Psychiatric and Mental Health Commons^™

Laughter As A Priming Agent For Change, Linnea M. Heintz

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to analyze the importance of laughter as a factor in influencing employee job satisfaction ratings. The Job Satisfaction Survey (Spector, 1985, 1997) and pulses of laughter were used in this study. To explore the relationship between laughter and job satisfaction, results of the Job Satisfaction Survey (Spector, 1994) were collected quarterly (four times a year) for three consecutive years, beginning six months prior to the start of the two-year study and six months post. The study sample was composed of 545 employees (34% male, 66% female) operating out of 10 employee-owned retail chain locations …

Mental Health Of Individuals Within Incarceration: A Systematic Literature Review, Steven I. Valladares

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Mental Health Illness is on the rise in the United States. About 90% of incarcerated individuals have at least one mental health condition. The current federal and state incarceration systems do not seem to be well-equipped to transition an incarcerated individual to the civilian life. This is so because the incarceration system focuses too much on the punishment rather than rehabilitation. This framework could be deemed unsafe and dangerous to the civilian world once a prisoner gets released, due to incarcerated individuals not receiving adequate mental health treatment. This literature review highlights the flaws of the current incarceration system mental …

Treatment Access For Dual Diagnosis Substance Use And Mental Health Disorders, Pedro Banuelos

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

In 2018, of 1.3 million Latinx adults in the United States facing concurrent issues with substance use disorders (SUD) and mental health disorders (MHD) 93% remained untreated for either diagnosis. This is concerning since Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) data reveals that this population is at greater risk for suicidal thoughts, plans, and attempts. They also face structural barriers such as employment, housing, legal involvement, and insurability that further impede access to treatment.

This study’s purpose was to examine barriers to accessing treatment for Latinx populations confronting co-occurring SUDs and MHDs. This study used a qualitative design …

Levels Of Engagement In Mental Health Services Regarding Minorities, Karla Salazar Rendon

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study focuses on analyzing if the level of engagement when receiving mental health services affects how many mental health providers an individual has. Although mental health impacts everyone, minorities encounter barriers such as language, transportation, and residential segregation. Obstacles such as these discourage individuals in regards to pursuing mental health services. Minorities make up a significant amount of the U.S. population: however, they are underrepresented in the mental health field. The challenges they encounter need to be addressed to provide efficient services. This study includes male and female participants over the age of 18 in San Bernardino County. The …

Examining The Experiences Of Lgbtq Dpt Students: A Critical Ethnography, Catherine Turner

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of LGBTQ Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students at a large public university in the south-western United States, as it relates to the culture and climate of the program and campus. The LGBTQ community faces its own unique health disparities. Research in medicine suggests improving the diversity of the healthcare profession is a vital component in improving access to care, and this requires the creation of inclusive and supportive educational environments for LGBTQ identifying healthcare students. However, minimal research exists examining the experiences of LGBTQ physical therapy students.

The study …

Disrupting Gender Normativity Through A Social Learning Framework, Ashley Shank

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Through a social learning theoretical framework, this thesis seeks to understand the mechanisms by which gender normativity is perpetuated, as well as how it may result in the marginalization of transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) youth. Additionally, ways in which TGNC youth navigate oppression and how discrimination against TGNC youth may be reduced through disruption of gender normativity are explored. Using qualitative methods that include the analyzation of community meeting transcripts as well as townhall meetings with TGNC/queer community members, the present study will attempt to answer the following research questions through a social learning theoretical framework: 1. How can …

The Value Of Community Psychiatric Services For The Elderly’S Dementia Caregiver Group: Exploring The Perspectives Of Participants, Elise Greto

Patient Experience Journal

Community Psychiatric Services for the Elderly (CPSE) at a large teaching hospital in Toronto has offered a monthly support group for caregivers of persons with dementia for over 30 years. Participants were surveyed in January 2018 about group attendance, benefits of attending the group, and areas for improvement. Results are shared in this case study. A total of 8 participants responded to the survey with a response rate of 47%. The feedback was predominantly positive. The most prevailing theme that emerged from the survey responses was group members’ appreciation for the opportunity to meet with one another to discuss relevant …

Effectiveness Of Ehr-Depression Screening Among Adult Diabetics In An Urban Primary Care Clinic, Filipina C. Schnabel Md, Mph, Msn, Fnp-Bc, Danielle Aldridge Msn, Fnp-C, Laura Reed Dnp, Fnp-Bc

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background Diabetes mellitus (DM) and depression are important comorbid conditions that can lead to more serious health outcomes. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) supports routine screening for depression as part of standard diabetes management. The PHQ2 and PHQ9 questionnaires are good diagnostic screening tools used for major depressive disorders in Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2). This quality improvement study aims to compare the rate of depression screening, treatment, and referral to behavioral health in adult patients with DM2 pre and post-integration of depression screening tools into the electronic health record (EHR).

Methods We conducted a retrospective chart review on patients …

Effectiveness Of An Online Intervention Combating Mental Health Stigma On Adolescent Help-Seeking Behaviors, Chelsea Krayecki

Counselor Education Capstones

Mental health stigma has been shown to be a barrier to seeking help for mental health concerns. This is especially true for adolescents due to important developmental characteristics. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) (2021), depression is one of the major causes of mental health concerns and disability among adolescents. In addition, the WHO (2021) also states that mental health conditions account for 16% of global burden of illness in people ages 10-19-years-old. The current pandemic has only increased these concerns, as social, emotional, and mental well-being has been impacted by the pandemic (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, …

The Impact Of Social Media Use On Well-Being And Stress In Adolescents And Young Adults, Elisabeth Moeller

ONU Student Research Colloquium

Over the past couple of decades, as technology has become more readily available to individuals, social media sites such as Facebook and Instagram have had an impact on how adolescents and young adults communicate with peers. There has been much debate on whether social media usage negatively impacts the lives of adolescents and adults or not. The present literary review examines findings from 20 studies that investigated the effect of social media usage on the well-being and stress levels of adolescents and young adults. The conclusion of this literary review is that there are many mixed findings in studies examining …

Identification And Mitigation Of Environmental Hazards In Psychiatric Patient Suicide Prevention: A Review, Alan Le

DNP Qualifying Manuscripts

Background: Environmental hazards are a factor in the bulk of inpatient suicide cases, which disproportionately impact psychiatric patients. Current measures to minimize suicide risk include process-oriented solutions and environmental safeguards such as breakaway structures.

Aims: To perform a review of the literature that identifies environmental suicide hazards and interventions implemented to abate hazards and reduce suicide risk.

Methods: Electronic databases were searched using relevant keywords. Inclusion criteria consisted of articles published 2009-2020 that identified environmental suicide hazards or examined efficacy of interventions implemented to abate hazards. The Johns Hopkins Research and Non-Research Evidence Appraisal Tools were used for critical appraisal. …

Suicide Risk And School Related Stressors In Veterinary Students, Deanna Nicole Arnold

Honors College Theses

Compared to the general population of the United States, veterinarians are at an increasingly higher risk for suicide. This is commonly associated with stressful work environments, long work hours, poor work-life balance, client demands and complaints, and large amounts of euthanasia procedures. While many studies have been performed to confirm the above statements, few to no studies have been done on students currently enrolled in veterinary school to assess their mental health. This study will survey graduate school students in this field and will evaluate their mental health state and risk factors towards suicide. Through comparing the results of this …

Surface-Eroding Drug Delivery Films For Sequential And/Or Intermittent Release Of Psychoactive Drugs, Jason Price

Honors Theses

ABSTRACT JASON BLAKE PRICE: Surface-Eroding Drug Delivery Films for Sequential and/or

Intermittent Release of Psychoactive Drugs For patients with psychiatric diseases, adherence to medication schedules, medication

errors, and abuse are common issues. Promising new forms of therapy for these patients, such as micro-dosed lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), where patients receive 10-20% of a full dose every third day, present further drug delivery challenges. Sequential or intermittent release of drugs from an implanted device could ensure long-term drug compliance, automate drug dosing during the life of the implant, and eliminate potential for abuse and medication errors. To this end, we generated …

The Social And The Psychological Impact Of Endometriosis On The Romanian Urban Population, Iulia Baciu, Alecsandra Irimie-Ana, Anca Maria Panaitescu, Gheorghe Peltecu, Corina Gica, Nicolae Gica

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Objectives. Our study assesses the social and psychological impact of the symptoms of endometriosis. Materials and methods. This crosssectional study was conducted from January 2014 to January 2016. The research involved two groups. The study instrument, the EHP-5 questionnaire, was completed by the respondents on the admission date or on the routine gynecological visit day. Results. Endometriosis has a negative social and psychological impact on women’s life, the most affected areas being work, fertility and sexual activity. Moreover, pain and the negative perception of self-image are major sources of distress. Conclusion. The symptoms and effects of endometriosis, especially chronic pelvic …

Representations And Narratives Of F To M Gender Dysphoric Subjects: Self, Body And Psycho-Traumatology In Comparison With M To F Transsexualism, Emanuele Maria Merlo

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

The present study was aimed at extending the method previously used with M to F gender dysphoric patients, to F to M individuals. In particular, the aim of the study was to highlight global and particular representations of the subjects. The study involved 10 gender dysphoric subjects in F to M transition, aged between 18 to 26 years old. Rorschach and the Thematic Apperception Test were administered with particular attention to the detection of psycho-traumatic indexes. The data reached through the extension of the method to F to M subjects revealed a continuity between the two groups. Referring to Self-representation, …

The Relationship Between Spiritual Health And Social Trust Among Students, Farzin Rezaei, Hero Khwrshid Hassan, Arezoo Fallahi, Reza Ghanei Gheshlagh, Shahram Sadeghi, Parisa Fallahi, Babak Nemat

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Social trust and spiritual health play an important role in social communication. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between spiritual health and social trust among Iranian students. This cross-sectional study was conducted in the city of Sanandaj, in the West of Iran, in 2018. 686 students from 5 universities were included in the study through simple random sampling. The data were collected using established, reliable instruments for the assessment of social trust and spiritual health. Logistic regression models were applied to assess the association between social trust and spiritual health. We reported estimated logits and Odds …

Alexithymia And Physical Outcomes In Psychosomatic Subjects: A Cross-Sectional Study, Liam Alexander Mackenzie Myles, Emanuele Maria Merlo

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Backgrounds. Alexithymia is a relevant phenomenon, occurring transversally to healthy subjects and individuals affected by several conditions. Its role is considerable, according to current state of the art several conditions emerged as influenced, maintained and worsened by alexithymic structures and figures. The present study was aimed at highlighting the existing relations, the differences and the directions assumed by alexithymic factors and health status in patients affected by psychosomatic conditions. Methods. The sample consisted of 150 participants, 42 males (28.0%) and 108 females (72.0%), aged 26 to 78 years old with a mean of 42.24 years old (SD = 12.39). Subjects …

The Opioid Crisis Meets Covid-19 Pandemic, Hannah M. Westerman

English Department: Research for Change - Wicked Problems in Our World

Abstract: How have the COVID-19 pandemic and the Opioid Crisis have collided to create a negative effect on those who abuse drugs and other substances? These two wicked problems are now collectively making it more difficult for those to recover and overcome substance and drug abuse worsening the Opioid Epidemic. With no clear answer in sight can vaccines and more accessible rehab help to progress these wicked problems?

Mental Health And Covid-19, Haley Thiel

English Department: Research for Change - Wicked Problems in Our World

The recent pandemic has taken a toll on everyone’s mental health. Transitioning to full freedom and opportunity to lockdown with no human interaction was a huge adjustment. The global pandemic especially hit home to college students and had a significant impact on universities. In this paper we discuss and analyze how the pandemic has shifted college students mental health and the negative toll it had. We will examine how anxiety, depression, and other general mental health disorders have skyrocketed in college students during the pandemic. The need for reform and attention on college campuses to preserve students mental health is …

Associations Among Stress, Anxiety, Depression, And Emotional Intelligence Among Veterinary Medicine Students, Julia Wells, Kylie Watson, Robert E. Davis, Syed Siraj A. Quadri, Joshua R. Mann, Ashutosh Verma, Manoj Sharma, Vinayak K. Nahar

Environmental & Global Health Faculty Research

Background: Veterinary students are faced with immense pressures and rigors during school. These pressures have contributed to elevated levels of stress, anxiety, and depression (SAD) among veterinary students relative to the general population. One proposed concept to help students combat SAD is that of emotional intelligence (EI). We explored the relationship between EI and SAD among veterinary students at a college in the Southeast United States. Methods: A crosssectional study design was implemented among a convenience sample of 182 veterinary medical students. The survey instrument contained 56 items that elicited information about students’ demographics, perceived stress, anxiety, and depression, and …