Psychiatric and Mental Health Commons^™

Clinicians' Perceptions Of Telehealth Services During The Covid-19 Pandemic In Virginia, Johnetta Hill Guishard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The onset of COVID-19 introduced unprecedented changes to how U.S. public health services were delivered. Many public and private agencies faced mandatory closures, social distancing mandates, and rapid transitions to telehealth interventions and treatment. Mental health clinicians witnessed disruptions in continuity of care and an increase in mental health risks overall. Although some studies have been conducted to survey clinicians’ perceptions of the usefulness and ease of use of technology-based interventions, knowledge about mental health clinicians’ experiences and perceptions in Virginia was sparse. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore how mental health clinicians in Virginia described …

Relationship Between Screentime And Depressive Symptoms And Associated Mediators For African American Adolescents In The United States, Brittney Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The prevalence of adolescent depression in the United States is increasing as adolescents’ use of electronic screen devices increases. Some studies have found associations between screentime and adolescent depression, and other researchers have posited that screentime is not intrinsically harmful. High screentime in African American adolescents may place them at risk for worse depressive symptom outcomes, but the relationship between screentime and depressive symptoms for this population is unknown. The three research questions of this study addressed whether there is a relationship between screentime and depressive symptoms in African American adolescents, and whether sleep duration and the frequency of physical …

Barriers, Challenges &Successes Among Human Service Professionals Stigma Reduction Treatment Among People With Mental Illness, Maureen Epps

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, over 9 million people in the United States suffer from a mental illness (MI). Although human service professionals seek the best practices to treat people with MI, people with MI sometimes struggle to seek treatment because of stigma. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore the barriers and challenges of human service professionals who experienced using a stigma reduction treatment on a person with MI. The mental illness stigma framework and Goffman’s stigma theory provided the conceptual framework for the study. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with eight …

Lived Experiences Of Non-Licensed African American Pastors Providing Counseling For Race-Related Mental Health Issues To Their Parishioners, Brian Sutton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

It is important to understand treatment practices of clergy members due to their influence on the treatment seeking behavior for professional counseling services among African American parishioners. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore and describe African American pastors’ experiences of providing counseling for race-related mental health issues to their parishioners. The conceptual framework for this study was critical race theory. The research design included a descriptive phenomenological study with semi structured interviews with five non-licensed pastors and clergy members. The results of data analysis revealed three main themes and nine subthemes related to the participants’ experiences. The …

Social Worker Perspectives Of Working With Aging African Americans With Depressive Disorders, Sherian Waite

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although there is a greater proportion of people living with depressive disorders within the African American older adult population compared to their White counterparts, fewer African Americans are engaging in mental health treatment when compared to the Caucasian community. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences and practices of social workers who are providing mental health care treatment to African American older adult patients (aged 65 and over) living with a depressive disorder. The study was framed using both the health belief model and critical race theory. To address the research questions, a generic qualitative design …

Behavioral Health Leadership Strategies To Increase Telehealth Engagement, Ramona Singletary-Robertson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

One of the challenges brought on by the recent COVID-19 pandemic has been the promotion and use of telehealth services. While recent data from Medicare has depicted an increase in this new service delivery modality (over 4,000%), there has been a stark disparity in the use of telehealth services in lower socioeconomic demographics, such as rural and underrepresented communities, and among Medicare recipients. Equitable, consistent, and optimal service expansion of the telehealth modality requires therapists and leaders of behavioral health organizations to develop and deploy creative tactics to remedy this disparity. In this case study, leaders of Miss Emma's Behavioral …

Generalized Anxiety Disorder Symptoms Stratified By Age In Primary Care, Robin E. Mccoy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Little is known as to the age-related presentation of somatic complaints of those diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder in primary care settings. A retrospective medical records review sought to identify the affective symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) by age as recorded by primary care providers and to test the association of these symptoms by age. Guided by Engle’s (1977) biopsychosocial (BPS) model, a large administrative claim database system was used to derive a sample of 1,336, including 500 patients diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder between 2018 to 2021. Binary logistics regression, one-way ANOVA, chi-square, correlation, and logistical regression with …

Moral Injury Themes Involving Criminal Recklessness Among Adults With Alcohol Use Disorder, Sandra Starch

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Moral injury (MI) can emerge following transgressive acts against one’s deeply held moral beliefs. Its symptomology involves individual psychological, spiritual, behavioral, and social spheres. It has primarily been studied within the military and in a few select civilian populations. This descriptive phenomenological study involved exploring MI themes among adults with alcohol use disorder (AUD) who had engaged in criminally reckless acts. Data collected from semi-structured interviews with eight participants were coded and analyzed, leading to six major themes revealing the symptomology of MI. Responses from study participants supported Festinger’s theory of cognitive dissonance via their descriptions of alcohol abuse cycles …

Impact Of Climate Events, Pollution, And Green Spaces On Mental Health: An Umbrella Review Of Meta-Analyses, Pim Cuijpers, Clara Miguel, Marketa Ciharova, Manasi Kumar, Luke Brander, Pushpam Kumar, Eirini Karyotaki

Brain and Mind Institute

Climate change may affect mental health. We conducted an umbrella review of meta-analyses examining the association between mental health and climate events related to climate change, pollution and green spaces. We searched major bibliographic databases and included meta-analyses with at least five primary studies. Results were summarized narratively. We included 24 meta-analyses on mental health and climate events (n = 13), pollution (n = 11), and green spaces (n = 2) (two meta-analyses provided data on two categories). The quality was suboptimal. According to AMSTAR-2, the overall confidence in the results was high for none of the studies, for three …

Examining The Association Between Covid-19 And Anxiety In College Students With Varying Personality Traits, Ridha Anjum

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The goal of this thesis was to examine the relationship between personality types (i.e., extraversion and neuroticism) and anxiety levels among college students during the height of the pandemic. Specifically, this study examined whether factors contributed to anxiety and whether differences in anxiety scores differed by personality trait. It was hypothesized that individuals who scored high in both extraversion and neuroticism would report an increase in anxiety during the height of COVID-19 pandemic. Neuroticism is linked to emotional responses to a negative event (e.g., such as COVID), which may play a role on anxiety levels. The level of extraversion that …

A Story Of Hope: How A Community Project Is Transforming The Lives Of Filipino Children With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities, Lance Vincent C. Sese, Ma Celina L. Guillermo

Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health Publications

The issue of social inequality became more prevalent during the pandemic and with it, the call for preferential option toward the vulnerable. 1 Not only do we protect them from sickness and death, but we are also called to improve their quality of life. Thus, it is imperative that in this call for inclusivity, we address the gap, one group at a time—for example, children with special needs. The project discussed in this perspective article exemplifies the importance of collaboration in bridging the gap to create a more holistic environment for Filipino children with special needs. This article then serves …

Asian Americans Perceptions Of Mental Health Help-Seeking, Austin Dye

Masters Theses

Mental health has critical importance in the development and functioning of an individual emotionally, psychologically, and socially throughout life. Thus, it is important for an individual to identify mental health issues when experiencing it and seek treatment. However, this understanding appears to differ across cultures and ethnic groups. For instance, Asians in the US have low mental health service utilization. Although researchers have sought to identify the reason, many of these studies are dated, and have not fully explored all the different factors that influence this behavior, nor explored if there are generational differences. In the current study, 102 Asians …

Neural Systems Underlying Rdoc Social Constructs: An Activation Likelihood Estimation Meta-Analysis, Rosario Pintos Lobo, Katherine L. Bottenhorn, Michael C. Riedel, Afra I. Toma, Megan M. Hare, Donisha D. Smith, Alexandra C. Moor, Isis K. Cowan, Javier A. Valdes, Jessica E. Bartley, Taylor Salo, Emily R. Boeving, Brianna Pankey, Matthew T. Sutherland, Erica D. Musser, Angela R. Laird

Psychology Faculty Publications

Neuroscientists have sought to identify the underlying neural systems supporting social processing that allow interaction and communication, forming social relationships, and navigating the social world. Through the use of NIMH’s Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) framework, we evaluated consensus among studies that examined brain activity during social tasks to elucidate regions comprising the “social brain”. We examined convergence across tasks corresponding to the four RDoC social constructs, including Affiliation and Attachment, Social Communication, Perception and Understanding of Self, and Perception and Understanding of Others. We performed a series of coordinate-based meta-analyses using the activation likelihood estimate (ALE) method. Meta-analysis was performed …

African American Women And Social Support Networks To Overcome The Strong Black Woman Schema And Depression, Teia Jelisia D. Clements

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mental illness disorders within the United States are on the rise. Researchers have indicated that African Americans are less likely to seek mental health compared to European Americans. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to understand how social support networks influence African American women between the ages of 25 and 50 in addressing the strong Black woman (SBW) schema and depression. A conceptual framework consisting of the SBW collective theory guided the study. A purposive sample of 16 African American women who use social support networks to address the SBW schema and depression was obtained through flyers posted …

Discipline Without Punishment For African American Male Juveniles: From The Eyes Of A Mental Health Professional, Mia Nichole Lee

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Juvenile rehabilitation and incarceration among African Americans are not equal and up to the standards and recommendations of society. This study focused on identifying the differences between the juvenile rehabilitation and incarceration punishment among African American offenders, with the goal of helping improve the way that the society looks at African Americans. The paper followed qualitative research methodology, which provided social evidence and helped in breaking down information. Data were collected from focus groups, observations, questionnaires, and interviews. The research highlights issues regarding juvenile rehabilitation and incarceration of African Americans, which can encourage change.

Parents’ Perceptions Of The Traits, Characteristics, And Circumstances Of Modern-Day Mass Shooters, Matt Talbot

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is little research on parents’ perceptions about the traits, characteristics, and circumstances ascribed to mass shooters and the sources of information shaping these perceptions. Understanding parents’ beliefs about mass shooters and mass shootings can serve to inform approaches to training and education and recommendations for media reporting on such events. Evidence-based knowledge helps parents become more equipped to serve as early interventionists for those who may be moving along a pathway of violence. Application of Gerbner’s cultivation theory frames the process by which media sources shape perceptions. In this phenomenological qualitative study, semi structured interviews were conducted with 19 …

Thirty-Second Mindful Body Scan Meditation For Bedside Nurses, Shruti Balwalli-Udyawer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Compassion fatigue, or secondary traumatic stress, is a state of physical and mental exhaustion caused by an inability to cope with the everyday environment that reduces the ability of the nurse to provide high-quality health care to a patient. The purpose of this staff education project, guided by Selye’s general adaption syndrome , was a 6-week, 30-second mindfulness exercise program to promote stress reduction for cardiac step-down and medical-surgical nurses. In this quantitative, pre- and posttest study, the Perceived Stress Scale was completed by a sample of 24 nurses who met the inclusion criteria. The practice focused whether educating nurses …

Occupational Burnout Factors Among Correctional Mental Health Providers, Morgan Gruhot

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Burnout rates of correctional employees are higher than employees in the general public. The purpose of this study was to identify how occupational factors impact burnout rates among correctional mental health workers. Grounded in the job-demands theoretical model, this study compared burnout rates among mental health staff within county jails and state prisons. Burnout was measured using the Maslach Burnout Inventory and Occupational factors were measured using the Areas of Work life Survey and Pandemic Experience and Perception Survey. Data was analyzed using IBM SSPS software to address multiple a priori directional research questions. Research questions considered how occupational factors …

Association Between Psychosocial, Obstetric, And Lifestyle Factors And Antenatal Depression, Tomnema Xiong

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Antenatal depression, or depression during pregnancy, is a mental health concern in the United States that impacts mothers and their infants. This study examined the associations between psychosocial, obstetric, lifestyle factors, and antenatal depression. This study was guided by social cognitive theory, specifically the reciprocal determinism construct. Secondary data from the 2007–2018 National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES) were used in this quantitative cross-sectional study. Every participant of the NHANES completed the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 depression screening form. The study sample consisted of 274 women who were pregnant at the time of participating in the NHANES, approximately 28.8% of …

Understanding The Mental Health Of Occupational Therapy Students During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Alisha Sharma, Andrea Tyszka

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the mental health of health professional students across the world. Although there are a growing number of studies regarding the mental health of other health professional students, there are currently limited studies regarding the mental health of entry-level occupational therapy (OT) and occupational therapy assistant (OTA) students in the United States, especially within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this mixed methods survey study was to understand the mental health status of entry-level OT and OTA students in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic in order to better support their mental …

Developing Ecologically Valid Clinical Tools For Persons With Tbi: Understanding The Role And Impact Of Distractions, Deanna Pinnow

Theses and Dissertations--Rehabilitation Sciences

There is a critical need for the development of ecologically valid clinical tools to assess real-life cognitive functioning in persons impacted by traumatic brain injury (TBI). Chronic cognitive impairments that are exacerbated by distractions are one of the core factors contributing to poor home and community re-integration post injury. Simulation-based digital platforms (i.e., virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality) have become potential solutions for eliciting real-world cognitive performance in clinical settings. Yet, there is a paucity of research investigating the role and impact of distractions on cognition. As a result, there is no clear framework of measuring distractions to …

Internalized Homonegativity And The Mental Health Of Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual Individuals: An Integrative Treatment Approach, David Kearby

DSW Capstone Projects

Lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals (LGBI) have a higher rate of mental health disorders than the general population. The mental health disparities experienced by LGBI are positively correlated with higher internalized homonegativity (IH) levels, which impacts their functioning at the unconscious, cognitive, and interpersonal levels. Thus, effective interventions targeting the mental health of LGBI must consider IH's intrapsychic, cognitive, and interpersonal nature. An integrative psychotherapy approach addressing the mental health and IH of LGBI is needed to address the intrapsychic, cognitive, and interpersonal factors at play.

Product one of this capstone is a systematic literature review that identified psychotherapeutic interventions …

Model Legal Processes For Court Ordered Mental Health Treatment - A Modern Approach, Brian D. Shannon

FIU Law Review

The United States Conference of Chief Justices and Conference of State Court Administrators established the National Judicial Task Force to Examine State Courts’ Response to Mental Illness in 2019. As part of its overall efforts, the National Judicial Task Force then partnered with the Equitas Project of Mental Health Colorado to appoint a select workgroup to develop model statutory language for court-ordered mental health treatment, emergency psychiatric intervention, medication over objection, and criminal matters involving persons with mental illness. This Model Legal Processes Workgroup included judges, psychiatrists, medical school professors, law professors, and others whose goal was to draft model …

Emergency Department Safety With Psychiatric Unit, Mallorie Stiner, Sofia Splendore

Nursing | Student Research Posters

Background: Safety in the emergency department is of the highest priority with patient care for ED staff and psychiatric patients. Psychiatric patients are unpredictable and can have violent outbursts, especially in a mental health episode or under the influence of drugs and or alcohol. Research on psychiatric units in the emergency department has primarily focused on minimizing patient wait times, however, there is a lack of research on patient and staff safety. Objective: This thesis investigates the impact of incorporating a psychiatric unit staffed by mental health professionals and patient safety within the emergency department. Methods: This thesis will include …

The Experiences Of Transgender And Gender Diverse Individuals Seeking Mental Health Treatment, Brice T. Marks

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Transgender and Gender Diverse (TGD) individuals are underserved in communities despite experiencing disproportionately higher rates of mental health distress. The cisheteronomativity of society creates chronic stressors that impact the mental health outcomes of TGD individuals. TGD individuals face the highest rates of discrimination in healthcare settings. Yet, little is known about the population's specific experiences seeking mental health care. Using a phenomenological approach, this study interviewed eight TGD individuals to understand the experience of seeking mental health care. There were six themes: facilitation of seeking behaviors, barriers, type of care, characteristics of providers, identity disclosure, and burden of advocacy and …

Screening For Depression In Immigrants In Their Host Country, Hortense Bissila

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe initial need for care for depression is greater for immigrants, who encounter linguistic, cultural, structural, and attitudinal hurdles to mental health care that render them more susceptible to increased levels of depressive symptoms compared to populations of hosting country. The aim of this Doctor of Nursing Practice project was to educate frontliners in the community on how to assess for depression in immigrants in culturally congruent ways. This project addresses gap in mental health care practice that needs urgent redress in promoting self-cultural competence and raising awareness to assess for depression on immigrants. To meet the aims of the …

Evidence-Based Suicide Assessment And Managment Training For Mental Health Professionals, Clara Abit

DNP Scholarly Projects

Background: Suicide is a significant public health concern both nationally and globally. While the suicide rate has been decreasing in recent years, evidence shows that the rate of suicide among teenagers and adolescents has been on the rise. Teenage suicide accounts for 14% of all deaths by suicide in the United States, calling for effective interventions in various settings. However, inadequate knowledge of the potential signs and risk factors of suicide hinders mental healthcare professionals' ability to recognize at-risk patients.

Purpose: The project's objective was to evaluate the effects of the intervention on mental health workers' knowledge, skills, and screening …

The Role Of Parental Military Status And Educational Attainment On Mental Health Service Usage Among Children And Adolescents, Cierra Jones Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A lack of mental health services for children and adolescents has been linked to significant health problems in adulthood. Researchers have investigated factors that influence usage of mental health services among children and adolescence, but significant gaps persist regarding use of mental health service among military-connected youth. This quantitative study was conducted to examine if parental military status and parental education affected the usage of mental health services among children and adolescents ages 3–17 in the United States. Multivariable logistic regression was used to analyze secondary data from the combined 2019–2020 National Survey of Children’s Health. After adjusting for income, …

Challenges In Discharge Planning For Adults Transitioning From An Inpatient Psychiatric Level Of Care Experiencing Homelessness, Deanna` R. Mccaskill

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mental illness and the homeless population are a growing concern in the United States. Homeless individuals utilize emergency rooms and acute inpatient stays more than those with housing. Social workers play a vital role in discharge planning, starting on the first day of admission. This action research study explored the challenges of social workers developing discharge plans for adults transitioning from an inpatient psychiatric level of care experiencing homeless. The theoretical framework implemented in this study was systems theory. Data were collected from 12 purposively selected master’s level social workers in the format of individual and focus group interviews. Eight …

Association Between Psychosocial, Obstetric, And Lifestyle Factors And Antenatal Depression, Tomnema Xiong

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Antenatal depression, or depression during pregnancy, is a mental health concern in the United States that impacts mothers and their infants. This study examined the associations between psychosocial, obstetric, lifestyle factors, and antenatal depression. This study was guided by social cognitive theory, specifically the reciprocal determinism construct. Secondary data from the 2007–2018 National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES) were used in this quantitative cross-sectional study. Every participant of the NHANES completed the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 depression screening form. The study sample consisted of 274 women who were pregnant at the time of participating in the NHANES, approximately 28.8% of …