Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Some Secrets Should Be Shared: Implementing An Evidence-Based Suicide Prevention Program, Meghan W. Diamon

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

Youth suicide prevention is critical in schools and local communities. Participants will discuss published research on risk factors for youth suicide, how to implement an evidence-based prevention program, and how to tackle common obstacles encountered. Participants will be prepared to mobilize school staff, parents, and community members to address the critical issues of depression awareness and suicide prevention.

Explaining The Frequency Of Alcohol Consumption In A Conflict Zone: Jews And Palestinians In Israel, Zohar Massey, Karen G. Chartier, Mary B. Stebbins, Daphna Canetti, Stevan E. Hobfoll, Brian J. Hall, Kerem Shuval

Social Work Publications

Experiencing stress and exposure to terrorism may have an adverse effect on health risk behaviors. Few studies have examined alcohol use among adults living in Israel under chronic, stressful terrorism-related conditions. In this study, we examined the relationships of demographics, past stressful events, and terrorism exposure to the frequency of alcohol use and the mediating roles of depressive and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. We used three waves of data from a 2007–2008 nationally representative sample of Jewish and Palestinian adults in Israel. We assessed past stressful events, in addition to direct and indirect exposures to terrorism. Results indicated that …

The Emotional Impact On Elderly Spouses Who Placed Their Loved Ones In Long-Term, Barbara Hunt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Aging may bring mental and/or physical decline. There may come a point when a loved

one needs long-term care in a nursing home. The purpose of this phenomenological study

was to examine the community dwelling spouses' emotional state. A study was

conducted with 10 individuals (5 men and 5 women) who had a spouse in long-term

nursing care. Inclusion criteria was to be at least 65-years old, have been married at least

30 years, and reside alone in his or her own home. The social emotional selectivity theory

and the construct of boundary ambiguity were applied to view the epoch. …

The Effect Of Caring For Grandchildren On Older Adults' Well-Being : Caregiving Grandparents Vs. Non-Caregivers In South Korea, Jwakyum Kim

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Purpose: The aim of the present study is to provide theoretical explanations of the relationship of caregiving and older adults’ health (i.e., a life course perspective and Andersen’s Behavioral Model). Specifically, this study examines the effect of caring for grandchildren on older adults’ well-being in South Korea.

Improving Depression Care For Older Home Health Patients, Sarah R. Schirmer

DNP Projects

Rates of depression in older home healthcare (HH) patients are highly prevalent. Although depression in this population is associated with increased rates of re-hospitalization, falls, and suicides, it is frequently under diagnosed and under treated. This Capstone Report examined this problem through three interrelated manuscripts. The first manuscript explored the problem through a review of the literature. This review determined that while there are many barriers to adequate depression care, programs that train clinicians to screen for depression and connect patients to depression care encourage adequate evaluation and treatment and can result in clinically significant changes in depression scores. This …

Why You Should Care About The Threatened Middle Class, Jill Littrell, Fred Brooks, Jan Ivery, Mary Ohmer

jill l littrell Dr.

In the last two decades, the income and security of the individual middle class worker has declined and the gap between the middle class and the wealthy has widened. We explain how this is bad for democracy, the economy, and the aggregate health of the nation. We examine the governmental policies and interventions that increased the middle class following the depression and maintained its vigor through the post-World War II period. The impetus for these changes in governmental policies in the 1930s was to end the Great Depression. We pose the question of whether a nation can recover from a …

Testosterone, Dominance, And Depression In Recently Married Couples, Gabriela I. Quiñones-Torres

Masters Theses

Dominance refers to the wide set of behaviors individuals engage in with the intention of achieving or maintaining social status. Considering the relevance of these behaviors in the dynamics of close relationships, this study examined relations among testosterone, dominance, and the emotional health of a total of 225 opposite sex newlywed couples. An original measure of dominance was developed that accounted for both positive and negative manifestations, as well as situational and dispositional qualities of these status-promoting behaviors. Structural equation analyses revealed that dominance behaviors predict depression for both wives and husbands, and that positive and negative aspects of dominance …

Homelike Variables And Rates Of Depression Among Assisted Living Facility Residents, Courtney J. Wright

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

There is an undeniable increase in the number of aging adults who are utilizing assisted living facilities to delay transitioning into nursing homes in order to receive care in their older years. There has also been in recent years a growing interest in the importance of recognizing and preventing depression and depressive-like symptoms in the aging population. A transition from a home environment where one has potentially spent the majority of their life brings about its own set of emotions and stressors. This may undoubtedly create a variety of concerns to become apparent by current and future facility residents and …

Partnering For Mental Health Promotion: Implementing Evidence Based Mental Health Services Within A Maternal And Child Home Health Visiting Program, Lisa A. Gray, Sarah Kye Price

Social Work Publications

This article details the clinical foundations of a social work focused community-based participatory research project promoting women’s mental health during and around the time of pregnancy. Specifically, we discuss the theoretical, empirical and organizational implementation of an enhanced engagement model of mental health service delivery that integrates evidenced based practices into the structure and services of an existing non-profit maternal and child health home visiting agency. The model is grounded in literature addressing barriers to accessing mental health care among minority women living in low-income communities. We discuss informing the intervention through direct consumer involvement, as well the rationale supporting …

Trauma Exposure, Posttraumatic Stress, And Depression In A Community Sample Of First-Time Mothers, Mickey Sperlich

Wayne State University Dissertations

The adverse effects of posttraumatic stress and depression have separately been well-documented in the perinatal mental health literature. However, few studies have considered the comorbidity between trauma, posttraumatic stress and depression. This dissertation study brings attention to this comorbidity and explores implications of recent changes to diagnostic criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder related to the ability to predict postpartum depression and impairments in mother/infant bonding. Following a conceptual framework which outlines the effects of violence and trauma on adverse childbearing outcomes, hypotheses were that many women with depression in pregnancy would endorse trauma and would be at risk for subthreshold …

Barriers To Depression Treatment Among Low-Income, Latino Emergency Department Patients, Anjanette A. Wells, Isabel T. Lagomasino M.D., Lawrence A. Palinkas, Jennifer Green, Diana Gonzalez Msw

Brown School Faculty Publications

Objectives. Low-income and Latinos use the emergency department (ED) as a primary source of care. Also, the depression prevalence in ED patients is high, making the ED a compelling venue for depression screening and intervention. This study examined barriers and facilitators to depression treatment among low-income, predominantly Latino ED patients. Methods. We conducted telephone interviews with 24 ED patients (18-62 years of age, 79% female) who dropped out of a depression treatment intervention. Using grounded theory, we analyzed perceptions of depression and treatment, and barriers and facilitators to mental health treatment. Results. Although most patients acknowledged signs of depression, there …

Volunteering Among Surviving Spouses: The Impact Of Volunteer Activity On The Health Of The Recently Widowed, Kimberly J. Johnson

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Numerous studies link volunteering to positive mental and physical health for older adults, and recent studies have suggested that volunteering may be particularly beneficial for those who are widowed. This research examines the potential of volunteering to buffer participants from stress-related health declines associated with the death of a spouse.

Using the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), this research investigates the moderating role of volunteering on the self-rated health and depressive symptoms of recently widowed older adults. Consecutive waves of the HRS are used to identify respondents who experience the death of a spouse or who remain married, and those …

The Influence Of A Father’S Residential Status On The Development Of Depression, Tesia R. Vitale

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

In recognition of society’s changing family dynamics, due to divorce, separation, and the adaptation of cohabitating relationships, a significant amount of children are growing up in homes separate from that of their biological fathers, and are subsequently experiencing the addition of an alternative father figure in their lives. Further, a significant amount of American children are growing up in single-parent homes, typically headed by a mother. The implications of these changes are important to examine in relation to how they affect children’s emotional development, as depression has been associated with early attachment relationships. The father-child dyad, is of particular significance …

Experiences Of Stigma In Older Adults Living With Hiv/Aids: A Mixed-Methods Analysis, Charles Emlet

Charles Emlet

Older adults are increasingly becoming impacted by HIV disease, both as newly infected individuals and as long-term survivors of HIV/AIDS living into older age. HIV-related stigma impacts the quality of life of all persons with HIV/AIDS. However, little is know about HIV-related stigma in older adults because many studies do not include older subjects or ignore age as a variable. This mixed methods study examined the experiences of HIV-related stigma in a sample of 25 older adults with HIV/AIDS from the Pacific Northwest. Quantitative methods measured HIV-stigma and depression, while in-depth qualitative interviews captured the lived experiences of these individuals. …

Acculturative Stress And Depressive Symptoms Among Korean Immigrant Elders Residing In Non-Korean Ethnic Enclaves, Stephanie Lyu Rhee

Theses and Dissertations--Social Work

Few studies have examined the relationships among personal factors, acculturative stress, coping resources, and depression of Korean immigrant elders residing in areas without any Korean ethnic enclave. Based on the stress and coping model and the sociocultural model of stress, coping, and adaptation, this cross-sectional study examined the relationships among acculturative stress, coping, and depression in 111 non-institutionalized Korean immigrant elders aged 60 and older residing in areas without any Korean ethnic enclaves in three neighboring states of Southwestern Ohio, North Central Region of Kentucky, and Southern Indiana. A majority of convenience and snowball sample participated in self-administered mailed surveys, …

The Baby Blues: Mothers' Experiences After Adoption, Brigette Barno Schupay

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

It is not uncommon for new mothers to experience depression. However, depression after the arrival of a child is not limited to biological mothers. The term Post-Adoption Depression Syndrome (PADS) was created to capture the unique type of depression that may occur after adopting a child. The nature and prevalence of depression after adoption is still largely unknown since there is little published research exploring the experiences of mothers in the first year after adopting a child. The characteristics of this disorder are reportedly comparable to postpartum depression in a biological mother. A review of postpartum literature reveals risk …

Assessing The Effect Of Relocation Control On Psychological Well-Being Of Assisted Living Residents, Young Sook Kim

Doctoral Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Recent evidence and prior research document that increasing numbers of older adults are experiencing relocation to an assisted living facility (ALF), and that involuntary ALF relocatees face a great risk of psychological distress because of the numerous stressors associated with this relocation. However, little empirical research has clearly investigated the interrelationship among major factors and their effects on the psychological well-being of AL residents: relocation control, mediators of stress (e.g., social support, self-reported health, and functional impairment) and psychological well-being.

This study had two aims: (a) to investigate the relationship between relocation control and psychological well-being (e.g., depression, …

Assessment Of Co-Occurring Depression And Substance Use In An Ethnically Diverse Patient Sample During Behavioral Health Intake Interviews, Sarah Darghouth, Ora Nakash, Alisa Miller, Margarita Alegría

School for Social Work: Faculty Publications

Background: Co-occurring disorders present a challenge for providers who often fail to diagnose them with accuracy. This study explores the assessment process of co-occurring depressive and substance use disorders in community health clinics serving ethnically diverse patients. The goals are to identify how symptoms discussed in intake, as well as patient and provider characteristics, are associated with receiving a diagnosis of co-occurring disorders or not. Methods: Participation in the study consisted of videotaping the intake, conducting a semi-structured interview, and completing demographic and clinical measures. Quantitative analyses were conducted based on information coded from videotapes of intakes with 119 patients …

The Use Of Self-Service Technologies In Stress Management: A Pilot Project, Carissa Morris

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

This research describes a pilot program created to help St. Catherine University’s Associate nursing students receive education regarding stress management and practice relaxation techniques. The program was developed using three key elements: 1) practicing a variety of relaxation and mindfulness techniques 2) practicing these techniques through the use of self-service technologies, and 3) participating in group sessions where psychoeducation regarding stress, depression and anxiety was provided.

Six participants completed the stress management program. They practiced breathwork, mindfulness and guided imagery exercises through podcasts and apps on internet-capable, mobile devices. Results showed decreases in stress and anxiety levels among participants. Additional …

What Is The Effect Of Single Mothers With Depression On Child Development Among Children With Mental Health Diagnoses?, Alyssa Youngquist

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

The purpose of this research study is to explore whether the participating mothers were able to identify if an increase in their child’s behavior has a connection with their depressive symptoms. Using a quantitative design, thirty two mothers were surveyed on their depressive symptoms in the previous two weeks as well as their child’s behavior problems exhibited in the previous two weeks. All of the mothers surveyed have children who attend a therapeutic day program for school-aged children with a mental health diagnosis. Data was analyzed using frequency, correlations, T-tests and one-way ANOVA. The findings indicated that mothers who felt …

Primary Care Provider Management Of Anxiety And Depression In Palliative Patients, Colette Zunk

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Anxiety and depression are common psychological experiences in patients who have advanced disease and are often unrecognized and undertreated. This study examined how primary care providers assess, identify and treat anxiety and depression in patients who have advanced disease, as well as to illustrate to what extent social work and mental health services are currently being utilized to address these psychological issues. Primary care providers at two rural clinics in Northern Wisconsin were invited to participate in this study, including Family Practice and Internal Medicine Physicians, Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants who provide primary care to patients, including patients who …

Study To Identify Indicators Of Suicidal Ideation And Its Relation To Self-Perceived Quality Of Life Among Select Populations Of The Physically Disabled, Nicholas Joseph Ballew

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study is to explore cognitive variables in select populations of the physically disabled to detect suicidal ideation. In contrast to the majority of studies focusing mainly on physical or vegetative symptomology, this study focused purely on the cognitive, emotional, psychosocial aspects of schema leading up to suicidal ideation. The purpose of this project will be an attempt to implement the use of a cognitive tool aimed at physically disabled populations and place this tool in the hands of professionals, physicians and loved ones to the affect of identifying and reducing suicidal ideation within this population. The …

The Effectiveness Of The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 Across Cultures, Caylin Cedergren

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This project has two purposes. First, to evaluate the effectiveness of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) across cultures since it is the standard depression tool used across Mayo Clinic Health System. Second, to develop a Standard of Care that would create consistency in the follow-up provided to patients at Mayo Clinic Health System – Springfield Clinic whose PHQ-9 score reflects signs of depression.

The Influence Of Social Support On Depression Among Seniors Over 65 Living In Their Homes, Marilene Reed

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of social support on depression among seniors over 65 years of age living in their homes. As part of the aging process, most elderly will face many losses and stresses such as the loss of income, family and friends, and the decline of health and mental capacities.

The Impact Of Exposure To Domestic Violence On Developmental Trajectories Of Depressive Symptoms And Antisocial Behavior Across The Transition To Adulthood, Aely Park

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Principal Aims:

Perceived Effectiveness Of Sports Interventions On Mental Health: Exploring The Perspectives Of Professional Educators, Isais Wellington Smith, Gamaliel Beltran

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to examine sports interventions among professional educators and how sports as an exercise method can contribute to mental health well being. Sports and exercise in many therapeutic environments may help individuals alleviate symptoms pertaining to depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, bi-polar, and many other mental health disorders.

Why You Should Care About The Threatened Middle Class, Jill Littrell, Fred Brooks, Jan Ivery, Mary L. Ohmer

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

In the last two decades, the income and security of the individual middle class worker has declined and the gap between the middle class and the wealthy has widened. We explain how this is bad for democracy, the economy, and the aggregate health of the nation. We examine the governmental policies and interventions that increased the middle class following the depression and maintained its vigor through the post-World War II period. The impetus for these changes in governmental policies in the 1930s was to end the Great Depression. We pose the question of whether a nation can recover from a …

Cognitive And Psychodynamic Mechanisms Of Change In Treated And Untreated Depression, Daniel Coleman, Diane Cole, Leslie Wuest

Faculty Publications - College of Social Work

Two patient-level mechanisms of change, defenses, and cognition were tested over 3 time points in 65 depressed adults, approximately half receiving treatment. Early changes in automatic thoughts and immature defenses were associated with symptom change from time-one to time-three. The directionality of early automatic thought change predicting symptom change was partially supported, but immature defense change occurs simultaneously with, or after, symptom change. Given the convergent evidence of cognitive change as a mediator of depression reduction, all depression therapies should consider how they address depressive cognition. To build a more complete understanding of how to ameliorate depression, future studies should …

Why You Should Care About The Threatened Middle Class, Jill Littrell, Fred Brooks, Jan Ivery, Mary Ohmer

SW Publications

In the last two decades, the income and security of the individual middle class worker has declined and the gap between the middle class and the wealthy has widened. We explain how this is bad for democracy, the economy, and the aggregate health of the nation. We examine the governmental policies and interventions that increased the middle class following the depression and maintained its vigor through the post-World War II period. The impetus for these changes in governmental policies in the 1930s was to end the Great Depression. We pose the question of whether a nation can recover from a …

Life Transitions, Social Support And Psychological Well-Being Among The Elderly In Taiwan : A Longitudinal Study, Shiau-Fang Chao

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This study examines the relationships between life transitions, social support and psychological well-being. A decline in health and financial strain were selected as two types of chronic stressors and loss of a spouse as an acute stressor. This study integrates previous literature and develops a unique predictive model involving seven components of social support -- social network size, social network composition, frequency of social contact, satisfaction with social support, types of support, helping others, and proximity of support. Depression and life satisfaction were the two measures of psychological well-being. 3,585 elders who were interviewed up to five times over a …