Psychiatry and Psychology Commons^™

Test–Retest Reliability And Sensitivity Of A Brief Clinical Monitoring Measure For Transgender And Gender Diverse Adults: The Trans Collaborations Clinical Check-In (Tc3), T. Zachary Huit, Natalie R. Holt, Alexander Farquhar-Leicester, Rebecca L. Brock, Richard Mocarski, Nathan Woodruff, Debra Hope

Trans Collaborations Academic Papers

The current study aimed to examine the test–retest reliability and sensitivity of the Trans Collaborations Clinical Check-In (TC³) in a 3-month period with four assessment points at baseline, 1, 2, and 3 months to examine its utility as a clinical progress monitoring measure. This study builds on the initial validation study conducted by Holt et al. (2019). The sample of 32 transgender and gender diverse (TGD) participants were chosen who met screening for at least modest depression and anxiety, and did not have other significant risk factors (e.g., mania, self-harm). Participants completed a battery of measures that assessed …

Bridging The Gap Between Practice Guidelines And The Therapy Room: Community-Derived Practice Adaptations For Psychological Services With Transgender And Gender Diverse Adults In The Central United States, Debra A. Hope, Natalie Holt, Nathan Woodruff, Richard Mocarski, Heather M. Meyer, Jae A. Puckett, Joshua Eyer, Shelley Craig, Jamie Feldman, Jay A. Irwin, John Pachankis, K. J. Rawson, Jae Sevelius, Sim Butler

Trans Collaborations Academic Papers

Individuals who identify as transgender and gender diverse (TGD) are presenting at mental health clinicians’ offices with increasing frequency. Many TGD clients are seeking care related to affirming their gender identity but also may present with anxiety, depression, trauma, substance abuse, or other problems forwhich a clinician may commonly provide services. Some clinicians may hesitate to accept TGD clients into their practice if they have little specialized training to work with this population in an affirming manner, especially in more underserved areas where a generalist practice is the norm. Numerous professional associations and experts have developed guidelines for affirmative behavioral …

Educational Preparedness To Care For Transgender And Gender Diverse Adults: Perspectives Of Mental Health Professionals, Sharon N. Obasi, Robyn E. King, Natalie R. Holt, Richard Mocarski, Debra A. Hope, Nathan Woodruff

Trans Collaborations Academic Papers

Ensuring that mental health professionals are appropriately trained to provide affirming and sensitive care to transgender and gender diverse (TGD) adults is one mechanism that may reduce the marginalization sometimes experienced by TGD adults in mental health contexts. In this study, mental health professionals (n = 142) completed an online survey documenting the sources and types of training received to provide TGD-sensitive care; and, shared a self-assessment of their comfort, competence, and ability to provide TGD-sensitive care. Findings revealed that the majority of the mental health professionals in the study (approximately 81%) received specific training to work with TGD …

Associations Between Adhd And Comorbid Disorders In Adolescents And Adults, Sherri Beatty

Graduate Research Projects

No abstract provided.

An Analysis Of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury And Problematic Alcohol Consumption Amongst Post-9/11 Veterans, Anika Tosh, Christina Sheerin Phd

IRBEH/Spit for Science Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Can It Heal And Hurt?: Survivors Of Sexual Assault Share The Benefits And Challenges Of Sexual Assault Support Group Participation, Brittni Gettys

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Research exploring the relationships among trauma survivors is largely non-existent. This study aimed to explore the effects of relationships among individuals with a shared experience of sexual trauma within the group therapeutic context of sexual assault support groups. This study sought to examine the potential buffering and supportive effects of social support between sexual assault survivors, while also exploring the potential negative effects of shared trauma that may occur from the potentially triggering nature of seeking support from other sexual assault survivors. These complex dynamics were explored through examining the relationships and experiences of sexual assault survivors who have attended …

A Content Analysis Of Reddit Comments Discussing Fibroadenoma Appraisal And Decision Making, Hayley Marie Kay Stahl

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

Though fibroadenomas are clinically benign in most cases, clinical research suggests that these lesions can cause diagnosis-related physical health complications and psychological distress. However, this research is limited and should be investigated further. Thus, this study aimed to explore how patients appraise their fibroadenoma diagnosis uncertainty. Additionally, this study sought to determine if a correlation existed between appraisal and decision making as well as identify the factors that influence the most common treatment decision: removal. Data was retrieved from Reddit discussions for a content analysis. These discussions were then qualitatively analyzed using codebooks associated with this study’s research questions. Findings …

Healing Through Mother Earth, Taylor A. Russell

Dance (MFA) Theses

This thesis deals with mental health, with a focus on Black women. Historically, Black women are often so compromised, being constant caregivers and helping everyone else, that they forget to help themselves, not having the time and financial means to do so. If we go back in the time of slavery, many Black women were taking care of slave owners' children and suckling the white women’s babies instead of their own. By the time they got home and after diligently caring for other people’s children they were focused on their own children, who they had been away from for hours …

Putative Mechanisms Underlying The Antidepressant Actions Of Ketamine: A Review And Study Proposal, Tristan Reece

CMC Senior Theses

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a highly debilitating and common psychiatric disorder that affects over 250 million people globally; it is among the most financially and emotionally burdensome illnesses in the world. Currently approved antidepressants are suboptimal in their efficacy and latency of therapeutic action. In contrast, single administrations of sub-anesthetic ketamine have been shown to rapidly alleviate depressive symptoms within hours, even in treatment-resistant patients. Ketamine is believed to exert these effects by increasing glutamatemediated neurotransmission and promoting rapid neurotrophic factor release, restoring the integrity of neural circuits that are compromised in depression. However, uncertainty surrounding its specific antidepressant …

Mindfulness And Pain Regulation: The Role Of Acceptance And Commitment Therapy For Individuals With Chronic Pain, Ariana C. White

Honors Theses and Capstones

Chronic pain is a significant and widely prevalent health condition which requires comprehensive care to address the many facets contributing to symptomatology. In 2016, 20% of American adults (about 50 million) reported experiencing chronic pain, of which 7.4% indicated that chronic pain frequently limited their life and participation in activities within the past 3 months (CDC, 2018). As a result, many individuals with chronic pain turn to opioid-based medication for pain relief, but long-term use of opioids actually increases pain sensation (Tobin, 2019). Moreover, opioid medication is unable to target underlying mental health components which emerge as part of chronic …

Healing Sanctuary, Kammy Downs

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

The natural world has hidden wisdom and resources that are disregarded as we misuse our responsibility to care for them. The benefits of being in tune with nature have been traded for a culture that manipulates nature on the altar of expediency, waste, and unquenchable desire. Healing Sanctuary presents a duality. My work speaks about the relationship between the seen and unseen, represented by ten larger-than-life drawings of medicinal herbal plants that have had a profound physical healing effect on me. At the same time, plants, roots, and seeds create visceral metaphors for mental health. Our accomplishments, outlook on life, …

Transforming Hurt Boys Into Restored Men: The Lack Of Mental Health Treatment For Black Male Trauma Survivors, Shericka Danielle Smith

DSW Capstone Projects

Trauma affects individuals differently, but the prevalence of trauma and its impact on Black males is detrimental. Black males are at higher risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, substance abuse, and violent crimes when trauma is left untreated by a mental health professional. As the number of traumatic events experienced by Black males continues to rise, the number of these males who seek mental health treatment remains stagnant and painfully low. Many factors play into these behaviors, yet very little data exists on what is being done to change them.

Product one is a systematic literature review in which …

Parental Barriers Toward Seeking Mental Healthcare For Saudi Children At Risk Of Adhd, Amani Kappi

Theses and Dissertations--Nursing

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a mental health disorder commonly diagnosed in childhood. Underdiagnosis and undertreatment of ADHD can lead to the development of other mental illnesses and disruptions in social functioning in adulthood. Therefore, parents can play a crucial role in proactively seeking mental healthcare for children who are at risk for or who have a clear diagnosis of ADHD. Studies in the United Kingdom and the United States highlight many barriers that prevent parents from seeking mental healthcare for their children, such as negative attitudes towards the mental healthcare system and stigma towards mental illnesses.

Cultural differences …

Building Tools For Improved Modulation Of The Human Gabaa Receptor, A Central Nervous System Target For The Treatment Of Anxiety, Garrett Edward Zinck

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

In the U.S., anxiety is recognized as an increasing range of mentally and physically debilitating psychiatric health disorders with significant economic repercussions. Over the last 20 years, several novel anti-anxiety therapies have entered the drug development pipeline, but none have made it to market.

The work in this dissertation focused on structurally modifying valerenic acid (VA), a structurally unique carboxylated sesquiterpene acid found in Valeriana officinalis. VA is putatively reported to have allosteric modulatory activity of the human GABA_A receptor, a ligand-gated ion channel responsible for attenuating neurotransmissions. Structural modeling of VA’s GABA_A receptor interaction suggests that …

Quality Of Life Before And After Cosmetic Surgery: Should Body Dysmorphic Disorder Be Considered An Absolute Or Relative Contraindication For Cosmetic Surgery?, Lindsay Conlisk

Capstone Showcase

Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) has historically been regarded as a strong contraindication for cosmetic plastic surgery. New research now suggests that the contraindications to cosmetic surgery in patients with BDD may not be so absolute. This paper reviews diagnostic criteria, diagnostic challenges, and current standard of treatment of BDD. It then presents the idea of insight analysis in the BDD patient as a significant factor in determining if patients with BDD may or may not benefit from cosmetic surgery or procedures.

The Program To Reduce Implicit Bias In Carroll Hospital Center Using The Implicit Association Test, Katherine E. Traynor

Capstone Showcase

Natural brain processes make all individuals susceptible to unconscious bias; however, stressful, fearful, or anger-evoking situations as well as the negative influence of media and social surroundings increase the risk of holding obstructive bias, and there is a greater risk of being negatively impacted by this phenomenon when belonging to a minority population (Rose & Flores, 2020). As a result, high rates of infant mortality (10.2 deaths per 1,000 live births for the Non-Hispanic Black population compared to 4.1 in the White population) and cardiovascular related diseases (190.0 cases per 1,000 in the Non-Hispanic Black population compared to 161.3 in …

Quality Of Life Before And After Cosmetic Surgery: Should Body Dysmorphic Disorder Be Considered An Absolute Or Relative Contraindication For Cosmetic Surgery?, Lindsay Conlisk

Capstone Showcase

Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) has historically been regarded as a strong contraindication for cosmetic plastic surgery. New research now suggests that the contraindications to cosmetic surgery in patients with BDD may not be so absolute. This paper reviews diagnostic criteria, diagnostic challenges, and current standard of treatment of BDD. It then presents the idea of insight analysis in the BDD patient as a significant factor in determining if patients with BDD may or may not benefit from cosmetic surgery or procedures.

Impact Of Psychosocial, Behavioral And Lifestyle Factors On Subjective Cognitive Complaints And Perceived Quality Of Life In A Large Cohort Of Italian Breast Cancer Patients, Thomas West, Corrado Cavallero, Rita Ceccherini, Silva Foladore, Daniele Generali, Francesco Versace, Bruna Scaggiante

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The impact of psychosocial and behavioral factors on Cancer Related Cognitive Impairment manifestations is still under debate. Study's purpose is to determine the prevalence rate of cancer related cognitive impairment in a cohort of Italian breast cancer patients and to evaluate the implication of specific behavioral factors. For these purposes, a total of 233 women (106 breast cancer patients and 127 age-matched controls without oncological diagnosis) completed a questionnaire investigating cognitive functionality (FACT-Cog v3.0), sociodemographic characteristics, clinical information, psychosocial and behavioral factors (cognitive reserve, sleep quality, dietary habits, physical activity). The results indicated a higher prevalence rate of subjective cognitive …

Interactions Of International Pilots' Stress, Fatigue, Symptoms Of Depression, Anxiety, Common Mental Disorders And Wellbeing, Marion Venus, Martin Grosse Holtforth

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Objective

This study Investigates more dimensions than previous studies simultaneously: pilots’ duty rosters, stress, sleep difficulties, fatigue levels, wellbeing, symptoms of depression, anxiety, and common mental disorders (CMD), and how they are interrelated.

Background

Several scientific studies have confirmed that fatigue can pose a significant risk to flight safety. Other studies reported positive depression screening results for more pilots, compared with the general population.

Method

A cross-sectional online survey was completed by 406 international pilots, who reported their duty rosters of the last two months. Pilots also self-assessed their stress-levels, sleep problems, fatigue, wellbeing, and mental health.

Results

Although pilots …

Auto- Ethnography With A Deep Dive Into Changes Mental Health During The Pandemic And A Look Into The Way The Pandemic Has Shaped Nursing Protocols For Recent Nursing College Graduates, Audrey Shaffer, Sarah Bereznay

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

In this project we completed a deep dive into how the Covid-19 pandemic reshaped our mental health and has affected our preparation for careers as registered nurses through a series of auto- ethnographic narrative journals using scholarly articles to support this idea. By utilizing personal narratives, we analyzed and reflected upon the cognitive and mental changes we experienced throughout this pandemic. We fulfilled this by comprising two personal narratives with inquiries pertaining to each shared narrative by utilizing the common themes of being nursing students and living through a pandemic. Within these personal narratives, we discussed how the pandemic influenced …

Defining Patient-Level Molecular Heterogeneity In Psoriasis Vulgaris Based On Single-Cell Transcriptomics, Yale Liu, Hao Wang, Christopher Cook, Mark A Taylor, Jeffrey P North, Ashley Hailer, Yanhong Shou, Arsil Sadik, Esther Kim, Elizabeth Purdom, Jeffrey B Cheng, Raymond J Cho

Staff and Researcher Publications

Identifying genetic variation underlying human diseases establishes targets for therapeutic development and helps tailor treatments to individual patients. Large-scale transcriptomic profiling has extended the study of such molecular heterogeneity between patients to somatic tissues. However, the lower resolution of bulk RNA profiling, especially in a complex, composite tissue such as the skin, has limited its success. Here we demonstrate approaches to interrogate patient-level molecular variance in a chronic skin inflammatory disease, psoriasis vulgaris, leveraging single-cell RNA-sequencing of CD45+ cells isolated from active lesions. Highly psoriasis-specific transcriptional abnormalities display greater than average inter-individual variance, nominating them as potential sources of clinical …

Social Media Use And Mental Health: An Educational Intervention To Reduce Depression And Anxiety In Adolescents, Natalie Catlett

DNP Projects

Background: Most adolescents spend a great deal of their time using various social media platforms. However, excessive and maladaptive social media use is correlated with worsening symptoms of depression and anxiety among adolescents.

Objective: This project aimed to determine whether an educational intervention could help decrease overall time spent using social media and improve mood and mental health outcomes among adolescents with depression or anxiety disorders.

Methods: This was a quasi-experiment with a pretest and posttest design. An educational intervention about the relationship between social media use and symptoms of depression and anxiety among adolescents and strategies to minimize risk …

The Effect Of Education On The Nida Modified Assist (Nmassist) Tool On Knowledge And Screening For Substance Use Disorder Among Clinicians, Victoria Page Arnold

DNP Projects

Background: Substance use disorder (SUD) is a disparity affecting nearly 24 million individuals in the U.S., nearly 10% of the total population. Oftentimes, the emergency department (ED) is the only medical care this population receives. There is often a lack of screening for SUD in ED’s, therefore referred care may be limited for these individuals. The National Institute on Drug Abuse Modified Assist (NMASSIST) is an evidence-based tool developed to educate and screen for SUD. This tool can be completed in a timely manner and aid in the recommended referral of care for this select population.

Purpose: The purpose of …

Evaluation Of Middle School Teachers Knowledge, Attitudes, And Barriers Pertaining To Adapted Youth Mental Health First Aid For Middle School Students, Lauren Hurley

DNP Projects

Background: An estimated 17.1 million youth have experienced a mental health disorder, more than the number of children with cancer, diabetes, and AIDS combined (National Council for Behavioral Health, 2016). Unfortunately, of those children with a diagnosable condition, only a third receive mental health treatment (National Council for Behavioral Health, 2016). If a child or adolescent’s mental health disorder is left untreated, then unresolved issues may continue to affect them as adults, creating physical and mental health impairments, that could potentially have a negative impact on their futures. Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) is an evidenced-based training program that …

Youtube, Cyberbullying And Covid-19, Ani Shavliashvili

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this research is to uncover how people discuss bullying or cyberbullying experiences via YouTube videos before and after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since people were indoors during the pandemic, individuals took to social media and left comments on YouTube about bullying. Since people could not discuss bullying in-person, it was interesting to see how people shared their views on bullying and cyberbullying via YouTube, as well as how that might have changed after the start of COVID-19. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate how social media platforms like YouTube provide a safe space …

Bolstering The Effectiveness Of Exposure-Response Prevention In The Treatment Of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Using Self-Compassion As An Adjunctive Intervention, Whitney E. Dyer

DSW Capstone Projects

Individuals suffering with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) face many challenges receiving proper diagnostics and evidence-based treatment. Furthermore, Exposure-Response Prevention (ERP), the empirically supported gold standard approach for targeting OCD, presents its own challenges. Examining the influences of ERP treatment reluctance is paramount to bolstering the effectiveness of outcomes and safeguarding participant adherence and ultimate success. This Capstone highlights the overlooking of addressing shame within traditional ERP protocol and posits a practice application model that supports the adjunctive use of self-compassion, a potent antidote for shame, within the use of ERP. As treatment hesitation is an inhibitor to relief for OCD sufferers, …

The Relationship Between Social Media Use And Depression And Anxiety Symptoms During Covid-19, Tene'sha L. Crews, Christina Sheerin

UROP Posters

The rise of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has caused a global surge in exposure to disaster and crisis-related media. Increases in poor mental health outcomes such as anxiety and depression, are associated with increased exposure to such media content (Abbas et al., 2021; Riehm et al., 2020; Zhao & Zhou, 2020). In recent years, social media has become one of the most widely used sources for news; approximately 48% of adult Americans receive their news from social media (Pew Research Center, 2021). During the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increase in social media use due to social distancing and …

Prefrontal Glutamate Neurotransmission In Ptsd: A Novel Approach To Estimate Synaptic Strength In Vivo In Humans, Lynnette A Averill, Lihong Jiang, Prerana Purohit, Anastasia Coppoli, Christopher L Averill, Jeremy Roscoe, Benjamin Kelmendi, Henk M De Feyter, Robin A De Graaf, Ralitza Gueorguieva, Gerard Sanacora, John H Krystal, Douglas L Rothman, Graeme F Mason, Chadi G Abdallah

Staff and Researcher Publications

Background: Trauma and chronic stress are believed to induce and exacerbate psychopathology by disrupting glutamate synaptic strength. However, in vivo in human methods to estimate synaptic strength are limited. In this study, we established a novel putative biomarker of glutamatergic synaptic strength, termed energy-per-cycle (EPC). Then, we used EPC to investigate the role of prefrontal neurotransmission in trauma-related psychopathology.

Methods: Healthy controls (n = 18) and patients with posttraumatic stress (PTSD; n = 16) completed 13C-acetate magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) scans to estimate prefrontal EPC, which is the ratio of neuronal energetic needs per glutamate neurotransmission cycle (VTCA/VCycle).

Results: Patients …

Turning Data Into Better Mental Health: Past, Present, And Future, Nidal Moukaddam, Akane Sano, Ramiro Salas, Zakia Hammal, Ashutosh Sabharwal

Staff and Researcher Publications

In this mini-review, we discuss the fundamentals of using technology in mental health diagnosis and tracking. We highlight those principles using two clinical concepts: (1) cravings and relapse in the context of addictive disorders and (2) anhedonia in the context of depression. This manuscript is useful for both clinicians wanting to understand the scope of technology use in psychiatry and for computer scientists and engineers wishing to assess psychiatric frameworks useful for diagnosis and treatment. The increase in smartphone ownership and internet connectivity, as well as the accelerated development of wearable devices, have made the observation and analysis of human …

Evolution Of Genetic Networks For Human Creativity, I Zwir, C Del-Val, M Hintsanen, K M Cloninger, R Romero-Zaliz, A Mesa, J Arnedo, R Salas, G F Poblete, E Raitoharju, O Raitakari, L Keltikangas-Järvinen, G A De Erausquin, I Tattersall, T Lehtimäki, C R Cloninger

Staff and Researcher Publications

The genetic basis for the emergence of creativity in modern humans remains a mystery despite sequencing the genomes of chimpanzees and Neanderthals, our closest hominid relatives. Data-driven methods allowed us to uncover networks of genes distinguishing the three major systems of modern human personality and adaptability: emotional reactivity, self-control, and self-awareness. Now we have identified which of these genes are present in chimpanzees and Neanderthals. We replicated our findings in separate analyses of three high-coverage genomes of Neanderthals. We found that Neanderthals had nearly the same genes for emotional reactivity as chimpanzees, and they were intermediate between modern humans and …