Mental and Social Health Commons^™

Increasing The Frequency Of Behavior Assessment To Reduce Physical Restraint, Breanne N. Ford

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Project Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this quality improvement (QI) project was to implement a system that routinely assesses for behavior changes in psychiatric patients presenting to the emergency department to improve staff intervention of escalating behaviors and decrease physical restraint use.

Background: The project was implemented in a 45-bed emergency department in a community-based hospital affiliated with a large hospital system in Houston, Texas.

Methodology: The project utilizes the Behavioral Activity Rating Scale (BARS) to assess patients' behaviors at routine intervals throughout shifts and a comfort cart that houses several non-pharmacological intervention items to use to de-escalate adverse behaviors. The staff …

Impact Of Covid-19 Lockdown On Patient-Provider Electronic Communications, Michael A Hansen, Rebecca Chen, Jacqueline Hirth, James Langabeer, Roger Zoorob

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: SARS CoV-2 virus (COVID-19) impacted the practice of healthcare in the United States, with technology being used to facilitate access to care and reduce iatrogenic spread. Since then, patient message volume to primary care providers has increased. However, the volume and trend of electronic communications after lockdown remain poorly described in the literature.

METHODS: All incoming inbox items (telephone calls, refill requests, and electronic messages) sent to providers from patients amongst four primary care clinics were collected. Inbox item rates were calculated as a ratio of items per patient encountered each week. Trends in inbox rates were assessed during …

African American Women: Barriers Encountered When Accessing Substance Use Disorder Treatment, Alexis Jones, Lindsay Gietzen, Madhu Sundarrajan

Pacific Journal of Health

This study identifies barriers that African American women encounter while accessing substance use disorder treatment in San Joaquin County and Sacramento County. There is a gap in research identifying barriers that African American women encounter while accessing substance use disorder treatment. The researcher conducted semi-structured interviews with 5 women. Three themes emerged; perceived racial bias, lack of family support, and believing they did not need treatment. It is recommended that healthcare providers provide more treatment options for African American women and cultural competency training for substance use disorder providers.

Use Of The Integrated Practice Assessment Tool (Ipat) To Evaluate The Clinical Learning Environment For Counselors-In-Training, Jessica Lloyd-Hazlett, Stacy Ogbeide, Heather Trepal, Mercedes Ingram, Swathi Weaver

Journal of Human Services Scholarship and Interprofessional Collaboration

The need for behavioral health integration (BHI) in primary care continues to grow to address the behavioral health needs of patients and families. Developing a competent interprofessional workforce to operate in primary care behavioral health settings necessitates BHI-literate clinical learning environments, as well as tools to evaluate and assist in the integration of services appropriate for BHI training and supervision. The Integrated Practice Assessment Tool (IPAT; Waxmonsky et al., 2014) is an instrument that assesses the level of BHI at a primary care clinic. This paper discusses an example of an implementation approach to examine BHI levels with the IPAT …

Addressing Adolescent Suicide In South Korea, Alyssa Kang

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

Suicide is a prevalent issue that widely affects all demographics in South Korea. Among adolescents, it is the leading cause of mortality with an average rate of 7 deaths per 100,000 people. Some of the most significant factors that influence the risk of suicidal ideation and attempts are cultural stigma and academic stress. Other factors, such as bullying and family structure, also increase the likelihood of suicide, while specific characteristics including internet addiction, socioeconomic status, and substance abuse have been found to be predictors of suicide. Adolescent suicide attempts in Korea also increase the individual's risk for future attempts, and …

Emotional Display Rules Of Deaf Culture, Nicholas M. Gala, Lawrence Pick

JADARA

Emotional display rules refer to the expression of culturally prescribed and socially acceptable emotions across different people and situations (Wu & Schulz, 2020). The display rules among hearing adults across several cultures are well defined and depend on the type of emotion, the individuals involved in the exchange, and the situation. Regarding Deaf culture in the United States, this minoritized group may follow unique display rules (Hosie et al., 2000), but there has been almost no research conducted with this population and the existing studies have focused on youth. The present study explores perceived emotional expressions among a sample of …

A Brief Review Of Zuranolone, Aubrey A. Jackson

Transformative Medicine

Zuranolone, a novel analog of allopregnanolone, has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as the first oral medication approved for the treatment of postpartum depression in adults. Developed by Sage Therapeutics under the brand name Zurzuvae, zuranolone was approved by the FDA on August 4^th, 2023.¹ Zuranolone is a modified version of brexanolone (sold under the brand name Zulpresso), an intravenously administered allopregnanolone formulation that was previously the only FDA-approved medication for postpartum depression. Zuranolone offers a more accessible treatment option for patients with efficacy established in clinical trials. Its approval expands the …

Skin In The Game: A Review Of Single-Cell And Spatial Transcriptomics In Dermatological Research, Samuel Schepps, Jonathan Xu, Henry Yang, Jenna Mandel, Jaanvi Mehta, Julianna Tolotta, Nicole Baker, Volkan Tekmen, Neda Nikbakht, Paolo Fortina, Ignacia Fuentes, Bonnie Lafleur, Raymond J Cho, Andrew P South

Staff and Researcher Publications

Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and spatial transcriptomics (ST) are two emerging research technologies that uniquely characterize gene expression microenvironments on a cellular or subcellular level. The skin, a clinically accessible tissue composed of diverse, essential cell populations, serves as an ideal target for these high-resolution investigative approaches. Using these tools, researchers are assembling a compendium of data and discoveries in healthy skin as well as a range of dermatologic pathophysiologies, including atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, and cutaneous malignancies. The ongoing advancement of single-cell approaches, coupled with anticipated decreases in cost with increased adoption, will reshape dermatologic research, profoundly influencing disease characterization, …

Codesigning A Clinical Prediction Model For Aboriginal Perinatal Mental Health Using Glassbox Ai And Aboriginal Wisdom And Lived Experience, Guanjin Wang, Hachem Bennamoun, Wai Hang Kwok, Rhonda Marriott, Roz Walker, Jayne Kotz

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Perinatal mental health is vital for mothers, infants, and families. Aboriginal mothers, despite their strengths, face greater mental health disparities due to colonisation and trauma. Traditional screening methods lack cultural sensitivity. The Baby Coming You Ready (BCYR) program offers a culturally sensitive assessment with promising pilot results. To support health professionals, an AI solution using the Explainable Boosting Machine (EBM) is proposed, trained with Aboriginal lived experiences. This model identifies maternal protective and risk factors, offering interpretable predictions for holistic culturally sensitive care.

The Presence Of A Pet Dog Is Associated With A More Balanced Response To A Social Stressor, Jaci Gandenberger, Aurélie Ledreux, Ashley Taeckens, Kerry Murphy, Jenni Forkin, Anah Gilmore, Kevin N. Morris

Institute for Human-Animal Connection: Faculty Scholarship

Acute and chronic stress each have physical manifestations in the human body that can lead to many negative health impacts. Today, reported stress levels worldwide are at an all-time high, spurring the search for non-pharmaceutical interventions to maintain healthy stress levels. In this study, we examined whether a pet dog’s presence influences healthy adults’ acute stress responses as assessed through self-reports, heart rate, plasma cortisol, and salivary alpha-amylase. Participating pet dog owners were randomly assigned to undergo the Trier Social Stress Test either with their pet dog or alone. While there was no group difference in perceived anxiety levels, participants …

Providing End-Of-Life Counseling: A Narrative Inquiry, Carol Hecht, Sibyl West

Adultspan Journal

This qualitative study aimed to address the gap in the research related to end-of-life counseling by exploring the experiences of counselors working with clients at end of life. While counseling literature and education are lacking regarding end of life, many counselors will work alongside clients approaching death. The purpose of this study was twofold: (a) to better understand the nuanced experiences of counselors providing end-of-life counseling and (b) to explore the supports and preparations helpful for counselors to provide end-of-life counseling. A narrative approach, using the Listening Guide (Gilligan, 2015), was employed to analyze and present the stories of three …

Considerations Of Medicare Telehealth Services With Older Adults, Sonah Kho, Amanda Dediego

Adultspan Journal

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic set in motion a rapid expansion of mental health services offered via telehealth. With this rapid expansion came the need to examine how policy and practice should be shaped in a future where telehealth is considered common in counseling practice. For counselors to understand how to support older adult clients in using telehealth services, they must understand telehealth policy. Following the eligibility of licensed counselors to participate in Medicare, counselors need to stay abreast of regulatory changes regarding restrictions and regulations on use of telehealth for mental and behavioral health services, including video and …

Beat The Boredom With Books! (Spanish), Mattie Lastovica, Lorraine Sheldon

Bibliotherapy

Beat the Boredom with Books was part of a resident research project. The research questions was "does intentional promotion of the Krissi Holman Family Library and the benefits of reading/screen time limitations during the hospital admission process increase use of and access to books from the in-hospital library in children ages O to 5 years?" The document includes facts about screentime use in pediatrics and information about the library.

Beat The Boredom With Books! (English), Mattie Lastovica, Lorraine Sheldon

Bibliotherapy

Beat the Boredom with Books was part of a resident research project. The research questions was "does intentional promotion of the Krissi Holman Family Library and the benefits of reading/screen time limitations during the hospital admission process increase use of and access to books from the in-hospital library in children ages O to 5 years?" The document includes facts about screen time use in pediatrics and information about the library.

Protocol For The Derivation Of Primary Cancer Stem Cell Lines From Human Ependymal Tumors, Cory M Richman, Peter B Dirks, Michael D Taylor, Kulandaimanuvel Antony Michealraj

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) established from surgical biopsies closely mimic the human context and can be used to investigate disease mechanisms, genetic fitness, and therapeutic evaluation. Here, we present a protocol for the derivation of primary patient-derived CSC lines from ependymal tumors. We describe the necessary steps, from surgical intervention and biopsy to the dissociation of ependymomas to derive cultures. We then detail procedures for cell line propagation and define the characteristics of these primary cancer cell lines. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Michealraj et al.

Building Confidence, Diminishing Stress: A Clinical Incivility Management Initiative For Nursing Students, Younglee Kim, Phoebe (Yeon) S. Kim, Henrietta Nwamu, Anne Lama

Nursing Faculty Publications

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an interactive program designed to reduce nursing students’ perceived stress and improve self-efficacy and readiness to professionally address incivility during clinical practice. Background: Incivility in clinical settings adversely impacts learners, educators, institutions, and healthcare systems, undermining safety and the teaching–learning process. Despite its increasing global prevalence, effective interventions remain largely unexplored. Methods: Our mixed-methods study, conducted from March to April 2024, involved senior baccalaureate pre-licensure nursing students (N = 35) from a California State University. The three-week, one-hour-per-week, interactive clinical incivility management program was developed through an extensive …

Interprofessional Education To Support Alcohol Use Screening And Future Team-Based Management Of Stress-Related Disorders In Vulnerable Populations, Taylor Fitzpatrick-Schmidt, Scott Edwards

School of Graduate Studies Faculty Publications

Introduction: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a psychiatric disease that affects approximately 10% of the population. Individuals suffer from a myriad of causes and consequences of AUD, and team-based management of patients is often required for given the chronic and complex nature of the disease. Interprofessional education (IPE) for biomedical science and health professional students that incorporates patient-centered cases focused on AUD and adjacent stress-related disorders may improve future collaboration in managing these conditions and community outcomes related to wellbeing. Methods: This study assessed the impact of a single, 90-minute IPE exercise on improving confidence in possessing the knowledge and …

Screening, Brief Intervention, And Referral To Treatment For Pregnant Women, Rebekah Feeney

Dissertations

Abstract

Background: In the United States, 10-20% of pregnant women reported using drugs during pregnancy. Current recommendations are to screen for drug use in all patients and provide a brief intervention and referral to treatment. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to evaluate the impact of implementing a standardized screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) protocol for first-trimester pregnant patients who are seen in the obstetrical department.

Methods: The Tobacco, Alcohol, Prescription Medication, and Other Substance Use (TAPS) screening tool was administered to first-trimester pregnant women, 13-45 years of age, seen in the obstetrical department from …

Association Between Non-Injection Drug Use And Hepatitis C Infection Among Hiv-Negative Men Who Have Sex With Men, Jing Zhao, Charles Green, Christine Markham, Kayo Fujimoto, Alan G Nyitray, Lu-Yu Hwang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Prior research predominantly examined the association between HIV-positive men who have sex with men (MSM) or those using injection drugs and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. However, limited attention has been given to understanding the association among HIV-negative MSM who do not inject drugs. This gap leaves apportion of the population unexamined, potentially overlooking important factor that may contribute to the transmission and prevalence of HCV. This study aims to investigate the relationship between non-injection drug use and HCV infection in this population.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we analyzed data on 118 MSM who reported use of non-injection …

Development Of A Maturity Assessment Tool To Evaluate And Strengthen National Immunization Technical Advisory Groups (Nitags), Eliza Dryer, Abigail Shefer, Shalini Desai, Lance Rodewald, Magdalena Bastías, Nathalie El Omeiri, Sidy Ndiaye, Kori Cook, Louise Henaff, Erin Kennedy

Staff and Researcher Publications

As dozens of new National Immunization Technical Advisory Groups (NITAGs) were established worldwide in the past decade, and as existing NITAGs continued to play an important role in vaccine policy, global NITAG partners recognized a need for a standardized assessment tool to evaluate and strengthen their functions. This article describes the development of the NITAG Maturity Assessment Tool (NMAT), a stepwise evaluation tool that assesses NITAGs on seven key indicators of structure and process. A draft tool was developed through an iterative, consensus-based process with an expert working group before it was piloted with an economically and geographically diverse convenience …