The Impact of Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing on Self-Reported Test Anxiety in College Students

Test Anxiety (TA) has become a major concern for college students. Experiencing mental concern about test-taking perpetuated by physiological hyperarousal directly affects students’ ability to be successful in college. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a multi-faceted therapeutic approach that aims to process dysfunctional negative cognitions which originate with negative past experiences to an adaptive state. Developed by Francine Shapiro in 1989, the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model undergirds the 30-second, therapist-initiated, bi-lateral eye-movements. These movements identify and reprocess emotionally disturbing experiences, linked to an individual’s emotional expression, by deliberatively triggering a connected trauma network. This dissertation examined the impact of eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing on self-reported test anxiety in the college student population. A single case research design (SCRD) was used to examine whether eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing impacts college students’ self-reported scores on the Test Anxiety Inventory (TAI-T) and its subscales of worry (TAI-W) and emotionality (TAI-E) (Spielberger, 1980). Keywords: eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing, EMDR, test anxiety, college, students, TA

Nursing Education to Minimize Anxiety for Patient and Family During Transfer from Intense Care to General Care

The purpose of this project is to design an education module for nurses on the phenomenon of transfer anxiety so they are able to recognize patient and family behaviors manifested as a result of anxiety at the time of transfer from intensive to general care. Anxiety at the time of transfer can negatively impact patients\u27 therapeutic response to health care as well as minimize the effectiveness of family members as needed support. The multifactorial causes of transfer anxiety are well documented in professional literature but not well known by nurses. Information from published literature that supports transfer anxiety as a multifactorial transcultural phenomenon occurring in all age groups is incorporated into this nursing education. Jean Watson\u27s Theory of Human Caring provides support for nursing education to empower nurses to minimize transfer anxiety as part of the lived experience for patient and family through the use of intentional nursing interventions

Group Speech Therapy in Individuals With Parkinson Disease: Face-to-Face Versus Telemedicine

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of group speech therapy for individuals with Parkinson Disease (IWPD) in general and to compare outcomes of group treatment delivered face-to-face (FtF) versus delivery via telemedicine (TM). Twenty-seven IWPD received group treatment based on a modified version of LSVT® in either an FtF or TM format. Outcome measures were collected pre- and post-treatment, which included vocal intensity (dB), Voice Handicap Index (VHI) scores, and self-ratings. Results indicated that vocal intensity and self-ratings of loudness significantly increased for both the FtF and TM groups. VHI scores and the five remaining self-ratings were not significantly improved for either group following treatment, although the data on all measures from the FtF group did show improvement. The findings of this study support the short-term effectiveness of FtF and TM group therapy for improving vocal intensity and participant self-ratings of loudness in IWPD

Athletic Case Management Service: Enhancing Self-Efficacy, Academic Services and Support Network Systems

“Case Management Services is a student athlete driven strategy designed to coordinate academic services and strengthen support network systems for the retention, development, and graduation of student athletes.

Strong at the Broken Places: The Resiliency of Low-Income Parents

Despite the multitude of obstacles that low-income parents face, many of them succeed in helping their children flourish. They raise children who possess the social-emotional competence needed to develop and keep friendships; establish good relationships with parents, teachers, and other adults; and experience a range of achievements that contribute to their selfconfidence, self-esteem, and self-efficacy. What can we learn about these resilient parents that can be shared with other parents who could benefit from such information, as well as with those who are committed to supporting parents’ efforts to nurture their children? What types of policies and programs have been shown to promote parents’ resiliency and, in turn, their children’s? This policy report provides some of the answers to these questions

Protecting Workers, Nurturing Families: Building an Inclusive Family Leave Insurance Program

Problem Statement: New Jersey is one of three states in the United States that has implemented a paid family leave insurance (FLI) program for workers to bond with their children or care for ill family members. Yet, out a state population of more than 8.8 million, only 158,000 claims were approved in the first five years since the program began in 2009. To date, however, there has been no in-depth exploration into workers’ leave taking behavior, nor how the New Jersey Family Leave Insurance program affected families who did receive state family leave insurance. Motivation: A growing body of research demonstrates the positive outcomes associated with longer amounts of time that women stay at home with their newborns before returning to work. Despite this evidence, the United States is the only industrialized country that does not guarantee paid parental leave to care for a new child or attend to important family needs. Explorations into how family leave insurance programs affect the health, economic security, and well-being of low-income families can inform the development of evidence-based statewide and/or federal paid leave programs. Approach: Researchers recruited 42 low-income fathers and mothers in Newark, Camden, and Trenton, New Jersey to participate in focus groups and in-depth interviews. Groups were separated by gender and whether or not they took up family leave insurance after welcoming a child to their families. The research team analyzed transcripts from focus groups and interviews using Atlas.ti to organize major themes. By comparing the experiences of parents who took up leave with those who have not, we gained insight into the barriers to FLI program take up by low-income workers in New Jersey and how it affects those who did utilize FLI. Brief Results: Among those who did not utilize FLI, barriers included a lack of awareness, lack of employer support, concerns about job security, and confusion over eligibility. For those that did take it up, while they experienced difficulty navigating the application process, FLI allowed them to bond with their babies shortly after their birth with additional financial assistance to pay expenses while taking leave. Recommendations to increase FLI take up include increased investment in program outreach and administrative capacity. Conclusions: New Jersey’s FLI program has benefited low-income parents in allowing them to take leave from work to bond with their newborns, but program administration needs improvement in order to meet their needs. Improving internal efficiency to process applications and increasing awareness has the potential to increase FLI take up and improve the economic security and well-being of low-income parents and their children. More evaluations of current paid family leave programs can inform national efforts to ensure that families do not have to go without a source of income while caring for a newborn or ill family member

Diet, Microbiota and Metabolic Health

Diabetes is one of the largest global health crises, affecting some 415 million adults worldwide, with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) accounting for at least 90% of all cases of diabetes. In line with international statistics, New Zealand has a high prevalence of diabetes with around 240,000 New Zealanders living with diabetes. However, therapeutic options for T2DM have limited success in restoring normal physiology. The human colon is colonised by some 20 trillion bacterial cells, collectively referred to as the gut microbiota. Recent research implicates the gut microbiota in energy balance and metabolism, and differences in the gut microbiota have been demonstrated between healthy individuals and those with T2DM. However, studies to date have not reported consistent changes in the gut microbiota composition across the glycaemic spectrum. The aim of this thesis was to further investigate the relationship between the gut microbiota, diet and glucose tolerance across the glycaemic spectrum. As part of the dietary analysis, associations between dietary vitamin C intakes, plasma vitamin C status and glycaemic control were also investigated. Findings from baseline data of the Canterbury Health, Ageing and Lifecourse (CHALICE) study were used to characterise the metabolic profile and self-reported dietary intake of 49-51 year-olds from Canterbury, New Zealand. Results from this study showed the mean plasma vitamin C concentration to decrease with deterioration in blood glucose, despite no significant differences in self-reported dietary vitamin C intake. A cross-sectional observational pilot study involving well characterised participants was undertaken to investigate associations between the gut microbiota, glycaemic control, self-reported dietary intake, and other indicators of metabolic health. Multiple regression analysis showed the class Actinobacteria was independently positively associated with fasting glucose and negatively associated with plasma vitamin C concentrations. Congruent with the CHALICE results, this study also showed plasma vitamin C concentrations to be significantly lower in individuals with T2DM compared to those with normal glucose tolerance (NGT). In the search for a novel therapy for T2DM, a logical extension from the observational study was to investigate if the gut microbiota could be manipulated by dietary change in people with prediabetes. SunGold kiwifruit is both high in vitamin C and is known to alter microbial ecology and metabolism in vitro, and therefore, could potentially impact human health. A pilot exploratory study was carried out where participants were asked to consume two SunGold kiwifruit daily as part of their usual diet for 12 weeks. Results showed a significant increase in the relative abundance (RA) of the class Coriobacteriia with no deterioration in HbA1c. It is hypothesised that the polyphenols in the SunGold kiwifruit act as an energy source for this class of bacteria. Supplementation with two SunGold kiwifruit per day also significantly increased participants’ plasma vitamin C concentrations. This thesis posits that the class Actinobacteria is associated with glycaemic control and the class Coriobacteriia can be manipulated by SunGold kiwifruit. However, as the study cohorts in this thesis were small, findings need to be replicated in larger populations. Furthermore, the implications of these results need to be investigated

A study of the relationship between a child's achievement and adjustment in grades one and three.

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston Universit

Work-Life Balance Satisfaction: An Analysis of Gender Differences and Contributing Factors

This descriptive study examined the differences in men and women’s perceived satisfaction with work-life balance and current job, as well as the factors that contribute to satisfaction in both areas. While women generally indicated lower levels of satisfaction overall with both work-life balance and their current job, the difference between women and men was not statistically significant. Multiple personal and professional factors positively correlated with work-life balance satisfaction, and women and men identified similar factors that contribute to their current satisfaction

Fostering Health: The Affordable Care Act, Medicaid, and Youth Transitioning from Foster Care

A provision of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires states to continue to provide health insurance to young people who have aged out of the foster care system until their 26 th birthday. Although the intent of the provision is to mirror the extended coverage available to young adults whose parents have private health insurance, varying interpretations of the provision by states have effectively blocked these youth formerly in foster care from accessing their federally mandated coverage. An estimated 180,000 young people who have aged out of the foster care system are eligible for extended health care coverage. However, only 13 states have made Medicaid coverage available to all former foster youth who reside in their state, regardless of the state in which they aged out. The policy brief provides an overview of the health needs of young people in and aging out of foster care; describes the coverage to be provided to former foster youth via the ACA, the restrictions that have been applied, and the major reason for opposition to coverage; and makes recommendations to legislators and states for removing barriers to access. The brief also highlights the need to ensure that young people have the knowledge and skills to use their health care coverage