaches to studying, self-efficacy and positive mental health before and during the COVID-19 crisis. The Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students, General Self-efficacy scale, Mental Health Continuum – Short Form were given to graduate students (n=26) prior to, and one year into the pandemic. Repeated measures analyses of variance were performed. …

Mental Health And Online Learning - Systematic Review Dataset, Stephanie L. Moore Phd, George Veletsianos, Michael Barbour

University Libraries & Learning Sciences Faculty and Staff Publications

While there has been a lot of debate over the impact of online and remote learning on mental health and well-being, there has been no systematic syntheses or reviews of the research on this particular issue. In this paper, we review the research on the relationship between mental health / well-being and online or remote learning. Our review shows that little scholarship existed prior to 2020 with most studies conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. We report four findings: (a) pandemic effects are not well-controlled for in most studies; (b) studies present a very mixed picture, with variability around how mental …

Healing Through Mother Earth, Taylor A. Russell

Dance (MFA) Theses

This thesis deals with mental health, with a focus on Black women. Historically, Black women are often so compromised, being constant caregivers and helping everyone else, that they forget to help themselves, not having the time and financial means to do so. If we go back in the time of slavery, many Black women were taking care of slave owners' children and suckling the white women’s babies instead of their own. By the time they got home and after diligently caring for other people’s children they were focused on their own children, who they had been away from for hours …

The Impact Of Staff Sexual Misconduct On U.S. Federal Prison Inmates’ Mental And Physical Health, Wanwisa Grover

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Prison staff sexual misconduct is an ongoing issue in the United States, but little is known about how inmates’ perceptions of staff sexual misconduct influence their mental and physical health. The purpose of this quantitative research study was to examine the relationship between staff sexual misconduct with federal prison inmates and prisoner mental health and rates of injury, and why inmates are not reporting sexual misconduct encounters. Ecological theory provided the theoretical foundation. The three research questions were designed to examine the relationships between nonconsensual sexual misconduct of prison inmates with prison staff and (a) serious mental health illnesses and …

Educational Level As A Moderator Between Stress And Suicidal Ideation Among Law Enforcement Officers, Sittipong Permsookjit

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Law enforcement officers are exposed to occupation-related stress at a level greater than any other occupation, save war combatants, such stress can lead to suicidal ideation. There is a growing trend of suicidal ideation among law enforcement officers. This trend will threaten the stability of society if it is allowed to continue. Educational level has been shown to improve quality of life and is considered a quantitative resource. Using the theoretical framework of appraisal theory, this study’s purpose was to examine the moderating effects of educational level on stress and suicidal ideation among law enforcement officers. A total of 72 …

A Comparison Of Treatment Outcomes Among Pediatric Hispanic Clients Using And Not Using Language Interpretation Services, Mohamed Khalif

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many families immigrating to the United States come fleeing adverse conditions in their home countries. Conditions such as war, political oppression, and economic hardship frequently result in a need for mental health services. This includes not only the adults in the family but also the children. However, because of their limited English proficiency, their access to mental health services frequently requires the use of interpretive services (IS). The body of knowledge on the use of IS in counseling is limited. The use of IS must be seen from a cultural perspective, hence Ridley et al.’s process model of multicultural counseling …

A Behavioral Health Organizational Perspective On Eliminating Restrictive Interventions, Malisa Santana Shuler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

To manage difficult behaviors and ensure the safety of clients and staff, behavioral health organizations have often relied on restrictive interventions such as seclusion and restraint. Although organizational leaders are increasingly seeking alternatives, there is very little literature or organizational practice knowledge addressing this issue. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore, from an organizational leader’s perspective, sustainable best practices after the leaders of a behavioral health organization in the Southeastern region of the United States adopted a statewide initiative to reduce and eliminate restrictive intervention by transitioning to a no seclusion policy. The Baldrige Excellence Framework was …

The Perceptions And Experiences Of Intensive In-Home Counselors Regarding Vicarious Trauma, Tara Ross

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of the study was to explore intensive in-home counselors’ perceptions and experiences with vicarious trauma when providing in-home services to children. The constructivist self-development theory was used to explain how helpers develop vicarious trauma after exposure to traumatic stories of clients. A generic qualitative inquiry was the methodology for this study because it focused on illuminating the participants’ experiences, and offered a highlighted description of the participants’ awareness, consciousness, and understanding, which explored those personal experiences. The study consisted of 10 adults between the ages of 31 and 62. The participants were all African American. Semi structured interviews …

The Connection Between Positive Coping Skills And Cutting For Young Adults In Adolescence, Nicoletta Weide

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

According to recent studies, the instances of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in adolescents have sharply risen in recent years. Cutting is the most prevalent form of NSSI in adolescence which leads to scarring, social stigma, and an increased risk of suicide. NSSI and cutting are considered maladaptive coping skills. The purpose of this general qualitative study is to explore how positive coping skills and self-regulation impacted their instances of cutting. Self-regulation theory was used to analyze if having positive alternative skills was enough to regulate the behavior and have an impact on their instances of cutting. This general qualitative research study …

Mental Health Professionals And Family Burden: Ways To Improve Training And Treatment, Johnnie Lee Jenkins, Iii

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

During deinstitutionalization, schizophrenia treatment shifted from state facilities to communities and families. This change stressed families. This study investigated mental health professionals' (MHPs) knowledge and training about this stress also called family burden (FB). The study had three research questions. These addressed MHPs’ view of FB, what barriers exist in treating FB, can multiple viewpoints define FB, and if these views influence MHPs to reduce it. This grounded theory study used 22 MHPs in seven focus groups (FGs). The participant recruitment process included email, list serves, phone calls, and one state conference. The participants were MHPs licensed for 3 years …

Deadly Combinations: Factors That Are Associated With Simultaneous And Concurrent Polysubstance Use, Laura Lightfoot

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Mortality reports show that most overdose deaths include more than one substance. In addition, there is a gap in the literature that discusses risk factors for polysubstance use. The objective of this study was to explore what factors relate to the likelihood of engaging in polysubstance use, defined as using more than one substance. Specifically, the goal was to evaluate predictors of simultaneous (i.e., the use of alcohol and another substance at the same time in the past six months) polysubstance use and concurrent (i.e., the use of any two substances in the past six months) polysubstance use, vs. no …

A Study Of Limited Bedding And Nesting On Maternal Behavior For Postpartum Depression, Emma Brezoczky

CMC Senior Theses

Postpartum depression (PPD) affects up to 20% of mothers in the US and can detrimentally affect both the mother and psychosocial development of the child (Pearlstein et al, 2009). So far, research on PPD is limited and the underlying neuropathology remains unclear. Low socioeconomic status is one risk factor that increases the risk of PPD tenfold (Goyal et al, 2010). The low resource limited bedding and nesting (LBN) paradigm used for rodents has the potential to model this risk factor. LBN has not previously been studied with PPD, but observations of disrupted maternal behaviors and depressive phenotypes makes it a …

Putative Mechanisms Underlying The Antidepressant Actions Of Ketamine: A Review And Study Proposal, Tristan Reece

CMC Senior Theses

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a highly debilitating and common psychiatric disorder that affects over 250 million people globally; it is among the most financially and emotionally burdensome illnesses in the world. Currently approved antidepressants are suboptimal in their efficacy and latency of therapeutic action. In contrast, single administrations of sub-anesthetic ketamine have been shown to rapidly alleviate depressive symptoms within hours, even in treatment-resistant patients. Ketamine is believed to exert these effects by increasing glutamatemediated neurotransmission and promoting rapid neurotrophic factor release, restoring the integrity of neural circuits that are compromised in depression. However, uncertainty surrounding its specific antidepressant …

Horticultural Therapy Program For Individuals With Substance Use Disorder: A Mixed-Method Evaluation, Emily Maia Bisaga

CMC Senior Theses

Substance Use Disorder (SUD) is a chronic brain disorder caused by both biological and environmental factors. Although there is no panacea for addiction, holistic adjunctive therapies have been found to improve outcomes for this population. Horticultural Therapy (HT) is one such adjunct therapy that may improve treatment outcomes. Although HT has been found to support holistic healing for many mental and physical ailments, the efficacy of this intervention has not been evaluated in patients with a SUD. The goal of this controlled, mixed-method study is to evaluate whether HT could be an effective component of a holistic SUD treatment program. …

The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On First-Generation Women Test-Takers: Magnifying Adversities, Stress, And Consequences For Bar Exam Performance., Freiburger Erin, Victor D. Quintanilla, Kurt Hugenberg, Sam Erman, Nedim Yel, Anita Kim, Mary C. Murphy

Articles

By magnifying gender- and socioeconomic status-based inequalities, the COVID-19 pandemic caused stress and disrupted career progress for professional students. The present work investigated the impact of pandemic-related stress and prevailing barriers on structurally disadvantaged women preparing for a high-stakes professional exam. In Study 1, we found that among US law students preparing for the October 2020 California Bar Exam—the professional exam that enables one to become a practicing attorney in California—first-generation women reported the greatest stress from pandemic-related burdens and underperformed on the exam relative to others overall, and particularly compared to continuing-generation women. This underperformance was explained by pandemic-related …

A Comparison Of The Magnitude Of The Mental Health Benefits Of Exercising Outdoors Vs Exercising Indoors: A Review, Greta M. Rueschmann

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Many people in the United States suffer from poor mental health which can lead to suicide, self-harm, or negative effects on job performance and relationships. Not everyone can afford traditional therapy nor feels comfortable with it. With a greater emphasis placed on taking care of one’s mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic, there should also be a greater emphasis placed on finding alternative types of therapy that can be matched to individuals based on their personalities and preferences. One such alternative is outdoor exercise. This review was conducted to examine whether exercising or performing physical activity outdoors results in greater …

Parent Style Of Coping Based On Attachment In The Nicu, Claire Elizabeth Payne

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

This quantitative study sought to identify any relationship between attachment type and coping style in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, to better understand and provide resources and support to families in this environment. This study included ten participants who had an infant in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for at least five days. Each participant met the additional criteria of being older than the age of 18 and speaking English. Responses were recorded through a self-report survey, consisting of 115 Likert scale statements. Results indicated that most parents self-report secure attachment and that styles of coping varied within those securely …

B-Sure (Bereavement Support Research): The Differential Experiences Of Peer And Professional Support In Grief, Andrea Crowley

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Abstract

The project aimed to investigate the differential experiences of those who have received peer or professional support for grief and bereavement. Although much is known with regards to the perceived impacts of peer and professional support in general, there is little research surrounding these support types in the context of grief and bereavement, the potential for these support types to be complementary, and how the COVID-19 pandemic may have impacted the experiences of those receiving these forms of support. The main goal of this project was to address a significant gap in the literature by investigating the following questions: …

Exploring Climate, Wellbeing, Resilience, And Resistance In 2slgbtq+ Leisure Spaces: A Mixed Methods Study To Advance Inclusion, Tin Vo

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Participating in queer sports groups, rainbow choirs, trans virtual discussion groups and other Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other sexually and gender diverse (2SLGBTQ+) leisure activities can offer participants safety from societal heterosexism and cisgenderism and opportunities for community connection and peer support, as well as foster their overall wellbeing. Yet, transgender/gender nonconforming (TGNC), racialized, and/or disabled individuals, and those with other diverse identities are often marginalized in these spaces. Though researchers have studied exclusion within 2SLGBTQ+ leisure spaces, relatively little is known about how the climate of these spaces shapes social and mental health outcomes. Connected to …

"If We're Not Loud, We're Not Cared For": Empowerment In Transgender Peoples' Healthcare Experiences, Chase Valiant

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Healthcare plays a crucial role in the health and quality of life of transgender (herein trans) people. The experiences people have when accessing healthcare, can have significant effects on future interactions with the healthcare system as well as individual health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to gather insights into trans peoples’ positive healthcare experiences and health outcomes through the lens of empowerment. Fifteen interviews with trans men and trans women were drawn from a larger study of trans peoples’ experiences of discrimination. Thematic analysis was undertaken to identify key themes in the data. Experiences of empowerment were facilitated …

Anxiety And Social Experience Stressors Of Lgbt In Thailand, Bunatta Aritatpokin

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

The enhancement of the quality of life, according to the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations (UN-SDG), places importance in equality for all groups of people, in all aspects. In this regard, although the Thailand sphere has been praised for its efforts to demonstrate its progressiveness regarding equality for groups who are more vulnerable to stressors, in practice, it is still quite lacking which could cause issues with mental health, such as anxiety and other stressors. This descriptive cross sectional quantitative research study explores the anxiety and social experience stressors of once such group - those of different …

รายการสำรวจความปลอดภัยจากความรุนแรงในแผนกผู้ป่วยนอกจิตเวชในโรงพยาบาลจุฬาลงกรณ์ สภากาชาดไทย, อัจฉรา ลอยบัณฑิตย์

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

วัตถุประสงค์ : เพื่อพัฒนาแบบสำรวจความปลอดภัยจากความรุนแรงในแผนกผู้ป่วยนอกจิตเวชในโรงพยาบาล วิธีการศึกษา : การวิจัยครั้งนี้เป็นการศึกษาแบบผสมผสาน (Mixed Methods research) ระยะที่ 1) เป็นการศึกษาเชิงคุณภาพ (Qualitative research) ร่วมกับการทบทวนวรรณกรรมที่เกี่ยวข้อง เพื่อพัฒนาแบบสำรวจความปลอดภัยจากความรุนแรงในแผนกผู้ป่วยนอกจิตเวชในโรงพยาบาลโดยการสัมภาษณ์เชิงลึกโดยใช้แนวคำถามปลายเปิด กลุ่มตัวอย่างเป็นบุคลากรทีมสุขภาพและผู้เกี่ยวข้องในการดูแลผู้ป่วยจิตเวช จำนวน 12 คน จากนั้นนำข้อมูลมาวิเคราะห์ และสังเคราะห์ร่วมกับการทบทวนวรรณกรรมที่เกี่ยวข้องเพื่อพัฒนาแบบสำรวจความปลอดภัยจากความรุนแรงในแผนกผู้ป่วยนอกจิตเวช ตรวจสอบความตรงตามเนื้อหาโดยการทดสอบความตรงเชิงโครงสร้าง จากผู้ทรงคุณวุฒิจำนวน 5 คนและระยะที่ 2)เป็นการศึกษาเชิงปริมาณ (Quantitative research) นำไปทดลองใช้กับกลุ่มตัวอย่างจำนวน 50 คน เพื่อวิเคราะห์คุณภาพของเครื่องมือด้วย ผลการศึกษา : แบบสำรวจความปลอดภัยจากความรุนแรงในแผนกผู้ป่วยนอกจิตเวชในโรงพยาบาลเป็นข้อคำถามจำนวน 40 ข้อ แบบมาตราส่วนประมาณค่า(Rating Scale) 4 ระดับคือ มีแล้ว มีบางส่วน ยังไม่มีแต่มีแผนแล้ว และไม่มี คุณภาพเครื่องมือของแบบประเมินอยู่ในเกณฑ์ดีเยี่ยม โดยมีค่าความตรงเชิงเนื้อหาทั้งฉบับ(Content Validity of Scale) เท่ากับ0.98 มีค่าความเชื่อมั่น(Reliability) ทั้งฉบับอยู่ในเกณฑ์ดี ค่าCronbach’s Alpha เท่ากับ 0.88 มีค่าCorrected Item – rest Correlation สูงกว่า.02 ทุกข้อ และมีค่าอำนาจจำแนก (Discrimination) อยู่ในระดับสูง สามารถจำแนกระดับระหว่างกลุ่มสูงและกลุ่มต่ำได้ สรุป : รายการสำรวจฯ สามารถเครื่องมือที่ช่วยประเมินความปลอดภัยให้กับบุคลากรทางการแพทย์ก่อน และขณะปฏิบัติงาน และสามารถช่วยป้องกันอันตรายจากความรุนแรงจากผู้ป่วยทั้งทางกายและจิตใจ

Healing Sanctuary, Kammy Downs

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

The natural world has hidden wisdom and resources that are disregarded as we misuse our responsibility to care for them. The benefits of being in tune with nature have been traded for a culture that manipulates nature on the altar of expediency, waste, and unquenchable desire. Healing Sanctuary presents a duality. My work speaks about the relationship between the seen and unseen, represented by ten larger-than-life drawings of medicinal herbal plants that have had a profound physical healing effect on me. At the same time, plants, roots, and seeds create visceral metaphors for mental health. Our accomplishments, outlook on life, …

Autonomous Self-Care: A Means To Mitigate Secondary Traumatic Stress Among Clinical Social Workers, Jessica Byrd

DSW Capstone Projects

Secondary traumatic stress (STS) negatively impacts the health of clinical social workers, thus, impairing their ability to provide quality services. The symptoms and consequences of STS have been discussed for decades and the conversation continues because STS is a prevalent and pervasive problem that effects social workers, clients, and organizations. For as long as STS has been recognized as a problem, self-care has been identified as a solution. Yet, clinical social workers underutilize self-care strategies to safeguard their mental, physical, and emotional well-being.

A systematic review of the literature review was conducted to explore, why self-care is underutilized among clinical …

Transforming Hurt Boys Into Restored Men: The Lack Of Mental Health Treatment For Black Male Trauma Survivors, Shericka Danielle Smith

DSW Capstone Projects

Trauma affects individuals differently, but the prevalence of trauma and its impact on Black males is detrimental. Black males are at higher risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, substance abuse, and violent crimes when trauma is left untreated by a mental health professional. As the number of traumatic events experienced by Black males continues to rise, the number of these males who seek mental health treatment remains stagnant and painfully low. Many factors play into these behaviors, yet very little data exists on what is being done to change them.

Product one is a systematic literature review in which …

Identifying Factors Associated With Syringe Reuse Among People Who Inject Drugs (Pwid) In Appalachia Kentucky, Grayson Keith Fuller

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Aim: Syringe reuse contributes to the spread of infectious diseases. The purpose of this study is to identify factors associated with syringe reuse among people who inject drugs (PWID) in Kentucky.

Methods: PWID (n=238) completed interviewer-administered questionnaires to collect data on syringe reuse and demographic, behavioral, and clinical characteristics. Negative log binomial regression was used to model the associations.

Results: On average, people reused each syringe 9.3 times (median: 3; IQR: 2-10, range 1-95). Syringe reuse was higher among men [aOR=1.386; 95% CI: 1.041-1.845] and those who injected methamphetamine [aOR=2.122; 95% CI: 1.445-3.116]. Reuse was also higher among those who …

Compassion, Discrimination, And Prosocial Behaviors: Young Diasporic Chinese During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Youli Chen, Zicong Wang, Qi Zhang, Weizhen Dong, Jia Huei, Chen Xu, Sizhe Ji Wu, Xiangyang Zhang, Chun Chen

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has fueled anti-Asian, especially anti-Chinese sentiments worldwide, which may negatively impact diasporic Chinese youths' adjustment and prosocial development. This study examined the association between compassion, discrimination and prosocial behaviors in diasporic Chinese youths during the COVID-19 pandemic. 360 participants participated and completed the multi-country, cross-sectional, web-based survey between April 22 and May 9, 2020, the escalating stage of the pandemic. This study found compassion as prosocial behaviors' proximal predictor, while discrimination independently predicted participation in volunteering, and could potentially enhance the association between compassion and charitable giving. These findings suggest that prosociality among young …

Patient And Provider Perspectives On Medication Non-Adherence Among Patients With Depression And/Or Diabetes In Diverse Community Settings – A Qualitative Analysis, Jane E Hamilton, Eduardo Blanco, Salih Selek, Kelly L Wirfel, Elmer V Bernstam, Dawn Velligan, Meghana Gudala, Kirk Roberts

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Diabetes and depression affect a significant percentage of the world's total population, and the management of these conditions is critical for reducing the global burden of disease. Medication adherence is crucial for improving diabetes and depression outcomes, and research is needed to elucidate barriers to medication adherence, including the intentionality of non-adherence, to intervene effectively. The purpose of this study was to explore the perspectives of patients and health care providers on intentional and unintentional medication adherence among patients with depression and diabetes through a series of focus groups conducted across clinical settings in a large urban area.

METHODS: …