Mental Disorders Commons^™

Comparison Of Maternal Beliefs About Causes Of Autism Spectrum Disorder And Association With Utilization Of Services And Treatments, Virginia Chaidez, Erik Fernandez Y Garcia, Lulu W. Wang, Kathleen Angkustsiri, Paula Krakowiak, Irva Hertz-Picciotto, Robin L. Hansen

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Background: This study aimed to describe parental perceptions of the causes of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in an ethnically diverse sample and explore whether these perceptions relate to treatment choices.

Methods: The sample consisted of White (n=224), Hispanic (n=85) and Asian (n=21) mothers of a child with ASD. A mixed methods approach was used in this secondary analysis focusing on parental perceptions about the causes of ASD and the relationship of these to utilization of services and treatment.

Results: Environmental and genetic factors were most often believed to be the cause or one of the causes of ASD by mothers …

Ssri Maintenance Therapy Reduces Rate Of Recurrence For Elderly Patients With First Episode Of Major Depression, Blake J. Arthurs

Clinical Research in Practice: The Journal of Team Hippocrates

A critical appraisal and clinical application of Reynolds CF 3rd, Dew MA, Pollock BG, et al. Maintenance treatment of major depression in old age. N Engl J Med. 2006 Mar 16;354(11):1130-8. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa052619. Based on the appraisal, long term SSRI maintenance therapy is recommended for elderly patients suffering from first episode of major depression.

Susceptibility Of Mental Disorders: Examining The Comorbidity Of Seasonal Affective Disorder, Nathaniel Wasden

Student Works

This literature review examines the symptoms, theorized causes, and comorbidity of seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Although causes of SAD remain unknown, researchers have observed a common pattern of vitamin D deficiency among patients with SAD. The importance of vitamin D in regulating serotonergic activity has been well documented, including the positive correlation between decreased serotonin levels and increased depressive symptoms. For more than 30 years, researchers have hypothesized that decreased serotonin activity is linked to symptoms of SAD. Furthermore, patients with other mental disorders, including depression, bipolarity, obsessive-compulsive disorder, etc. are likely to experience aggravation of symptoms during peak SAD …

"Born Out Of Fear": A Grounded Theory Study Of The Stigma Of Bipolar Disorder For New Mothers, Walker Ladd Ph.D.

The Qualitative Report

Childbirth is an established trigger for the onset of bipolar disorders (BD) in the postpartum period, causing significant pathology and disability. Research has shown that the stigma of mental illness for new mothers is a powerful obstacle to care, preventing women from accessing critical treatment and social support. However, the majority of research has examined the relationship between the stigma and postpartum depression, leaving a gap in knowledge regarding stigma and postpartum bipolar disorder. The problem addressed in this grounded theory study was the lack of knowledge regarding the stigma of a diagnosis of bipolar disorder (BD) in the first …

Kinship Diversion In The District Of Columbia: A Review Of Local Practice To Inform National Policy, Marla P. Spindel, Beth A. Stekler, Stephanie Ridgway Mcclellan

GrandFamilies: The Contemporary Journal of Research, Practice and Policy

This article addresses a practice commonly known in the child welfare community as “kinship diversion,” where a child welfare agency informally places children with relatives as an alternative to foster care. While evidence predominantly shows that abused and neglected children have better outcomes when they are placed with relatives when they cannot remain safely at home, serious concerns about these children’s safety and well-being arise when the placement with relatives is informal. Indeed, it is often not understood that these same relatives can be approved as foster parents and can receive essential financial assistance and supportive services to help safely …

Negative Voice-Content As A Full Mediator Of A Relation Between Childhood Adversity And Distress Ensuing From Hearing Voices, Cherise Rosen, Simon Mccarthy-Jones, Nev Jones, Kayla A. Chase, Rajiv P. Sharma

Mental Health Law & Policy Faculty Publications

A key predictor of whether or not an individual who hears voices (auditory verbal hallucinations; AVH) meets criteria for a psychiatric diagnosis is the level of negative content of the voices (e.g., threats, criticism, abuse). Yet the factors that contribute to negative voice-content are still not well understood. This study aimed to test the hypotheses that levels of childhood adversity would predict levels of negative voice-content, and that negative voice-content would partially mediate a relation between childhood adversity and voice-related distress. These hypotheses were tested in a clinical sample of 61 patients with formally diagnosed psychotic disorders (48 schizophrenia …

Diagnosing The Will To Suffer: Lovesickness In The Medical And Literary Traditions, Jane Shmidt

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Throughout Western medical history, unconsummated, unreturned, or otherwise failed love was believed to generate a disorder of the mind and body that manifested in physiological and psychological symptoms. This study traces the medical and literary history of lovesickness from antiquity through the 19^th century, emphasizing significant moments in the development of the medical discourse on love. The project is part of the recent academic focus on the intersection between the humanities and the medical sciences, and it situates literary texts in concurrent medical and philosophical debates on afflictions of the psyche. By contextualizing the fictional works within the scientific …

The Effect Of Exercise On Symptoms Of Depression In Adults Diagnosed With Clinical Depression: An Integrative Literature Review, Tibil Felix

Grace Peterson Nursing Research Colloquium

Background: While many healthcare providers are currently looking for alternative methods such as exercise to treat depression, there are limited studies to report how exercise effects symptoms of depression in adults diagnosed with clinical depression and whether an ideal exercise prescription exists.

Objective: The purpose of this integrative literature review was to evaluate the effect of exercise on adults with clinical depression.

Method: An integrative literature review was used. The tidal model of mental health as proposed by Dr. Phil Barker and Poppy Buchanan-Barker was used as a basis for this review. The keywords “clinical depression, exercise, adults, depression treatments, …

Developing An Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Cascade: A Review Of Quality Measures, Arthur Robin Williams, Edward V. Nunes, Adam Bisaga, Harold A. Pincus, Kimberly A. Johnson, Aimee N. Campbell, Remien Remien, Stephen Crystal, Peter D. Friedmann, Frances R. Levin, Mark Olfson

Mental Health Law & Policy Faculty Publications

Background: Despite increasing opioid overdose mortality, problems persist in the availability and quality of treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD). Three FDA-approved medications (methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone) have high quality evidence supporting their use, but most individuals with OUD do not receive them and many experience relapse following care episodes. Developing and organizing quality measures under a unified framework such as a Cascade of Care could improve system level practice and treatment outcomes. In this context, a review was performed of existing quality measures relevant to the treatment of OUD and the literature assessing the utility of these measures in …

Women’S Pregnancy Life History And Alzheimer’S Risk: Can Immunoregulation Explain The Link?, Molly Fox, Carlo Berzuini, Leslie A. Knapp, Laura M. Glynn

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Background:

Pregnancy is associated with improvement in immunoregulation that persists into the geriatric phase. Impaired immunoregulation is implicated in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathogenesis. Hence, we investigate the relationship between pregnancy and AD. Methods:

Cross-sectional cohort of British women (N = 95). Cox proportional hazards modeling assessed the putative effects of cumulative months pregnant on AD risk and the mutually adjusted effects of counts of first and third trimesters on AD risk. Results:

Cumulative number of months pregnant, was associated with lower AD risk (β = −1.90, exp(β) = 0.15, P = .02). Cumulative number of first trimesters …

Periodic Catatonia Marked By Hypercortisolemia And Exacerbated By The Menses: A Case Report And Literature Review, Samantha Zwiebel, Alejandro G. Villasante Tezanos, Jose De Leon

Psychiatry Faculty Publications

Kahlbaum first described catatonia; later Kraepelin, Gjessing, and Leonhard each defined periodic catatonia differently. A 48-year-old female with catatonia, whose grandmother probably died from it, was prospectively followed for >4 years in a US psychiatric state hospital. Through 4 catatonic episodes (one lasting 17 months) there were menstrual exacerbations of catatonia and increases in 4 biological variables: (1) creatine kinase (CK) up to 4,920 U/L, (2) lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) up to 424 U/L, (3) late afternoon cortisol levels up to 28.0 mcg/dL, and (4) white blood cell (WBC) counts up to 24,200/mm³ with neutrophilia without infections. Records from 17 …

Depression, Anxiety, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder And A History Of Pervasive Gender-Based Violence Among Women Asylum Seekers Who Have Undergone Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting: A Retrospective Case Review, Hazel Lever, Deborah Ottenheimer, Jimmitti Teysir, Elizabeth Singer, Holly G. Atkinson

Publications and Research

We sought to evaluate the frequency of anxiety, depression, PTSD, and any experiences of violence in women who had undergone Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) and were seeking asylum in the United States. We undertook a retrospective qualitative descriptive study of FGM/C cases seen in an asylum clinic over a 2-year period. Standardized questionnaires provided quantitative scores for anxiety, depression and PTSD. Clients’ personal and physician medical affidavits were analyzed for experiences of violence. Of the 13 cases, anxiety and depression were exhibited by 92 and 100% of women, while all seven women screened for PTSD had symptoms. Qualitative analysis revealed …

Identifying Clinical Distinctions Between Nonsuicidal Self-Injury And Eating Disorders In Adolescents, Natalie Marie Perkins

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Eating disorders and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) are pervasive behaviors that typically begin in early to mid-adolescence. They commonly co-occur, resulting in increasingly negative psychological and physical outcomes than either behavior alone. Emotion reactivity and family functioning have been studied in relation to both eating disorders and NSSI. Both constructs have demonstrated strong relationships to these behaviors, but emotion reactivity appears to be more strongly associated with NSSI, while family functioning appears to be more strongly related to eating disorders. The current study sought to determine whether emotion reactivity and family functioning could differentiate between adolescents with only an eating disorder, …

Where's Dad? The Importance Of Integrating Fatherhood And Parenting Programming Into Substance Use Treatment For Men, Carla Smith Stover, Melissa Carlson, Sarika Patel, Raquel Manalich

Mental Health Law & Policy Faculty Publications

Large numbers of men enter substance use disorder treatment each year, yet very little attention is paid to the fatherhood and parenting status of these men. Substance use treatment programmes for men rarely incorporate a parenting component into their treatment planning, despite the increased success of women's treatment programmes that focus on gender and motherhood. This paper provides: (1) a review of the literature on the fathering of substance‐using men, what has been learned from substance use disorder treatment for mothers, and the implications for children and families; (2) pilot quantitative and qualitative outcomes resulting from the implementation of a …

Exploratory Study Of The Use Of Community Treatment Orders With Clients Of An Ontario Act Team, Magnus Mfoafo-M'Carthy, Cara Grosset, Carol A. Stalker, Irene Dullaart, Linda Mccoll Dr.

Lyle S. Hallman Social Work Faculty Publications

Community Treatment Orders (CTOs) have raised questions about coercion, lack of autonomy, and effectiveness in reducing hospitalizations and improving service users’ quality of life. This study examined the experiences of clients and clinicians when CTOs are used in combination with Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) in a recovery oriented approach. Eleven clients who were or had previously been on a CTO and eight ACT clinicians were interviewed. Although most clients had negative feelings about CTOs, some acknowledged their lives had improved. Clinicians reported that the decision to employ a CTO is sometimes debated within the team but they agreed that combining …

The Impact Of Comorbidities, Depression, And Substance Use Problems On Quality Of Life Among Older Adults Living With Hiv, Brett M. Millar, Tyrel Starks, Sitaji Gurung, Jeffrey T. Parsons

Publications and Research

Older adults living with HIV (OALWH) comprise a growing population with a range of complex and interconnecting medical and psychosocial needs. Based on the biopsychosocial model with its emphasis on a holistic approach to various aspects of people’s lives, the current study explored associations between physical health, psychological health, substance use, and overall quality of life. Drawing on data from 114 substance-using OALWH (aged 50 or older), we employed linear regression to show associations between the number of current comorbid health conditions on quality of life, over and above depression, substance use problems, and demographic characteristics (age, race/ethnicity, gender, sexual …

An Examination Of The Impact Traumatic Events Has On Psychosocial Impairment In Eating Disorder Patients, Jennifer Parker Hackett

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Research suggests that trauma has an impact on eating disorders. While prior research has demonstrated that the trauma from abuse has a significant impact on eating disorders, research has failed to explore other types of trauma. In addition, previous studies have stopped short of examining the impact trauma has on functioning among individuals with an eating disorder. This study aimed to address that gap in the literature. The purpose of this study is to examine whether traumatic life events impact psychosocial functioning among individuals living with an eating disorder. Furthermore, this study aimed to identify which traumas are shown to …

The Association Between Medication Adherence In Mental Illness And Substance Use Disorder Relapse In Patients With Dual Diagnosis, Tyler Dunn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objectives: The aims of the study were to (1) identify personal, social, and clinical history for patients with substance use disorder (SUD) and mental illness, (2) measure agreeance between patient self-report versus facility record history for mental illness, substance abuse, and psychotropic medication, (3) investigate the specific role of medication adherence and barriers to use for psychotropic medications upon SUD relapse, and (4) assess follow-up changes in mental illness severity and medication adherence in dual diagnosis patients enrolled in a substance abuse rehabilitation program.

Methods: The pilot study utilized a mixed methodology. Inclusion criteria included male patients at least 18 …

Open Ears, Open Mind, Open Heart: Active Listening, Mia Nguyen

Service-Learning | Student Scholarship

Active listening is the act of listening with all senses– the body, the mind, and the soul. It means empathizing with another person and finding that place within ourselves where we can listen beyond our initial judgements and personal feelings. It is listening beyond words and allowing our souls to understand, connect, and accept one another. Active listening sparks internal purity eliminating all types of judgement and allowing us to truly take in what another person has to offer. It is “an experience of language as a bodily felt process” in which we have a felt understanding rather than a …

Gender, Sexuality, And Eating Disorders, Haley Leishman

Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies Student Scholarship

This literature review considers how navigating gender and sexuality can have detrimental effects on the development and maintenance of eating disorders. My research explores how societal expectations of masculinity, femininity, and sexuality impact an individual’s relationship with their body, food, and exercise. Unique life stressors faced by members of gender and sexual minorities are also examined. My paper examines and explains how much of the research surrounding eating disorders does not include gender and sexual minority participants, despite the fact that such individuals are overrepresented in diagnosed cases of eating disorders. This gap in the literature has implications for future …