12230 research outputs found
Sort by
Evaluating Depression in Adults Undergoing Substance Abuse Treatment: A Program Evaluation of Intensive Outpatient Program
Full text linkProblem: Depression and substance use disorders (SUDs) frequently co-occur, complicating recovery outcomes. Despite screening recommendations, depression remains underdiagnosed in many SUD treatment settings.
Methods: This mixed-methods program evaluation examined depressive symptoms among adults in an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-8). Depression screenings were conducted at intake, four weeks, and eight weeks. Eight participants meeting inclusion criteria were assessed. Data included demographics, treatment engagement, and PHQ-8 scores.
Results: PHQ-8 scores significantly declined from baseline (M = 11.75, SD = 6.52) to eight weeks (M = 5.13, SD = 5.05), t(7) = 2.76, p = .028, indicating improved depressive symptoms. All participants completed the program with high therapy attendance (M = 86.25%) and medication adherence (100%)
Warriors and Guardians: Police Recruit Role Orientation and Heterogeneity
Full text linkAmerican police have experienced an expansion of duties over the last century, and their function has become increasingly diverse. As a result, researchers have developed role orientation typologies to understand how officers view themselves, their attitudes toward their work, and their responsibilities. One such typology is the warrior/guardian framework, where warrior-oriented officers see themselves as crime-fighting soldiers in conflict with criminals, while guardian-oriented officers view themselves as protectors of the community and providers of broader public services. Despite its popularity, there is limited empirical evidence supporting this framework. Further, little research examines how police recruits differentially view their role as most studies focus on fully-fledged officers. Recruits undergo a transformative process of socialization as they learn the norms and values of the police, but differences between individuals in their beliefs on the police role and how beliefs affect their academy experience are not well developed. Drawing on interviews with 26 police recruits from two academies in a Midwestern metropolitan area, this dissertation explores recruit beliefs on policing using the warrior/guardian framework.
First, I classify recruits as warrior- or guardian-oriented drawing on the limited literature and then extend this line of research by identifying novel dimensions that may help categorize recruits within the framework. Second, I examine how recruits’ orientations align with or contradict academy portrayals of policing and explore the implications of this disconnect. Lastly, I analyze how some guardian-oriented recruits perceive academy and policing practices as contributing to staffing challenges.
The findings suggest that recruits can broadly be classified as warrior- or guardian-oriented, although hybridization exists, with recruits sometimes holding views associated with the opposite orientation. I find that recruits’ perspectives on several unexplored topics—such as community support, “alpha” personalities, motivation to help others, and police misconduct—align fairly consistently with the warrior/guardian framework. Additionally, guardian-oriented recruits exhibited signs of cognitive dissonance due to discrepancies between their views and academy portrayals of policing, while warrior-oriented recruits generally aligned with academy presentations of the profession. Finally, findings suggest that certain recruitment and academy practices may “weed out” some guardian-oriented recruits, potentially contributing to police staffing concerns
Moonstorm in the Mainstream or on the Margins?: Constellating St. Louis Lesbian Rhetorics from the Archives
Full text linkCombining rhetorical analysis, oral history collection, and archival study, this multi-genre research project explores lesbian feminist organizing in the 1970s. Moonstorm was a St. Louis lesbian feminist magazine that operated in the 1970s and 1980s. The sample in this research project focuses on the issues of Moonstorm published between 1973 and 1977. Issues of Moonstorm are available for viewing in the archives of the State Historical Society of Missouri. Building on V. Jo Hsu’s theory of constellating, the poems and stories found in Moonstorm serve as sites of both contested and unconditional belonging for modern LGBTQ+ activists. Constellating, specifically in the context of cultural rhetorics, maps the similarities and differences of rhetoric stored in the archives, allowing for a multiplicity of experiences to exist in unison. Collectivity, separatism, and feminist intersectionality are the primary topics of analysis in Moonstorm. Personal narrative and poems from the researcher constellate with the experiences found in Moonstorm and the oral histories collected for this project. The project also underscores the ways in which publics and counterpublics operate in the rhetorical sphere within the context of social justice movements
Transforming Heritage Narratives: Harnessing the Power of Four Truth Inquiry to Reclaim Women’s History and Reinvent Climate Communication at Interpretive Sites
Full text linkAbstract
Heritage sites, particularly national parks, serve as powerful spaces for storytelling that shape public understanding of American history, cultures, ecological processes, and diverse landscapes. However, their narratives often omit critical aspects of women’s history and climate change, perpetuating historical erasure and selective storytelling. This qualitative research study applies the Four-Truth Framework developed by the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission to examine how heritage interpretation can improve the recognition of women’s contributions and strengthen climate communication at heritage sites. To explore approaches to women’s history interpretation, the study employed semi-structured, focus group interviews with educators, historians, and interpreters across the United States, conducted both online and in person. Additionally, the researcher conducted onsite observations and semi-structured interviews with park staff, stakeholders, and visitors at Joshua Tree National Park and Glacier Bay National Park in July 2023. The fieldwork documented place-based climate change communication efforts and assessed interviewees\u27 perspectives on climate change interpretation, or its absence, at both parks. Both studies employed reflexive thematic analysis to analyze data, surfacing findings that highlight an underrepresentation of women\u27s history at heritage sites, particularly with respect to marginalized communities, and reveal polarization surrounding climate discourse. Despite these challenges, the study identifies actionable strategies to foster more inclusive storytelling, including engaging descendant communities to ensure authentic representation, integrating experiential and immersive place-based interpretation, and prioritizing curiosity-driven dialogue and personal connections. National parks and heritage sites must prioritize dynamic and experiential storytelling to counteract historical erasure and environmental polarization. Ultimately, this study provides a roadmap to transform heritage narratives, demonstrating how immersive, place-based experiences can facilitate desired interpretive outcomes. It further shows that intersectional storytelling that’s co-developed with descendant communities can empower visitors to engage critically with the past and recognize their role in shaping the future
Building a Grounded Theory of Resilience Among Survivors of Chronic Ischemic Stroke
Full text linkAbstract
Stroke is disruptive with elusive recovery and adjustment. Beyond traditional aspects of stroke rehabilitation, literature suggests adjustment to stroke should also include intervention with focus on resilience. A gap exists between conceptualization, theoretical models, and strategies for supporting resilience in persons with chronic ischemic stroke. This three-manuscript dissertation research comprised a scoping literature review, a pilot study, and a phenomenological case study. We employed a convergent mixed methods design in which we implemented and studied outcomes of an adaptive mindfulness intervention. We implemented eight focus groups with eight adults and four individual interviews over 13 months. The Brief Resilience Scale and Stroke Specific Quality of Life were used to measure resilience and quality of life pre- and postintervention. We used advanced theory construction techniques (Hage, 1972; Walker & Avant, 2019), grounded theory methods of coding, Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, and descriptive statistics to develop a grounded theory of resilience in chronic stroke. The model of psychological resilience in chronic stroke was developed from the antecedents, attributes, and consequences of resilience. Core categories associated with the bounded case were Antecedents to Poststroke Resilience, The Obstacle Is the Way, and Embodied Mindfulness. Overall, results showed resilience scores increased from a mean of 3.22 ± 1.01 to 3.45 ± 1.09, whereas quality of life scores rose from a mean of 169.50 ± 29.93 to 182.88 ± 39.35. The energy subscale with quality of life demonstrated a statistically significant increase (p = .034). The selective code, Sand Mandala (the essence of resilience, growth, and thriving after stroke) symbolizes a participant’s insight to drop the notion of returning to pre stroke state and developing acceptance by mindfulness, impermanence, holism, healing transformation, and community. Stroke care often neglects psychosocial factors, despite their significant impact. Stepping back from “door to needle” to “door to lifelong recovery” broadens the view on the continuous impact of stroke. Future research should explore theoretical frameworks, health inequities, and resilience in stroke longitudinally. Nurses, the most ubiquitously dispersed and capable group of healthcare providers in the United States, are prepared to support a life worth living after stroke
The Psychological Impact of Parenting Child Victims of Trauma
Full text linkAbstract
Research indicates that non-offending caregivers of traumatized children (NOC) is a population with an elevated risk for increased levels of depression and anxiety and are an underserved population for mental health services. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to determine if screening caregivers of traumatized children using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-8) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) improves identification of depression and anxiety. Participants of this investigation were individuals enrolled in the Children’s Advocacy Services of Greater St. Louis’ 12-week parenting group, TASK (Trauma, Assessment, Skills, and Knowledge). Each participant was asked to complete the PHQ-8 and the GAD-7, upon enrollment into the group and then again at completion. Results demonstrated that participants of the TASK group have a high rate of positive screening for depression and anxiety, which warranted a referral for additional mental health services. This project had seven participants with six of the seven scoring five or more on the depression screening (M=7.0, SD=5.48) and on the anxiety screening (M=4.86, SD=5.43). The group consisted primarily (72%) of female participants. Given the high rate of positive screenings in this sample group and the lack of empirical studies, further investigations as to how better to serve this at-risk population are warranted
Race-Neutral PFT: Implementing Patient Activation Measure Following Race- Neutral Pulmonary Function Testing
Full text linkAbstract
Background
The introduction of a race-neutral equation to predict normal values on pulmonary function testing (PFT) has led to changes in the diagnosis of pulmonary diseases previously diagnosed using a race specific equation. Minority patients appear to be most likely impacted by this change, potentially impacting how they self-manage their pulmonary health. Patient self-management can be measured and assessed by using the Patient Activation Measure (PAM) tool.
Purpose
The purpose of this project is to assess patient activation levels amongst minority patients with a new or changed pulmonary diagnosis to identify a possible need for interventions to improve patient activation.
Methods
A prospective study was conducted at an adult pulmonary medicine clinic. An initial PAM survey was conducted for adult patients who identified as a minority in the electronic health record with a previous pulmonary function test who are scheduled for a race-neutral PFT. A second PAM survey was conducted for those patients who received a new or modified diagnosis after the race-neutral PFT. Demographic data including race, age, and biological sex was collected from the electronic health record. The pre- and post-PAM survey data was analyzed using a paired t-test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test.
Results
There were 630 patients scheduled for a PFT during the study period. Out of the 630 patients, 21 patients met initial criteria to receive the PAM survey, and eight patients received both the initial and secondary (pre and post) PAM survey. The sample included six patients who identified as black/African American, one who identified as Hispanic, and one who identified as Asian. The mean pre-PAM score was found to be 1.38 and the post PAM score was 2, showing a slight average improvement. Both the two-sided paired t-test and Wilcoxon signed rank test were not statistically significant.
Conclusion
Although limited by the small sample size, the study identified a low baseline PAM level of the participants which is consistent with existing literature. Identifying a low PAM level is clinically significant because it highlights a critical area for possible interventions to improve patient outcomes and self-management. Future studies are needed to improve statistical insights and generalizability of the findings.
Keywords: race-neutral pulmonary function testing, Patient Activation Measure (PAM), health equity, chronic lung diseas
Pixel-Perfect Segmentation of Solar Filaments
No full textThe observation and classification of solar filaments has a drastic impact on the ability to predict solar-magnetic weather phenomena that threatens to put both satellite infrastructure and astronauts at risk. Using the Hɑ filter provided by the Global Oscillations Network Group (GONG), a network of six telescopes around the world dedicated to 24/7 surveillance of the sun, we are able to get images that clearly and prominently display filament activity. With the vast amount of images the GONG takes, it is not possible to manually analyze every image. Using the U-Net model for computer vision, we were able to train an artificial intelligence (AI) model that can confidently segment out solar filaments of varying orientations, sizes, and clusters. In addition to the success of broad segmentation, we are able to get fine detail in the segmentation masks, which is crucial for classifying the chirality of filaments for more precise storm prediction
Evolution of a New Strategic Orientation in the AI Era: Exploring the Determinants of AI Orientation
No full textThe field of AI has undergone significant evolution over the past few decades. While AI is heralded as one of the most transformative technologies, scholars caution that its strategic impact may still not be fully realized. Given the strategic importance of AI in today\u27s firms, it is essential to consider AI as a strategic orientation and understand its determinants in detail. Our study examines AI Orientation, defined as a firm\u27s deliberate application of AI technologies to achieve its strategic objectives. Drawing on multiple theoretical perspectives, this study investigates the determinants that shape a firm’s AI orientation. This study employs a qualitative research approach based on 20 semi-structured interviews with senior AI leaders across various industries. This study makes three interrelated contributions. First, it presents a revised theoretical model of AI Orientation by integrating RBV, UET, ABC, TOC, and LOC, refining six determinants (leadership influence, AI capability, enterprise alignment, AI scalability, AI governance and organizational learning orientation) and documenting sub-themes to illustrate how organizations can apply AI towards its strategic goals. Second, it demonstrates a hybrid methodological approach by combining traditional manual coding in Quirkos with AI-assisted analysis through QualiGPT, illustrating how human–AI collaboration can enhance triangulation and analytical depth. Finally, the study provides a practical framework for leaders seeking to strengthen AI Orientation, especially in organizations where AI adoption remains fragmented or disconnected from strategic priorities