Mental and Social Health Commons^™

Exercise As A Treatment For Depression And Anxiety Symptoms In College Students, Ashley J. Fountain

ATU Honors Projects

Anxiety and depression have become increasingly prevalent among college students, with rates rising to levels that demand urgent and accessible treatment alternatives. Traditional interventions such as psychotherapy and pharmacological treatments, while effective for many, present limitations including high cost, side effects, and barriers to access. This paper examines exercise as a holistic, evidence-based treatment modality for reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety in college students. Recent research demonstrates that aerobic exercise, resistance training, and yoga each produce meaningful physiological and psychological benefits through mechanisms involving neurotransmitter regulation, reduced cortisol levels, and enhanced self-esteem. Studies comparing exercise with antidepressant medications show …

John Henryism And The African American Experience: An Exploration Of Risk And Protective Factors And Health Outcomes, Joseph L. Twitdy

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Racial discrimination has been tied to adverse mental and physical health outcomes among African Americans. In the face of this adversity, African Americans have developed strategies for coping with everyday experiences of discrimination. One such coping method is based on the concept of John Henryism. The folktale of John Henry tells the story of an African American steel-driver racing against a steam-powered drill to clear a path for trains through a mountain. Although John Henry wins the race, he later dies due to exhaustion, ultimately passing with his hammer in his hand. The psychological concept of John Henryism (JH) refers …

Book Review On Joan Didion's "The Year Of Magical Thinking", Antea Garo

be Still

This essay and review explores how Joan Didion's memoir The Year of Magical Thinking connects mourning with attention, and analyzes how the healthcare system struggles to deal with grief.

What The Stethoscope Can’T Hear: A Book Review Of Every Patient Tells A Story, Faith Abraham

be Still

My love for reading has always shaped the way I see people and stories. Through books, I’ve learned to listen deeply to characters, voices, and emotions. That same curiosity drives how I approach medicine and the humanities. Reading reminds me that every person carries a story worth understanding, and that healing often begins with paying attention.

The Effect Of Shared Decisions On Intertemporal Choice, Rosemarie M. Davidson

Masters Theses

Substance use disorders are a significant public health concern, and improving treatment outcomes requires a better understanding of the behavioral processes that influence drug consumption. Delay discounting, or the tendency to overvalue immediate reinforcers, is reliably more severe among individuals with substance use disorders. Recent work suggests that shared decision-making may increase tolerance for delayed rewards; however, prior studies used procedures that confounded delay to token delivery with delay to token exchange, limiting conclusions. The present study evaluates delay discounting across individual and social decision-making contexts using a traditional delay discounting paradigm.

Ten undergraduate participants completed sessions involving choices between …

Evaluating Psychosocial Stressors And Mental Well-Being Of Construction Professionals From The Management Standpoint: An Exploratory Study, Md Tauhidul Karim

Masters Theses

Construction professionals face persistent workplace stressors that undermine their mental well-being outcomes. Despite progress in general job-related stressors, social and interpersonal aspects of psychosocial stressors traditionally remain underexplored in the construction management research. The present study examines how social and interpersonal factors influence construction workers’ mental well-being and how management’s awareness, responsiveness, and strategic roles evolved in the transition of the COVID-19 pandemic at the organizational level. An integrative mixed-methods approach was employed, combining a systematic literature review, a bibliometric analysis, and an exploratory case study to capture the current landscape of mental well-being and management standpoints in the US …

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 …

Dual-Task Interaction Between Vestibular Function And Cognitive Processing Using The P300 Event-Related Potential, Laurel Elise Money-Nolan

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

Previous research has established links between vestibular function and cognitive processing, aging and cognitive function, and aging and vestibular function. Theories of cognitive resource allocation discuss how cognitive resources, such as attention, are devoted towards and divided between tasks when multitasking. This dual-task study, utilizing a balance task and a listening/cognitive task, across the young- and middle-aged adult age range, aimed to evaluate potential relationships between vestibular function, cognition, and age, and to examine how cognitive resources might be allocated under dual-task conditions.

The dual-task protocol in this study utilized an oddball paradigm with tonal stimuli to measure the P300 …

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 …

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 …

Associations Between School Experiences And Mental Health Outcomes By Gender Identity In Sexual And Gender Minority Youth In Texas And California, 2022 - 2024, Andrea Susana Yanez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background: Depression and anxiety affect populations differently, with diagnoses disproportionately higher among sexual and gender minority groups, including LGBTQ+ youth. School experiences shape mental health; negative environments, bullying, and lack of support worsen outcomes, while affirming policies, peer support, and inclusive curricula are protective. Methods: This secondary analysis of the Family, Housing, and Me (FHAM) Project followed 83 LGBTQ+ youth from South Texas and California's Inland Empire (2022-2024). Data on sociodemographic characteristics, school experiences, and mental health outcomes were collected at baseline and at Waves I and II over 25 months. Analyses included descriptive statistics, monthly comparisons, and bivariate and …

Mental Health Education For Latinx Students In High School, Wilbert F. Rivas-Vides

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Mental health has become a significant concern for adolescents, especially high school juniors and seniors who are getting ready to transition into adulthood. At this age, students often face academic pressure, uncertainty about their future, and the challenge of balancing increased independence with family and cultural expectations. These stressors can be even harder for students from immigrant, low-income, or bilingual backgrounds because they may face extra barriers when trying to seek support. National data show that mental and behavioral health conditions are common among teens, with anxiety and depression standing out as leading concerns (Sappenfield et al., 2024). To address …

Evaluation And Identification Of Risk Factors For Stress Among Maquiladora Workers Based On The Mexican Official Standard 035 Survey Tool, Andrea Baca Melendez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background and significance: Occupational psychosocial risk factors are workplace conditions that can trigger physiological, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral changes. They are strongly associated with mental health issues such as anxiety and depression, as well as non-mental health conditions like myocardial infarction, stroke, and occupational injuries. Analyzing these risks from a sociodemographic perspective provides valuable insights for improving work environments and workers’ well-being. Purpose: This study aimed to identify and determine the levels of occupational psychosocial risk factors among workers in a manufacturing company in Cd. Juárez, Chihuahua, and to examine their relationship with sociodemographic variables to inform future interventions in …

Exploring Intersectional Risks Of Substance Use Disorder, Mental Health, Hiv/Aids, And Hepatitis C Among Hispanic Adults On The Tx-Mx Border: A Mixed-Methods Study, Md Mohsin

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore intersectional risks of substance use disorders, mental health, HIV/AIDS, and HCV among Mexican-origin Hispanic adults on the Texas-Mexico border. Methods: The study employed an exploratory sequential mixed-methods approach, which involved collecting and analyzing qualitative data first, followed by quantitative data collection. Selected purposively, 15 in-depth interviews were conducted among the target population. Using convenient sampling, 106 cross-sectional surveys were conducted. Qualitative interview data were analyzed manually using thematic analysis. Quantitative data analyses included univariate descriptive analysis, bivariate, and multivariable penalized logistic regression, negative binomial, and zero-inflated negative binomial regression. Results: The …

Unraveling The Links Between Substance Use And Academic Motivation In Higher Education, Melissa Lynn Goins

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

Self-Determination Theory (SDT) posits that the quality of students’ motivation regulation (i.e., autonomous versus controlled) shapes both learning and health behavior, yet few studies have examined the relations among motivation regulation, alcohol and cannabis use, and achievement. In this study, I surveyed 459 undergraduates at a mid-sized public university in the southeastern United States. Participants completed the Academic Motivation Scale-College version 28 to assess autonomous and controlled motivation regulation, a typical-week alcohol grid, a seven-day cannabis grid, and self-reported grade point average (GPA). Results indicated that autonomous academic motivation was uniquely related to GPA; however, neither motivation variable related to …

Exploring The Impact Of Identity-Based Bullying On Suicidal Thoughts And Behaviors Among 6th-12th Grade Youth In Virginia, Camille N. Johnson

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs) are a growing public health concern among youth. Bullying victimization is a robust risk factor for STBs and identity-based bullying (IBB) or bullying that occurs due to a person’s actual or perceived social-identity/identities that is ingrained in discrimination, prejudice, or bias, has been found to be more strongly associated with STBs compared to bullying that was unrelated to identity. The current study used data from the Virginia School Survey of Climate and Working Conditions (N=399,493) to examine associations between general bullying, adult-perpetrated bullying, and IBB with depression and STBs among 6th-12th grade youth. This study …

A Quantitative Exploration Of Risk And Protective Factors Affecting The Mental Health Of Chitimacha Tribal Youth, Daphnie Vilcan-Tanner

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the relationships between demographics, risk factors, and protective factors with mental distress among Chitimacha Tribal adolescents aged 12 to 18. Using a Positive Youth Development framework, the research aimed to identify the prevalence of mental distress, trauma, discrimination, and protective factors, as well as their collective and individual impacts on mental health. Data were collected through online surveys completed by 73 participants residing on or near the Chitimacha Tribal Reservation. Descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to analyze the data. Results revealed that while trauma and discrimination collectively predicted mental distress, family and community …

Building Rapport In Ethnoculturally Dissimilar Dyads: A Critical Grounded Theory Inquiry, Danielle E. Burton

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Multiculturalism is not a new concept within the field of counseling. It is discussed in terms adjacent to competency, theory, and identity development. However, research indicates that students do not usually feel multiculturally-competent following their graduation from counseling programs, nor do they feel that they have adequate skills and techniques to engage diverse clientele. This critical grounded theory study examines counseling skills, dispositional factors, systemic factors, and other experiential factors used in pursuit of rapport within counseling dyads of ethnocultural dissimilarity. Semi-structured interview data was coded to reveal five themes to be used as a heuristic for further discovery. These …

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 …