Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Correlates Of Mental Health Clinician Self-Awareness And Insight Of Attitudes Toward Older Adults, Susan L. Mcinvale

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractOlder adults (ages 65 and older) are expected to increase in the United States by over 70 million by the year 2030. The older adult population requires specialized medical and mental health services to address the needs related to aging. Mental health clinicians trained to address these needs may help older adults to utilize mental health counseling. Self-awareness of attitudes, insight, and knowledge may be skills that affect the attitudes of mental health clinicians toward older adults. Previous research has found that mental health clinicians who engage in self-awareness during a counseling session may improve counseling competency; however, little research …

Faith-Based Leaders’ Perception On The Need For Active Assailant Contingency Planning, Tanzania Merriweather

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Violence is identifiable as a common threat to public and community safety. Violent incidents have had an extensive history within society and are especially concerning when orchestrated against religious institutions. There is existing research concerning massive violent incidents in sanctuaries and churches; however, there is limited research on the perceptions of religious leaders on the need for safety planning to prepare for and combat these incidents. This phenomenological study was completed to explore the perceptions of eight faith-based leaders on the need for safety contingency planning for sanctuaries and churches. The research questions posed for this study were designed to …

Elementary Principals’ Perceptions Regarding Implementing A District-Mandated Educational Equity Policy, Glen Patrick Messier

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem in the current basic qualitative study was that elementary principals were challenged to implement a district-mandated educational equity policy. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore elementary principals’ experiences implementing a district-mandated educational equity policy. The conceptual framework for this study was transformational leadership theory. This leadership theory was often used by leaders who focused on a collective purpose and held themselves accountable for initiating and sustaining positive social change. Three research questions addressed principals’ experiences and perceptions in their attempt to implement a district-mandated educational equity policy, as well as principals’ suggestions for continuous improvement …

Caucasian Social Workers’ Cultural Competence Regarding Advance Care Planning Among Southern African Americans, Lisa Mitchell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Caucasian social workers who work in healthcare and implement advance care planning (ACP) may not be competent regarding African Americans’ reluctance to complete advance directives. Research is lacking on how Caucasian social workers in Louisiana are increasing their cultural competence regarding the interplay of historical trauma, past medical mistrust, and spiritual beliefs on African Americans’ use of ACP. This study explored how Caucasian social workers are increasing their cultural competence regarding the interplay of historical trauma, past medical mistrust, and spiritual beliefs on African Americans’ use of ACP. The conceptual framework that guided this study was the cultural competence model. …

Analyzing Small Business Strategies To Prevent External Cybersecurity Threats, Dr. Kevin E. Moore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some small businesses’ cybersecurity analysts lack strategies to prevent their organizations from compromising personally identifiable information (PII) via external cybersecurity threats. Small business leaders are concerned, as they are the most targeted critical infrastructures in the United States and are a vital part of the economic system as data breaches threaten the viability of these organizations. Grounded in routine activity theory, the purpose of this pragmatic qualitative inquiry was to explore strategies small business organizations utilize to prevent external cybersecurity threats. The participants were nine cybersecurity analysts who utilized strategies to defend small businesses from external threats. Data were collected …

Assessing Fire Station Response And Coverage Ability In A Pennsylvania Town, Timothy Moore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThere was a gap in fire station response times in a Pennsylvania township. Although there were two fire stations located in the township, one area was contractually serviced by a nearby borough. Stations are staffed by volunteers, which creates problems with coverage and timely responses. The “nine-minute-90%-of-the-time” National Fire Protection Association standard was not always achieved. The purpose of the study was to determine what gaps in fire station response times or coverage existed. A risk-based methodology was used to develop a baseline in standards of coverage. Using a risk methodology with historical data helped in informing issue identification. This …

Relationship Between Race, Collectivistic/Individualistic Attitudes, Internet Addiction, And Nomophobia Among College Students, Nefretiti Morant

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Internet and social media misuse contributes to negative mental health outcomes among young adults. Because research suggests that cultural attitudes may influence Internet use, using Hofstede’s cultural dimension theory as the foundation, the purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which race and collectivistic/individualistic cultural attitudes predict Internet addiction and nomophobia. The sample included 250 college students (140 Caucasian, 110 African American) between the ages of 18 and 22. Participants completed the Horizontal & Vertical Individualism Collectivism II scale, the Internet Addiction Test, and the Nomophobia Questionnaire. The results revealed that race was a predictor of Internet …

Microaggressions Against Ethnic Individuals From Minorities In Counseling, Joan Morton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractEven though the current literature addresses racial microaggressions among ethnic minority people and implications for counseling, no qualitative research that included the voices of ethnic minority individuals was found. Researchers have not fully addressed the prevalence of racial microaggressions in counseling sessions. The purpose of this qualitative narrative study was to explore the lived encounters of ethnic minorities concerning racial microaggressions in counseling. The study issue was analyzed through the lens of critical race theory. Four participants were recruited from the Walden University participation pool. Data were selected through semi-structure interviews and narrative analysis was used to analyze data to …

Male Sexual Offender Recidivism Impact On Sex Crime Investigations, Jessica Ann Muccione

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this research was to explore how male sexual offender recidivism impacted sex crime investigations. Recidivism is a widely recognized social problem that affects all of society. Understanding the influence that male sex offender recidivism may have on a sex crime investigation is key to recognizing its relationship to recidivism. The methodology used in this study was a basic qualitative inquiry to explore how male sex offender recidivism impacts sex crime investigations. Based on Hirschi’s social bond theory, the study addressed ways a sexual offender may conform to societal requirements through attachments and personal values. The application of …

Relationship Between Substance Use, Alcohol, And Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms In Law Enforcement, Vanessa Nash

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Law enforcement officers are plagued by a variety of traumatic incidents and organizational stressors. As a result, officers are more likely to use maladaptive coping skills and develop stress-related disorders. The purpose of this study was to identify the predictive relationship between substance use, alcohol use, and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS)/dissociation symptoms in 107 law enforcement officers using the Personal Observation Wellness and Evaluation Report- POWER Portfolio survey through an archival dataset. Lazurus and Folkman’s transactional model of stress and coping was used for the theoretical understanding of the current study. The independent variable for this study was PTSS as …

Public Participation In Georgia’S Environmental Permitting Process, Joyce A. Stanley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is no meaningful way for Georgia residents to participate in the environmental decision-making process before environmental permits are approved. As a result, hazardous waste facilities are disproportionately placed in African American communities, exposing them to poor air quality and a higher prevalence of heart and respiratory diseases than Whites. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore and better understand how African American residents living in Stonecrest, Georgia felt about the hazardous waste site being placed in their community without an opportunity to provide input into the Georgia Environmental Protection Division’s (GEPD) decision-making process before a decision …

Patterns Of Parent Behavior Related To Childhood Physical And Mental Abuse, Cassondra J. Widrick-Phillips

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The issue of child abuse is a growing concern in society. However, the limited amount of research available on parent–child relationships poses a challenge in terms of developing effective prevention strategies. The aim of the study was to analyze the connection between a parent who is abusive and their child who is being abused. The main objective of the study was to identify if the gender of the parent had a relationship with abusing the child of the same or different gender. Bowen’s family systems theory was used to support the study because of the assumption that family relationships are …

Instructional Strategies Teachers Use To Assist Students With Convergence Insufficiency In Notetaking, Jennifer Wiggins-Lambert

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Two to three students per class suffer from visual-motor deficits such as convergence insufficiency. Though there are treatment plans to assist with the disability over time outside of the school, there are no general inventions set in place in the public school system to assist visual-motor deficit students from systemically falling behind academically each year. The purpose of this study was to explore instructional strategies secondary special education teachers of an inclusive setting use to assist students who struggle with notetaking due to visual or visual-motor deficits known or unknown as convergence insufficiency. Using the universal design for learning theoretical …

Public-School Superintendents’ Perceptions Of Trauma-Informed School Assumptions And Principles, Denise Gay Presnell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research shows that trauma-informed practices in schools can increase student performance and well-being. School social workers are well-suited to bring these practices to their system but are most successful when partnering with public-school superintendents. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to understand public-school superintendents’ perceptions of trauma-informed school assumptions and principles. The study was guided by four assumptions for trauma-informed care, six principles for trauma-informed schools, ecological systems theory, and empowerment theory. Research questions were designed to ask participants about their experiences of trauma in their schools, their perceptions of the assumptions and principles, the benefits and challenges …

Fathers’ Perceptions Of Stress And Resiliency In Raising Children With Down Syndrome: A Qualitative Study, Latanya M. Randolph

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Little was known about how fathers perceived stress and resiliency when parenting children diagnosed with Down syndrome. Therefore, the purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore perceptions involving stress and resiliency among fathers whose children had been diagnosed with Down syndrome and understand how stress and resiliency affected the parenting skills of those fathers who resided in Prince George's County, Charles County, or St. Mary's County in Maryland. This involved recruiting eight participants who completed semi-structured interviews where they were asked the same 10 open-ended questions. This study involved using a qualitative thematic analysis, was guided by the …

Influence Of Conspiracy Mindset, Trust In Science, And Political Affiliation On Covid-19 Reactance, Bonnie L. Rinato

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed extreme divisions in the social and political structure of the United States. When health organizations recommended strategies such as physical distancing, hand hygiene, sanitation of surfaces, and isolating when sick to slow the spread of the disease, Americans appeared to divide into two factions; those who followed the public health guidance and those who persistently ignored it, often voicing perceptions of loss of freedom due to the guidance. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the extent to which political affiliation moderated the relationship between conspiracy mindset, trust in science, and reactance responses to …

Local Leadership Strategies To Mitigate The Effects Of The Public Charge Rule And Covid-19 Among Undocumented Immigrants, Amos Onyango Oketch

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractScholars have focused on the effects of implementing the federal-level Public Charge Rule (PCR) and COVID-19 on undocumented immigrants' health and socioeconomic well-being. Researchers have demonstrated that many federal assistance programs that benefit the general population in the wake of the pandemic exclude undocumented immigrants due to PCR restrictions; thus, they are disproportionately affected and suffer social and socioeconomic disparity. Researchers have yet to establish consensus strategies and interventions at the local and state levels to fill the gap and support disadvantaged communities during the pandemic to ensure equitable care and mitigate harm. Thus, this study aimed to identify the …

Differences In Phq-9 Depression Severity Between Adults Receiving Ketamine Or Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy, Sophie Lake Oswin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) affects roughly 2.8 million or 1.1% of the United States population. Many traditional treatments of mental disorders including various types of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy do not provide adequate symptom reduction for clients, and many clients diagnosed with TRD seek out nontraditional treatments such as ketamine and psychedelics for their antidepressant effects. Due to the dissociative nature of psychedelic medication wherein resistance is reduced, and a trance-like state is induced, ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) has great potential as an adjunct to ketamine therapy. Procedures of KAP have been in development for the last 7 years and a consensus on …

Staff Perspectives On Parent Withdrawal From Maternal, Infant, And Early Childhood Home Visiting Programs, Dr. Laquetta Delores Peoples

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem that was investigated through this study was the high withdrawal rates of families that enroll in MIECHV programs. Examining this issue provided data that will be shared with MIECHV programs to identify potential strategies to reduce high withdrawals. This basic qualitative study with semistructured interviews examined MIECHV staffs’ perspectives on the reasons for high withdrawals. The purpose of this study was to examine MIECHV program staff members’ perspectives on the reasons for the high withdrawal. The study was guided by Mowder’s parent development theory (PDT) and examined parenting as a continual process whereby parents constantly adjusted their parenting …

The Motivations And Work-Life Balance Of Paid Home-Based Caregivers Of Clients Experiencing Dementia, Cheraire Lyons

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

With an expected increase in demand for professional caregivers for the growing older adult and aging population, caregivers need balance in their lives so they can provide quality patient care. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore what motivates paid, professional home-based caregivers of clients with dementia to maintain their work–life balance. The caregiver ambition framework was the guide for exploring home-based caregivers’ work life issues along with caregivers’ motivations for work–life enrichment. Interview data were collected from five interviews that were analyzed first manually by exploring the transcribed interviews for commonly seen words and phrases. …

Relationship Between Perceived Language Proficiency And Economic Life Satisfaction For Migrants, John Ndunduma

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The United States needs migrant workers to fill the labor market gap because baby boomers are retiring from the US workforce in large numbers beginning in 2020. Approximately 2.1 million migrants came from Africa to fill the U.S. labor shortage. Many of these African migrants faced challenges with English language proficiency. There are benefits to the United States involved with increasing the economic wellbeing of migrants, such as reducing remigration, increasing the high-skilled labor force, and increasing cultural diversity. This study used Maslow’s motivational theory to test significant relationships between perceptions of English language proficiency (PELP) and economic life satisfaction …

Puerto Rican Retired Teachers’ Perceptions About Their Financial Sufficiency, Rossana López León

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In Puerto Rico, the Teachers’ Retirement System, which has a membership of around 36,000 retired public-school teachers, is currently facing major restructuring and budget cuts, as part of a larger restructuring of all government agencies to meet the economic emergency they were facing. The recent retirement system reforms were focused mainly on cutting benefits, such as medications, Christmas and summer bonuses, and the cost-of-living adjustment. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of retired teachers regarding their financial sufficiency, and to identify their attitudes, beliefs, and opinions/feelings in light of their socioeconomic profile. The research question focused …

A Case Study Of Joint Accountability Mechanism And Interorganizational Collaboration In Post-Earthquake Haiti, Jude J. Jean-Gilles

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract: The earthquake that hit Haiti on January 12, 2010, caused massive destruction of its capital city Port-au-Prince and its suburbs and killed over a quarter of million people. The recovery period that followed required effectiveness to plan and mobilize resources. The magnitude of the destruction, lack of local recovery plans or previous disaster experience, and scarcity of local resources inspired the creation of the Interim Haiti Recovery Commission (IHRC), a compilation of local and international stakeholders who agreed to collaboratively address the recovery challenges. Several studies have examined post-earthquake recovery initiatives under the leadership of local governments, but having …

Employees’ Engagement Experiences In Private-Sector Companies In Urban Jamaica, Colleen Rose-Marie Bancroft

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Marginal and fluctuating employee engagement levels continue to be a concern among organizations, evidenced by the quest for dynamic solutions and the investigative work observed in the literature. The purpose of this study was to understand the meaning of engagement for employees working in two urban, private-sector companies in Jamaica. A qualitative approach, with a hermeneutic phenomenological design was used to complete the study using the lens of self-efficacy theory. Semistructured interviews were conducted via Zoom with 12 employees and their engagement experiences were analyzed. The results indicate that organizational systems, working conditions, and shared values (organizational and national culture) …

The Experiences Of Resettled Liberian Refugees: A Research Study On Whether Public Assistance Can Affect Their Living Standards., Mwalimu Steve Boley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe study investigated the extent to which the thoughts, feelings, and attitudes of resettled Liberian refugees in the Delaware Valley region have been affected by their use of public assistance and the overall effect that it has had on their living standards. It also explored whether participants in the study would likely persuade other resettled Liberian refugees in their community to utilize available public assistance programs as a means of improving their living standard. The study utilized Humanist Theory as the theoretical framework to interpret its findings. The research methodology was based on phenomenological approach in which a generic demographic …

Profiles Of Well-Being Among Early Childhood Educators, Amy M. Roberts, Alexandra Daro, Kathleen C. Gallagher

Buffet Early Childhood Institute Reports and Publications

Research Findings: This study used a person-centered data analytic approach to identify distinct subgroups of early childhood educators (n= 133) based on their responses to multiple indicators of well-being (psychological, financial, and health indicators). Various fit indices established a two-class solution. Specifically, one group was characterized by more positive well-being and the other by less positive well-being. Subgroup differences were the greatest for indicators of psychological well-being, including self-care and self-compassion. In addition, educators with less than a bachelor’s degree, working as assistant teachers, receiving less pay, with more adverse childhood experiences, were overrepresented in the less positive …

A Commentary On Qualified Immunity In The Aftermath Of City Of Tahlequah V. Bond, Delores Jones-Brown, Paul Reck, Richard C. Helfers, Henry F. Fradella

Criminal Justice Faculty Publications and Presentations

In this Article, we argue that the Bond decision continues a line of judicial decisions that make it difficult for plaintiffs to seek civil redress against officers who cause serious injury or death to private citizens. We note that this judicial trend runs counter to public demand for police accountability and thwarts the legislative intent behind the enactment of 42 U.S.C.A. § 1983. We suggest that police practice, policy, standards and training-not judicial opinions ­should govern whether officers will be immune from the conse­quences of their actions, especially in areas where a substantial amount of empirical evidence exists to alert …

The Pacific Sentinel, January 2023, Portland State University. Student Publications Board

The Pacific Sentinel

Editor: Dan Chilton

Articles in this issue include:

• Wednesday & the Challenges of Adaptation
• First Impressions: A Newcomer's Guide to Portland
• Ooligan Press's Comic Debut
• The Land, the Water, the Sky
• Notes From Behind the Bar
• A Chat with ChatGPT
• Measure 110 & the Roadblocks of Negative Perceptions
• Pre-Covid: It's a Jungle out there. Post-Covid: It's a Jungle in Here

Peer-Supervision Of Nursing Professionals: A Shield Against Burnout, Kyle Gamache, Sarah Gamache, Joseph Robillard

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

Introduction: Burnout is a major risk in healthcare professions and is a significant contributor to the current nursing shortage. Strategies to combat burnout of healthcare professionals are in desperate need. The purpose of this project is to introduce the clinical peer supervision model as a method to alleviate burnout in nursing professionals.

Approach: Eight nurses from in-patient settings participated in a peer-supervision support group, modeled after existing European nursing and mental health provider-support protocols. To assess the effect of this intervention, qualitative data analysis was conducted on the transcripts of session and the results described. All participants reported statistically high …

The Evaluation Of Legal Rights Granted To Non-Citizen Detainees, Julia Oldershaw

Honors Undergraduate Theses

For over two decades, the United States imprisoned and detained hundreds of suspected terrorists at the United States Naval Base in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. While many of these prisoners were suspected of being terrorists, no formal charges were ever levied against the detainees. All of the prisoners detained were considered non-citizens of the United States. They were not citizens of either Cuba or the United States. Instead, they were citizens of another country. While the legal precedent in the United States' territorial jurisdiction is that non-citizens are granted specific Constitutional rights, Guantánamo Bay was a legal black hole to which …