Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Women Mental health;Case studies'

Literature has widely documented the link between stress and serious physical and mental health consequences (e.g., depression, heart disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, cancer). Women in middle-adulthood face a number of commingling stressors that may exacerbate their existing stress levels and place them as a higher risk of developing stress-related health issues. For example, in middle-adulthood women experience biological/hormonal changes (i.e., menopause, increased cortisol response to stressors), neural changes (i.e., cognitive declines), changes in skin function and appearance (i.e., wrinkles, sagging), as well as assuming multiple challenging roles (i.e., caregiver, employee, spouse). Due to the gravity of the effects of stress, there has been an increased need for a deeper understanding of stressors that women in middle–adulthood face and an increased need to target those specific stressors in an attempt to ameliorate their negative effects. In this context, the research reported here focused on developing a curriculum to conduct a one-day workshop for women in middle-adulthood in order to provide a deeper understanding of the various types of stress (e.g., hormonal/biological, age-related appearance changes, discrimination, gender role strain, multiple roles, cultural expectations, finances, etc.) experienced by women in middle-adulthood and providing culturally congruent stress reduction interventions. The development of the curriculum used to conduct a workshop is targeting women between the ages of 45 and 65 who are experiencing significant levels of stress and who wish to expand their knowledge of stressors and repertoire of stress reduction/management strategies. The curriculum was reviewed by two doctoral level mental health professionals who rated the content, strengths, and weaknesses of the curriculum. Their feedback was incorporated into a compilation of suggestions and future directions for the curriculum.

The purpose of the study is to conduct research and bring awareness to war related events experienced by female refugees. Refugees from war torn countries arrive to the United States with various forms of trauma—some war related and others not. Trauma experienced by refugees can significantly impact their mental health and overall quality of life. Reliable and valid screenings/interventions, that use quantitative and qualitative methods, have proven to be beneficial. Currently there is limited information regarding the range of war related trauma and health outcomes experienced by female refugees of Middle Eastern (Kurdish) and Asian (Vietnamese) descent. This study examines the difference in migration, employment, education, health insurance, mental health, and personal problems experienced by 60 Vietnamese and 44 Iraqi women. An exploratory, qualitative and quantitative, research design was employed to detect war related, traumatic events. The ultimate aim of the study was to focus on the cross-cultural impact of war related trauma and its mental health and overall effects on female refugees.

This phenomenological study describes the therapeutic potential of change for women who come together in collective creative process to perform their stories. The author examines women, aged 30-72, and their experiences of collective performance, spanning 29 years, in response to their life circumstances, emotional health, personal relationships, professional life, and community connections. Roles inside and outside of the group are explored, as are their group and individual processes. Research on women, collectives, applied theatre, and therapeutic theatre is presented. Perspective is gained through the lenses of feminist theory, social constructivism, and psychodramatic role theory. Comparisons are made between applied theatre and drama therapy, and the mutual exclusion of group versus individual, socio-political versus therapy, is questioned. Implications for the use of socio-political community drama in a therapeutic theatre format in drama therapy are formulated.

Researchers and clinicians have been applying narrative techniques to psychology for decades. James Pennebaker, a noted psychologist who studies narrative therapy and techniques, helped to create the Linguistic Inquire and Word Count program (LIWC), which analyzes and delineates word usage in a given body of text. This is based on his research and interactions with narrative techniques. Through the use of LIWC, researchers have determined that individuals who present with adaptive personality traits, such as insight and a desire to seek personal growth, display a certain writing style and word usage. Socially inclusive words (such as the pronouns “we” and “us,” along with words related to social interactions), insight-related words, and emotion/affect words were linked to higher rates of health. Utilizing the LIWC tool with populations not previously studied can expand the literature on narrative analysis to include new and specific syndromes. The current study used the LIWC program to analyze works of poetry written by women with and without known mental health conditions, in order to identify markers related to depression and suicidality. Poetry by Sylvia Plath, Dorothy Parker, and Elizabeth Bishop served as the literature analyzed by the LIWC system. Each author was addressed based on depressive symptomatology; their respective word usages were noted, analyzed, and compared, looking for significant differences among the three authors. Results suggest that poetic writing focused on insight, pro-social behaviors, and opportunities for change are correlated with positive mental health. Results further suggest that the act of writing and understanding poetry may correlate to mental health intervention when certain linguistic markers are noted.

This study investigated the effects of racial microaggressions on symptoms of anxiety and depression in Black and African American women. The study employed an online survey and snowball recruitment method that involved individuals from high income and highly educated populations. The participants responded to questions related to demographic information; symptoms of anxiety (GAD-7; Spitzer, Kroenke, Williams, & Löwe, 2006b); depression (PHQ-8; Kroenke et al., 2009); and racial microaggressions (IMABI; Mercer, Zeigler-Hill, Wallace, & Hayes, 2011) in order to assess current mental health functioning and level of distress in response to racial discrimination. Results indicated that those who reported higher levels of racial microaggression distress also reported higher symptoms of anxiety and depression. The findings related to racial microaggressions and symptoms of anxiety and depression indicated positive correlations. However, when age and level of education were investigated for a moderation effect, neither was found to be significant. Therefore, neither age nor level of education acted as a buffer for racial microaggression distress and symptoms of anxiety and depression. Results supported the need for assessing and addressing racial discrimination within the therapy session, awareness of racial microaggressions and their clinical implications on mental health, and normalization of these experiences for Black and African American women.

This dissertation seeks to understand how five women currently enrolled in doctoral level psychology programs emotionally and relationally experience the process of recovery from an eating disorder. Contemporary interdisciplinary discourses are inconsistent in their discussion of recovery, with differing accounts of what constitutes recovery and the typical course of recovery. Using a voice-centered and relational approach, I interviewed five female doctoral-level students in the fields of clinical and counseling psychology about their experience of recovering from eating disorders. Interview data was analyzed using the Listening Guide Method (Brown & Gilligan, 1992; Gilligan, 2015) in order to emphasize the emotional and relational qualities of informant voices. My interest in this subject is, in part, inspired by my personal eating disorder history and doctoral training experiences. Although my personal experiences no doubt shaped what I asked and how I listened to the women in this study, I found that these courageous and honest women independently corroborated three interrelated themes. One, these women’s stories each directly addressed a controversial issue in the literature: What is the nature of eating disorder recovery? Is it an end-state or an ongoing process? Two, connection and disconnection from the self and others, which in many respects is perpetuated by societal pressures and expectations placed on women, plays a critical role in the development of eating disorders. And three, the informants highlighted the potentially critical role of self-disclosure in addressing the sensed disconnections from self and others, within both clinical-therapeutic and professional-academic relationships.

The purpose of this study was to describe the lived experience of nurses who care for hospitalized women outside of an addiction treatment setting who have a problem with drugs and / or alcohol. The relational experiences of ten registered nurses who had cared for women with drug and alcohol problems were elicited. Heideggerian hermeneutic phenomenology was the method used to interpret the nurse participants’ meaning of their experience. The theoretical framework that was used to explore the nurses’ experience of caring for women who abuse or are dependent on alcohol was Boykin and Schoenhofer’s Nursing as Caring (1993). The relational themes that emerged were: Caring in the dark; Intentionally knowing the woman with AOD as a unique person; and Experiencing sisterhood.

The purpose of this project was to create a program, locate a potential funding source, and fill out a grant application to acquire funding for a physical activity program for clients at Mariposa Women and Family Center who are currently being treated for diagnoses of depression and anxiety. A literature review was conducted to increase the knowledge of the intersection between physical activity and mental well-being, as well as the specific types of physical interventions that are the most effective. During a comprehensive search on the Internet, the California Wellness Foundation was discovered to be the best funding source for the proposed program. A grant application was filled out in order to potentially gain funding to support a physical activity program at Mariposa Women and Family Center in Orange County, California. The actual submission and/or funding was not required for the successful completion of this project.

This quantitative research study examined the frequency of street harassment and women's responses to it in terms of emotional reactions and coping mechanisms. A self-administered survey was administered to 51 female graduate students. Frequencies and percents were reported, along with ethnic and age differences in the experience of street harassment.

Verbal/stalking harassment was found to occur frequently. In addition, many participants reported negative feelings (e.g., annoyance and anger). Women also reported restricting their mobility and changing their appearance in order to avoid harassment.

These findings highlight the utility of intervening to reduce street harassment to increase women’s safety and comfort in public. As women experience oppression due to their gender, their mental health has significant implications for our communities. In short, women’s lives matter.

This study focused on the perspectives of ten licensed mental health practitioners regarding the resilience of African American women survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) who permanently leave male perpetrators. A generic qualitative methodology guided the exploration using individual face-to-face interviews. Data collection included individual semi-structured interviews using open-ended questions, which harmonized with the postmodern worldview and constructivist-interpretive paradigm that undergirded the study. After multiple cycles of data analysis cycles, five major themes emerged. The emergent themes were hope, family influence, self-concept, empowerment, and turning points. Maslow's hierarchy and Bronfenbrenner's bio-ecological theory provided the theoretical framework for the analysis of the themes. The study presented a discussion of the implications of the themes for understanding the resilience traits of African American women IPV survivors. Such implications are relevant to researchers, policy-makers, counselors, counselor educators, health care workers, and other human services professionals who affect the treatment of this cohort.

The prevalence of sexual harassment among college women has been reported to range from 33% to 97% (Klein, Apple, & Khan, 2011; Yoon, Funk, & Kropf, 2010) across the lifespan. In any one year of college, the prevalence of sexual harassment reported by women ranges from 33% to 57% (Crown & Roberts, 2007; Huerta, Cortina, Pang, Torges, & Magley, 2006). The severity and frequency of sexual harassment has been found to be related to reports of psychological distress (Nielsen & Einarsen, 2012), feelings of shame (Yoon et al., 2010), anxiety and depression symptoms (Murdoch, Pryor, Polusny, & Gackstetter, 2007), and social isolation (Pershing, 2003). These consequences of sexual harassment are concerning given the association between depression, isolation, and suicidality (Boardman, Grimbaldeston, Handley, Jones, & Willmott, 1999; DeWall, Gilman, Sharif, Carboni, & Rice, 2012). While there are numerous studies documenting the negative consequences experienced by women who are sexually harassed, little is known about the relationship of sexual harassment to the more severe negative outcomes of suicidal ideation and self-harm behaviors and what variables might facilitate this hypothesized relationship. Thus, the purpose of this study is to explore whether the experience of sexual harassment is related to increased suicidality and if this hypothesized relationship is mediated or moderated by other factors such as an individual’s response style and/or degree of connection to or isolation from others.

Postpartum depression (PPD) is linked to diminished maternal, pediatric, and family health outcomes and is designated as the most common childbirth complication. PPD is an international public health concern and found in most populations. Studies suggest that American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) women suffer higher PPD prevalence (14% to 29%) than other United States' women, revealing a racial/ethnic disparity. Health disparities research is a national public health priority and substantiates the need to explore PPD in AI/AN women. Clinicians define PPD as an episode of major depressive disorder with a "peripartum onset" specifier that occurs within the first year after delivery.

This dissertation work explored and synthesized PPD research about AI/AN women, where there remains considerable mystery surrounding the causes and consequences of PPD. Even with federal regulations in place requiring the inclusion of minorities and women and other underrepresented groups in research, AI/AN women have been mostly excluded, as evidenced by few studies and small sample compositions that include AI/AN women in PPD research.

Using a comparative analysis approach, validation studies of the EPDS and the PHQ-9 were examined. While possessing excellent concurrent validity, the low predictive accuracy of both tools in non-Western samples suggests cultural bias. No PPD screening instrument has been validated in samples of AI/AN women. Cross-cultural adaptation advances the science of comparative effectiveness research, and is therefore a logical next step. Using a phenomenological methodology with a community-based participatory approach, AI/AN women's "lived" PPD experiences were described. AI/AN women who experienced PPD now or in the past were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide. De-identified demographic data were collected. Thematic analysis guided by Moustakas' (1994) procedure followed and seven major themes emerged.

This dissertation has advanced nursing science by providing an understanding of PPD in AI/AN women. Future research for AI/AN women with PPD should focus on: 1) their access to and use of PPD services; 2) the cross-cultural adaptation for PPD screening; 3) the possible relationship between PPD and intimate partner violence; 4) their preferences for PPD treatment; and 5) the possible relationship between PPD and acculturation.

One in four Americans aged 65 years or older is clinically depressed. A growing body of research suggests subclinical depression influences mood, affect, cortisol dysregulation, and autonomic imbalance. Depression is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Posited to underlie these changes are shifts in sympathovagal balance toward excessive sympathetic arousal and/or decreased vagal inhibitory influences on the heart rate.

Nine studies suggest a 10-minute fast and variable thinking (FVT) exercise improves mood in nonsymptomatic student populations. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study investigated pre-to-post FVT effects on mood, perception of thought speed, depression severity, and changes in physiology, that is, heart rate variability (HRV), temperature, and electrodermal response (EDR) in 30 subclinical depressed females aged 50 to 69 as compared to paired controls.

A paired samples t-test was run to assess mean FVT changes in mood, depression severity, and physiology using the PANAS-X, Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale, HRV, temperature, and EDR, respectively. A linear regression and ANOVA measured within and between group changes in positive mood and perception of thought speed.

The results showed that fast and variable thinking decreased negative mood (p = .04) and depression severity (p = .02) while maintaining positive mood levels. Perception of thought speed had a very weak mediating effect. Physiologically, %HF (p = .04) and Temperature (p = .002) decreased below baseline post-intervention. Respiration Rate (RSP) did not recover post-intervention. %HF, Temperature, and RSP suggest a possible hypo-parasympathetic response. Relative pre-to-post mean increases in SDNN, RMSSD, pNN50, and HRV Amplitude values in conjunction with EDR recovery suggest resilience and a positive health status. Disparate findings post-intervention may be age and health related. Additional research is needed to determine if the initial sympathetic arousal eventuates in improved health long term.

This study suggests it is possible to feel less depressed and less negative without feeling subjectively positive. There is sufficient evidence to suggest that fast and variable thinking may be an effective tool for improving mood in subclinical depressed women.

This qualitative study explored African-American women Generation Xers' (ages 35-50) experience with religion and its connection to mental well-being. The purpose of this study was to develop a thorough understanding of the experience of African-American women with religion, and how religion may contribute to mental well-being. Using a phenomenological research design approach, the researcher examined the stories, occurrences, and help-seeking behaviors of African-American women in their day-to-day lives. The sample consisted of 20 women who identified as African-American and were interested in the topics of mental well-being and religion. The analysis of comprehensive semi-structured interviews allowed the researcher to generate new insight into the connection between religion and mental well-being. New information will inform social work practice in the development of interventions designed to increase mental well-being of African-American women. The study’s theoretical framework emerged from both womanist theology and empowerment theory with the goal of improving the lives of African-American women. The experience of religion and the women’s view of this phenomenon had a bearing on the mental well-being of the women in this study.

Chapter One contains a brief introduction into the topics of religion, African-American women and mental health, the purpose for the study, the rationale for using qualitative research methods, particularly phenomenology, the theoretical framework, a statement of the problem, and the research questions. Chapter Two includes a broad review of the literature. In Chapter Three, the researcher delineates the research methods used in the study, including participant recruitment, data collection, data analysis, approaches taken to increase the validity and reliability of the study, possible ethical issues, and the role and background of the researcher. Chapter Four contains the analysis of each interview, with an emphasis on the emerging patterns and themes. Chapter Five comprises a discussion of the results of the analysis. Chapter Six includes the discussion and implications for public policy, social work practice, future research, strengths, and limitations of the study. Lastly, the appendix includes copies of the internal review board approval from Howard University, consent forms, the well-being scale, the demographic questionnaire, and the flyer with the announcement of the study.

Chronic diseases, specifically autoimmune disorders, take an enormous physical, psychological, and financial toll on patients, families, and the healthcare system. Mainstream biomedicine offers limited solutions outside of pharmacological interventions. Mind-Body Medicine (MBM) lifestyle intervention strategies offer low-cost, low-risk options to reducing stress and managing health. A review of relevant biomedical literature regarding effects of cumulative stress on psychological and physiological health was completed. To my knowledge, this is the first study to analyze the effects of relaxation strategies on immune function, mood, and heart rate variability in adult women diagnosed with thyroid diseases.

This quasi-experimental study measured the effects of diaphragmatic breathing (DB) and guided imagery (GI) in a small convenience sample of 15 participants (DB, n = 7; GI, n = 8). Pre- and post-intervention data were collected on (a) heart rate variability, (b) mood using the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), and (c) immune response with salivary interleukin-1beta (IL-1β). Saliva samples were tested utilizing enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method.

Within-subject data from Wilcoxon signed rank tests showed both interventions significantly decreased negative mood (DB, p = .02; GI, p = .01). In contrast, only the DB group showed significant changes in HRV (SDNN, p = .02; RMSSD, p = .04; pNN50, p = .05; LF(n.u.), p = .04). Interestingly, the IL-1β results for both interventions showed an unexpected increase, with the GI group showing statistical significance (p = .05). Between-group analysis using the Mann-Whitney U test showed statistically significant change scores along with moderate effect sizes for HRV (SDNN, p = .04, r = –.54; LF(n.u.), p = .04, r = –.54; HF(n.u.), p = .04, r = –.54).

This study provides important clinical implications for the field of Psychoneuroimmunology and lends support for integrative care by using lifestyle interventions to positively impact and optimize health, specifically for those diagnosed with thyroid diseases. Future research assessing the effects of relaxation interventions would elucidate the impact of these self-regulation techniques within this medical population. Specifically, studies with larger sample size and including salivary IL-1β would enhance the literature regarding this cytokine’s role in inflammation and the healing process.

The peripartum period is a potentially difficult time in a woman's life, a time when up to 70% of women experience transient mood symptoms and approximately 15% will suffer from a severe mood event which impacts not just her, but her family as well. The symptoms and clinical features of the mood symptoms are linked to Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Bipolar Disorder (BD). Appropriate diagnosis as early as possible has a critical impact on the immediate and long-term health of the peripartum woman, especially in those with a bipolar diathesis. While treatment for BD versus MDD may be markedly different, it can be difficult to distinguish between the two, especially during a depressed episode, with postpartum onset. To date, no study has evaluated the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) for its value as a screening measure for the differentiation of BD versus MDD in the postpartum period.

This study sought to: 1) to describe the demographic differences between women diagnosed with BD versus MDD seeking treatment for a major depressive episode, with postpartum onset; 2) to characterize the features of the major depressive episode; with postpartum onset in women diagnosed with BD versus MDD; and 3) to examine scale characteristics of the EPDS as a predictor of the diagnosis of BD versus MDD.

Results revealed that postpartum depressed women diagnosed with BD reported a) an earlier age of onset, b) a greater number of prior mood episodes, c) greater incidence of psychotic symptoms in the current depressive episode, and d) lower overall scores on the EPDS versus postpartum depressed women diagnosed with MDD. There were no reliable differences between the groups on family history of a) mood disorders; b) number of generations; c) weeks postpartum at symptom onset; d) scores on a 4-item subscale of the EPDS; e) suicidal/homicidal ideation; nor the incidence of symptoms of f) atypical depression, g) generalized anxiety disorder, or h) obsessive-compulsive disorder. The findings support the use of a thorough clinical and demographic history when evaluating postpartum depressed women and the use of a measure in place of or in addition to the EPDS to ensure the appropriate differentiation of BD versus MDD.

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) – characterized by deficits in social interaction and communication, and restricted and repetitive behaviors, interests, and activities –increasingly are being diagnosed in individuals of all ages. However, as children on the autism spectrum enter adolescence, self-report research on ASD and sexuality is currently limited to 14 empirical, peer-reviewed articles, misconceptions are prevalent, and professionals remain underequipped to support their sexuality needs. The goal of the current study was to expand the current knowledge base by exploring multiple aspects of sexuality (including relationship and family status, gender identity, sexual history, sexual orientation, sexual desire, sex education exposure, sexual behavior, sexual satisfaction, sexual victimization, and sexual awareness) and well-being (including symptoms of ASD, sensory sensitivity, depression, anxiety, and social anxiety) in a sample of 18-30 year old women with and without ASD. To capture a wide range of experiences, female-bodied individuals with more fluid gender identities (e.g., agender, genderqueer) and transfeminine women were invited to participate too. Overall, 248 individuals with ASD and 179 individuals without ASD (N = 427) self-reported on their experiences by completing a 20-minute online survey. Results showed a wide range of sexuality-related identities and experiences among women with ASD. Of note, a surprisingly high percentage of participants with ASD reported having a genderfluid identity, a sexual minority identity, and at least one lifetime incidence of sexual victimization. When compared to a non-ASD sample, participants on the autism spectrum reported higher levels of gender fluidity, sexual minority identity, and sexual victimization, and lower levels of romantic partnerships, sexual desire, sexual behavior, sex education exposure, and sexual awareness, including consciousness and monitoring; participants in both groups reported comparable levels of sexual satisfaction. Relations across sexuality-related variables, and between sexuality-related and non-sexuality-related variables, within the ASD and comparison groups also were assessed and many significant correlations were observed. The discussion focuses on how these findings expand the current knowledge base, and how they might inform the work of researchers and clinicians, and support the romantic partners, family members, and friends involved in the lives of young people with ASD.

Purpose: This study aimed to assess the impact that various maternal influences have on disordered eating behaviors and attitudes in a sample of young women.

Methods: Self-report data were collected from 172 young women, from a mid-sized, public, Midwestern university (mean age = 19.61; 64% Caucasian). The maternal influences examined were weight-related maternal criticism, weight-related maternal modeling, and weight-related maternal teasing.

Results: Fourteen percent of participants reported experiencing a high level of distress regarding dieting, body weight, and disordered eating behaviors and attitudes. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that when examined together, body mass index (BMI), maternal criticism, maternal modeling, and maternal teasing significantly accounted for 26% of the variance in disordered eating behaviors and attitudes. After controlling for BMI, maternal criticism, maternal modeling, and maternal teasing accounted for 23% of the variance in disordered eating behaviors and attitudes. In that model, only maternal criticism and maternal modeling were significant predictors.

Conclusion: This study has implications for the prevention and treatment of eating disorders. The results suggest that health care providers should focus on educating parents about the potential damaging effects of weight-related criticism, teasing, and modeling.