National University System Repository
Not a member yet
5119 research outputs found
Sort by
What does Feminist-Oriented Perinatal Mental Health Care look like?
No full textThe female-identified and nonbinary experience of mental health during the perinatal period has largely been ignored in research and care provision until recent years due to the patriarchal nature and history of the medical system in addition to many other intersecting factors. This literary review was designed to examine and explore the lived experience of perinatal individuals
accessing mental health care, as well as the gaps in our current care and research related to this reproductive period. To create a more holistic understanding of the lived experience of the perinatal period, the exploration was guided by the question: what does supportive, feminist centric reproductive mental health care could look like? The review follows an inductive approach, in which data is gathered from broad, but related themes to uncover a recommendation. The theoretical approach is feminist-oriented and situated within the North American context. Key areas investigated in the review include factors that influence the perinatal period (sociocultural, psychosocial, biopsychosocial), common experiences of the perinatal period, gaps in perinatal research and care, and potential frameworks and solutions. Considering the key themes and findings uncovered in the literary review, the paper concludes by offering a framework for mental health care professionals to consider using with perinatal clients to bring a more feminist-oriented approach to their work
Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy in the Treatment of Anxiety and Related Disorders
No full textExposure-based techniques are some of the most commonly used methods of treating anxiety disorders (Kaczkurkin & Foa, 2015). In addition to imaginal (i.e., occurring in the client's imagination) and in vivo (i.e., experiencing in real life) exposure techniques, virtual realities have also been used to treat anxiety and related disorders with significant positive results (Maples-Keller et al., 2017; Zhang et al., 2020). Virtual reality (VR) technology uses VR headsets connected to computer devices to create a real sensory experience. With VR, users experience a three-dimensional virtual environment similar to a real-world experience (Maples-Keller et al., 2017). VR can be used to assess an individual's interaction in a social situation; it can also be used to evaluate cognitive performance in certain conditions. Furthermore, it can be used to assess and reduce symptoms such as auditory hallucinations, addictions, and phobia (Bell et al., 2020). As more clinicians become more interested in incorporating VR in their practice, there is a need to understand what VR technology entails, the challenges of implementing this therapeutic approach, and the types of disorders that can be treated with VR. Hence, this review aims to synthesize the existing literature on this topic in order to provide additional insights for clinicians interested in this field of intervention
The Experiences of Students with Learning Disabilities in a College Success Course: What is Working and What is Not
No full textThe problem addressed in this study is how a College Success course might reverse the trend of lower graduation rates for students with learning disabilities (LDs) who attend a Colorado institution of higher education. Students with LDs graduate at lower rates than the general population, but it is unclear how a College Success course contributes to the reversal of this trend. This qualitative study was centered on determining how students with LDs who have completed a College Success course view their experiences in a course that is designed to help them transition through their studies. Three participants were selected through the judgment sample approach to provide maximum variation in the data; this method allowed for the exploration of students with LDs and their perspectives from a variety of College Success course designs. To help gather more participants for this study, I moved to snowball sampling, but it did not produce additional participants. The research question was addressed by implementing the narrative inquiry design. The participants' stories were recorded through Zoom and transcribed using Rev.com. Once transcripts were reviewed and approved by the participants, coding was done through Atlas.ti9, color-coded, and organized by theme to address each research question. The participants reported that though their College Success course did not meet all their needs as a student, it was useful in its content, and the course design worked with their LD. It was concluded that students with LDs found value in their College Success courses, but more could be done to support their learning. It is recommended that institutional leaders apply the information from this study to change faculty attitudes toward providing students with LD accommodations, design their College Success courses to include a broad range of outcomes, and work toward removing the stigma of students using accommodations. It is recommended that further research be done on the experiences of students with LDs in a College Success course at more institutions, on faculty perceptions about accommodations, and on why students with LDs might be hesitant to reveal their specific learning disability
Attachment Styles and Their Impact on Children's Mental Health and Resiliency During a Pandemic
Get PDFChildren with insecure attachment patterns will have more difficulties regulating their emotions due to their parents' inconsistent emotional availability, making them more susceptible to stress, anxiety, and other mental health challenges. Children's mental health can be impacted by stressful experiences like the Covid-19 pandemic, which can be affected by their parents' worry and anxiety. This capstone aims to review studies on whether forming a close connection between parents and their children could provide an opportunity for them to master emotional regulation while dealing with the stress generated by the Covid-19 pandemic and lower the risk of mental health problems. The research reviews will be used to create a workshop that can be useful to counselors and caregivers on effectively working with children who may be insecurely attached as a result of the pandemic, including children who are struggling with emotional regulation. The proposal described in chapter 3 outlines various approaches to assist parents in creating a secure bond with their children and, as a result, support them to learn co-regulation and self-regulation during stressful life events
School-Based Parent Network Programs: A Partnership in Reducing Childhood Anxiety
No full textToday's world is quickly becoming full of distractions, busyness, and barriers that often force people to feel like they need to cope with life in isolation and feel disconnected from their community. Now more than ever, it is time to support and engage all stakeholders in a child's life to support their mental health well-being. Anxiety has become an all too common issue among school-aged children over the last decade. According to the Mental Health Commission of Canada (2021), 70 percent of people who live with mental illness see their symptoms begin before the age of 18, and it affects 1.2 million of our children and youth. That means about 1 in every 5 children experience mental disorders, of which anxiety is the most prevalent (Health Canada, 2021). It is clear from the research reviewed, such as in the study done by Caspe et al. (2006), that utilizing forms of connection and creating caring relationships plays a pivotal role in providing an environment for children where they are more likely to thrive and less likely to suffer from anxiety. By delving into the theoretical and research-based importance of building connections, and authentic relationships built on genuine care, we will see a tremendous opportunity to create a partnership between the two most significant environments in a child's life and build a sense of community. This research will be used to propose a school-based program that is structured to support, network, and educate parents to feel empowered and become more confident in raising physically and mentally healthy children. The program's objective is to explore whether creating a caring and connected partnership between home and school can help reduce anxiety in school-aged children
How Trauma Impacts Decision-Making
No full textThis review looks at the impact of trauma on decision-making. Limited direct research illustrates a connection between trauma and decision-making however, the indirect research reviewed relating to depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) indicates a link between trauma and decision-making. Implications and recommendations for counselling identified in this review are: increased awareness of trauma and decision-making, the impact of mental disorders on decision-making, new implications for working with children, working with intergenerational trauma, and new reasons to work within certain theoretical frameworks