Mental and Social Health Commons^™

School-Based Mental Health Services For Students With Disabilities: Exploring Benefits, Barriers, And The Role Of A Multi-Tiered System Of Supports, Veronica R. S. Meiners Perez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Schools play a significant role in the academic, behavioral, and social-emotional development of children. Students with disabilities have legal rights to all necessary support for their educational success, including mental health supports. School-based mental health and its implementation are a work in progress, facing many barriers, but the benefits speak for themselves. Research suggests that the use of a multi-tiered system of supports ensures equal and equitable interventions for all students, especially students with disabilities. This literature review analyzes 16 studies regarding school-based mental health, special education, students with disabilities, and the MTSS framework. Support students' mental health, regardless of …

Health-Related Quality Of Life After Neonatal Treatment Of Symptomatic Tetralogy Of Fallot: Insights From The Congenital Cardiac Research Collaborative, George T Nicholson, Jeffrey D Zampi, Andrew C Glatz, Bryan H Goldstein, Christopher J Petit, Yun Zhang, Courtney E Mccracken, Athar M Qureshi, Caren S Goldberg, Jennifer C Romano, Mark A Law, Jeffery J Meadows, Shabana Shahanavaz, Sarosh P Batlivala, Shiraz A Maskatia, Asaad Beshish, Michael L O'Byrne, R Allen Ligon, Kathryn O Stack, Hala Q Khan, Shalin Parekh, Dawn L Ilardi

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

To evaluate the association between initial management strategy of neonatal symptomatic Tetralogy of Fallot (sTOF) and later health-related quality of life (HRQOL) outcomes. We performed a multicenter, cross-sectional evaluation of a previously assembled cohort of infants with sTOF who underwent initial intervention at ≤ 30 days of age, between 2005 and 2017. Eligible patients’ parents/guardians completed an age-appropriate Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory, a Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory Cardiac Module Heart Disease Symptoms Scale, and a parental survey. The association between treatment strategy and HRQOL was evaluated, and the entire sTOF cohort was compared to published values for the …

The Association Between Condom Use Self-Efficacy And Condom-Decision Abdication Among College Students, Mikaela Gjoka, Madison K Firkey, Alan Z Sheinfil, Sarah E Woolf-King

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Objective: Condomless sex and its related consequences are a persistent problem on college campuses in the United States. This study aimed to examine the association between condom use self-efficacy and condom-decision abdication among college students, and whether this association was moderated by gender.

Participants & methods: Undergraduate college students (N = 212; 50.5% female) were recruited via Amazon Mechanical Turk as part of a larger online study that examined normative feedback for condom use.

Results: The association between condom use self-efficacy and condom-decision abdication was significantly moderated by gender (B = -0.07, p < .001), such that condom use self-efficacy was associated with condom-decision abdication in college women (B = -0.05, p < .005) but not in college men (B = .02, p = .18).

Conclusion: Findings from this study suggest that …

Prevalence Of Mental Illness, Substance Use Disorder, And Dual Diagnosis Among Adults In Custody, Darcy J. Coulter, Lindsay A. Pearce, Matthew Legge, Jesse T. Young, David B. Preen, Ed C. Heffernan, Jocelyn D. Jones, Stuart A. Kinner

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: The prevalence of mental illness, substance use disorders, and their dual diagnosis is disproportionately high among people in prisons compared to the community. Accurate prevalence estimates are required to inform resourcing of prison health services and reduce the risk of harm to people experiencing these conditions. Existing estimates, where available, often rely on only one data source. Method: We used three data sources – self-reported history of diagnoses, in-prison medical records, and administrative data to estimate the prevalence of mental illness, substance use disorder, and dual diagnosis among two large cohorts of non-Indigenous and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander …

Validated And Culturally Specific Screening Tools And Early Response Programs For The Detection And Prevention Of Eating Disorders Among First Nations Peoples In Australia: A Scoping Review, Mark John Castro, Zyana Gall, Alana Gall, Hilary Smith, Kanita Kunaratnam

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Eating disorders (EDs) are complex mental health conditions that can have severe health consequences, exacerbating the overall disease burden and causing significant economic impacts on healthcare systems. Globally, cultural and societal factors influence the presentation and management of these disorders, necessitating culturally specific approaches to screening and prevention. Among First Nations peoples in Australia, the intersection of historical, cultural, and social factors offers both context and strength in addressing EDs, while also presenting distinct challenges in identification and prevention. Objective: This scoping review seeks to map and evaluate existing research on culturally specific and validated screening tools and early …

The Experience Of Mothers Of Autistic Children With A Pathological Demand Avoidance Profile: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Sam Curtis, Elizabeth Izett

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose: Emergent research literature has identified emotional and behavioural challenges for autistic children with a pathological demand avoidance profile. However, understanding of their parents’ experience is limited. This study aimed to explore the experience of parents of autistic children with a pathological demand avoidance profile. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were completed with ten parents of autistic children with a pathological demand avoidance profile, aged between 5 and 11 years (M = 8.5, SD = 1.90). All participants were mothers, aged 33–50 years (M = 42, SD = 5.35). To explore what meaning participants gave to their lived experience, an interpretative phenomenological …

Potential Mechanisms Of Influence Between Spiritual Practices And Cognitive Health: A Systematic Review And Conceptual Model, Katherine Carroll Britt, Hayoung Oh, Augustine Cassis Obeng Boateng, Sherry Morgan, Sato Ashida, Corey Nagel, Roland J Thorpe, Harold G Koenig

Staff and Researcher Publications

Background/Objectives: This systematic review summarizes the evidence regarding potential mechanisms underlying the relationship between spiritual practices and cognitive health in adults. The review was performed based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist.

Methods: An extensive search of six electronic databases (i.e., PubMed, PsycINFO, Embase, Sociological Abstracts, ATLA, CINAHL) was conducted using keywords related to spiritual practices, religious activities, and cognitive health from 1 January 2000 to December 2025. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal tool aligned with the study design.

Results: A total of …

Accuracy Of Student Career Choice: Analysis Of Interest And Personality Match In The Industry 4.0 Era, Nikon Aritonang, I Nyoman Sudana Degeng, M Ramli, Adi Atmoko

Buletin Konseling Inovatif

This study aims to clarify the high number of college students choosing unsuitable career choices. The impact of choosing an unsuitable career path can significantly hinder the development of Indonesian human resources in the context of the industry 4.0 era. This is caused by shifting paradigms in the recruitment process of most companies or institutions that no longer prioritize a diploma as the key factor in seeking new hires. Instead, there is greater emphasis on the employee's skills, interests, creativity, and innovation, followed by a diploma and achievement index. Descriptive-qualitative design was employed. Samples were collected from college students at …

Turning Patients' Open-Ended Narratives Of Chronic Pain Into Quantitative Measures: Natural Language Processing Study, Raquel Norel, Jennifer Gewandter, Zhengwu Zhang, Anika Tahsin, Chadi G Abdallah, John Markman, Zhiyao Duan, Guillermo Cecchi, Paul Geha

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Subjective report of pain remains the gold standard for assessing symptoms in patients with chronic pain and their response to analgesics. This subjectivity underscores the importance of understanding patients' personal narratives, as they offer an accurate representation of the illness experience.

Objective: In this pilot study involving 20 patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP), we applied emerging tools from natural language processing (NLP) to derive quantitative measures that captured patients' pain narratives.

Methods: Patients' narratives were collected during recorded semistructured interviews in which they spoke about their lives in general and their experiences with CLBP. Given that NLP …

An Essay On Trailblazing With Service Animals Langer, Pilot, Bowie, And Izzie: Preserving Non-Partisan Public Health And The Law, Gary C. Norman

Journal of Law and Health

A direct correlation exists among humans, their animals, and human health and wellness. This article will focus concisely on law students with disabilities and lawyers with disabilities and how they can be empowered to be trailblazers while remaining healthy and well. Salutogenic Model should be optimized by lawyers with disabilities working at the intersection of animal law, disability law, and public health law. Service animals have positive and salubrious impacts upon their handlers in several ways, including psychosocial health and wellbeing. The Grand Architect (or in my Cherokee tradition, "great spirit") continuously partners me with complicated but magnificent dog partners …

Identifying Compounds To Treat Opiate Use Disorder By Leveraging Multi-Omic Data Integration And Multiple Drug Repurposing Databases, Jeran K Stratford, Megan Ulmer Carnes, Caryn Willis, Melyssa S Minto, Logain Elnimeiry, Ravi Mathur, Matthew Schu, Bryan C Quach, Javan Carter, Tracy Nolen, Nathan Vandergrift, Thomas R Kosten, Eric Otto Johnson, Bradley T Webb

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Genes influencing opioid use disorder (OUD) biology have been identified via genome-wide association studies (GWAS), gene expression, and network analyses. These discoveries provide opportunities to identifying existing compounds targeting these genes for drug repurposing studies. However, systematically integrating discovery results and identifying relevant available pharmacotherapies for OUD repurposing studies is challenging. To address this, we've constructed a framework that uses existing results and drug databases to identify candidate pharmacotherapies. For this study, two independent OUD related meta-analyses were used including a GWAS and a differential gene expression (DGE) study of post-mortem human brain. Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) sub-networks enriched for GWAS …

Bridging Traditions: A Mixed Methods Systematic Review Of Yoga For Trauma Recovery In Indigenous People, Andreia Schineanu, Fredrik Velander, Julaine Allan

Journal of the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet

Objective: The aim of this mixed methods systematic review was to explore if Yoga can alleviate mental health issues for Indigenous people, and how participants experience the effects.

Methods: Peer-reviewed primary research published in English retrieved from 2002 to March 2024 was identified using the databases Medline, Scopus, Informit, ProQuest and PsycINFO. Qualitative, quantitative and mixed method studies with Indigenous populations, where the primary intervention was Yoga or mindfulness programs with significant yoga components that reported on mental health outcomes were included.

Results: Only 5 studies met the inclusion criteria. The studies demonstrated significant improvements in mental health outcomes, including …

Understanding The Lived Experience Of Mental Health Following An Alpha-Gal Syndrome Diagnosis: A Phenomenological Study Grounded In Maslow’S Hierarchy Of Needs, Heather L. Hargis

Dissertations

Alpha-gal syndrome is a tick-borne food allergy that triggers delayed allergic reactions to mammalian products and profoundly alters daily life. While growing research examines the physiological aspects of alpha-gal syndrome, little is known about its psychological impact. This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of individuals with alpha-gal syndrome to understand how the condition influences mental health through the lens of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Data was collected through semi-structured virtual interviews with adults medically diagnosed with alpha-gal syndrome. Thematic analysis revealed significant challenges in meeting Maslow’s lower-tier needs—physiological, safety, and love/belonging—due to dietary restrictions, medical uncertainty, social isolation, and …

Stigma And Barriers To Seeking Mental Health Care Among Emergency Department Providers – A Mixed Methods Study, Shannon C. White, Charlotte H. Harris, Ravindra Gopaul, Joshua M. Smyth

Student Papers, Posters & Projects

High levels of psychological distress and depression are common among clinicians working in US emergency departments [ED], yet treatment-seeking remains rare, contributing to burnout and negative well-being. Reluctance to seek care often reflects concerns about negative consequences (e.g., stigma, negative professional impact). We sought to characterize the availability of mental health resource availability, beliefs about seeking care, and barriers faced by emergency department healthcare providers. A sequential mixed-method design was employed. Phase 1 included a survey of ED physicians, advanced practice providers (APPs; i.e., nurse practitioners and physician assistants) and medical residents at an academic medical center. The survey assessed …

Parentcoach: Designing An Mhealth Parenting App To Enhance Parental Involvement In Adhd Support, Franceli L. Cibrian, Nancy Herrera, Jesus A. Beltran, Lucas M. Silva, Mikaela Pulse, Kayla Anderson, Cassie Zeiler, Luc Rieffel, Daniel I. Lee, Sabrina E. B. Schuck, Kimberley D. Lakes

Engineering Faculty Articles and Research

Introduction: Parents play a vital role in supporting self-regulation and managing behaviors in children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). However, many face barriers to accessing consistent, evidence-based support. Mobile health (mHealth) technologies offer a promising way to deliver flexible, low-burden guidance for parents on best practices and strategies to support their children's self-regulation. However, designing them is non-trivial.

Objective: This paper introduces ParentCoach, a mobile application designed to support parents of children with ADHD through brief daily lessons, reflection prompts, and skill-building activities.

Methods: ParentCoach was developed in two phases: (1) secondary analysis of qualitative data from over 30 families …

Increasing The Likelihood Of Using Mental Health First Aid: Applying The Theory Of Planned Behavior, Alexander E. Chan, Cheyenne Schad, Julie Slivka, Elise Young, Ghaffar A. Hurtado Choque

Journal of Extension

This study applies the Theory of Planned Behavior to examine what may drive intentions to help others after receiving Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training. The study is unique in its application of theory to understanding MHFA outcomes, as prior studies tended to be atheoretical. Logistic regression was used to analyze the results of post-program surveys completed by MHFA participants. Results showed that participants who reported positive changes in subjective norms and attitudes were significantly more likely to report increases in intentions to help. However, when analyzed in a model containing all predictors, only attitudes remained significant.

Incorporating Behavioral Health Strategies In Primary Care To Improve Outcomes Of Depressed Patients, Amy L. Brummett

Student Scholarly Projects

Practice Problem: Depression, otherwise known as major depressive disorder, is a mood disorder characterized by persistent feelings of sadness, loss of interest, sleep disturbances, changes to weight (both gain and loss), difficulty concentrating, and in extreme cases, suicidal thoughts, and/or attempts (Mayo Clinic, 2022). An estimated 8.3% or 21.0 million adults in the United States have experienced at least one episode of depression. Primary care clinicians are often the first to recognize the symptoms of depression. Depression was very prevalent in the clinic where this DNP Scholarly project took place. The owner/nurse practitioner found that she was increasingly treating depressed …

Introducing Neuro Sscial Work: A Brief Reflection On Neuroscience And The Profession, Priscila Llamosa

Social Work Faculty Publications

This reflection introduces and contextualizes the term Neuro Social Work, which I coin to name a specialized practice area at the intersection of social work, neuroscience, and neurodiversity. Drawing on my experience as a social work educator and practitioner, I discuss social work’s uneasy relationship with neuroscience, marked both by the opportunity to deepen our understanding of trauma, development, and healing, and by the risks of using brain‑based evidence to individualize structural harms or justify surveillance of marginalized communities. I outline, in broad strokes, what distinguishes Neuro Social Work from general neuroscience‑informed practice. The note is intended as a concept …

Latine Doctoral Student Experiences In U.S. Counselor Education And Supervision Programs, Nayara Aparecida Da Costa Silva Beall, Lizbeth Duran Oden, Isabel C. Farrell, Mariaimeé Gonzalez, Stephanie Thorson-Olesen

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

This study explored the experiences of Latine doctoral students in Counselor Education and Supervision programs in the United States. The consensual qualitative research yielded five domains: cultural values, representation, racialized experiences, support, and social justice. The findings are discussed with direct applications for programs and recommendations for future research.

Counselor Education: Digital Delivery With Confidence, Nicole Marie Arcuri-Sanders, Alisha Davis

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Counselor education programs are required to demonstrate a clear framework, effective implementation, and overall program effectiveness. The pandemic’s surge in online instruction influenced CACREP’s (2024) digital delivery (DD) standards, addressing ethical and legal implications alongside student outcomes. Guidance from digital health initiatives, telemental health ethics and legal practices can be invaluable in clarifying DD protocols for counselor education programs. Understanding the parallels between DD and digital health regulations (e.g., HIPAA, ACA [2014], and NBCC [2023] ethical codes) provides a solid foundation for protecting both students and programs. Integrating technology and modeling digital health practices can enhance counselor education, benefiting both …