College students face high levels of stress due to academic demands, financial pressures, and the challenges of adjusting to college life. College students are at an increased risk for mental health problems, with rates of depression, anxiety, and other mental health concerns higher among this population compared to their non-college-attending…

Metabolic Syndrome (MetS), a cluster of cardiometabolic abnormalities including elevated waist circumference, low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, high triglycerides, high blood pressure, and elevated fasting glucose, affects nearly 35% of American adults. The presence of MetS both predicts and contributes to the development of…

This explanatory sequential study examined and explored the understandings and perceptions a new cohort of K-12 teachers before and after they received Trauma Informed Care (TIC) training, which emphasized the prevention, recognition, and mitigation of secondary trauma (ST). TIC training is a requirement for all teachers. The study aimed at…

Substance use disorders are considered externalizing disorders, defined by anti-social and impulsive behavior, as opposed to internalizing disorders, defined by anxious and depressive thinking; however, that strict binary is increasingly untenable. In this dissertation, I evaluate the co-development of internalizing and externalizing symptoms…

Depression is a risk factor for suicide in adolescents making it essential for school nurses to identify and refer at-risk adolescents for resources. At the project site, there is no current practice to routinely assess for adolescent depression. The purpose of this quantitative, quasi-experimental quality improvement project was to determine if…

Background: Despite the known benefits of physical activity, the prevalence of physical inactivity and sedentary behavior are significant issues in public health. Young adults, such as college students, are a population at risk for decreased physical activity participation due to the newfound responsibility of balancing school, work, and personal…

Seemingly small reading delays in early childhood have the potential to compound into more considerable reading difficulties later in childhood (Bast & Reitsma, 1998; Foster & Miller, 2007). Children growing up in at-risk households are especially vulnerable to falling behind in reading. The objective of this study was to explore the…

Transition age youth with disabilities are at an elevated risk to experience depression and anxiety compared to youth without disabilities. The current study evaluates the implementation feasibility, acceptability, and potential efficacy of the "Think, Be, Do" curriculum (a mental health curriculum) for transition age students in special…

This study tested Cole's (1990) competence-based model of depression in children using the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (SECCYD) dataset that included over 1,000 participants from diverse families. Data collected from multiple informants (parent, teacher,…

Bullying is well recognized as an experience with negative and potentially adverse consequences. Specifically, research has consistently shown that involvement in bullying has been linked to a wide range of psychosocial difficulties. There are three forms of bullying that have been identified in the literature: Overt bullying, relational bullying,…

Approximately 2.6 million students are diagnosed with a learning disability (LD) in the United States. There are many negative psychological and psychosocial consequences that can be attributed to having a LD, including a decrease in self- esteem. Low self-esteem has been shown to be liked to depression, suicidal ideation, and anxiety. Early…

The intent of this research is to understand the types of mental health problems individuals encounter during periods of unemployment, and the severity of those problems from an individual, family and community-based perspective. Of primary importance is determining whether or not treatment services are utilized, and if so, the sensitivity…

Consequences of depression can be detrimental, and adolescents who are victimized by their peers are at-risk for developing depressive symptoms. The link between depression and peer victimization is relatively strong, but social support may be a protective factor for peer victims. The main purpose of this study was to examine the buffering effects…