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Analysis of the Utilization of Resources Related to Depression and Anxiety in University Students and Interventions to Improve Mental Health Services at Washburn University
Get PDFBackground: Depression and anxiety are the most prevalent mental disorders affecting college students in
the USA (CDC, 2018). Purpose: The purpose of this Quality Improvement project is to improve student
mental health by improving access to mental health services at Washburn University.
Design: Quality Improvement Project.
Methodology: A critical appraisal of the literature and a focus group of WU mental
health service providers were conducted. Focus group results showed WU has excellent resources that
students underutilize because of three main reasons:
• Many students, faculty, and staff are not aware of the resources offered through the University.
• Budget limitations hamper efforts to promote the services and create awareness.
• Students are unwilling to discuss openly and seek help when needed because of stigma.
Based upon the results of this data and the highest-level evidence found in the literature, interventions
were offered to address the problem.
Interventions: Mindfulness training was offered as a pilot to students in one section of the WU101 class. NAMI was reestablished on the WU campus. The men's basketball team at WU was given training on becoming mental health ambassadors. An in-service was offered to the School of Nursing undergraduate faculty on WU resources for mental health. Results: A post-implementation survey of WU mental health services showed that the project was moderately effective but highlighted that increased utilization of services may create challenges in service capacity.School of Nursin
Depression and Anxiety in Health Professions Students: Early Detection and Response Strategies
Get PDFThis literature review demonstrates the prevalence of mental health disorders, such as anxiety and depression, among college students, including health professions students. Because of the rigor and clinical education elements associated with health professions programs, students in these programs may experience novel stressors. It has been established that colleges and educators must improve awareness about mental health, reduce barriers to help-seeking, and clarify available mental health resources. The literature also offers ideas that allied health programs may adopt to integrate preventative instructional interventions to prepare students to manage challenges to their mental health. Systematic instructional design is needed to embed preventative interventions within already packed health professions curricula effectively. By addressing the mental health needs of students while in college, these individuals may be more prepared to manage their mental health after graduation.Department of Allied Healt
Mediating the Effects of Friendship on Male Rape Victim Blame
Get PDFAlthough male rape victims’ underreporting may be partly due to fear of victim blaming and
other negative social outcomes, friendship may provide a buffer. We examined friendship’s
effect on male rape victim blame, and whether just world beliefs, invulnerability feelings, and attributional style mediated this effect. Participants were randomly assigned to imagine they were best friends (n = 64), an acquaintance (n = 74), or a stranger (n = 65) with a male rape victim in a vignette. They completed self-report measures that quantified the three potentially mediating variables. Correlational, ANCOVA, and mediation analyses indicated no effects of condition, but valuable predictive utility of the mediators. Victim blame was generally low across all three conditions. Implications for providing the most effective social support of male rape victims are offered
Urban-Rural Differences in Attitudes Toward Mental Health, Stigma and Willingness to Seek Treatment for Suicide
Get PDFThe increasing incidence of suicide in recent years is a major public health concern in the United States (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2018). The rate of suicide in rural areas continues to exceed that found in metropolitan areas (Hirsch & Cukrowicz, 2014; Singh & Siahpush, 2002). Specifically, a recent survey shows the rate of suicides in rural counties was 1.8 times the rate of urban counties (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). It is important to gain a deeper understanding of factors that influence the increased rate of suicide in rural areas in order to develop and implement effective interventions. The current study’s purpose is to compare urban and rural individuals’ stigma and attitudes towards seeking professional mental health services and its effects on their willingness to seek help for suicide. Specifically, researchers want to see if self-stigma, public stigma, and attitudes toward seeking professional help are mediating variables for individual’s willingness to seek help for suicide
"Repent of the Sins of Homophobia" : The Rise of Queer Mennonite Leaders
Get PDFAcross North America, Mennonites are widely regarded to be among the most conservative of Christian groups. But in recent decades, Mennonite understandings of LGBTQ+ identity have transformed faith communities, as the engagement of social media-conscious activists such as Pink Menno have contributed to evolving practices regarding sexual minorities in Mennonite churches. Recent ordinations and the growing visibility of queer ministers, chaplains, and theologians have led to recent schism in Mennonite Church USA, with traditionalists departing the denomination in record numbers. The decentralized nature of Mennonitism has contributed to more inclusive policies in the past two decades, although decentralization also allows exclusionary practices to persist in some churches and institutions. This article draws from oral history interviews with thirty Mennonite theologically trained LGBTQ+ leaders from across the United States and Canada. These narratives demonstrate how—in some sectors of the Mennonite community—queer and non-queer people are accelerating changes in historically
homophobic spaces
Familismo Components and Depression in Latino Adults: The Role of Gender and Immigrant Generation Status
Get PDFFamilismo is a Latino cultural value that emphasizes strong familial bonds, as evidenced by
feelings of loyalty, reciprocity, and solidarity towards one’s nuclear and extended family, which has three main dimensions: attitudinal, behavioral, and structural familismo (Sabogal et al., 1987).The literature is unclear of the extent to which familismo can be a protective or a risk factor for mental health issues for Latino men and women (Calzada & Sales, 2019; Peña et al., 2011; Stein, et al., 2015). Using the Self-Discrepancy Theory (SDT; Higgins, 1987), the current study expands on Nicasio et al.’s (2019) Attitudinal and Behavioral Familismo Scale (ABFQ), which examines discrepancies between familismo components. Their study assessed how familismo discrepancies related to symptoms of depression. In contrast to Nicasio et al. (2019), our study explored differences between all three familismo components (attitudinal, behavioral, and structural) by creating the Structural Familismo Scale (SFS) and investigated how depressive symptoms were associated with gender and generation status. Findings from this study created the SFS in both English and Spanish through an exploratory factor analysis. There was no significant correlation between familismo difference scores and depressive symptoms. The study revealed no significant differences between first and later generation status and revealed no significant differences among genders with regard to familismo. Findings revealed men reported higher depressive symptoms compared to women.Department of Psycholog
Intention vs. Intervention: Analyzing the Effectiveness of a University Bystander Intervention Program
Get PDFSexual assault rates on college campuses have remained relatively unchanged in the last several decades. The creation of sexual assault prevention and bystander intervention programs was warranted in an attempt to reduce sexual assault prevalence and foster a safer campus environment for all. Most bystander intervention programs are evaluated for efficacy through the
use of self-report measures (Katz & Moore, 2013). The present study utilized not only self-report measures, but also evaluated student behaviors in a novel online format. A total of three vignettes were created depicting sexual harassment scenarios of various severity (i.e., low, high, and neutral). Participants completed self-report measures before the implementation of the
BODstander program and after the behavioral evaluation post-training. Participants were randomly assigned to receive a sexual harassment vignette told to be from “another participant” in the study. Student behaviors were evaluated using two independent coders using definitions of reactive bystander strategies taught in the BODstander program. Some results were inconsistent
with the current literature and hypotheses, where student self-efficacy and intention to engage in proactive bystander opportunities decreased at post-test while remaining intention to intervene scores were unchanged at post-test; however, self-reported bystander behaviors appeared to increase at post-test. In addition, participants who engaged in BODstander programming intervened more often when presented both high and low severity harassment scenarios. Results
can be used to further evaluate the effectiveness of the BODstander program in its current form, argue effectiveness in eliciting increased intervention behaviors post-training, and inform potential improvement to the program itself.Department of Psycholog
Social Determinants of Health: Developing & Implementing a Practical Toolkit for the Primary Care Setting
Get PDFThe Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) are preventable differences experienced by socially disadvantaged populations across the world. These differences, specifically Education, Healthcare Access and Quality, Economic Stability, Social and Community Context, and Neighborhood and Built Environment, can prevent individuals from achieving their optimal health (Healthy People 2030, n.d.). Healthcare providers at two primary care clinics in Topeka, KS did not routinely inquire about a patient’s SDoH-related needs. Additionally, a review of literature found that there is no “gold standard” for screening for SDoH.
This quality-improvement project was created to assess healthcare provider perceptions and attitudes regarding screening for SDoH, as well as to design and implement a novel screening tool for SDoH in the primary care setting. Additionally, a toolkit was constructed to give providers recommendations on appropriate follow-up and connect patients with resources at the point-of-care. Patients were screened for SDoH-related needs in the clinics from March - August 2021. Patient concerns regarding medication affordability, safety in their neighborhood, and lack of social support systems were prominent themes, which correlated with the literature. Providers reported improved confidence with implementing the screening tool and increased awareness of strategies to meet individual patient care needs from the provided toolkit.School of Nursin
Improving Colorectal Cancer Screening Rates in Rural Northeastern Kansans: Impact of Low-Cost, Multicomponent Interventions
Get PDFRural residents in Kansas are less likely to participate in established screening modalities, therefore they are more
likely to experience poorer outcomes from colorectal cancer (CRC). Despite effective screening modalities, CRC is
the second leading cause of cancer deaths affecting both men and women in the United States. This quality
improvement project aimed to increase CRC screening rates utilizing low-cost, multicomponent interventions.
The studied population was 50- to 75-year-old patients who received primary care at two predominantly rural
health systems set at various locations throughout northeast Kansas. The Health Belief Model guided the choice
of evidence-based interventions utilized within the project framework of the Iowa Model. Interventions consist of
two components: a) an educational brochure and informative posters and b) clinic process changes. Randomized
medical record audits assisted in the identification of barriers in established clinic processes and documentation
errors. Low-cost multicomponent interventions were shown to offer an inexpensive and effective way to improve
colorectal cancer screening rates in rural areas. Project objectives were partially met as there was an increase in
colorectal cancer screening rates at multiple clinics. However, the project timeline did not allow for the increases
projected to meet the project teams goal. Further research of a longitudinal nature is recommended to build
upon the findings of this project. Limitations of the project included rural geographical location and solitary use of
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention multimedia. Implications for further research include the use of a
standardized screening protocol for clinic staff and staff education on appropriate colorectal cancer screening
documentation at each clinic.School of Nursin
A Case Study of a Woman with Obsessions Related to COVID-19
Get PDFAn Empirically Supported Treatment Case StudyThe following is a de-identified case study that presents the assessment, diagnosis, and
treatment of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) during the COVID-19 pandemic utilizing Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) provided via telehealth. To protect the client’s anonymity, names and other identifying details have been changed. When she presented for treatment, this 32 year-old Asian female, was struggling to manage OCD contamination and harm fears related to COVID-19. She was assessed with a general history interview, the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI 7.0), the Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), and a battery of self-report assessments. Jodie’s primary diagnosis was OCD with a secondary diagnosis of Persistent Depressive Disorder. Over the course of seven months, this client attended 24 ERP treatment sessions. Psychoeducation, self-monitoring, in-vivo and imaginal exposures, response prevention, and behavioral activation strategies were utilized throughout the course of treatment. Following treatment, this client was successfully managing symptoms and her scores on the Y-BOCS had decreased significantly.Department of Psycholog