Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Effects Of Climate On Suicide Rates In 36 Oregon Counties, Elshadai Hailu, Maria Hernandez

Student Scholarship - College of Business

This study looked at average temperature, amount of rainfall and amount of sunshine in all 36 Oregon counties and how they affect suicide rates. Climate information was gathered over the past 30 years and suicide rates were measured between the years 2013 and 2016. It was hypothesized that there would be a negative relationship between low temperature and suicide rates. It was also predicted that there would be a negative relationship between high temperatures and suicide rates. This study found that there was a negative relationship between average high temperature and sucide rates. It also found there is to be …

Effective Design Features For The Management Of Behavioral Health Patients In General Emergency Departments Of Hospitals, Rheena Ware Luchansky

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated nursing staff members perspectives of their existing Emergency Department (ED) and their ability to care appropriately for behavioral health patients within the environment. The study involved three rural hospitals in eastern Texas that may not always have the proper resources to care effectively for this vulnerable patient population. The researcher administered a paper-based survey utilizing a Likert-scale response system to nursing staff across all facilities and received participation from 56 respondents. Survey questions were designed to investigate the current ED environment and identify design features available to assist with caring for behavioral health patients. Data gathered revealed …

Picturing Health; Picturing Life: Visual Illness Narratives Of Women With Type 2 Diabetes, Sarah Gurley-Green

Educational Studies Dissertations

The prevalence of diabetes in the U.S. reached 23 million people between 2012 and 2017 and consumed one-quarter of the overall healthcare dollars. Remembering the suffering and pain of individuals behind these numbers becomes difficult and incalculable. Black American women are the most affected by type 2 diabetes (T2D), compared to their white counterparts, as well as twice as likely to be diagnosed with T2D and 2.5 times more likely to die from T2D. Therefore, understanding the problem requires the fundamental consideration of how these women cope daily with this complex illness while often struggling with complex lives. This narrative …

Improving Access To Mental Health Care With Nurse Practitioners, Jessica Whelan

Dissertations

Problem: Over 40% of those with mental illness are untreated since the supply of psychiatrists does not meet the demand. The psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) may be an adjunct in providing those services. The purpose of this quality assurance study was to evaluate outcomes of care between a PMHNP and a psychiatrist (medical doctor [MD]).

Methods: An observational, descriptive design with a retrospective medical record review of adult patients over a six-month period in a suburban, Midwestern, privately owned psychiatric practice.

Results: A total of 787 individual patients encountered at least one visit (N=787) although 3,679 …

The Association Of Psychological Distress And Mental Health With English Language Acquisition Of Recently Resettled Refugees In The United States, Charlisa C. Christian

Sociology ETDs

Host country language proficiency among resettled refugees has been associated with better mental health; yet, in qualitative studies, refugees describe psychological distress acting as a barrier to their learning. To clarify varying results, this longitudinal study of refugees from Africa, the Middle East, and Afghanistan (n=290) examined language acquisition with positive mental health and psychological distress as distinct concepts on correlated unipolar dimensions (Keyes 2002; Rumbaut 1989). With multilevel modeling, initial English speaking ability was significantly related to increasing positive mental health over time, indicating host country language proficiency acts as a protective factor for refugees, and supporting the growing …

In Search Of Psychiatric Kinds: Natural Kinds And Natural Classification In Psychiatry, Nicholas Slothouber

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In recent years both philosophers and scientists have asked whether or not our current kinds of mental disorder—e.g., schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder—are natural kinds; and, moreover, whether or not the search for natural kinds of mental disorder is a realistic desideratum for psychiatry. In this dissertation I clarify the sense in which a kind can be said to be “natural” or “real” and argue that, despite a few notable exceptions, kinds of mental disorder cannot be considered natural kinds. Furthermore, I contend that psychopathological phenomena do not cluster together into kinds in the way that paradigmatic natural kinds (e.g., chemical …

Illicit Psychoactive Medication Use: Experiences Of Medicalization And Normalization, Mark Pawson

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation explores illicit psychoactive medication use among young adults. Overwhelmingly, the literature on this drug trend, particularly among this population, is grounded in a study of pathology. However, my research demonstrates that this obscures a significant portion of how youth practice and make meaning of their consumption of these controversial medications. The following phenomenologically based dissertation presents and unpacks the experiences, practices, and perspectives of young adults who illicitly consume psychoactive medications. Through analyzing 162 interviews of 18-29 year olds who report recent misuse of a prescription stimulant, tranquilizer, sedative, and/or opioid, I present the ways youth medicalize and …

Enhancing Quality Of Life Of People With Visual Impairments Through Aesthetic Techniques, Christia M. Labro

Student Capstone Papers

Vision loss affects roughly 285 million people globally and is one of the leading causes of age-related disability which can lead to reduced quality of life (QoL) and increased levels of depression and anxiety (van der Aa, Bruin, van Rens, Twisk, & van Nispen, 2015). Occupational therapists have been involved in the rehabilitation of individuals with low vision since 1917 (Warren, 1995) and are significant to the low vision community due to their knowledge and expertise addressing occupational limitations while taking into consideration psychosocial factors that result from vision loss. However, there appears to be gaps in the literature related …

Examining The Mechanisms Of Religious Ecology On Population Health And Material Well-Being, Joseph Andrew Clark

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

A growing body of research has addressed the relationship between community-level religious environments and important aspects of well-being, such as mortality, crime, and social mobility. This research argues that the prevalence of specific religious traditions shapes these important outcomes through a variety of mechanisms. While there is no shortage of mechanisms proposed by authors - such as local attitudes towards public institutions, gender norms, and social networks - these mechanisms remain themselves untested. A notable critique of this literature suggests that without evidence supporting the existence of these mechanisms as described, scholars involved in this research run the risk of …

The Canadian Urban - Rural Health Disparity: The Role Of Health Lifestyles And An Alternative Explanation For Rurality's Higher Bmi Rates, Matthew J. Stackhouse

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The Canadian urban - rural health disparity is concerning, as rural residents are more likely to experience deleterious health outcomes such as injuries, chronic conditions, obesity, and shorter life expectancy. There are several rural social-structural explanations for the disparity such as an aging population, less education attainment, greater unemployment rates, poorer working conditions, lack of health professionals, greater distance from quality health resource, and poorer health behaviours. Some of these findings have been linked to higher Body Mass Index (BMI) scores in rural areas. However, no study has considered the health lifestyle differences of urban - rural Canadians and how …

Stigma In Class: Mental Illness, Social Status, And Tokenism In Elite College Culture, Katie R. Billings

Masters Theses

The majority of mental illness on college campuses remains untreated, and mental illness stigma is the most cited explanation for not seeking mental health treatment. Working-class college students are not only at greater risk of mental illness, but also are less likely to seek mental health treatment and hold more stigmatized views toward people with mental illness compared to affluent college students. Research on college culture suggests that elite college contexts may be associated with greater stigmatization of mental illness. This study bridges the social status and college culture literatures by asking—does social status and college context together predict students’ …

"I Used To Be Fat": A Qualitative Analysis Of Bariatric Surgery Patients, Steven W. Fife

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the Caudill College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences at Morehead State University in Partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts by Steven W. Fife on June 22, 2019.

Intersectionality And Maternal Mortality: African-American Women And Healthcare Bias, Katherine Mijal

Global Honors Theses

African-American women's maternal mortality is significantly higher than that of white women. This is because of the intersectional oppression of sexism and racism, which significantly limits these women's access to quality healthcare through their pregnancy and during and after birth. This access is impeded by healthcare practitioners' implicit biases, which result in these practitioners not providing their patients with the quality of care they need.

Youth-Sized Lab Coats: When Children Become Doctors Through Adolescent Healthcare Brokering, Lindsey Russell

Social Sciences

Child language brokering refers to the practice of children acting as linguistic and cultural mediators in general settings like school, stores, banks and other personal uses. The primary focus of this paper is “adolescent healthcare brokering,” a term coined in 2016 by researchers Jennifer R. Banas, James W. Ball, Lisa C. Wallis and Sarah Gershon, to refer to the use of children as interpreters for family and community members, specifically in the healthcare setting; these cross-lingual communications may occur during regular physician appointments, trips to the emergency department or at specialized visits in fields such as obstetrics or oncology.

This …

Food Insecurity Among South Asian Immigrant Communities In The Inland Empire Of Southern California, Farhan Danish

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Background: Food insecurity amongst South Asian Americans is a major public health issue. The South Asian American (SAA) community is the third largest Asian community in the United States. Despite this fact, very few specific studies have been conducted to investigate the food needs and barriers that exist within the SAA community so as to successfully help them improve dietary habits.

Methods: This study utilized a mixed methods convergent parallel design, where both qualitative and quantitative methods were conducted and analyzed separately and compared and contrasted at the end.

Results: The results of this study demonstrate that ethnic grocery stores …

Illness And The American Workplace: Issues And Implications For Employers And Employees, Victoria R. Dolan

Student Theses and Dissertations

This project aims to identify American employee experiences and existing workplace policies and cultures surrounding illness, disability, and sick leave. This approach was taken in order to closely examine what looks to be working well for companies and workers, and what could benefit from a more human centric approach in regards to workplace policy and employee support programs. The study of employee experiences in particular represents a gap in the current scholarly literature regarding illness and illness policy in the American workplace, and more accurately represents the experiences for both employees and employers. Furthermore, it assists with distinguishing the types …

Double Jeopardy: Minority Stress And The Influence Of Transgender Identity And Race/Ethnicity, Krystina Millar, Jason Eastman

Honors Theses

This study assessed gender and racial/ethnic differences in gender-related discrimination and psychological distress within a sample of transgender and gender nonconforming individuals. Prior research suggests transgender individuals with multiple minority statuses experience higher psychological stress than their singly disadvantaged counterparts, and both minority race/ethnicity and transgender minorities experience more frequent and severe forms of discrimination than white and cisgender individuals. Using data from a convenience sample of 101 self-identified transgender and gender nonconforming adults recruited through LGBTQ+ organizations from across North America, I analyzed the relationship between race/ethnicity, gender-related minority stress, and psychological distress. Gender-related discrimination and gender-related victimization did …

Correlates Between Childhood Trauma And Reproductive Health Behaviors Among Women In Appalachia, Haley Metcalf

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The lasting effects of childhood trauma into adulthood have been well corroborated by research from a variety of sources. Previous research has found a vast number of psychological, behavioral, and health related outcomes that are negatively affected by victimization in childhood. This piece strives to assess the correlates between childhood trauma and adult reproductive behavior and well-being for women living in Appalachia. The NCIPC has found that residents of Appalachia are at higher risks for both experiencing childhood traumas and poor health outcomes (2017). To create long-term positive reproductive health behaviors among Appalachian women, it is essential to examine how …

Bridging The Synapse: Seeing The World Through A Neuroscience Lens, Madeline Macarthur

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Salud Callejera: Mobilizing Cuidado At The Margins Of Neoliberalism; Reimagining Care For People Experiencing Homelessness In Buenos Aires, Brandon Morande

Honors Projects

On any given night, thousands of individuals sleep on the streets of the Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires. Without secure housing, people in situación de calle (experiencing homelessness) suffer elevated rates of physical trauma, transmissible and chronic diseases, and symptoms of depression. Nevertheless, two-thirds of this population do not receive annual health consultations, with the majority solely accessing the emergency department when their conditions severely worsen. This study finds that municipal services and, to a lesser extent, the public health system render individuals responsible for housing insecurity by adopting a neoliberal subjectivity of homo economicus, medicalizing poverty as a …

Exploring The Homeless Persons Perception Of Living In A Long-Term Care Facility, Janice Woods

Dissertations

Objective:The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of homeless persons admitted to a nursing home facility. Originally, the study was to explore their understanding of and their experience with advance health care planning; coincidently, the participants were more open to their experience of living in a long-term care facility.

Method:A convenience sample of 13 participants (12 male, 1 female) at four long-term care facilities in Southern California were interviewed about their perception of advanced health care planning, including the physician’s orders for life sustaining treatment (POLST); a consent form required in all nursing homes. …

Addressing Barriers To Preventative Health Care For Transgender Populations: A Systems Approach To Improving Access To Gynecological Care, Meghan N. Flynn

Master's Theses

The current study addresses the lack of research exploring the individual and systemic barriers to accessing gynecological care for transgender populations. An integrated mixed-methods needs assessment was designed to explore the individual and systemic barriers to gynecological health care for transgender and gender diverse populations. Participants of the study included established community providers known to serve the transgender community through advocacy or research efforts, as well as clinical psychologists and medical professionals working in gynecological settings. The study includes a brief quantitative survey, which measured “Perceptions of Inclusivity Importance” among key stakeholders. Following the survey, participants were invited to engage …

The Influence Of Interpersonal Dyadic Differences On Condom Use Among Men Who Have Sex With Men, Andrew M. O'Neil

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Undergraduate Honors Theses

Background: Men who have sex with men (MSM) continue to be disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS and other STIs. Condom use is one of the most effective methods of prevention, but rates of condom use have been steadily declining among MSM. Therefore, determining what factors influence condom use decision-making among MSM is important. Interpersonal factors such as physical attractiveness, race, and age have been explored in relation to condom use. However, there is a dearth of research exploring the influence of discrepancies between casual partners in these social categories and its influence on condom use directly.

Purpose: The purpose of this …

Good And Bad Deaths: How Coalitions Transformed Framing Processes In The Movement For Physician Assisted Suicide, Keith D. Wilkins

Sociology ETDs

Research on physician assisted suicide (PAS) has largely been neglected by sociological scholarship which has focused primarily on how demographic features affect support of this contentious issue. PAS represents a unique case to contribute to sociological knowledge on coalitions and framing, which has yet to fully understand how movement frames change over time and what factors makes coalition activity worth the effort. The current study addresses these gaps in the literature by studying how activist organizations that support (right-to-die) or resist (right-to-life) PAS, frame the issue. Specifically, this study aims to answer two research questions: (1) How do PAS social …

How Professional Physical Therapist Education Programs Develop Cultural Competence Within Their Students: An Exploratory Concurrent Mixed Methods Study, Dustin E. Domingo

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this exploratory concurrent mixed methods study was to describe experiences that shape the factors of cultural intelligence (CQ) as perceived by students of professional physical therapist education programs. In addition, it was the purpose of this study to determine whether any particular factor of cultural intelligence influenced one’s overall cultural competence according to the cultural competence continuum by Cross et al. (1989).

Methodology: Students in a professional physical therapist education program completed a questionnaire, which included Likert scale questions, open ended questions, and a 37-item self-assessment based on the expanded cultural intelligence scale by Van Dyne …

Perceptions Of Mental Health: Eight Conversations With Mainers From Africa, Teresa Sosa, Emelda Ogweta

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

As of 2016, 42 million refugees from around the world had been forced to flee their homes due to war, persecution, or natural disaster (George & Jettner, 2016). Due to these factors, as well as relocation and resettlement, refugees are at a significant risk for trauma and other mental health issues (George & Jettner, 2016). While the literature consistently validates this heightened risk for mental illness in refugees, more research is needed into refugee's perspectives on mental health. Through analysis of semi-structured interviews with eight refugees from Africa, this phenomenological study investigated refugee's perceptions of mental health and mental illness. …

The Influence Of Stressful Life Events On The Development Of Type 2 Diabetes, Joshua Minks

Dissertations

This study examined the relationship between distress and the development of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in the presence of established risk factors. Distress secondary to mental health disparities, stressful life events, and work conditions has been shown to promote insulin resistance and the development of T2DM.

Subjects (N=79) diagnosed with T2DM within the previous six months were recruited from SSM Health Centers and VA Medical Centers in the greater St. Louis area. They completed the Recent Life Changes Questionnaire, ENRICHD Social Support Instrument, and a demographic survey and analyses were conducted to determine differences between the veteran …

The Impact Of Ptsd And History Of Involvement In The Criminal Justice System On Medication Treatment Success In Opioid Use Disorder, Kirk Sanger

Doctoral Dissertations

This analysis examined the impact of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), history of trauma, and a history of involvement in the criminal justice system (CJS) on treatment outcomes related to medication treatment for opioid use disorder. This study employed a secondary analysis of data derived from a multi-state, multi-site treatment center focused on substance abuse and more specifically opioid use disorder treatment. The total sample size was 19,970 patients. The majority of the sample received treatment in Massachusetts, was white, and non-Hispanic. Those with PTSD accounted for 9.5% of the sample, while 12% had a history of trauma. Just under 1/4 …

Disaster Vulnerability And Social Capitals In The Gulf Coast And Flint, Michigan, Vanessa Parks

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In this dissertation, I explore the migration intentions, self-rated physical and mental health, and alcohol use of people living in regions facing environmental stressors. In my first chapter, I examine factors that predict willingness to move away from southeast Louisiana, a region threatened by land loss, hurricanes, and environmental pollution. Specifically, I assess the relationships risk perceptions, place attachment, and fishing employment have with willingness to move. I find that risk perceptions are positively related to willingness to move and that place attachment and fishing employment are negatively related to willingness to move. In my second chapter, I show the …

Painting Intimacy: Art-Based Research Of Intimacy, Michal Lev

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

This art-based research explores whether — and, if so, how — the process of painting, together with witnessing and reflection on the process and imagery, further an understanding of intimacy. The research also examines the conditions that favor intimacy, the obstacles to intimacy, and the particular features of artistic media, processes and reflection, through the editing of video footage, that can further the intimate experience. The participants in the study were five adults (including the researcher) between the ages of thirty and eighty who were familiar with the creation of visual art. Among them were three women and two men …