Mental and Social Health Commons^™

A Phenomenological Study Of The Experience Of Counseling For Women With Addictions, Jennifer Karin Londgren

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This qualitative study explores the experience of counseling for women with addiction issues. Six women with varying ethnic and racial backgrounds between the ages of 24-44 years old participated in the study. Each woman was diagnosed with a substance use disorder and had to have participated in at least five counseling sessions to be included in the study. The study utilized a phenomenological methodology, which seeks to understand the core essence of the phenomenon of counseling itself. Each woman was interviewed once for at least 45 minutes and two women were interviewed twice. These interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and …

The Social Experience Of Internet Gamers: A Pilot Study, Kristy L. Carlisle, Charles P. Carrington

Counseling & Human Services Faculty Publications

The purpose of this phenomenological pilot study was to explore the lived social experiences of Internet gamers. Findings highlighted the impact of Internet gaming on social interactions, social functioning, and social identity. The findings in the pilot study related to addiction supported the need for future research into the legitimacy of Internet Gaming Disorder as a mental health issue.

Final Thoughts, Hatim A. Omar

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

The work to establish the "Stop Youth Suicide Campaign (SYS)" has resulted in contact with many young adults. We realized that the most important thing for the kids was finding a caring person they can trust and talk to. This project has been a learning process for all involved. I learned that I can help and so can everyone else. This community and grassroots approach showed tangible results. It needs caring and dedication and most importantly desire to make a difference. It is hard work, but well worth it. Many people, including myself, are afraid of failure. I suffered every …

Treating Public Speaking Anxiety: A Comparison Of Exposure And Video Self-Modeling, Emily Marie Bartholomay

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This study examined the relative effectiveness of VSM and exposure in treating public speaking anxiety in reducing anxiety with a college student. The study employed a single-subject A-B design with parametric variations. Two phases were utilized in this study: baseline (exposure therapy) and treatment (video self-modeling) with a one-month follow-up. Generalization probes were also employed to assess whether or not decreases in PSA would generalize to other settings. Results indicate a significant decrease in public speaking anxiety from both pre- to post-treatment as well as from baseline to exposure. However, these results may be specific to public speaking anxiety, as …

Depression In Student Athletes: A Particularly At-Risk Group? A Systematic Review Of The Literature, Shelley N. Armstrong, Michelle M. Burcin, Wendy Bjerke, Jody Early

All PTHMS Faculty Publications

Mental health initiatives are being implemented based on collegiate athletes being a high risk subculture for a variety of health behaviors that correlate directly to depression. This literature review used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) method to investigate the association between depression and student athletes. An initial search of the research databases yielded 807 articles. After applying additional delimiting criteria, 30 articles were considered relevant for the critical review and 11 for the systematic review. Results showed that student athletes are actually less likely to be depressed when compared to their non-athlete peers due to …

Impact Of Caregiving Role In The Quality Of Life Of Family Caregivers For Persons With Alzheimer's Disease, Supriya Sarkar

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This study investigated quality of life of family caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Caregiving is a strenuous and challenging job. Family caregivers experience poor quality of life after they take the role of caregiving which might be related to depression. Purpose of this study was to find if caregiving duration and depression has any role in affecting family caregivers' emotional, physical, and general health.

Data for this study were collected through electronic and mailed survey methods. The questionnaires completed by subjects: Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36 (MOS-36) and Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Descriptive statistics …

The Relationship Between Sexual Functioning And Sleep Quality In A Female Undergraduate Student Sample, Alexander Kuka

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

A relative lack of literature exists regarding the relationship between sexual functioning and sleep quality in women. The current study assessed these constructs in a sample of 260 undergraduate female students via online administration of relevant measures for sleep quality, sexual functioning, stress, and medical conditions and prescription medications. The relationship between sleep quality and sexual functioning was positive but not significant, even when controlling for relevant variables such as stress. As such, future research might seek to clarify this relationship and to identify variables that mediate or moderate this relationship.

Metaphoric Generative Genograms: A Journey To Bring Genograms To Life Through Metaphorical Components, Elisa Garcia

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

The purpose of this dissertation is to offer a greater understanding of the potential of genograms through my clinical work from a Bowen Family Systems lens. I account for how I processed and effectively blended metaphorical components, by examining six cases from my two-year journal entries, of bringing genograms to life in sessions. I also explain how I created a useful tool, the Metaphoric Generative Genogram, that can benefit other clinicians working with children and families in the foster care community.

Balancing Act: Successfully Combining Creativity And Accountability In The Practice Of Marriage And Family Therapy, Nathalie Duque Bello

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

The conditions that allowed early MFTs the freedom to creatively explore different interventions and theories of change are no longer available in today’s mental health care system. Although there are many benefits to the structure of managed behavioral healthcare organizations, a thorough review of the literature demonstrates that many therapists working in managed care agencies struggle with maintaining their theoretical creativity, claiming third-party payers’ service requirements and paperwork a barrier to their creativity. A phenomenological transcendental research method was utilized to understand the phenomenon of successfully combining creativity and accountability in the practice of marriage and family therapy from the …

Photovoice: Engaging School Communities In Wellness Efforts, Hilary J. Overby

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Currently there are no interactive tools that allow school communities to assess their school wellness needs and foster interest in wellness efforts. PhotoVoice is a participatory action research methodology commonly used in public health that utilizes photography to document and showcase community strengths and weaknesses in order to promote change. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to gather perceptions of a school community after using PhotoVoice to document school wellness efforts 1. Participants: High school students (n=103) and school community members (i.e., residents of community, school faculty) (n=188) were recruited across three school districts. Methods: High school students …

An Assessment Of The Health Needs Of The Transgender Community In Montana, Karishma Chainani

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Transgender individuals face a unique set of challenges in their day to day lives. While issues regarding stigma and discrimination are well documented in the literature, most of the information about transgender people has been gathered in urban settings. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to explore factors that influence quality of life and risk of infection with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Hepatitis C (HCV), Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD’s) among transgender people living in Montana. A questionnaire was developed after a thorough review of the literature as well as a review of existing assessments. The questionnaire was reviewed by …

The Growing Crisis In Maine: Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, Olivia Avidan

Honors Theses

Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) is a Maine epidemic. In addition to having medical repercussions, NAS is intrinsically linked to social, political and economic factors. NAS is a conglomeration of symptoms, short-term and long-term, that affect a child that has been exposed to opioids in utero. These factors that impact NAS are interdependent. The past decade is characterized by a dramatic rise in NAS cases in Maine. This paper explores the social, political and economic landscape surrounding NAS in an effort to describe fully the syndrome’s effect on both individuals and the community as a whole.

The Validity Of The Obsessive-Compulsive Syndromes As Emotional Disorders, Doty Jennings

Masters Theses

Recent changes to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders have grouped together syndromes which are referred to as the obsessive-compulsive spectrum (OCS). The grouping of these syndromes is disputed because of lack of empirical verification for an organization purportedly based on research that supports similarity of observed symptoms. The taxonomy of emotional disorders was tested as an alternative model. Consistent with the model of the emotional disorders, this empirical research tested two proposed characteristics. The first was whether three OCS syndromes (hoarding syndrome, body dysmorphic syndrome, and obsessive compulsive syndromes) shared the broad factor of neuroticism or negative …

Examining College Faculty And Staff's Levels Of Confidence And Preparedness In Recognizing And Responding To Distressed Students, Rachel L. Chlebanowski

Masters Theses

Mental health on college campuses is a large focus, as students attending college with diagnosed mental illnesses are becoming more prevalent (Hunt & Eisenberg, 2010). While college campuses should be a safe and supportive environment for students, many faculty and staff do not know the resources available to students, nor are faculty and staff able to identify when students are suffering from a mental illness (Bateman, 1997). This study was designed to identify staff and faculty's ability to work with students with mental illness, including identifying warning signs, as well as recognizes campus resources. The study took place at a …

Facebook Addiction And Impulsive Decision-Making, Daniel Delaney

Masters Theses

This study examined the relationship between Facebook "addiction" and impulsive decision-making. Impulsive decision-making as measured by the delay discounting task is associated with a number of addictions and other problem behaviors. We gave 152 students a paper-based packet including the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale to measure problematic Facebook use and a delay discounting task to assess impulsivity. 16 Facebook "addicted" participants were matched to 16 control participants on demographic data to compare differences in impulsivity. Likewise, we explored whether a correlational relationship between Facebook addiction scores and impulsivity existed. We found that Facebook "addicts" discounted delayed rewards more quickly than …

The Retrospective Diagnosis Of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder In Adolescents: Family Physicians' Challenges, Adam M. Pechmann

Masters Theses

The primary purpose of the study was to identify current retrospective practices used by family physicians in the diagnosis of Attention-Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in adolescents and young adults. In other words, do physicians adhere to best practices and examine information from childhood in order to diagnose ADHD in adolescents and young adults? In addition, this study aimed to examine the information physicians request for ADHD diagnosis, types of treatments they recommend, the type of information they use to assess treatment outcomes, and professional attitudes regarding the nature of ADHD. Participants completed a questionnaire designed to answer the research questions. Participants …

The Impact Of Performance-Based Assessment On University Esl Learners' Motivation, Kadidja Koné

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This thesis examines the impact of performance-based assessment on university ESL learners' motivation. To reach this aim, data were collected from 21 international ESL students taking an intensive oracy course for non-native speakers. Online motivation questionnaires were used in order to find out how these learners responded emotionally and motivationally to performance-based assessment, specifically an oral presentation project both before and after the project. The results revealed that the students responded positively to this type of project. However, their motivational and emotional states varied across time depending on their experience with the oral presentation, their performance, and the cohesion of …

Impact And Prevention Of Psychiatric Polypharmacy In The Elderly, Rose Cordelia E Onyekwe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Adequate medication management is a focus of effective care that is often overlooked in caring for adults with comorbid psychiatric and physical conditions, especially in patients who are treated by multiple care providers and have a variety of health issues at the same time. The purpose of this project was to develop evidence-based policies and practice guidelines to reduce polypharmacy in elderly patients in a rural outpatient psychiatric clinic. Bandura's self-efficacy theory was used to inform the project for its value in assessing motivation, capacity for self-regulation, and perceptions of individual ability. An interdisciplinary team of stakeholders explored best practices …

Implementing Animal Therapy Into Current Medicinal Practices, Jenna Schiefelbein

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

• The purpose of this study was to explore an unconventional intervention of medicine; specifically the integration of animals into current healthcare practices.

• The review of literature evaluated the implementation of animal therapy in medicine, both in the past and present.

• It was demonstrated that incorporating animal-assistance therapy into modern day medicine had a positive correlation with overall patient health, pain control, and disposition.

Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated With Streptococcal Infection Antibiotic Prophylaxis Treatment Compared With Alternative Treatment Options, Heather Watkins

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

• Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders associated with Streptococcal Infection, known as PANDAS, is a clinical diagnosis made after a child develops Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and/or ticks after a Streptococcal Pharyngitis. Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders associated with Streptococcal Infection is diagnosed in children 3 years of age until 14 years of age. The purpose of this study is to determine if antibiotics versus selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor with cognitive behavior therapy versus prophylaxis with antibiotics should be used in the treatment of children who develops PANDAS. The review of literature will explore studies that compare current treatment options with new research …