Mental and Social Health Commons^™

What Works In Telehealth Play Therapy? An Appreciative Heuristic Inquiry, Veronica Ann Ball

Dissertations

With the onset of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the United States in March 2020 (World Health Organization, 2020), professional counselors providing traditional in-person play therapy found themselves in a quandary regarding the delivery of services during a global pandemic (Evans, 2022; Mitchell, 2020; Whaibeh et al., 2020). Online counseling proffered a means to prevent the disruption of services, respond to the need for emerging counseling services, and comply with social restrictions (Evans, 2022). Prior to the pandemic, telehealth play therapy was used sparingly (Haslam & Harris, 2011; Smith et al., 2021), and many child-serving mental health professionals lacked training …

What About The Children? An Exploration Of Family Counselors' Play Therapy Training And Preparedness To Integrate Children Into Family Counseling, Patricia J. Walker Monical

Dissertations

Children are an important part of families, yet family counselor education programs often do not incorporate training for including children in family counseling. At some point in their careers, family counselors and therapists will encounter clients who have children 3–12 years old. The problem is that since these professionals often receive little to no training in play therapy and thus do not typically include young children in family therapy, these younger family members are often overlooked. Research has confirmed that, due to a lack of sufficient training and supervision in play therapy, many family therapists report feeling unprepared to work …

“It Is Tiny And It Is Everything”: Exploring The Effects Of Arts-Integrated Gardening On Experiences Of Ecological Grief Through Autoethnographic Research, Christina Kingsbury

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This study explores how arts-integrated gardening affects experiences of ecological grief through autoethnography and draws on my personal experiences as a survivor of environmentally linked cancer and artist working with gardens through social practice. My research builds on two areas of emergent scholarship—investigations of ecological grief and gardens as sites for social work practice—to explore how social work may address ecological grief through arts-integrated gardening. I use a quilting autoethnography as a method of inquiry to foreground my subjective knowledge and analyze it through intersectional feminist, disability and decolonizing theories. By incorporating narrative analysis and arts-based inquiry—writing in place, poetic …

Neighbourhood Resilience Planning With Renters In Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, Anna Do

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This sequential mixed-methods study demonstrates the co-production of knowledge between academic researchers and local communities. Guided by the resilience planning framework, the study engaged 48 renters from the Beasley neighbourhood of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada in identifying stressful and supportive locations using a participatory mapping tool called the “Place Report.” A total of 74 Place Reports were submitted, with most reporting supportive places in or near Beasley. Thematic analysis revealed three overarching domains, and 13 themes related to the use and function of these locations. Places pertaining to food, housing, and physical activity emerged as the most frequently discussed topics. The …

Simulating A Multi-Tier Intervention For Refugee Mental Health Using Agent-Based Modeling, Bishan Huang

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Increasing numbers of people are fleeing political violence and becoming refugees who resettle all around the world.Compared to the general population in the countries where they resettle, refugees disproportionately suffer from depression and higher trauma-related mental health symptoms including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to the experiences that led to their refugee status, as well as post-migration stressors, disadvantages in multiple social determinants of health, and lack of social support. New York City has received refugees from over 50 countries and may require policy and infrastructure changes to meet refugee mental health needs, especially in face of the recent surge …

Inside The Circle 2025: Exploring The Ontario Cpe Supervisors' Lived Experience Of The Interpersonal Relations Group Process Portion Of Cpe, Kelly L. Collins

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This research used a philosophical phenomenological (primarily Gadamer) methodology and asked the question, “What is the lived experience of Ontario Clinical Psychospiritual Education (CPE) Supervisors in the Interpersonal Relationships (IPR) group process portion of CPE?” It used a 90-minute, semi-structured interview format as it sought to understand the supervisor experience of safety in the group. 11 Ontario Certified Supervisors were interviewed and explored this question in relationship to participant supervisors’ experience as students and/or as educators. In the history of CPE, there has been significant harm done to students by some supervisors who were well-meaning, but unaware of their impact …

More Than Meets The Eye: A Phenomenological Study Of Self-Concept, Identity, And Meaning-Making In Adults With Acquired Vision Loss, Melinda M. Szilva

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The qualitative research project examines the lived experience of acquired vision loss in adulthood and its impact on the way participants see themselves and the world around them, both sensorially and metaphorically. The research question, “What are the lived experiences of adults with acquired vision loss as they relate to identity and conceptions of self?” is informed by the researcher’s clinical practice as a psychotherapist in a low vision clinic. The dissertation includes a literature review focussed on the psychosocial aspects of vision loss to provide insight into the intended population and context for the study. Data for the phenomenological …

Igf-1 Impacts Neocortical Interneuron Connectivity In Epileptic Spasm Generation And Resolution, Carlos J Ballester-Rosado, John T Le, Trang T Lam, Anne E Anderson, James D Frost, John W Swann

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Little is known about the mechanisms that generate epileptic spasms following perinatal brain injury. Recent studies have implicated reduced levels of Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1) in these patients' brains. Other studies have reported low levels of the inhibitory neurotransmitter, GABA. In the TTX brain injury model of epileptic spasms, we undertook experiments to evaluate the impact of IGF-1 deficiencies on neocortical interneurons and their role in spasms. Quantitative immunohistochemical analyses revealed that neocortical interneurons that express glutamic acid decarboxylase, parvalbumin, or synaptotagmin 2 co-express IGF-1. In epileptic rats, expression of these three interneuron markers were reduced in the neocortex. …

Correction: Health-Related Quality Of Life After Neonatal Treatment Of Symptomatic Tetralogy Of Fallot: Insights From The Congenital Cardiac Research Collaborative, George T Nicholson, Jeffrey D Zampi, Andrew C Glatz, Bryan H Goldstein, Christopher J Petit, Yun Zhang, Courtney E Mccracken, Athar M Qureshi, Caren S Goldberg, Jennifer C Romano, Mark A Law, Jeffery J Meadows, Shabana Shahanavaz, Sarosh P Batlivala, Shiraz A Maskatia, Asaad Beshish, Michael L O'Byrne, R Allen Ligon, Kathryn O Stack, Hala Q Khan, Shalin Parekh, Dawn L Ilardi

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

The Pointer Imaging Baseline Cohort: Associations Between Multimodal Neuroimaging Biomarkers, Cardiovascular Health, And Cognition, Theresa M Harrison, Tyler Ward, Jacinda Taggett, Pauline Maillard, Samuel N Lockhart, Youngkyoo Jung, Laura C Lovato, Robert Koeppe, William J Jagust, Danielle Harvey, Joseph C Masdeu, Hwamee Oh, Darren R Gitelman, Neelum T Aggarwal, Mark A Espeland, Maryjo L Cleveland, Rachel Whitmer, Sarah Tomaszewski Farias, Stephen Salloway, Valory Pavlik, Melissa Yu, Christine Tangney, Heather Snyder, Maria Carrillo, Laura D Baker, Prashanthi Vemuri, Charles Decarli, Susan M Landau

Staff and Researcher Publications

Introduction: The U.S. Study to Protect Brain Health Through Lifestyle Intervention to Reduce Risk (U.S. POINTER) is evaluating lifestyle interventions in older adults at risk for cognitive decline and dementia. Here we characterize the baseline data set of the POINTER Imaging ancillary study.

Methods: Participants underwent health and cognitive assessments and neuroimaging with multimodal positron emission tomography (PET) (beta-amyloid [Aβ] and tau) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Framingham risk score (FRS) was used to quantify cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk.

Results: A total of 1052 participants (31% from underrepresented ethnoracial groups) were enrolled. Compared to Aβ-, Aβ+ (29%) participants were older, …

Aerodigestive Sequelae And Triple Endoscopy After Congenital Tracheoesophageal Fistula Repair In Children, Whitney Jin, Eric H Chiou, Shailendra Das, Kathleen E Hosek, Elton M Lambert

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Children post-tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) repair may present with chronic respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms that can affect quality of life.

OBJECTIVE: To identify factors associated with positive findings on triple endoscopy following neonatal TEF repair.

STUDY DESIGN: Case series with retrospective review of patients.

SETTING: Tertiary care center aerodigestive program.

METHODS: Children with neonatally repaired congenital TEF who had a triple endoscopy between 2011 and 2022 were reviewed. The presence of chronic cough, recurrent pulmonary infections, lipid-laden macrophages (LLM), and airway and esophageal anomalies were among the variables analyzed. Chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis univariate analysis was performed.

RESULTS: The mean age was …

Analysis Of 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D Genomic Action In Human Enteroids And Colonoids Reveals Multiple Regulatory Effects Of Vitamin D In Human Intestinal Physiology, Zachary K Criss, Kali Deans-Fielder, James C Fleet, Sylvia Christakos, Noah Shroyer

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Introduction: The intestine has molecular and functional diversity across the proximal-distal and the crypt-villus axes, so it is imperative to determine the common and compartment-specific molecular actions of vitamin D. However, very little work on vitamin D mediated gene regulation has been done in normal human intestine. Here, we examined the impact of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D3) on cultures of human intestinal epithelium derived from duodenum (Dd) and distal colon (Co) biopsies of 6 subjects per tissue.

Methods: Human enteroids and colonoids were cultured for 3 days to promote a stem cell phenotype (undifferentiated, Un) or to induce differentiation (Diff) and …

Supporting The Social Emotional Needs Of Preschoolers, Giorgi Morrone

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Social-emotional competence is a prerequisite to school performance and participation in daily tasks. Children in West Virginia face social and emotional barriers including the effects of the opioid epidemic leading to children placed in foster care, born with neonatal abstinence syndrome, and being exposed to toxic stress in the home environment. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted children's social-emotional functioning due to isolation periods. Social-emotional programming can improve children's well-being, school performance, relationships, and outcomes later in life. Occupational therapy practitioners can use data-driven decision-making and relationship-centered practice to develop group-based, health-promotion social-emotional programming in the preschool setting. The purpose …

Tobacco And Trouble: Exploring The Health Consequences Of Electronic Cigarette Use In Adolescents, Noor Ibrahim Abdulhay

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background: Tobacco use remains one of the leading causes of preventable disease and death in the United States (U.S.). Although conventional cigarette use among youth has declined, the use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) has become highly prevalent and poses emerging public health concerns. Adolescence represents a critical developmental period for both oral and mental health, making it essential to understand the consequences of tobacco and nicotine exposure during this stage. The goal of this dissertation is to examine the health impacts of tobacco use in adolescents across multiple domains. Specifically, this research (1) synthesizes existing evidence on the relationship between …

Primary Polydipsia In A Case Of Genetic Behavioral Variant Frontotemporal Dementia, Yesenia Cantu, Taryn White, Gabriela Austgen, Christine Rizk, Olaoluwa O Okusaga, Melissa B Jones

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Mental Health Support Workers Perspectives On Barriers To And Facilitators Of The Effective Delivery Of Their Roles: A Systematic Review And Meta-Aggregation, Martha Njuguna, Irene Ngune, Yvonne Middlewick

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Mental health support workers (MHSWs) are an important workforce within the mental health care system. Research shows that support services delivered by MHSWs are effective at improving the outcomes of individuals with mental illness. However, there is also literature suggesting that this group of workers are facing many challenges in their roles. This qualitative systematic review sought to explore, analyze and synthesize available primary research literature on the experiences of MHSWs with the aim of identifying the barriers to and facilitators of effective delivery of their roles. An electronic search of Medline, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Web of Science was conducted …

Poststroke Impulsivity: A Narrative Review, Melissa B Jones, Dakota E Broadway, Malena Gimenez-Zapiola, Ricardo E Jorge

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

In this narrative review, the authors examine the multidimensional nature and presentations of impulsivity after stroke. Impulsivity manifests as immediate or premature responses, impaired delayed gratification, perseverance despite punishment, and other displays of impaired emotional and behavioral regulation. The literature on the assessments, outcomes, and treatment of patients with these various manifestations after a cerebrovascular injury is reviewed. Findings from case reports indicate that poststroke impulsivity may manifest across neurobehavioral syndromes that are not well defined in the psychiatric nomenclature, such as alien hand syndrome and atypical impulse control disorders. Overall, impulse control disorders appear to be rare poststroke. Therapeutic …

Dementia Awareness Raising Forum: Improving Attitudes Towards People Living With Dementia, Sheridan T. Read, Rosemary Saunders, Matthew A. Albrecht, Ravani Duggan

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Stigma surrounding dementia is a significant issue affecting individuals and communities leading to discrimination towards those living with the condition. However, the changing paradigm in dementia support to living well with dementia can reduce this stigma and improve community attitudes. A community initiative aimed to address this evaluated the impact of a two-hour education forum involving 92 community members. Presentations from experts, including a person with dementia, addressed dementia-related human rights issues and initiatives to live well with dementia. Attendees completed the new Dementia Community Attitudes Questionnaire (DCAQ) aligned with the evolving paradigm of living well with dementia before and …

The Development Of A Family-Led Novel Intervention For Delirium Prevention And Management In The Adult Intensive Care Unit: A Co-Design Qualitative Study, Gideon U. Johnson, Amanda Towell-Barnard, Christopher Mclean, Beverley Ewens

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Aim: The aim of this study was to codesign a Family Members’ Voice Reorientation Intervention (FAMVR) for delirium prevention and management in critically ill adult patients through collaborative process with previous patients, families, and clinical staff. Background: Delirium is a common consequence of intensive care admission, and there is limited evidence to support family-led interventions to prevent or minimise delirium in intensive care. People with lived experience of intensive care are seldom involved in codesigning delirium prevention and management interventions despite the identified benefits of their involvement in delirium care. Design: Codesign qualitative study. Methods: The process of co-designing was …

Supporting People Bereaved By Suicide In The South West Region Of Western Australia: Report, Colleen M. Carlon

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This paper reports on the practices of service providers in working with people and communities bereaved by suicide in regional contexts. For people bereaved by suicide experiences of grief, trauma and stigma and the questioning of why someone has died create a complex mix of need and emotion that can leave people vulnerable to complicated grief and poor physical and mental health. These effects may also be exacerbated by stigma in social and communal contexts. As such experiences of suicide grief are different to other forms of grief and loss, effectively supporting people and communities bereaved by suicide requires knowledge …