Psychiatry and Psychology Commons^™

The Lived Experience Of Second Victim Crnas, Michael Neft

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A second victim is a health care provider who has been involved in a critical event. A

critical event is a clinical situation in which an unforeseen clinical outcome occurs, or

the clinical deterioration of the patient takes place for many different reasons. The

patient and his/her family are the first victims. The health care provider(s) involved in

the event are second victims. After such an event, the healthcare provider may

experience a constellation of negative emotions, such as guilt, sadness, depression,

somatic symptoms, hypervigilance, and fear. Most second victims require support to

cope with the adverse clinical situation. Second …

A Life Lived With Schizophrenia: When Mother’S Love Is Kept In The Dark Exploring Maternal Communication And Attachment Organization In Families With Schizophrenia, Myrsini Stefanidou Marini

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, research into the transgenerational transmission of attachment styles has shown that a mother’sattachment style often predicts the attachment style of her infant. Fearsome parental behavior has been found to predict disorganized attachment in infants, which is further associated with a range of mental health disturbances in adolescence. Furthermore, regular patterns of disturbed communication between mother and child have also been found to lead to ‘schizophrenic’ thinking and behavior in the child’s life. While acknowledging that genetic and other biological factors contribute to the emergence of schizophrenia, this study focused on disorganized attachment and disturbed communication between mother …

Delivery Of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy In A Telehealth Format: Reducing Disruptive Behaviors In Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury, Emily D. Pogue

Dissertations, 2020-current

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) in childhood have been associated with disruptive behaviors and attentional problems that may worsen over time and are often experienced as challenging for those in caregiving roles. Parents of children with TBI may evoke negative interactions to manage their child’s behavior through reliance on ineffective parenting practices. This results in increasingly maladaptive parent-child interactions that maintain or worsen problem behaviors of the child and further disrupt family functioning. Despite the importance of family functioning on child post-injury outcomes, the availability of family-based treatments for children with TBI is extremely limited. Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is an …

A Review Of Dietary Monitoring Applications And Eating Disorder/Disordered Eating Symptomatology, Donald Mellott Jr.

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Eating disorders are among the deadliest mental illnesses in the United States. Given their high prevalence and low treatment rates, mitigating risk exposure is necessary for prevention. Dietary monitoring applications are highly popular self-monitoring tools that can inform dietary patterns and improve weight loss efficacy. However, they can also serve as a means for those with body preoccupation to restrict and possibly exacerbate disordered symptomatology. A literature search was conducted to identify research regarding the usage of dietary monitoring applications and eating disorder/disordered eating symptomatology. Twelve articles met inclusion criteria and are discussed in the review. An association between the …

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

Honors Projects in Applied Psychology

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

Comorbidity Burden And Covid-19 Vaccination Intention: Application Of The Health Belief Model, Michael Raymond

Honors Theses

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted many aspects of American’s lives causing over 79 million cases and over 950,000 deaths. Existing research shows severity of COVID-19 infection may be linked to number of underlying health conditions, known as comorbidities. The objective of this study was to determine if comorbidity burden was associated with intention to vaccinate against COVID-19. This relationship was looked at through the Health Belief Model (HBM) and its mediating variables of perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, and perceived barriers. Our sample was compromised of 350 individuals recruited from an online platform who were not already vaccinated against COVID-19. …

Stability And Flexibility In Psychotherapy Process Predict Outcome, Giulio De Felice, Alessandro Giuliani, David Pincus, Andrea Scozzari, Vincent Berardi, Leonhard Kratzer, Wolfgang Aichhorn, Helmut J. Schöller, Kathrin Viol, Günter Schiepek

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Ten good outcome and ten poor outcome psychotherapy cases were compared to investigate whether or not the temporal stability and flexibility of their process variables can predict their outcomes. Each participant was monitored daily using the Therapy Process Questionnaire (TPQ), which has 43 items and seven sub-scales, and responses over time were analyzed in terms of correlation robustness and correlation variability across the TPQ sub-scales. “Correlation robustness” and “correlation variability” are two basic characteristics of any correlation matrix: the first is calculated as the sum of the absolute values of Pearson correlation coefficients, the second as the standard deviation of …

Effects Of Music Exposure On Autobiographical Memory In Alzheimer's Patients: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Gregory Vance

Honors Theses

The progression of Alzheimer’s disease is primarily characterized by a loss of memory concerning past events, as well as a lack in ability to create new memories. While this spans across many subsets of memory, such as recognition, recall, and autobiographical memory, there seems to be a lesser impact on musical memory in those with Alzheimer’s. Multiple studies have suggested that exposure to music and introduction of music therapy can even improve other aspects of memory in Alzheimer’s patients. This systematic review and meta-analysis sought to examine the relationship between music exposure and autobiographical memory specifically. A pool of electronic …

The Role Of Calprotectin In T-Lymphocyte Driven Inflammation In A Mouse Model Of Psychological Trauma, Cassandra Moshfegh

Theses & Dissertations

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating psychological disorder that affects nearly 45 million Americans. This mental disorder is characterized by behavioral symptoms such as learned helplessness, hyperarousal, withdrawal, and flashbacks. The deleterious effects of PTSD are far-reaching and go beyond behavioral dysfunction, as these individuals are at a three-fold higher risk of comorbid inflammatory diseases. Autonomic, metabolic, and cardiovascular diseases plague these individuals later in their lifetime, however, the mechanistic link connecting psychological trauma to this systemic peripheral immunological dysfunction remains elusive. T-lymphocyte-induced inflammation plays a significant role in all these disease pathologies. Previous work from our laboratory demonstrated …

Effects Of Waterborne Benzo[A]Pyrene Embryonic Exposure On Development, Behavior, Reproduction, And Mitochondrial Bioenergetics In Zebrafish, Megha Patel

Honors Theses

Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) that is a known carcinogen leading to adverse effects in the development of both humans and animals. BaP is also continuously present in the environment leading to regular exposure via inhalation or ingestion. Because organisms’ early life stages can be more susceptible to contaminant exposure, our focus was on BaP’s adverse impacts on survival, length, weight, behavior, bioenergetic state, and fecundity following developmental exposures. To study BaP’s impacts, zebrafish (Danio rerio) were used as a model organism. BaP is a ligand for the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR in humans; Ahr in …

Implementation Of Routine Screening With Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (Phq-9) Of Adults With Crohn’S Disease, Jo A. Muller-Krause

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Introduction: Mild levels of depression have been measured with screening tools at rates of 15-24% in adults with Crohn’s disease (CD). The spectrum of the impact of depressive symptoms is measurable and documented for those with CD. Patient perspectives support the integration of psychological care, and the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9) is a well validated tool for the measurement of depressive symptoms.

Purpose: Increase depression screening of adult CD patients in the outpatient gastroenterology clinic and evaluate the provider perspectives regarding PHQ-9, depression, and CD.

Conceptual Framework: The Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence Based Practice (JHNEBP) Model was selected as …

Reflective Journaling Intervention To Impact Self-Awareness, Professional Health, And Overall Well-Being In Nurses, Brittany M. Langan, Katherine Keppen

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects: College of Nursing

Background. Burnout among nurses has been on the rise and was exacerbated with the pandemic. Reflective journaling after work may be a strategy to decrease feelings of burnout. Reflective journaling, as an intervention, has been shown to improve self-awareness, compassion fatigue, and burnout among nurses. The purpose of this study was to pilot a 4-week reflective journaling intervention in hospital-based nurses and describe participant professional quality of life, self-awareness, and overall well-being.

Theoretical Framework. The Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) was chosen as the theoretical framework because it identifies the belief that performing a particular behavior will lead to a …

The Role Of Corticothalamic Projections (Prelimbic Cortex To Nucleus Reuniens) In Working Memory, Phillip Kumpf, Paul C. Kumpf, S. D. Dunn, Evan Ciacciarelli, T. Gohar, Timothy Sloand, Mark Niedringhaus, Elizabeth West

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Working memory (WM) is the ability to store information for short periods of time and is used to execute tasks

WM has been understood to work via the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and dorsal hippocampus (dHPC), but they do not directly project to each other

The nucleus reuniens of the thalamus (Re) is a “middle man” between the mPFC and dHPC

There are projections between the prelimbic cortex (PrL) and Re that may be used during WM

To test the connection of the PrL to Re, a delayed nonmatch to position (DNMTP) task was performed

Neuronal Activity Within The Ventral Tegmental Area Is Correlated With Cocaine-Seeking Behavior In Male, But Not Female, Rats, Colton D. Spencer, Nicole M. Hinds, Ireneusz D. Wojtas, Desta M. Pulley, Daniel Manvich

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

The objective of this study was to begin to determine the neurobiological underpinnings of psychosocial stress-induced cocaine seeking. Social defeat stress, achieved using the well-established resident-intruder procedure, is an ecologically-valid psychosocial stressor in rodents that may more closely recapitulate those psychosocial experiences that elicit cocaine craving and relapse in human cocaine users. Our laboratory has developed a model of psychosocial stress-induced relapse in rats in which extinguished cocaine seeking is reinstated by re-exposure to a discrete cue that signals impending social defeat stress. We previously reported that an individual rat’s predilection towards the display of active coping behaviors during prior …

Treating Trichotillomania With Olanzapine, Christopher Lee

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Trichotillomania (TTM) is characterized by repetitive pulling of one’s hair leading to hair loss and problems in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning. Often individuals with TTM try to decrease or stop hair pulling, however are often unsuccessful without treatment. Community prevalence studies suggest that TTM is a common disorder with point prevalence estimate of 0.5% to 2.0% and with significant psychological comorbidity. Of note, people with TTM are often embarrassed about their condition, so epidemiology data may be underestimated compared to the true prevalence of this condition. The female to male ratio for this condition is 4:1. …

An Interesting Case Of Factitious Disorder Superimposed On Self: Factitious Disorder Vs Somatic Symptom Disorder, Michaela Margolis, Logan Noone, Jessica Baaklini

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Factitious disorder superimposed on self (FDIS) was first described in 1951by Richard Asher, who associated the disorder with Baron Munchhausen, who narrated unrealistic and exaggerated stories about his life.

Suspicion for FDIS should be raised when patients with atypical presentations of medical disorders seek excessive use of healthcare services despite ongoing lack of clinical evidence. Patients with FDIS often demand hospitalization for their symptoms, leading to unnecessary tests and treatments. These patients show signs of pathological lying, deceitfulness, are obstinate with medical staff, and display erratic behavior. When medical investigation does not support their symptoms, patients often develop new “symptoms” …

The Need For Depression And Anxiety Screenings At A Student-Run Clinic, Shayna Peterzell, Sahil Parikh, Alicia Podwojniak, Vibha Chauhan, Riya Tandra, Emily Forester, Saumil Parikh, Jessica-Sophie Horoschak, Patrick Pearce, Roma Padalkar, Sobiah Khan, Tara Pellegrino

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

General anxiety and major depressive disorder are common and treatable mental health disorders. The US Preventive Services Task Force provides strong evidence that early screening helps identify depression in primary care settings, promotes intervention and facilitates treatment. Many medical offices use validated screening tools, GAD-7 and PHQ-9, to measure symptom severities and further help guide treatment modalities for patients with anxiety and depression, respectively. The Rowan Community Health Clinic (RCHC) in Lindenwold, NJ is a student-run free clinic that serves patients regardless of patient gender, race, income, or insurance status. This study aims to determine if there is a need …

Preferences For Support Resources Among Loved Ones Of Adults Prescribed Opioid Medications, Mansi Patel, Desta M. Pulley, Daniel Manvich

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

The opioid epidemic continues to be a leading cause of overdose and related deaths in America. While most interventions are focused on the individuals with opioid and substance use disorder (OUD/SUD); the impact caregivers and family can have on the treatment of patients with OUD is non-existent. The purpose of this study is to collect pilot data on peers, friends, and family members of patients with SUD/OUD to understand the barriers in psychosocial support and maintaining treatment retention; barriers to accessing medication assisted therapy (MAT) and naloxone; and caregiver fatigue and barriers for caregivers. The collected data will be used …

Seizure To Drug Induced Schizophrenia: A Rare Case Of Keppra-Induced Psychosis, Shadi Shams, Riddhima Issar, Nardin El-Shammaa, Munaza Khan

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Levetiracetam is a broad-spectrum antiseizure medication and is approved as adjunctive therapy to treat focal-onset seizures in children and adults with epilepsy. Levetiracetam has a wide margin of safety and patient-friendly pharmacokinetics that distinguish it from other currently available antiepileptic drugs.

Most common side effects are fatigue, somnolence, dizziness, and upper respiratory infection. Neuropsychiatric symptoms are reported. Psychotic symptoms, paranoid ideation, hallucinations, and behavioral problems may occur in adult and pediatric patients. Among all adverse effects, the rate of psychosis is very low and ranges from less than 1% to 1.4%. A retrospective study showed that this rate is higher …

Advanced Scoliosis Impact On Copd: Worsened Outcomes Due To Lack Of Motivational Interviewing And Shared Decision Making - A Case Report, Deval Jhaveri, Sidharth Sahni, Kishan Patel, Artiom Efimenko, Aleesa Mobley

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

The case presented describes an advanced COPD patient with a history of progressive scoliotic curvature who presented multiple times with complaints of worsening respiratory symptoms. Thus, it is important to emphasize how the lack of meaningful patient communication and patient participation in the plan of care can lead to increased symptoms of anxiety, declining quality of life, and unnecessary medical testing. In addition, the case explores how applying a holistic combination of strategies including motivational interviewing, shared-decision making and proper communication can improve the level of patient care.

Dietary Habits Of Patients With Chronic Medical Conditions During Covid-19, Sahil Patel, Adarsh Gupta

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Over the past two years, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced drastic changes in various aspects of normal life for millions world-wide.

As of April 2022, there have been over reported 80.8 million cases and 989,000 reported deaths.

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, there were numerous societal changes occurred such as social distancing protocols, mask recommendations and restrictions in public spaces.

With such drastic changes to normal life, investigators began examining how dietary habits in the general population could have been affected, but not investigated the impacts on patients with chronic medical conditions (CMC).

Prior to major vaccination efforts, …

Impact Of Body Mass Index And Body Fat Percentage On Subjective Weight Status, Kelly Staples, Adarsh Gupta

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

• In the United States, the prevalence of obesity in adults is 42.4% of the population
• Body mass index (BMI) is the most frequently used tool to screen and assess for obesity
• BMI fails to account for body composition and body fat percentage (BFP)
• The objective of our study is to assess for understanding of BMI, BFP, and how these two measures are related to self-perception of body mass.
• Findings showed positive correlations between BMI, gender, and perception of body figure

What Motivates Patients To Enroll In A Naloxone Co-Prescribing Program?, Christina Kanagawa, David Aloisio, Eshani Choksi, Manasa Gowda, Tyler Klecha, Charles M. Defendorf

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Patients were contacted via phone call to establish knowledge of and prescription status regarding naloxone. They were then invited to enroll in a research study consisting of two online surveys.

The patients who had been prescribed naloxone by the time the study had started ranked being persuaded by a medical professional as being the most important reason for accepting the naloxone prescription.

Insufficient data collected during the six-week time frame to draw statistically significant conclusions about what motivates patients to receive naloxone co-prescriptions.

Correlations seen in this study are interesting and warrant further investigation.

Trends In Pediatric Obesity Of School-Aged Children During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Maryanna Schweininger, Amaani Faizal, Suzanna Hosein

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, children have been more sedentary due to nationwide school closures resulting in classes being held virtually. Due to restrictions, children could no longer participate in physical education classes and after school activities at the same frequency. The pandemic also placed a disproportionate burden on low-income families thus, potentially amplifying food insecurity. The aim of this study was to identify the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on childhood obesity.

The Value Of Peer Mentoring In A Service Learning Program, Ali Harb, Archana Salek

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Peer mentorship is a critical component of service learning programs (SLPs) at several medical institutions. The objectives of this project were:

• To explore the value of peer mentorship in SLPs within the setting of medical education
• To describe an effective mentorship structure that can be utilized in SLPs by employing reverse mentorship and a near-peer mentorship structure to positively impact participants

The Effects Of Wearing A Mask On An Exercise Regimen, Ryan Gericke, Adarsh Gupta

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Implementation of masks has impacted everyone worldwide

Properly wearing a mask requires covering both mouth and nose, putting a barrier between air and lungs

Exercise relies on cardiopulmonary function, so this barrier could potentially exacerbate the already altered physiology due to exercise alone

It is predicted that the addition of a mask will have negative implications on physiology

If there is evidence that people do not work out as effectively while wearing a mask, it would be important to find other ways to keep people physically active

Analyzing The Effects Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Mood Disorders In Patients, Alexa Golub, Joanna Petrides, Meagan Vermeulen

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

The COVID-19 pandemic brought about restrictions on social interactions, altered work settings/job losses, decreased access to groceries and essentials, and more

With strict prevention measures and isolating quarantine experiences, it was anticipated that the lockdown would have psychological effects

Some contributing psychological stressors included duration of quarantine, fear of infection, boredom, lack of supplies, inadequate information, and finances

This study aimed to quantify and evaluate any change in mood disorder diagnoses since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic

Content Analysis Of Vitiligo Portrayal On Social Media, Mary Miller

Honors Theses

Given that vitiligo affects a small percentage of the world population, and its affects are not widely known, there is an increasing need to learn of its effects on those with vitiligo, both physical and psychological. Social media has become an influential platform to spread awareness and build confidence in those with vitiligo. This study aims to find how vitiligo is portrayed through social media using content analysis procedures. This is a cross-sectional content analysis that utilized a codebook to analyze Instagram posts. The results were analyzed by interrater reliability and frequency for each coder. The findings of this content …

Screening And Follow Up For Postpartum Depression: How To Improve Practice, Mallory Matusik

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Postpartum depression (PPD) is one of the most common mental health conditions, affecting one in seven women during their reproductive years (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists [ACOG], 2018). The purpose of this evidence-based practice (EBP) project was to improve screening and management of PPD using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) screening tool and a protocol for appropriate treatment and follow up care for PPD. A protocol was created by the project leader with information on screening and diagnosis, follow up, and treatment for PPD. The protocol also included information on how to assess for suicidal and/or homicidal ideation …

Behavioral Parent Training For Adhd And Sleep: A Dream Pair, Whitney Rolling

Research Days

Background: Estimates for children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and comorbid sleep disorders range from 25-75% (4,5,10). Among childhood sleep disorders, behavioral insomnia is one of the most common, with the treatment of choice being behavioral parent training (BPT) (4). BPT therefore is a common treatment element for both sleep disturbance and ADHD and presents a unique opportunity for more holistic pediatric care.

Objectives/Goal: Our objective was to implement and evaluate a behavioral sleep intervention in an ADHD behavioral parent training (BPT) program. Goals of the intervention were to decrease behavioral sleep symptoms, increase sleep duration, and decrease ADHD impairment.

Methods/Design: …