Master of Science (M.S.), Xavier University, 2021, Psychology

As a relatively new facet of the occupational health psychology literature, the Psychologically Healthy Workplace (PHW; American Psychological Association, 2015) incorporates five components: employee involvement, work-life balance, employee growth and development, employee recognition, and health and safety (Grawitch et al., 2006). This study examined the nature and degree to which job applicants are attracted to organizations promoting PHW practices utilizing these components. Specifically, it investigated whether self-reported participant health issues are related to attraction to organizations promoting a PHW. It also explored whether applicants were more attracted to some PHW components than others and extended Catano and Morrow Hines' (2016) findings by focusing on Openness to Change and its interaction with industry type. Results indicated that participants self-reported mental and physical health scores were significantly positively correlated with their overall attraction to organizations promoting the five PHW components. A significant overall mean difference on attraction based on PHW component was also found, in which mean attraction scores were highest for the work-life balance component and lowest for the health and safety component. There were significant mean differences for all component comparisons, except the mean difference between employee growth and development and employee recognition. Findings also indicated a significant effect for industry type and Openness to Change on organization attraction. Overall, these findings contribute to the limited PHW literature. Future researchers should investigate whether patterns emerge across the five components in terms of job applicant's attraction, or if attraction to certain components is dependent on other variables in work or personal environments.

Committee: Morrie Mullins Ph.D. (Advisor); Dalia Diab Ph.D. (Committee Member); Heather McCarren Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology

Master of Arts (M.A.), Xavier University, 2016, Psychology

The purpose of this research was to determine if participation in a workplace health promotion (WHP) program has any influence on employees' awareness of and satisfaction with their body image, and whether or not those levels of awareness and satisfaction differ between male and female employees. It was hypothesized that individuals who participate in a WHP program would report higher body surveillance and lower body shame than those who do not participate in such a program. Exploratory hypotheses also questioned if there were gender differences in participants' experiences of surveillance and shame. Data was collected from a sample of 174 participants. Independent-samples t-tests were used to test the main hypotheses focused on participation, and ANCOVAs were used to test the exploratory hypotheses focused on gender. Neither of the main hypotheses yielded significant results, whereas the exploratory hypotheses yielded results in the opposite direction of what was hypothesized. This study contributed interesting findings to the literature on WHP and wellness programs, as well as two keys factors that contribute to the development of body image. Participating in, or at least being exposed to, a WHP program may lead some employees to experience varying degrees of body surveillance or body shame, but said participation did not yield a significant increase in surveillance nor a significant decrease in shame. Of greater interest is that although male WHP program participants and non-participants alike reported significantly more body surveillance, there were no significant differences between both male and female participants (and non-participants) in the experience of body shame. These results have significant implications for future discussions surrounding the development of body image and experience in WHP programs.

Committee: Morrie Mullins Ph.D (Committee Chair); Dalia Diab Ph.D (Committee Member); Christine Dacey Ph.D (Committee Member) Subjects: Behavioral Sciences; Clinical Psychology; Gender; Health; Occupational Psychology; Organizational Behavior; Psychology

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2023, Leadership and Change

This study examined the perspectives of master-level clinical mental health providers and members of leadership at a Community Mental Health Center (CMHC) in New Hampshire, to understand clinician and leadership perspectives as to why master-level providers choose to continue working at CMHCs. Most prior research on turnover in such organizations has focused on why so many leave their positions, however this study instead focuses on factors related to the decision to stay at a specific CMHC in an urban area of New Hampshire. A single case study method was utilized to focus on masters-level mental health care providers with additional interviews with leadership at the CMHC. Some of the findings that will be explored is what draws providers to community mental health centers, the importance of connections with colleagues and leadership, and aspects of why master-level providers stay. The study contributes to the understanding of clinician retention in community mental health centers and provides recommendations for master-level providers, CMHC leadership, and clinical mental health educators. Some of the overarching themes that surface from the data were around why clinicians remain in the CMHC, the reasons why providers do the work they do each day, the draw to CMHC, and reasons why people master-level providers consider leaving a CMHC. Connections with leadership and supervisor were very important in why clinicians want to stay at the CMHC. Licensure contracts were also an area that was explored in this research. Clinicians and members of leadership provided their perspective on licensure contracts and the implementation of the contracts. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu/) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://etd.ohiolink.edu).

Committee: Harriet Schwartz PhD (Committee Chair); J. Beth Mabry PhD (Committee Member); William Gunn PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Mental Health; Psychology; Public Health

Doctor of Education , University of Dayton, 2023, Educational Administration

This multi-case study explored the well-being of six former preK-12 teachers during and after teaching. Using the framework of self-care, the purpose of this research was to investigate how teachers' health, well-being, resilience, and other internal characteristics intersect with external factors of teaching and schools; accelerating teacher stress, burnout, and attrition. The major themes revealed included ineffectiveness and difficulty in early teaching careers; negative impacts/barriers to effective teaching and self-care; Covid impacts on teaching; school violence impacts on teaching; positive affirming experiences in post-teaching life, and finally issues/suggested policy changes. To address these negative impacts on teachers and the school community, leisure programming is presented as a pathway to personal development, to be paired alongside professional development.

Committee: Davin Carr-Chellman (Committee Chair); Thomas Oldenski (Committee Member); Katy Marre (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Education Policy; Educational Leadership; Educational Sociology; Health; Occupational Health; Organizational Behavior; Public Health Education; Recreation; Teacher Education; Teaching

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2023, Leadership and Change

Mental healthcare organizations have a reputation for being unhealthy places to work. The irony of this reputation is keenly felt by its workforce who report unsustainable workloads, high levels of stress, and lack of support or engagement from higher-level leadership. As a mental healthcare provider now in a position of leadership, who has worked across all levels of care within the sector, it was of interest to me to explore how a mental health organization can become a healthier and more sustainable place to work. I approached this study with the assumption that if an organization was healthy and intentional about health in its operation, this would be beneficial to the members of that organization, to the individuals whom the organization serves, and to the organization itself. This study endeavored to answer the question of how mental health organizations can become healthier places to work, considering both the factors that are within the control of mental healthcare organizations as well as those that are not. This study built on prior research by considering multiple factors identified in the research as functioning in relationship to each other. This is a development on previous research which has predominantly investigated aspects of work environment, mental healthcare worker experience, and patient care as siloed elements. Informed by the literature review, an Action Research study was developed and conducted. Study participants represented a cross-section of work experiences within mental healthcare organizations ranging from direct care providers to program directors and administrators. Participants engaged in discussion groups for the purpose of perspective sharing across experiences in order to collaboratively investigate the question of how mental health organizations could become healthier places to work. Key findings of the study were that practical solutions to improve the work environment are feasible and accessible, and not n (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Donna Ladkin Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Lize Booysen DBL (Committee Member); Michelle Pensec-Salyers Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Health Care; Health Care Management; Management; Mental Health

Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree Program in Population Health Leadership DNP, Xavier University, 2022, Nursing

Nursing education transformation is necessary to change population health outcomes. A needs assessment is essential to learn practice expectations for population health competency before designing an education program. The purpose of the project was to develop a population health certificate program for post-bachelor nursing workforce. The project aims were 1) to identify population health competency needs, 2) to prioritize population health competency needs, 3) to assess the feasibility of a post-bachelor population health certificate program, and 4) to make recommendations for a certificate program. A hybrid framework of Witkin and Altschuld's three-phase needs assessment model and the PARIHS Framework Guide successfully organized project implementation and evaluation to make recommendations for the population health certificate. Purposive sampling selected six knowledgeable strategic stakeholders from academia and practice to participate in 30-to-40-minute recorded Zoom interviews. Reiterative thematic analysis of the transcripts identified and prioritized population health competencies. The triangulation comparison of the results with AACN Nursing Professional Education Essentials tested the validity of the convergence of themes. The overarching theme discovered is that the nursing workforce needs to move understanding beyond point of care encounters to population-focused needs. The needs assessment discovered compelling evidence that post-bachelor nursing workforce needs advanced development in population-focused care to improve actionable responses to change population health outcomes. The feasibility assessment determined a need for additional assessment of resources to build capability for the population certificate program.

Committee: Betsy List Ph.D. RN (Advisor); Victor Ronis-Tobin Ph.D. (Other); Elizabeth Bragg Ph.D. RN (Other) Subjects: Education; Health Care; Health Care Management; Health Education; Higher Education; Nursing

Doctor of Healthcare Administration (D.H.A.), Franklin University, 2020, Health Programs

Mental illness is a growing concern among families in the United States, as one in five children between the ages of 13 and 18 suffer from a severe mental illness (National Alliance on Mental Illness, 2013). That means that 20% of children in the country are suffering from an illness whose treatment is difficult to access. Unfortunately, one-fourth of families report problems finding and initiating services for their children, with wait lists that typically start at three months (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 2013). Even more troubling is the fact that 80% of children with mental illness do not receive any treatment at all (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 2013). However, to improve access to treatment, organizations need to feel confident that they can open safe, financially sustainable mental health units. The Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) in California recently opened an 18-bed inpatient psychiatric unit that services children ages 3-17 (Perkes, 2016). Many months of thoughtful consideration occurred to develop this elite and cutting-edge model of care. This researcher developed a specific model to approach pediatric mental healthcare through a different lens, called The Core Value Driven Care Model. The model of care is centered around three pillars of focus firmly built on the groundwork of core values. The pillars are representative of People, Place, and Practice, and are anchored in a foundation of empathy, compassion, trust, integrity, dignity, respect, sincerity, unity, honesty, and open-mindedness, as well as trauma-informed thinking. Implementing the Core Value Driven Care Model in a pediatric mental health unit directly impacts the perception of safety and quality of care being provided. The purpose of this study will be to assess the impact the 11 foundational core values have on employee perception of employee safety, patient safety, and quality of care.

Committee: David Meckstroth (Committee Chair); Alyncia Bowen (Committee Member); Jesse Florang (Committee Member) Subjects: Health Care; Health Care Management; Management; Mental Health; Occupational Health; Occupational Safety; Psychology; Systems Design

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2014, Industrial and Systems Engineering (Engineering and Technology)

As regional university campuses continue to increase in enrollment, centralized safety and health management structures may not be able to meet all of the demands. Currently Ohio University institutes safety in a centralized location in the Environmental Health and Safety Department at the main campus in Athens, where they help the regional campuses on an as needed basis. The primary objective of this study was to gain insight into managerial perceptions from the Environmental Health and Safety Department and from the regional campuses with regard to safety and health services and training received and/or needed. The goal was to identify the gaps between what is currently being done and what management perceives is needed. Results suggest that there are misperceptions within management at the regional campuses and between the regional campuses and the main campus at Ohio University. A lack of acknowledgement of formalized safety and health programs and appropriate incident recording indicate a need for process improvements. It is recommended that Ohio University should consider the development of a regional safety coordinator and the implementation of an established safety and health program for all campuses.

Committee: Diana Schwerha (Advisor) Subjects: Occupational Safety

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2007, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects:

Master of Science (MS), Wright State University, 2023, Human Factors and Industrial/Organizational Psychology MS

Organizational leaders want to retain employees who are healthy and motivated. Physical and mental health issues are on the rise in America for younger and older generations. Researchers have found that higher levels of autonomy relate to improved mental health, physical health, job satisfaction, performance, and the list goes on. However, a gap in the literature is a lack of understanding of the complex relationships between autonomy and outcomes, both functional and dysfunctional. I found that intrinsic motivation and autonomy support can compensate for lower levels of autonomy in one's work. These new findings provide researchers and organizational leaders with a modern perspective on past well-established findings. Organizational leaders can directly improve their employees' work and life outcomes by allocating resources and implementing interventions to align employees with work they enjoy and train leaders to better support their employees' autonomy.

Committee: Debra Steele-Johnson Ph.D. (Advisor); Nathan Bowling Ph.D. (Committee Member); Ion Juvina Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology