Public Health Commons^™

A Coupled Hazard Simulation And Post-Disaster Resource Optimization Framework, Stephen M. Cunningham

Theses and Dissertations

Extreme events, such as natural or human-caused disasters, cause mental health stress in affected communities. While the severity of these outcomes varies based on socioeconomic standing, age group, and degree of exposure, disaster planners can mitigate potential stress-induced mental health outcomes by assessing early, intermediate, and long-term treatment interventions by social workers and psychologists. However, local and state authorities are typically underfunded, understaffed, and have ongoing health and social service obligations that constrain mitigation and response activities. A resource assignment framework is developed as a coupled-state transition and linear optimization model that assists planners in optimally allocating constrained resources and …

Modeling Substance Use And Mental Disorder Comorbidity Using Latent Variable And Network Approaches, Courtney T. Blondino

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction. Substance use disorder (SUD) is a common condition that affects millions of Americans. Addressing SUD has been complicated by comorbid mental disorders and co-occurring substance use. Consequently, detailing and addressing SUD and comorbid SUD represent an important goal to improve the health of Americans.

Objective. The research goal of this dissertation was to characterize the comorbidity between substance use, including tobacco use, and mental disorder symptoms measured as negative affect and externalizing symptoms in a population-based sample using latent variable and network approaches.

Methods. Waves 1 – 3 from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study were used. …

Detection And Quantification Of Bacterial Species Important To Mental And Physical Health, David G. Leonard

Theses and Dissertations

The human gut microbiome contains an abundance of microorganisms which could influence mental health as well as physical health. These microorganisms produce chemicals which affect the brain and the body in various ways. Probiotic bacteria and yeasts have been studied to determine effects they have on mice, rats, and humans to illustrate the importance these microorganisms on health. Studies have shown that adding beneficial microorganisms to the human diet can have positive effects on mental and physical health, to include lessening symptoms of depression and anxiety, lessen gastrointestinal inflammation, displacing pathogens, and improving immunomodulatory response. A quantitative way to identify …

“Is Therapy For Me?” Perceptions Of Therapy Inclusivity And Willingness To Seek Help Among Black Emerging Adults, Randl B. Dent

Theses and Dissertations

Mental health issues are prevalent among Black emerging adults; however, they tend to underutilize mental healthcare services. The goals of the current study were to examine whether: (1) perceived therapy inclusivity would predict willingness to utilize mental healthcare services and (2) the relationship between perceived therapy inclusivity and willingness would be moderated by two indices of racial identity (i.e., centrality and private regard). Results provide evidence that greater perceptions of therapy inclusivity are associated with greater willingness to seek mental health services even after controlling for factors, such as gender, self-stigma, and previous mental healthcare utilization. Additionally, there was no …

Reducing Disparities In Smoking For Adults With Mental Illness: Are U.S. Tobacco Prevention Policies Effective?, L. Morgan Snell

Theses and Dissertations

One in five people in the U.S. are estimated to experience “any mental illness” (AMI); however this group represents an estimated 40% of the annual, adult cigarette consumption in the U.S. Tobacco prevention policies have been successful at reducing smoking prevalence among the U.S. population as a whole, however it is unclear whether these efforts have had significant impact on tobacco use rates among individuals with AMI. The three papers that comprise this project combined longitudinal, nationally-representative data and online behavioral experiments from U.S. adults to compare demand for cigarettes among adult smokers with and without AMI. Taken together, our …

The Intersection Of Social Stress, Mental Well-Being, And Sexual Health Among Black Women In Emerging Adulthood, Brandi Galloway

Theses and Dissertations

With an estimated 37,000 new HIV infections each year, HIV continues to be a major public health concern. HIV affects some populations more than others. Young Black women, in particular, are disproportionately affected by HIV. While being a woman does not typically increase a person’s HIV risk, being Black and being a woman does.

Data indicate that individual-level factors do not fully address the differences in HIV and STIs between Black emerging adult women and their White counterparts. Thus, it is critical to better understand contextual factors such as social stress and mental-wellbeing which might better account for these disparities. …

The Correlation Between Maternal Postpartum Depression And Child Psychopathology, T'Keyah I. Vaughan

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Postpartum depression (PPD) is a phenomenon that affects nearly 10-15% of pregnancies in the US. It is characterized by depressed mood or anhedonia and lasting for more than 2 weeks. PPD changes how moms interact with family members and child-rearing behavior. Depression is a phenomenon that is also known to affect the psychopathology of children. However, the specifics of how postpartum depression impacts children remains controversial. Many studies do not control for major depressive disorder which makes it difficult to disentangle the impact depression has within the first year of life. Furthermore, other PPD risk factors may be confounding …

From Sunrise To Sunset: A Lifespan Approach To Understanding The Mental Health Of A Subset Of American Farmers, Janna L. Imel

Theses and Dissertations

Prior research has indicated higher risk of suicide for farmers and identified depression and anxiety as mental health concerns, though the majority of research was conducted in the 1980s-1990s. In today’s economic, social, and political climate, farmers are exposed to situations and stressors reminiscent of the 1980s Farm Crisis. An added risk is the aging workforce of farmers, as age-related conditions can make farming even riskier. This study investigated the mental health of a subset of American farmers by exploring farm-related stressors, coping mechanisms, and mental health outcomes. Dispositional mindfulness was explored as a specific coping mechanism. Participants (N …

The Role Of Afrocentric Features In Mental Healthcare Utilization And Counselor Preferences In Black College Students, Randl B. Dent

Theses and Dissertations

Though mental health issues are prevalent in Black young adults, they underutilize mental healthcare services. This research examined the role of feature-based discrimination in mental healthcare (under)utilization. Study 1, a secondary analysis of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, provided no evidence supporting a link between skin tone and mental healthcare utilization, when controlling for depression diagnosis. However, when controlling for depression symptoms, there was a trend such that Black young adults with darker, as opposed to lighter, skin tone utilized healthcare less. Study 2, an experimental study with 33 Black college students, showed 73% of the …

Investigating Developmental Patterns Of Symptom And Impairment Change Among Youth With Adhd, Subthreshold Adhdand Youth Without Adhd, Lorie Love Geryk

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction. Despite a substantial prevalence of subthreshold Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and research indicating that many youth with this disorder have impaired functioning and negative outcomes, few studies have considered patterns of symptom and functioning change for youth with probable ADHD, subthreshold ADHD and youth without ADHD transitioning from childhood to adolescence. Additionally, we are not aware of any studies examining predictors of impairment severity among youth with subthreshold ADHD, and few studies have examined predictors of treatment utilization and patterns of symptom and functioning change based on medication status for youth with subthreshold ADHD compared to youth with ADHD. Methods. …

Impact Of Combat Stress On Mental Health Outcomes: Brfss Survey Data 2006, Emily Pedneau

Theses and Dissertations

Objectives: This study sought to determine the relationship between combat experience and mental health outcomes. The study sought to determine whether age was a significant factor in poor mental health outcomes. Methods: Multiple logistic regression (n = 195,048) and multiple linear regression (n = 264,154) were performed on the 2006 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey. Veteran status and a host of demographic and health status questions were analyzed in relation to diagnosis of anxiety or depressive disorder (multiple logistic regression) and to number of days poor mental health (multiple linear regression). Results: Diagnosis of anxiety or depression was …

A Needs Assessment For Annual Physical Examination For Selected Richmond Public School Children, Aimee Gibbs

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: The following risk factors have found to be associated with inadequate health care and have been found to affect the well-being of children: racial or ethnic minority, poverty status, median family income, family structure of household, maternal education level, and parental employment status. Also, there has found to be health indicators including, teen pregnancy, asthma hospitalization, and lead poisoning cases that affect the well-being of a child and are associated with the presence of these risk factors in a population. Objectives: The objectives of this study is to (1) compare the presence of risk factors and health indicators in …