Mental and Social Health Commons^™

Measuring Anxiety Among Latino Immigrant Populations: Within-Country And Between-Country Comparisons, Sumeyra Sahbaz, Ronald B Cox, Pablo Montero-Zamora, Christopher P Salas-Wright, Mildred M Maldonado-Molina, Melissa M Bates, Augusto Pérez-Gómez, Juliana Mejía-Trujillo, Saskia R Vos, Carolina Scaramutti, Patrizia A Perazzo, Maria Duque, Maria Fernanda Garcia, Eric C Brown, Seth J Schwartz

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Anxiety is the most prevalent mental health disorder among adults worldwide. Given its increased prevalence among migrants due to their marginalized position in the societies where they reside, psychometric evaluations of anxiety measures such as the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) are needed for use with migrants. The present study is the first attempt to compare the structure of GAD-7 scores for (a) different Latino groups in the same country and (b) the same Latino group in two different countries. Using three samples of Mexican and Venezuelan migrants (total N = 933), we provide reliability and validity evidence of the GAD-7 …

Physical Activity And Sedentary Time Among Us Adolescents Before And During Covid-19: Findings From A Large Cohort Study, Ethan T Hunt, Keith Brazendale, Augusto C F De Moraes, Raja Malkani, Natalia I Heredia, Christopher D Pfledderer, Denver M Brown, Deanna M Hoelscher, Michael W Beets, Robert G Weaver

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: Evidence suggests that adolescents engage in less physical activity during the summer break. Less is known regarding physical activity during the summer months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS: Utilizing data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study, the authors examined daily activity measured by Fitbit Charge 2 devices before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic during school and summer months. Linear models estimated activity during pre-COVID-19 school, pre-COVID-19 summer, COVID-19 school, and COVID-19 summer.

RESULTS: Participants (N=7,179, aged 11.96 years, 51% female, 51% White) accumulated 8,671.0 (95% CI=8,544.7; 8,797.3) steps, 32.5 (95% CI=30.8, 32.3) minutes of moderate-to-vigorous …

Law Library Blog (October 2024): Legal Beagle's Blog Archive, Roger Williams University School Of Law

Law Library Newsletters/Blog

No abstract provided.

Self-Identifying Minoritized Doctoral Students’ Experiences Of Epistemic Injustice In Counselor Education And Supervision, Francisca Rivas

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine and understand how epistemic injustice (EI) is experienced by minoritized doctoral students in Counselor Education and Supervision programs. The primary researcher performed a phenomenological study examining the experiences of EI for minoritized CES students (n = 8). There were three female participants with an average age of 31, two male participants with an average age of 31, and three nonbinary/trans participants with the average age of 33. Five participants were BIPOC, one being an international student, and six participants were LGBTQPA+. Five participants held Ph.Ds. at time of their interview, having …

Residency Reflections, Naleen Patel Md

Journal of Wellness

No abstract provided.

Increasing The Frequency Of Behavior Assessment To Reduce Physical Restraint, Breanne N. Ford

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Project Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this quality improvement (QI) project was to implement a system that routinely assesses for behavior changes in psychiatric patients presenting to the emergency department to improve staff intervention of escalating behaviors and decrease physical restraint use.

Background: The project was implemented in a 45-bed emergency department in a community-based hospital affiliated with a large hospital system in Houston, Texas.

Methodology: The project utilizes the Behavioral Activity Rating Scale (BARS) to assess patients' behaviors at routine intervals throughout shifts and a comfort cart that houses several non-pharmacological intervention items to use to de-escalate adverse behaviors. The staff …

African American Women: Barriers Encountered When Accessing Substance Use Disorder Treatment, Alexis Jones, Lindsay Gietzen, Madhu Sundarrajan

Pacific Journal of Health

This study identifies barriers that African American women encounter while accessing substance use disorder treatment in San Joaquin County and Sacramento County. There is a gap in research identifying barriers that African American women encounter while accessing substance use disorder treatment. The researcher conducted semi-structured interviews with 5 women. Three themes emerged; perceived racial bias, lack of family support, and believing they did not need treatment. It is recommended that healthcare providers provide more treatment options for African American women and cultural competency training for substance use disorder providers.

Use Of The Integrated Practice Assessment Tool (Ipat) To Evaluate The Clinical Learning Environment For Counselors-In-Training, Jessica Lloyd-Hazlett, Stacy Ogbeide, Heather Trepal, Mercedes Ingram, Swathi Weaver

Journal of Human Services Scholarship and Interprofessional Collaboration

The need for behavioral health integration (BHI) in primary care continues to grow to address the behavioral health needs of patients and families. Developing a competent interprofessional workforce to operate in primary care behavioral health settings necessitates BHI-literate clinical learning environments, as well as tools to evaluate and assist in the integration of services appropriate for BHI training and supervision. The Integrated Practice Assessment Tool (IPAT; Waxmonsky et al., 2014) is an instrument that assesses the level of BHI at a primary care clinic. This paper discusses an example of an implementation approach to examine BHI levels with the IPAT …

Addressing Adolescent Suicide In South Korea, Alyssa Kang

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

Suicide is a prevalent issue that widely affects all demographics in South Korea. Among adolescents, it is the leading cause of mortality with an average rate of 7 deaths per 100,000 people. Some of the most significant factors that influence the risk of suicidal ideation and attempts are cultural stigma and academic stress. Other factors, such as bullying and family structure, also increase the likelihood of suicide, while specific characteristics including internet addiction, socioeconomic status, and substance abuse have been found to be predictors of suicide. Adolescent suicide attempts in Korea also increase the individual's risk for future attempts, and …

Emotional Display Rules Of Deaf Culture, Nicholas M. Gala, Lawrence Pick

JADARA

Emotional display rules refer to the expression of culturally prescribed and socially acceptable emotions across different people and situations (Wu & Schulz, 2020). The display rules among hearing adults across several cultures are well defined and depend on the type of emotion, the individuals involved in the exchange, and the situation. Regarding Deaf culture in the United States, this minoritized group may follow unique display rules (Hosie et al., 2000), but there has been almost no research conducted with this population and the existing studies have focused on youth. The present study explores perceived emotional expressions among a sample of …

A Brief Review Of Zuranolone, Aubrey A. Jackson

Transformative Medicine

Zuranolone, a novel analog of allopregnanolone, has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as the first oral medication approved for the treatment of postpartum depression in adults. Developed by Sage Therapeutics under the brand name Zurzuvae, zuranolone was approved by the FDA on August 4^th, 2023.¹ Zuranolone is a modified version of brexanolone (sold under the brand name Zulpresso), an intravenously administered allopregnanolone formulation that was previously the only FDA-approved medication for postpartum depression. Zuranolone offers a more accessible treatment option for patients with efficacy established in clinical trials. Its approval expands the …

Skin In The Game: A Review Of Single-Cell And Spatial Transcriptomics In Dermatological Research, Samuel Schepps, Jonathan Xu, Henry Yang, Jenna Mandel, Jaanvi Mehta, Julianna Tolotta, Nicole Baker, Volkan Tekmen, Neda Nikbakht, Paolo Fortina, Ignacia Fuentes, Bonnie Lafleur, Raymond J Cho, Andrew P South

Staff and Researcher Publications

Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and spatial transcriptomics (ST) are two emerging research technologies that uniquely characterize gene expression microenvironments on a cellular or subcellular level. The skin, a clinically accessible tissue composed of diverse, essential cell populations, serves as an ideal target for these high-resolution investigative approaches. Using these tools, researchers are assembling a compendium of data and discoveries in healthy skin as well as a range of dermatologic pathophysiologies, including atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, and cutaneous malignancies. The ongoing advancement of single-cell approaches, coupled with anticipated decreases in cost with increased adoption, will reshape dermatologic research, profoundly influencing disease characterization, …

Codesigning A Clinical Prediction Model For Aboriginal Perinatal Mental Health Using Glassbox Ai And Aboriginal Wisdom And Lived Experience, Guanjin Wang, Hachem Bennamoun, Wai Hang Kwok, Rhonda Marriott, Roz Walker, Jayne Kotz

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Perinatal mental health is vital for mothers, infants, and families. Aboriginal mothers, despite their strengths, face greater mental health disparities due to colonisation and trauma. Traditional screening methods lack cultural sensitivity. The Baby Coming You Ready (BCYR) program offers a culturally sensitive assessment with promising pilot results. To support health professionals, an AI solution using the Explainable Boosting Machine (EBM) is proposed, trained with Aboriginal lived experiences. This model identifies maternal protective and risk factors, offering interpretable predictions for holistic culturally sensitive care.

The Presence Of A Pet Dog Is Associated With A More Balanced Response To A Social Stressor, Jaci Gandenberger, Aurélie Ledreux, Ashley Taeckens, Kerry Murphy, Jenni Forkin, Anah Gilmore, Kevin N. Morris

Institute for Human-Animal Connection: Faculty Scholarship

Acute and chronic stress each have physical manifestations in the human body that can lead to many negative health impacts. Today, reported stress levels worldwide are at an all-time high, spurring the search for non-pharmaceutical interventions to maintain healthy stress levels. In this study, we examined whether a pet dog’s presence influences healthy adults’ acute stress responses as assessed through self-reports, heart rate, plasma cortisol, and salivary alpha-amylase. Participating pet dog owners were randomly assigned to undergo the Trier Social Stress Test either with their pet dog or alone. While there was no group difference in perceived anxiety levels, participants …

Providing End-Of-Life Counseling: A Narrative Inquiry, Carol Hecht, Sibyl West

Adultspan Journal

This qualitative study aimed to address the gap in the research related to end-of-life counseling by exploring the experiences of counselors working with clients at end of life. While counseling literature and education are lacking regarding end of life, many counselors will work alongside clients approaching death. The purpose of this study was twofold: (a) to better understand the nuanced experiences of counselors providing end-of-life counseling and (b) to explore the supports and preparations helpful for counselors to provide end-of-life counseling. A narrative approach, using the Listening Guide (Gilligan, 2015), was employed to analyze and present the stories of three …

Considerations Of Medicare Telehealth Services With Older Adults, Sonah Kho, Amanda Dediego

Adultspan Journal

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic set in motion a rapid expansion of mental health services offered via telehealth. With this rapid expansion came the need to examine how policy and practice should be shaped in a future where telehealth is considered common in counseling practice. For counselors to understand how to support older adult clients in using telehealth services, they must understand telehealth policy. Following the eligibility of licensed counselors to participate in Medicare, counselors need to stay abreast of regulatory changes regarding restrictions and regulations on use of telehealth for mental and behavioral health services, including video and …

Beat The Boredom With Books! (Spanish), Mattie Lastovica, Lorraine Sheldon

Bibliotherapy

Beat the Boredom with Books was part of a resident research project. The research questions was "does intentional promotion of the Krissi Holman Family Library and the benefits of reading/screen time limitations during the hospital admission process increase use of and access to books from the in-hospital library in children ages O to 5 years?" The document includes facts about screentime use in pediatrics and information about the library.

Beat The Boredom With Books! (English), Mattie Lastovica, Lorraine Sheldon

Bibliotherapy

Beat the Boredom with Books was part of a resident research project. The research questions was "does intentional promotion of the Krissi Holman Family Library and the benefits of reading/screen time limitations during the hospital admission process increase use of and access to books from the in-hospital library in children ages O to 5 years?" The document includes facts about screen time use in pediatrics and information about the library.

Building Confidence, Diminishing Stress: A Clinical Incivility Management Initiative For Nursing Students, Younglee Kim, Phoebe (Yeon) S. Kim, Henrietta Nwamu, Anne Lama

Nursing Faculty Publications

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an interactive program designed to reduce nursing students’ perceived stress and improve self-efficacy and readiness to professionally address incivility during clinical practice. Background: Incivility in clinical settings adversely impacts learners, educators, institutions, and healthcare systems, undermining safety and the teaching–learning process. Despite its increasing global prevalence, effective interventions remain largely unexplored. Methods: Our mixed-methods study, conducted from March to April 2024, involved senior baccalaureate pre-licensure nursing students (N = 35) from a California State University. The three-week, one-hour-per-week, interactive clinical incivility management program was developed through an extensive …

Interprofessional Education To Support Alcohol Use Screening And Future Team-Based Management Of Stress-Related Disorders In Vulnerable Populations, Taylor Fitzpatrick-Schmidt, Scott Edwards

School of Graduate Studies Faculty Publications

Introduction: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a psychiatric disease that affects approximately 10% of the population. Individuals suffer from a myriad of causes and consequences of AUD, and team-based management of patients is often required for given the chronic and complex nature of the disease. Interprofessional education (IPE) for biomedical science and health professional students that incorporates patient-centered cases focused on AUD and adjacent stress-related disorders may improve future collaboration in managing these conditions and community outcomes related to wellbeing. Methods: This study assessed the impact of a single, 90-minute IPE exercise on improving confidence in possessing the knowledge and …

Screening, Brief Intervention, And Referral To Treatment For Pregnant Women, Rebekah Feeney

Dissertations

Abstract

Background: In the United States, 10-20% of pregnant women reported using drugs during pregnancy. Current recommendations are to screen for drug use in all patients and provide a brief intervention and referral to treatment. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to evaluate the impact of implementing a standardized screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) protocol for first-trimester pregnant patients who are seen in the obstetrical department.

Methods: The Tobacco, Alcohol, Prescription Medication, and Other Substance Use (TAPS) screening tool was administered to first-trimester pregnant women, 13-45 years of age, seen in the obstetrical department from …

Association Between Non-Injection Drug Use And Hepatitis C Infection Among Hiv-Negative Men Who Have Sex With Men, Jing Zhao, Charles Green, Christine Markham, Kayo Fujimoto, Alan G Nyitray, Lu-Yu Hwang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Prior research predominantly examined the association between HIV-positive men who have sex with men (MSM) or those using injection drugs and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. However, limited attention has been given to understanding the association among HIV-negative MSM who do not inject drugs. This gap leaves apportion of the population unexamined, potentially overlooking important factor that may contribute to the transmission and prevalence of HCV. This study aims to investigate the relationship between non-injection drug use and HCV infection in this population.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we analyzed data on 118 MSM who reported use of non-injection …

Development Of A Maturity Assessment Tool To Evaluate And Strengthen National Immunization Technical Advisory Groups (Nitags), Eliza Dryer, Abigail Shefer, Shalini Desai, Lance Rodewald, Magdalena Bastías, Nathalie El Omeiri, Sidy Ndiaye, Kori Cook, Louise Henaff, Erin Kennedy

Staff and Researcher Publications

As dozens of new National Immunization Technical Advisory Groups (NITAGs) were established worldwide in the past decade, and as existing NITAGs continued to play an important role in vaccine policy, global NITAG partners recognized a need for a standardized assessment tool to evaluate and strengthen their functions. This article describes the development of the NITAG Maturity Assessment Tool (NMAT), a stepwise evaluation tool that assesses NITAGs on seven key indicators of structure and process. A draft tool was developed through an iterative, consensus-based process with an expert working group before it was piloted with an economically and geographically diverse convenience …

Clinical Correlates Of Perceived Stigma Among People Living With Epilepsy Enrolled In A Self-Management Clinical Trial, Martha Sajatovic, Martha Sajatovic, Jessica Black, Jacqueline Krehel-Montgomery, Grace Mcdermott, Joy Yala, Richard Barigye, Clara Adeniyi, Farren Briggs

Faculty Scholarship

Background and Purpose: Stigma is a pervasive barrier for people living with epilepsy (PLWE) and can have substantial negative effects. This study evaluated clinical correlates of perceived stigma in a research sample of PLWE considered to be at high risk due to frequent seizures or other negative health events. Methods: Analyses were derived from baseline data from an ongoing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-funded randomized controlled trial (RCT) testing an epilepsy self-management approach. Standardized measures assessed socio-demographics, perceived epilepsy stigma, epilepsy-related self-efficacy, epilepsy self-management competency, health literacy, depressive symptom severity, functional status, social support and epilepsy-related quality of …

A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Of Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Among Incarcerated Juveniles, Chikira H. Barker, Justin Gibson, Rose Tusa, Charlotte Pearson, Aaron Mack, Sydney Sukhdeo, Rahn K. Bailey

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) most commonly occurs during adolescence, and it represents one of the highest risk factors for future suicidal behaviors. Understanding the prevalence, risk factors, and effective treatments in high-risk groups, such as adolescents who are criminally incarcerated, is of substantial importance. A systematic review was conducted on articles related to NSSI in incarcerated adolescents. The results of the meta-analysis found that the pooled estimated prevalence of NSSI in this population is 28% (95% CI: 0.21–0.36). Studies varied in their methods of measuring NSSI, with some relying on medical record reviews, unstandardized assessments, or standardized assessments. Several demographic, social, …

Animation As Therapy For Mental Health Treatment Across Diverse Populations And Contexts, A Literature Review, Daneile Tabana

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Scientific research has explored and identified the beneficial relationship between health and creative expression, recognizing art therapy as a source of healing. Animation has been newly recognized as an art therapy medium with potential for therapeutic healing and increased psychological well-being. This review of the literature on animation therapy explores the history of the modality’s interaction with the population observed and the effects of animation on the cognitive processes, discusses current theoretical orientations and treatment options for treating a range of conditions that affect mood, thinking, and behavior with animation therapy, and considers culturally informed and client-centered practices alongside traditional …

Expanding Healthcare Access For The Undocumented Immigrant Community: The Heal For Immigrant Families Act Of 2023, Perla Torres Estrada

The Gettysburg Journal for Public Policy

When it comes to the topic of universal healthcare, most of us will readily agree that healthcare is a human right. Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of who should be granted this right, and if it should be left to the free market to determine access and affordability. Specifically, the political debate on expanding healthcare access to undocumented immigrants in the United States revolve around concerns over costs, legality, and equity. Proponents maintain that it is a human right whereas opponents question the potential burden on taxpayers and the implication for immigration policy. The HEAL …

Ethical Limitations Of Using Ai To Predict And Diagnose Mental Health Disorders Based On Individuals’ Social Media Activity, Stella Bandawe, Sumarie Roodt, Zainab Ruhwanya

African Conference on Information Systems and Technology

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is developed with predictive tools and is used to predict and diagnose mental health disorders based on data mined on social media platforms. Despite the growth of its adoption, there is limited literature that explicitly states the ethical limits of this technology within the context of predictive mental health assessment. This study adopts a qualitative and deductive approach, it adopts the socio-technical systems theory which is evaluated using a systematic literature review approach focused on a data set of 40 documents. The results indicate that there are no clear regulations that define how much and what type …

Comorbidity Of Mood Disorders And Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome: A Case Report, Abhishekh Pokhrel, Alexa Lissete Zarate, Alcides Amador

Research Colloquium

Background: The comorbidity of mood disorders and Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome (UARS) presents a significant challenge, especially in pediatric populations. UARS, characterized by increased upper airway resistance during sleep, often leads to disrupted sleep and daytime symptoms such as fatigue and cognitive impairment. Studies estimate UARS affects 15-30% of patients undergoing polysomnography for suspected sleep-disordered breathing. Mood & Anxiety Disorders are prevalent in patients with sleep-disordered breathing, with higher rates than in the general population.

Case Presentation: 16-year-old female, with psychiatric history of Bipolar II Disorder current episode depressed, ADHD, and Other Specified Anxiety Disorder presents for a follow-up. Since …

Increasing Referrals To Local Resources For The Treatment Of Aud By Increasing Audit-C Usage By Increasing Awareness Of Aud Through Use Of Educational Materials ​, David Ortiz, Gerardo Munoz Monaco

Research Colloquium

Background: One in nine people will suffer from alcohol use disorder, if of legal drinking age. One in nine of our patients might suffer from AUD. Among those suffering from AUD, only 1.6% were found to be treated with evidence-based medications for treatment of AUD. Underdiagnosing may be a reality.

Methods: Evaluate physicians-in-training knowledge regarding AUD at time zero and after 3 months after an educational presentation is giving containing information on AUD diagnosis, treatment, and available local resources. This repeated cross-sectional data analysis aims to increase screening using the AUDIT-C tool, as well as referral/utilization to local resources. Patients …