Childhood Emotional Maltreatment And Its Associations With Internalizing And Externalizing Symptoms In Emerging Adults, Amira C. Wallace

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

This study examines how childhood emotional maltreatment influences mental health symptoms among college students aged 18 to 25, specifically exploring its association with increased prevalence and severity of depression, anxiety, hyperactivity, and aggression symptoms in emerging adulthood. The relationship between childhood emotional maltreatment and internalizing and/or externalizing mental health symptoms will be assessed using questionnaires. This study aims to provide recommendations for the development of supportive and inclusive academic environments that facilitate informed conversations and interventions regarding childhood maltreatment. Findings could provide valuable information about students with histories of childhood maltreatment to academic institutions, which could in turn be used …

The Price Of Possessiveness: How Parental Materialism Undermines Child Psychological Wellbeing, Miao Li

Sociology Publications

Materialism, a value system that places the pursuit of possessions at the core of happiness and life meaning, is a dominant cultural force in modern societies. While its associations with individual well-being are well-documented, its intergenerational implications remain understudied. This study conceptualizes materialism as a potential family stressor contributing to the intergenerational transmission of stress. An intergenerational crossover model of materialism was tested using data from 1,996 parent-child pairs in Zhengzhou, China. Results indicate that higher parental materialism is associated with stronger materialistic values in children, weaker family relationships, and more frequent parental comparisons, each of which is linked to …

Outcomes Associated With Childhood Parental Divorce: An Umbrella Review Of Meta-Analyses, Gabriel Xing Da Tan, Andree Hartanto, Ysabel Thereze Ang Guevarra, Angel K. M. P. Lee, Jing Jie Kenneth Koh, K Tennakoon Appuhamillage Sandeeshwara Kasturiratna

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Background: Childhood parental divorce has been consistently associated with a host of negative outcomes across multiple domains, such as socioemotional, behavioural, academic, and physical health, which can persist into adulthood. Despite extensive research on childhood parental divorce, the current literature lacks a systematic, integrated synthesis that clarifies which child outcomes are most consistently associated with parental divorce, as well as the potential moderators influencing these associations. Therefore, we conducted an umbrella review of meta-analyses to bridge this gap by consolidating the existing research and providing an exhaustive overview. Methods: Systematic searches were conducted across various databases and following a two-stage …

Exploring The Psychological Health Of First Responder Women And Their Children, Shelby S. Deschepper

Honors Thesis

Abstract

First responders (law enforcement officers, firefighters, paramedics, and emergency medical technicians) often face occupational stressors and may have exposure to traumatic events. As a result, they are at risk for developing mental health conditions. Although there is substantial research on first responder mental health, potential gender differences within this population have received limited attention. The existing evidence suggests that first responders who are women encounter an even higher risk for adverse mental health outcomes than first responders who are men. Additionally, few studies have explored the mental health outcomes of children with first responder parents, and even fewer have …

Covid-19 Adolescent Technology Use And Physical Activities: Cluster Analysis For Mental Health, Chunling Niu, Rui Jin, Ashley Love, Sohelia Sadeghi, Loren Cossette, Marissa Molina

Journal of Youth Development

This study examined how COVID-19 disrupted adolescent education, social interactions, and mental health by conducting exploratory cluster analysis to identify distinct profiles of technology use and physical activities, then comparing resulting clusters on demographics, social support, and mental health dimensions. Using the first wave of the longitudinal Oxford Achieving Resilience during COVID-19 (ARC) study of 1,196 United Kingdom adolescents aged 13-18, three clustering algorithms (k-means, k-medoids, and agglomerative hierarchical) identified optimal groupings validated both statistically and empirically. Three distinct clusters emerged: Cluster 1 (n = 380) characterized by low media use and moderate activity; Cluster 2 (n = 153) showing …

Increasing Implementation Of The Comfortable Cafeteria Program To Promote School-Age Children’S Mental Health And Well-Being, Reinecka Mondesir, Angela Labrie Blackwell Phd, Otr

Summer 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

Every Moment Counts (EMC) is a positive mental health promotion initiative that offers several initiatives to create inclusive environments that support student participation and emotional well-being throughout the school day. Comfortable Cafeteria, part of EMC, fosters positive mealtime experiences supporting peer interaction, emotional regulation, and inclusion. Many SBOT practitioners lack the resources to implement Comfortable Cafeteria, despite its benefits. This capstone project addresses the need for practical tools to help school-based occupational therapy (SBOT) practitioners integrate the Comfortable Cafeteria program into daily practice. Using the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework, the project developed and disseminated an interactive, evidence-based video …

Screening For Bullying In A Middle School Setting, Paige Bernau

Dissertations

Problem: Bullied youth are two and a half times more likely to experience depression and three times more likely to experience anxiety and suicidal ideation than their peers (Li et al., 2024). Schools represent a key access point for mental health support and treatment for youth (Duong et al., 2020). Despite this, schools typically do not have formal bullying screening integrated into student support services.

Methods: This program evaluation used a descriptive, observational design to evaluate a bullying screening program in a suburban middle-school. This program used the California Bullying Victimization Scale (CBVS) to assess for bullying victimization (BV) followed …

Innovative Partnerships To Expand School-Based Health Capacity In Rural Communities, Robyn Thomas Pitts, Amy K. Mcdiarmid

DU Rural Summit Conference Proceedings

Our nation's youth are in dire need of increased access to high-quality school-based mental health (SBMH) services. In Colorado’s rural areas, the school psychologist-to-student ratio is 1:2,128— over four times the recommended level. Our team secured $4M in federal and state funding to implement an innovative partnership strategy for strengthening rural SBMH capacity. We describe how innovative partnerships enabled us to overcome systemic barriers to training future school psychologists as they live, work, and learn in rural settings. Our culturally sustaining approach to program design, implementation, and evaluation leverages family-school-community partnerships to expand rural SBMH capacity.

Young Adults’ Metaperceptions Of Their Childhood Caregivers’ Appraisals And Young Adulthood Mental Health, Cassandra Svelnys

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Early experiences and relationships have enduring impacts on the development of self and later mental health and wellbeing. In social relationships and interactions, the developing individual is continuously assessing how they view themself, how they view the other person, and how they believe the other person views them. Metaperceptions represent the latter construct: how an individual thinks another person perceives them. Childhood self-esteem, parent-child attachment, and metaperceptions are foundational constructs for the developing individual, yet metaperceptions have not previously been tested as a predictor for adulthood mental health while also accounting for childhood self-esteem and parent-child attachment. This study introduced …

Empowering Schools: Suicide Prevention Education For School Nurses, Navjot K. Singh

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Background: Suicide among adolescents and youth is a serious public health issue that requires immediate intervention to reduce ideation and death. The increasing rate of suicide among children and adolescents has a profound effect on families, friends, and the community.

Problem: Suicide among school aged children and adolescents can create significant challenges for school nurses, who are often the first contact for students who recognize suicidal ideation and mental health crises. This issue is particularly significant for the Alameda school nurses in California, as they play a significant role in identifying and supporting students in a crisis.

Methods: A …

Feasibility And Acceptability Of The Mazi Umntanakho Digital Tool In South African Settings: A Qualitative Evaluation, Catherine E. Draper, Caylee J. Cook, Elizabeth A. Ankrah, Jesus A. Beltran, Franceli L. Cibrian, Kimberley D. Lakes, Hanna Mofid, Lucretia Williams, Gillian R. Hayes

Engineering Faculty Articles and Research

To address the need for interventions targeting social emotional development and mental health of young children in South Africa, the Mazi Umntanakho (‘know your child’) digital tool was co-designed, and piloted with caregivers and 3–5-year-old children involved in home visiting programmes promoting early childhood development. The aim of this study was to qualitatively evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of this tool in four urban and four rural low-income communities, from the perspective of home visitors and caregivers. Focus groups were conducted with home visitors (n = 117) and caregivers (n = 72). Issues relating to the feasibility of …

Mental Health Services In A Camp Setting: Choices, Challenges, Change, Johnathan Meier, Erinn J. Victory, Rebecca I. Laquaglia, Matthew J. Kasopsky, Jeongwi An, Gabriella R. Johnson, Andrew D. Mendonsa, Stephanie Mcwilliams

Journal of Youth Development

The prevalence of mental health issues among youth, with nearly half meeting diagnostic criteria for a mental health disorder and suicide being a leading cause of death, underscores the urgency for effective intervention (National Institute of Mental Health, 2023). Summer camps, hosting millions of children annually, are urged by the American Camp Association to establish mental health support, ranging from trained counselors to licensed therapists (ACA, 2009; 2022). At the 2023 National Scout Jamboree, mental health services were offered for the first time. During the Jamboree, 82 participants received individual or group mental health services in the Mental Health Clinic. …

Young Children’S Mental Well-Being In Low-Income South African Settings: A Qualitative Study, Catherine E. Draper, Caylee J. Cook, Elizabeth A. Ankrah, Jesus A. Beltran, Franceli L. Cibrian, Jazette Johnson, Kimberley D. Lakes, Hanna Mofid, Lucretia Williams, Gillian R. Hayes

Engineering Faculty Articles and Research

This qualitative study aimed to capture community perspectives of the risks and protective factors for social emotional development and mental health of young children in low-income South Africa settings, and was conducted as one component of a larger study with the ultimate aim of co-designing the Mazi Umntanakho (‘know your child’) digital tool. Twenty focus group discussions (n = 154, 97% female) were held with staff of community-based organisations (CBOs) and community health worker (CHW) programmes in urban and rural sites from four geographical regions. Data were analysed thematically, and grouped according to components of nurturing care (responsive caregiving, safety …

Voices From The Classroom: A Qualitative Study Of Teachers' Perspectives On Student Depression, Naomi Brinton, Jacqlyn Zarabba, Linda Mcwhorter, Linda Knauss

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

Rising levels of depression among adolescents is an important issue to teachers and school administrators, as teenagers spend the majority of their time in the school environment. By analyzing individual interviews with 15 public high school teachers using a modified grounded theory approach, this qualitative study examines the role high school teachers might play in identifying and referring students who exhibit signs and symptoms of depression. Results provide guidance for high school teachers in connecting students with appropriate services and identifying common barriers and facilitating factors in this process. Specific recommendations are outlined to help aid schools in the identification …

Leveraging The Science Of Early Life Predictability To Inform Policies Promoting Child Health, Laura M. Glynn, Sabrina R. Liu, Candice Taylor Lucas, Elysia Poggi Davis

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Addressing the tremendous burden of early-life adversity requires constructive dialogues between scientists and policy makers to improve population health. Whereas dialogues focused on several aspects of early-life adversity have been initiated, discussion of an underrecognized form of adversity that has been observed across multiple contexts and cultures is only now emerging. Here we provide evidence for “why unpredictability?”, including: 1. Evidence that exposures to unpredictability affect child neurodevelopment, with influences that persist into adulthood. 2. The existence of a translational non-human animal model of exposure to early life unpredictability that can be capitalized upon to causally probe neurobiological mechanisms. 3. …

Childhood Cancer Survivorship: Navigating A New Normal In Middle Tennessee, Karli M. Beaumont

OTD Capstone Projects

Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt in partnership with Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center offers REACH for Cancer Survivorship, a pediatric cancer survivorship clinic. REACH provides a full range of follow-up care designed to meet the physical, emotional, and practical needs of survivors and continuous surveillance of deleterious effects of cancer and its treatments. The purpose of this project was to meet population and agency needs through research of long- and late-term sequela while advocating for occupational therapy’s role in the oncology population through the proactive therapy and prospective surveillance models. The process of creating this project included synthesizing the literature, …

Nyc Students And Mental Health, Ashlee B. Brown

Capstones

Mental health and trauma is affecting students in NYC schools; yet according to New York State comptroller Thomas DiNapoli’s report, schools are not equipped to provide them with the support they need. For my practicum, I created three videos that all have one thing in common - NYC public school students and their mental health. Two videos feature DOE officials, and one features community members and a therapist. The videos were shared with community members and DOE officials upon completion.

Link to project (medium post): https://medium.com/@ashlee.brown76/nyc-students-and-mental-health-f50c4f1d0b81

Supporting Staff Supports Youth Well-Being At Summer Camp, Robert P. Lubeznik-Warner, Nila Rosen

Journal of Youth Development

Youth well-being is of central importance, now, perhaps more than ever before. In the wake of the covid pandemic, youth need emotional support and connection throughout the academic year and summer months. Camp is a primary method of summer programming in America and thus may be an important conduit for mental, emotional, social, and spiritual health for youth during the summer. Camp staff may be one mechanism for supporting youth well-being; however, relatively little is known about the relationship between camp staff well-being and youth camper well-being. To address this gap, this study used secondary cross-sectional data collected by a …

Pediatric Providers’ Experiences Assessing Young Children’S Emotions And Behaviors, Vaibhavi Venkataramanan, Akira Isaac B.S., Sara Bufferd Ph.D.

The Cardinal Edge

Introduction: Preschool-aged children experience anxiety and mood-related emotions (e.g., irritability, fears) and behaviors (e.g., tantrums) that are developmentally normative, but can overlap with psychopathology, making assessment challenging (Bufferd et al.,2016). Most children see pediatric medical providers annually, and providers can evaluate them. However, providers face challenges like limited training and time (Bean et al.,2000;Heneghan et al.,2008). Accurate and early identification of emotional and behavioral difficulties is critical to support young children’s mental health and prevent worsening problems.

Methods: Participants included N=22 pediatricians who see 3-5-year-old children in their practice. Pediatricians completed an online survey about their experiences assessing young …

Utilizing Mixed Graphical Network Models To Explore Parent Psychological Symptoms And Their Centrality To Parent Mental Health In Households With High Child Screen Usage, Piper F. Stacey, Nicholas C. Jacobson, Damien Lekkas

Computer Science Senior Theses

Especially among adolescents, screens are being used more than ever. In conjunction with this trend, mental illness is increasingly prevalent among both adults and children, and parental psychological problems are shown to be associated with children's TV watching, video watching, and gaming (Pulkki-Råback et al., 2022). This study aims to approach parent mental illness symptom by symptom to explore which specific symptoms are most central to parent psychological problems in households where children show high screen time behaviors. We draw from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study (ABCD Study®), a nationwide sample of 11,875 children aged 10-13 collected by …

An Occupational Therapy Guide To Regulation And Resilience In The Classroom, Catherine Newton, Jazminne Orozco-Arteaga

Spring 2023 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

An occupational therapy educational program that focuses on increasing teachers' knowledge surrounding childhood trauma as well as promoting regulation and resilience in the classroom.

Breaking Into Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Center: A Lesson In (Non) Quantitative Research, Mackenzie Seward

Honors Theses

Gaps in the literature on juvenile justice and mental health within a juvenile correctional center prompted a study that focused on self-esteem, emotions, and empathy in residents living in a juvenile correctional center related to their participation in a storytelling course. First-year students from a local university visited the correctional center as part of a community-based learning component. They met with residents to swap stories about their lives. Several limitations and obstacles complicated the data collection process, forcing the researchers to pivot their study from quantitative analyses to qualitative observations. The experience of conducting a study within a juvenile correctional …

Universal Screening For Student Mental Health: Selection Of Norming Sample As A Determinate Of Risk Status, Meagan Zeitvogel

LSU Master's Theses

The prevalence of student mental health concerns has increased the need for universal mental health screening. In turn, students may have increased access to services and support. Some screeners determine risk status by comparing student scores to norming samples that can be based solely on age (i.e., combined-gender) or on age and gender (i.e., separate-gender). Combined-gender norming samples assign risk status based on typical emotional and behavioral functioning across development. Separate-gender norming samples assign risk status based on developmental and biological differences between boys and girls. Currently, there is no research determining if students’ risk status changes based on norming …

Affirming Care: Lessons From Minority Stress Model To Bolster Mental Health Outcomes For Lgbtq+ Youth In Primary Care, Kyrie Lampert

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Individuals in positions of power influence youth wellbeing, self-perception, and overall mental health. According to the minority stress model, individuals who hold marginalized identities, such as LGBTQ+ youth, face unique, chronic, and socially based additive stressors. Research shows that these additive stressors contribute to LGBTQ+ youth experiencing disproportionate rates of mental health concerns. Queer youth are more than four times as likely to attempt suicide than their non-queer identifying peers. Additive stressors that LGBTQ+ youth face include prejudiced events, stigma, decisions of concealment or disclosure, and internalized homophobia and transphobia. This paper will review and integrate research, utilizing the minority …

Profiles Of Family Functioning In Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Patients: Longitudinal Associations With Child Well-Being, Sydney Sumrall

Theses and Dissertations

This study aims to assess 1) patterns of family functioning and 2) longitudinal associations between family functioning patterns and well-being in a vulnerable cohort of children with chronic illness. Caregivers of hematology (16.4%) and oncology (83.6%) patients ages 7-20 (N=55; M_age = 13.3 [SD = 2.7]; 52.7% female; 45.5% non-Latinx White, 38.2% Black or African American, 12.7% Latinx, 1.8% Asian, and 1.8% multi-racial,) reported on family functioning via the Family Assessment Device. Cluster analyses identified three mutually exclusive clusters: one high adaptive group, one moderate adaptive group, and one maladaptive group. Group membership was not significantly …

A Systematic Review Of Canine Assisted Psychotherapy For Youth At Risk Or With Mental Health Disorders, Hedieh Hakakian

Theses and Dissertations

Mental health disorders among youth are often underrepresented in research, resulting in a delay and under-treatment of their needs (Catania et al., 2011). While their needs are frequently under-treated, research suggests that youth often experience mental health problems that subsequently lead to difficulties in adulthood (Carballo et al., 2011) necessitating a need to identify efficacious treatments to these problems. This systematic review used a mixed-methods design to analyze current literature on the use of Canine-Assisted Psychotherapy (CAP) with youth ages 0-20. The aims of the study were to (a) understand the impact of CAP on mental health (i.e., clinical diagnosis …

The Effects Of Active Shootings On 4-H Youth And Families, Melinda Garcia, Elizabeth Gangwer

Journal of Extension

The effects of active shootings should be a priority to provide needed assistance to 4-H youth and families in coping with their social-emotional well-being. Exposure to such violence can lead to lasting impacts on youth that can affect behavior. Addressing this sensitive topic is crucial in ensuring that Extension professionals are prepared to meet the needs of youth and families. Higher rates of depression, aggression, to name a few, are a result of having witnessed such events as a shooting. Providing training for Extension personnel can aid in reducing the amount of PTSD and other social-emotional trauma.

Exposure To Unpredictability And Mental Health: Validation Of The Brief Version Of The Questionnaire Of Unpredictability In Childhood (Quic-5) In English And Spanish, Natasha G. Lindert, Megan Y. Maxwell, Sabrina R. Liu, Hal S. Stern, Tallie Z. Baram, Elysia Poggi Davis, Victoria B. Risbrough, Dewleen G. Baker, Caroline M. Nievergelt, Laura M. Glynn

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Unpredictability is increasingly recognized as a primary dimension of early life adversity affecting lifespan mental health trajectories; screening for these experiences is therefore vital. The Questionnaire of Unpredictability in Childhood (QUIC) is a 38-item tool that measures unpredictability in childhood in social, emotional and physical domains. The available evidence indicates that exposure to unpredictable experiences measured with the QUIC predicts internalizing symptoms including depression and anxiety. The purpose of the present study was to validate English and Spanish brief versions (QUIC-5) suitable for administration in time-limited settings (e.g., clinical care settings, large-scale epidemiological studies). Five representative items were identified from …

The Impacts Of Problematic Social Media Use On Youths: Evaluation And Treatment Recommendations, Carianne Archer

Dissertations

Youths’ frequency and time spent on social media continues to increase over the years parallel to the growing concern of the status of the mental health of youth. This critical literature review project focuses on the impacts that social media use has on youth (ages 8 to 18 years) and what methods of evaluation and treatment are being used clinically, with recommendations provided to clinicians based on the available literature. The questions that guided this review included: What are the impacts of social media on the self-concept and interpersonal functioning of youths?; What clinical presentations are associated with youths who …

Factors Associated With Racial And Ethnic Minority Youths' Mental Health Help-Seeking At School, Sam Allouche

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Despite the high prevalence and associated consequences of mental health problems in youth, adolescents with these problems are often left untreated. This service gap is even greater in racial and ethnic minority youth who not only engage in treatment less frequently, but also experience far greater discrimination and systemic inequality than non-ethnic or racial minority students; factors further contributing to a need for service. Schools may provide an ideal location to treat mental health problems in youth, in part because schools eliminate structural barriers, but also because school staff have an opportunity to observe students across a range of functioning. …