Mental and Social Health Commons^™

Feeding Missoula: Food Insecurity In Rural Children And Youth, Chani Brammer, Braelee Cheeks, Jordin Holland, Rayne Mccollough, Laurel Palmer, Therese Solomon

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

In Montana, approximately one in seven children live in a food-insecure household, with rural Montanans in particular facing significant barriers. Existing needs-based food assistance programs, such as SNAP and WIC, have structural weaknesses: SNAP benefits are often not sufficient to last through the month, and those eligible for these programs face a confusing application process, shame and stigma, and logistical hurdles, such as limited transportation.

“Feeding Missoula” began with an evaluation of how current food assistance programs met or failed to meet the needs of rural youth. Our methodology integrated a comprehensive review of existing literature and structured interviews with …

Nicotine Self-Administration And The Impacts On Medial Habenula And Interpeduncular Nucleus Neurophysiology, Nathan Alexander Olszewski

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Nicotine use is a tremendous public health issue in the United States, with over 23 million people being dependent on the substance. Low cessation rates associated with nicotine use are largely attributed to the withdrawal and craving symptoms that occur after abstinence of use from nicotine. The medial habenula (MHb) and interpeduncular nucleus (IPN) are two brain regions heavily associated and linked with nicotine withdrawal. Here, I sought to understand how these brain regions are altered in their physiology during nicotine intake. Utilizing E-Vape self-administration, mice were first taught to selfadminister nicotine of various, clinically relevant, dosages which correlate to …

Collaboration In Acute Care: Enhancing Occupational Therapy Outcomes Through Canine Therapy Integration​, Deanna Hamke

Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate - Doctoral Capstone Symposium

The utilization of animal-assisted therapy has the potential to increase patient participation, motivation, and help simulate real-life experiences to promote a successful discharge from therapy services. The purpose of this doctoral capstone project was to: 1) expand collaboration between occupational therapists & canine therapy handlers through use of a communication platform and 2) to create a resource outlining in-session responsibilities to facilitate partnership between occupational therapists and canine therapy handlers. Occupational therapy treatment sessions were completed using canine therapy interventions targeting mobility, engagement, and emotional regulation. The final deliverables included multiple educational resources and a platform for communication. These deliverables …

Investigating The Relationship Between Drug Overdose Deaths, Excessive Alcohol Drinking, And Adult Smoking In Urban And Rural Ohio Counties In 2025, Sumin Byoun, Anne Griffin

Scholarship in Medicine - All Papers

Deaths from drug overdoses have been increasing each year. Ohio ranks among states with the highest number of drug overdose deaths per year. There is a gap in the literature regarding discussions of how excessive alcohol drinking and cigarette smoking rates may predict drug overdose death rates in a community. First, this study investigates differences in excessive drinking, adult smoking, and drug overdose deaths between urban and rural counties in Ohio. Second, this study explores whether excessive drinking and smoking behaviors can predict drug overdose death rates in urban and rural Ohio counties. Data exclusive to Ohio counties was obtained …

Bringing Awareness And Education To Rural Areas About The Role Occupational Therapy (Ot) Has In Infant Care, Makenzi Richwald

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Posters

This capstone project focused on education and advocacy. The aim of my capstone project was to provide education to parents of eastern Kentucky (KY) about what Occupational Therapy (OT) can address with infants aged 0-18 months. I saw a gap in knowledge in the eastern KY community about what OT could do for infants and wanted to address this. Through my research, consultation with my mentors, and collaboration with the occupational therapists at my site (BPT) I discerned 14 areas of development and/or common reasons of needed referral for OT services by this age group. These educational materials aimed to …

The Restorative Effects Of Virtual Reality Nature Simulations: An Empirical Investigation, Isabel T. Folger, Yichen Zhang, Kenneth B. Abrams

Psychology Faculty Work

Although extensive research demonstrates that nature films can facilitate recovery from stress and cognitive overload, it remains unclear whether more immersive media, such as virtual reality (VR), are more effective than similar two-dimensional films. The present study examined the effects of immersiveness on affective, cognitive, and physiological restoration. Three levels of immersiveness for film viewing were employed: 2D (computer monitor), standard VR (visual and auditory input), and enhanced VR (standard VR plus olfactory and haptic input). All participants were exposed to parallel versions of a six-minute nature film. We hypothesized that greater immersiveness would produce stronger restorative effects. All versions …

Cocaine Upregulates Microglial Lipid Droplet Formation Through Increasing Lipid Synthesis Activity In Vitro And In Vivo, Yan Cheng, Brooke Russell, Liam Liyang Guo, Aryan Patel, Yan Y. Sanders, Ming-Lei Guo

Department of Biomedical and Translational Sciences Faculty Publications

A novel subtype of microglia, lipid droplet accumulation microglia (LDAMs), has been identified in the aged brain, which is characterized by sustained inflammation and senescent-like phenotypes. LDAMs are deeply involved in promoting brain aging as well as the pathogenesis of multiple neurodegenerative diseases. Cocaine can alter brain lipidomic profiles, induce microglial activation, and accelerate brain aging. This suggests that cocaine might affect microglial lipid metabolism, which ultimately aggravates aging-related neurological disorders in people with addictions. In this study, we explored the effects of cocaine on microglial lipid metabolism. Our results showed that chronic cocaine administration altered brain lipid profiles and …

Hepatitis C Virus Transmission Among People Who Inject Drugs In Rural United States: Mathematical Modeling Study Using Stochastic Agent-Based Network Simulation, Lin Zhu, Jennifer R. Havens, Abby E. Rudolph, April M. Young, Golnaz Eftekhari Yazdi, William W. Thompson, Liesl M. Hagan, Liisa M. Randall, Jianing Wang, Rebecca Earnest, Shayla Nolen, Benjamin P. Linas, Joshua A. Salomon

Center on Drug and Alcohol Research Faculty Publications

People who inject drugs (PWID) account for the majority of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections in the United States. The injection-equipment-sharing network likely plays an important role in shaping the dynamics of HCV transmission. Recognizing the emerging HCV epidemic in rural communities, we developed an agent-based network simulation model of HCV transmission via injection equipment sharing and used data on rural PWID networks to inform model parameterization and calibration. We then simulated an array of networks that varied key network properties to understand their impact on the magnitude and distribution of HCV incidence. The results show substantial heterogeneity in HCV …

Alcohol Awareness, Prevention, And Education In Greek Life, Vivian J. Mcmechen, Kara Ann Lasater, Page Dobbs

2026 Honors Symposium

Background: Alcohol consumption is normalized in Greek Life culture, and this social standard can lead to risky health behaviors and overconsumption. At the University of Arkansas, approximately one-third of students are members of Greek Life; there is a need for prevention methods that understand students’ lived experiences. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine students’ experiences with alcohol prevention, awareness, and education as current members of Greek Life at the University of Arkansas. Through student interviews and surveys, this project aims to inform and provide recommendations for relatable and student-centered alcohol prevention and education efforts. Methodology: This study …

From Mandate To Meaning: Designing Implementation Supports For Organizational Readiness In Behavioral Health Service Planning, Lauren K. Mergen

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

Behavioral health agencies often struggle to translate the Transformational Collaborative Outcomes Management (TCOM) framework into practice when implementation is externally mandated. This study examined how educational leaders can support meaningful use of TCOM tools under a Midwestern state’s October 2024 requirement that behavioral health providers use the state Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths assessment in service planning.

Using a Mixed Methods Action Research design, the study progressed through six phases: Diagnosis, Reconnaissance, Planning, Acting, Evaluation, and Monitoring. The Diagnosis Phase identified a knowledge-to-practice gap and weaknesses in implementation support infrastructure. Practitioner surveys administered immediately after training and six months …

The Caregiving Experience: Comparing Stress And Quality Of Life Among Caregivers Of Children With And Without Autism Spectrum Disorder, Mona Khayal

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This comparative cross-sectional study investigated caregiving burden, quality of life, and anxiety among primary caregivers of children with autism spectrum disorder compared to caregivers of typically developing children. Using Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory, 66 caregivers (31 autism, 35 comparison) of children aged 6-18 completed the Zarit Burden Interview-12, WHO Quality of Life-BREF, and GAD-7. According to the results, autism caregivers reported substantially higher burden (M = 31.26 vs. 13.23, d = 2.42) and anxiety (M = 9.13 vs. 4.63, d = 1.04), with 90% exceeding clinical burden thresholds compared to 26% of comparison caregivers. Quality of life was lower across …

Understanding The Underutilization Of The Campus Recreation Facility: A Mixed-Methods Examination Of Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction, Social Physique Anxiety, Sense Of Community, And Physical Environment Barriers, Caden M. Pfingsten

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Campus recreation facilities have been identified as important contributors to student well-being, academic persistence, and institutional belonging. Despite these documented benefits, a persistent gap exists between available services and actual student utilization at many institutions. This study examined the psychological, social, and environmental factors associated with students' underutilization of the Campus Recreation Facility (CRF) at a mid-sized Midwestern public university in favor of paid off-campus commercial gym memberships.

Using a cross-sectional survey design, 169 students completed a battery of validated and researcher-adapted instruments assessing basic psychological need satisfaction (autonomy, competence, and relatedness), Sense of Community, and social physique anxiety across …

“Medical Cannabis”: Advising Patients While Navigating Medical Ethics And Limited Evidence, Anna-Maria South, Shanna L. Babalonis, Laura C. Fanucchi, Michelle R. Lofwall

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Cannabis is increasingly legalized in more areas of the USA and marketed under the misnomer “medical cannabis.” Yet, there are no official dosing guidelines or approved medical uses for plant cannabis by the Food and Drug Administration. Due to significant federal barriers, research on efficacy, safety, and adverse effects of cannabis is limited. Patients are interested in cannabis as potential treatment of medical issues and/or symptoms and clinicians should include a discussion of the risks of cannabis consumption. However, many risks are not yet known, and clinicians might be unaware of the emerging literature. This perspective summarizes the potential harms …

Discrimination Distress And Current Combustible And Non-Combustible Tobacco Product Use Among Us Youth, 2023, Meman Diaby, Osayande Agbonlahor, Maggie K. Richardson, Joy L. Hart, Shyanika W. Rose, Delvon T. Mattingly

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Introduction: Discrimination is the unfair treatment of people based on their identity. Youth who experience discrimination may cope with associated distress by using tobacco products, with amplified health consequences depending on the type of product.

Methods: We used data from the 2023 National Youth Tobacco Survey (n = 22 069) and derived an overall continuous measure from the 15-item Adolescent Discrimination Distress Index, as well as three continuous discrimination distress sub-indices: educational, institutional, and peer (range for each: 0–5). We defined current tobacco use as two outcomes: any past 30-day use of combustible (cigarettes, cigars, hookah, roll- your-own, pipe, bidis) …

Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy And Alcohol Use Disorder, Zoe R. Evans

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This current paper has studied whether the psilocybin-assisted treatment has been linked with meaningful shifts in three clinical outcomes among adults 18 years old and above diagnosed with alcohol use disorder (AUD): percentage of heavy drinking days, abstinence rates, and neural responsiveness to alcohol-related cues. A literature review following a systematic approach was performed using guidelines from PRISMA 2020 based on four databases, namely PubMed and PsycINFO, and Scopus and CINAHL, where peer-reviewed articles published between 2015 and 2026 were included. A semi-structured professional interview with a clinical researcher in the Division of Addiction Sciences of Marshall University was also …

Effectiveness Of Post-Discharge Interventions Following Psychiatric Hospitalization On Readmissions And Suicide Prevention Among Adolescents, Maria Paz Eladia Posadas

Nursing | Senior Theses

Background: Suicide is a pervasive and far-reaching issue. Psychiatric hospitalization is often used as an intervention for individuals, including adolescents, experiencing suicidal ideation and/or behavior. However, post-discharge care may lack structure or clearly defined follow-up services, which can result in rehospitalizations and increased suicidality. Objective: The goal of the proposed research study is to investigate how implementation of peer support groups for adolescents following psychiatric hospitalization can assist in reducing readmissions and mitigating suicide risk. This can also help shape strategies for managing care after discharge. Method: The proposed research study utilizes a quantitative quasi-experimental design to determine the efficacy …

Precision In Practice: Subject Matter Expert Integration To Support Excellence In Population-Specific Documentation, Sara Pump, Mary Hawes, Lauren Spain, Virginia Kasenic, Meagan Talent, Alivia Stewart, Carrin Shaw, Chad Gautreaux, Dori Cousin, Ponesea Allen, Jonathan Rowe

2026

This poster describes a quality improvement initiative that integrated psychiatric resource nurses as subject matter experts (SMEs) into clinical documentation workflows to improve documentation compliance for high-risk behavioral health patients. The intervention resulted in substantial improvements in charting accuracy and compliance, including an increase in emergency department documentation compliance from 28% to 95% over seven months, while enhancing staff education, collaboration, and patient safety.

Chatbot Therapy - Help Or Hindrance, Kadi Rae Smith

Anthós

Introduction

Generative artificial intelligence (Gen-AI) chatbots are complex computer programs designed to mimic human conversations using programming that incorporates large language models (LLM) and natural language models (NLM) to simulate human interactions that are being rapidly integrated into everyday life across an increasing amount of online platforms. This article explores the applications and efficacy of chatbots for mental healthcare, from self-directed chatbot interactions to clinician-supervised implementation of chatbot-based therapeutic tools, weighing the benefits and limitations of this ever-expanding technology.

Methodology/Taxonomy

A literature review was conducted primarily using Web of Science, accessed through Portland State University, and Google Scholar, with specifications …

Art As Medicine: Exploring The Intersection Of African Cultural Practices And Art Therapy To Examine Its Efficacy In Pain Management And Healing Among Black Women With Lupus, Kandace I. Simmons

Art Therapy | Master's Theses

This thesis examined the intersection of chronic illness and systemic inequities faced by Black women living with lupus. These women often encountered unique challenges in managing their health and well-being, exacerbated by both the physical and sociocultural implications of the disease. Through a Black Feminist/Womanist theoretical lens, this research investigated the potential of art therapy to serve as a transformative instrument for pain management and healing when infused with culturally relevant practices. Employing a narrative approach and qualitative methodology, this study explored the lived experiences of African American women with lupus, incorporating their art and personal stories to inform the …

The Use Of Visual Autobiographies In First, Second, And Third-Generation Children Of Immigrants In Navigating Belonging And Identity, Sorprisela Martinez

Art Therapy | Master's Theses

This study explored how autobiographical artmaking supports adolescents of immigrant-origin in understanding identity and sense of belonging through visual and narrative reflection on personal stories. The qualitative research approach was guided by three research questions examining: (1) the ways autobiographical work expresses complexities of immigrant heritage and multiple identities; (2) how narrative lens supports a deeper interpretation of autobiographical expressions; and (3) how adolescents’ understanding of their parents’ migration stories contributes to their own identity formation and self-presentation. Seven adolescents participated in a two-session, arts-based process that included creating autobiographical books, discussion of their images, and reflection on their cultural …