School Psychology Commons^™

Transforming Education: The Impact Of Dance/Movement Therapy In School Settings, Emily Viprino

Expressive Therapies Theses

Abstract

The author will examine the application and effectiveness of Dance/Movement Therapy (DMT) programs in school settings. DMT offers a unique, non-traditional approach to therapeutic counseling that may be more accessible for some students and could help reduce barriers and hesitation to participate in counseling for others. By integrating movement and other forms of art expression, DMT uses a multi-modal approach to therapy. It also provides opportunities for students to engage in physical movement during the school day. The literature explored in this thesis will include studies on expressive therapies in schools that aim to improve student learning and behavior …

Early Adolescent Intervention: A Therapy Group For Girls, Madelyn A. Ohm

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

As mental health concerns are on the rise, especially among adolescents, it is important to consider promoting early intervention. Paying attention to the nuances surrounding personal identity and interpersonal relationships during adolescence is crucial. Dialectical-Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills encompass just what is needed to address said nuances, including interpersonal effectiveness skills, emotion regulation skills, distress tolerance, and mindfulness. Thus, the proposed DBT group and therapeutic manual designated for adolescent girls summarizes and explores suggestions for early intervention of mental health services. This, alongside the careful attention to the population’s specific needs and noted modules, allows for the exploration of mental …

Not All Superheroes Wear Capes: Understanding The Lives Of Asian American Student Caregivers, Angela Ji

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

There exists an invisible army of children who sacrifice their childhoods and shoulder responsibilities expected of adults; these children are called young caregivers. Young caregivers provide significant assistance for their family on a regular basis. The existing literature shows that youth caregiving is associated with negative physical and mental health impacts that vary depending on the cultural background associated with families. It is also clear that the complexities and nuances of different ethnic groups influence the lived experiences of young caregivers. Unfortunately, there is limited information exploring racial and cultural implications of caregiving for children. This study sought to address …

Program Evaluation Of The Behavioral Interventions Monitoring Assessment System-2 For High School Students In Rural Nebraska, Laura Burnett, Lakin Braman

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects: College of Nursing

Behavioral and mental health issues among adolescents in rural areas often go unrecognized due to limited access to screening and intervention. This study evaluated the efficacy of the BIMAS- 2 tool in identifying at-risk high school students in a rural Nebraska high school. Methods: A retrospective cohort program evaluation was conducted over two years with 263 students in grades 9-12. The BIMAS-2 assessment was administered electronically each semester, followed by in-person mental health interviews. Descriptive statistics and Pearson chi-square tests assessed the tool’s sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value. Results: The BIMAS-2 demonstrated high sensitivity (100%) and specificity (96.15%), with a …

Academic Burnout In Human Anatomy & Physiology I Students, Shivani Shukla

Honors Theses

Human Anatomy and Physiology I is the study of the function and structure of the human body. It is a challenging class that many students have to take for their undergraduate degree. Due to the vast information that is given in this complex class, students can struggle with understanding the material and knowing how to study thus leading to burnout in the course. Understanding why students undergo burnout in their courses could uncover ways that professors and institutions could help the students to prevent burnout. The goal of this study was to determine the level of burnout in Human Anatomy …

Invisible Strings Of Mindset: How Growth Mindset Connects To Student Outcomes, Brittany A. Contreras

Education (PhD) Dissertations

Mental health concerns among youth are growing at an alarming rate, and the need to examine accessible, school-based tools is more urgent than ever. While a growth mindset has been linked to academic outcomes, its relationship to student mental health remains underexplored, particularly in large, diverse school populations. This study explores the role of a growth mindset in students’ well-being. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between students’ mindset of intelligence and their social-emotional well-being, with a focus on outcomes including covitality, social-emotional distress, depression, and suicidal ideation. Grounded in well-being theory, this quantitative study used …

Perceptions Of Power And Consent: The Role Gender, Race, And Sexual Orientation In Shaping Public Perceptions Of Student-Teacher Affairs, India Campbell

Poster Presentations

Sexual violence is a taboo topic. It is especially challenging to acknowledge child victims. Sexual violence in schools is particularly hard to acknowledge. No parent wants to consider the possibility of sending their child to a predator every day. This phenoma has been researched for decades from various angles. This project will contribute to the research that looks at the ways race, gender, and sexual orientation influence perception of victimhood.

Examining The Role Of Intersectionality With Risk And Protective Factors In Suicidal Ideation: Insights From The 2022- 2023 California Health Kids Survey, Sarah E. Madrid

Education (PhD) Dissertations

Critical suicidology aims to broaden traditional suicidology and theories by critically engaging with discourse, power dynamics, and social histories to draw attention on how social systems and structures affect an individual’s experience with suicidal behavior. This study was grounded by critical suicidology and investigated suicidal ideation in secondary school-age students by using an intersecting lens. The 2022 – 2023 California Healthy Kids Survey, and accompanying Mental Health Supports Module and Trauma Module, were used to identify both risk and protective factors for suicidal ideation. A series of binary logistic regression models were conducted to predict the likelihood of an individual …

Exploring Secondary Teachers’ Mental Health Self-Efficacy, Perceptions Of Supporting Student Mental Health And Well-Being, Sherilyn A. Kile

Education (PhD) Dissertations

Research has indicated that over half of all lifetime cases of mental health conditions begin before the age of 14 years (NAMI, 2024a), making the adolescent period a critical and formative time. The unprecedented effect of the COVID-19 pandemic has been linked to more mental health problems in children and adolescent youth (Sayed et al., 2024), particularly affecting southern California school districts that implemented distance or hybrid learning models (K. Brann et al., 2022). Secondary teachers are essential referral sources and gatekeepers for linking adolescent children to mental health support (Owens et al., 2014). Given the essential role teachers play …

A Systematic Review Of Effective School-Based Interventions Against Bullying In The United States, Jessica Lopez Lopez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Bullying remains a persistent issue within the United States (U.S.) educational system, affecting–among other things–students’ well-being, academic performance, and mental health. This mixed-methods systematic review was purported to address gaps in previous literature by identifying effective school-based interventions against bullying implemented between 2017 and 2024 in the U.S. Using a purposive sampling method, this review screened three electronic databases: APA PsycNET, ERIC, and JSTOR to garner relevant studies. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were employed to ensure rigorous selection and analysis of relevant articles. There were four studies in this systematic review (n=4). The …

Familismo And Family Achievement Guilt In Latine College Students: Relationships With Psychopathology And Wellbeing, Abril Rangel-Pacheco

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

The purpose of this dissertation was to examine the relations between familismo, family achievement guilt, subjective wellbeing, and anxious and depressive symptoms in a sample of Latine young adults enrolled in college in the United States. Familismo has previously been linked to educational success and psychological and behavioral health. On the other hand, family achievement guilt has been linked to low self-esteem and internalizing symptoms. However, it is unclear how these factors interact to impact the psychopathology (i.e., anxious and depression symptoms) and psychological wellbeing (i.e. subjective wellbeing) of Latine young adults in college. Data were collected from 83 Latine …

The Examination Of Teacher Mentorship Design For Mentees, Cagla Cobek

Dissertations

Teacher stress has been documented as a problem for today’s educators. Improving teachers’ well-being through mentorship programs is promising in the literature. Therefore, this study examined a daily check-in mentorship program for teachers experiencing moderate stress. The researchers examined the changes in mentees’ daily stress levels, perceived stress, sense of self-efficacy, and use of proactive classroom management strategies. Mentees and mentors were also asked to complete ratings of the social validity of the mentorship program. Three mentees and mentor dyads working in an elementary and middle school in a Southeastern school district in the USA participated. A nonconcurrent Multiple Baseline …

Assessing Use Of Suicide Prevention And Awareness Training In Rhode Island Public Secondary Schools, Marisa A. Waycuilis

Senior Honors Projects

Suicide has become the second leading cause of death in adolescents in the United States (CDC, 2023). To prevent suicide among school-aged children, the state of Rhode Island enacted the Nathan Bruno and Jason Flatt Act (2021-H5353, 2021-S003) in July of 2021. The legislation requires teachers, students (Grade 6 through 12), and hired school personnel to be annually trained in suicide awareness and prevention. In addition, each public school district must adopt a policy addressing produces relating to suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention. This project aimed to evaluate the level of compliance with the Nathan Bruno and Jason Flatt Act …

Measuring The Effects Of Adverse Childhood Experiences (Aces) On Adolescents’ Self-Esteem And Self-Appraisal: How Can School-Based Interventions Help?, Kayla M. Moses

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

This paper explores the lasting impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) on adolescents’ self-esteem and self-appraisal, with a focus on the role of school-based interventions in mitigating these effects. Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) encompass various forms of trauma such as physical, emotional, or sexual abuse, neglect, and familial dysfunction during childhood. Due to adolescence being a critical period of identity formation and emotional development, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) can significantly undermine adolescents' self-esteem, leading to lasting negative effects. These effects include various emotional, social, and psychological challenges, ultimately changing one’s life trajectory. Based on numerous theoretical foundations, it is supported …

Assessing Healthcare Students’ Self-Efficacy In Disaster Response: A Cross-Sectional Analysis, Aydın Şenol, Abdülkerim Adıyaman, Canan Birimoglu Okuyan

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: Assessing healthcare students’ self-efficacy in disaster response is crucial for preparing them to effectively manage real-world disaster situations. This study aimed to assess the self-efficacy status of healthcare students in disaster response.

Methods: The data for this cross-sectional analysis were gathered from 498 healthcare students between November 18, 2023, and February 14, 2024, using an individual diagnostic form and the disaster-response self-efficacy (DRSE) scale. This scale is used to assess an individual’s self-efficacy in responding effectively to disasters, including on-site rescue competency, disaster psychological nursing competency, disaster role quality, and adaptation competency.

Results: The mean age …

Breaking The Pipeline: Exploring Exclusionary Discipline, Restorative Justice, And The Attitudes And Beliefs Of Educators, Ericka J. Varnedoe

Honors College Theses

This study explores the connection between exclusionary disciplinary practices and the school-to-prison pipeline. It highlights how exclusionary discipline, including suspensions and expulsions, disproportionately affects marginalized groups such as students of color, students with disabilities, and LGBTQ youth, further contributing to the school-to-prison pipeline. In contrast, restorative justice, a non-punitive approach, offers a promising alternative. Initially adopted from the criminal justice system, restorative justice has been integrated into school environments to foster positive school climates, improve experiences, and mitigate challenging behaviors. This research examines educators' attitudes toward both exclusionary and restorative practices, as well as their awareness and implementation of restorative …

Through The Looking Glass : Diversity Through The Eyes Of A Dress Form, Amara Copeland

LSU Master's Theses

This article aims to look into educational institutions and how they address diversity using curatorial displays. Does fashion and costume curation add to the seclusion of luxury? Looking into this correlation, this study aims to answer these next couple of questions. How does museum curation add to fashion social norms? Is it a subconscious or conscious decision when deciding on a mannequin or dress form? How do museum and fashion curations add to the exclusion of minorities in the world of luxury? What is costume luxury, and who do we say can obtain it?

This research aims to understand the …

The Relationship Between Stress, Burnout, Attendance, And Methods Of Self-Care Among Teachers, Jennifer M. Sturm

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Teachers exposed to prolonged stress have been documented at higher risk for poor physical and mental health, including high blood pressure, anxiety, and depression. To ameliorate the effects of prolonged stress, teachers have employed a variety of coping strategies, and some sought medical care. To date, little research exists regarding absenteeism and medication usage among teachers. This study sought to determine the relationship between stress, burnout, and medication usage in relation to absenteeism. This study also sought to determine the role of thriving in the above relationships. An internet-based survey was distributed to U.S. teachers via social media and email. …

Bridging The Gap: Evaluating The Impact Of A First-Generation Mentoring Program On Sense Of Belonging And Self-Efficacy, R. Olivia Mace

Senior Theses

Many higher education four year institutions define a first-generation student as any individual whose parents did not complete a bachelor’s degree. Prior research on this population has shown that various factors, such as socioeconomic status, academic support, and sense of belonging contribute to their decreased graduation rates compared to continuing-generation students. Student feedback from an independent study with this population at a four-year institution indicated a need for a specific mentoring program for first-generation students. Additional prior research suggests this intervention, while few evaluate the effects of a pilot mentoring program for first-generation students. This thesis aims to do exactly …

The Contribution Of Task Difficulty And Adult Reliability On Children's Academic Task Persistence, Ella M. Wheelbarger

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Task persistence plays a crucial role in children's academic success and achievement of long-term goals. Contextual variables may influence child persistence such as reward source reliability, task difficulty, or task arrangement. We evaluated the effects of reward source reliability on children's academic task persistence with task difficulty. The perception of the reliability of the reward source was manipulated by making a commitment to provide a reward after completion of the task, but upon completion, delivery was delayed to the next day. The study was designed to examine the extent to which experiencing prior disappointments would decrease persistence times on subsequent …