Community Health Commons^™

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.

Behind The Badge: Effects Of Stress And Trauma In Policing -- Understanding The Importance Of Evidence-Based Prevention, Early Intervention, And Wellness Programs, Jessica Rolshouse

Master of Arts in Human Services

Law enforcement officers are exposed to occupational stress and trauma routinely and at rates that far exceed the general population. This chronic exposure places them at risk for physical and psychological injury and negative outcomes to include mental health disorders including burnout, anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Prolonged exposure to occupational stress and trauma also increases the risk of suicidal ideation and dying by suicide, the most tragic outcome of the stress law enforcement officers face. This literature review focuses on individual risk factors, occupational stress, and trauma, and the development of mental health disorders in law enforcement officers. It also …

Will Anyone Play With Me? Building Resilience Through Community Play With Transgender And Gender Diverse Young Adults, Lee Lebeda

Expressive Therapies Theses

The recent increase in anti-trans legislature in the United States has negatively impacted the mental health of transgender young adults nationwide. Current research suggests that creative expression in a group setting may be uniquely suited to help transgender people combat the negative mental health effects of internalized anti-trans messaging. Based on this research, a community engagement project was designed for transgender young adult participants to explore resilience building through drama therapy-informed community play. Three play-based support groups, facilitated by a drama therapy graduate student who identified as a peer to the participants, were offered to transgender young adults in their …

The Wellness Connection September 2025, Roger Williams University School Of Law

Life of the Law School (1993- )

No abstract provided.

"La Vida Es Un Carnaval": An Exploration Of Cuban Identity And Nostalgia Through Dance/Movement Therapy - A Community Engagement Project, Maria Fernanda Mendez Mendoza

Expressive Therapies Theses

“La Vida Es Un Carnaval” is a community engagement project and thesis that explores how identity and nostalgic resilience show up through dance/movement therapy with Cuban immigrants living in the United States, specifically Massachusetts. This project brought together six Cuban-born participants, ages 26 to 67, each with their own unique migration stories; from the Rafter Balsero Crisis of 1994, to the “Wet-Foot/Dry-Foot” policy, and family reunification. Through a mix of in-person and online sessions, participants explored their experiences using intermodal activities including dance/movement therapy techniques, conversation, journaling, artwork, and music. Themes of cultural pride, “Cubanía” – Cuban-ness, culture shock, and …

Adverse Childhood Experiences And The Impact Of Resiliency On Child Behavior: A Quality Improvement Project, Macy Kraft

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Background: Adverse Childhood Experiences can have a significant impact on a person’s future health and wellness. Therefore, it is necessary for healthcare professionals to increase their understanding of possible mediating factors to lessen the impact of these experiences should they occur.

Purpose: The purpose of this project was to evaluate the effectiveness of an evidence-based quality improvement initiative designed to enhance the formal behavioral assessments of pre-school children following the participation of their caregivers in an ACEs and resiliency educational intervention.

Methods: Implementation of a two-armed intervention; a brief educational session aimed at providing an introduction to ACEs and a …

The Wellness Connection March 2025, Roger Williams University School Of Law Office Of Student Life

Life of the Law School (1993- )

No abstract provided.

Resilience And Reality: Exploring The Lived Experiences Of People Living With Hiv In Texas During The Covid-19 Pandemic – A Qualitative Study., Ahmed F. Alanazi

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

This study investigated the lived experiences of individuals living with HIV (PLWH) in the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) area of Texas during the COVID-19 pandemic, using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) framework. The research examined the intersection of health, social dynamics, and psychological resilience among PLWH, who faced compounded vulnerabilities due to systemic inequities and the dual public health crises of HIV and COVID-19. Through semi-structured interviews with ten participants from diverse backgrounds, the study captured the profound impacts of disrupted healthcare systems, heightened stigma, and social isolation on this marginalized population. The findings reveal that the pandemic exacerbated existing inequities …

Disparities And Protective Factors In Pandemic-Related Mental Health Outcomes: A Louisiana-Based Study, Ariane L. Rung, Evrim Oral, Tyler Prusisz, Edward S. Peters

School of Public Health Faculty Publications

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a wide-ranging impact on mental health. Diverse populations experienced the pandemic differently, highlighting pre-existing inequalities and creating new challenges in recovery. Understanding the effects across diverse populations and identifying protective factors is crucial for guiding future pandemic preparedness. The objectives of this study were to (1) describe the specific COVID-19-related impacts associated with general well-being, (2) identify protective factors associated with better mental health outcomes, and (3) assess racial disparities in pandemic impact and protective factors. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of Louisiana residents was conducted in summer 2020, yielding a sample of 986 Black …

Understanding Mental Wellbeing Of Family Day Care Educators In Australia: A Mixed Methods Study, Theresa Rayfield

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Family Day Care (FDC) is an essential service within the Australian early childhood education and care sector. FDC educators support Australian families who require convenience, flexibility, and versatility in the education and care of their children. FDC educators’ mental wellbeing (MWB) is vital to ensure optimal education and care is provided, however this is often overlooked by educators. This research aimed to gauge Australian FDC educators’ MWB, identify factors positively or negatively affecting MWB and strategies employed to maintain and support MWB.

Primarily, a cross-sectional quantitative questionnaire measuring MWB and ten predictor variables determining relationship with food, food insecurity, alcohol …

Evaluating How Physical Activity Affects The Perception Of Resilience In Box Butte County, Nebraska, Eric Pulver

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Physical activity is one of the modern hallmarks for good health in individuals and the public, in general. Resiliency is a growing concentration in all levels of disaster preparedness where the focus is on how to deal with the growing number of disasters stemming from global climate change. This research project’s aim is to look at the possible relationships between physical activity and resiliency in a rural Nebraska population. This was done with the use of a cross-sectional study utilizing a fifteen-question survey to gather demographics, assess the amount of physical activity, and then apply a perception of resilience tool …

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 …

Zero Balancing In The Chiropractic Practice, Michele Doucette Dc

Journal of Transformative Touch

Discovering the profound gifts of the leading-edge structural and energetic manual therapy Zero Balancing (ZB), and adding it to my chiropractic and nutrition practice, has unified my personal growth with the sustainability of my professional practice. Much of humanity is starving for wholeness, authenticity, and meaningful connection with ourselves, others, and something greater. Chiropractors are well positioned to be leaders in a true evolution of healthcare, especially if, as we continue to explore the various branches of our therapeutic repertoires, we stay connected to our vitalistic roots that are now more supported than ever by new findings in the fields …

A Predictable Home Environment May Protect Child Mental Health During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Laura M. Glynn, Elyssia Poggi Davis, Joan L. Luby, Tallie Z. Baram, Curt A. Sandman

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Objective

Information about the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescent and adult mental health is growing, yet the impacts on preschool children are only emerging. Importantly, environmental factors that augment or protect from the multidimensional and stressful influences of the pandemic on emotional development of young children are poorly understood.

Methods

Depressive symptoms in 169 preschool children (mean age 4.1 years) were assessed with the Preschool Feelings Checklist during a state-wide stay-at-home order in Southern California. Mothers (46% Latinx) also reported on externalizing behaviors with the Strengths & Difficulties Questionnaire. To assess the role of environmental factors in …

Resilience: Insights From The U.S. Longterm Ecological Research Network, Jane Cowles, Laura Templeton, John J. Battles, Peter J. Edmunds, Robert C. Carpenter, Stephen R. Carpenter, Michael Paul Nelson, Natalie L. Cleavitt, Timothy J. Fahey, Peter M. Groffman, Joe H. Sullivan, Maile C. Neel, Gretchen J. A. Hansen, Sarah Hobbie, Sally J. Holbrook, Clare E. Kazanski, Eric W. Seabloom, Russell J. Schmitt, Emily H. Stanley, Alan J. Tepley, Natalie S. Van Doorn, Jake M. Vander Zanden

Advanced Science Research Center

Ecosystems are changing in complex and unpredictable ways, and analysis of these changes is facilitated by coordinated, long-term research. Meeting diverse societal needs requires an understanding of what populations and communities will be dominant in 20, 50, and 100 yr. This paper is a product of a synthesis effort of the U.S. National Science Foundation funded Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) network addressing the LTER core research area of populations and communities. This analysis revealed that each LTER site had at least one compelling story about what their site would look like in 50 or 100 yr. As the stories were …

Examining The Factors That Mediate The Relationship From Legal Advocacy Satisfaction To Resilience, Desta T. Gebregiorgis

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

Sexual assault is a public health issue that can impact one’s resilience. Using a multisystemic approach to resilience, there may be person-level and environment-level factors that can affect one’s resilience, such as one’s coping self-efficacy, satisfaction with the court process, and negative effects associated with court process. Legal advocacy programs, such as those offered by the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center (KCSARC), support clients during the court proceedings. In order to better serve KCSARC’s clientele, it is helpful to understand how the legal advocacy program impacts post-trauma resilience. This dissertation had three phases: (a) evaluating the structural validity of …

Addressing The Social Vulnerability Of Mississippi Gulf Coast Vietnamese Community Through The Development Of Community Health Advisors, Susan Mayfield-Johnson, Danielle Fastring, Daniel Le, Jane Nguyen

Faculty Publications

Background:Resiliency is the ability to prepare for, recover from, and adapt to stressors from adverse events. Social vulnerabilities (limited access to resources, political power, and representation; lack of social capital; aspects of the built environment; health inequities; and being in certain demographic categories) can impact resiliency. The Vietnamese population living along the Mississippi Gulf Coast is a community that has unique social vulnerabilities that impact their ability to be resilient to adverse events. Objectives: The purpose of this project was to address social vulnerability by implementing and evaluating a volunteer Community Health Advisor (CHA) project to enhance community resiliency in …

Pennsylvania’S Covid-19 Response Vs. Homeland Security Frameworks And Research: Masking The Whole Community, Alexander Siedschlag

Publications

This essay offers an intermediate discussion of select policy, strategic, operational, and tactical issues that demonstrate where and how the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s novel coronavirus response on the one hand, and homeland security frameworks and research on the other, converge or—more often so—diverge, and how to narrow this gap. Although typically framed as a pandemic owned by the public health sector, the COVID-19 response falls directly within the homeland security mission space, whose core missions include “Ensuring Resilience to Disasters.” In some respects, Pennsylvania’s response exemplifies best practices suggested by research. In other dimensions, it is neither in line with …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Peer Engagement And Knowledge (Peak): A Community-Based Group Intervention For Youth In Hawai‘I, Jennifer T. T. Ho

Doctoral Dissertations

This study is a program evaluation with a mixed methods design that evaluated the effectiveness of Peer Engagement and Knowledge (PEAK), a six-week community-based group intervention that incorporates mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) to address multiple health behaviors for multiracial youth in Hilo, Hawai‘i. A total of 51 youth, ages 12-23 years old, participated in this study which included pre-/posttest analyses of health risk factors such as substance use and depression and health promoting factors such as resilience, self-esteem, and mindfulness. Responses from two subsets of participants, who engaged in a focus group (n = 11) and composed gratitude letters ( …

Mindfulness And Law Enforcement: An Effective Approach To Implementing Mindfulness For First Responders, Gina White

Mindfulness Studies Theses

An increasing number of studies show that people employed as first responders in high trauma service jobs tend to experience a high level of stress, at work and after hours. Studies suggest that constant exposure to job related stress leads to both physical and mental dysregulation. This study looks at the effects of implementing mindfulness tools and techniques to those working in law enforcement. Other works on this topic report mindfulness as a successful tool to increase wellbeing to a broad spectrum of populations. The methodology used in this study was designed specifically for first responders. The data findings were …