Mental and Social Health Commons^™

The Role Of Microglia In Sex- And Region-Specific Blood-Brain Barrier Integrity During Nicotine Withdrawal, Mohit Kumar, Jack V. Keady, Surya P. Aryal, Marissa Hessing, Christopher I. Richards, Jill R. Turner

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Smoking is the largest preventable cause of death and disease in the United States, with ,5% of quit attempts being successful. Microglia activation and proinflammatory neuroimmune signaling in reward neuro- circuitry are implicated in nicotine withdrawal symptomology. Microglia are integral regulators of blood-brain barrier (BBB) functionality as well; however, whether the effects of nicotine withdrawal on microglia function impact BBB integrity is unknown.

METHODS: Mice were treated with chronic nicotine (12 mg/kg/day) and subjected to 48 hours nicotine withdrawal. Regional BBB permeability, together with messenger RNA and protein expression of tight junction proteins, were assessed. PLX5622 chow was used …

The Impact Of Mental Health On Academic Performance In Ohio In 2022, Lily Chen, Samantha Gilbert

Scholarship in Medicine - All Papers

Background: Previous research has shown a significant link between mental health issues and low academic performance. Our study explores the delicate connection between mental health issues and academic performance in Ohio school children, in particular, how the dynamic may differ between rural and non-rural communities. Methods: We utilized County Health Rankings data from the years 2016 and 2022 from all 88 counties in Ohio, which we further substratified as 44 rural and 44 non-rural counties. From CHR, we chose data categories to represent measures of academic performance, internalizing mental health problems, and access to mental health services, and utilized SPSS …

Improving Discharge Education Quality In Urgent Care Settings: A Quality Improvement Project, Brielle N. Patscheider

Master's Theses and Capstones

BACKGROUND:

Effective discharge education is vital for improving patient care by enhancing health outcomes and reducing hospital readmission. When patients receive thorough and personalized discharge instructions, they are better able to manage their health, follow treatment plans, and identify symptoms needing further attention. This not only boosts patient satisfaction and safety but also reduces the strain on healthcare systems by decreasing preventable readmissions.

LOCAL PROBLEM:

Urgent care facilities serve diverse populations with a range of common, non-emergency ailments. The rapid service and walk-in availability often lead to a high volume of patients with diverse and complex medical needs. To eliminate …

The Unequal Distribution Of Social Risk For Black Men Across The Life-Span. A Novel Framework., Waleed Y. Sami

Adultspan Journal

This conceptual overview offers a comprehensive overview of systemic pathways that negatively impact the mental health of Black Men throughout their lives. Our argument highlights the importance for counselors and mental health professionals to utilize a thorough social risk assessment that considers these pathways in order to effectively address the mental health needs of Black Men while fostering positive working relationships. This overview strongly advocates for the use of context and structural determinants when evaluating mental health symptoms. Without an appropriate understanding of social risk and determinants, counselors may inadvertently perpetuate disparities by decontextualizing symptomology, and reproducing racist discourse.

The Co-Occurrence Of Past Year Major Depressive Episodes And Marijuana Use And Its Relation To Mental Health Resource Utilization, Suicidal Ideation And Planning, Rachel I. Miranda

Honors Program Theses and Research Projects

Depression is a mental health disorder found worldwide affecting all demographics and is a major cause of global disability. For youth, depression can be very serious as it is a leading contributor to suicide, a top three cause of adolescent death. When we examine the onset of depression in adolescence, we also must acknowledge that youth access and usage of mental health resources and interactions with their communities may influence their outlook. We set out to examine how the co-occurrence of past year marijuana use and major depressive episodes (MDE), the variable we use to measure youth depression in this …

Identifying Youth Appeals In Alcohol Alternative Social Media Content Through Framing, Melina Oneal

West Chester University Master’s Theses

Proposed regulations for alcohol advertising prevent beverage companies from targeting people under the legal drinking age. However, similar regulations for alcohol alternative beverages are less explored, which could allow alcohol alternative products to create awareness for alcoholic beverages among youth. Alcohol alternatives beverages, including no-alcohol and low-alcohol products, are increasing in popularity and can function as compliments to alcoholic products to decrease the total alcohol volume consumed or as substitutes for alcoholic products. Framing theory can be operationalized through the Content Appealing to Youth Index, an index of content elements found in research literature to be appealing to youth, to …

Iuphar-Review: The Integration Of Classic Psychedelics Into Current Substance Use Disorder Treatment Models, David Yaden, Andrea Berghella, Peter Hendricks, Mary Yaden, Michael Levine, Julia Rohde, Sandeep Nayak, Matthew Johnson, Albert Garcia-Romeu

SKMC Student Presentations and Publications

Substance use disorders (SUDs) have an enormous impact on public health. With classic psychedelic-assisted therapies showing initial promise in treating multiple SUDs, it is possible that these treatments will become legally available options for patients with SUDs in the future. This article highlights how classic psychedelic-assisted therapies might be integrated into current clinical practice. We first describe contemporary evidence-based treatments for SUDs and highlight how classic psychedelic-assisted therapies might fit within each treatment. We suggest that classic psychedelic-assisted therapies can be integrated into most mainstream evidence-based SUD treatments that are currently used in clinical settings, indicating broad compatibility of classic …

Autopathography Across Media: Trauma And Fluid Embodied Subjectivity, He (Kristen) Shen

Honors Theses

Illness memoirs with first-person point of view have gained more attention in recent years among medical sociologists and anthropologists. Different from traditional “case histories”written by doctors that are in danger of ignoring patients’ voices, autopathograhical works delineate narrators’ transformative experiences of persons to patients, emphasizing the importance of gaining social understanding of illness. Focusing on three works within the category of autopathography across genres and media forms in the late 1950s and contemporary periods, The Cancer Journals (1980) written by Audre Lorde, The Collected Schizophrenias (2019) written by Esmé Weijun Wang, and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007) directed …

African American Adolescent Suicidality And Prevention From An Urban School Counselor Perspective, Shannon Franklin

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

African American adolescent suicidality has become more prevalent, and urban school counselors are positioned uniquely to intervene. This research studied the overarching societal factors in the sociocultural, economic, and political spheres that influence increased suicidality behaviors in African American adolescents from the perspective of urban school counselors. The focus of this research was to hear the lived experiences of urban school counselors regarding the impact of racial discrimination on African American adolescent suicidality. The two theoretical frameworks that were used to support this study are the world-systems analysis theory and critical race theory. This study took a qualitative phenomenological approach …

Global Deaf And Disability-Led Partnerships For Accessible Emergency Response And Humanitarian Action, Alina A. Engelman, Joe Booze, Alexia Izquierdo

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Disability-serving non-profit, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) play a critical role in fostering care networks and supporting humanitarian action for disabled people before and during emergencies, particularly in the absence of targeted philanthropic and governmental support. However, relatively few NGOs serving disabled people are led or operated by people with disabilities, especially by disabled women. This analysis, based on survey and interview data with leadership, explores the impact of two disability-led operations. Findings have profound implications for how social work practice can center disability justice both in preparing for and responding to emergencies. This paper assesses the needs and impact of two …

Bird’S Nest Drawing: Exploring The Attachment Of Left-Behind Children In China, Ziyi Su

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

To explore the attachment of left-behind children (LBC), this mixed-methods study analyzed the Bird’s Nest Drawings (BND) and narratives from 117 fourth graders from Shaanxi and Gansu, China. Overall, the BND of LBC showed less secure-attachment features. These distinctions can be seen in several pictorial elements, and manifest differently across gender groups and rural versus urban groups. Drawings and narratives revealed eight underlying themes of absence, longing, and support from parent and peer attachment. Children creatively communicated complex emotions and attachment experiences through the metaphor of the bird’s nest, ranging from abandonment, loneliness, and vulnerability, to coping, hope, and resilience. …

Art-Based Autoethnographic Study Of A Senior Professional Woman Of Color's Journey, Raceal Mcwhorter

Art Therapy | Doctoral Dissertations

This proposed dissertation study is a visual autoethnographic qualitative study of the recalled lived experiences of a senior woman of color's journey to become a spiritual art therapist professional during the 20th to 21st Century in the United States of America. This study interprets the memories of events in my lifetime, looking back through the lens of a spiritual mental health art therapist practitioner. The adverse effects of the legacy and enforcement of silence on women and black people. I hope that by describing my lived experiences and felt sense -- and illustrating my arduous journey to overcome societal racism, …

A Phenomenological Exploration Of Intracommunity Attitudinal And Experiential Barriers To The Utilization Of Psychotherapeutic Services In Bipoc Populations, Jade Turner

Calvert Undergraduate Research Awards

This study used Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to explore the role that intracommunity attitudes and beliefs and negative mental healthcare experiences play in determining treatment-seeking behavior in BIPOC communities. Through in-depth semistructured interviews, five participants shared their perspectives and experiences, providing rich and nuanced insight into the subjective landscape of mental healthcare avoidance among racial and ethnic minority populations. The analysis revealed five overarching themes (pray it away, isolated and invisible, fear, perceived importance of racial matching, and therapeutic experiences profoundly impact treatment-seeking) shedding light on the nuanced ways in which BIPOC individuals make sense of and navigate mental health within …

Adult Attachment As Moderating Variable For Parental Burnout, Janell Mccann

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

In recent years, research in family sciences has focused on the impact of stress on parents, leading to parental burnout risks. This study aimed to explore how adult attachment relates to parental burnout and if it moderates the link between parenting stress and burnout. Attachment theory suggests secure attachment can protect against parenting stress, while anxious and avoidant attachment may worsen its effects. In order to examine the effect of adult attachment in the development of parental burnout, parenting stress was measured using the Balance of Risks and Resources, parental attachment was measured using Experiences in Close Relationships (Revised), and …

Research On Emergency Information Needs Of Community Vulnerable Groups In Emergent Epidemic Events Based On Kano Model, Yanhong Chen, Huan Wang

Journal of Scientific Information Research

[Purpose /significance]In the event of an emergent epidemic, the community is an important channel for vulnerable  groups to obtain emergency information, and understanding the information needs of vulnerable groups will help the community accurately provide information services, promote the emergency information reserves of the residents in the jurisdiction, and enhance their satisfaction. [Method/process]Taking the emergent epidemic as the background,the study combines the important information categories of the epidemic and related literature to investigate the emergency information needs of the disadvantaged groups in the community and classifies each need with the help of KANO questionnaire, in order to determine the priority …

Supporting The Well-Being And Engagement Of Occupational Therapy Students Through Sensory Modulation: A Pilot Study, Rebecca Matson, Jo Linforth, Julie Hanna, Vikki Barnes-Brown

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Student well-being is an increasing area of concern within higher education and one of the biggest causes of attrition. This study sought to investigate the potential for sensory modulation strategies as an approach to support student well-being and engagement in studies through an action research project. Sixteen second-year occupational therapy students took part in a two-week trial of items designed to support sensory modulation, following which they were asked to complete an online survey evaluating the effectiveness of the item in relation to affect, regulation, attention, and activity. Eight students completed the survey containing a mix of Likert scale and …

Better Choices, Better Health South Dakota: The Association Between Perceived Loneliness And Self-Reported Health Measures Among Older Adults, Mckensey Bultje

Schultz-Werth Award Papers

The current study examined how Better Choices, Better Health South Dakota (BCBH-SD) programs impact older adults’ perceived loneliness, self-reported health measures, functional status, and confidence in managing their chronic condition. Sixty percent of U.S. adults report having a chronic condition (CDC, 2022), and adults with chronic conditions report higher levels of loneliness, increasing one’s health problems, maladaptive coping skills, and a diminished sense of self (Christiansen et al., 2021; Hammond and Pullen, 2020). We compared outcome measures between and within the two groups at pre- and post-survey timepoints. Pre-survey and post-survey loneliness measures revealed a significant difference between the groups, …

Why Would Anybody Self-Harm?, Alina M. Baltazar

Lake Union Herald

No abstract provided.

Aging Expectations Predict Subjective Cognitive Decline Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults, Justin Do, Bs, Casey Fishman, Ba, Sakshi Bhargava, Phd, Emily Bratlee-Whitaker, Phd, Rn, Jennifer R. Turner, Phd, Jacqueline Mogle, Phd, Ms, Nikki L. Hill, Phd, Rn

Alpha Omega Alpha Research Symposium Posters

Purpose: Subjective cognitive decline (SCD), or perceived decline in cognition, is a precursor to mild cognitive impairment, a prodrome of Alzheimer’s disease. SCD’s predictive utility is limited as it is impacted by multiple psychosocial factors. Expectations regarding aging among older adults have been linked to self-efficacy and health-related outcomes; however, their relationship with SCD is unknown. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the relationships between older adults’ aging expectations regarding physical, mental, and cognitive health, and SCD.

Methods: An online survey of community-dwelling adults aged 65 years or older (n=582, M(SD)=71.36(4.80)) with no history of dementia …

The Impact Of Workplace Stressors On Anxiety Levels And Mental Health Among Pediatric Intensive Care Nurses, Kelsey Ericah Ang

Nursing | Student Research Posters

Background: Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) nurses work in a high-stress environment where they are exposed daily to traumatic situations. The demanding emotional and physical challenges contribute to significant psychological burdens, including increased stress and anxiety. Purpose: The current paper proposes a research design to examine the outcomes of stress, anxiety levels, and mental well-being on PICU nurses when workplace support and structured debriefing sessions take place following a traumatic event. Methods: Participants will be recruited from PICU hospitals in Northern California. Participation will be voluntary, and informed consent will be obtained prior to the study. The selection criteria will …

The Caregiving Role Influences Suboptimal Health Status And Psychological Symptoms In Unpaid Carers, Monique Garcia, Zheng Guo, Yulu Zheng, Zhiyuan Wu, Ethan Visser, Lois Balmer, Wei Wang

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Suboptimal Health Status (SHS) is the physical state between health and disease. This study aimed to fill in the knowledge gap by investigating the prevalence of SHS and psychological symptoms among unpaid carers and to identify SHS-risk factors from the perspective of predictive, preventive and personalised medicine (PPPM). Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 368 participants who were enrolled from Australia, including 203 unpaid carers as cases and 165 individuals from the general population as controls. SHS scores were measured using SHSQ-25 (Suboptimal Health Status Questionnaire-25), whilst psychological symptoms were measured by DASS-21 (Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21). …

Overcoming The Unseen: Understanding Diverse Canadian Workers’ Well-Being During The Beginning Of The Coronavirus Pandemic, Tyler M. Pacheco

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Canadian workers were severely affected by the onset of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The rapid spread of the pathogen across Canada resulted in several work-related consequences (e.g., temporary/indefinite layoffs and business closures, mandatory working-from-home) that could have impacted workers’ well-being during this turbulent period. Research available at the start of this dissertation process, and even more recently published studies, primarily explored general trends in workers’ negative well-being during COVID-19, not examining the distinct realities that diverse workers, including more marginalized ones, may have experienced. Across three manuscripts, several theories from diverse disciplines (positive, developmental, community, and industrial-organizational psychology, public health) …

Get It In Writing: How To Make Medications For Opioid Use Disorder Available During Incarceration, Margaret J. Mcgladrey, Jordan Kelsch, Michelle R. Lofwall, Laura C. Fanucchi, Sharon L. Walsh, Carrie B. Oser

Center on Drug and Alcohol Research Faculty Publications

In a case example from the Kentucky HEALing Communities Study, extensive resources were deployed to address structural barriers and facilitate the provision of medication for opioid use disorder (OUD) in an urban county jail. However, implementation was unsuccessful, and this case example emphasizes the importance of including evidence-based medication for OUD (MOUD) treatment in the scope of work of jails’ contracted medical providers. The privatization of correctional health care services allows local governments with opioid abatement funds to incorporate requirements into medical provider contracts to screen all people entering jails for OUD and to offer MOUD at intake, throughout incarceration, …

The Development Of A Recovery Coaching Training Curriculum To Facilitate Linkage To And Increase Retention On Medications For Opioid Use Disorder, Trevor Moffitt, Amanda Fallin-Bennett, Laura Fanucchi, Sharon L. Walsh, Christopher Cook, Devin Oller, Anna Ross, Molly Gallivan, John Lauckner, Jeremy Byard, Phoebe Wheeler-Crum, Michelle R. Lofwall

Center on Drug and Alcohol Research Faculty Publications

Introduction: Medication treatment for opioid use disorder (MOUD) decreases opioid overdose risk and is the standard of care for persons with opioid use disorder (OUD). Recovery coach (RC)-led programs and associated training curriculums to improve outcomes around MOUD are limited. We describe our comprehensive training curriculum including instruction and pedagogy for novel RC-led MOUD linkage and retention programs and report on its feasibility.

Methods–pedagogy and training development: The Kentucky HEALing (Helping to End Addiction Long-termSM) Communities Study (HCS) created the Linkage and Retention RC Programs with a local recovery community organization, Voices of Hope-Lexington. RCs worked to reduce participant barriers …

Screening Incarcerated Women For Opioid Use Disorder, Michele Staton, Martha Tillson, Mary M. Levi, Matthew Webster, Carrie B. Oser, Carl Leukefeld

Behavioral Science Faculty Publications

The overall aim of the present study is to examine the utility of the DSM OUD Checklist and the NM-ASSIST screening tools to identify symptoms consistent with OUD among incarcerated women in county jails. This study contributes to the existing literature because research on screening and assessment approaches for incarcerated women has been limited. The focus of the current study is to describe the screening procedures and study recruitment for a larger parent study focused on increasing treatment linkages. Study findings indicate a positive correlation between indicators of OUD using the two screening tools, as well as a high degree …

Extended-Release Injection Vs Sublingual Buprenorphine For Opioid Use Disorder With Fentanyl Use, Edward V. Nunes, Sandra D. Comer, Michelle R. Lofwall, Sharon L. Walsh, Stefan Peterson, Fredrik Tiberg, Peter Hjelmstrom, Natalie R. Budilovsky-Kelley

Behavioral Science Faculty Publications

Importance: Fentanyl has exacerbated the opioid use disorder (OUD) and opioid overdose epidemic. Data on the effectiveness of medications for OUD among patients using fentanyl are limited.

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of sublingual or extended-release injection formulations of buprenorphine for the treatment of OUD among patients with and without fentanyl use.

Design, Setting, and Participants: Post hoc analysis of a 24-week, randomized, double-blind clinical trial conducted at 35 outpatient sites in the US from December 2015 to November 2016 of sublingual buprenorphine-naloxone vs extended-release subcutaneous injection buprenorphine (CAM2038) for patients with OUD subgrouped by presence vs absence of fentanyl …

Novel Cannabinoid Use Among Young Adults In Lexington, Kentucky, Victoria A. Hamilton

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

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to implement a survey to estimate the prevalence of novel cannabinoid use among young adults in Lexington, Kentucky, and to examine modes of use and motivations for novel cannabinoid use. The primary hypothesis of this study was that many respondents would indicate medical reasons for using novel cannabinoids.

Methods: A cross-sectional primary data analysis of 101 young adults in Lexington, Kentucky to determine prevalence of lifetime novel cannabinoid use, past 30-day novel cannabinoid use, mode of use, motivation for use, and related demographic characteristics. Univariate and bivariate analysis were produced using the PROC …

Developmental Effects Of Child Abuse: The Relevance Of Timing, Laura Luz Alvarez Pineda, Karla Susana Saldaña

Nursing | Student Research Posters

Background: Early physical, sexual, and emotional child abuse has been associated with long-life cognitive, emotional, and physical health repercussions. Purpose: The current paper, in addition to a literature review, proposes a research design to examine the emotional outcomes of physical, emotional, and sexual child abuse on Hispanics when a psychosocial therapy program is implemented. Methods: Participants will be recruited from children’s hospitals, daycares, and preschools around the Bay Area. Parental-informed consent will be obtained prior to participation. This longitudinal quantitative quasi-experimental study will be comprised of three phases to measure posttraumatic stress and depression symptoms, and suicidal …

Unleashing Wellness: Exploring The Impact Of Pet Therapy On Anxiety Reduction, Quality Of Life, And Treatment Adherence In Pediatric Oncology Patients, Karina Brouwer

Nursing | Student Research Posters

Pet therapy is a complementary type of therapeutics in which a person and animal have a guided interaction with the purpose of helping someone cope with physical and/or mental illness. Animal-assisted therapy is used in numerous settings and has been shown to reduce stress, lower blood pressure and heart rate, and decrease anxiety and depression (Husson University, 2022). In particular, pediatric oncology patients have enormous amounts of stress in their lives, which leads to increased anxiety and decreased quality of life (Children's Cancer Cause, 2023). While evidence shows that integrating pet therapy in pediatric oncology patients produces significant benefits on …

Evaluating The Mental Health Of Newly Graduated Nurses In Transition From Undergraduate Training To Professional Practice, Victor Louis C. Alinas Iv

Nursing | Student Research Posters

Background: There is an increasing demand for nurses worldwide as healthcare systems slowly recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Simultaneously, there is a high turnover of registered nurses and an even higher turnover in the demographic of newly graduated nurses. Newly graduated nurses (NGNs) are constantly faced with high levels of stress upon starting out in the professional environment and as a result of mental burnout and inadequate preparation, there is a notably high turnover of newly graduated nurses within their first year of employment. Purpose: This research aims to use existing information on the transition from undergraduate training to professional …