abstract: Older adults diagnosed with a serious mental illness (SMI) often face a lifetime of psychiatric institutionalization, making them a very vulnerable population. However, music therapy research has not been conducted with this specific population. The purpose of this thesis was to develop an evidence-based proposed music therapy program for geriatric patients diagnosed with SMI utilizing both music-based and non-music based theoretical frameworks. The music-based approach used for the program is Dalcroze and the non-music based approach is Wellness with a focus on quality of life. The population diagnosed with SMI and the complications of aging for this population are discussed as well as the results of previous music therapy studies conducted with adults diagnosed with SMI. The components of the Dalcroze and Wellness approaches are described and the elements that are incorporated into the program include improvisation and eurhythmics and client strengths and the physical domain (movement). The proposed music therapy program will have the therapeutic goals of increased social interaction, increased self-esteem, and increased quality of life. The data collection tools are mentioned and how to measure results. The program is described in detail with session plans consisting of warm-up, improvisation, movement, and closing interventions. The recommendations for clinical evidence-based practice are discussed. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Music Therapy 2019

No description available.

No description available.

The current study examined the relationships among connectedness to nature (CTN), quality of life (QOL), and mental health (MH). Theory in biophilia and ecopsychology has emphasized the importance of the human relationship with the natural world for the health of individuals, our species, and our planet as a whole. Previous research has documented the relationship between experiences in nature and outcomes of health and well-being. However, scant research has examined the correlates of the concept of CTN. Furthermore, no research has examined the relationship between CTN and measures of well-being such as QOL or MH. In the current study, 267 undergraduate students completed a series of self-report items measuring CTN, QOL, MH, and demographic characteristics. Significant relationships between CTN and all categories of dependent variables (QOL, MH, and demographics) were found. In addition, the subcategory of CTN closely related to the desire for direct experiences in nature, NR experience was shown to have a stronger relationship to QOL and MH than overall CTN--as evidenced by more significant correlations and by serving as a better predictive model through multiple regression. QOL, MH, and demographic variables were collectively found to predict 21% of the variance in overall CTN, while those same variables were found to predict 35% of the variance in NR experience. Implications of these findings based on previous research, limitations of the current study, and future avenues of research are discussed.

The greatest wealth is health. It is sometimes said your health is a function of what you are not doing, not what you are currently doing. The degree to which individuals can attain, process, and comprehend the necessary health information and services they need to make proper health decisions is vital for optimal health and well-being. This project documents the analysis, design, development, and implementation of a prototype web-based data-driven health & wellness system targeted for college students. The architecture for this system uses business intelligence to develop a smart online platform for real-time analysis based on inputs entered by its users. The objective is to develop modules that can be used to provide meal plan options that dietitians can recommend to students, while also providing a standard wellness health check. This also promotes constant awareness for students with specialized health diets. User-health and wellness history of each Student is collected and stored for generating progress and wellness reports for end users. The dietitian can monitor the user in real time through the data collected and stored in the data server. Users can monitor their own progress. The system incorporates user context and feedback to personalize each user's lifestyle. Implementation of this system provides a complete and easy to use integrated system that promotes the process of analyzing wellness and improving the user’s overall health. The system is designed to be in a non-clinical setting and hence more lifestyle-oriented compared to other health-oriented systems. It is thus more relevant and convenient to student’s everyday life context.

Diabetes and insulin resistance are on the rise in the United States. Early detection and deployment of therapies has allowed for the reversal of pancreatic beta cell damage. Unfortunately, not all providers can offer the support to facilitating the required life style modifications. The introduction of clinical health consultants (CHC) as supplemental care has improved patient health for a variety of chronic diseases. Missing in the literature are studies investigating the correlation between the number of CHC interactions and improvement in biomarkers. The study utilized a non-experimental, retrospective study design to evaluate the relationship between the use between the use of CHCs and the number of CHC interactions, and the mean changes in glucose, hemoglobin A1c, insulin, proinsulin, C-peptide, and 1,5-anhydroglucitol, over a one-year period for patients presented with the opportunity to participate in CHC interactions. The subjects’ follow-up results were compared to their initial results for each group using the ANCOVA and one-way t-test. A statistically significant difference was detected between the mean change in BMI and the use of CHCs (p

Vicarious trauma impacts counselors in various ways: by diminishing their feelings of importance in the profession, hindering their completion of adequate work with clients, and negatively affecting their personal life choices. Although numerous qualitative and quantitative studies have been conducted on vicarious trauma over the past 20 years, there is a rarity of research investigating the implications of trauma for counseling supervisors. The purpose of this study was to examine the lived experiences and perceptions of tertiary trauma among 11 counselor supervisors from Oklahoma and Missouri who were providing active supervision. This study was approached through a hermeneutic phenomenological methodology. The overarching research question investigated how counseling supervisors defined tertiary trauma. Interviews were transcribed and uploaded into NVivo 10, and constructs were identified via an exploratory and inductive analysis. Codes and sub-themes were categorized then deductively divided into 6 primary themes that demonstrate participant perceptions of tertiary trauma. These themes included: (a) what it means to be a supervisor, (b) the understanding of vicarious trauma, (c) the base knowledge of tertiary trauma, (d) the symptoms of tertiary trauma, (e) the meaning of supervisor wellness, and (c), the and role of the supervisor. Findings from the study offer the counseling profession a working definition of tertiary trauma based in counseling supervisors' perception of the phenomenon. The study outcomes are unique because counseling supervisors are vital to the continued growth of both the profession and new counseling professionals, acting as gate keepers to the counseling profession.

Veterans with serious mental illness (SMI) are at high risk of developing conditions such as insulin resistance, obesity, and smoking, which may lead to chronic medical problems. As a result, the morbidity and mortality of people with SMI are high compared to the general population. It appears that integrated care improves the wellbeing of veterans; however, there is a gap in the literature on wellness-based interventions for veterans with SMI. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the association between a wellness intervention for veterans and their perceived quality of life (QOL). Social cognitive theory was the theoretical lens through which this study was conducted. It was hypothesized that there is an association between veterans’ involvement in the wellness component of a program and their perceived QOL. The program is a specialty VA service known as Mental Health Intensive Case Management (MHICM). A total of 112 veterans served by a single MHICM program in the U.S. Southeast completed a validated VA survey that measures health related QOL. A chart audit was conducted to gather information such as years served by the program and type of wellness services received. Regression modeling was used to assess the relationship between a veteran’s involvement in the wellness interventions and his or her perceived QOL. The study results showed that the interventions were not significant predictors of veterans QOL. Two covariates, age and gender, were found to be significant predictors, but each accounted for less than 7% of the variance. The study findings show the need for further research to explore the role of wellness interventions in a veteran’s recovery. Social change may result from encouraging veterans with SMIs to participate in self-rated QOL measures.

As of 2015, over 34% of emerging adults in the United States between 18 and 34-years-old were still living with their parents or guardians, and prior research has suggested this trend was steadily growing. The current study examined contextual factors, such as an individual's state of well-being during this transitional phase, to determine what, if any, variables may also be contributing to this issue. Both Adlerian theory and social exchange theory were used as the theoretical foundation to better understand how to mitigate this phenomenon. Amazon MTURK was used to recruit 336 participants who completed the survey. A series of MANOVAs and chi-square analyses were used to test for the relationship between the failure to launch phenomenon, wellness, and moderating effects of mentorship in this study. The results showed a significant, although weak, relationship between financial dependence and wellness factors of coping self (p = 0.034) and social self (p = 0.026). The presence of and frequency of contact with mentors significantly predicted successful launching (p = 0.001). Mentorship was not found to be related to wellness factors nor did it moderate the relationship between such factors and failure to launch. The findings implied mentorship was a potential mitigating factor to the failure to launch phenomenon. The positive implications include personal, familial, and societal growth for this population as they successfully transition to independent adulthood.

This exploratory study has two major aims. The first is to investigate heuristically the sources and nature of meaning experienced by residents and staff living and working in an Australian nursing home. The second is to interpret those experiences within the context of wellness.The study utilises heuristic inquiry as the research method from an occupational science perspective. Occupational science is concerned with the ways in which humans realise their sense of meaning through both their daily occupations and their unique way of being in the world.Heuristic inquiry is utilised for both the research design and the analysis of data. The primary source of data was my own experience of working in Australian nursing homes as a nurse, educator, and grief counsellor; and of having supported the six members of my family who have lived and died in Australian nursing homes. In addition multiple other sources of data were accessed: residents and staff from three suburban Australian nursing homes; personal and professional memoirs of life and work in Australian nursing homes; novels depicting characters faced with nursing home life; and research report on the needs of elderly Aboriginal people also faced with nursing home admission.Data were collected using a diverse range of techniques: self dialogue, participant-observation, informal, semi-structured, and group interviews, analysis of staff journal entries, and analysis of the textual material - memoirs, novels, and the research report.The findings indicate that nursing home residents experience a sense of meaning when they are able to maintain a sense of connection with an enduring sense of self. Nursing home staff, on the other hand, experience a sense of meaning in association with their work when they are able to access their personally constructed vision of a professional self identity. Living and working with a sense ++ / of wellness, whilst possible, tends not to be an everyday experience for either residents or staff.This study makes an important contribution to the understanding of the interior experiences of both nursing home residents and staff. It explores the notion of wellness within the nursing home context and puts forward suggestions for promoting wellness in the nursing home. The study also makes a significant contribution to the discipline of occupational science and the application of heuristic inquiry to social research.