Physical Therapy and Depression: A Pilot Study on Screening for Depressive Symptoms

The current paper presents a pilot study of mental health screening in a physical therapy clinic. It aimed to determine the feasibility of integrating simple, scientifically-sound methods of capturing symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress, sleep patterns, and physical pain. A total of 10 patients recruited from University of Mississippi Physical Therapy Clinic participated in the study. Participants were given the DASS-21 with additional questions on pain ratings, hours ofsleep, and reason for physical therapy. The measure was administered twice with a three-week interval of time in between. Data were analyzed by conducting individual ttests for change in the variables of interest over the course oftherapy. Significant changes were only noted in the category of stress, although limitations in interpreting this finding were notable due to a lack of reliability in the measure ofstress and diminished power due to small sample size. Graphical analyses of patterns of symptoms change, however, indicated positive change in almost all constructs measured over time. The study demonstrated that it may be possible to implement depression screening in a physical therapy clinic. Conclusions, limitations, future directions, and the implications ofthis project on my career path are discussed

Reducing Out-of-School Suspension in Title I Middle Schools: An Applied Study

Out-of-school suspension is a growing concern in the United States education system and affects students at the three Title I schools in the Central School System at a particularly high frequency. The purpose of this applied study was to solve the problem of high-frequency out-of-school suspension for three Title I middle schools in the Central School system and to formulate a solution to address the problem. A multi-method design was used, consisting of both qualitative and quantitative approaches. The first approach was structured interviews with two administrators from each school. The second approach was the analysis of archival data using the discipline data from the school system. The third approach was a teacher survey using a Likert scale to determine teacher perspectives on out-of-school suspension. These tools were used to develop a focused program that will allow the schools to meet student needs while also maintaining safety, order, and a positive school climate. The results of the data showed that administrators and teachers were aware of the negative implications of out-of-school suspension but were experiencing tension between the need to maintain discipline within the school and teacher support while also desiring to reduce out-of-school suspension. The data showed that administrators identified significant differences in most of the student body and students who have frequent behavioral concerns and multiple suspensions. An alternative to suspension program was developed and proposed as a solution to reduce out-of-school suspension

Some Effects of a Constant Temperature and Different Relative Humidities Upon Egg Laying of Melanoplus Bivittatus Scudder.

Of the various species of grasshoppers occurring in rather extensive numbers year after year in the northwestern plains states, Melanoplus bivittatus is one of the most prevalent and destructive. It was thought that a study of the influence of different temperatures and relative humidities upon the reproductive potential of this species might reveal some information and that this information might be of some value in an attempt to forecast the abundance of this grasshopper in years following others in which the factors of temperature and relative humidity were known