Psychiatric and Mental Health Commons^™

The Disparity In Mental Health Between Two Generations Of Internal Migrants (Ims) In China: Evidence From A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study, Wen Chen, Qi Zhang, Andre M.N. Renzaho, Li Ling

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Background: Internal migrants (IMs) are a large, vulnerable population in China and are mostly driven by national economic reform. IMs who were born before and after 1980, when the general social and economic reform began to appear in China, are considered to be two separate generations. The generational differences in mental health across IMs remain undocumented. In this study, the intergenerational disparity in IMs’ mental health, using data from a national cross-sectional study, was assessed. Methods: Cross-sectional data from the “National Internal Migrant Dynamic Monitoring Survey 2014” were used. IMs were divided into the “old” or “new” generation, based on …

Role Of Religion For Christian Couples Who Successfully Cope With Trauma, Bernadette Collins

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Most of the research concerning couples focuses on either couples and trauma or religion and couples. The current research investigated what role religion plays when Christian couples effectively navigated a trauma. Interviews were conducted with five Christian couples who experienced joint trauma more than eight years prior to the study. Interviews of the couples consisted of questions concerning what their trauma was, religious coping strategies utilized during and after their trauma, and the effect religious coping had on the couples’ ability to effectively navigate the traumatic event. Qualitative analysis found several major themes which included meaning making of the traumatic …

The Effect Of Family And Social Support On Suicidal Ideation In Jails, Megan L. Small

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Suicidal ideation and associated behaviors are up to four times more common among jail inmates than the general community (Jenkins et al., 2005; Hayes, 1986). Research finds a variety of social, biological, and psychological factors interact to influence suicidal thoughts of incarcerated individuals (Bonner, 1992; Borrill et al., 2005). Particularly, psychological distress such as, depression and feelings of hopelessness, along with loss of social support and decreased feelings of connectedness have been linked to suicidal ideation and behaviors (Moscicki, 1997; Hawton & van Heeringen, 2009). Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2017) has emphasized the importance of connectedness …

Examination Of The Relations Among Demographics, Pre-College Interpersonal Trauma, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder And Disordered Eating, Arin L. Larsen, Kaitlin Bountress Phd, Ananda B. Amstadter Phd

IRBEH/Spit for Science Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Attribution Theory And Increasing Social Support For Women With Postpartum Depression: An Exploration Of Perceived Stability, Onset Controllability, And Effort, Andrea L. Ruybal

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Women with postpartum depression (PPD) deal with the negative impact of depression, as well as the burden of stigma (i.e., negative stereotypes). Guided by the attribution-emotion-action model (Weiner, 1980a), the current studies seek to assess whether emphasizing the temporary nature of PPD (i.e., stability), the uncontrollable development of the ailment (i.e., onset controllability), and whether it appears someone is making an effort to overcome PPD will indirectly result in greater social support, through anger, sympathy, and social support outcome expectations. This approach, utilizing combinations of three different attributions, along with social support outcome expectations as a mediator has not been …

The Risk For Developing Eating Disorders Among Indivdiuals With Diabetes, Nicole Havlik

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Objective: The objective and purpose of this research was to determine if individuals with type 1 and type 2 diabetes are at risk for developing eating disorders. Currently, there is a gap in literature on the topic of eating disorders and diabetes. Further, there is little research on those with type 2 diabetes and their risk for eating disorder development. Management of diabetes and eating disorder treatment contradict each other. Therefore, there is a need to understand the risk involved in the treatment of diabetes in order to prevent eating disorder development.

Methods: The current study used a Likert-type scale …

Pharmacotherapy For Impulsivity-Hyperactivity Behaviors In Autism Spectrum Disorder, Jenna Katnis

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

Hyperactivity is a shared behavior with ASD and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Medications such as Methylphenidate (MPH) and α 2-a adrenergic receptor agonists are used to modify hyperactivity behavior in ADHD and thus have been used as management in ASD. A review of literature was done to evaluate the use of medications typically used for ADHD in the use of ASD. The databases searched included PubMED, PsycINFO, Cochrane, and Clinical Key. After reviewing the literature, it was found that both MPH and 2-a adrenergic receptor agonist have a potential role in pharmacotherapy for ASD. MPH may be slightly more …

Managing Anxiety With Pharmacogenomic Testing, Ashley Pommer

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

Anxiety affects approximately three to seven percent of the United States population, and nearly 50% of the diagnosed patients fail to respond to first-line treatment regimens (Boland, Duffy, & Meyer 2018). Traditional first-line treatments include medication therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), or the combination of both. With such a high initial failure rate, recent studies indicate promising results in managing anxiety with pharmacogenomic testing. Pharmacogenomic testing is allowing providers to prescribe medication based on individual genetic makeup, focusing on how each patient metabolizes certain medications. The purpose of this literature review was to determine if first-line methods or pharmacogenomic testing …

Individuals With Developmental Disabilities And Criminal Incompetence : An Analysis Of Predictors To Restoration, Ashley Cahill

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Competency to stand trial is a concept of jurisprudence preventing the adjudication of individuals who lack the capacity to understand the proceedings against them and which prevents them from assisting in their own defense because of mental disease or “defects”. In the criminal justice system, defendants found incompetent to stand trial are remanded to the care of the mental health system for a period of time to restore their competence. The determination of competency to stand trial is by far the most common psychiatric evaluation requested by criminal courts, and is especially critical for defendants with developmental and intellectual disabilities.

Development Of The Sexual Minority Affirmative Practice Scale, Ryan Craig Ebersole

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Literature on the practice of affirmative psychotherapy with sexual minority (SM) clients has steadily increased over the past two decades in recognition of the unique experiences and mental health needs of this marginalized population. SM-affirmative psychotherapy is an approach to psychotherapy that is culturally-responsive, actively affirms the validity of SM identities and experiences, and promotes the resilience of SM clients in the face of stigma. To date, much of the extant research on SM-affirmative psychotherapy has focused on therapist factors and perspectives. Further, most previous research on SM clients’ experiences in therapy has been qualitative, due in part to the …

The Long-Term Consequences Of Adolescents' Comparative Economic Position In School, Kiwoong Park

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The goal of this dissertation project is to investigate how adolescents’ comparative socioeconomic positions within their schools shape their short- and long-term outcomes, including later health, educational expectations and attainment, and the risk of having a nonmarital first birth. Although social comparison theory posits that individual well-being depends on the standings of others with whom one compares oneself, as well as on one’s own absolute standing, the empirical evidence of the theory has been mixed and controversial. This project argues that inconsistent findings may arise from difficulty in measuring reference groups, temporal ambiguity between exposures and outcomes, and methodological limitations.

Prescreening Recommendations For Patients On Medical Cannabis, Wen Chieh Hu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Marijuana is the most frequently used illegal substance in the United States and is most widely used among young people aged 12 to 21 years. Accurate screening and monitored issuance of medical cannabis recommendations have been shown to decrease abuse rates of the substance, create fewer deaths from opiates, reduce crime rates, reduce marijuana use in youths, decrease car crash deaths, and lessen prevalence of suicide in young men. The purpose of this project was to explore whether multiple screening methods for depression and anxiety in patients who seek medical cannabis referrals for anxiety and depression would improve screening and …

Emergency Responders' Perceptions Of Mental Health Patients While Providing Care In Rural Areas, Cindy Perkinson Costilla

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Prior research has shown a correlation between public stigma and emergency responders' perceptions of mental health patients while providing care. However, research examining public stigma and emergency responders' perceptions of mental health patients is limited in rural areas. The purpose of this study was to explore possible relationships between the dependent variable, public stigma, and the independent variables: social distance, blameworthiness, and fear of unpredictable behavior. Link's modified labeling theory was the theoretical framework for this study. A sample of 92 emergency responders obtained from Facebook completed a questionnaire that consisted of three Likert scales. A multiple regression showed little …

A Narrative Study Focusing On Survivors Of Forced Labor Trafficking, Taras Nk Raggio

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Throughout history, the media's rendering of slavery depicts vulnerable groups caught in a network of trafficking looking for a better life. Scholars of trafficking cite challenges in understanding the health care needs of domestic forced labor trafficking survivors in the United States. Seminal trafficking findings have shown that variations of trafficking affect the survivors' health after surviving trafficking. Therefore, in this qualitative, narrative inquiry I sought to understand how 8 survivors of forced labor trafficking, ages 25 years and older, described their health following trafficking beyond 5 years. The theory of social constructionism constituted the theoretical foundation, and the salutogenic …

Psychosocial Consequences Of Parental Wrongful Conviction On Children, St.Jean Jeudy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This qualitative multiple-case study sought to provide an in-depth understanding of how children living in broken families-due to the wrongful conviction of parent(s)-developed psychosocial issues. The theoretical frameworks applied to this study were the social learning theory, the social control theory, the role-modeling theory, and the general theory of crime. A purposeful sample of 13 adults who were children at the time of their parents’ wrongful incarceration were drawn for phone and in-person interviews. The data were transcribed and analyzed to code, sort, and organize; to analyze connections in the information, and to compare and contrast cases. The multiple-case study …

An Investigation Of The Help-Seeking Attitudes Of African American Christian Churchgoers, Kristi Madison

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Black Church has been a powerful support system for African Americans, providing economic, and psychological support in addition to meeting spiritual and religious needs. African American church leaders continue to provide a multitude of services to the community; however, research has shown that African American Protestant Christian churchgoers'€™ preference for informal supports may exacerbate some symptoms of mental illness as people may postpone seeking formal help. Utilizing a nonexperimental, cross-€sectional design, this study examined the relationship between these churchgoers'€™ attitudes toward religious help-€seeking and attitudes toward professional help-€seeking. One hundred four African American Protestant Christian churchgoers in the mid-Atlantic …

Female Veterans' Combat Experience And Ptsd On Male Partners' Psychological Distress And Relationship Quality, Theresa Denise Abraham

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Female veterans' combat exposure to trauma places them at risk for developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which has consequences for healthful reintegration to family and civilian life. Previous research found that wives who provide continuous care to male veterans with PTSD experience symptoms of psychological distress; however, little research has been conducted on the influence of female veterans' PTSD on their intimate male partners' (IMPs) psychological well-being. A multivariate correlational design was used to examine the influence of female veteran PTSD on psychological distress and relationship quality in IMPs. The couples' adaption to traumatic stress model was used as the …

Efficacy Of A Va Residential Treatment Program For Co-Occurring Disorders, Kathrin Hohenstern

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem of co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorders among the veteran population can impact numerous aspects of a veteran's life, including self-esteem, relationships, employment, and legal issues. The Mental Health Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program (MH RRTP) at the Saint Cloud, Minnesota VA Healthcare System is a program that provides residential treatment for this population. Identifying practical and beneficial treatment methods promotes better coping mechanisms for veterans and impacts social change by providing timely and cost-efficient care for veterans, while also leading the way for overall changes and improvements in other VA residential treatment programs. This study identified how …

The Experiences Of Counseling Graduate Students Who Participated In Professional Legislative Advocacy Training, Nakpangi Thomas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Legislative advocacy efforts are increasingly becoming part of a counselor's professional identity, yet scholarly literature lacks studies about experiences of counseling students involved in legislative advocacy for the counseling profession. The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of the meaning counseling students ascribe to their involvement in legislative advocacy for the counseling profession. Astin's student involvement theory was the conceptual framework utilized to explore the lived experiences of counseling graduate students and recent graduates who participated in a 4-day long American Counseling Association Institute for Leadership Training on legislative advocacy and leadership or in professional legislative advocacy …

Examining Cultural Humility And Intersectionality In Mental Health Treatment, Sandra Y. Herrera-Spinelli

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cultural awareness is an ethical standard in the social work profession and, as the diversity in the United States continues to grow, it is a social work practice problem when cultural awareness is not implemented in mental health settings. The National Association of Social Workers revised the cultural awareness standards to include cultural humility and intersectionality as practice indicators. The purpose of this action research study was to examine how clinical social workers demonstrated cultural humility and intersectionality in mental health settings. Person-centered theory guided this study and a total of 17 clinical social workers in New Mexico participated in …

Primary Care And Behavioral Health Services In A Federally Qualified Health Center, Svetoslav A. Arsov

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Between 2013 and 2016, 8.1% of U.S. adults 20 years and older suffered from depression, but only 29% of them sought help. This project addressed the low depression screening rate in a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) that supported integrated care. The purpose of the project was to evaluate the integration of behavioral health into primary care in an FQHC through the rate of depression screenings. Two theoretical frameworks, the find-organize-clarify-understand-select/plan-do-study-act model and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's framework for program evaluation in public health were combined into a list of questions and data validity tests that were …

Suicide Attempts And Their Contributing Factors Among African American Veterans, Gervline Blaise

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. The rate of suicide attempts among veterans in the United States has increased tremendously since 2001, which has left the Department of Veterans Affairs deeply concerned. The purpose of this study was to examine if there is an association between suicide attempts among African American/Black veterans and mental health support, income level, marital status, education level, and unemployment status. This quantitative study used the socio-ecological model to explain the association of the contributing factors to suicide attempts. Descriptive statistics, chi-square, and logistic regression were used to analyze …

A Meta-Synthesis Of Adolescent Psychological Help-Seeking, Karen Barnes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although adolescents experience psychological difficulty at a rate higher than any other age group, most do not get the support they need. The purpose of this study was to explore perceptions about barriers, facilitating factors, and help-seeking preferences for psychological support among adolescents. This study involved Best, Gil-Rodriguez, Manktelow, and Taylor’s conceptual framework pathways to online help-seeking to help explain adolescents’ perceptions of factors that influence them seeking support as well as identify pathways for support. A qualitative meta-synthesis design was used to synthesize findings of individual qualitative studies into themes around the central phenomenon of adolescent help-seeking. Data were …

Effects Of Pregnancy-Related Depression On Low Birth Weight Infants, Kimberly J. Bauer-Schaub

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Maternal depression during pregnancy can have a negative impact on the developing child. Numerous studies have focused on postpartum depression and the influences on infant outcomes; however, there are limited data on pregnancy-related depression. The problem addressed in this study was the inadequacy and insufficiency of depression screening during the pregnancy period and access to quality-related health services for women. The purpose of this quantitative retrospective study was to test social cognitive theory on low birth weight and prenatal care adherence to pregnancy-related depression in women residing in Colorado. This research measured an association between pregnancy-related depression and both low …

Mental Health Disparities Among Minority Populations, Arrey Irenee Eyongherok

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite the existence of effective treatments, mental health care disparities exist in the availability, accessibility, and quality of services for racial and ethnic minority groups. People living with serious mental complaints often resist engaging in treatments and experience high rates of dropout; poor engagement can lead to worse clinical outcomes. Addressing the complex mental health care needs of racial and ethnic minorities warrants considering evidence-based strategies to help reduce disparities. This systematic review sought to provide an analysis of published literature about the barriers and effective strategies in identifying and treating minority patients with mental health disorders. The practice-focused question …

Perceptions Of Lifestyle As Mental Health Protective Factors Among Midwestern Amish, Gregory Lantz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Amish are commonly known for horse-and-buggies, simple clothing, and refusal to use electricity. Less commonly known is their rate of mental illness, which is significantly lower than the non-Amish population. The literature that points to lower depression and anxiety among the Amish does not adequately explain what elements of their lifestyle contribute to this phenomenon. Depression and anxiety are a widespread problem in the United States, increasing the importance of understanding a lifestyle that can reduce these issues. The purpose of this study was to explore the Amish way of life through the words of its members. The three …

Reducing Antipsychotic Medication Use In Long-Term Care Settings, Martha Ofeibea Agbeli

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The prescription rate of antipsychotics in patients with dementia varies between 20% and 50% for the common and troubling neuropsychiatric symptoms experienced by patients with dementia. The use of these antipsychotic medications has been linked with increased risk of morbidity and mortality due to associated Parkinsonism, over sedation, gait disturbances, cognitive decline, and cardiovascular adverse events. The purpose of this project was to assess whether development of an evidence-based clinical practice guideline (CPG) for a long-term care facility would increase awareness about issues that govern the safe use of antipsychotic medications. The conceptual framework for the project was Watson's model …

Self-Concealment, Perceived Discrimination, And African American Treatment Choices For Major Depression, Danita Morales Ramos

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African Americans have a higher proclivity to depression than other ethnic groups in the United States and also have a greater propensity to avoid seeking professional mental health treatment. The available research has shown that racial and cultural barriers such as perceived discrimination and self-concealment are the primary factors that negatively affect African Americans' attitudes toward mental health itself and mental health treatment. Perceived discrimination and self-concealment may also negatively affect whether African Americans seek help for depression and from whom, but further investigation was needed. The quantitative survey study provided answers to which factors influence whether and where African …

A Constructivist Grounded Theory Study Of Counselors' Preparedness To Counsel Refugees, Shadin Riem Atiyeh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A gap exists in the current literature on the training needs of professional counselors so they can meet the increasing demand for counseling services among refugee populations. The purpose of this constructivist, grounded theory study was to explore the perceptions of professional counselors related to their preparedness to demonstrate multicultural competence when counseling refugees. A constructivist grounded theory approach following Charmaz's principles guided the investigation into perceptions of professional counselors towards counseling with refugee clients. The author conducted a qualitative demographic form, individual interviews, and a focus group with professional counselors who had experience working with refugees. Sample included 21 …

Social Workers' Experiences With Deaf And Hard Of Hearing People With Mental Illness, Makoto Ikegami

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The social work practice problem for this study was a lack of knowledge about social workers' experiences of working with deaf and hard of hearing people with mental illness. This study was needed to fill a practice gap by increasing an understanding of the experiences of social workers to inform best practices and address the needs of deaf and hard of hearing population through culturally and linguistically competent mental health services. The research questions focused on the experiences and challenges of social workers working with deaf and hard of hearing people and best practices identified by these social workers. Ecological …