Psychiatric and Mental Health Commons^™

Integrating Mental Health Into Primary Care, Lori Hopwood, April Schmidt

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this project was to examine the effects of a newly integrated collaborative mental health care model. The primary goal of the integrated behavioral health program was designed to increase the ability of primary care providers to provide mental health services with the support and expertise of a consulting psychiatrist and behavioral health specialist. Additional goals were to improve access to care and improve mental health outcomes.

AIMS: The aim of this project was to evaluate a new way of integrating mental health services in a rural health, primary care practice in central Illinois.

METHODS: Measures …

Improving Depression Surveillance At The We Care Clinic, Kaitlin Springer, Emma Hanney

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Depression is one of the most underdiagnosed and untreated disorders affecting more than 16 million people in the United States each year (Henry et al., 2020). Unmanaged depression can lead to emotional suffering, decreased productivity, reduced income, impaired relationships, and an increased risk for comorbidities (Sinisalchi et al., 2020). It can affect anyone, however, individuals who are non-white, female, undereducated, disabled, pregnant or postpartum, have low socioeconomic status, or lack social support are at an increased risk (United States Preventative Services Task Force, 2019). The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville We Care Clinic provides primary care to minority patient populations who …

Barriers And Facilitators To Precision Medicine For Black Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Rachel Goodson

Research Days

Background: The field of pharmacogenomics (identification of biomarkers regarding drug metabolism and activity to inform precision prescribing) is rapidly advancing for individuals on the autism spectrum, but these advancements are not equitably benefiting all communities. Specifically, utilization data suggests that Black families may be less likely to have access to clinical precision medicine supports. Moreover, historic underrepresentation of African-descended populations in genetic reference samples means that emerging research on precision medicine will retain these biases and perpetuate disparities in downstream clinical benefit. These issues are especially relevant to the autism community, who are more likely to receive psychotropic medications that …

Telemedicine And Adhd Management In Pediatric Patients In Southern New Jersey: A Retrospective Chart Review, Ami S. Patel, Alison Mancuso

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Objectives:

• Investigate whether there is a relationship between use of telemedicine and improvement of symptoms of pediatric patients with ADHD
• To see if further study can be done on the use of telemedicine in treating pediatric ADHD patients

The Effect Of Covid-19 On Postpartum Depression Rates In Nj, Kyra Herman

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

• Postpartum Depression (PPD) is defined as depressive symptoms that last >2 weeks after delivery and that interfere with activities of daily living
• Pre-Covid: 13% of women nationwide experienced postpartum depressive symptoms with an estimated 50% of these women not being treated
• Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) is the standard survey administered in postpartum period.
• Retrospective chart review of 186 patients
• The pre-Covid timeframe was defined as July 2019 to January 2020 and the intra-Covid timeframe was defined as July 2020 to January 2021.
• While it was hypothesized that the Covid-19 pandemic would cause the risk of PPD to increase, as …

Treating Trichotillomania With Olanzapine, Christopher Lee

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Trichotillomania (TTM) is characterized by repetitive pulling of one’s hair leading to hair loss and problems in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning. Often individuals with TTM try to decrease or stop hair pulling, however are often unsuccessful without treatment. Community prevalence studies suggest that TTM is a common disorder with point prevalence estimate of 0.5% to 2.0% and with significant psychological comorbidity. Of note, people with TTM are often embarrassed about their condition, so epidemiology data may be underestimated compared to the true prevalence of this condition. The female to male ratio for this condition is 4:1. …

An Interesting Case Of Factitious Disorder Superimposed On Self: Factitious Disorder Vs Somatic Symptom Disorder, Michaela Margolis, Logan Noone, Jessica Baaklini

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Factitious disorder superimposed on self (FDIS) was first described in 1951by Richard Asher, who associated the disorder with Baron Munchhausen, who narrated unrealistic and exaggerated stories about his life.

Suspicion for FDIS should be raised when patients with atypical presentations of medical disorders seek excessive use of healthcare services despite ongoing lack of clinical evidence. Patients with FDIS often demand hospitalization for their symptoms, leading to unnecessary tests and treatments. These patients show signs of pathological lying, deceitfulness, are obstinate with medical staff, and display erratic behavior. When medical investigation does not support their symptoms, patients often develop new “symptoms” …

The Need For Depression And Anxiety Screenings At A Student-Run Clinic, Shayna Peterzell, Sahil Parikh, Alicia Podwojniak, Vibha Chauhan, Riya Tandra, Emily Forester, Saumil Parikh, Jessica-Sophie Horoschak, Patrick Pearce, Roma Padalkar, Sobiah Khan, Tara Pellegrino

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

General anxiety and major depressive disorder are common and treatable mental health disorders. The US Preventive Services Task Force provides strong evidence that early screening helps identify depression in primary care settings, promotes intervention and facilitates treatment. Many medical offices use validated screening tools, GAD-7 and PHQ-9, to measure symptom severities and further help guide treatment modalities for patients with anxiety and depression, respectively. The Rowan Community Health Clinic (RCHC) in Lindenwold, NJ is a student-run free clinic that serves patients regardless of patient gender, race, income, or insurance status. This study aims to determine if there is a need …

Preferences For Support Resources Among Loved Ones Of Adults Prescribed Opioid Medications, Mansi Patel, Desta M. Pulley, Daniel Manvich

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

The opioid epidemic continues to be a leading cause of overdose and related deaths in America. While most interventions are focused on the individuals with opioid and substance use disorder (OUD/SUD); the impact caregivers and family can have on the treatment of patients with OUD is non-existent. The purpose of this study is to collect pilot data on peers, friends, and family members of patients with SUD/OUD to understand the barriers in psychosocial support and maintaining treatment retention; barriers to accessing medication assisted therapy (MAT) and naloxone; and caregiver fatigue and barriers for caregivers. The collected data will be used …

Seizure To Drug Induced Schizophrenia: A Rare Case Of Keppra-Induced Psychosis, Shadi Shams, Riddhima Issar, Nardin El-Shammaa, Munaza Khan

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Levetiracetam is a broad-spectrum antiseizure medication and is approved as adjunctive therapy to treat focal-onset seizures in children and adults with epilepsy. Levetiracetam has a wide margin of safety and patient-friendly pharmacokinetics that distinguish it from other currently available antiepileptic drugs.

Most common side effects are fatigue, somnolence, dizziness, and upper respiratory infection. Neuropsychiatric symptoms are reported. Psychotic symptoms, paranoid ideation, hallucinations, and behavioral problems may occur in adult and pediatric patients. Among all adverse effects, the rate of psychosis is very low and ranges from less than 1% to 1.4%. A retrospective study showed that this rate is higher …

Effect Of Covid On Postpartum Depression (Ppd), Reshma Thomas, Karen Krieg, Joanna Petrides

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Purpose:

1. To determine if the rates of postpartum depression have changed during COVID
2. To identify differences in characteristics of women with postpartum depression during COVID

Obsessions In Ocd Mimicking Capgras: A Case Report, Ricky Chu, Alexander Swartz, Helen Yi

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a mentally debilitating condition that can present in a multitude of ways and its manifestations can vary within the diagnosed patient population. OCD can be diagnosed with the presence of either obsessions or compulsions and does not require both. Sometimes, OCD can affect a patient in a way that mimics delusional misidentification syndromes. In these cases, a patient's ego-dystonia can be a key distinguishing feature in diagnosis. In one specific delusional misidentification syndrome, Capgras, a patient possesses fixed beliefs that a known person (or sometimes object) is an imposter. And even though the textbook OCD …

Riluzole For Pediatric Patients With Treatment-Refractory Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Maheen Mohammad, Stuti Parikh

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) occurs in about 1-3% of the pediatric population, but many do not respond to standard therapies. Riluzole, a glutamate antagonist, has shown to be an effective treatment for refractory OCD in adults, however few trials have been conducted to show the effectiveness of Riluzole in children to treat refractory OCD. The study investigates the potential use of riluzole in children to treat refractory OCD.

The Effect Of Covid-19 On Depression In Hispanic Vs. Non-Hispanic Populations In South Jersey, Rana Cheikhali, Daniel Casal

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

The COVID-19 pandemic has been challenging for Americans and the world as a whole. It has especially taken a toll on mental health. Studies show that the incidence of depression in the United States was three times greater during the pandemic compared to pre-pandemic times. One specific community in the United States that has been greatly affected by the pandemic is the Hispanic American community. Many Americans across the country have received federal surveys that aim to determine the social and economic impacts of COVID-19. Results revealed that the Hispanic population had the greatest rise in mental illness, with 40% …

The Impact On Adolescent Mental Health In South Jersey Due To The Cancelation And Return Of Sports, Tara Pellegrino, Tara Young

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, many organized sports programs have been canceled or limited in participation. While research prior to the pandemic has strongly suggested that participation in organized sports has benefits for mental and physical health, especially in adolescence, there have been minimal studies on how the removal of organized sports affects mental health outcomes. Additionally, studies have found that the stress of the pandemic and its associated life changes has greatly decreased mental health outcomes in our target population. These findings may indicate the importance of return to organized sports in a time where mental health outcomes are …

Analyzing The Effects Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Mood Disorders In Patients, Alexa Golub, Joanna Petrides, Meagan Vermeulen

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

The COVID-19 pandemic brought about restrictions on social interactions, altered work settings/job losses, decreased access to groceries and essentials, and more

With strict prevention measures and isolating quarantine experiences, it was anticipated that the lockdown would have psychological effects

Some contributing psychological stressors included duration of quarantine, fear of infection, boredom, lack of supplies, inadequate information, and finances

This study aimed to quantify and evaluate any change in mood disorder diagnoses since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic

Assessing The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Adolescent Mental Health, Vanessa Pizutelli, Yanil Morales, Christina Copeland, Archana Salek

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Adolescence is a crucial period in which adverse childhood experiences, social relationships, and habits can influence mental wellbeing. According to the CDC, the onset of mental illness is 14.5 years old, which is why it is imperative that individuals with mental health conditions receive early intervention. Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, research has shown a dramatic decline in adolescent mental health. Specifically in New Jersey, it has been reported that individuals ages 18-23 have the highest levels of stress and depressive symptoms since the start of the pandemic. In light of these findings, it is vital that more …

Bullous Pemphigoid With Excoriation Disorder In A 59 Year Old Woman, Kaitlin Mcgowan, Stephen Poos, Nguyen Vo

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Bullous pemphigoid is the most common autoimmune blistering disease. Classic symptoms include blisters overlying urticarial plaques on the torso and extremities. The condition can result in intense pruritus that begins during the prodromal period.

Excoriation disorder is related to obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and is characterized by recurrent skin picking that results in lesions, repeated attempts to stop or decrease the picking, and resultant mental distress or impairment in functioning.

We present a case of a 59-year-old Caucasian female who presented with diffuse rash on most of her body. This particular case is notable for its concurrent severe dermatological and …

Trial-Based Measurements As An Index Of Response Strength, Vasily Belichenko

Thesis Projects

Identifying and evaluating dependent variables within functional analyses are essential steps that affect the assessment's overall acceptability. Although most of the studies on functional analyses suggest that measuring repeated occurrences of behavior with rate measurements generates the most accurate data, several researchers suggest using alternative measurement methods to avoid the heavy burden of the procedure. In the present study, I partially replicated a study by Thomason-Sassi and colleagues (2011) that evaluated the correspondence between latency measures of responding and rate. Additionally, trial-based measurements, such as the occurrence of the behavior, represented in the percentage of trials, were compared with rate …

An Examination Of Sexist Roots Of The Psychiatric Diagnosis Of Nymphomania In 19th Century America, Madeline W. Reese

The Purdue Historian

During the mid to late nineteenth century, psychiatrists increasingly focused on women’s sexual deviance. Nymphomania was a diagnosis that emerged from existing scientific and popular understandings of sex and gender differences, sexual appropriateness, and morality of domestic relationships. Medical journals and popular conceptions of female sexuality are indicators of how this diagnosis was prejudiced and used exclusively for women. The nymphomaniac diagnosis was rooted in the patriarchal desire to keep women oppressed.