A substantial number of older women are adversely affected by mild to severe levels of depression. In this study the Social Health Outreach Program (SHOP), an educational intervention originally developed for middle-aged women, was modified and implemented with depressed and non-depressed older women. Through an educative process, participants learned ways to strengthen personal social networks as a means of augmenting social identity and overcoming depression. The purposes of the study were: 1) to measure the impact of SHOP on older women's levels of depression and demoralization, and on their social networks; 2) to determine factors either within or outside of SHOP that helped or hindered their progress during the program; and 3) to describe and analyze their experience of depression. A total of 15 women, aged 58 to 76, participated in a 20 session version of SHOP over a ten week period. Measures of depression and demoralization were obtained before, after and three months following the program; social networks measures were also obtained at three month follow-up. Participants' perceptions about their experience of depression, and about program factors and other concurrent aspects of life that helped or hindered their progress during the program, were obtained in post-program interviews. Outcomes validated SHOP'S approach and demonstrated that with slight modification the program is as effective with older women as it is with mid-life women. Participants who were depressed at pre-test showed a significant decline in depression scores; on measures of demoralization, changes were in the direction expected, although non-significant. Participants reported significant gains to their social networks in terms of people and groups added. Content analysis of interview data yielded 205 helping incidents and 130 hindering incidents that occurred during the program period; from these, 20 categories of factors that advanced participants' progress during the program, and 19 categories of factors that impeded their progress, were determined. This study supported the view that for many older women depression originates in their social environment. The findings validated SHOP'S educational program as a means of increasing social participation, re-constructing social identity and overcoming depression. / Education, Faculty of / Graduate

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are an important part of society today. Older adults often report ICTs as difficult to use and unhelpful; however, ICTs can support older adults’ ability to stay in touch with family and friends across long distances and help increase their quality of life. Unfortunately, training programs targeted at teaching older adults to use ICTs are often costly and time-consuming. The current study attempts to determine whether advertisements depicting older adults using ICTs can be used to increase self-efficacy without the use of training programs. A within subjects experimental design was completed using an independent variable in which participants viewed two advertisements. Participants were randomly assigned to view an advertisement PowerPoint depicting younger adults using technology first, or randomly assigned to an advertisement PowerPoint depicting older adults using technology first. The dependent variable was a Technology Self-Efficacy Survey developed for the purposes of this study. Results of a paired samples t-test indicated that participants did not rate their selfefficacy higher after viewing the PowerPoint with older adults depicted using technology, as compared to viewing the PowerPoint with younger adults depicted using technology. Although the results were not statistically significant, this research indicated that older adults generally rated their self-efficacy higher after viewing the PowerPoint with older adults versus the PowerPoint with younger adults. Future research could help determine whether advertisements could be used to increase technology self-efficacy in older adults.

Objectives. Describe older patients’ perceptions about depression and characteristics associated with acceptance of treatments. Design. Cross-sectional study. Setting. Three primary care clinics in Iowa. Participants. Consecutive sample of 529 primary care patients. Measurements. Depression screening tool (a 9-item patient health questionnaire [PHQ-9]) and questionnaire including sociodemographic data, patient attitudes about depression, and acceptability of different treatments. Results. Mean age was 71.9 years (range 60–93 years), 314 (59%) female. Among the 529 participants, 93 (17.5%) had history of depression and 60 (11.3%) had PHQ-9 scores of 10 or greater. Participants believed depression is a disease for which they would use medication and counseling. Accepting medications from primary physicians was strongly associated with a past history of depression (P < 0.01) and with agreeing that depression needs treatment (P < 0.01). Counseling was not acceptable for those believing that they can control depression on their own (P < 0.01). Older patients (P < 0.001) and those with higher education levels (P < 0.01) were less likely to accept herbs or supplements as treatment options. Willingness to discuss treatments with family was associated with not using alcohol as a treatment and acceptance of all other treatment options (P < 0.001). Conclusions. Attitude that depression is a disease and the willingness to discuss depression with family may enhance treatment acceptance.

First offering insight into the disease of sexual addiction overall and what, in fact, does delineate it from sexual promiscuity, this paper will go on to seek ways to mitigate such behavior by exploring not only symptoms, but the existing underlying issues as well through a yogic whole-body perspective. Furthermore, diving deeper into such an application, specifically under the context of the yamas and niyamas and investigating how both might, not only serve as therapeutic tools for sex addicts, but perhaps allow for a healthier approach overall to sex in the modern world. First offering insight into the disease of sexual addiction overall and what, in fact, does delineate it from sexual promiscuity, this paper will go on to seek ways to mitigate such behavior by exploring not only symptoms, but the existing underlying issues as well through a yogic whole-body perspective. Furthermore, diving deeper into such an application, specifically under the context of the yamas and niyamas and investigating how both might, not only serve as therapeutic tools for sex addicts, but perhaps allow for a healthier approach overall to sex in the modern world.

This paper presents an unconventional approach to the existential crisis according to the transpersonal psychology of the eleventh century text, Yogavāsiṣṭha. An existential crisis is a general term used to signify a subjective experience of emotional distress as it relates to certain objective realities of human existence. This paper builds off key concepts (“givens”) from the field of existential psychotherapy, including death, isolation, freedom, and meaninglessness, provided by psychoanalyst Irvin D. Yalom, illuminating how the crisis is addressed in contemporary psychotherapeutic settings. Brief attention is given to the Western academic roots of existential psychotherapy, including areas of continental philosophy and humanistic psychology; this reveals a stark implication regarding general Western approaches: alleviation of the existential crisis requires a humanistic intervention, the individualist pursuit toward self-identity. Although this addresses the significance of human will and agency, it fails to take into consideration existence as a complex whole, suggesting a dualistic understanding of what it means to be in the world—the self in contrast to other living beings, the universe, the cosmos. This thesis proposes to expand the humanistic approach, responding to the existential crisis through the transpersonal Yoga of the Yogavāsiṣṭha, whose captivating mythological-like stories illustrate overcoming crises of human existence through a nondual, mind-only philosophy, emphasizing the importance of cultivating nonattachment, effort, and creativity to live a life of selfless action. Four narratives are explicated as well as the transpersonal techniques used to overcome the internal conflict perpetuated by Yalom’s “givens” of existence. By working with dreams, inquiring into reincarnation, contemplating on the five great elements, and expressing narrative, realization of Self-identity (with a capital ‘S’) removes the veil of ignorance overshadowing perception of an existential crisis, thus elucidating a visionary metamorphosis.

Introduction The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic including stay at home restrictions, school closures, economic decline, and societal distress has affected pediatric mental health in ways studies have yet to discover. There are more children presenting with mental health issues compared to pre-pandemic times. Multiple factors have shown to contribute to the lack of quality care for children experiencing mental health crises in this ongoing pandemic. Purpose Statement The COVID-19 pandemic significantly affected the frequency of mental health related presentations to the pediatric emergency department, subsequently resulting in increased delay in transition to inpatient psychiatric treatment Literature Review The data base used was Sherrod Library. Key words were pediatric, mental health, pediatric emergency, behavioral health, COVID-19, and pandemic. The studies found hold strong in their sample sizes and methods, although certain age groups were excluded from the research. Findings Following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March of 2020, there was an evident rise in pediatric emergency department visits for mental health related issues. As a result of increased patient presentations, limited resources, and staffing shortages - patients in need of psychiatric care have been less likely to receive it, and more likely to experience boarding. Conclusions Pediatric mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed a need for new interventions and resources to achieve better patient outcomes. The issues discussed in this paper are prevalent in pediatric hospitals across the country. The repercussions of COVID-19 on pediatric patients are not fully understood or researched at this time.

Introduction and Background: Solitary confinement has been a controversial topic in recent years among jail and prison systems. Solitary Confinement is the act of isolating a person in a prison or jail for up to 23 hours a day. These long periods of isolation can cause serious mental and physical damages to a human. Purpose Statement: The purpose of this research is to understand the effects, both mental and physical, that solitary confinement has on a person. How does solitary confinement effect a person’s body and mind, and what interventions can be used to help prevent these changes? Literature Review: Key terms used in research involved “nursing” and “solitary confinement effects.” 15 studies were used in the research. Data bases searched involved Findings: Our findings tell us that both physical and mental damages are done to people in confinement, and the damages get worse the longer they are confined. Anger towards the legal systems and loss of empathy are some damages that occurred even for years after solitary time was finished. Conclusions: The take home message is that solitary confinement does more harm than good for almost anyone that spends time in confinement. There needs to be better interventions in helping these people such as promoting exercise and behavior cognitive therapy. There are better ways to handle people in prisons than to isolate them and cause massive damage to their health.

Depressive disorders are recognized as being of long standing clinical and theoretical concern. Early psychoanalytic conceptualizations of depression were later reformulated into theories emphasizing interpersonal manifestations of depression, notably passive-dependent oral trends (Chodoff, 1972). Recent research efforts (e.g. Youngren and Lewinsohn, 1980; Weissman and Paykel, 1974; Libet and Lewinsohn,. 1973) have explored specific interpersonal behaviors and their relationship to depression. Although some studies have been done utilizing self-report data of interpersonal behavior (e.g. Brown and Goodstein, 1962; Black, 1960), little has been done utilizing self-descriptions of interpersonal traits drawn from a sample of clinically depressed psychiatric outpatients.

The present study was a modified replication of Miller and Seligman’s (1973) study. Expectancy ratings under skill and chance tasks were examined in 51 college students in four groups: depressed high-external, depressed low-external, nondepressed high-external, and nondepressed low-extrenal. The major hypothesis predicted that there would be greater association (1) between both magnitude and direction of expectancy change and outcome of the previous trial (success/non-success) with nondepression than with depression, under the skill task, (2) between both magnitude and direction of expectancy change and outcome of the previous trial (success/non-success) with low-externality than with high-externality, under the skill task, and (3) between both magnitude and direction of expectancy change and outcome of the previous trial (success/non-success) for low-externality than for high-externality under the skill task and that this would be more evident with nondepression than with depression. None of these hypotheses was confirmed; no significant differences in expectancy ratings among the groups were found. Possible reasons for the failure of the present study to support Miller and Seligman’s findings regarding the influence of depression were discussed and suggestions for future research were made.

This study examines the effectiveness of a particular stress management intervention with adult outpatients diagnosed as chronic schizophrenics. The setting for the study was the Portland, Oregon, Veteran's Administration, Outpatient Clinic, Day Treatment Center. The intervention was composed of two factors; 1) stress management training and 2) Behavior-Graph Instruction. Both of these were presented using a psychoeducational model of classroom instruction, role play, and discussion.