Psychiatric and Mental Health Commons^™

U.S. Health Professionals' Perspectives On Orthorexia Nervosa : Clinical Utility, Measurement And Diagnosis, And Perceived Influence Of Sociocultural Factors, Christina Sanzari

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Purpose: The current study aimed to investigate United States (U.S.) health professionals’ perspectives on if and how Orthorexia nervosa (ON) should be classified, replicating and expanding upon a previous study in a U.S. sample. Method: Participants (n=100) were U.S. health professionals with experience working clinically with eating disorders, including trainees, Ph.D. psychologists, social workers and master’s level clinicians, and medical health professionals. After reviewing the proposed ON criteria, participants responded to questions regarding the clinical utility of ON, diagnosis and measurement of the proposed condition, and sociocultural influence on the emergence of ON. Views of ON as a useful diagnostic …

Local Broadcast Reporters Maintaining Social Responsibility And Mental Health While Serving A Community Under Lockdown, Mary-Morgan Ellis

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study looks at local broadcast news reporters working in Northwest Arkansas before, at the start, and during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Research for this study includes a content study of the tweets and Twitter accounts of eleven local reporters. This study considers the social responsibility theory and examines how these eleven local reporters use the theory in their everyday work. Research found, though these reporters don’t credit the theory by name, they are still putting its guidelines into effect as a sort of moral compass when creating objective and representative news for their communities. The research also found that …

Associations Between Postpartum Depression And Child Overweight And Obesity: Mediating Effect Of Maternal Feeding Behaviors And Beliefs, Michelle Harrison

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Purpose. Postpartum depression (PPD) is a mental condition that significantly affects 10% to 25% of women within the first year after the birth of their child. The mother-infant relationship is key to child growth. Previous studies have shown that PPD has a detrimental effect on children’s physical and psychological well-being as it affects the child through the mother’s parenting behavior. Depressed mothers show a lack of engagement with their children, which could extend to feeding practices influencing weight gain. The prevalence and severity of childhood overweight and obesity is a global public health problem. An increase in weight gain in …

Memory Reconsolidation: The Common Mechanism In Successful Treatment Of Trauma?, Gregory P. Brown

Psychiatry & Behavioral Health Faculty Research

Ubiquitous phenomenon in biological creatures which have memory or can learn, from mollusks to rats to humans. Some Affected Learning Types: procedural and motor skill memory, operant conditioning, declarative memory, episodic memory, classical fear conditioning, memory for cue-triggered heroin cravings. So what is it?

Memory Consolidation:

- the process of “synaptic consolidation”

- a memory or learning is initially unstable, but over time or repetition becomes stable in long term memory

- example is Classical Conditioning

“My Attitude On Telehealth Has Completely Changed.”: Facilitators And Barriers To Implementing Technology For Care Delivery In Community Mental Health Centers, Suzanne Meller, Justin Tauscher, Dror Ben-Zeev

Journal of Technology in Counselor Education and Supervision

The purpose of this study was to explore facilitators and barriers aiding community mental health centers in implementing technology-assisted care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Six key informants were interviewed and 28 clinicians were surveyed from three community mental health centers. Interviews focused on technology-assisted care implementation efforts and factors that facilitated adoption. Surveys focused on clinician beliefs and experience with technology-assisted care in addition to training needs. Barriers to technology-assisted care implementation included beliefs about the quality of virtual services and a lack of technology access. An increase in service utilization was reported. Technology-assisted care facilitators included reimbursement policy changes …

Evaluating Burnout, Secondary Traumatic Stress, And Sleep Disturbances In Healthcare Professionals During A Global Pandemic, Laura K. Miller, Sarah Pehlke

Journal of Wellness

Introduction: For healthcare workers, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in increased workload, work related stress and patient acuity potentially leading to burnout, secondary traumatic stress (STS), and sleep disruptions. This study aims to assess the prevalence of burnout and STS symptoms, as well as sleep disturbances among healthcare personnel working in the United States during the pandemic.

Methods: Healthcare workers from all disciplines and settings in the United States completed a cross-sectional survey about work and personal characteristics from January 20-March 1, 2021. Participants reported on symptoms of burnout, STS, and sleep disruptions.

Results: A total of 360 participants in the …

Impact Of Biosecurity Measures, Social Pressure And Bullying On Attitudes, Perceptions, And Job Satisfaction Levels Among Healthcare Workers During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Survey, Azza Sarfraz, Zouina Sarfraz, Genesis Camacho-Leon, Geovanny Efraín Alvarado-Villa, Derly Madeleiny Andrade-Molina, Juan Carlos Fernandez-Cadena, Arjola Agolli, Zeynep Yukselen, Miguel Felix, Juan Carlos Gallardo Bastidas

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Introduction: The extent and nature of social pressure and bullying towards healthcare workers (HCWs) during the COVID-19 remains unclear. The following study identifies the effect of social pressure and bullying directed towards HCWs when using biosecurity measures during the COVID-19 pandemic; further, the impact on perceptions, attitudes and job satisfaction level is also explored.
Methodology: We conducted a cross-sectional survey-based study among 684 Ecuadorian HCWs. The survey consisted of 38 questions related to the frequency, attitudes, and perceptions of biosecurity measures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Exploratory factor analysis was performed to assess the validity of the questionnaire. Associations between variables …

Remote Work: Job Satisfaction And Healthy Work Boundaries, Carlee Thesier

University Honors Program

This paper addresses mass remote work as a growing organizational structure. COVID-19 initiated the movement for organizations to have employees work from home, and as workplaces are beginning to reopen, remote work is continuing to grow. The remote work presents many challenges that organizations were not prepared to address when initially moving online. While these challenges are being addressed and evaluated, organizations are not standardized in the structure of remote work and are continuing to perfect the method. This paper analyzes how mental health, job satisfaction, and long-term effects of continued mass remote work. The process of mass remote work …

The Impact Of Service Dogs On Objective And Perceived Sleep Quality For Veterans With Ptsd, Madhuri Vempati, Elise A. Miller, Sarah C. Leighton, Leanne O. Nieforth, Marguerite O’Haire

Discovery Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Research Internship

One in four post-9/11 veterans (Fulton et al., 2015) have been diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), facing sleep disruptions as one of their most common symptoms. Service dogs have become an increasingly popular complementary intervention and anecdotes suggest they may impact sleep for veterans with PTSD. There is a need for empirical investigation into these claims through measurement and analysis of sleep quality.

The purpose of this study was to longitudinally investigate the impact of service dogs on sleep quality through both objective and subjective measures.

Participants in the treatment group (n=92) received a service dog after baseline, while …

The Effect Of Transfer Of Care Protocol On The Rehospitalization Rates In Psychiatric Patients, Fernando Guillen Msn, Cnp, Pmhnp-Bc

Student Scholarly Projects

Practice Problem: The problem involved the transition of psychiatric care from long psychiatric hospitalizations to community-based psychiatric treatment which has developed into shorter inpatient psychiatric hospitalizations, which in turn has developed into a significantly higher number of individuals being readmitted within one year of inpatient discharge.

PICOT: In adult patients undergoing inpatient acute psychiatric care (P), how does the use of a transfer of care protocol (I), compared to current transfer of care practice (C), affect the rate of readmission within 30 days for inpatient acute psychiatric care (O), in 10 weeks?

Evidence: The evidence from an extensive literature review …

The Impact Of Covid-19 On The Psychological Well-Being Of Surgeons In Pakistan: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study, Sana Zeeshan, Mehdia Rajab Ali, Rehan N. Khan, Asad R. Allana, Nida Zahid, Muhammad Kazim Najjad, Arslan A. Abro, Muhammad Ali Nadeem, Zeeshan Mughal, Irshad Ahmed

Section of General Surgery

Introduction The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic left a profound and pervasive impact on the healthcare infrastructure on a global scale. Since its onset, the pattern of reported cases and its associated mortality had shown variability with intermittent peaks causing a significant effect on the psychological well-being of the surgeons of Pakistan. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental well-being of surgeons in Pakistan. Methods This multicenter cross-sectional study was carried out to assess the impact of COVID-19 on the psychological well-being of surgeons in Pakistan. The …

Virtual Behavioral Health Treatment Satisfaction And Outcomes Across Time, Mindy R. Waite, Sara Diab, James Adefisoye

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic continues to have major and long-lasting impacts on health care delivery and mental health. As health care shifted to telehealth, legislation was adjusted to expand telehealth allowances, creating a unique opportunity to elucidate outcomes. The aim of this study was to assess long-term patient and clinician satisfaction and outcomes with virtual behavioral health.

Methods: Data were obtained over 16 months from surveys to patients and clinicians receiving/providing virtual treatment. Outcomes data also were collected from medical records of adults receiving in-person and virtual behavioral health treatment. Data were summarized using descriptive statistics. Groups were compared using …

Family  Caregivers  Identify  Their Needs From The Inpatient Team  During A Loved One’S Inpatient Psychiatric Hospitalization, Elizabeth M. Oakleaf, Lillian J. Shields

Journal of Maine Medical Center

Introduction: According to existing literature, family-caregiver needs during a loved one’s inpatient psychiatric hospitalization are not fully understood or addressed in practice. We aimed to identify specific, practical family caregiver needs from the inpatient team during a loved one’s psychiatric hospitalization.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were designed and tested through a phenomenological analytical approach. Interviews were conducted with family caregivers (n = 16, one caregiver per loved one) who participated in caring for a loved one (age 18-30 years) during an inpatient psychiatric hospitalization.

Results: Four main themes arose: the need to be listened to and collaborated with regarding treatment planning, …

The Lived Experience Of Postpartum Anxiety During Covid-19: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study, Walker Ladd Phd, Jenny De Decker

The Qualitative Report

The experience of pregnancy and postpartum anxiety disorders results in adverse birth outcomes and the disrupted development of infants and children. Since the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has designated pregnant and postpartum women as more vulnerable to COVID-19 (CDC, 2021), and perinatal mood and anxiety disorders rates have increased. However, research regarding the lived experience of women with postpartum anxiety (PPA) during a global pandemic remains lacking. Using van Manen’s hermeneutic phenomenological research method, we interviewed eight women self-identifying as having had PPA during the COVID-19 pandemic. Analysis revealed five themes describing the lived …

Visualizing Depressive Symptom Improvement: Implementing The 17-Item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, Briana Raterman

Dissertations

Visualizing Depressive Symptom Improvement: Implementing the 17-Item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale

Abstract

Problem

Depression, a mental health diagnosis, has affected about 18.5% of adults (Villarroel & Terlizzi, 2020). Ketamine, a medication initially used as an anesthetic, has improved depressive symptoms in individuals struggling with treatment-resistant depression.

Method

This quality improvement (QI) project used the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale questionnaire to assess depressive symptom changes in patients receiving intramuscular ketamine for treatment-resistant depression. The questionnaire was administered to patients pre-and post-intramuscular ketamine administration. The data was collected on injections one, three, and six on each participant’s set schedule of injections …

An Evaluation Of Mindstrong™ Implementation With Graduate Nursing Students, Angela B. Sabblut

Dissertations

Problem: Nursing graduate students are at increased risk of greater stress, anxiety, and depression (Hoying, 2020; Melnyk et al., 2020). Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is the gold standard in the treatment of anxiety and depression (Hoying et al., 2020; Melnyk et al., 2015; Melnyk et al., 2020). MINDSTRONG™, a CBT-based training program, has been proven in many studies to be effective in helping individuals prevent or cope with these issues (The Ohio State University College of Nursing, 2020).

Methods: This Quality Improvement (QI) project was a descriptive-observational, pre-post design. Sample and setting were nursing graduate students from a Midwestern, middle-sized urban, …

No Mental Illness Impact On Post-Aortic Valve Replacement Patients’ New-Onset Atrial Fibrillation, Natalie Kolba, Julia Dokko, Samantha Novotny, Sohaib Agha, Ashutosh Yaligar, Puja Parikh, Aurora Pryor, Henry Tannous, Laurie Shroyer, Thomas Bilfinger

Department of Surgery Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Nursing Anxiety Self-Evaluation And Resiliency Methods, Dianne Deck

Dissertations

Abstract

Introduction: Nurses are stressed due to the demands of their job. This study aims to determine whether MICU nurses at a large Midwestern hospital would have reduced stress and anxiety after a 30-day meditation and exercise intervention.

Design and Methods: A quasi-experimental pre-post pilot study design was adopted. The convenience sample consisted of eight Medicine Intensive Care Unit (MICU) nurses in a large Midwestern urban tertiary medical center. Data collected included demographics, pre- post-Beck Anxiety Inventory Scale (BAIS), pre- and post-Single Item Stress Scale (SISS), and weekly diaries on exercise and meditation.

Results: The pre- post-SISS showed statistical significance …

Improving Saint Louis University Mental Status (Slums) Exam Adherence, Kelsie Patek

Dissertations

Problem: Mild Neurocognitive Disorder (MNCD) and dementia remain one of the most common debilitating problems facing the elderly. The Saint Louis University Mental Status (SLUMS) Exam is a screening questionnaire to assess for MNCD or dementia. With the utilization of the SLUMS, clinicians can detect cognitive impairment and provide early intervention resulting in improved function and delayed progression of illness. The aim of this project was to increase the rate of SLUMS completion by at least 75% at a long-term care facility in a rural Midwestern state and to assess changes in diagnoses and treatment plans resulting from use of …

Comparison Of Unmet Health Care Needs In Children With Intellectual Disability, Autism Spectrum Disorder And Both Disorders Combined, K. Haller, Adrienne Stolfi, John Duby

Medical Education Faculty Publications

Background: The purpose of this study was to assess the unmet health care needs of children with intellectual disability (ID) compared with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and whether access to health insurance coverage is a contributing factor. Children with ID may be masked in the health care system due to increased diagnosis and awareness of ASD. The needs, unmet needs and insurance coverage of children with ID alone, ASD alone, and co-occurring ID and ASD were assessed in this study.

Methods: The 2016 to 2019 United States' Census Bureau National Survey of Children's Health was used to determine …

Association Between Suicide Rate And Human Development Index, Income, And The Political System In 46 Muslim-Majority Countries: An Ecological Study, S. M. Yasir Arafat, Marthoenis Marthoenis, Murad Khan, Mohsen Rezaeian

Brain and Mind Institute

Very little has been researched assessing the relationship between the suicide rate and the ecological perspectives of the country, especially in the Muslim majority countries. We aimed to determine the association between suicide rate and the ecological parameters of 46 Muslim majority countries. We extracted the Muslim majority countries and their suicide rate, income distribution, distribution of the WHO region and continents, and Human Development Index (HDI). We assessed the correlation of the proportion of Muslim populations, the total population of the countries, number of suicides, continent, income group, political system, and HDI score with the suicide rate. The median …

Respiratory Effects Of Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone And Its Analogue Taltirelin On Opioid-Induced Respiratory Depression, Marijke H Algera, Joseph F Cotten, Monique Van Velzen, Marieke Niesters, Martijn Boon, Daniel S Shoham, Kaye E Dandrea, Rutger Van Der Schrier, Albert Dahan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Solution Focused Brief Therapy And Vicarious Resilience In Bolivian Protective Family Services Workers, Marcos Pérez Lamadrid, Adam S. Froerer

Journal of Solution Focused Practices

Vicarious resilience (VR) is defined as the positive effects caregivers experience within their personal lives, their work lives, and within their worldview as a whole, that come from witnessing the resilience that clients demonstrate in facing their traumatic experiences. This research study is a quasi-experimental pilot study about how solution focused brief therapy (SFBT) influences the vicarious resilience of family protective system (SLIM) workers in Bolivia. The Vicarious Resilience Inventory (VRI) was administered in a pretest/posttest design for an experimental group (applying SFBT) and a control group (training as usual). Both groups experienced an increase in vicarious resilience, but the …

Gender Dysphoria Versus Acute Psychosis: Can One Properly Diagnose Gender Dysphoria Solely During Acute Psychosis?, Kristy A. Fisher, Samantha Scemla, Clara L. Alvarez Villalba, Jessica Kroin

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Gender dysphoria occurs when a discrepancy between one’s sex assigned at birth and one’s gender identity causes distress or impairment in function, which can lead ultimately to seeking treatment in the forms of psychotherapy, hormonal therapy, and/or gender-affirming surgery. Clinical care guidelines also recommend pharmacological treatment of psychiatric comorbidities if indicated. A review of the current literature demonstrates comorbidity between gender dysphoria and psychosis, including cases of gender dysphoria with schizophrenia and the occurrence of gender dysphoria symptoms during manic or psychotic episodes. The existing literature has yet to specifically examine gender dysphoria amongst individuals with schizoaffective disorder. The authors …

Through The Cracks: The Disposition Of Patients With Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders In The Post-Asylum Era, Briana Tillman, Erin Smith, Alicia Cho, Colt Kennington, Alexandra Kreis

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

This paper aims to explore current disposition options for patients with psychosis in light of shifts toward community care and changes in mental healthcare funding in the post-asylum era and to propose systemic-level improvements based upon local successes. It evaluates critiques of long-term psychiatric care programs, claims of transinstitutionalization to incarceration, shelters, and emergency rooms, and programs initiated to address deinstitutionalization. The authors conclude that while Assertive Community Treatment, Partial Hospitalization Programs, intermediate-level care, and housing interventions can improve outcomes for many persons with psychotic illness, a significant portion of these patients would still be best served in long-term psychiatric …

The Integration Of Positive Psychology And Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports To Improve Minoritized Students' Social, Emotional, And Behavioral Outcomes, Jasmine L. Gray

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of a culturally adapted 9-session group positive psychology intervention with and without an added peer reporting intervention on student levels of social, emotional, and behavioral functioning. Many studies have evaluated either school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports (SWPBIS) or positive psychology interventions (PPIs) in isolation, but very few studies have examined the extent to which combining these interventions and approaches may promote complete mental health. The Well-Being Promotion Program is a multitarget positive psychology intervention that has been evaluated in both elementary and middle school populations (Roth et al., 2017; Lenz et al., …

Using Mhealth To Improve Adherence And Reduce Blood Pressure In Individuals With Hypertension And Bipolar Disorder (Itab-Cv): Study Protocol For A 2-Stage Randomized Clinical Trial, Jennifer B. Levin, Farren Briggs, Mahboob Rahman, Kurt C. Stange, Douglas Einstadter, Celeste Weise, Carla Conroy, Joy Yala, Ethan Radatz, Martha Sajatovic

Faculty Scholarship

Background: Cardiovascular disease in individuals with mental health conditions such as bipolar disorder is highly prevalent and often poorly managed. Individuals with bipolar disorder face significant medication adherence barriers, especially when they are prescribed multiple medications for other health conditions including hypertension. Poor adherence puts them at a disproportionate risk for poor health outcomes. As such, there is a need for effective interventions to improve hypertension medication adherence, particularly in patients that struggle with adherence due to mental health comorbidity. Methods: This 5-year project uses a 2-stage randomized controlled trial design to evaluate a brief, practical adherence intervention delivered via …

Promoting Subjective Well-Being In Middle School: Role Of Internalizing And Externalizing Behaviors In A Targeted Positive Psychology Intervention, Letty Langton Dileo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In a dual-factor model, complete mental health entails average-to-high subjective well-being (SWB, happiness) and few internalizing and externalizing behaviors (IEB, mental illness). Although positive psychology interventions (PPIs) have been shown to increase middle school students’ SWB, more research is needed to understand how baseline IEB influences post-intervention outcomes. The current study examined the effect of baseline IEB on SWB outcomes for 122 middle school students who participated in the Well-Being Promotion Program (WBPP). The WBPP is a 10-week, small group, school-based PPI for students with low SWB, as identified from universal screening of life satisfaction. The dataset analyzed is part …

Phq-2 Scores In Broward County’S Homeless: Prevalence, Barriers, And Proposed Solutions To Mental Health Disparities, Jeena A. Kar, Reeja Raj, Ariba Hashmi, Tahia Hossain, Joshua Berko, Joseph S. Degaetano, Patrick Hardigan

Cooper Rowan Medical Journal

Introduction: Florida ranks 9th in states with highest prevalence of mental illness among homeless individuals. The state also ranks 43rd of 52 states in providing adequate access for mental health concerns in homeless individuals. This study surveyed people experiencing homelessness in Broward County to investigate utilization of healthcare and mental health resources and accessibility of the target population to adequate care.. Aims included a collection of demographics concerning homelessness such as age and gender, prevalence of mental illness, history of substance use and emergency department, and then correlating these with scores from a standardized depression rating scale (PHQ-2). Methods: The …

A Review On Psychosocial Distress Among General Population Of Pakistan During Covid-19 Pandemic, Anosh Arshad Chaudhary, Iqra Arooj, Amina Elahi

Journal of Bioresource Management

The COVID-19 crisis in 2019 significantly impacted human life all over the globe. Psychological health of general population has been affected by the unpredictable circumstances and impulsion of living in isolation, if suspected positive for coronavirus. During COVID-19 outbreak, escalation of various types of psychosocial distresses such as anxiety, sleep disorders and depression has been observed in the general population globally. Thus, there is an urgent need to combat these issues through well planned strategies. The focus of this review is to conduct a thorough evaluation of the available research on the effects of COVID-19 pandemic on the mental status …