Mental and Social Health Commons^™

Foxr2 Targets Lhx6+/Dlx+ Neural Lineages To Drive Central Nervous System Neuroblastoma, Selin Jessa, Antonella De Cola, Bhavyaa Chandarana, Michael Mcnicholas, Steven Hébert, Adam Ptack, Damien Faury, Jessica W Tsai, Andrey Korshunov, Timothy N Phoenix, Benjamin Ellezam, David T W Jones, Michael D Taylor, Pratiti Bandopadhayay, Manav Pathania, Nada Jabado, Claudia L Kleinman

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Central nervous system neuroblastoma with forkhead box R2 (FOXR2) activation (NB-FOXR2) is a high-grade tumor of the brain hemispheres and a newly identified molecular entity. Tumors express dual neuronal and glial markers, leading to frequent misdiagnoses, and limited information exists on the role of FOXR2 in their genesis. To identify their cellular origins, we profiled the transcriptomes of NB-FOXR2 tumors at the bulk and single-cell levels and integrated these profiles with large single-cell references of the normal brain. NB-FOXR2 tumors mapped to LHX6+/DLX+ lineages derived from the medial ganglionic eminence, a progenitor domain in the ventral telencephalon. In vivo prenatal …

Mental Health Conditions Of Adults With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease And Comorbidities, Amanda M. Hinson-Enslin, Luis E. Espinoza, Jennifer L. Talleff

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Although the association is not well understood, people with COPD are likely to suffer from mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. Due to this occurrence, the aim of the present study is to better understand the mental health experience and COPD comorbidities of U.S. adults with a COPD diagnosis. The final sample comprised 1,676 U.S. adults who were surveyed in the 2019 National Health Interview Survey adult public file. Logistic and ordinal regression were used to calculate adjusted odds ratios for comorbid conditions predicting depression, anxiety, and the number of mental health issues, respectively. Depressive symptoms were more …

How To Help New Nurses Deal With Anxiety And Stress, Jared Modzelewski Bsn, Rn

Posters

Background

New graduate nurses need to reduce their stress and anxiety to improve patient outcomes. Every nurse has some anxiety and stress, but new graduate nurses have been talking about it more. This change is necessary because improvement in mental health for nurses can improve their wellbeing and the overall quality of care they provide their patients.

Western Regional Agricultural Stress Assistance Iii Program, Ty Aller

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Molecular Logic For Cellular Specializations That Initiate The Auditory Parallel Processing Pathways, Junzhan Jing, Ming Hu, Tenzin Ngodup, Qianqian Ma, Shu-Ning Natalie Lau, M Cecilia Ljungberg, Matthew J Mcginley, Laurence O Trussell, Xiaolong Jiang

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The cochlear nuclear complex (CN), the starting point for all central auditory processing, encompasses a suite of neuronal cell types highly specialized for neural coding of acoustic signals. However, the molecular logic governing these specializations remains unknown. By combining single-nucleus RNA sequencing and Patch-seq analysis, we reveal a set of transcriptionally distinct cell populations encompassing all previously observed types and discover multiple hitherto unknown subtypes with anatomical and physiological identity. The resulting comprehensive cell-type taxonomy reconciles anatomical position, morphological, physiological, and molecular criteria, enabling the determination of the molecular basis of the specialized cellular phenotypes in the CN. In particular, …

More Police Spending Is Linked To Higher Opioid Overdose Mortality Rates, Michah W. Rothbart, Zoe Lindenfeld, Amanda I. Mauri, Diana Silver

Population Health Research Brief Series

In the United States, over 100,000 people die from drug overdoses every year. County fiscal policies, particularly police spending and revenue generated from fines and forfeitures, not only shape the resources available for health interventions but may also influence how those resources are used to prevent overdoses. This brief highlights findings from a study that used data from the U.S. Census of Governments to examine how counties use of extractive policing practices (fines and forfeitures) as well as spending on health and policing were related to opioid overdose deaths from 2017 to 2020. Findings show that higher county-level police spending …

Disrupted Relatedness And Shifting Perceptions Of Others: Changing Moods Over Time For People Diagnosed With Bipolar Disorder, Joanna Farr, Jonathan A. Smith, John E. Rhodes

The Qualitative Report

For people diagnosed with bipolar disorder, the relationship between mood episodes and interpersonal life is critical. Yet little is known about how their experience of other people changes during and between episodes of depression and mania. This longitudinal study aimed to investigate the experience of interpersonal change during depression, mania and euthymia (stability). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with three women at two time points and were analysed using longitudinal interpretative phenomenological analysis. One longitudinal theme, “Changing sense of others impacts relatedness,” demonstrates profound changes in participants’ experiences of other people within and between episodes. During depression, participants experienced other people …

Modulation Of Stemness And Differentiation Regulators By Valproic Acid In Medulloblastoma Neurospheres, Natália Hogetop Freire, Alice Laschuk Herlinger, Julia Vanini, Matheus Dalmolin, Marcelo A C Fernandes, Carolina Nör, Vijay Ramaswamy, Caroline Brunetto De Farias, André Tesainer Brunetto, Algemir Lunardi Brunetto, Lauro José Gregianin, Mariane Da Cunha Jaeger, Michael D Taylor, Rafael Roesler

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Changes in epigenetic processes such as histone acetylation are proposed as key events influencing cancer cell function and the initiation and progression of pediatric brain tumors. Valproic acid (VPA) is an antiepileptic drug that acts partially by inhibiting histone deacetylases (HDACs) and could be repurposed as an epigenetic anticancer therapy. Here, we show that VPA reduced medulloblastoma (MB) cell viability and led to cell cycle arrest. These effects were accompanied by enhanced H3K9 histone acetylation (H3K9ac) and decreased expression of the MYC oncogene. VPA impaired the expansion of MB neurospheres enriched in stemness markers and reduced MYC while increasing TP53 …

The Wright Brothers And Their Genetic Susceptibility To Typhoid Fever, John D. Bullock, H Bradford Hawley

Population and Public Health Sciences Faculty Publications

Importance: Typhoid fever gravely sickened Orville Wright in 1896 and the disease killed his older brother, Wilbur, in 1912. The occurrence of typhoid fever among other Wright family members has never been explored.

Objective: To investigate the number of cases of typhoid fever in the Wright brothers’ family and determine if they had a predisposition to typhoid fever that might have had a genetic basis.

Methods: Biographical information concerning the Wright brothers was examined and a family tree was constructed. Using an estimated untreated case fatality rate of 20%, typhoid fever mortality data from decennial U.S. censuses (1850-1920) was converted …

Us Military Veterans’ Perceived Concordance With Their Providers Regarding Persistent Physical Symptoms Prospectively Predicts Satisfaction With Care And Adherence To Care Plans, L Alison Phillips, Laura M Lesnewich, Katharine Bloeser, Yong Lin, Rachel L Boska, Justeen K Hyde, Peter J Bayley, Helena K Chandler, Matthew J Reinhard, Susan L Santos, Rachel Stewart, Drew A Helmer, Lisa M Mcandrew

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Background: Medically unexplained, persistent physical symptoms and syndromes are commonly seen in primary care. These are debilitating for patients and difficult to treat, causing frustration for patients and providers.

Purpose: This study investigates how well US military veterans with multiple persistent physical symptoms (PPS), called Gulf War illness (GWI), agree with their healthcare providers about their illness. This agreement, called perceived concordance, is hypothesized to influence veterans' satisfaction with care, adherence to care plans, and disability levels.

Methods: Participants were 230 veterans with GWI deployed to the 1990-1991 Gulf War who were recruited from Veteran Affairs primary care and War …

Chronic Heavy Alcohol Intake And Liver-Specific Lrp-1 Reduction Increase Amyloidosis In Alzheimer’S Disease Mice, Devaraj V. Chandrashekar, G. Chuli Roules, Ross A. Steinberg, Urvashi R. Panchal, Nataraj Jagadeesan, Adenike Oyegbesan, Trinh Roselyn, Joshua Yang, Sharda R. Bhagwat, Hiya Rakholia, Rutvi D. Mevawala, Moom Roosan, Derick Han, Rachita K. Sumbria

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Background

Chronic heavy alcohol drinking may be a modifiable risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), but studies in rodent AD models more closely mimic chronic moderate alcohol drinking in humans and largely focus on the brain. The role of the liver, which is significantly impacted by chronic heavy alcohol intake, in driving brain changes in alcohol-dependent AD remains unexplored. Our study using intragastric-ethanol feeding, which mimics chronic heavy alcohol intake in humans, in C57BL/6J mice showed significant AD-relevant changes in the brain and liver. Therefore, we aimed to investigate how hepatic changes using this model of chronic heavy drinking drive …

Psychological Impact Of Ulcerative Colitis On Pregnancy And Postpartum Period, Stephanie C. Carver

Nursing | Senior Theses

Background

Ulcerative colitis (UC) poses significant challenges during pregnancy, affecting both physical and mental health. While the physiological effects of UC during pregnancy are well documented, less is known about its impact on maternal mental health. This study aims to investigate the psychological effects of UC on pregnant women, focusing on stress levels, postpartum depression (PPD) incidence, and the role of multidisciplinary care in improving mental health outcomes.

Objective

The primary objective of this research proposal is to evaluate the psychological impact of UC during pregnancy and determine whether disease activity increases the risk of PPD and stress. A secondary …

Improving Maternal Mental Health: The Role Of Specialized Support For Queer Women With Postpartum Depression, Dan-Tam Pham

Nursing | Senior Theses

Queer women face disproportionately high rates of postpartum depression compared to heterosexual and cisgender individuals. Studies showed that queer women face heightened mental health challenges, including higher rates of depression and anxiety due to factors like discrimination, limited support systems, and negative healthcare experiences. There is a need for culturally competent, LGBTQ+-affirming interventions to improve maternal mental health outcomes; despite the health disparities faced by this population, research on specialized postpartum interventions is limited, revealing gaps in effective mental health care for queer mothers. The key search terms for the articles used in the study included: postpartum depression, queer women, …

Art And Design As Tools For Memory Care Navigation And Connection Building, Vidhi Mishra, Muskan Malik, Rhea P. Nawaz, Erin E. Partridge

Art Therapy | Project Reports

Memory care environments present unique challenges for residents experiencing cognitive decline. This white paper explores the role of art-centered design and innovative UX research to develop tools that enhance navigation autonomy and foster social connections. The proposed solutions prioritize resident well-being while offering scalable frameworks for implementation across senior living communities.

Arts In Medicine: Created To Heal, Gbemisola Johnson, Dusk Gosney, Jessica Klingensmith, Akil Augustus

West Florida Division GME Research Day 2025

No abstract provided.

Mental Health Stigma As A Barrier To Care, Whitney Grant

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

Abstract

Mental health stigma is a major barrier to care. The mental health stigma as a problem is relevant due to its influence on increasing the burden of mental health issues due to a lack of help-seeking, contributing to increased healthcare costs, and increasing adverse health outcomes. Currently there is no action consistently taken to assess or address this stigma in the primary care setting. Healthcare professionals can help to reduce the perceptions of stigma and lessen stigma as a barrier to care. A quality improvement project was implemented to evaluate if an education intervention by a primary care provider …

Is Suicide Among The Elderly Population Warranted Or Preventable, Ericka King

CSU Tower Day

Tower Day 2025 Undergraduate Poster 2nd place Winner

Growing old is perceived differently among world cultures. In some cultures, elders are revered and celebrated. However, in other cultures, growing old is dreaded and feared. Current Western culture depicts aging negatively through media, beauty marketing, and in general society. The elderly population is also a lost population as they are often forgotten about and overlooked. With aging comes with illness, depression, change in activities of daily living, financial stressors, isolation, societal changes, and death of loved ones, and eventually self. Chronic illness(es) can make it harder for the elderly to maintain …

Poner En Práctica Las Regulaciones Federales: Habilitando A Los Pacientes Dominio Limitado Del Inglés, Caitlyn Gailey

World Languages and Cultures Senior Capstones

This paper examines the gaps in the U.S. healthcare system that affect the Hispanic community, focusing on language barriers and cultural competence. It highlights the challenges faced by Limited English Proficiency (LEP) patients, who may struggle with medical terminology, leading to misdiagnosis and improper treatment. The paper advocates for culturally sensitive language services, including qualified interpreters, translated documents and signage in order to improve communication, patient satisfaction, and reduce medical errors. It calls for systemic changes to ensure equitable care for all patients, regardless of language or cultural background.

Los Inmigrantes Indocumentados Y Su Pelea Para La Salud Medica En Los Estados Unidos, Alejandro Del Rello

World Languages and Cultures Senior Capstones

This essay explores the critical issue of healthcare access for undocumented immigrants in the United States. Despite contributing significantly to the economy through labor and taxes, undocumented immigrants face systemic barriers to medical care, including lack of insurance, fear of deportation, and economic troubles. These barriers result in untreated illnesses, mental health struggles, and increased use of emergency services, which generate higher long-term costs. The paper argues for inclusive healthcare policies, such as Medicaid expansion and protections for patient privacy, to improve public health, reduce disparities, and enhance economic stability. Drawing from U.S. and international examples, the essay demonstrates that …

El Uso De Las Prácticas Curativas No Occidentales En Lugar De Y Dentro De La Cultura Biomédica, Lynda Gulledge

World Languages and Cultures Senior Capstones

This paper explores the difficulties that the Hispanic community faces when accessing healthcare in the United States, which emphasizes the use of biomedical culture. Topics such as cultural and linguistic barriers, past and present healthcare policies, and the use of non-Western medical practices are examined. Furthermore, this paper explores the history and use of curanderismo as an accessible and culturally appropriate form of healthcare. Lastly, the integration and acknowledgement of curanderismo in biomedical culture is explored and encouraged in order to create a more holistic healthcare experience for the Hispanic community.