Mental and Social Health Commons^™

Novel Therapy For Nicotine Addiction In Alcohol Dependent Rats, Bethany Ann Stennett

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The co-dependence of nicotine and alcohol addiction occurs at high rates, complicates treatment, and is often associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Treatment options of alcohol and tobacco co-dependence are limited. Currently, there are drugs available for nicotine dependence or alcohol dependence. However, there are no therapeutic drugs available on the market for the co-dependence of nicotine and alcohol. Therefore, and important opportunity of new therapeutic options and drug development has presented itself. NT69L, a non-selective neurotensin (NT) agonist, provides a potential novel therapy for nicotine addiction in alcoholics by interacting with the common neurotransmitter circuits supporting the rewarding process …

“It Feels Like Home”: The Impacts Of Supportive Housing On Male Youth – Perspectives Of Youth And Service Providers At Five Beds To Home, Sarah Michelle Ogden

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This study identifies the impacts of supportive housing on the lives of male youth. The researcher studied the Five Beds to Home (Five Beds) supportive housing facility for male youth, located in Cambridge, Ontario. The study focused on two areas: one, the current engagement of tenants and second, the long term impacts on past tenants. Impacts include areas such as progress on or achievement of goals/overcoming challenges, employment and education status, happiness and health, and housing stability. The general research questions were as follows: 1) What are the impacts of supportive housing on the lives of male youth?, 2) What …

Leveraging Family Values To Decrease Unhealthy Alcohol Use In Aging Latino Day Laborers, Homero E. Del Pino, Carolyn Méndez-Luck, Georgiana Bostean, Karina Ramírez, Marlom Portillo, Alison A. Moore

Sociology Faculty Articles and Research

In one Los Angeles study, 20% of day laborers reported excessive drinking. Older adults are more sensitive to alcohol’s effects, yet heavy drinking persists among Latinos until they are in their 60s. No interventions to reduce heavy drinking exist for aging day laborers. We recruited 14 day laborers aged 50 and older in Los Angeles. We identified their unhealthy alcohol use behaviors and comorbidities and conducted semi-structured interviews to understand their perceptions of unhealthy alcohol use. We found social disadvantages and conditions exacerbated by alcohol use, like depression. Participants were concerned with dying and premature aging, and reported that family …

Correlates Of Consistent Condom Use Among Female Entertainment Workers In Shanghai, China: A Repeated Measures Analysis, Xiushi Yang, Guomei Xia

Sociology & Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Female entertainment workers (FEWs) in China are at increased risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, but correlates of their risky sexual behaviour remain poorly understood. Using data from a series of four surveys, this paper employs repeated measures analysis to identify individual and social correlates of consistent condom use among FEWs in Shanghai. Results reveal that both individual cognitive and social influence factors are statistically significant in their bivariate relationships to consistent condom use with a stable or non-stable partner; only prevention motivation and perceived self-efficacy in condom use remain significant in the multiple regressions. When individual and …

Improving Evaluations Of Anti-Bullying Programs In Schools, Thérèse Shaw

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Bullying at school is associated with negative social, psychological and academic outcomes for both the victimised student and the perpetrator. As a consequence, national strategies to address bullying have been implemented in numerous countries, and education sectors and schools have increasingly directed resources to the problem. To ensure resources are allocated to programs and strategies that will prevent and successfully respond to bullying in schools, and therefore prevent harm to students, evidence of program effectiveness is required. Evaluations of anti-bullying programs in schools have had mixed results and there is a lack of robust evidence as to their impact. Several …

Placental Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone Mediates The Association Between Prenatal Social Support And Postpartum Depression, Jennifer Hahn-Holbrook, Christine Dunkel Schetter, Chander Arora, Calvin J. Hobel

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Three decades of research point to both biological and psychological risk factors for postpartum depression, but very little research integrates the two. This study bridged this gap by testing whether prenatal social support predicted depressive symptoms at 8 weeks postpartum in a multiethnic sample of 210 women and whether the stress hormone placental corticotropinreleasing hormone (pCRH), measured at 19, 29, and 37 weeks’ gestation, mediated this relationship. We found that prenatal family support predicted significantly fewer depressive symptoms postpartum and more gradual increases in pCRH from 29 to 37 weeks’ gestation. Furthermore, steeper increases in pCRH during this same period …

The Stigmatisation Of Alcohol And Other Drug Services, Kim Eaton

Theses : Honours

People who are dependent on alcohol and other drugs (AOD) are often stigmatised. Evidence suggests that the people who provide AOD users with health and welfare supports also feel the stigma experienced by users. However, the literature supporting this proposition consists of inadvertent findings and findings generalised from other populations. A systematic review of the limited research into stigma experienced by people working in the AOD field was conducted. This involved a multi-phase database, journal and website search, with additional hand searching of relevant referenced articles. Overall, 146 relevant studies were found, 38 of which were applicable to this review, …

Improving Functional Outcomes For Children And Adolescents With Anxiety Related Disorders Through Occupational Thrapy : A Narrative Review ; Perceptions Of The Role Of Occupational Therapy In Community Child And Adolescent Mental Health Services (Camhs), Paula J. Anderson

Theses : Honours

Background/Aim: Children and adolescents experiencing anxiety find it challenging to maintain optimal occupational performance, thus the specific role of occupational therapy in the management of anxiety requires investigation. This narrative review examines the current available literature surrounding the use of occupational therapy approaches for children and adolescents experiencing anxiety.

Methods: Academic journals as well as a variety of sources were considered, due to the paucity of literature surrounding this topic. Articles were included if they discussed the occupational therapy role in treatment of children experiencing anxiety symptoms, including anxiety related disorders such as post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and obsessive …

An Analysis Of Treatment Retention And Attrition In An Australian Therapeutic Community For Substance Abuse Treatment, Mark Robert Porter

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Research undertaken in the last three decades has consistently reported that the length of time spent in inpatient and outpatient alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment programs predicts treatment success (De Leon, Melnick, Kressel, & Jainchill, 1994; Hubbard, Craddock, & Anderson, 2003; Simpson, Joe, Fletcher, Hubbard, & Anglin, 1999). However, treatment attrition rates are high and present a major problem for improving treatment outcomes. Various factors that have been reportedly associated with increased AOD treatment attrition rates include being female, younger clients, clients using methamphetamines, and clients with elevated psychopathology scores. The aim of this thesis is to improve understanding …

Long-Term Effects Of Alcohol Consumption [Annotated Bibliography], Polly Cowan

Undergraduate Research Award

No abstract provided.

Insights And Blind Spots: A Qualitative Analysis Of Risk In Psychiatric Security Review Board Hearings, Abby Kealani Balfour

Dissertations and Theses

The prevalence and consequences of the insanity plea, titled "guilty except for insanity" in the State of Oregon, are fraught with misconceptions. The use of the plea requires a complex set of interactions between the mental health and criminal justice systems, and comes with severe costs for people who use it. Most of the research on the psychological aspects of the insanity plea emphasizes empirical validity in the form of risk assessment instruments and/or the biomedical model with its focus on disease and illness. This thesis analyzes from community psychology and critical theory perspectives the decision process of hearings held …

Research Brief: "Provider, Veteran, And Family Perspectives On Family Education In Veterans Affairs Community-Based Outpatient Facilities", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This research examines military family perspectives on community- based outpatient clinics (CBOC) and potential barriers to educational initiatives. Findings from this study indicate that although providers strongly support educating families about mental illness and PTSD, few providers are specifically trained to deliver this kind of education to families. Therefore policies should encourage providers to inform veterans and family members of CBOC family services. Further research in this field should include a more nationally representative and diverse sample of veterans.

Mindful Bodies: The Use Of Guided Meditation With Dance/Movement Therapy In Addiction Treatment, Melissa A. Sanchez

Creative Arts Therapies Theses

Body-based approaches, such as dance/movement therapy (DMT), in addiction treatment can be anxiety provoking for those seeking sobriety. Strengthening the relationship between therapist and client using compassionate methods, such as guided meditation, prior to DMT sessions has, in the experience of this researcher, helped establish a safe environment in which to experience DMT. Using guided meditation as a method of creating comfort within the body aided in achieving the goal of enhancing one’s awareness of emotions, thoughts and sensations through the use of body-based methods.

Increasing self-awareness of emotions and physical sensations is an important step on the road to …

Supervision And Education As A Factor Of Self Efficacy In Novice Therapists, Natalie D. Dewitt

Graduate Theses

The hypothesis of this exploratory study is aimed at examining novice therapist’s self- efficacy towards counseling, observing self efficacy modifications during practicum, and creating implications for future therapists. There were 20 participants surveyed using the Counselor Self Efficacy Scale, as well as questions generated towards the education experience as well as the supervision experience. A Pearson’s correlation was conducted comparing the supervision and education experience, there was a negative correlation, resulting in the education experience decreasing as the supervision experience increased. A r-test was conducted and the difference in means was consistent with the Pearson correlation confirming higher supervision scores.

Lines In The Sand: Social Representations Of Substance Use Boundaries In Life Narratives, K. F. Trocki, L. O. Michalak, Laurie A. Drabble

Faculty Publications

This study identifies social representations in interviews about alcohol and substance use in the discourse of 129 young adults, who were interviewed for 2.5 to 3.5 hr each for their life histories and use or nonuse of alcoholic beverages and drugs. Respondents spontaneously delineated their substance use boundaries, creating a continuum of behaviors with boundary points separating acceptable from unacceptable behaviors. They used signaling expressions to indicate go and stop signs and movement along the substance use continuum and reported negotiating substance use boundaries both internally and with peers. A ubiquitous narrative element was the cautionary tale, in which a …

Children And Adults With Long Term Services And Support Needs: Mainecare And Medicare Expenditures And Utilization, State Fiscal Year 2010, Stuart Bratesman Mpp, Julie T. Fralich Mba, Tina Gressani, Eileen Griffin Jd

Disability & Aging

This report is one of a series of reports prepared by the USM Muskie School on MaineCare members who are dually eligible for MaineCare and Medicare Services. An earlier report provided a high level overview of the MaineCare and Medicare use and expenditure patterns for all members who were dually eligible in state fiscal years (SFY) 2008 to 2010. Both reports were prepared as part of the Maine State Profile Tool grant funded by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. This second report analyzes the characteristics, use and expenditure patterns of sub-populations of long term service users including adults …

Couples' Process Of Healing From Infidelity While In Therapy, Jordan Mark Staples

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Infidelity is one of the most common presenting problems for couples and marriage therapists. It is widely acknowledged to be a destructive phenomenon for a couple's relationship and is one of the most difficult presenting problems to treat. Treatment models for infidelity vary and have little empirical testing. The purpose of the proposed study was to investigate the client's perspective of the process for healing from infidelity. Additionally, the proposed study looked to qualitatively assess and amalgamate participants' experience of the healing process for infidelity. Themes and relationships among these themes were identified using open, axial, and selective coding processes. …

An Evaluation Of Social Capital's Effect On Depression Among Adolescents, Ezechukwu Awgu

Dissertations

Mental illness has been described as a “global burden of disease,” and depression accounts for a large part of the burden (Aslund, Starrin, Nilsson, 2010). In 2009, 35.7 percent of the adolescent population in the United States who reported past-year symptoms of a major depressive episode, for example, feelings of sadness, discouragement, loss of feelings of self-worth, and loss of interest in social activities, also used illicit drugs including marijuana, inhalants, hallucinogens, cocaine, heroin, and prescription-type psychotherapeutics for non-medical purposes (SAMHSA, 2009, APA, 1994). Additionally, substance abuse due to alcoholism was among the major causes of death for adolescents aged …

Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy: A Descriptive Study, Erica Jex Gergely

Dissertations

The current study seeks to examine the program operations and treatment practices of individuals and organizations providing equine-assisted therapy services nationwide. Currently, there are several hundred programs across the United States that utilize equine-assisted therapy to treat common mental health problems in children, adolescents, and adults. Not all equine therapy programs function under the same theoretical model and therefore do not deliver treatment services using equivalent principles or techniques. In addition, program policies, procedures, and ethical guidelines of each provider vary. To date, there exists a paucity of research regarding equine-assisted therapy including both qualitative and quantitative data.

The present …

Building A Strategic Framework For Comparative Effectiveness Research In Complementary And Integrative Medicine, Claudia M. Witt, Margaret Chesney, Richard Gliklich, Lawrence Green, George Lewith, Bryan Luce, Anne Mccaffrey, Shelly Rafferty Withers, Harold C. Sox, Sean Tunis, Brian M. Berman

Dartmouth Scholarship

The increasing burden of chronic diseases presents not only challenges to the knowledge and expertise of the professional medical community, but also highlights the need to improve the quality and relevance of clinical research in this domain. Many patients now turn to complementary and integrative medicine (CIM) to treat their chronic illnesses; however, there is very little evidence to guide their decision-making in usual care. The following research recommendations were derived from a CIM Stakeholder Symposium on Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER): (1) CER studies should be made a priority in this field; (2) stakeholders should be engaged at every stage …