Psychiatric and Mental Health Commons^™

Executive Director Experiences With Consumer Operated Service Provider Governing Board Members, Merideth Mccallick Erickson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Consumer Operated Service Providers (COSPs) are programs that are directed and administratively controlled by mental health consumers for their peers. As such, many mental health consumers have been placed in the position of serving on a COSP and often with unclear descriptions and no training. As a result, there is often a disconnect between the will of the board and the vision of the executive director, leading to tension and the possibility of failed mission. Using servant leadership as the guide, the goal of this case study was to explore the experiences of executive directors who operate Consumer Operated Service …

Educational Interventions To Improve Aggressive Behavior Recognition For An Acute Psychiatric Setting, Marie Elois Ortiz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nurses working in an acute psychiatric setting within a veterans' administration hospital must maintain a therapeutic milieu by recognizing and managing aggressive behaviors before violence ensues to reduce injuries to staff nurses and patients. The purpose of this project was to develop an evidence-based and theoretically grounded educational program that will help staff nurses manage escalating aggression, violence, and acting out behaviors to provide a safe environment for patients and staff through high risk identifier recognition and intervention training. During the data and information gathering stage, 23 articles were reviewed, rated, and graded to provide the most significant information used …

Clinicians' Perceptions Of Trauma Treatment For People With Intellectual Disabilities, Katherine Elaine Schoech

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

People with intellectual disabilities (ID) experience trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in similar ways as individuals in the general population. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore and describe clinicians perceptions of trauma treatment for people with ID. Theories of trauma, PTSD, and stigma were part of the conceptual framework from which interview questions were developed. Purposive and snowball sampling were used to recruit 8 participants in the Denver, Colorado area. Four participants had experience working with people with ID, and 4 participants did not have this experience. Participants sat for semi structured open-ended recorded interviews, which …

The Impact Of Perceived Mental Illness Stigma On Caregivers’ Desire To Relinquish Care, Tyler R. Corson

Theses and Dissertations

Caregiving can be stressful, and older adults’ health and well-being may be impacted by the roles and responsibilities they assume as caregivers for persons with serious mental illness (SMI). This study is the first to apply the Stress Process Model of Caregiving (SPM) in an attempt to understand how mental illness stigma influences caregiver outcomes, specifically their desire to relinquish care. The intent of this study was to call attention to care relinquishment as an under-studied stress process outcome and to explore stress factors, with a focus on mental illness stigma, that contribute to SMI caregivers’ desire to relinquish care. …

A Pilot Study Of Online Feedback For Adult Drinkers 50 And Older: Feasibility, Efficacy, And Preferences For Intervention, Alexis Kuerbis, Lisa Hail, Alison A. Moore, Frederick Muench

Publications and Research

Normative (NF) and personalized feedback (PF) are moderately effective brief interventions for at-risk drinking middle-aged and older adults. This study tested the feasibility of online feedback for drinkers 50 and older. This study’s aims were to identify whether there is differential effectiveness of PF over NF in prompting drinkers 50 years old and older to plan for change and to determine potential preferences for intervention among adult drinkers 50 and older with practical knowledge about computers. Method—Using Amazon’s Mechanical Turk, 138 male and female drinkers aged 50 to 75+ were recruited to complete an online survey that asked about their: …

Testing Cross-Sectional And Prospective Mediators Of Internalized Heterosexism On Heavy Drinking, Alcohol Problems, And Psychological Distress Among Heavy Drinking Men Who Have Sex With Men, Alexis Kuerbis, Ethan Mereish, Marie Hayes, Christine Davis, Sijing Shao, Jon Morgenstern

Publications and Research

Objective: Minority stress theory is often used as a causal explanation for substance use among lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations. This study tested whether drinking to cope with stress (DTC), loneliness, and gay community participation (GCP) mediated the relationship between one type of minority stress (i.e., internalized heterosexism, IH) and behavioral health outcomes. Method: Utilizing secondary data analysis and the PROCESS procedure, relationships between IH, the mediators (DTC, loneliness, and GCP), and outcomes (heavy drinking, alcohol problems, and psychological distress) were explored, both cross-sectionally and in a lagged manner, among both treatment seeking and non-treatment seeking problem drinking men who …

Concept Of Self: Approach To Behaviors In Mental Health, The Tapout Program, Tina Goodrow

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Violence in mental health care continues to be a problem. The incidence of violent episodes in healthcare settings with aggressive behavior of patients aimed at staff members or other patients is almost four times greater in healthcare than in other industries. Reducing violent episodes enhances the quality of care and improves safety for staff members and for patients. The project focused on development of a staff education program exploring the practice-focused question: Will this program effectively guide staff member approaches to mental health patients with challenging behaviors? The purpose of this project was to address the identified gap in practice …

Vicarious Trauma Coping And Self-Care Practices Among Trauma Therapists., Annette Zaccari

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Therapists who specialize in trauma therapy are indirectly exposed traumatic events presented by clients within the therapeutic relationship. The potential consequences for trauma therapists may be the risk of vicarious trauma. Effective coping and self-care are essential in the practice of trauma work. The research question for this study is: Do coping skills and self-care practices in trauma therapists moderate the disruptive effect of vicarious trauma on the fulfillment of their psychological needs (trust/dependence and control)? The purpose of this research study was to examine quantitatively, the role of trauma therapists' beliefs in the effectiveness of coping skills and time …

Teacher And Student Variables Affecting Special Education Evaluation And Referral, Lorenzo Adrian Woodson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Past research has revealed that African American/Black boys are referred for special education evaluation at disproportionately higher rates than boys of other racial/ethnic groups. This correlational study used survey methodology to examine whether student and teacher demographic variables predicted how likely a teacher would refer boy students for special education evaluation. The following questions guided this research: 1) To what degree does student race/ethnicity, teacher gender, teacher race/ethnicity, and teacher attitude toward inclusion predict how likely a teacher would refer boys' to special education after controlling for teacher's years of experience in general and special education? 2) What are the …

Recovery-Oriented Care In A Psychiatric Health Setting, Renita Denise Hargrow

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Psychiatric recovery-oriented care is aimed at improving patients' quality of care while increasing the efficiency of health care providers. Despite the benefits of recovery-oriented care, this approach is often lacking in health care settings. The purpose of this project was to implement a recovery-oriented training on psychoeducational groups on a 26-bed psychiatric unit. The Iowa model of evidence-based practice and adult learning theory provided the framework for the project. The objectives were to (a) assess training needs, (b) evaluate barriers for recovery-oriented psychiatric nursing, (c) develop strategies to address barriers, (d) train staff in psychoeducational approaches, and (e) evaluate the …

Social Workers' Perceptions Of A Rural Emergency Mental Health Trauma Service, William L. Getz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Studies have shown that emergency mental health trauma (EMHT) services can significantly reduce the long-term effects of trauma after a disaster. However, rural municipalities may find they do not have the capacity to create such a service, or may not realize that their disaster planning includes no provision for emergency mental health care. Such was the case in a rural island community in the state of Washington, where, in 2014, several residents initiated a discussion that helped to identify the community's lack of EMHT services. This project, framed by action research and based on collaboration theory, sought to advance the …

The Critical Role Of The Psychiatric Emergency Response Team In The Adoption Of A Violence Risk Assessment Tool., Angela Mackay

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Workplace violence is a persistent problem in health care, and incidence rates have increased over the years. Traditional reporting systems, relying mostly on paper formats, are inadequate for developing effective predictive models for intervention and reducing acts of violence by patients to staff. The purpose of the development and deployment of the psychiatric emergency response team (PERT) was to provide effective intervention within the MIAHTAPS (Altered Mental status, Irritability, Agitation, History of Violence, Threatening, Attacking Objects, Pacing, and Staring) behavior prediction tool to reduce the severity and rates of violence in a hospital setting. Lewin's change theory was used to …

Spirituality Among African American Christian Women Who Have Contemplated, Marilyn Wiley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that African American women had the lowest recorded number of suicide completions among all ethnic and gender groups in the United States. In addition, the number of suicides among African American women continued to soar without a clear reason or understanding of their lowest completion rates. Further research in the area of spirituality among African American women may be critical in understanding why African American women's rates of completed suicides are statistically lower than other ethnic groups and how to prevent future rate increases. A phenomenological framework was used to examine the …

Screening For Alcohol Use/Abuse In The Primary Care Setting Using The Audit-C And Sbirt (Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral To Treatment), Whitney D. Spear

DNP Projects

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility of alcohol screening in the primary care setting to detect alcohol abuse or misuse using the AUDIT-C standardized screening tool and SBIRT.

METHODS: This study design was a Quasi-Experimental intervention, one group post-test. Data was collected via retrospective chart review from the electronic medical records by the type of office visit; either new patient initial visit or annual well visit. The patient sample consisted of 25 participants for the study period of September 19^th through October 10^th, 2017.

RESULTS: There were 37 patients eligible to participate …

Pill Poppin’ Nation: Substance Use, Mental Health, And Treatment Among Criminal Justice-Involved African Americans, Joi-Sheree' P. Knighton

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

The purpose of this dissertation was to examine substance use-related outcomes among criminal justice-involved African Americans using a multiple manuscript format. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has deemed nonmedical prescription opioid use an epidemic. National estimates indicate approximately 3.9% of African Americans engage in nonmedical prescription opioid use. Research suggests African Americans involved in the criminal justice system may be significantly at risk of substance use more generally; yet, there are no known estimates of nonmedical opioid use among this subgroup. Rising rates of nonmedical opioid use also has implications for discussing barriers to treatment among socioeconomically marginalized …

Canine-Assisted Therapies Among U.S. Veterans With Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: An Integrative Review Of The Literature, Olivia A. Kondos

Honors Undergraduate Theses

A sizeable number of U.S. veterans of all ages experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) which can impact their quality of life; physically, mentally and socially. Consequences of PTSD are associated with physical and emotional disabilities, including ideation of self-harm and even suicide. Increasingly, animal-assisted therapies (AAT) are used to treat PTSD and other physical and behavioral conditions in veterans. Over the decades, AATs have used dogs, cats, horses, and dolphins among other animals. The purpose of this integrative review is to examine the use of AAT focusing on canine assisted therapy (CAT) among veterans diagnosed with PTSD. The methodology involved …

Mental Health Needs & Barriers: Assessment Of Latinos In Las Vegas, Vanessa L. Diaz, Janice C. Mcmurray Ph.D

McNair Poster Presentations

• Research suggests that the prevalence of mental illness in Latinos is not necessarily uncommon and that economic concerns may be an important factor in determining the type of services Latinos are likely to seek (Kouyoumdjian, 2003).
• For Latinos, mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety have higher rates than the general population but the rate at which Latinos seek treatment is strikingly lower (Barrio, 2008).
• Observations regarding treatment engagement rates conclude that Latinos also have significantly higher probability of terminating treatments prematurely (Kouyoumdjian, 2003).
• Aim: to examine the mental health needs and barriers to treatment present in the Latino …

This Is Us Saying Who We Are: Speaking The Rhetoric Of Mental Disability, Renuka Uthappa

Wayne State University Dissertations

People with mental disabilities, or what are sometimes referred to as “mental illnesses,” face stigma when they interact with the public. To fight this stigma, the members of a small, grassroots, advocacy organization known as the Speakers Bureau travel to high school and college classrooms narrating their experiences with mental disability. They do so to replace culturally circulating stereotypes regarding such disability with more accurate and positive images. This dissertation is an auto-ethnographic exploration of the rhetoric of the Speakers Bureau. Through rhetorical analysis of members’ classroom speeches, of interviews with each speaker, and of the speaker’s self- assessment of …

An Examination Into The Relationship Between Iron Deficiency And Postpartum Depression, Sara A. Burroughs

Senior Honors Theses

Postpartum depression is recognized as the most common complication of childbearing; however, its etiology remains fairly undetermined. Many different influences have been hypothesized as to what may cause postpartum depression, including changes in levels of various hormones (such as estrogen and progesterone), a decrease in serotonin, low levels of vitamin D, social factors, and iron deficiency. The lack of strong evidence for one specific cause makes it fairly clear that there are many factors that play a role in the development of postpartum depression. Iron deficiency is one issue that is thought to contribute to the development of postpartum depression …

Attachment Styles And Trust Propensity In Females With Borderline Personality Disorder, Jacob Matthew White

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is one of the most frequently encountered and complex disorders in mental health care. Interpersonal impairment is a central issue for individuals with BPD. This complex disorder has received negative stigma along with historically more females than males receiving this diagnosis (Linehan, 1993). Therefore, this study examined a clinical sample of 30 females diagnosed with BPD. Through the collection of data this study used the following measures: a basic demographic questionnaire gathering specific age, ethnicity, current relationship status, parental relationship status, the Experiences in Close Relationships Scale (ECR; Brennan, Clark & Shaver, 1998), and the Propensity …