Depression is a significant problem in university students, and the majority of students who identify as depressed are not receiving treatment (American College Health Association, 2013). In response to the significant underutilization of treatment amongst depressed college students, colleges and universities recently have begun to depend on fellow students, faculty, and staff to recognize and respond to at-risk students. These campus community members are often on the “front lines” of dealing with troubled students (Kitzrow, 2009). However, research has not kept up with the increasing practice of using laypeople to identify and make appropriate referrals, so the variables influencing the effectiveness of this practice are unknown. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to explore specific variables hypothesized to impact student, faculty, and staff members’ recognition and response to a hypothetical student’s depression symptoms. Using a theoretical framework informed by mental health literacy (Jorm, 2000), the research utilized a pilot study to develop three vignettes that differed by depression severity. The larger dissertation study was implemented with 1,625 university students, faculty, and staff to investigate the relations between the vignette depression severity, demographic factors, perceived severity of depression, and response behaviors. Results indicated that the university community could distinguish between differing presentations of depression, and could differentially select responses to a hypothetical depressed student which were consistent with their perceived depression severity. In addition, consistent with previous research, men and people with no prior mental health experience reported responding with less intensity relative to women and those with certain mental health experience. Findings are explored in the context of a university that experienced a recent tragedy. The study concludes with a discussion of implications for policy and future research.

Over the past year, the novel coronavirus disease, also called SARS-COV-2 or COVID-19, has plunged the world into a period of upheaval and tragedy. Throughout the uncertainty, psychologists have attempted to stay abreast of the tidal wave of potential psychological impacts of the pandemic. Some scholars contributed predictions of what mental health consequences we might expect based on learnings from past viral outbreaks or on understandings of human sensibilities and behavior. Others studied the psychological outcomes in real time, allowing people to share their experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic as it unfolded. This dissertation contributes two texts to our growing base of pandemic knowledge.

Part I includes a longitudinal study with surveys sent on March 18 and April 15 of 2020, two of the very first months of the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States. During this unique period of time, participants offered insight into their experiences of psychological distress and pandemic coping. Descriptive analyses showed widespread disruption to participants’ lives and high rates of distress. Hierarchical linear regression analyses revealed reported use of Socially Supported Coping strategies was related to less loneliness, while use of Avoidant Coping strategies was associated with more loneliness and greater psychological distress overall. Methodological limitations – including use of a non-representative sample and adapted measures – are considered and implications for pandemic coping and adjustment are discussed. This study is one of relatively few conducted during this unique time period and holds both empirical and historical value as a look at the coping experiences of a subset of Americans during the initial stage of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Part II includes a review of the current literature regarding the mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on college students in the United States. Also discussed are empirically based recommendations for coping, including helping students cultivate social support, locate identity affirming spaces, build healthy routines, hold flexible mindsets and engage in positive coping, utilize psychotherapy, and access instrumental support.

Together, these two texts comprise novel research findings, synthesis of scholarship, and clinical recommendations that may be useful to researchers, clinicians, historians, or any human interested in better understanding and navigating the psychological consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The frameworks and models employed in conventional policy analysis serve poorly the purpose of examining the impacts of institutions and public policies upon citizenship and democracy. This failing is all the more serious during the current period of non-incremental institutional and public policy change. Such fundamental changes in the landscape of governance include: the diminishing power of Washington and the devolution of authority over many issues to lower levels of government; the movement of many public issues from public to private spheres; the use of market-like incentives in public policies; the emergence of community-based initiatives in policy; and the creation of new institutional forms including new kinds of property rights and regional forums. The purpose of this round table is to raise critical questions about the possible side effects of the "reforms" being undertaken. What will be the impacts on already underserved constituencies? How will institutional and public policy changes affect the mobilization of and participation of groups? How will the attitudes citizens hold about their obligations to government and their conceptions of role of government in society be altered? And, from a research perspective, how should the models and methodologies political scientists and policy analysts be modified to better capture the effects on institutions and policies upon citizenship and democracy?

This study explores the help-seeking process of English-speaking Orthodox Jews living in Jerusalem, Israel. There is a belief, backed by some research coming out of public mental health facilities in Jerusalem, that the religious community underutilizes traditional mental health resources (Rosen, Greenberg, Schmeidler & Shefler, 2008). The conclusion of the research proposes that the underutilization is likely due to stigma within the community. This study addresses the question: What is the process that Orthodox Jewish English-speaking immigrants in the Jerusalem community use to seek help in times of emotional stress? The study addresses both barriers and facilitators to resources for this community.

A qualitative, constructivist grounded theory approach was used in the collection and analysis of 26 interviews. Standards of trustworthiness as outlined by Morrow (2005) were used to ensure the rigor of the study. The result is an attachment theory-informed, nine-stage cyclical model of help-seeking as well as in-depth descriptive information about individuals' unique and culturally specific experience of the nine stages. Factors such as individuals' help-seeking filters, structural barriers (mainly transportation and cost) as well as community emphasis on privacy and therapist value-match are some of the barriers identified by participants as important in their help-seeking processes; these findings indicate a more complex explanation and understanding of why this population may not use government-funded resources. These findings also have important implications for theory, research, practice and education.

Introduction: Pyogenic flexor tenosynovitis (PFT) is difficult to diagnose on clinical grounds alone as many patients requiring an operation do not have all four of Kanavel’s signs. Previous studies have shown that hypoechoic fluid surrounding the flexor tendon on ultrasound is associated with this diagnosis. We sought to determine if emergency physicians (EP) could recognize this finding in patients with suspected flexor tenosynovitis using point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS).

Methods: We present a retrospective case series of seven patients suspected of PFT who had hypoechoic fluid surrounding the tendon on POCUS performed by the treating EP. We report on the patient characteristics, history of trauma by puncture wound, number of Kanavel’s signs, treatment course, and operative findings.

Results: We identified seven patients whom the EP had suspected of having flexor tenosynovitis and who were subsequently found to have anechoic or hypoechoic fluid surrounding the flexor tendon on real-time POCUS examination. Patients ranged in age from 16 – 51 years. All were male. All patients had at least two of Kanavel’s signs on examination. Five of seven (71%) patients had history of recent trauma to the affected hand. Four of seven (57%) were managed in the operating room. One of seven (14%) had incision and drainage at the bedside, and the remaining two (28%) were managed non-operatively and successfully with antibiotics alone.

Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that EPS can recognize the finding of hypoechoic or anechoic fluid surrounding the flexor tendon on POCUS.