Mental and Social Health Commons^™

Gender Differences In The Association Between Marriage And Epigenetic Age, Theo O. Moran, Alina M. Kushner, Theodore F. Robles, Jennifer W. Robinette

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Introduction:

Being married is related to better health, but many studies reveal greater health benefits among men relative to women. Some research has indicated that married individuals exhibit decelerated epigenetic age relative to individuals who are not married, but questions remain regarding gender differences therein. The purpose was to investigate gender differences in associations of marital status to epigenetic age (ing) assessed on three clocks/algorithms (PhenoAge, GrimAge, and DunedinPACE).

Methods:

Data from 762 participants in the national Midlife in the United States Study (MIDUS II; men N = 382, women N = 380) were used. Weighted linear regressions were conducted …

Dimensions Of Father-Love Absence As Predictors Of Psychological Well-Being: Evidence From University Students, Dody Hartanto, Mufied Fauziah, Zerlinda Aurora Saputri

Jurnal Kajian Bimbingan dan Konseling

Psychological well-being is a crucial aspect of university students' development as young adults. Father-love absence is believed to be one of the factors influencing this well-being. This study aimed to analyze the role of father-love absence as a predictor of university students' psychological well-being and to identify the contribution of each aspect of father-love absence. A quantitative approach with a descriptive correlational design was employed. A total of 318 active university students were selected through simple random sampling and completed an online questionnaire. Father-love absence was measured using an adapted scale based on Xiang and Zhou's theory, encompassing four aspects: …

Beyond Walking: Exploring Functional Use Of Exoskeletons In The Home Environment, Sue D. Dahl-Popolizio, Adam M. Story, Thomas Hartman, Lacee Andrews, Jennifer Radziak, Angela Zhu, Joelly Lobato De Faria Otd, Ms, Otr/L

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: This pilot study was completed to determine whether individuals with paraplegia can perform activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) in their homes using a personal exoskeleton. The physiological effects of using an exoskeleton for these tasks were investigated as well. Methods: In this mixed-methods observational study, participants with paraplegia were observed using an exoskeleton to complete ADLs and IADLs in their homes. Performance and satisfaction with performance were measured before and after home exoskeleton use with the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM). The level of importance of completing ADLs and IADLs to the …

Characterising The Beyond 50 Cohort: Preliminary Exploration Of Physical And Psychosocial Health Factors And Substance Use Among A Cohort Of Community Dwelling Adults Aged 50–70 Years, Rose Laing, Tina Lam, Bosco Rowland, Paul Dietze, Aislinn Lalor, Keith D. Hill, Laura Alfrey, Nadine E. Andrew, Shalini Arunogiri, Stephen Bright, Louisa Picco, Suzanne Nielsen

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Introduction: Older adults exhibit unique risks associated with poor mental health and substance use. The Beyond 50 study is a longitudinal cohort investigating the determinants of healthy ageing, including relationships between physical and psychosocial health and substance use. We aim to characterise the Beyond 50 cohort and explore patterns of physical and psychosocial health and substance use. Methods: Baseline data collection was completed between September 2023 and August 2024. Annual follow-up data collection commenced in September 2024. Descriptive statistics will be used to characterise the cohort at the time of baseline survey completion. Results: Of the 1059 participants, the mean …

From The President - The Transformative Value Of Our Profession, Melanie E. Mayberry, Dds, Ms-Hcm

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Melanie E. Mayberry, MDA President, reflects on the transformative value of dentistry on both patients and the personal lives of practitioners. The article emphasizes how the dental profession builds stronger communities through service, empathy, mentorship, and continuous learning. Highlighting student and patient resilience in the face of adversity, Mayberry draws inspiration from events like the Kalamazoo Mission of Mercy, where volunteers provided over one million dollars in free dental care. She encourages dentists of all generations to foster a community of belonging, embrace professional evolution, and appreciate the spiritual and personal rewards of their service.

Mda Public Relations Grant Program Opens Applications For 2026 Cycle, Timothy Rath

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

The Michigan Dental Association is opening applications for its 2026 Public Relations Grant Program, offering individual grants of up to $5,000, with $30,000 in total funding, to support component dental societies. The program funds creative community-focused initiatives scheduled for 2027 that educate the public and promote oral health, excluding purely charitable clinical care. Eligible projects emphasize relationship-building and community engagement. Highlighted success stories from previous cycles include oral health kit distributions, youth-focused educational events, and the expansion of the 'Give Kids A Smile' exams and preventive care clinics across Michigan.

The Development And Piloting Of A Novel Client-Rated Trans And Gender Expansive Clinical Competence Scale For Mental Health Providers, Karen Abraham

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Transgender and gender expansive individuals (TGEI) are people who encompass a broad and comprehensive set of experiences of gender diverse individuals and identities that exist both within and beyond a binary framework. In the United States, the Williams Institute identified a proportion of 0.5% of American adults identifying as transgender (Herman et al., 2022). TGE samples report poorer physical and mental health than their cisgender counterparts across the lifespan (Rastogi et al., 2025; Reisner et al., 2015; Reisner, Poteat, et al., 2016). Health disparities of TGEI relative to their non-TGE counterparts can be seen in the prevalence of mood disorders …

Psychological Adaptation In Colorectal Cancer Survivors: Pilot Study Findings, Anuja L. Sarode, Emily M. Su, Amber Kerstetter-Fogle, Steve Paciorek, Erica L. Laipply

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Background

In this pilot study, we examined psychological impacts of colorectal cancer (CRC), focusing on cancer-related posttraumatic stress disorder (CR-PTSD) symptoms, posttraumatic growth (PTG), and their relationship with coping strategies in surgically treated CRC patients.

Methods

This prospective pre- and postoperative pilot study assessed CRC patients at 2 time points, pre- and postoperative. Psychological symptoms were evaluated using the PTSD Checklist for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (PCL-5) and the PTG Inventory Short Form (PTGI-SF). Coping strategies were assessed using the Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (COPE) instrument. Changes in CR-PTSD, PTG, and coping …

Coping Beyond Cancer: Exploring Fear Of Recurrence In Colorectal Cancer Survivors—A Pilot Investigation, Emily M. Su, Steve Paciorek, Erica L. Laipply, Anuja L. Sarode

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Background

Evidence is limited on the fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) among colorectal cancer (CRC) survivors in the US, especially regarding patterns and trends of post-recovery coping mechanisms. This pilot mixed-methods study quantified FCR, examined its associations with Brief COPE domains, and contextualized coping through qualitative analysis.

Methods

Twenty-three patients who successfully underwent CRC surgery were included in this pilot study. Fear of cancer recurrence was measured using the FCR Inventory (FCRI) Short Form, and coping strategies were assessed with the Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (COPE) survey. Descriptive statistics summarized participant characteristics, FCR, and COPE scores. Spearman correlation …

Transmutation Of Psychological Phenomena (Academic Burnout And Fomo) Into Cyanotype Art Creation, Zulfan Ali Mujtaba, Adi Kuntoro

Paradigma: Jurnal Kajian Budaya

The pressure of hustle culture and the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) in the digital era have triggered an escalation of academic burnout among students, demanding alternative psychological recovery interventions beyond verbal clinical approaches. This research aims to explore the creation of alternative Cyanotype photography as a medium for catharsis and resistance against toxic productivity. Utilizing a Practice-Based Research methodology with an autoethnographic approach, data were extracted from the researcher's subjective experiences and transmuted into a visual artifact titled "Metamorfosis yang Lelah". The cultural studies approach and wabi-sabi aesthetics are specifically applied to analyze visual elements in the Prussian Blue …

Responding To Medetomidine In Philadelphia: Narrative Summary Of The Public Health Response To A New Psychoactive Substance, Tareva Warrick-Stone, Serge-Emile Simpson, Phil Durney, Dennis Goodstein, Catherine Abrams, Raymond Bobb, Kory London, Daniel Teixeira Da Silva

Division of Internal Medicine Faculty Papers & Presentations

BACKGROUND: Despite the emergence of medetomidine as the dominant adulterant in Philadelphia's illicit opioid supply, coordinated public health responses are limited or non-existent in the literature. Thus, we summarize a recent Summit in Philadelphia of outpatient and inpatient service providers who specialize in the care of persons who use drugs to discuss medetomidine response readiness and building ongoing community readiness for potential destabilizing drug supply changes.

PURPOSE: Describe a public health intervention that distributed information about practices across health care settings and mobilized key informants to identify and address barriers to treatment.

METHODS: Descriptive summary of the in-person Summit organized …

Spatial Association Of Acute Respiratory Infection, Diarrhea, And Low Birth Weight With Stunting Prevalence In Indonesia, 2024, Dian Rosadi, Husaini Husaini, Triawanti Triawanti, Musafaah Musafaah

Kesmas

Stunting remains unevenly distributed across Indonesia, but national evidence integrating spatial analysis and spatial regression is limited. This study examined the spatial distribution of stunting and its associations with acute respiratory infection (ARI), diarrhea, and low birth weight (LBW) across Indonesian provinces. An ecological cross-sectional study used data from the 2024 Indonesian Nutritional Status Survey. Stunting-only analyses included all 38 provinces, whereas analyses involving ARI, diarrhea, and LBW included 37 provinces with complete data. Spatial analyses used a row-standardized symmetric four-nearest-neighbor spatial weights matrix and included Global Moran’s I, bivariate spatial analysis, Local Indicators of Spatial Association, ordinary least squares, …

Understanding Oral Habits And Malocclusion In School-Aged Children: Insights From Parental And Child Knowledge, Attitudes, And Practices, Maria Laurentia Sanjaya, Evan Raditya Pratomo, Markus Santoso, Agrippine Putricia Asaeli, Eveline Yulia Darmadi, Joy Janny Thenarianto, Jennifer Regina Putri Purwono, Eunike Jacquelyn Widarto

Kesmas

Malocclusion is a prevalent oral health problem in children associated with oral bad habits, yet the extent to which parental and child knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) influence orthodontic status remains insufficiently understood. This cross-sectional study investigated relationships between parental and child KAP, oral habits, and malocclusion in school-aged children, involving 67 child–parent pairs from an elementary school in Surabaya, Indonesia. Parental and child KAP as well as child-reported oral habits were assessed using a validated questionnaire. Children subsequently underwent standardized clinical orthodontic examinations, including alginate jaw impressions to produce dental study models, which were evaluated using the Index of …

The Association Between Rapid Growth In Children Under The Age Of Five And Adolescent Obesity, Ratu Ayu Dewi Sartika, Fadila Wirawan, Iche Andriyani Liberty, Nurul Husna Mohd Shukri, Siti Arifah Pujonarti, Edy Purwanto, Munaya Fauziah

Kesmas

Early-life nutrition is a critical predictor of long-term health, yet the association between rapid early-childhood growth and adolescent obesity, particularly in relation to the “double burden of malnutrition,” remains under-researched in Indonesia. This study aimed to analyze the association between rapid growth and adolescent obesity. Data were obtained from the 1997, 2000, and 2014 waves of the Indonesian Family Life Survey (IFLS). This study included 641 children (aged 0–23 months at baseline) with complete anthropometric measurements across all three waves. Rapid growth was defined as an increase in z-scores of >0.67 in weight-for-age (WAZ), height-for-age (HAZ), or weight-for-height (WHZ) between …

Self-Management Interventions For Adults With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus In Thai Primary Care And Community Settings: A Scoping Review, Sansanee Seetangkham, Supaluk Seetunya, Subhawan Yodprong

Kesmas

Diabetes mellitus is a leading cause of mortality and economic burden, with significant impacts on health outcomes and quality of life. Effective self-management is crucial for controlling Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). Thailand has implemented diverse self-management interventions for adults with T2DM in primary care and community settings, but the components, delivery, duration, and outcomes of these interventions have not been synthesized. Following the Arksey and O’Malley framework, Joanna Briggs Institute guidance, and PRISMA-ScR, five databases were searched from inception to June 2025. Eligible English-language intervention studies involved Thai adults with T2DM in primary care or community settings. Study characteristics …

“When I’M Not Heard, I Feel Like I Don’T Matter”: Advancing Equity In Disability Policy Through Critical Participatory Action Research With People With Intellectual Disability, Cris Marchionne

Student Theses

People with intellectual disability deserve a system that offers flexible, timely, and person-centered support — one that is innovative, sustainable, and holistic in enabling them to live fulfilling lives. This qualitative study, grounded in Critical Participatory Action Research (CPAR), examines how people with intellectual disability experience participation in decision-making within New York State's disability service system. By centering lived experience, the study identifies factors that facilitate or hinder participation in decision-making and examines structural, social, and policy-related barriers that limit agency. Through six focus groups and a Photovoice project with self-advocates receiving OPWDD services, participants described systemic barriers that limited …

Nicotine Pouches: Harm Reduction Or Initiation Pathway? A Pharmacy-Focused Review, Emmanuel Fashesin Souza, Keykavous Parang

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Background

Nicotine pouches (NPs) are a rapidly growing category of tobacco-free oral nicotine products increasingly available in the community, including pharmacies. Whether NPs primarily function as harm-reduction tools for existing tobacco users or as a novel initiation pathway into nicotine and tobacco use, particularly among youth, remains a critical and unresolved clinical and public health question.

Objectives

To synthesize current evidence on the pharmacology, harm-reduction potential, and initiation risk of NPs; to compare NPs with U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved nicotine replacement therapy and combustible cigarettes; and to identify implications and counseling priorities for pharmacy practice.

Methods

A narrative evidence …

Artificial Intelligence And Social Equities: Navigating The Intersectionalities In A Digital Age (Editorial), Daisuke Akiba, Julie Albright

Publications and Research

This editorial article introduces and synthesizes the Special Issue, “Artificial intelligence and social equities: navigating the intersectionalities in a digital age,” which examines how AI systems intersect with race, ethnicity, and interconnected identity dimensions across global contexts. The eight contributions span healthcare, digital media, higher education, organizational communication, and speculative futures, addressing anti-racist psychiatric algorithms, AI-generated visual disinformation, epistemic injustice between the Global North and South, algorithmically mediated rural–urban divides, culturally untranslated technology transfer, accessibility auditing across the AI lifecycle, and the tension between mechanical objectivity and empathic understanding. Read together, they show that AI is neither inherently …

Breaking The Cycle: From Victimization To Offending Through The Lens Of Human Services, Colette R. Penalosa

Master of Arts in Human Services

The victim-offender overlap challenges the common view that victims and offenders are separately labeled by recognizing that both groups have experienced significant childhood trauma, physical, emotional, and psychological abuse, neglect, and other adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Current research implies these experiences can increase the risk of offending as they all influence cognitive and behavioral development while leaving criminal behavior undetermined. The purpose of this capstone is to analyze the relationship between childhood victimization and offending from a human service perspective; analyzing the pathways a victim takes on the road to offending. Research conducted will focus on exploring the victim-offender overlap, …

Wildfires And Adolescent Mental Health: A Call To Action, Troy Allan

All Current Publications

Although wildfires affect people across the lifespan, adolescents warrant focused attention because wildfires can disrupt several systems that are especially important during this developmental period, including family relationships, peer networks, schools, routines, housing stability, and a developing sense of safety and identity. This fact sheet provides an overview of current research and a practical response pathway for professionals and families.

Understanding Familicide: Psychosocial, Behavioral, And Mental Health Risk Factors And Implications For Forensic Behavioral Health Professionals, Molly M. Vogl

Master of Arts in Human Services

Familicide is a rare but devastating form of family violence involving the killing of multiple family members by another family member. Although research examining domestic violence, homicide, and homicide-suicide has expanded, familicide remains less understood due to its low occurrence and complex nature. This capstone examined the psychosocial, behavioral, and mental health risk factors commonly associated with familicide perpetrators and explored how forensic behavioral health professionals may use this information to improve violence risk assessment, prevention, and intervention efforts. A review of peer-reviewed research from academic databases and scholarly search engines identified common themes associated with familicide, including relationship conflict, …

Cultural Humility, A Salve For Romantic Relationship Conflict, Lena Blum

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Conflict communication and having a relationship consisting of differing sociocultural backgrounds (DISC Couples) have been viewed as obstacles or at best hindrances of relationship satisfaction in earlier couples’ psychology literature. More recent literature makes an argument that it is not merely conflict communication or the differences of culture within a couple, but rather how couples navigate both conflict and differences that impact relationship satisfaction. The present work aims to investigate the role of cultural humility in the association between cultural conflict communication and relationship satisfaction, as well as its relationship with the frequency of cultural conflict communication among DISC couples. …

The Resilient Mother: Exploring Factors That Buffer The Influence Of Early Childhood Trauma On Maternal Self-Efficacy, Brigid Magdamo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Childhood maltreatment and toxic stress pose significant risks to both individuals and communities, yielding negative outcomes that can perpetuate across generations— a phenomenon known as intergenerational trauma. Early intervention is imperative to disrupt this cycle of adversity and promote positive outcomes. One promising approach involves leveraging protective and promotive factors that cultivate resilience. Individuals with higher levels of benevolent childhood experiences (BCEs) and greater social support tend to exhibit enhanced self-efficacy, thereby potentially buffering the detrimental effects of childhood trauma. Furthermore, the perinatal period presents a critical juncture where maternal well-being significantly impacts both mother and child. The current study …

Examining The Effects Of Perceived Need, Suicidal Ideation, And Interpersonal Shame On Help-Seeking Attitudes In Asian Pacific Islander Desi Americans, Kristen Jiin Park

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined relationships among suicidal ideation, perceived need for mental health services, interpersonal shame, and help-seeking attitudes in a sample of APIDA adults (N = 175). Guided by Andersen's Socio-behavioral Model of Help- Seeking Behaviors (1968) and the Interpersonal Shame Inventory framework (Wong et al., 2014), the study investigated whether interpersonal shame moderated the relationships between suicidal ideation and help-seeking attitudes, and between perceived need and help-seeking attitudes. Participants completed an online survey assessing demographic and study variables. Results indicated that perceived need and gender were associated with more favorable mental health help-seeking attitudes among APIDA adults. These findings …

Sober Curious: A Treatment Manual For A Semi-Structured Interpersonal Process Group Targeting Substance Misuse In Emerging Adults, Annalise G. Floody

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

This paper presents Sober Curious, an original treatment manual for an eight-session, semi-structured interpersonal process group for emerging adults ages 18–25 with mild-to-moderate substance misuse concerns. This group is designed for university counseling centers and outpatient treatment settings, particularly for individuals who experience substance-related distress, impairment, risk, or ambivalence but may not identify with abstinence-based recovery or formal diagnostic substance use disorder (SUD) language. The manual is grounded in epidemiological data, established substance use treatment guidelines, meta-analytic findings on group psychotherapy and substance use interventions, and the developmental theory of emerging adulthood. Key intervention elements include motivational interviewing (MI) to …

Clinical Considerations For Black Student Athlete Development, Jahnia Margarita Green

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Black student athletes exemplify the complexity of navigating intersecting identities at pivotal points in their development. They are also more likely to make premature commitments to their athletic identity and in turn suffer from psychological distress during times of transition (Beamon, 2012). The focus on Black collegiate athletes is informed by persistent mental health challenges associated with higher levels of competition or transitions (e.g., injury or retirement) within collegiate athletics (Brewer & Petitpas, 2017; Menke & Germany, 2019). This paper aims to develop culturally informed clinical considerations through the analysis of the Black student athlete experience and structural aspects of …

Trauma Processing And Sleep Inconsistencies In Firefighters: A Proposed Program To Bridge Gaps And Set Heroes Up For Success, Megan Griffin

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

This doctoral paper presents a comprehensive review of the literature supporting the need for an integrated training program addressing sleep disruption, trauma exposure and processing, and substance use as a self-medication strategy among firefighter populations. Drawing on empirical research, the paper examines the prevalence and interaction of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), moral injury, sleep disturbances, and substance use within this occupational group. The introduction provides operational definitions of PTSD and moral injury and synthesizes existing research on trauma exposure, sleep impairment, and substance use functions among firefighters. The literature review also highlights evidence-based, exposure informed interventions to facilitate adaptive trauma …

A Brief Self-Help Intervention For Anxiety And Depressive Symptoms Utilizing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy And Dialectical Behavior Therapy Within Correctional Settings, Genevieve L. Ray

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Individuals within incarcerated settings are far more likely to experience symptoms that meet criteria for a mental health disorder compared to the general population. This population is often underserved due to various financial and resource constraints. Self-help interventions have grown in popularity due to their proven effectiveness and accessibility for consumers, particularly for anxiety and depression symptoms. A self-help intervention for those in a correctional setting would not require extensive additional personnel amid financial constraints and would increase access to care. Many self-help interventions that are currently published apply to the community population, but readily accessible resources that reside in …

Diagnosis And Treatment Of Trauma In Adolescents: A Doctoral-Level Clinical Psychology Course, Jasmine M. Cervantes

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Adolescent trauma is a significant mental health concern that can profoundly disrupt emotional, cognitive, social, and developmental functioning. Although evidence-based interventions for adolescent trauma are well established, doctoral-level psychology training programs may provide limited instruction focused specifically on the unique developmental, cultural, and clinical considerations required when treating traumatized adolescents. This paper presents the development of a ten-week doctoral-level elective course designed to address this gap in clinical training. The curriculum provides foundational knowledge regarding the prevalence, developmental impact, diagnosis, and treatment of adolescent trauma, with an emphasis on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD). Students …

Post-Pandemic Telebehavioral Health: Sustaining And Regulating Remote Mental Health Care As A Core Modality, Weiqiao Dong

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

The United States continues to face a persistent mental health crisis after the COVID-19 pandemic, raising a policy question about the long-term role and regulation of telebehavioral health as a core modality of care. This thesis examines that question through a case study of New York State, an early center of the pandemic and a leader in telehealth policy reform.

Guided by the Health Policy Triangle framework, this thesis integrates longitudinal data from all 62 New York counties for 2010-2025 with a 2025 cross-sectional dataset covering 61 counties. Seventeen standardized indicators are organized into four dimensions: geographic, economic, demographic, and …