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What are the Barriers? An Examination of College Students\u27 Perspectives on Mental Health Care Utilization
Get PDFThis study delves into the perceptions and experiences of college students regarding the utilization of mental health services at a university in the central Appalachian region of the United States. Focusing on understanding barriers to help-seeking, perceived stressors, and preferences for mental health resources, the research aims to inform strategies for enhancing mental health support on campus. A total of 91 undergraduate students completed an electronic survey at Eastern Kentucky University, providing insights into their attitudes towards seeking professional help, perceived stressors, and factors influencing help-seeking behavior. Contrary to expectations, demographic factors showed no significant correlation with willingness to seek help. However, stigma emerged as a prominent stressor and barrier to help-seeking among participants. Surprisingly, no discernible relationship was found between social connectedness and willingness to seek help. These findings underscore the need for targeted interventions to address stigma and enhance access to mental health resources tailored to the specific needs of students at Eastern Kentucky University. By addressing these barriers, campus initiatives can effectively promote mental well-being and facilitate help-seeking behavior among college students
Justice in the Icelandic Commonwealth
Get PDFThe Icelandic Commonwealth was an example of an effective justice system that was unique in its decentralization and ability to operate without an executive governmental body. Evidence of this can be observed through several primary sources including the Icelandic sagas, historical chronicles, and legal codes. The Commonwealth era began at the end of the age of settlement and establishment of the Icelandic Althing, a national assembly that included the legislative and judicial processes by which Commonwealth operated. The Commonwealth’s judicial system was very meticulous and detailed but remained ever-changing over the era, indicating the importance of its operation to further society’s goals. The Commonwealth was also unique in its use of controlled violence, greater social mobility, and elevated equality and tolerance. These characteristics are representative of the commitment of the Commonwealth’s contributors to the furtherance of justice as a single group while retaining their individualist and decentralized values
Faculty Networking Across Disciplines: Exploring a Transdisciplinary Networking Approach
No full textIncreasing career demands and expanding role expectations in a hyperconnected world batter higher education professionals, much like a tsunami of crashing waves toss a dingy at sea. To overcome the onslaught, professors are all but mandated to proactively build personal brands that deliver value propositions tightly aligning skills, expertise, and values of respective professionals, sub-units, and the institutions within which they operate, blurring and broadening branding boundaries. Long task lists, scarce time, and frazzled professionals, beckon for mechanisms that scale effort and activity to deliver results and efficiency. This article proposes a framework supporting adoption of transdisciplinary networking as one such effective scaling method. By hosting such events, colleges scaffold a variety of salutary effects that align with faculty development across teaching, research, and service areas
Death and Drugs: Exploring Grief and Addiction Among College Students
No full textGrief and addiction are typically associated with death and drugs. However, there are many types of non-death losses and behavioral addictions that are overlooked in both research and daily living. These factors affect everyone, often at many points in their lifetime. College students are at particular risk for grief and addiction, as many changes are occuring in their environment during these years. This research aims to explore how grief and addiction impact college students. The main hypothesis is that grief and addiction are positively correlated. To study this, a survey was distributed to a randomized sample of 1,500 Eastern Kentucky University students. From the responses, over half of students reported significant non-death losses and behavioral addictions, which displays the influence of these events. Furthermore, there was a moderate correlation between the highest addiction scores and the grief severity. In all, this research supports the idea that grief and addiction can amplify each other. More awareness should be brought to these topics to support those who are struggling. No one should feel alone in their battles.https://encompass.eku.edu/swps_undergraduategallery/1353/thumbnail.jp
Assessing the of Needs and Campus Involvement of LGBTQ Students at EKU
No full textColleges and universities are seeing an increase in LGBTQ students enrolling in undergraduate and graduate programs. This has nudged many institutions to examine the resources for educational and socioemotional support that are offered for students including some unique needs of LGBTQ young adults. The leading questions in this investigation were twofold: 1) What resources and programs do LGBTQ EKU students need? 2) How well are EKU\u27s current programs and resources fulfilling students\u27 needs?
Participants were recruited through campus email and provided a link to a short questionnaire about the research study. Inclusion criteria for participation were identifying as LGBTQ, enrolled at EKU, and willingness to participate in a confidential focus group. Participants had the option of virtual or in-person sessions. The virtual sessions were recorded with audio and visuals, while physical focus groups only had audio recordings. The qualitative data were analyzed using grounding theory which follows a coding process that begins with open coding, followed by axial coding. The final step in the grounding theory process is selective coding.
Initial findings from the data provide insights into a variety of supports LGBTQ students identified as being important to them. These supports included educational training/courses, access to safe spaces, and better representation of diverse gender identities. Though EKU has some resources and programs in place for LGBTQ students, these focus groups highlight areas where EKU could work to improve and expand access to LGBTQ-supportive programs and resources.https://encompass.eku.edu/swps_graduategallery/1156/thumbnail.jp
The Potential of Learner-Generated Podcasts for Reading in Occupational Therapy Education
Get PDFResearch suggests that reading compliance among higher education students is low, warranting enhancement of educational practices to support reading, especially for students enrolled in health professional programs. Researchers used a cross-sectional study design to explore the effects of a learner-generated podcast assignment as a reading supplement in occupational therapy education using two different survey instruments assessing student perceptions and learning styles. Forty-three Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) students participated in this study. Descriptive statistics indicated positive attitudes towards creating and preparing the podcasts but remained mostly neutral towards listening and watching podcasts. Tukey’s HSD test for multiple comparisons detected tactile learners on average completed less readings (40%) compared to visual and auditory learners (60%-70%), with a significant difference (0.05) between visual and auditory learners. Learner-generated podcasts present an opportunity to enhance student learning, but further research is needed to determine the best educational practices
The PET Principle: An Innovative Teaching Strategy to Provide Real-Time Critical Thinking Skills and Improve Self-Efficacy
Get PDFThe person, environment, and therapist (PET) Principle is an innovative teaching strategy designed to improve recall of foundational information, facilitate critical thinking, and improve self-efficacy of student and novice therapists. Specifically, the PET Principle is a microlearning strategy that helps students and novice therapists break down segments of a treatment session using an acronym to promote a just-in-time” thinking process. Therefore, they learn to consider all aspects of the person, environment, and therapist before, during, and after therapy sessions. To evaluate the effectiveness of the PET Principle and self-efficacy after learning the PET Principle, an 11-item survey containing nine forced-choice and two free-response questions was disseminated to students and recent graduates of the program. The research team used simultaneous coding of qualitative responses to identify common themes. Of the 49 completed surveys, the majority of respondents felt the PET Principle strategy was quite effective (43%) or extremely effective (26%) in helping them navigate treatment sessions, and felt somewhat confident (47%) or quite confident (36%) regarding their ability to access their knowledge and manage complicated treatment sessions. The majority also reported using the PET Principle every session or day (78%). Most free-response statements indicated respondents used the PET Principle to ensure safety awareness (49%) or effectiveness and efficiency of treatment (41%); 13% reported using the PET Principle for critical thinking and accessing knowledge. Educators should consider using the PET Principle as a teaching strategy to improve information recall and self-efficacy of students and facilitate critical thinking while navigating simulated and real-life situations
Prenatal and Postnatal Experience Focusing on Women’s Mental and Physical Health
No full textWomen’s mental and physical health concerns prenatally and postnatally is a common concern within the United States. According to the National Library of Medicine (NIH), postpartum depression commonly occurs six weeks after childbirth, affecting 6.5 percent to 20 percent of women (2022). Pregnancy related physical concerns are also a common concern with prenatal/postnatal mothers with difficulties such as back pain, pelvic floor dysfunction, hip/knee pain, cesarean section (c-section) issues, and several other concerns. Physical concerns have been shown to affect mothers ability to walk, work, sleep, and participate within everyday routine potentially leading to depression (O’Connor, et.al, 2013). It is important for health care providers to evaluate and educate themselves on warning signs regarding women’s mental and physical health prenatally and postnatally, therefore; mothers can get the appropriate care. Incorporating Occupational Therapy and other necessary services can give mothers the necessary treatment that they need. Occupational Therapy could add value to this population with support of self efficacy in breast feeding, education on prenatal and postpartum depression, adaptive strategies for activities of daily living (ADLs), adaptive strategies for instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), performance factors, and role transitions (Sidar et. al,2024).https://encompass.eku.edu/otd-capstone-posters/1057/thumbnail.jp
Workplace Analysis and Body Mechanics Education Program for Radiologic Technologists in Acute Care
No full textMy capstone project focused on Workplace Analysis and Body Mechanics Education for Radiologic Technologists in Acute Care. I collaborated with the radiology department at the University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital to determine current body mechanic practice and education to identify any needs for improvement to address reported injuries within the radiology department. I began my project by completing observations of current x-ray procedures and determining where there was a need for adjustments. This information allowed me to efficiently develop an educational training module and multiple reference guides for safe patient handling and proper body mechanics that can be used to improve the body mechanics of current radiology technologists. My mentor and I sent the training module to HR learning at the hospital for it to be professionally developed into U K’s version of web-based training exercises, which will be used as an educational boarding requirement for current and future employees to review yearly in hopes of reducing workplace injuries. My applied leadership experience allowed me to advocate for the benefit of occupational therapy outside of typical clinical practice by spreading knowledge to individuals who don’t necessarily qualify for OT services, but who can benefit from the skills we possess.https://encompass.eku.edu/otd-capstone-posters/1059/thumbnail.jp
The Evolution of School Leadership in Times of Crisis
No full textThis case study seeks to address how COVID-19 has affected principals. We approach this study through the lens of Open Systems Theory (Katz & Kahn, 1978), as we attempt to understand how school leaders understand and act during a global pandemic. This research answers the following question: How has the role of a school principal changed since the onset of COVID-19? The data reveal two emerging themes: 1) principals taking on unique caretaker roles and 2) principals increasing their focus on a managerial approach to leadership. The findings support the evolution (and devolution) of leadership approaches that school principals go through during times of disruption and crisis