Transitioning from childhood to adulthood is a challenging life experience, further intensified for individuals with psychiatric disorders. While strong social support serves as a key resilience factor, emerging adults with psychiatric disorders face unique challenges in addition to those encountered by their peers. This population is at…

The growing prevalence of Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS) among mental health professionals (MHPs) has contributed to an ongoing mental health workforce shortage in the United States. Literature has shown strong evidence of workforce and organizational risk factors for STS, with inconsistent conclusions about the role of personal trauma. Previous…

Adolescence is a period of growth, independence, and exploration, with increased curiosity and risk-taking behaviors (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2021b). Evidence has shown an increase in mental health concerns during adolescence, including suicidal behaviors (CDC, 2023b; Plemmons et al., 2018; Yard et al., 2021), as well as…

Black males with mental health diagnoses face substantial barriers to gaining and maintaining employment. Tailored employment support services may help increase employment access, yet utilization remains low among this demographic area. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study is to explore the employment challenges for Black males with mental…

Law enforcement agencies across the country are confronted with the problems associated with substance abuse. Law enforcement personnel receive only cursory training on substance abuse and lack targeted training that addresses the complex problems that are associated with it, such as co-existing mental health issues. This study, conducted on…

Social cognitive deficits are core features of schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) or schizophrenia, amongst other conditions. These deficits limit overall functioning, arguably the most important outcome when treating the mentally ill. However, as noted by former National Institute of Mental Health director Thomas Insel, "one cannot treat…

Since the mid-90s, the number of children treated for bipolar disorder has increased considerably. As a result, the diagnosis was considered more closely, and the DSM-5 proposed a new diagnosis: Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD). This is a relatively new diagnosis in the psychological community, causing a lack of agreement on treatment…

Student mental health has been a pervasive crisis in the United States long before the pandemic, with 1 in 5 people living with mental illness (CDC, 2024). In general, teacher education programs have failed to offer comprehensive curricula that meaningfully address students who live with mental illness. Moreover, programs that do offer a mental…

A growing awareness of the negative impact of childhood trauma and adversity on life outcomes has led many schools to seek out ways to become trauma-informed. School psychologists, given their expertise and scope of practice in schools, could be considered potential leaders in such a movement. Given a growing body of theoretical and empirical…

The prevalence of mental health issues among children is a pressing concern, with many cases going untreated and leading to long-term challenges. Teachers play a vital role in identifying and supporting children with mental health problems, but they often lack the necessary training and confidence. To address this gap, Research Informed Skills for…

This dissertation explored the lived experiences of counseling graduate students living with a diagnosis of a chronic mental illness. Despite the prevalence of mental illness among graduate students, limited research has explored their unique experiences, particularly within counselor education. This study employed Interpretive Phenomenological…

Mental health issues among college students are increasing, and a better understanding of the issues may lead to more effective solutions. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore mental health culture at a college setting for first-year students by exploring communication methods used by students. Ajzen's theory of planned…

Despite mental illness related to learning, social life, and overall well-being being prevalent among students, college students may not feel comfortable disclosing their mental health issues due to stigmas and campus barriers. Consequently, a high number of students experience mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation,…

"The issue of what to do in response to suicidal students is anything but a clear one" (Harshbarger, 2014, para. 3). How to best support students with severe mental illness is an ongoing challenge for institutions of higher education. Institutions must adapt to a rapidly changing landscape of evolving federal policy, case law, and…

This study measures the effect of an autism training program, Surpassing Obstacles Autism Retreat (SOAR), on empowerment outcomes of 49 parents/caregivers of autistic youth from the state of Maryland in the United States. A retrospective causal-comparative design was used to collect and analyze secondary data about SOAR training participants and…