Mental and Social Health Commons^™

Actualizing Empowerment: Developing A Framework For Partnering With Families In System Level Service Planning And Delivery, Kathleen Ferreira

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The engagement of families of children and adolescents with Serious Emotional Disturbance (SED) as full partners in individual treatment, organizational, and system level decision making has become an important focus for systems of care (SOCs) serving youth with emotional and behavioral challenges. SOCs typically include cross-agency partnerships with mental health, child welfare, juvenile justice, and education for the purpose of providing services and supports for youth with SED who have multi-agency needs. Implementation of a federal mandate requiring family driven care (FDC) within systems of care funded through the Children's Mental Health Initiative (CMHI) has revealed that most system of …

Friendship Networks, Perceived Reciprocity Of Support, And Depression, Ryan Francis Huff

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Using social network analysis as a theoretical framework, the current study examined the associations between self-reported egocentric network characteristics and depression among a sample of United States college students. It is important to understand factors related to depression among this population due to the severity of its potential outcomes (e.g., suicide and interpersonal problems at school). Drawing inspiration from a recent study conducted by Christina Falci and Clea McNeely (2009), the current investigation used OLS regression to test for both linear and curvilinear relationships between egocentric network size and depression. Potential interactions between network size, density, and gender were also …

Measuring The Symptom Burden Of Lung Cancer: The Validity And Utility Of The Lung Cancer Module Of The M D Anderson Symptom Inventory, Tito R Mendoza, Xin Shelley Wang, Charles Lu, Guadalupe R Palos, Zhongxing Liao, Gary M Mobley, Shitij Kapoor, Charles S Cleeland

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

We conducted a study to establish the psychometric properties of a module of the M. D. Anderson Symptom Inventory (MDASI) developed specifically for patients with lung cancer (MDASI-LC). The MDASI measures 13 common "core" symptoms of cancer and its treatment. The MDASI-LC includes the 13 core MDASI symptom items and three lung cancer-specific items: coughing, constipation, and sore throat. MDASI-LC items were administered to three cohorts of patients with lung cancer undergoing either chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy. Known-group validity and criterion (concurrent) validity of the MDASI-LC were evaluated using the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status and the 12-item Short-Form Health …

Integrating Morita Therapy And Art Therapy: An Analysis, Ayako Sato

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study presents therapeutic interventions combining Morita Therapy with art therapy techniques. The author presents literature reviews of art therapy as well as the original Morita Therapy formulated by Shoma Morita, M.D. A new art therapy technique based on the work of Kenji Kitanishi, M.D. (2008) for outpatient treatment is also presented. A case illustration of an eleven‐year‐old Vietnamese‐American boy who presented with high anxiety and school refusal is used as an example of the effective integration of Morita Therapy with art therapy techniques formulated by the author. Even though the boy was not familiar with Morita Therapy principles, the …

A Self-Psychological Exploration Of Multiple Sclerosis In Its Biopsychosocial Context, Elisabeth Anne Parrott

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This theoretical dissertation constructs a new frame of reference for understanding relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) using self psychology to develop a biopsychosocial formulation of the illness in order to better inform the medical treatment of patients. After conducting a critical exploration of MS in its historical context and providing a brief overview of the etiology of MS, this paper examines the phenomenology of the illness using the concepts of self psychology to further develop the theory of Engel’s (1977) biopsychosocial model. The relationship among biological, intrapsychic, and social factors and coherent conceptualization and medical treatment of multiple sclerosis is addressed. …

Eating Disorder Metaphors: A Qualitative Meta-Synthesis Of Women's Experiences, Rachael Brooke Goren-Watts

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Eating disorders have reached epidemic levels in the United States and cause immense pain and suffering. Given the high fatality and relapse rates of eating disorders, as well as the numerous medical complications associated with them, it is useful to know more about how individuals view their eating disorder, and the meaning making during the recovery process in order to better understand the experience. Narrative theory, and specifically the metaphors women use to story their experience, enrich our understanding of eating disorders within a social constructionist lens. This qualitative meta-synthesis utilizes hermeneutics and identifies and describes the metaphors that women …

A Training Curriculum For Assessing And Treating Sex Offenders With Mental Illnesses, Shawna Elizabeth Walker Boles

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The purpose of this paper was to develop a continuing education program to teach sex offender-specific treatment providers (SOSTP) in the community how to appropriately assess, treat and manage adults with severe mental illness who are also sex offenders (SMISOs) in an outpatient setting. This paper begins with an overview of the most relevant literature associated with the treatment of sex offenders and a presentation of some of the current programs developed to treat sex offenders with severe and persistent mental illnesses. This review also outlines the paucity of resources and the need for SOSTPs to receive expanded training to …

A Task Analysis Of Metacommunication In Time-Limited Dynamic Psychotherapy, Theodore Matthew Austin

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study examined how successful metacommunication unfolded in time-limited dynamic psychotherapy (TLDP) using the task-analytic paradigm developed by Greenberg (2007). Specifically, the purpose of the study was to discern the elements, themes, and temporal sequences that were common to effective metacommunication. In accordance with the paradigm, this was accomplished by the creation of a rational model, which combined existing theoretical literature on metacommunication and anecdotal clinical evidence. Next, the distilled components of metacommunication in six high-quality (HQ) sequences were contrasted to the distilled components of six low-quality (LQ) sequences in order to generate an empirical model. These sequences were selected …

Barbershop Communications On Prostate Cancer Screening Using Barber Health Advisers, John S. Luque, Brian M. Rivers, Clement K. Gwede, Maisha Kambon, B. Lee Green, Cathy D. Meade

Community Health: Faculty Publications

Objective: The authors report the outcomes of a community-based, barber health adviser pilot intervention that aims to develop customized educational materials to promote knowledge and awareness of prostate cancer (CaP) and informed decision making about prostate cancer screening (PCS) among a predominantly African American clientele.

Method: First, the authors implemented a series of learner verification processes with barbershop clients (n=15) to adapt existing CaP health promotion materials. Following intervention implementation in the barbershop, they conducted structured surveys with barbershop clients (n=40) to evaluate the intervention. Results: Findings from the posttest showed both a significant increase in barbershop clients' …

Salud Es Vida: Development Of A Cervical Cancer Education Curriculum For Promotora Outreach With Latina Farmworkers In Rural Southern Georgia, Kristen J. Wells, John S. Luque, Branko Miladinovic, Natalia Vargas, Yasmin Asvat, Richard G. Roetzheim, Ambuj Kumar

Community Health: Faculty Publications

Methods: A systematic review was conducted to synthesize evidence from all prospective controlled studies on effectiveness of CHW programs in improving screening mammography rates. Studies reported in English and conducted in the United States were included if they: (i) evaluated a CHW intervention designed to increase screening mammography rates in women 40 years of age or older without a history of breast cancer; (ii) were a randomized controlled trial (RCT), case-controlled study, or quasi-experimental study; and (iii) evaluated a CHW intervention outside of a hospital setting.

Results: Participation in a CHW intervention was associated with a statistically significant …

Double The Outcomes: Employing Sensory Based Approaches To Improve The Quality Of Care And Reduce The Use Of Restraints On Inpatient Behavioral Health Units, Mary Ellen O'Connell Rn, Bsn, Msn, Mba, Jennifer P. Maloney Ms, Otr/L, Stephanie Lenhart Mba, Cphq

Administration & Leadership

No abstract provided.

Parental And Carer Responses To Angelman Syndrome And Prader-Willi Syndrome, Allyson K. Thomson

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The research project undertaken as part of this thesis was designed to assess family stress levels and the use of coping strategies among the carers of people with an intellectual disability caused by Angelman syndrome (AS) or Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS). Both syndromes are genomic imprinting disorders that arise from disruptions in genes located within human chromosome 15q11-q13. Although the disease phenotypes are quite distinct, the genetic mechanisms involved are common to both syndromes but involve paternally-derived mutations in PWS as opposed to maternal mutations in AS. Previous investigations in Western Australia (WA) indicated that people with AS and PWS experience …

Attitudes Toward Help-Seeking And Mental Health Among College Athletes: Impact Of A Psycho-Educational Workshop, Sandra R. Ackerman

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Adolescent Depression And Social Support, Religiosity And Spirituality In A Faith-Based High School, Angela P. Ekwonye

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Factors Associated With Tobacco Use Among Rural And Urban Pregnant Women, Whitney Jeanne Katirai

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influences of smoking on rural and urban pregnant women. More specifically, the variables of the knowledge of health effects, health provider recommendations, subscores from the Health Belief Model (HBM), and social support were explored in relation to the smoking behavior of pregnant women. A secondary purpose was to investigate the accuracy of self-reported smoking during pregnancy using biochemical validation. Pregnant women (N=71) completed an anonymous questionnaire, designed by the researcher, to identify variables that predicted smoking for urban and rural women. Participants also gave a saliva sample for cotinine testing.

Approximately …

Polyamine Modulation In Alcoholism: Examination Using A Novel Screening Procedure Designed To Predict Anti-Relapse And Neuroprotective Efficacy, J. Ben Lewis

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Alcohol dependence is a major public health concern. Despite the FDA’s approval of multiple anti-relapse drugs, relapse rates remain unacceptably high. Furthermore, cognitive deficits among chronic drinkers are evident and are suggested to contribute to relapse risk. Current evidence suggests that several critical features of alcoholism and alcohol-associated neurodegeneration are mechanistically linked to glutamatergic actions; specifically, they appear positively affected by glutamatergic inhibition, particularly inhibition via polyamine modulation of a subpopulation of n-methyl-d-aspartate receptors. The current project was designed to evaluate the performance of two putative polyamine modulators (JR-220 and CP-101,606) in a variety of screens designed …

Prenatal Maternal Stress Programs Infant Stress Regulation, Elyssia Poggi Davis, Laura M. Glynn, Feizal Waffarn, Curt A. Sandman

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Objective: Prenatal exposure to inappropriate levels of glucocorticoids (GCs) and maternal stress are putative mechanisms for the fetal programming of later health outcomes. The current investigation examined the influence of prenatal maternal cortisol and maternal psychosocial stress on infant physiological and behavioral responses to stress.

Methods: The study sample comprised 116 women and their full term infants. Maternal plasma cortisol and report of stress, anxiety and depression were assessed at 15, 19, 25, 31 and 36 + weeks' gestational age. Infant cortisol and behavioral responses to the painful stress of a heel-stick blood draw were evaluated at 24 hours after …

The Relationship Of Self-Care To Burnout Among Social Workers In Health Care Settings, Jennifer D. Weekes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Self-care is critical in minimizing the symptoms of burnout among human services professionals, but specific information on the role of self-care among social workers in healthcare settings is limited. This correlational study was designed provide a fuller understanding of this relationship. Orem's theory of self-care and the theory of reasoned action and planned behavior served as the theoretical foundations of this study. The sample included 185 members of the National Association of Social Workers, who volunteered to participate in this study. Participants completed online versions of the Maslach Burnout Inventory and Self-Care Assessment Work Sheet. Correlation and analysis of variance …

Nurses' Knowledge And Perceptions Of Rapid Response Teams In A Psychiatric Facility, Kimberly Cecil-Riddle

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Psychiatric illnesses can sometimes lead to behavioral outbursts that need to be addressed quickly to deescalate potentially explosive situations. Nurses are in a unique position to respond to such outbursts by calling for a rapid response team. Nurses who are part of the rapid response team should be well-informed of their roles and responsibilities in managing aggressive and violent behavior. The purpose of this project was to explore RN's and LPN's knowledge and perceptions of a rapid response team in a psychiatric facility. The Iowa model of evidence-based practice provided the framework to integrate theory into practice to improve care. …

A Transformational Melancholy: One Law Professor's Journey Through Depression, Marjorie A. Silver

Scholarly Works

In the fall 2007 issue of the Journal of Legal Education, Professor James Jones shared his deeply personal, remarkable, ongoing, story of living, struggling and succeeding as a law professor with bipolar disorder (James T.R. Jones, Walking the Tightrope of Bipolar Disorder: The Secret Life of a Law Professor, 57 J. LEGAL ED. 349 (2007). His essay ended with an invitation to other members of the legal academy to contact him or Professor Elyn Saks, author of an extraordinary memoir about her life with schizophrenia, (ELYN R. SAKS, THE CENTER CANNOT HOLD (2007)) if interested in forming a confidential support …