Clinical and Medical Social Work Commons^™

Launch-Ing Minnesota Early Childhood Mental Health Into The Future, Molly Abdo, Alyssa Baker, Elizabeth Holz

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

What is Social-Emotional Development? The foundation for lifelong mental health, including social and emotional development, is established early in life and shaped by children's relationships with parents, caregivers, and peers. This foundation is critical to all aspects of healthy development and growth in early childhood. Social-emotional development can be defined as "the capacity to form secure relationships; experience, express, and manage a range of emotions; and learn and explore one's environment."

Why is it Important? When children fail to develop social-emotionally, mental health symptoms begin to emerge and can "cause distress, interfere with relationships, limit the child's participation in daily …

The Social Isolation Epidemic: A Public Health Concern, Jolynne Bockman, Allison Frandrup, Hannah Miner

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

Social isolation kills. Loneliness and social isolation raise the likelihood of coronary heart disease and stroke, result in poor cardiovascular and mental health outcomes, and drastically increase the likelihood of death. Resulting health implications that stem from real or perceived physical or emotional remoteness include a spectrum of harsh realities ranging from feelings of low self-worth to reduced work capacity to attempts to harm oneself. Social isolation does not have to become the defining reality of modern life. Attention to the vast loneliness spreading through diverse populations across the state is desperately needed as a means to combat this modern …

Psychosocial Correlates Of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms And Well-Being Among Hispanic World Trade Center Rescue And Recovery Workers, Dianne Ciro

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Thousands of first responders are estimated to have endured extremely distressing experiences during their recovery efforts at the 9/11 World Trade Center (WTC) site. While the effects of 9/11 continue to be studied, few studies have examined how rescue and recovery workers have been coping since 9/11 and how their coping is associated with their psychological well-being. Moreover, we do not know how distinct coping patterns may be associated with post-traumatic growth, experiences of positive emotion, or quality of life among WTC responders.

This study compared coping differences among Hispanic, Non-Hispanic White, and Non-Hispanic Black first responders. In addition, it …

Building Resilience Among Orphaned And Vulnerable Children Through The Memory Book Intervention, Barbara J. Braband, Tamara Faris, Kaye Wilson-Anderson

Faculty Publications - College of Nursing

Children who are orphaned and vulnerable due to poverty, war, or disease (HIV/AIDS) may experience childhood traumatic grief. A qualitative phenomenological approach was implemented to explore and compare the lived experiences of orphaned children, adolescents, and caregivers who had used the Memory Book intervention at six children’s homes in India, Kenya, and South Africa. Study findings revealed similar themes between the countries, with primary themes of identity and relationships, and secondary themes of coping, hope, and emotion. Findings suggest the value of Memory Book resources to encourage the preservation of a child’s story and grief recovery that can be used …

Determinants Of Health Disparities Among African And Caucasian Americans With Chronic Kidney Disease, Renal Cell Carcinoma, And End-Stage Renal Disease, Kathleen Cosgrove

The Graduate Review

Many studies have confirmed the disparity that black patients have an increased prevalence of severely impaired kidney function compared to whites. Without dialysis, or a kidney transplant, chronic kidney disease will progress to a fatal prognosis of end-stage kidney failure. The most common type of kidney cancer, renal cell carcinoma, occurs most often in adult males, age 50-70. Diabetes and hypertension are two of the most determinant factors of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in the United States, which most often develops following a chronic kidney disease (CKD) diagnosis. The poor are most susceptible to disease due to high risk community …

The Hold Me Tight Program For Couples Becoming Parents: A Mixed Methods Study, Debbie Wang

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

ABSTRACT

Attachment theory has made substantial contributions to the understanding of close relationships. The purpose of this study was to inquire whether an attachment-informed psychoeducational program is a feasible and effective intervention for couples expecting their first child. The overarching question was: Is an attachment-informed relationship enhancement program, such as Hold Me Tight^® (HMT), helpful to couples in strengthening their relationship and increasing their confidence in becoming first-time parents? The research question was addressed using a mixed-methods approach.

In the first phase, the Hold Me Tight^® program developed by Dr. Sue Johnson was modified for use with couples …

Scope Of Advance Practice Providers' Role In Transition To Adulthood Care, Cathy Cartwright, Teresa Hickam

Posters

Advance Practice Providers adopting formal transition planning provided a wider scope of responsibilities supporting transition to adult care than those who did not.

A Pilot Study Of Computerized, Tailored Intervention To Promote Hpv Vaccination In Mexican-Heritage Adolescents, Angela Chia-Chen Chen, Michael Todd, Ashish Amresh, Usha Menon, Laura Szalacha

Publications

This study examined feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effects of a computer-tailored intervention aimed at promoting HPV vaccination in Mexican-heritage adolescents aged 11-17. Among 46 Mexican-heritage parents who had one or more eligible children who had not received HPV vaccines, 91% (n = 42) completed the intervention and assessments via touchscreen tablet computers in a vaccine clinic. Mean knowledge scores increased significantly from pre- to post-intervention. After the intervention, 95% (n = 40) of parents intended to get their children vaccinated; 50% (n=21) of them consented to vaccination immediately, resulting in 24 adolescents being vaccinated at that time. All parents reported …

Caring For Caregivers: Challenges Facing Informal Palliative Caregivers In Western Kenya, Hartlee Johnston

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Chronic illnesses like cancer, HIV, and other non-communicable disease are increasing globally, especially in developing countries, necessitating development of palliative care and symptom management systems. In Kenya, the burden of care for chronically ill patients often falls to unpaid, informal caregivers like family members or friends. Thirty-five current or past informal caregivers from Kisumu, Kenya were interviewed about their experience, challenges they faced, and interventions they felt would be helpful. Major challenges identified included lack of finances for treatment and other living expenses; inadequate, unaffordable, or interrupted medical care; emotional stress exacerbated by juggling many responsibilities, pressure to emotionally support …

Delirium Reduction Strategies For The Critically Ill, June Chaves, Sam Canonico, Will Cheney, Tammy Corey, Gil Fraser, Alex Kowalewski, Jen Low, Cardiac Intensive Care Unit, Haley Pelletier, Cathy Palleschi, Stephen Tyzik, Suneela Nayak, Ruth Hanselman

MaineHealth Maine Medical Center

Delirium, an acute and fluctuating disturbance of consciousness and cognition, is a common manifestation of acute brain dysfunction in critically ill patients. Patients with delirium have longer hospital stays and a lower 6-month survival rate than do patients without delirium. Preliminary research suggests that delirium may be associated with cognitive impairment that persists months to years after discharge.

In a large acute care hospital, the cardiac intensive care staff became interested in mitigating their unit’s high delirium rate of ventilated patients. At baseline, many members of the healthcare team did not believe that delirium could be prevented and the predominant …

Effective Methods For Domestic Violence Screening In The Emergency Department, Megan Bryan

Grace Peterson Nursing Research Colloquium

Abstract

Background: The CDC reports that one in four women and one in ten men will experience some form of domestic violence in their lifetime that will have either a short-term or long-term impact on their well-being. Often the first place these victims are seen where they can receive help is the emergency department. Objectives: The goal of this systematic integrative literature review was to explore existing literature on domestic violence screening methods used in the emergency department and determine which methods prove most effective. Concurrently, this review examined the barriers to effective domestic violence screening and how nursing education …

Implementation Of The National Asthma Guidelines In A Residential Pediatric Clinic, Patricia A. Foster-Staples

Dissertations

Abstract

Purpose: Foster care children admitted to residential facilities are a unique and vulnerable group, many presenting with undiagnosed or poorly managed asthma. The alarming rate of residents admitted to a particular residential primary care clinic with a diagnosis of asthma led to the project question: “Based on record reviews, does staff education about the importance of utilizing the national guidelines for asthma education influence the implementation of such guidelines in a residential pediatric clinic?” The purpose of this quality improvement project was to implement a systematic process to influence practice change. The project was conducted over a period …

Alternative Interventions For Children Coping With Chronic Conditions: A Critical Review Of The Literature, Nina M. Pelsi, Kim S. Amer

DePaul Discoveries

Reduction of stressors and anxiety levels in adolescents with chronic illnesses is a critical concept in pediatric health care in America today. The many stressors associated with chronic illness include displaying physical and mental differences, social stigma, financial difficulty, and family stress. These stressors may affect the adolescent’s ability to learn and cope in everyday life. The current research was a critical review of the literature examining studies done with adolescents coping with chronic diseases and illnesses. The aim was to analyze the most efficacious non-pharmacological methods for reducing stressors in adolescents with chronic illness. A critical review of the …

The Public Health Harms Of Pornography: The Brain, Erectile Dysfunction, And Sexual Violence, John D. Foubert

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

No abstract provided.

Clinical Social Workers’ Perspectives On Illicit Drug Use And The Development Of Psychotic Disorders, Asma Naseer

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This purpose of this study was to explore social workers’ perspectives of drug-induced psychosis. More specifically, it sought to determine how knowledgeable clinical social workers are on the impact illicit drug use on the development of psychotic disorders. The study also aimed to discover clinical social workers’ perspectives regarding the influence of illicit drug use on the development of psychotic illnesses. This study used mixed methods approach in attempt to solve the research question. The quantitative portion of the research, an anonymous survey, allowed for the assessment of social workers’ knowledge of drug-induced psychosis. The qualitative portion of the research, …

A Descriptive Study Of The Elderly In California Substance Abuse Treatment Programs, David Berenschot

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

As gerontologists may know, there are a great deal of studies and a variety of academic literature on the misuse of alcohol and prescription medication amongst the elderly population. While there is a plethora of information on alcohol and prescription misuse, there is little reported data about the prevalence of other substance misuse experienced by this population. This study aims to help to fill that gap in the data by using quantitative methods to describe the scope of substance abuse of individuals 55-years or older. This study utilizes data from the Treatment Data Set Admission (TEDS-A). The TEDS-A is a …

Exploring The Relationship Between Occupational Burnout And The Behavioral Well-Being Of Social Workers, Damian A. Pisapia

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a relationship between occupational burnout and the behavioral well-being of social workers. Burnout is a multidimensional syndrome where workers experience feelings of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment as a consequence of work related stress and overwhelming job demands. Burnout can negatively affect organizational functioning, work performance, and pose significant health risks to workers. There are a limited number of studies focusing on the impact of occupational burnout on the behavioral well-being of workers. The findings of this study indicated that there was a significant relationship between burnout …

Effects Of Training On Suicide Assessment And Intervention, Vanessa Phillips Bosshart

Steeplechase: An ORCA Student Journal

The rate of suicide is increasing in America. Healthcare professionals are an instrumental part of suicide prevention. The APNA has acknowledged that there are serious gaps in nursing education, specifically in the area of suicide risk assessment, prevention, and intervention, and there have been continued efforts to increase competencies in these areas among behavioral healthcare workers. Evidence shows that suicide specific training programs have a positive impact on healthcare professionals. Training programs such as the RRSR training program and the GSAP for nursing personnel improves nurses' confidence and abilities to assess for and intervene with suicidal patients. These programs also …

Experience Of Adults With Special Needs In Sexual Education Programs, Kate C. Hallissey

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

Adults with special needs are discouraged from exploring their sexuality, expressing it, accessing sexual health care, and learning about their sexual rights. As a result, this population experiences higher rates of sexually transmitted diseases and sexual abuse than the general population (Saxe & Flanagan, 2014). Adults with special needs deserve to receive sexual education programming that provides them with the information they need to make informed choices about sexuality and relationships. Understanding their experiences in sexual education programs can better inform future programming for this population.

Job Retention And Job Satisfaction At The Behavior Therapist Level Working In Aba Companies In The Home Setting, Melissa M. Dauster

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this relational study was to identify and compare the factors related to job satisfaction and job retention as perceived by behavior therapists working with children diagnosed with autism. A second purpose of the study was to determine the relationship between the level of burnout related to job retention, and the intrinsic and extrinsic level of motivation related to job satisfaction as perceived by Behavior Therapists working with students with autism. A further purpose of the study is to describe the improvements in the work place that behavior therapists working with students with autism identified as necessary …