Psychiatry and Psychology Commons^™

Reducing Stress Related To Injection Therapy: A Zen Bundle Approach, Valoree Bowen

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects - Archive

Background: Needle fear and stress are common barriers preventing adults from seeking necessary medical treatments, including intramuscular (IM) injection therapy. Research highlights the need for evidence-based interventions to mitigate this fear and improve patient experience.

Objective: This evidence-based pilot project included a Zen Bundle—an intervention incorporating shared decision-making, aromatherapy, and distraction—to evaluate the impact on stress reduction and patient satisfaction in a retail vitamin shop in North Texas.

Methods: The project utilized a pre-and post-intervention design over eight weeks. Participants completed pre-surveys assessing stress levels using a Visual Analog Scale before choosing an intervention (aromatherapy, distraction, or both) during IM …

Psychological Impacts In Exercise Riders And Professional Jockeys Following Injury, Kelley M. Renner

Theses and Dissertations--Kinesiology and Health Promotion

One of the most well-known equestrian sports, horse racing, is not only a cornerstone of Kentucky’s economy, but also a vital part of its culture, with professional jockeys playing an essential role in the local communities and traditions that define the state. Despite its popularity and financial impact, mental health challenges within the sport have continually been shrouded in silence and ignored in research (Ball et al., 2007). Equally concerning is the high injury prevalence, and psychological impact of these injuries (e.g., psychological distress, depression, anxiety, loss of identity, and self-esteem (King et al., 2022; Losty et al., 2019; McConn-Palfreyman …

Investigating The Role Of Dynamic Signaling Of Nrg3-Erbb4 In The Prefrontal Cortex In Mediating Nicotine Withdrawal Phenotypes, Emily Prantzalos

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

While several pharmacotherapies are currently available for nicotine use disorder (NUD), smoking cessation success rates remain below 10% each year. The molecular mechanisms underlying failed quit attempts continue to represent a critical gap in our knowledge. However, recent advances in understanding the genetic contributions to nicotine dependence offer a promising avenue for developing more effective cessation therapies. Prior research has identified genetic variation in Neuregulin 3 (Nrg3) and its cognate receptor ErbB4 as potential contributors to affective nicotine withdrawal (WD) phenotypes and cessation outcomes. Therefore, this dissertation aims to systematically investigate the region-specific, functional role of the Neuregulin Signaling Pathway …

Early Adversity, Impulsivity, And Health Behaviors, Amy Lynn Meadows

Theses and Dissertations--Clinical and Translational Science

Childhood trauma and early adversity are associated with a variety of negative health outcomes, some of which may be mediated by changes to impulsivity as described by the cumulative risk model. The purpose of this project is to provide insight into the effects of cumulative adverse childhood experience on impulsivity in various populations. Three studies examine the effects of early adversity on impulsivity in normal volunteers, parents caring for a child with medical needs, and in patients with diabetes or pre-diabetes with data collected through crowdsourcing. The strongest effects for early adversity on impulsivity were seen in the patients with …

Évolution Des Troubles Mentaux Liés Au Travail Au Québec Entre 2012 Et 2021, Jaunathan Bilodeau, Martin Lebeau, Marc-Antoine Busque, Alain Marchand

Études primaires

Introduction : Plusieurs pays ont connu une augmentation du nombre de troubles mentaux acceptés au cours des dernières années, mais les variations possibles de cette évolution dans la main-d’œuvre demeurent à explorer.

But de l’étude : Cette étude examine la distribution dans le temps des troubles mentaux acceptés selon la profession, le secteur industriel, le sexe et l’âge au Québec.

Résultats : Les taux d’incidence des troubles mentaux et leur évolution varient selon la profession et le secteur industriel. Alors que le taux est généralement plus élevé dans les professions mixtes et le secteur tertiaire, l’augmentation de ces taux s’observe …

Psychophysiological Tools & Techniques To Predict Perceptual Motor Task Outcomes, Bobby Gerald Rawls Iii

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The process of perceiving environmental information, analyzing it, formulating a plan of action, and carrying out said plan is vital to our day to day lives. This loop occurs for every motor task we perform, from actions as simple as elbow flexion to as complex as performing surgery. As such, it is imperative to understand what physiological, psychological, and neurocognitive factors most dictate success or failure in the motor performance loop.

Prior research has shown that measures from each of these facets have strong relationships with motor performance outcomes, though these findings tended to rely on artificially produced stress in …

Confronting Indecision, Lane Allison Murray

ENGS 15.11: Design and Education

This course aims to increase students' understanding of indecision and how to confront it. The class provides insight into how the fear of the unknown holds people back from making decisions and about understanding one's values as a means to combat indecision. Students and teachers alike explore instances of indecision and evaluate their own impulses & thought processes by reflecting on the deeper reasons for their choices. Students will increase their comfort level of asking themselves and their peers questions about the values that guide them and, in doing so, strengthen their relationships with themselves and others.

Mobile Health Intervention Tools Promoting Hiv Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Among Adolescent Girls And Young Women In Sub-Saharan Africa: Scoping Review, Alex Emilio Fischer, Homaira Hanif, Jacob B. Stocks, Aimee E. Rochelle, Karen Dominguez, Eliana Gabriela Armora Langoni, H. Luz Mcnaughton Reyes, Gustavo F. Doncel, Kathryn E. Muessig

Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology Faculty Publications

Background:

In 2022, 3100 adolescent girls and young women in sub-Saharan Africa experienced new HIV infections each week. HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is effective at preventing HIV but has limited uptake and persistence. Mobile health (mHealth) interventions can improve medication adherence; however, their utility to improve PrEP adherence among adolescent girls and young women is not well established.

Objective:

This scoping review synthesizes evidence supporting mHealth for PrEP among adolescent girls and young women in sub-Saharan Africa and identifies strategies for further evaluation.

Methods:

We searched PubMed and Google Scholar databases, expert referrals, and reference lists using the following eligibility …

Examining The Complex Interplay Of Stress, Social Support, And Drinking Motives On Alcohol Use Behaviors: A Moderated Mediation Model Among College Students, Sabrina Perrin

Dissertations and Theses

College student alcohol use remains a public health concern, yet the psychological and social mechanisms that contribute to high-risk drinking patterns are not fully understood. Guided by the motivational model of alcohol use and stress-buffering theory, this study tested a moderated mediation model to examine how perceived stress, coping motives for drinking, and perceived social support interact to influence alcohol use behaviors. A sample of over 1,100 diverse urban college students completed measures of stress, social support, drinking motives, and four alcohol-related outcomes: binge drinking, frequency of alcoholic drinks consumed, negative drinking consequences, and use of protective behavioral strategies (PBS) …

A Spectroscopy Study Of The Brain: Exploring Sex Differences In Healthy Older Adults, Angela Gushue

CMC Senior Theses

Cognitive decline and aging-related disorders, such as Alzheimer’s, disproportionately affect patients based on sex, but the mechanisms underlying these skewed effects are unknown. This proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (H-MRS) study seeks to understand if sex disparities in aging exist in neurometabolite concentrations of older adult brains. Sixty-seven participants, ranging from 60 to 85 years of age, underwent the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and H-MRS of the brain. Concentrations of myo-inositol, total creatine, total NAA, and total choline were calculated in the dorsal posterior cingulate cortex, left hippocampal cortex, left medial temporal gyrus, left primary sensorimotor cortex, and right dorsolateral prefrontal …

Integrated Multi-Omics Analyses Of Synaptosomes Revealed Synapse-Associated Novel Targets In Alzheimer’S Disease, Subodh Kumar, Enrique Ramos, Axel Hidalgo, Daniela Rodarte, Bhupender Sharma, Melissa M. Torres, Davin Devara, Shrikanth Gadad

School of Medicine Publications

Synapse dysfunction is an early event in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) caused by various factors, including amyloid beta, p-tau, inflammation, and aging. However, the precise molecular mechanism underlying synapse dysfunction in AD remains largely unknown. To understand this, we comprehensively analyzed the synaptosomes fraction in post-mortem brain samples from AD patients and cognitively normal individuals. We conducted high-throughput transcriptomic analyses to identify changes in microRNA (miRNA) and mRNA levels in synaptosomes extracted from the brains of unaffected individuals and those with AD. Additionally, we performed mass spectrometry analysis of synaptosomal proteins in the same sample group. These analyses revealed significant differences …

A Happy Medium?: Using Image Generators To Explore Solution-Focused Art Therapy’S Miracle Question, Daniel A. Hernried

Art Therapy | Master's Theses

This mixed methods, randomized, single-session study tested whether integrating text-to-image generations into Solution-Focused Brief Art Therapy alters therapeutic rapport and short-term outcomes relative to traditional artmaking materials. Participants were assigned by coin flip to create using either a text-to-image generator or convention media (23 per group), completing immediate and three-day follow-ups. Alliance was measured using DREAM (Dimensions of Regard, Empathy, and Authenticity Metric), and problems were rated pre/post; groups did not differ significantly on DREAM total or facets, and both modalities produced reliable pre-to-post reductions in problem severity. At the same time, process differences were pronounced: the AI condition showed …

An Investigation Of The Physiological And Behavioral Correlates Of Mental Imagery, Matthew Daniel Carroll

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Many conventional theories hold mental imagery to be fundamental to self-regulation. Recently, a current of research into mental imagery has developed, with the terms anaurelia and aphantasia being coined for the inability to experience, respectively, auditory and visual thought content, yet little is known about the impact that such individual differences have on persons’ lives. The present experiment was performed in order to test the hypotheses that self-regulation and mental imagery positively correlate and that mental imagery mediates the correlation of resting heart-rate variability and self-regulation. Self-regulation was measured via a self-report questionnaire (the Short Self-Regulation Questionnaire), as was mental …

Comparing Approaches To Estimating Person Parameters For The Mupp Model, David M. Lahuis, Caitlin E. Blackmore, Gage M. Ammons

Psychology Faculty Publications

This study compared maximum a posteriori (MAP), expected a posteriori (EAP), and Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) approaches to computing person scores from the Multi-Unidimensional Pairwise Preference Model. The MCMC approach used the No-U-Turn sampling (NUTS). Results suggested the EAP with fully crossed quadrature and the NUTS outperformed the others when there were fewer dimensions. In addition, the NUTS produced the most accurate estimates in larger dimension conditions. The number of items per dimension had the largest effect on person parameter recovery.

Reply [To Burnout Reflections: Musings On Bianchi And Schonfeld’S Five Focal Areas], Renzo Bianchi, Irvin Sam Schonfeld

Publications and Research

Contrary to what one might assume, the burnout construct did not emerge from systematic research. The definition of burnout was formulated in the 1970s based on prenotions and anecdotal evidence. No sound empirical studies, no in-depth theoretical reflections, not even a review of the stress literature underpinned the introduction of the construct. It is thus unsurprising that some observers regard the edifice of burnout research with scepticism. The pioneers of burnout research neglected basic scientific standards and, by overlooking the abundant work of contemporary stress researchers, deprived themselves of important safeguards against illusions of novelty making big claims based on …

Frequency And Perceived Influence Of Menopausal Symptoms On Training And Performance In Female Endurance Athletes, Heather M. Hamilton, Natalie M. Yarish, Kristin E. Heron

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Menopause is associated with several negative health concerns and common menopausal symptoms. Physical activity is essential to mitigate these negative effects, but menopausal symptoms may interfere with participation in physical activity. The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency and the perceived negative effect of menopausal symptoms among female endurance athletes. Female runners, cyclists, swimmers, and triathletes 40–60 years of age were recruited (N = 187). Participants completed an online, anonymous survey that included self-reported menopausal status; the Menopausal Rating Scale (MRS), a validated measure for assessing menopausal symptoms; and the perceived effect of menopausal symptoms on …

Predictors Of General Education Teachers' Self-Efficacy For Educating Autistic Students: Enactive Mastery Experiences, Vicarious Experiences, Verbal/Social Persuasions, And Physiological And Affective States, Renette Portecop-Prentice

Dissertations

Problem

Autism is a complex neurodevelopmental condition that presents challenges not only for autistic individuals, but also for their families, healthcare providers and school professionals. A significant number of children with autism spend most of their school day in general education classrooms with teachers who may lack autism-specific training and are unfamiliar with evidence-based practices for supporting autistic students. This lack of training or relevant resources specific to autism may impact teacher self-efficacy for educating autistic students, which in turn may affect instructional decisions and student outcomes. Guided by Bandura’s theoretical framework, this study examined the relationships among autism-specific training …

'I Did Not Know We Could Exercise This Small Premature Baby': Challenges Experienced By Parents While Implementing Early Intervention For Their Preterm Infants-A Qualitative Perspective, Manasa Kolibylu Raghupathy, Selim Jahangir, Sonia Khurana, Leslie Edward S. Lewis, Bhamini Krishna Rao

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Background

Preterm birth is a highly stressful experience for both parents and infants. Parental participation in care enhances developmental outcomes, fosters parent-infant interactions and builds parental confidence. However, low parental adherence has always been a challenge in the successful implementation of intervention programs both in the NICU and at home. It is imperative to understand parents' perspectives and view the challenges that they experience through their lens while providing early intervention to their infants born preterm. This study is aimed at identifying new parents' challenges when implementing early intervention programs for their infants during the transition from hospital to home. …

Residual Next-Day Effects Of Alprazolam On Psychomotor Performance And Simulated Driving In Healthy Normal Adults, Stevie C. Roszkowski, Shanna Babalonis, Marion A. Coe, Paul Nuzzo, Michelle R. Lofwall, Laura C. Fanucchi, Sharon L. Walsh

Center on Drug and Alcohol Research Faculty Publications

The prevalence of drugged driving has increased in the United States. Some drugged driving may be unintentional as prescription medications used as sleeping aids, like zolpidem, cause impairment after the predicted duration of therapeutic action has elapsed. The aim of this study was to determine if nighttime administration of alprazolam, a drug commonly prescribed off-label as a sleeping aid, impacts driving performance the following day. Participants were healthy adults (n = 15) who completed a double-blind, double-dummy, within-subjects inpatient study examining the effects of nighttime administration of alprazolam (0.5, 1, and 2 mg), zolpidem (10 mg), and placebo on driving …

A Longitudinal Study Of The Association Between The Teachable Moment Heuristic And Smoking Of Head And Neck Cancer Patients, Tia Borger, Matthew W. Southward, Jessica Maras, Abigayle Feather, Jessica L. Burris

Psychiatry Faculty Publications

Background: The Teachable Moment Heuristic (TMH) posits that change in its three components (ie, affective response, risk perception, and social role/self-concept) could increase motivation and confidence for health promotion, such as smoking cessation. For patients with cancer, smoking cessation can extend survival, while persistent smoking causes numerous problems (eg, cancer recurrence).

Purpose: This intensive longitudinal study with cancer patients aimed to evaluate the link between TMH constructs and smoking outcomes.

Methods: Participants included 42 newly diagnosed head/neck cancer patients who reported smoking in the past month. Participants completed a baseline questionnaire before a 30-day daily assessment. Single-item measures were used …