Psychiatric and Mental Health Commons^™

Coping With Vicarious Trauma In Mental Health Interpreting, Rebekah K. Knodel

Journal of Interpretation

This research explores coping strategies used by American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters who work in mental health settings. Due to the highly emotional nature of such assignments, interpreters are at an increased risk for experiencing vicarious trauma. This study also investigates the available training regarding vicarious trauma in current interpreter education. Previous research has typically recognized the need for self-care and focused on general suggestions for coping; the present work uses firsthand accounts from practicing interpreters. To uncover interpreters’ personal experiences, the researcher created an online survey that resulted in 222 qualifying responses. Of the total number of respondents, 83% …

Prevention Of Post Intensive Care Syndrome-Family With Sensation Awareness Focused Training Intervention: A Randomized Controlled Trial Pilot Study, Paula L. Cairns

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Post Intensive Care Syndrome-Family (PICS-F) refers to acute and chronic psychological effects of critical illness on family members of patients in intensive care units (ICU). Evidence about the increase and persistence of PICS-F warrants the need for prevention interventions. This study evaluated the feasibility of providing Sensation Awareness Focused Training (SĀF-T) during the ICU stay for spouses of mechanically ventilated patients. Methods: A randomized controlled trial of SĀF-T versus a control group was conducted (n=10) to assess safety, acceptability, feasibility, and effect size of the intervention on PICS-F symptoms. Symptoms assessed as outcome measures included stress, anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress …

Sensory, Motor And Process Skills As Compared To Symptom Severity In Adult Patients With Schizophrenia, Lola Halperin

Occupational Therapy Faculty Publications

Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness affecting millions of Americans. It is characterized by positive and negative symptoms; cognitive impairments; and sensory, motor, and process skill deficits; as well as compromised motor learning, functional difficulties, and diminished quality of life. Neuroscientists attribute the above deficits to abnormal brain development, exaggerated synaptic pruning, and neurodegenerative processes, causing disrupted connectivity and diminished plasticity in the brain, neurotransmitter dysfunction, and impaired sensory processing.

Presently, there is no cure for schizophrenia. Numerous medications and rehabilitation modalities exist; however, many of the affected individuals continue to struggle daily. Recovery of these individuals implies symptom management …

Psychosocial Correlates Of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms And Well-Being Among Hispanic World Trade Center Rescue And Recovery Workers, Dianne Ciro

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Thousands of first responders are estimated to have endured extremely distressing experiences during their recovery efforts at the 9/11 World Trade Center (WTC) site. While the effects of 9/11 continue to be studied, few studies have examined how rescue and recovery workers have been coping since 9/11 and how their coping is associated with their psychological well-being. Moreover, we do not know how distinct coping patterns may be associated with post-traumatic growth, experiences of positive emotion, or quality of life among WTC responders.

This study compared coping differences among Hispanic, Non-Hispanic White, and Non-Hispanic Black first responders. In addition, it …

Investigating Prosodic Accommodation In Clinical Interviews With Depressed Patients, Brian Vaughan, Carolina De Pasquale, Lorna Wilson, Charlie Cullen, Brian Lawlor

Conference Papers

Six in-depth clinical interviews, involving six elderly female patients (aged 60+) and one female psychiatrist, were recorded and analysed for a number of prosodic accommodation variables.

Our analysis focused on pitch, speaking time, and vowel-space ratio. Findings indicate that there is a dynamic manifestation of prosodic accommodation over the course of the interactions. There is clear adaptation on the part of the psychiatrist, even going so far as to have a reduced vowel-space ratio, mirroring a reduced vowel-space ratio in the depressed patients. Previous research has found a reduced vowel-space ratio to be associated with psychological distress; however, we suggest …

Conversion Disorder, Ann Summar

Nursing Posters

Conversion Disorder:

• Neurologic symptoms that are inconsistent with a neurologic disease
• Symptoms cause distress and/or impairment
• No radiological or laboratory findings for symptoms
• May have poor outcomes without proper treatment

The Impact Of Schizophrenia On Copd Readmission Rate Among Hospitalized South Carolinians, Emilienne Y. Watonsi

DNP Research Projects

Due to elevated readmission costs, the Affordable Care Act established the Hospital Readmission Reduction Program in 2012 to curb the 30-day readmission rates. COPD and schizophrenia are two very expensive diseases, COPD national medical costs is projected to be $49.0 billion in 2020; the cost of schizophrenia was 155.7 billion in 2013. The main objective of this study was to determine if schizophrenia is a significant predictor of 30-day readmission following hospitalization for acute exacerbation of COPD after adjusting for age, gender, anxiety, smoking status, T2DM, chronic ischemic heart disease, and GERD. Methods: A retrospective cohort design was used to …

Best Practices For Screening, Identification, And Referral Of Female Collegiate Athletes With Disordered Eating, Brenda Caudill

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness, including depression. Female collegiate athletes are at greater risk compared to the non-athlete population. Athletic personnel should be prepared to screen, identify, and refer female athletes for eating disorders. However, most staff are not familiar with common signs and symptoms of disordered eating, which could delay recognition of unhealthy behavior and ultimately long-term health risks. Appropriate screening protocols can assist with early identification. The purpose of this DNP project was improve the knowledge of the athletic staff regarding eating disorder recognition, awareness of university policy for identification and referral …

Autoethnography Of A Whitegirl Marriage And Family Therapist's Experience Working On The Rez, Andrea L. Cuva

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

Despite the abundance of literature regarding potentially effective treatment modalities for Native American clients, researchers have been unable to identify an empirically proven effective treatment modality for this population. Common recommendations/considerations for therapists working with Native clients have been identified throughout literature; however, such findings were gathered by insiders (i.e., Native researchers or trained Tribal staff), which has left questions regarding the efficacy of such recommendations when applied by non-Native therapists. Due to Native American history, elaborate IRB requirements were put in place to ensure ethical research with this population but impedes the research process. I conducted an analytic autoethnography …

The Lived Experiences Of Opioid Withdrawal: A Phenomenological Study, Eliza Mall

DNP Research Projects

The United States is in the midst of an opioid overdose epidemic resulting to 40,000 accidental drug overdose deaths. In 2016, the number of deaths related to opioid overdose increased to 116 people per day resulting to $504 billion in economic costs. This research study explored the lived experiences of drug addicts having experienced opioid withdrawal symptoms. Phenomenology is useful in discovering the narrative lived experiences that cannot be obtained in quantitative approach. Six themes emerged to describe the lived experiences of opioid addicts who have undergone withdrawal: (a) Increasing desires that are hard to resist (b) Helplessness and hopelessness …

An Exploration Into The Psychotic Symptoms Associated With Schizophrenia And Major Depressive Disorder, Kyndester I. Michael-Samaroo

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This research focuses on examining the neurological similarities between schizophrenia and major depressive disorder with psychotic features in order to compare the manifestations of psychosis in each disorder. Both disorders often involve symptoms of psychosis, although the overall disorders are very different from each other. The hypothesis for this research is that the neurological similarities between schizophrenia and major depressive disorder with psychotic features will provide researchers with the strategies needed to develop a treatment for psychotic symptoms. In order to test this hypothesis, five related studies were gathered for each disorder, and three studies were gathered for psychosis. These …

Implementation Climate And Time Predict Intensity Of Supervision Content Related To Evidence Based Treatment, Michael D Pullmann, Leah Lucid, Julie P Harrison, Prerna Martin, Esther Deblinger, Katherine S Benjamin, Shannon Dorsey

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

Objective: Children infrequently receive evidence-based treatments (EBTs) for mental health problems due to a science-to-practice implementation gap. Workplace-based clinical supervision, in which supervisors provide oversight, feedback, and training on clinical practice, may be a method to support EBT implementation. Our prior research suggests that the intensity of supervisory focus on EBT (i.e., thoroughness of coverage) during workplace-based supervision varies. This study explores predictors of supervisory EBT intensity. Methods: Participants were twenty-eight supervisors and 70 clinician supervisees. They completed a baseline survey, and audio recorded supervision sessions over 1 year. Four hundred and thirty eight recordings were coded for supervision content. …

Suicidal Ideation Assessment In Individuals With Premanifest And Manifest Huntington Disease., Melissa Wesson, Nicholas R Boileau, Joel S Perlmutter, Jane S Paulsen, Stacey K Barton, Michael K Mccormack, Noelle E Carlozzi

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

BACKGROUND: Huntington disease (HD) is associated with increased risk of suicide.

OBJECTIVE: This study compares suicide ideation in HD to the general population, assesses factors associated with increased prevalence of suicidal thoughts, and compares clinician-rated to self-reported assessments of suicidal ideation.

METHODS: We examined 496 participants with premanifest or manifest HD. Clinician-rated suicidal ideation was measured using the Problem Behaviors Assessment - short form. Self-reported ideation was measured using two items from the HDQLIFE Concern with Death and Dying item bank. Independent sample t-tests were conducted to compare the prevalence of suicidal thoughts between our HD sample and the U.S. …

Relationships Among Apathy, Health-Related Quality Of Life, And Function In Huntington's Disease., Nora E Fritz, Nicholas R Boileau, Julie C Stout, Rebecca Ready, Joel S Perlmutter, Jane S Paulsen, Kimberly Quaid, Stacey Barton, Michael K Mccormack, Susan L Perlman, Noelle E Carlozzi

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

Up to 90% of individuals with Huntington's disease (HD)-a progressive, inherited neurodegenerative disorder-experience apathy. Apathy is particularly debilitating because it is marked by a reduction in goal-directed behaviors, including self-care, social interactions, and mobility. The objective of this study was to examine relationships between variables of apathy, functional status, physical function, cognitive function, behavioral status/emotional function, and health-related quality of life. Clinician-rated measures of physical, cognitive, and behavioral function, including one clinician-rated item on apathy, and self-reported measures of physical function, health-related quality of life, and emotional, cognitive, and social function were collected in a single session from 487 persons …

Factors Affecting Disordered Eating Among College Freshmen Upon Entering College, Libby Micaela Moser

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Purpose: There is a gap in literature on disordered eating among college freshmen since 2011. Research has shown that disordered eating manifests itself during adolescence and is likely to transcend into adulthood1,7,8,9,14,15. The freshmen year in college is likely to be challenging for many students. During this time, they may develop disordered eating or perpetuate an existing condition3,4,14,15. This research study investigated the prevalence of disordered eating among college freshmen and factors that may impact this development. A comparison of prior history of disordered eating was also examined.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey study was conducted on college freshmen at Northern …

Breastfeeding As A Mechanism To Reduce Postpartum Depression With Weight As A Major Contributing Factor In Hispanic Women, Celia Wilson

AUCTUS: The Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship

Postpartum Depression (PPD) is the most common childbearing-related illness around the globe affecting both mothers and their children; yet minimal longitudinal research has been done to study the effect of depressive symptomatology on breastfeeding. This study analyzes how the benefits of breastfeeding past six months, postpartum, can be used as a treatment mechanism for postpartum depression (PPD) with the major contributing factor of gestational weight gain (GWG) in Hispanic women recently immigrated to the United States. I investigated journal articles in four main domains: the likelihood of women presenting with depressive symptomatology as a result of weight gain to initiate …

Lgb Help-Seeking For Mental Health And Substance Abuse Services In Rural Northern Michigan, Jennifer Towns

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals are often exposed to stressors based on their nonheterosexual status; they may have unique needs related to help-seeking for mental health in a rural area where more people identify as religious or as politically conservative. To date, there have been no studies on the mental health help-seeking experiences of LGB individuals in rural Northern Michigan. This qualitative, single case study was completed to explore the help-seeking experiences of 10 LGB individuals who were recruited through criterion and snowball sampling. In-depth, semi structured interviews were conducted. Transcribed interview data were entered into Nvivo software for …

Differential Treatment Outcome Factors For Custodial And Noncustodial Mental Health Care Programs, Sheila Fay Waters

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have suggested that jails and prisons in the United States are becoming the new mental health clinics, contributing to the phenomenon of mass incarceration and costing upwards of $15 billion per year in public revenue. The problem is no conclusive evidence exists that treatment in these custodial environments is more effective than that provided by noncustodial programs; especially for substance users. Additionally, the continuing incarceration of people with mental health problems by the hundreds of thousands poses a difficult ethical dilemma regarding why this population does not receive noncustodial or hospital treatment instead. The study addressed the research question …

Reintegration Among Combat Veterans Suffering From Psychological Conditions, Virginia Falck

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Active duty personnel as well as combat veterans of the United States often engage in military operations during their service that require deployments to participate in missions, which may lead to extended periods away from home. When active duty men and women are appointed to combat zones, they may return with psychological burdens such as post traumatic stress disorder, which can complicate their reintegration into civilian life. This study explored the experiences of combat veterans who faced challenges when returning home from a war zone, along with the experiences of their family members. The study involved 26 combat veterans, spouses, …

Length Of Pretrial Detainment For Inmates With Mental Illness, Maria Pereira-Sosa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There has been an increase in the number of individuals with mental illness being housed in correctional facilities over the last 50 years. In this study, the length of pretrial detention was compared for inmates who have a mental illness and are compliant with psychiatric medications, inmates who have a mental illness and are noncompliant or not prescribed psychiatric medication, and inmates with no mental illness. I also examined if inmates who have a mental illness have less severe charges and if there was a difference in the classification of mental health diagnoses for inmates who are and are not …