Mental and Social Health Commons^™

Clinicians' Perceptions Of Telehealth Services During The Covid-19 Pandemic In Virginia, Johnetta Hill Guishard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The onset of COVID-19 introduced unprecedented changes to how U.S. public health services were delivered. Many public and private agencies faced mandatory closures, social distancing mandates, and rapid transitions to telehealth interventions and treatment. Mental health clinicians witnessed disruptions in continuity of care and an increase in mental health risks overall. Although some studies have been conducted to survey clinicians’ perceptions of the usefulness and ease of use of technology-based interventions, knowledge about mental health clinicians’ experiences and perceptions in Virginia was sparse. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore how mental health clinicians in Virginia described …

Barriers, Challenges &Successes Among Human Service Professionals Stigma Reduction Treatment Among People With Mental Illness, Maureen Epps

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, over 9 million people in the United States suffer from a mental illness (MI). Although human service professionals seek the best practices to treat people with MI, people with MI sometimes struggle to seek treatment because of stigma. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore the barriers and challenges of human service professionals who experienced using a stigma reduction treatment on a person with MI. The mental illness stigma framework and Goffman’s stigma theory provided the conceptual framework for the study. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with eight …

Lived Experiences Of Non-Licensed African American Pastors Providing Counseling For Race-Related Mental Health Issues To Their Parishioners, Brian Sutton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

It is important to understand treatment practices of clergy members due to their influence on the treatment seeking behavior for professional counseling services among African American parishioners. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore and describe African American pastors’ experiences of providing counseling for race-related mental health issues to their parishioners. The conceptual framework for this study was critical race theory. The research design included a descriptive phenomenological study with semi structured interviews with five non-licensed pastors and clergy members. The results of data analysis revealed three main themes and nine subthemes related to the participants’ experiences. The …

Generalized Anxiety Disorder Symptoms Stratified By Age In Primary Care, Robin E. Mccoy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Little is known as to the age-related presentation of somatic complaints of those diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder in primary care settings. A retrospective medical records review sought to identify the affective symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) by age as recorded by primary care providers and to test the association of these symptoms by age. Guided by Engle’s (1977) biopsychosocial (BPS) model, a large administrative claim database system was used to derive a sample of 1,336, including 500 patients diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder between 2018 to 2021. Binary logistics regression, one-way ANOVA, chi-square, correlation, and logistical regression with …

Transgenerational Wellness: Trauma Informed Christian Spiritual Formation, Winford Amos

Doctor of Ministry

Certain mindsets, processes, and practices produce health inequities and disparities including poor spiritual health. Young adults between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five years old are experiencing challenges with mental health and substance use resulting in a high rate of suicides and overdose related deaths. Many are experiencing co-occurring substance use and mental health challenges and have a history of trauma. There are limited options available for integrated treatment. Accessibility to services is very difficult due to limited providers and limited resources at this age. Church attendance has decreased significantly for young adults which limits the capacity of the church …

The Course Of Covid: How Has The Pandemic Changed The Ways Therapists Use Art In Their Therapeutic Practice?, Deborah Sharpe

Art Therapy | Doctoral Dissertations

In 2020, the global pandemic fundamentally changed our everyday lives personally and professionally. The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of COVID-19 on the art therapy profession: the challenges of shifting to telehealth, managing work/life balance, confronting new realities around notions of privacy and confidentiality, and adapting the materials used in sessions. The necessary innovations and adjustments also revealed the unexpected benefits the pandemic and online therapy platforms provided. The researcher was interested in exploring the challenges and benefits of telehealth, the changes to the practical and essential qualities of the art therapy session, the therapeutic relationship, …

The Essence Of Therapeutic Relationships In Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy, Joy Clark Akin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractTraditional psychotherapeutic approaches are not always effective in alleviating psychological symptoms and improving functioning in young adults. Equine-assisted psychotherapy (EAP) has been shown as a beneficial alternative therapeutic method developed for clients not helped by traditional methods. However, the essence of the therapeutic relationship that develops between the client, horse, therapist, and equine specialist has not been explored. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experience of the therapeutic relationship in young adults who participated in EAP. The frameworks of person-centered theory and self psychology guided the development of interview questions, data analysis, and interpretation. Four …

Mental Health In Black Women With Endometriosis-Related Symptoms During Covid-19, Anjanette Jaye Blunt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Endometriosis is an incurable chronic illness impacting 190 million women worldwide. Despite the prevalence of this painful disease, research addressing how it affects Black women in the United States was limited. Research addressing this phenomenon during the COVID-19 pandemic was further limited. The purpose of this qualitative study employing an interpretative phenomenological analysis was to understand the mental health of Black women with endometriosis-related symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic and how having the illness during the pandemic might have impacted individuals in this population. The strong Black woman schema and biopsychosocial model were the theoretical foundations for the study. Data …

Occupational Burnout Factors Among Correctional Mental Health Providers, Morgan Gruhot

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Burnout rates of correctional employees are higher than employees in the general public. The purpose of this study was to identify how occupational factors impact burnout rates among correctional mental health workers. Grounded in the job-demands theoretical model, this study compared burnout rates among mental health staff within county jails and state prisons. Burnout was measured using the Maslach Burnout Inventory and Occupational factors were measured using the Areas of Work life Survey and Pandemic Experience and Perception Survey. Data was analyzed using IBM SSPS software to address multiple a priori directional research questions. Research questions considered how occupational factors …

Sub-Saharan African Immigrants’ Experiences In Utilizing Mental Health Services In Baltimore, Helen Tanwani

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractMental illness is associated with poor quality of life evidenced by unemployment, homelessness, and substance abuse. Despite the adverse effects of mental illness, research has indicated that mental health-seeking behaviors and experiences in accessing mental health services among immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa are under-researched. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of sub-Saharan African immigrants in accessing mental health services in Baltimore, Maryland. To achieve the objective of this study, a descriptive research study was conducted utilizing semistructured one-on-one in-depth interviews with eight sub-Saharan African immigrants in Baltimore. Braun and Clarke’s six-step thematic data analysis approach …

Utilization Of Mental Health Services For Caregivers Of Hemophiliacs, Anna Maria Bell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The utilization of mental health services for caregivers of hemophiliacs is an underserved area. Andersen’s behavioral model of utilization was the conceptual framework in this generic qualitative study. I used surveys and semi-structured interviews to obtain 20 participants’ information for nonprobability sampling, specifically purposive sampling. Narrative analysis was used as the foundation of the coding process The study findings revealed seven themes: cultural impact/stigma of mental health services; normalizing mental health services in the hemophilia community (national impact); inconsistencies in hemophilia treatment centers’ (HTCs’) service delivery; clarity of the role of the HTC social worker; member organizations emphasis on mental …

Associations Between Mindfulness Meditation, Health Status, And Activity Limitation Among United States Armed Forces, Bettie J. Dubose

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A ready military force is essential for the safekeeping of the United States and the well-being of United States Armed Forces personnel. Today, healthcare professionals report disproportionately high rates of chronic disease and substance abuse among United States Armed Forces personnel and disabling mental health disorders that often go untreated. This quantitative research aimed to determine if there was a relationship between United States Armed Forces personnel using mindfulness meditation and their health status. The study used Bandura's social cognitive theory as its framework and theoretical foundation. Also, a quantitative experimental research design examined the causal relationships between the predictor, …

Perceived Factors Of Intimate Partner Violence On Women Diagnosed With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Angela M. Halcovich

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a prevalent diagnosis, and many human and social services professionals strive to understand its components, to ensure that they serve the population properly. However, little is known about how PTSD may influence women’s vulnerabilities to and future experiences of intimate partner violence (IPV). Emphasizing relationship coaching, which provides tools to foster healthy relationships, within the therapeutic curricula on rehabilitation for women with PTSD may result in reduced chances to experience IPV as women integrate back into their everyday life after being diagnosed and treated for PTSD. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to …

The Perceived Impact Of Childbirth Related Ptsd And Maternal Bonding, Sheila Baez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractChildbirth has been increasingly viewed as a potentially traumatic event and process impacting both mother and infant. Previous research on childbirth has concentrated on the development of postpartum depression and its impact; research on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after childbirth has been limited. However, the results of this research study suggested that the development of childbirth-related PTSD may be a far more common phenomenon than previously suggested. Bowlby’s attachment theory and Ainsworth’s further development and expansion of the theory served as a framework which investigated the experiences of 10 biological females, aged 21 and over previously diagnosed with PTSD after …

The Impact Of Profession On Depression, Weston David Phipps

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Depression has long been a focused topic in the world of clinical psychology. While the exact nature of what drives an individual into depression has been difficult to determine, new at-risk populations are emerging every day, giving clinicians and businesses alike the opportunity to monitor their clients/workers health and stability more closely. The current study aims to examine the connections between individuals born into low resource environments and the likelihood of them taking on high-risk professions later in life. These high-risk professions are thought to be nurturing grounds for depressive symptoms when compared to lower risk professions. The current study’s …

Disparities In Mental Health Technology Among African Americans: Breaking Cultural Inclusion Barriers, Nyoki Cosey-Brown

DSW Capstone Projects

Mental health technology is a healthcare delivery model of the future. The engagement in virtual healthcare was intensified when traditional healthcare methods were inaccessible during the federal restrictions implemented due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Utilizing digital apparatuses for healthcare improved the convenience, efficiency, and accessibility of various mental health services that were inoperable in past healthcare models. However, the historical constructs of stigma, discrimination, inequity, exclusion, and structural racism in mental healthcare were prevalent problems that remained present in virtual mental health platforms concerning the experiences of African-American patients and professionals who utilized the spaces.

This research explored mental health …

State Level Mental Health Education Compared To Suicide-Related Behavior In Adolescents, 2019, Sonia Rao

Honors Theses

Objective: Determining correlations between state level mental and emotional health (M&E) education and suicide prevention (SP) education to suicide-related behaviors (I.e. feeling sad or hopeless, suicide ideation, making a suicide plan, suicide attempt, suicide attempt treated by medical personnel, and death by suicide) within high school adolescents aged 15-19 within the United States in 2019.

Methods: State level education policies, M&E and SP, were retrieved from the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE). Self-reported adolescent suicide related behaviors were retrieved from the 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS). Data on deaths by suicide of youth aged 15-19 …

Promoting Well-Being Among Intercollegiate Student-Athletes: A Gratitude Intervention Using Positive Psychology, Laura Kruger

Dissertations and Theses

Intercollegiate student-athletes face rising stress and pressures which challenge their well-being and mental health, and sometimes with alarming concerns. Over the years, supportive services and resources specifically available to student-athletes have not evolved at the same pace as student-athlete needs. Also, barriers and stigmas hinder student-athletes from readily accessing supportive mental health services. The high stress of student-athletes can contribute to the development of negative mental health symptoms and impairs positive well-being. Evidence supports how outreach initiatives help student-athletes. Positive psychology, including gratitude as a positive psychological state, has shown benefits to well-being. This experimental study design researched if the …

Substance Use And Trauma Among Adult Education Students In The United States, Brittany Miller-Roenigk, Michael Awad, Maria C. Crouch, Derrick M. Gordon

Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology Faculty Publications

Adult basic education (ABE) programs in the United States serve millions of students annually to help them achieve high school equivalency, English proficiency, and other skills. These skills are necessary for upward mobility and competitiveness in the labor market, which is important for ABE students who are disproportionately affected by racial/ethnic disparities and poverty. Among learners who are not in ABE programs, substance use and trauma affect student outcomes. Similar research is limited among ABE students. Understanding the influence of these factors among ABE students can better inform interventions. The current study, grounded in Stress and Coping Theory, examined rates, …

Restorative Landscapes And Their Potential Application To The University Of Kentucky Campus, Felix Lowery

Gaines Fellow Senior Theses

Exposure to natural environments has been shown to have significant positive impacts on both mood and attention, as well as the potential to decrease stress and other negative emotions. Hospitals and other healthcare settings have been on the forefront of implementing spaces designed with the intent of improving mental health. However, this is not the only setting in which restorative landscapes are needed. Implementing restorative landscapes on college campuses would be an innovative way for colleges to address their students’ mental health needs. The objective of this thesis is to understand what aspects of a natural landscape promote cognitive restoration, …