Mental Disorders Commons^™

Scope Of Attention Variation As A Function Of Anxiety And Depression, Kathleen Anne O'Donnell

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

As a social species, correct emotional perception is so vital, that the human brain has evolved a mechanism to control attentional choices by exerting a narrowed field of perception during danger, called the scope of attention (SoA). The SoA determines what information will be focused on or ignored by blocking the perception of non-relevant items and increasing selective focus on danger; even if danger is merely a sad-face. The emotional items blocked from perception cannot be remembered because they were never perceived. But, attention-control to emotional stimuli also varies with mood, as seen in mood-disorders. A mood-disorder’s effect upon the …

Mental Health Challenges Among Ethnic Minorities College Students, Fiorella G. Valles, Ruben Gonzalez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This research study explored the challenges of mental health-seeking services of college students of color in the San Bernardino area. College students of different ethnicities have unique needs and challenges that contrast with the general student population. Previous research stated that students of color deal with a greater number of unmet mental health needs and indicates a connection between mental health and attaining a college degree (Arria et al., 2013). To increase the utilization of mental health amongst students of color, this study aimed to identify the influencing factors that prevented students from help-seeking. The research design of this research …

Mental Health Screening For Low Income Adolescents: An Evidence-Based Project, Allison Bryden

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Abstract

TITLE: Mental Health Screening For Low-Income Adolescents

BACKGROUND: Nearly 80% of adolescents in the United States will suffer from a mental illness and not receive evaluation or services. Children from low socio-economic backgrounds have an increased risk of mental health disorders which permeate into adulthood, leading to additional negative sequel and lower quality of life. Among adolescent mental health conditions, depression and anxiety are the most common. Literature has suggested provider intuition alone has low sensitivity and specificity for detecting mental illness and that screening tools are indicated.

PURPOSE: The aim of this project is to implement standardized routine …

Sex Differences In Prevalence And Psychophysiological Profiles Of Adhd, Mckenzie Figuracion

University Honors Theses

Background: Considerable research has been dedicated to understanding the etiology of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), but the focus has been on a homogeneous subset of the population, and multiple groups go underserved when it comes to support. Previous findings suggest differences in ADHD diagnosis and referral rates based on sex, but it is less clear whether neurophysiological sex differences exist. The current study examines the effect of expert consensus diagnostic practices on rates of diagnosis in males and females, and evaluates sex differences in potential neurophysiological markers of ADHD.

Methods: 860 children and adolescents (Males=519; ADHD=516) were recruited for a longitudinal …

Recovery-Oriented Dance Movement Therapy: A Controlled Trial In Mental Health Rehabilitation, Talia Bendel-Rozow

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

This dissertation evaluated the appropriateness of using a recovery-oriented dance movement therapy (RODMT) intervention for people who were experiencing severe mental illness. Dance movement therapy (DMT) has been used for decades to support people with psychological and psychiatric symptoms but, before this research, has not been studied in context of the recovery approach to mental health rehabilitation. The theoretical assumption of this study was that movement-based experiential activities could be used as the primary agent to demonstrate and convey specific recovery concepts among participants. The researcher developed a protocol for 13 sessions of group intervention that merged DMT with Illness …

Assessing The Effect Of Chronic Dopamine Receptor 2 Blockade As A Potential Model Of Secondary Negative Symptoms In Rats Using The Fr5/Chow Feeding Choice Task, Cyrene Nicholas

Honors Scholar Theses

Haloperidol, a dopamine (DA) D2 receptor antagonist, is an antipsychotic drug which is commonly used to treat schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders. These disorders are often characterized by elevated striatal dopamine, which is speculated to have a role in producing positive symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, and paranoia, as well as symptoms related to motivational salience and reward prediction. Individuals with schizophrenia also exhibit negative symptoms, such as amotivation, anergia, fatigue, and apathy among others. While some negative symptoms of schizophrenia are inherent to the pathophysiology, other negative symptoms are hypothesized to be partially induced by chronic exposure to antipsychotic …

The Nightmare Before Delivery: A Study Of Nightmares, Depressive Symptoms, And Suicidality In Pregnant Women, Denise Frantz

Honors Theses

Pregnancy is notoriously a time of immense changes. Some of which are characterized by disturbances in sleep such as trouble falling asleep, trouble staying asleep, waking after sleep onset, snoring, leg discomfort, and nightmares (Foley, Ancoli-Israel, Britz, and Walsh, 2004; Lee and Gay, 2004; Köthe & Pietrowsky, 2001). Nightmares specifically have been associated with depressive symptoms and suicidality in non-pregnant individuals (Cukrowicz et al., 2006; Tanskanen et al., 2001), but these relations are not as well understood in the pregnant population. The aim of this study was to assess any potential relation between nightmares and depressive symptoms and suicidality in …

Socioeconomic Status And Symptoms Of Anxiety And Depression In Pregnant Women, Meagan Mandabach

Honors Theses

Pregnancy is a period of great change in a woman’s body as her baby develops. During this period, women commonly experience symptoms of anxiety (Dennis et al., 2017) and depression (Shidhaye & Giri, 2014). Literature has suggested that socioeconomic status (SES) can contribute to the severity at which pregnant women experience anxiety and depression (Arora & Aeri, 2019; Field et al., 2008; Shagufta & Shams, 2019), and women of low socioeconomic status may be more likely to experience symptoms of anxiety and depression during pregnancy (Field et al., 2008). The present study aimed to assess the relationships between household income …

An Exploration Of Neuroanatomical Signatures Of Pediatric Bipolar Disorder Using Structural Neuroimaging, Jonika Tannous

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Bipolar Disorder (BD) is diagnosed using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) criteria, which relies heavily on symptomatology. This method, however, lends itself to error due to variance in symptom expression and is further complicated during childhood and adolescence- a period marked by major anatomical and behavioral changes. Therefore, in order to institute early and effective interventions, it is imperative that we develop more objective methods of mood disorder characterization and diagnosis. Two proposed solutions for accomplishing this task include 1) the generation of normative development models to assess BD risk and 2) data-driven clustering of patients based on specific …

The Effects Of An Adenosine A(2a) Agonist As An Adjunctive Treatment To Alleviate Sensorimotor Gating Deficits In A Rodent Model Of Schizophrenia, Hannah Rauhuff

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The adenosine system has become a promising target for the treatment of schizophrenia due to its unique relationship with dopamine D₂ receptors. Dopamine D₂ receptors display heightened sensitivity in schizophrenia, and inhibition of these receptors has been shown to alleviate some of the psychotic symptoms of the disorder. Inhibition of adenosine A(2A) receptors has been shown to decrease dopamine D₂ receptor sensitivity, making this receptor a potential target for treatment of the disorder. This effect occurs because adenosine A(2A) receptors form a mutually inhibitory heterodimeric complex with dopamine D₂ receptors. The present study looked at the …

Promoting Resilience In Self-Management (Prism): Adverse Childhood Experiences And Impacts On Emotion Regulation, Kasey Ann Macedo

Honors Scholar Theses

PRISM (Promoting Resilience in Self-Management) is a mindfulness-based intervention that aims to strengthen emotion regulation skills among individuals by employing cognitive behavioral therapy components. The purpose of the current study is to identify the relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and depression, as well as to examine the changes in emotion regulation strategies of participants by comparing pre and post test data. The participants were voluntarily recruited from the Cornerstone Foundation, a homeless shelter, food pantry, and community center in Vernon, CT. The 13 participants completed PRISM through four weeks of two-hour workshop sessions in a small-group format. Results indicate …

391— Mental Health Supports Readily Available For College Students, Heidi Granville

GREAT Day Posters

College students who struggle with mental illness need more resources and support services readily available to them while they are in school. This would help them succeed both as students and as maturing adults. Data collected from Penn State conclude that mental health issues are increasing as time goes on, more students are seeking counseling services, and more students have considered suicide. This data serves a purpose that the current public policy is not enough. Ultimately, when schools are ill-equipped to helping students who suffer from mental illnesses, those students cannot reach their maximum potential, and consequently, the suicide rate …

Public Stigma And Self-Stigma Of Depression In College Students, Peyton Lee

DNP Projects

A large body of literature portrays the long-term, increased presence of mental illness stigma in college students, a vulnerable population at high risk of victimization. However, literature lacks sufficient research differentiating between the separate forms of mental illness stigma as well as consistent research examining stigma specific to the mental illness of depression in college students. A cross-sectional, web-based survey design was utilized to collect quantitative data from 432 students at a private, four-year university in the southeastern United States. The primary investigator both described the presence of and relationship between levels of perceived public stigma, personal public stigma, and …

The Tipping Point In Psychopathy: Role Of Psychopathic Traits In Trauma Exposure, Sneha M. Gupta

Student Theses

Though psychopathy has been associated with a socially deviant lifestyle, the idea of “successful” psychopathy has gained increased attention. Previous research has explored whether psychopathic traits play a role in trauma exposure/ PTSD, using clinical and forensic populations. Results from these studies suggest that Factor 1 traits may protect from trauma exposure (Factor 1 Theory) while Factor 2 traits may worsen the impact of trauma through exacerbated exposure to traumatic events. The objective of this study was to explore the relationship between each of Factor 1 traits and Factor 2 traits with trauma exposure and PTSD. In a sample of …

2019/2020 Lrsp: Ricardo Andres Pimentel, Ricardo Andres Pimentel

Library Research Scholars Program

Decades of constant wars have produced millions of military personnel returning home after their stints protecting their country. Though many of these military members are able to fully reintegrate into society, a significant minority return with psychical and psychological difficulties. Included in this vast list of difficulties is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This disorder is particularly endemic to military populations, and although numerous treatment modalities are available to veterans with PTSD, they are not all effective for every individual. Thus, numerous grassroots and private organizations have been working to pair veterans with service dogs for the treatment of PTSD. …

Prevalence Of Mental Health History Intake By Medical Trainees, Raymond H. Wen, Laura A. Weingartner, Emily J. Noonan

Undergraduate Arts and Research Showcase

BACKGROUND:

In the US, 1 in 5 adults experiences a mental illness. Over 9.8 million adults and youths have serious suicidal thoughts, and LGBTQ+ communities experience an even greater burden of mental health disparities. Mental illness is often recognized late by providers, which prevents timely and effective treatment.

METHODS:

We estimated the frequency and response of healthcare trainees asking about mental health using video-recorded standardized patient interviews conducted by third-year medical students (M3s). Standardized patients are trained to give out specific health history information only when prompted by the student. Students had 30 minutes to complete new patient interviews in …

The Relationship Between Social Functioning And Anxiety Symptoms In Preschoolers With Autism, Kaylee L. Cox

Senior Theses

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by impairments in social functioning. Furthermore, children with ASD have been found to have high rates of comorbid anxiety. Understanding the relationship between ASD and comorbid anxiety is essential in raising awareness of anxiety symptomology in children with ASD in hopes of better informing treatment and support. The present study examines the relationship between social functioning and general anxiety in children with ASD compared to typically developing (TD) children. The first objective of this study was to examine group differences in social impairments and anxiety symptoms between children diagnosed with ASD and TD children. …

Recognizing The Need For Mental Health Reform In The Texas Department Of Criminal Justice, Kara Mchorse

St. Mary's Law Journal

The ways in which mental health care and the criminal justice system interact are in desperate need of reform in Texas. The rate of mental illness in Texas is higher than the current state of mental health care can provide for. While state hospitals were once the primary care facilities of those with mental illness, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) has taken on that role in the last few decades; and when the criminal justice system becomes entangled with mental health care, it often leads to “unmitigated disaster.” If Texas continues to allow the TDCJ to act as …

History Of The South Dakota Human Services Center 1879-2019: Trials, Trends, And Tragedies To Transformation, Kate L. Katterhagen

Honors Thesis

The history of the South Dakota Human Services Center (HSC), located in Yankton, SD, spans 140 years, from the Dakota Territory days beginning in 1879 to the present. The trials, trends, and tragedies promoting transformation of the state psychiatric hospital are the focus of this thesis, with an emphasis on significant events that shaped the facility. This research examines the challenges and changes in public administration, treatment methods, and psychiatric medical practices. My research was accomplished through identification, retrieval, and review of archived materials, reports, published newspaper articles, and personal accounts. Societal, political, legal, medical, and historical perspectives frame my …

An Investigation Of Word Learning In The Presence Of Gaze: Evidence From School-Age Children With Typical Development Or Autism Spectrum Disorder, Janet Y. Bang, Aparna S. Nadig

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Little is understood about how children attend to and learn from gaze when learning new words, and whether gaze confers any benefits beyond word mapping. We examine whether 6- to 11-year-old typically-developing children (n = 43) and children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (n = 25) attend to and learn with gaze differently from another directional cue, an arrow cue. An eye-tracker recorded children’s attention to videos while they were taught novel words with a gaze cue or an arrow cue. Videos included objects when they were static or when they were manipulated to demonstrate the object’s function. Word learning was …

Discrimination, Coping, And Depression Among Black Men Who Have Sex With Men, Andre L. Brown, Jordan Sang, Leigh Bukowski, Steven Meanley, Byron D. Brooks, Cristian Chandler

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Black men who have sex with men (BMSM) have elevated risk for depression compared to the general population. BMSM’s capacity to cope with these experiences is not well understood. Increased understanding of how multiple forms of discrimination contribute to depression and how BMSM cope with discrimination can better inform interventions. Data come from 3,510 BMSM who attended Black Pride events in six U.S. cities from 2015-2017. Participants completed a health survey that ascertained their psychosocial health and resiliency profiles. Using multivariable logistic regression models, we tested the associations between type-specific discrimination (race, sexuality, HIV status) and depression. We then conducted …

Postpartum Depression! One Iv And I Am Back To Happy!, Gabrielle Dubruille

All Publications

No abstract provided.

The Missing Moral Dimension: Perceptions Of Transgressions And The Moderating Role Of Moral Foundations On Psychological Distress, Hannah Reas

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

Anxiety and depression can be represented on a dimensional spectrum of negative affect, broadly termed psychological distress. Research has identified several factors that maintain negative emotion, but have neglected the possibility that individuals’ interpretations of moral issues in the larger macro-system affects their level of distress. Thus, the current study investigated the role of perceptions of moral transgressions, or cognitive interpretations of stimuli (“transgressions”) that violate beliefs about right and wrong, as a predictor of psychological distress. Furthermore, this study tested how perceptions of moral transgressions vary as a function of individuals’ own moral intuitions, or moral foundations. Participants ( …

Attitudes Towards Mental Illness In American Evangelical Communities, Supernaturalism, And Stigmatization, Nahanni Freeman, Isaac Baldwin

Faculty Publications - Psychology Department

Social-cognitive variables and religious attributions regarding mental illness were examined with a homogeneous sample of 180 American Evangelical Christians, using a novel tool and the Mental Health Knowledge Scale (MAKS). In the first trial, participants were randomly assigned to one of two Bible verse priming conditions, which made salient willpower, faith and anxiety-reduction or the suffering Christ. Priming effects revealed that those exposed to the willpower-faith admonishment condition showed lower stigma on the MAKS and stronger condition recognition scores. Participants who endorsed unilateral religious causes and solutions to mental illness also presented with less knowledge about mental health disorders and …

Impact In Hospitalization Of Mental Health Patients With Dual Diagnosis As It Pertains To Medicaid And Treatment With Mat Services, Amanda Akmentins

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Introduction

About 17.5 million Americans over the age of 18 have been diagnosed with a mental illness, and about 4 million of those individuals have also been diagnosed with a substance use disorder. Medicaid requirements made to those receiving Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) services provide access to quality care to reduce re-hospitalization by focusing on behavioral changes and accountability. The purpose of this research was to analyze the impact of hospitalization rates to determine unmet needs and barriers to receiving treatment for those that have a dual diagnosis.

Methodology

The methodology was a literature review. Thirty-two sources were referenced for …

Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy: Treating Depression And Anxiety With Mushrooms, Sofia Beck

Physician Assistant Studies | Student Authored Articles

Depression and anxiety are debilitating mental health conditions that affect a large portion of the United States. Current pharmacological treatments for these disorders require daily administration, are associated with a number of side effects, and can be ineffective for some. Emerging evidence in novel treatment options may necessitate a shift toward how we treat these psychiatric disorders.

Studies involving the psychedelic serotonin agonist, psilocybin, are currently experiencing a resurgence as an alternative for patients who are unresponsive to traditional treatments. Clinical trials using psilocybin in combination with psychotherapy have demonstrated sustained reductions in depression and/or anxiety symptoms. When used in …

Evaluating Interpersonal Problems In Anorexia Nervosa Through The Lens Of Polyvagal Theory, Marika Morelan

CMC Senior Theses

Eating disorders are an increasingly prevalent issue, especially among young women. While they aren’t a new phenomenon, they are historically under-researched, and remain widely misunderstood. Without understanding the causes underlying these disorders or the mechanisms working to maintain them, treating them successfully has proved to be incredibly difficult. This is especially the case with Anorexia Nervosa. Out of the six eating disorders in the DSM-5, it has the lowest treatment success rate and an alarmingly high relapse rate. Treating the disorder through weight restoration and the extinction of compensatory behaviors alone does not fully resolve the disordered pathology; interpersonal problems …

Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders: Linking Motor And Process Skills, Sensory Patterns, And Psychiatric Symptoms, Lola Halperin, Janet Falk-Kessler

Occupational Therapy Faculty Publications

Background: Consistent evidence suggests sensory abnormalities and skill deficits in people with Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorder (SSD). Further exploration of their sensory patterns and performance skills is warranted to promote community participation among these individuals.

Method: This study examined sensory patterns and motor and process skills in relationship to psychiatric symptoms in adult patients with SSD. Participants were evaluated using the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile, the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills, and the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale.

Results: Of the 18 participants, the majority showed sensory differences, deficits in motor and process skills, and the presence of moderate to severe symptoms. …

The Impact Of Bone Marrow Transplantion On Patients With Psychiatric Diagnoses: Medication Adherence Assessment, Brittany Galop

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

Objectives: We investigated whether there is a measurable difference in medication utilization for psychiatric conditions before and after bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Previous studies have identified a potential association between psychiatric conditions and immune function. We hypothesized that medication utilization for psychiatric diagnoses would be impacted by BMT.

Methods: This study was a retrospective, quasi-experimental cohort design. De-identified data was compiled from the Truven database for patients ranging from January 2009 through December 2016. Two measurements of medication utilization, proportion of days covered (PDC) and medication possession ratio (MPR) were calculated for each included Medispan-defined class of medications before analyzing …

The Efficacy Of Yoga As An Adjunctive Therapy To Standard Multidisciplinary Care In The Treatment Of Female Patients Presenting With Cognitive Eating Disorder Symptoms, Cassidy Nagle

Capstone Showcase

Introduction: Current treatment of patients exhibiting cognitive eating disorder symptoms is standard multidisciplinary care (SMDC) involving behavioral therapy, medical management and dietetics. Because these symptoms often persist or relapse despite treatment, research has begun to explore adjunctive therapies like yoga for this population. This review will explore seven studies in order to analyze the effect of yoga (I) on cognitive eating disorder symptoms (O) in teenage and adult females (P) when added to SMDC compared to symptom reduction with SMDC alone (C).

Methods: A literature search was conducted in PubMed, Academic Search Ultimate and Google Scholar starting November 2018. Seven …