Community Health Commons^™

Implementing A Six-Week Intermodal Expressive Arts Therapy Program For Individuals With Parkinson’S Disease: A Practitioner-Based Perspective, Sara Adams

Expressive Therapies Theses

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects motor function, emotional well-being, and social engagement. While traditional rehabilitation approaches emphasize physical therapy and medication management, emerging research highlights the potential of creative arts therapies in addressing the multidimensional challenges of PD. This thesis explores the implementation of an intermodal expressive arts therapy intervention designed to support individuals with PD through dance, music, drama, and visual arts. Conducted over six weeks within a community support group in Nova Scotia, the program included guided visualization, Brain Dance exercises, creative movement, drama-based activities, and reflective art-making. A qualitative, practitioner-based method was used, …

Psychological Treatment Behind The Walls:Insights From The Inside, Rogelio Serrano

Psychology Division Scholarship

Repeated eras of mass incarceration, criminalization of marginalized communities, and substance use policies have created a revolving door of justice involved populations. The ever-increasing prison population has repeatedly become the largest contingency of mental health clientele for an overburdened mental health system. Those who work with formerly incarcerated individuals in the community often don’t know the unique set of challenges faced by practitioners within the system. Increased understanding and coordination of care can offer opportunities for sustained recovery and reduced levels of recidivism. In this presentation participants will learn about the unique insights on mental health treatment that can be …

Comparison Of Cognitive Functions, Sleep Quality, Emotional State, Balance And Physical Activity Levels Of University Students According To Academic Success, Sevim Oksuz, Ozde Depreli, Aytül Ozdil, Gozde Iyigun, Ender Angın, Betül Fatma Bilgin, Ayşen Karaman

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: This study was planned to compare the level of attention, dual-task abilities, sleep quality, emotional state (anxiety, depression, stress), dynamic balance, and physical activity level in low and high-academic success university students. Method: A total of 134 international undergraduate students between the age of 18 and 25 (low academic success group n=67, high academic success group n=67) were recruited for this study. The Trail Making Test (TMT) – A and B was used for attention assessment, the TMT While Walking – A and B was utilized for dual-task performance, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was utilized to assess …

Evaluation Of An Occupational Therapy Intervention In Prisons To Prepare Incarcerated Individuals For Successful Community Reentry, Dalenna Bellum, Sue Dahl-Popolizio, R. Curtis Bay, Angela Zhu, Jeremiah Fine, Bruce Kotter, Abbey Glenn, Rebecca L. Wolf

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Literature suggests that to reduce recidivism and facilitate successful community reintegration, incarcerated individuals need life skills training before release. This study evaluated the effectiveness of such an occupational therapy (OT) program.

Methods: We provided and evaluated a 12-session pilot OT program with incarcerated men providing life skills education for community reentry. We used forced-choice and open-ended questions with pre/post Employee Self-Assessment Tool (ESAT), assessing interpersonal, self-management, analytical skills, and skills used in an organization, and Life Skills Program Daily Surveys (LSDS) assessing participants’ perceptions of program effectiveness.

Results: Ninety-three of the residents participated; 69 completed …

Behere Nevada: Partnership And Policy, Sara Hunt

Community Engagement Expo Research Posters

Partnership: Nevada ranks 51st in the nation for mental illness prevalence and access to care (Mental Health America). Significant shortages in mental health professions, especially in rural areas. Other states using policy and funding to implement a “grow our own” model for behavioral health workforce development. Proposed a behavioral health workforce development center for Nevada.

Supporting Elementary Educators Through A Nervous System Regulation And Social-Emotional Learning Skills Workshop Intervention: An Musc Capstone Project, Lily Morgan

Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate - Doctoral Capstone Symposium

Teachers have a great influence on developing children’s emotional intelligence, regulatory capacity, and occupational engagement. These professionals also happen to report some of the highest rates of stress, mental health challenges (Agyapong, B. et al, 2022), and burnout (Xie, M., et al, 2022). Providing teachers with education and support on nervous system regulation, social-emotional learning skills, and related topics can improve their ability to manage job stress, enhance modeling and interactions with students, and improve their quality of life. This project aimed to enhance knowledge, provide access to resources, and serve to support elementary educators at an inner-city school in …

Web-Based Wellness, Katherine Shipers

Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate - Doctoral Capstone Symposium

Adults of all ages experience life stressors and transitions that impact their physical, emotional, and psychosocial wellness. Despite a recognized need for self-improvement, many adults face time constraints that limit their ability to engage in traditional wellness activities. Research suggests that micro-learning strategies—brief, targeted educational interventions—can effectively enhance knowledge and influence life practices.

This quality improvement capstone project explored the use of microlearning to support adult well-being by developing a web-based, modular learning system. The project implemented a series of short educational videos addressing various wellness topics, supplemented by corresponding worksheets and resource materials. Designed for asynchronous completion, these wellness …

Social Health Among Adolescents In The Global School-Based Student Health Survey (Gshs), Luke Pontoriero, Sarah Simon, Lauren Anderson

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Background: Social health is a function of the quantity and quality of relationships, including with family members and peers. Adolescents who report being lonely or having no close friends have a low quantity of relationships, and those who feel that their peers are unkind and their parents are not understanding have low quality relationships. We examined whether poor social health is associated with violent behavior.

Methods: We analyzed data from the Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS), which employs a standardized two-stage cluster sampling method and a validated questionnaire to explore health and risk behaviors among nationally representative samples of …

74 - Age And Seasonal Blood Pressure Variation In People Experiencing Homelessness In Hampton Roads, Luke Ekdahl, Katherine Schaffer, Joshua Edwards, Kean Feyzeau

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Intro: For older community members experiencing homelessness, both their housing status and age are associated with increased cardiovascular risk. Lack of consistent protection from outdoor temperatures are hypothesized to affect variation in blood pressure seasonally. In this study, we sought to compare older (55+) and younger (under 55) individuals in this cohort and identify within-group associations between blood pressure (BP) and mean daily temperature (MDT) as affected by season.

Methods: 301 patients from two student-run free clinics met BP inclusion criteria. MDT was sourced from the Global Historical Climatology Network daily dataset. Interquartile range method for outlier detection limited visits …

The Impact Of Covid-19 On Nurses' Feelings, Stress, Coping, And Motivation In Palestinian Treatment Centers Of Corona, † Wafaa Menawi, Shatha Mari, Ahmad Adel Hanani

An-Najah University Journal for Research - B (Humanities)

Background: Frontline nurses of COVID-19 found themselves in an unfamiliar new disease work environment, fighting to adapt and control the stress while working at covid-19 centers in Palestine. Aim: To investigate the impact of COVID-19 on nurses' feelings, stress, coping, and motivation in COVID-19 Palestinian treatment Centers. Method: A descriptive cross-sectional design was conducted between Mid of July to the end of October 2021 by recruiting a purposive sample of 390 nurses who worked at the Ministry of Health during COVID-19 pandemic treatment centers. The nurses filled out the COVID-19 Health Personnel Questionnaire with Cronbach's Alpha > 0.9. Results: Palestinian frontline …

Evaluating Engagement In Health Care And Substance Use Disorder Services Among People Who Use Drugs, Tiffany Mckenney, Kevin Cobty, Divya Boorle, Julie Gleason-Comstock

Medical Student Research Symposium

An urban community-based organization conducted a study to examine demographics of individuals who use drugs and their approaches to risk reduction. A substantial proportion reported encountering significant barriers to accessing substance use disorder (SUD) services.

In collaboration with a state survey, the community organization recruited a convenience sample of individuals who actively used drugs, examining substance use patterns, healthcare access, and barriers to SUD services. Community health workers facilitated outreach efforts, focusing on harm reduction engagement, and healthcare access.

Data were collected from 55 individuals. 51% identified as male, 48% as female, and 2% as LGBTQIA+. 67% identified as White/Caucasian, …

Fostering Autonomy And Self Efficacy: An Informal Caregiver's Guide To Encouraging Participation In Self-Care, Jade A. Evans, Steven M. Gerardi, Precious Osuoha

Spring 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

Helping Hands and Active Lives is a practical guidebook designed to empower informal caregivers to support senior independence and well-being. It offers evidence-based strategies to enhance communication, mobility, and daily function while emphasizing the impact of caregiving approaches on occupational success.

Caring Across Borders: Demographic Shifts And Migrant Care In Asean-Korea Dynamics, Saqib Fardan Ahmada, Wahid Nur Kartiko

Jurnal Ilmu Kesejahteraan Sosial

This article aims to examine the migration policies and migrant care in the context of relations between ASEAN Member States (AMS) and Korea. As Korea is dealing with an aging population, an increase in female labour force participation, and an ultra low fertility rate, caregiving, especially for the elderly, has become a pivotal issue. Besides, the traditional nuclear family structure, which has historically served as the primary caregiver for the elderly, is also losing its prominence. In such demographic shift, migrant care workers from AMS are filling the demand for caregiving in Korea, leading to a cross-border international migration from …

Hubungan Dukungan Sosial Rekan Kerja Dengan Stres Kerja (Studi Pada Pekerja Di Pt X), Aisyah Permatasari

Jurnal Ilmu Kesejahteraan Sosial

Workers are vulnerable to work-related stress due to job demands, time constraints, and limited leisure time, leading to psychological issues such as anxiety related to their work. In the context of social welfare studies, job stress affects overall workers’ well-being and disrupts their social functioning in the workplace. Social support from coworkers is potentially reduce stress in workplace, which is crucial for creating organizational well-being. It also helps workers improve job engagement, cope with fatigue, and manage stress. This study examined the relationship between social support from coworkers and job stress among 90 employees …

Cultural And Religious Perspectives On Suicide And Healing, Arielle Friedman

be Still

This essay is built off of a paper I wrote in a college global health course on culture and mental illness. I have always been fascinated by cultural interpretations of illness & believe that as a future physician, it is my responsibility to educate myself and others on the complex interplay between religious ideologies & recognition/management of biological disease in order to provide appropriate patient-centered care.

A Wellness And Social Engagement Program For Post-Lower Limb Amputees, Graciela Gonzalez, Cassandra Nelson

Spring 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

A wellness and social engagement program was developed and implemented to provide education relating to the mental health impacts, decrease in health management, and lack of social participation after a lower-limb amputation amongst adults, 18 years or older. The program provided a manual with educational information, external resources, and visual aids to enhance independence in activities of daily living (ADLs).

Preferences And Willingness For Starting Daily, On-Demand, And Long-Acting Injectable Hiv Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Among Transfeminine Persons In The Us, 2022-2023, Duygu Islek, Travis Sanchez, Stefan Baral, Carolyn Brown, Joanna A. Caldwell, Jennifer L. Glick, Danielle Friedman Nestadt, Jeb Jones, Iaah L. Lucas, Supriya Sarkar, Annemiek De Ruiter, Patrick S. Sullivan, Mariah Valentine-Graves, Savannah Winter, Vani Vannappagari

School of Public Health Faculty Publications

Background There remains limited information concerning US transfeminine persons preferences across varying PrEP options. We examined PrEP option willingness, preferences, and associated factors among a US nationwide sample of transfeminine persons. Methods Sexually active transfeminine persons age 15 + were recruited online between June 2022-October 2023 through social media advertisements. Transfeminine persons not diagnosed with HIV were asked about willingness to initiate, and ranked preference, of three PrEP options- daily oral (DO), on-demand, and long-acting injectable (LA-PrEP). Log-binomial models were used to examine PrEP modality willingness and associated sociodemographic and behavioral characteristics. Results Among 2657 transfeminine persons not currently using …

Impacts On College-Aged Asian American Mental Health, Zahra Soherwardy

Senior Theses

This study explores the relationship between different forms of racial harassment and mental health issues in Asian American college students. Asian American mental health is a growing concern in the field of public health. Asian Americans have the lowest treatment rates and some of the highest stigma levels of any demographic. They are also impacted by the model minority myth and discrimination, further alienating them from getting help. The topics of subtle racism, blatant racism, and current racial discrimination were compared to depressive symptoms, anxiety, self-esteem, and four domains of aggression using survey data. Subtle racism was found to be …

"Health Gatekeepers": The Influence Of Women On Health Practices In Rural, Central Appalachia, Reese Lycan

Senior Theses

Women have historically assumed leadership roles in familial and community health promotion, intervention, and facilitation. While the role of women in family health is globally understood and the historical importance of female leadership has been documented, there remains a gap in knowledge regarding the role of women as “health gatekeepers”. Furthermore, when considering the Appalachian region, there are limited studies regarding women’s place in leadership as far as health is concerned. Therefore, this study employs a hermeneutic phenomenological framework to explore the lived experiences of women in relation to their family and community’s health in rural, Central Appalachia- a region …

Liver Tet1 Promotes Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease, Hongze Chen, Muhammad Azhar Nisar, Joud Mulla, Xinjian Li, Kevin Cao, Shaolei Lu, Katsuya Nagaoka, Shang Wu, Peng Sheng Ting, Tung Sung Tseng, Hui Yi Lin, Xiao Ming Yin, Wenke Feng, Zhijin Wu, Zhixiang Cheng, William Mueller, Amalia Bay, Layla Schechner, Xuewei Bai, Chiung Kuei Huang

School of Public Health Faculty Publications

Global hepatic DNA methylation change has been linked to human patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). DNA demethylation is regulated by the TET family proteins, whose enzymatic activities require 2-oxoglutarate (2-OG) and iron that both are elevated in human MASLD patients. We aimed to investigate liver TET1 in MASLD progression. Depleting TET1 using two different strategies substantially alleviated MASLD progression. Knockout (KO) of TET1 slightly improved diet induced obesity and glucose homeostasis. Intriguingly, hepatic cholesterols, triglycerides, and CD36 were significantly decreased upon TET1 depletion. Consistently, liver specific TET1 KO led to improvement of MASLD progression. Mechanistically, TET1 promoted …