Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

African American Adolescents' Exposure To Community Firearm Violence And Associated Factors, Colleen S. Walsh

Theses and Dissertations

Firearm violence is a public health crisis in the United States that disproportionately impacts African American adolescents and families living in economically marginalized communities. The current firearm violence exposure literature includes a limited focus on the (a) the identification of risk and promotive factors that influence the likelihood of exposure to community firearm violence, (b) is cross-sectional, (c) focuses on outcomes of firearm violence exposure, and (d) does not examine bi-directional relations to determine if risk and promotive factors are causes and/or consequences of firearm violence exposure. This gap in research is further exacerbated by the limited focus on African …

Girls Just Want To Be Safe: An Analysis Of Drugged Drinking And Prevention Amongst Students At The University Of South Carolina, C. Gray Forsberg

Senior Theses

Drink-spiking has become a well-known phenomenon since the turn of the century, especially on college campuses in the United States. Drink-spiking or drugging can be defined as “adding alcohol or drugs into someone’s drink without their knowledge or permission” (Alcohol and Drug Foundation, 2006). Drink-spiking is not just relevant to the concern of an illicit substance being placed into an alcoholic drink, but adding additional alcohol to drinks or adding alcohol or drugs to non-alcoholic drinks is considered drugging as well. This study collected data through a survey sent to 250 current students at the University of South Carolina regarding …

When Age Matters: Child Age As A Moderator Of Outcome In A Caregiver Prevention Program For Abuse And Bullying, Jenni R. Marques

Theses and Dissertations

Childhood physical abuse (CPA), childhood sexual abuse (CSA), and bullying continue to impact children across the United States at an alarming rate, with immense psychological, physiological, and social cost (Child Maltreatment, 2020; U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2017; Carr, Duff, & Craddock, 2018; Ferrara et al., 2019). While majority of prevention programs target elementary age children (6-10), there is some disagreement amongst researchers as to the appropriateness of introducing these programs to children of the pre-school age (3-5 years). Keeping Every Child Safe (Child Safe; Brown & Beekman, 2014) is an evidence-based primary prevention program for caregivers …

Adverse Childhood Experiences And Intimate Partner Violence In Gender Minority Populations, Claire Mason Mccown

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Childhood adversity has been linked to numerous health and mental health concerns in adulthood (Felitti et al., 1998). Among the many outcomes associated with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), victimization and perpetration of intimate partner violence (IPV) remains a public health crisis. Research has found that those identifying as gender minority individuals are disproportionately impacted by IPV (Messinger, 2017; Peitzmeier et al., 2020). Further, gender minority individuals experience equivalent, if not higher, rates of ACEs when compared to their cisgender counterparts (Baams, 2018; Juárez-Chávez et al., 2018; Schnarrs et al., 2019; Tobin & Delaney, 2019). While many factors contribute to the …

A Life Worth Living: Evaluating And Assisting Army Chaplains In Suicide Prevention, John Simon Cochran

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Despite its efficiency and flexibility as a modern fighting force, the U.S. Army has experienced an alarming spike in the number of its soldiers committing suicide over the past decade – approximately a 20% increase. The goal of this project is to contribute to the lessening of future suicides by evaluating the current preparedness of U.S. Army chaplains to assist with suicide prevention and intervention efforts among U.S. Army soldiers. The study will provide actionable conclusions of how chaplains can more effectively identify, intervene, and influence U.S. Army soldiers away from the risk of suicide towards a life worth living.

A Pathway For Inclusive Innovation In Pediatric Mental Health: Prevention And Intervention Using Technology, Kate Corinne Bennett

DSW Capstone Projects

It is no secret that access to quality healthcare is difficult for citizens to achieve in the United States. Racism, discrimination, and oppression further exist at the root of compounding social problems, including limits in minority access to mental health services. The COVID-19 pandemic has also exacerbated mental health problems for young children, especially those who are already underserved and at risk. For these reasons, it is imperative that the social work profession emphasizes innovative approaches to equitable treatment access, including a focus on early intervention and the use of technology. Product one of this capstone engages a systematic review …

Substance Use Initiation Among Mexican Children: An Examination Of Individual And Ecological Factors, Alejandro L. Vázquez

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Mexico is experiencing increased rates of substance use among children and adolescents. This is concerning as early substance use is associated with an increased risk for developing mental and physical health problems during adulthood. These outcomes may be prevented through early identification and intervention before individuals encounter the negative consequences of substance use/abuse. The current dissertation sought to improve our knowledge regarding factors associated with substance use and intention for first time use among Mexican children. Three manuscripts examined child individual characteristics and aspects of their environment. The first manuscript examined demographic characteristics to determine whether particular groups of children …

A Network Investigation Of Eating Disorder Symptoms And Risk Factors Before And After A Prevention Program In Adolescent Girls., Jordan E. Drake

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses

Eating disorders (EDs) are psychological disorders characterized by disturbances in eating that commonly develop during adolescence and may be influenced by risk factors, both ED-specific (i.e., factors linked to future ED symptoms) and transdiagnostic (i.e., factors underlying multiple psychological disorders). Network analysis allows for the study of the connections between ED symptoms and risk factors by identifying central symptoms (i.e., the most interconnected symptoms) and bridge symptoms (i.e., symptoms which strongly connect across the symptom and risk factor clusters). Examining networks of ED symptoms and risk factors in adolescence can inform how risk factors influence ED development, as well as …

A Behavioral Healthcare Approach To At-Risk Youth Substance Prevention Program Development, Debra Mcintyre

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Providing quality services that meet the needs of clients is key to organizational sustainability for behavioral health organizations. Strategic development of substance prevention programs for at-risk youth will play an important role in capacity building. The focus of this study was to identify the need for developing a targeted and effective substance abuse prevention program to support at-risk youth who have trauma experiences before they begin misusing substances to cope with their challenges. The Baldrige excellence framework was used to guide this descriptive case study of a behavioral health organization in the Northeastern region of the United States. The data …

Genetics And Alcohol Interventions In Youth, Zoe E. Neale

Theses and Dissertations

Alcohol is the most commonly used substance among youth, and risky alcohol use is associated with harmful consequences such as accidents, academic consequences, and physical and emotional health problems. Alcohol use disorders are approximately 50% heritable, yet most efforts to prevent and intervene upon youth alcohol use focus only on environmental factors. Furthermore, current prevention and intervention programs tend to have modest effects and are not uniformly effective for all individuals. Gene-by-intervention (GxI) studies offer an opportunity to expand current understanding of interventions by examining whether underlying genetic risk may contribute to differential program effects. Much of the current GxI …

Perceived Addictiveness Of Marijuana, Tobacco And Alcohol Use In Vermont Youth And Young Adults: Associations Between Addiction Perceptions, Sociodemographics, And Substance Use, Julia C. West

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Dual and poly-tobacco and substance use are increasingly prevalent in youth and young adults. Current substance use prevention media efforts target addiction perceptions in young people; however, little is known about the perceived addictiveness of multiple substances among young people. The goal of the current study is to examine youth and young adults perceive addictiveness across several substances and the associations between addiction perceptions and substance use. Data were collected in Spring and Summer 2019 (Waves 1 and 2) as part of PACE Vermont, an online cohort study of Vermonters aged 12–25. Latent class analyses grouped participants by responses to …

Student Wellbeing And Open Studio Process In The School Curriculum, Maria Kim

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

This study aimed to explore whether Open Studio Process (OSP) increased wellbeing of middle and high school students when facilitated by teachers as a part of the regular art curriculum. It was hypothesized that OSP might increase the sense of wellbeing among middle and high school students as well as facilitating teachers. The research was conducted as a mixed methods study in South Korea where students need preventative interventions for their wellbeing. The researcher trained eight teachers to facilitate OSP and five of them implemented it with their classes for seven sessions. Quantitative data (K-YSR; pre- and posttest) were collected …

Development And Validation Of The Perinatal Mental Health Literacy Scale Among Latinas, Irma Y. Torres-Catanach

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Psychiatric disorders in pregnancy and in the first year after childbirth are considered a significant health complication of the perinatal period (O'Hara & Wisner, 2014). The prevalence of perinatal mood disorders has been shown to be higher among women from racial/ethnic minority groups (Gavin et al., 2011; Melville et al., 2010). As the largest racial/ethnic minority group in the U.S., Latinas are disproportionately affected by these disparities. Despite the volume of research examining the prevalence of and treatment for perinatal psychiatric disorders, there is a dearth of knowledge focused on educational approaches that aim to reduce perinatal mental health disparities. …

Understanding The Impacts Of Military Unit Suicides On Fellow Soldiers As Witnessed By Battalion Commanders, Tom M. Noble

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The growing concern over the increase of suicides in the military remains a topic of discussion for senior leaders as they seek to provide services and resources to those in need. However, little research exists to address the impact of suicides on the soldiers who remain in units after suicides occur. The purpose of this thematic analysis study was to explore the observed experiences of battalion commanders who have witnessed the impact of suicide on their soldiers. Through the semistructured interviews of 4 battalion commanders, this research described the experiences of soldiers in military units where suicides had occurred. McCann …

Prayer As A Potential Buffer Against Ego Depletion, Danielle Oehring

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ego depletion is theorized as the loss of self-control after it has been exerted over a period of time, leading to loss of conscious regulation of behavior. Buffering against this loss is characterized by engaging in an activity that will help extent the use of self-control, helping to further regulate behaviors such as impulse control. We were interested in learning how prayer may act as a buffer against ego depletion and compared prayer against self-encouraging talk to find is there is a difference between how the two affect self-control. One hundred ten participants were randomly assigned to a video group: …

An Intuitive Eating Intervention For College Women With Disordered Eating: Evaluating Two Accessible And Affordable Approaches, Carolyn B. Burnette

Theses and Dissertations

Undergraduate women of all racial and ethnic groups engage in disordered eating behaviors (DEBs) at alarming rates. Most women do not receive treatment, with the largest disparities observed in women of color and those at higher weights. Prevailing interventions have limitations that could exacerbate these disparities, such as an emphasis on the thin ideal, which is often considered less relevant for some women of color. This is concerning, as disordered eating is often chronic and symptom crossover is common. Thus, a transdiagnostic, inclusive secondary prevention approach could enhance outcomes by addressing the spectrum of DEBs in diverse women. The purpose …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of A Community-Based Youth Non-Profit Organization At Increasing Prosocial Behavior And Decreasing Antisocial Behavior Among Young Boys: A Pilot Study, Molly A. Miller

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Community-based youth non-profit organizations (NPOs) have become increasingly popular for the provision of youth prevention and intervention services, yet many youth NPOs lack the resources to undergo formal evaluation. Further, most existing program evaluations do not consider individual characteristics of the child or the child’s exposure to stressors. The current pilot study sought to evaluate the extent to which boys participated in 1:1 mentoring and other program activities at the Son of a Saint (SOAS) NPO, an organization seeking to provide positive male role models for fatherless young boys. In addition, the current study examined the effects of program involvement …

Preservice Teachers Knowledge Of Adolescent Suicide, Annette N. Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Teacher preparation programs have a responsibility to prepare future teachers to teach

and mentor students through their academic years. With the rise of suicide in school age children, responsibility has fallen to teachers to better recognize and understand students who may be suicidal. This study sought to answer the question: to what degree does teaching certification, teaching experience, and suicide awareness embedded coursework predict preservice teachers’ knowledge of suicide awareness and prevention? Data from the Adolescent Suicide Behavior Questionnaire and a demographic survey which asked about participants’ preservice training was sent to universities and colleges in Texas with an undergraduate …

The Conceptualization Of The Positive Cognitive Triad And Associations With Depressive Symptoms In Adolescents., Caroline M. Pittard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Depressive symptoms during adolescence have been found to be associated with negative outcomes such as decreased academic performance, absenteeism, substance abuse, and poor physical health. The positive cognitive triad has been considered to be a protective factor against adolescent depressive symptoms. The positive cognitive triad is made up of three subfactors of cognitions, specifically, positive cognitions about the self, the world, and the future. This dissertation examined the various conceptualizations of the positive cognitive triad and their relation to depressive symptoms. These conceptualizations included considering the positive cognitive triad as a single overall protective factor (additive model), as multiple possible …

Supporting Marin County Youth Suffering From Anxiety And Depression, Victoria L. Grajeda

Counseling Psychology | Master's Theses

This toolkit was created to help shed light on the impact a stressful high school environment can have on today’s youth, and provide teachers, students, and parents with up-to-date information on what resources are available within the county of Marin. When working with adolescents, it is important to consider environmental threats to their mental health (i.e., lack of sleep) in order to make proper referrals and treatment plans. A study done by Kelley, Lockley, Kelley, & Evans (2017) implemented a 10:00 a.m. start time at an urban school in England. By delaying school start times, Kelley et al., found that …

Promoting Resilience In Economically Disadvantaged Adolescents Through School-Based Expressive Arts Groups, Bailey Knox

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Since 2013, the majority of students served by the public school system in the United States have been considered “low-income” by the federal government. The stressors associated with low socioeconomic status significantly increase risk for social, emotional and behavioral challenges at all age levels, but can be particularly damaging to adolescents coping with heightened stress levels related to the intense multi-dimensional changes that define this developmental period. As the correlation between economic disadvantage and negative socio-emotional and academic outcomes is increasingly evidenced, schools have begun to recognize their responsibility for providing preventative mental health care to high-risk students. Over the …

Cost-Benefit Analysis Of Enhanced Mentoring For Delinquency Prevention, Allison Smith

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Youth with certain risk factors (e.g., from a minority group, low-income status, previous contact with the juvenile justice system) are particularly at risk for juvenile delinquency and associated problems (e.g., school failure, mental health problems). In addition, these problems are quite costly to youth, their families, and society as a whole. Mentoring programs have shown modest, but consistent, effects in the prevention and reduction of juvenile delinquency and associated problems. Previous research has identified promising enhancements (i.e., advocacy/teaching roles for mentors, rigorous match processes, comprehensive mentor training, ongoing mentor support) that may increase the effectiveness of mentoring in producing positive …

Youth Prevention Programs: A Framework For Conducting Mediation Meta-Analyses, Morgan A. Kawamura

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Often for prevention program designs, researchers are interested in understanding the processes through which a program impacts a targeted outcome. Mediation analysis assists in identifying not only how a program influences an outcome, but also which intermediate variables (i.e., mediators) cause the effects between a program and an outcome to occur. Mediation analysis explains why a program works, which is useful for program developers in creating effective prevention and intervention-based programs.

To make use of mediation analysis findings for preventive intervention programs, researchers need a comprehensive understanding of the mediators between various programs and outcomes. However, a comprehensive examination into …

Updating The Revised Facts On Suicide Quiz: A Replication Study With An Expansion, Emily Bergan

CUP Undergraduate Research

The objective of this research was to replicate Hubbard and McIntosh’s 1992 study “Integrating Suicidology into Abnormal Psychology Classes: The Revised Facts on Suicide Quiz (RFOS)” with minor modifications. An updated version of the RFOS was utilized to determine the value of informative resources designed to enhance knowledge about suicide, as research on suicide-related knowledge is crucial to improving suicide awareness, treatment, and prevention. First year undergraduate students (N = 70) completed the quiz in the beginning of their Fall 2018 semester, then again at the end of their Fall 2018 semester. Mid-semester, students were given informative resources on the …

The Experiences Of Elementary School Counselors In Bullying Intervention And Prevention, Shannon Matthews

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Bullying has become a focus in American society over the past several decades due to publicized bullying cases and the impact bullying has on victims. Researchers have conducted studies to determine the definitions, causes, and results of bullying. This phenomenological qualitative study examined the experiences of elementary school counselors (Pre-K–5th grade) who have implemented antibullying programs. Using distributive leadership theory as a lens, purposeful sampling was used to recruit 8 elementary school counselors from a targeted East Texas area of similar populations and enrollment numbers. Interview data was analyzed using NVivo software and thematic analysis, which revealed 5 major themes: …

A Survey Of Providers And Patients Assessing The Need For And Use Of Prevention Practitioners To Combat Obesity In The Primary Care Setting, Amanda R. Lyons

DNP Projects

Purpose: The overall aim of this project was to gather information from two groups of stakeholders, providers and patients, on the feasibility of implementing prevention practitioners in the primary care system to address overweight and obesity.

Methods: This study utilized a quantitative descriptive design through the use of electronic surveys. Provider surveys were explained and presented during a monthly provider meeting. Patient flyers were posted in exam rooms and surveys were accessible through a provided link and QR code.

Results: Providers (N=10) agreed that they saw a need for the use of a prevention practitioner (Mean=4.44, SD=.88) as well as …

Mindfulness Training For Pre-Service Teachers Using Ecological Momentary Assessment, Emily A. Hattouni

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

There is a high-rate of burnout among teachers around the US often linked with the increasing stressors and demands (e.g., Iancu, Rusu, Măroiu, Păcurar, & Maricuțoiu, 2018). Additionally, Jennings and Greenberg (2009) demonstrated the importance of teachers’ social and emotional competence for promoting well-being and academic success in classrooms. Stress that is overwhelming or unaddressed can lead to teacher burnout, but there may be effective ways of promoting self-care among teachers, such as mindfulness-based practices. The current project included psychoeducation on the applications of mindfulness for teachers and repeated collections of self-report questionnaires to investigate the utility of mindfulness-training for …

Predictors Of Behavioral Health Among Firefighters In Their Third Year Of Fire Service, Victoria Alicia Torres

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Employee turnover is expensive, as job training can cost upwards of 30% of an employee’s annual salary (not including additional onboarding expenses; Boushey & Glynn, 2012). This is especially true among high stress, dangerous occupations that require specialized training such as firefighters (Envisage Technologies, 2016; Knoll, 2011; Patterson et al., 2010). Health status is a primary reason for job concerns that may lead to decline in job performance and employment separation (Hourani, Williams, & Kress, 2006; Virtanen, Kivimäki, Vahtera, Elovainio, Sund, Virtanen, & Ferrie, 2006). Two research areas that support this notion include literature on the biopsychosocial model and occupational …

Drinking With Those Who Mind : College Students' Beliefs About Secondhand Effects Of Alcohol And Related Intentions To Drink, Laura Marie Longo

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

A number of prevention/intervention efforts aim to address college student drinking, a public health concern with dire consequences. Currently, prevention and intervention efforts do not address secondhand effects of alcohol (SEA), which include negative consequences (e.g., study/sleep interruption, physical/sexual assault) that result from other students’ drinking behaviors. SEAs are problematic because they impose consequences for all students and are related to lower academic performance and school satisfaction. The current study (1) created and evaluated the psychometric properties of a new instrument the Attitudes Towards Secondhand Effects of Alcohol (ATSEA), and (2) examined the influence of peer feedback on perceived attitudes …

Wellness And Prevention Program Sustainability Design For Clark University Athletics Department, Emily Corbett

International Development, Community and Environment (IDCE)

The purpose of this work is to design a wellness based prevention program that is tailored to fit the campus community within Clark University, Worcester, MA, called the Peer Athletes Advocating for Wellness (PAAW) initiative. This paper first presents the current research on wellness related issues within a college campus, specifically surrounding sexual violence. It then outlines the current sexual violence prevention programming that takes place yearly for incoming first year students at Clark University, as well as a one-time initiative during which student athletes participated in the sexual violence prevention programming. There is a review of the current most …