Other Mental and Social Health Commons^™

Where I’M From: Internal Manifestations Among Cambodian Women Using The Expressive Arts A Literature Review, Noeun Chhim

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Chronic mental illness has affected many Cambodian people, but, culturally, Cambodians aren’t accustomed to opening up and discussing their feelings, rather defining mental illness to craziness and seeking help is presumed taboo. Thus, Cambodians are often reluctant to talk about their experiences and/or their related illnesses. Though Cambodians have experienced inconceivable suffering and violence during the Khmer Rouge era, for the purpose of this thesis, I will be discussing the role of Cambodian women and investigate the extent of what they’ve witnessed and experienced. Cambodian women have suffered through many years of trauma and grief, during and after the Khmer …

Touch In Drama Therapy: A Literature Review, Sara Hood

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This article is a cursory look at how touch is perceived in the field of drama therapy. Touch is integral to our experience as humans and can be present in drama therapy sessions. Ethical guidelines for touch in the literature are identified and relevant drama therapy texts and articles describing touch are discussed. While drama therapy has a clear voice when it comes to ethically engaging in touch with a client, very little research was found exploring the intention and outcome of touch in a drama therapy session. Other therapeutic modalities, specifically Developmental Transformations and dance/movement therapy, are identified as …

Healing Our Connection With Nature: An Expressive Arts Community Engagement Project, Meghan Mccrillis

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

A community engagement project was created and implemented, comprised of two events for which the author facilitated nature-based expressive arts experiences to explore the integration of nature and expressive arts therapy. The events were offered to two different groups of community members, one for nature-curious adults held outdoors on the trails of a local conservation trust, and another for young children at a local library. The healing impact of nature connection and nature connection experiences are explored through a literature review, event methods, and the author’s personal experiences of the project via artmaking. The results include an emphasis on nature …

Dance Movement Therapy Interventions To Build Coping Skills And Identity In Adolescent Patients Dealing With A Cancer Diagnosis: Development Of A Method, Ariel Hortin

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Adolescents are a special category in pediatric oncology because of their unique physical and mental development. This patient population has needs specific to both their development and cancer diagnosis. Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) focuses on building awareness of inner sensations so that the patient can then connect those observations with felt emotions and thoughts. Connecting the physical experience with the emotional experience can provide helpful information for the patient as a tool for change. Building and strengthening relationships with family members also strengthens the critical support system for the patient. Dance Movement Therapy interventions may be effective in working with …

Unified Philosophy For Music Therapy: Solving The Identity Crisis Through Interdisciplinary Analysis, Janice Lindstrom

Graduate Liberal Studies Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to investigate the feasibility of a unifying philosophy for music therapy and to offer an identity for the music therapy profession that is appropriate for the various ways in which music therapy is practiced throughout the world. A systematic review of published music therapy approaches informed this investigation. The central research questions for this dissertation were: (a) Is it possible to articulate a unifying philosophy of music therapy that is inclusive of the diverse ways music therapy is currently practiced; and if so, (b) What might be that resultant integrated philosophy of music therapy? …

The Effects Of Animal Companionship On Mental Health During Covid-19, Hailey Burton

Undergraduate University Honors Capstones

The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of animal companionship on mental health during COVID-19 for Deaf and Hard of Hearing people. Through the use of qualitative methodology, specifically that of phenomenology, the lived experiences of participants who adopted animals during the pandemic and the effect of this decision on their mental health and quality of life is examined to better understand the relationship between animal companionship and mental health states such as anxiety, loneliness, and depression. An autoethnographic framework is utilized wherein I reflexively analyzed my own choices for adopting an animal companion during the pandemic …

The School Nurse's Experience Of Secondary Exposure To Trauma, Catherine A. Grano

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The school nurse (SN) is often the sole health care expert in the school setting, providing for the physical and socio-emotional needs of others. SN may be exposed to reports of trauma, a widespread and costly public health issue. This study sought to explore the experience of the SN when exposed to reports of trauma from those in their care. Seven N.J. certified school nurses participated in two online interviews via Microsoft Teams, spaced one to two weeks apart between June 2021 and September 2021. Interviews were recorded & transcribed verbatim and thematic analysis applied. This study found that SN …

Is Tai Chi A Beneficial Treatment For Anxiety In The Elderly Community?, Carolyn Kenney

Honors Projects in Applied Psychology

This study attempted to explore the relationship between tai chi practice and anxiety in the elderly population. The mental health disorder that I looked at was anxiety, as the elderly often experience anxiety related to contributing factors such as mental and physical decline. Anxiety among the elderly is a great concern as there is an increase in the world’s population of individuals aged 65 years or older. This will directly impact health care prices as more resources will have to be distributed to this age population. One solution to this problem is tai chi. Tai chi is a cost-effective way …

Factors Affecting Emergency Department Mental Health Visits, Logan Daul

Honors Thesis

Research has shown that current quantities of emergency department visits for mental health and substance use are increasing at a startling rate. These increases are acknowledged in quantitative studies and some important information can be gathered from qualitative studies however determining specific causes for these emergent visits are difficult. The purpose of this study is to derive findings from statistical analyses focusing on quantities of emergency department visits for mental health and substance use disorders. Comparisons will be drawn at the state level between the per capita quantity of emergency department visits and poverty rate, climate, psychiatric healthcare infrastructure, urban …

Spending On Public Benefit Programs And Exposure To Adverse Childhood Experiences, Megan Collins

Research Days

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Background: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been shown to be associated with poor health outcomes, and children living in poverty are more likely to experience ACEs. Our objective was to estimate the association between spending on benefit programs and cumulative exposure to ACEs among children.

Methods: This cross-sectional study examined state and federal spending, at the state-level, on 5 categories of public benefit programs: cash, housing, and in-kind assistance; housing infrastructure; childcare assistance; refundable Earned Income Tax Credit; and Medical Assistance Programs (e.g., Medicaid). The primary exposure was median annual spending per person living below …

Trial-Based Measurements As An Index Of Response Strength, Vasily Belichenko

Thesis Projects

Identifying and evaluating dependent variables within functional analyses are essential steps that affect the assessment's overall acceptability. Although most of the studies on functional analyses suggest that measuring repeated occurrences of behavior with rate measurements generates the most accurate data, several researchers suggest using alternative measurement methods to avoid the heavy burden of the procedure. In the present study, I partially replicated a study by Thomason-Sassi and colleagues (2011) that evaluated the correspondence between latency measures of responding and rate. Additionally, trial-based measurements, such as the occurrence of the behavior, represented in the percentage of trials, were compared with rate …

Improving Adolescent Sexual And Mental Health Care Access Through Community Outreach, Anna Bitely

Research Days

Background: In the pandemic’s wake, marginalized adolescents face exacerbated barriers to accessing sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and mental health (MH) care. Telemedicine access for SRH/MH care has increased, but disparities remain.

Objectives/Goal: We assessed the impact of our intervention (AccessKCTeen) on care access.

Methods/Design: We trained four peer leaders to share SRH/MH information and mobilize their networks to attend AccessKCTeen outreach events. We partnered with community organizations to host events where we demonstrated telemedicine, shared resources for SRH/MH care, and discussed and distributed free health items (e.g. emergency contraception (EC), condoms, pregnancy tests, hand sanitizer). Teens completed surveys prior …

Nutrition In Uri Athletes Vs. Non-Athletes, Amity Tobias

Senior Honors Projects

Being a student athlete and growing up in sports has had both positive and negative effects on my life. Children often take part in sports at a young age to teach them important life skills such as dedication, hard work, and discipline. While sports are very effective for physical fitness and being a part of a team may be crucial in a kid’s life, there may also be some negative effects. Some sports such as gymnastics, hockey, soccer, etc., have an intensely high demand, both physically and mentally. Athletes are stereotyped to be the fittest, healthiest group of people and …

The Impact Of Covid-19 On The Opioid Epidemic, Hailey Stewart

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The COVID-19 pandemic adversely affected the lives of most Americans. People with Substance Use Disorder (SUD) were particularly vulnerable to the negative effects brought on by the pandemic. This study explored the increase in deaths due to opioid overdose during the pandemic exacerbated by factors such as increased stress, decrease in treatment options due to social distancing requirements and facility closures, social isolation, and an increase in spare time. Access to treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) was interrupted by the measures meant to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Through a systematic review of current literature, it was demonstrated that …

Developing A Curriculum To Combat Loneliness As A Public Health Concern In Businesses, Sophia Yelkin

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Loneliness has been considered a public health epidemic affecting people across the world. Elderly populations have historically been considered most at risk for loneliness, but it is becoming evident that loneliness is not so selective. Younger generations show more signs and symptoms of loneliness than older generations. This often overlooked condition is attributable to decreased mental and physical health and can weaken performance in the workplace.

This capstone project creates a concise curriculum addressing loneliness for dissemination in the workplace, ensuring appropriate health literacy for the priority population. Understanding the pervasive nature of loneliness, identifying symptoms, and methods to counteract …

Medical Laboratory Science Students At The University Of Southern Mississippi Response To The Covid-19 Pandemic, Kaitlyn Mcginnis

Honors Theses

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed educators’ and students’ perspectives on virtual teaching of the laboratory sciences. This study aims to determine the perceived effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) students at the University of Southern Mississippi. This study will evaluate how the changes to the instruction of the MLS curriculum and overall student mental health affected their grades and retention of academic content during and post-pandemic. The goal is to determine students’ perception of the effectiveness of virtual learning during the COVID-19 quarantine period, and whether it is a sustainable learning resource. Five students enrolled in …

Mental Health Burden Among College Students During Covid-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study, Jeffrey Bao Truong

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic is a significant public health issue and has negatively burdened the general population’s health, though assessment among vulnerable groups remain limited. The present study aimed to evaluate the mental health burden of the COVID-19 pandemic among college students.

Method:This study utilized a cross-sectional approach. Courses across multiple departments were used to collect data in order to ensure a diversity of majors. All statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS version 28 with p <.05 denoting significance.

Results: A total of 98 study participants were included in analyses. Among study participants, 32%reported feeling their mental health worsened due to COVID-19 …

Accessibility Of Mental Health Resources In Schools, Zitlaly Lizeth Cruz-Roman, Vianney Consepcion Sandoval

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study aimed to examine parents’ and staff’s perception of the accessibility and awareness of mental health resources in school. Mental health resources are made available in school settings; however, not all families and students are aware of the resources being provided. To address the accessibility of mental health resources, research needs to take place to understand why these resources are not being utilized. Individuals’ mental health will improve by creating awareness of the resources since they will be aware of the resources and use them based on their needs. The research project utilized quantitative research methods and descriptive research …

Pandemic And Substance Use: A Cross-Sectional Analysis, Vanessa E. Ermilio

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Background: The COVID-19 Pandemic called individuals to stay at home which may have impacted individuals to become not only physically, but socially isolated as well. With social isolation, comes an increase in mental health complications which may lead to an increase in substance use. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential association between COVID-19 social isolation and substance use among college students.

Method: The present study’s data was collected from a public, four-year university located in Southern California. The survey was disseminated through instructors at the university and students were incentivized with extra course credit to participate. …

Pandemic-Related Caregiver Burden Among Public Health Workforce: A Mixed-Method Analysis, Tony Lee

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by a highly contagious novel virus called SARS-CoV-2, has led to significant global morbidity and mortality. The healthcare workforce (HCW) is disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and is more likely to report depression, burnout, moral injury, compassion fatigue, and post-traumatic stress. However, research among the public health workforce (PHW) remains limited. Given the burden of COVID-19 itself, coupled with the work-related pressure of rapid pandemic management strategies, risk of exposure, potential fatigue, etc., understanding the mental health needs of PHW and related professionals is critical. As such, the purpose of this study is to …

Helping Our Heroes: An Evaluation Of Mental Health And Organizational Policies Surrounding Suicide Prevention And Postvention Strategies For Nebraska First Responders, Maria S. Mickles

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Suicide is ranked as one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Over 40,000 individuals die by suicide each year (Stanley, Hom, & Joiner, 2016; Vigil et al, 2021), and, in 2020, it was ranked in the top 9 causes of death for all ages (10-64), and second for those 10-14 and 25-34 years of age (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022). These statistics disproportionately reflect first responders (i.e., firefighters, dispatchers, law enforcement, EMS, paramedics, etc.), as they die by suicide more than the general public (National EMS Management Association, 2016). Within their line of work …

Children Of Divorce Parents Group Manual, Sheyenne Hokit

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Divorce is something that is, unfortunately, becoming a commonality for a lot of children, and due to the complexity of divorce, many children struggle when trying to understand divorce and how it affects them. Some effects of divorce are various emotional and behavioral issues such as increased anger and decreased emotion regulation. Social, health, and academic concerns were also found. Counseling interventions like narrative therapy, emotion-focused family therapy, emotion-focused therapy, and play therapy were found to be effective with this population (Hirschfeld & Wittenborn, 2016, Thomas & Gibbons, 2009). The identified interventions provide peer-based social support, education on the misconceptions …

Mourning The Marathon: Black Men Rappers, Homicide Survivorship Bereavement, And The Rap Tribute Of Nipsey Hussle, Melvin L. Williams, Justin K. Winley, Justin Causey

Far West Popular Culture Association Annual Conference

Eritrean-American rapper Ermias “Nipsey Hussle” Asghedom’s murder represented a cultural cataclysmic event that startled the hip-hop community and triggered previous memories of Black men’s homicidal deaths in rap and Black American urban communities. Nipsey Hussle’s death inspired touching rap tribute songs by Black men rappers, who sought to commemorate his cultural legacy and express their bereavement pains as homicide survivors. Rap tribute songs occupy a significant history, as rappers historically employed them to honor hip-hop’s fallen soldiers, communicate their homicide survivorship bereavement processes, and speak about social perils in the Black community. Framed by critical race (CRT) and gender role …

Dnp Final Report: Adolescent Support For Healthy Living, Kristin S. Hudson

DNP Final Reports

Adolescents often make decisions that negatively impact their health and wellness. They do this for many reasons including impulsivity, underdeveloped communication and coping skills, feelings of invincibility, and a perceived lack of support. In adolescents, how does education and training related to risky behaviors compared to no education affect knowledge, skills, and understanding (KSU) of high-risk behaviors three months after instruction? Thirteen peer- reviewed articles were utilized in the body of evidence. A curriculum-based intervention was implemented. Outcomes include an overall increase in KSU in six key concepts including contraception, substances abuse, sexually transmitted diseases/infections, teen pregnancy, peer pressure, and …

Let's Hit The Gym: An Analysis Of The Relationship Between Student Exercise, Achievement, And Social Anxiety, Angela Lebel

Honors Projects in Applied Psychology

An emerging body of literature has documented the positive influence of exercise on student achievement. Human and non-human animal studies have proven that exercise can improve memory, academic stressors, social anxiety, and sleep along with more broad topics such as mental and physical health. With exercise improving memory and academic stressors, this leads to a potential conclusion that exercise could benefit student’s grade point average which will be tested in this study. Exercise is also exhibited to help reduce social anxiety which leads to a potential conclusion that exercise could improve one’s involvement in extracurricular activities because one would have …

The Impact Of Outcomes On Depression Literacy In School-Age Children Who Received Depression Education, Loretta Q. Smith Aprn, Pnp-Bc, Bobby Bellflower Dnsc, Nnp-Bc, Faanp

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Purpose/Background Recognizing mental illness is crucial in adolescence. It is the second leading cause of suicide and death in children 10-19 years of age. Early identification and recognition of signs and symptoms could prevent progressive mental health illness in early childhood and adulthood. We are seeking to answer the PICO question: In adolescents between 10 and 19 years of age who are enrolled in school (P), how does receiving education on depression awareness (I) compared to not receiving education on depression awareness (C) affect depression scores (O)?

Methods This review was conducted on articles about adolescent children. These articles were …

Affirmative Counseling With Lgbqqia Individuals: A Training And Resource Manual For Mental Health Counselors, Tena Prestidge

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This article is a review of literature related to issues associated with working with LGBQQIA clients. Although not an exhaustive review, the literature provides evidence of the need for additional training to improve the confidence and competence of counselors working with this population. Further, information is provided on what makes a counselor competent to work with LGBQQIA clients and evidence-based practices that have been shown to be effective in working with them. Following this review, a training and education manual is presented to help fill the need of additional training related to working with this population.

The Role Of Occupation Therapy In Homeless Transition-Aged Youth Programs, Cortney Kirby Yap, Susan Macdermott

Spring 2022 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

The purpose of this project was to evaluate current programming with staff at Urban Street Angels (USA) and explore the role of occupational therapy (OT) with youth experiencing homelessness or are at risk of homelessness in San Diego, California. The project informed the development of proposals aimed to enhance programming and OT services already in place at the USA La Mesa site for the staff and the youth enrolled in services through the USA organization and the Housing Our Youth (HOY) collaborative program.

The Academic Work-Life Balance Of Entry-Level Athletic Training Students And Its Implications, Grant Pheil

School of Health and Human Performance Theses

Athletic training students (ATS) have been documented to experience stressors and perceive burnout up to this point in their assimilation into the profession. This is understood through recent work-life balance (WLB) and burnout research within the student population, stemming off research recommendations surrounding the professional setting. However, following current educational shifts and worldwide events, prior research is limited surrounding specific graduate level ATS WLB, stressors, coping responses, and comparisons across ATS demographics. The purpose of this study is to identify this balance in graduate level students and highlight stressors or management techniques that will benefit future students pursuing athletic training …

Reducing Immigration-Related Stress In An Immigrant Population, Stephanie Avdagic

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Immigrants are a growing population in the United States and face stressors specific to immigration. Stress is associated with increased mental and physical health issues, so increased stress puts this population at risk for many health concerns. A review of literature showed that implementing community resource classes for immigrants may help decrease immigration-related stress. The purpose of this evidence-based project was to assess if implementation of community resource classes at a local day center for immigrants could help decrease immigration-related stress. The classes addressed issues such as limited English proficiency and lack of legal immigration status. The Stress of Immigration …