Medical trauma is a psychological phenomenon that sometimes results from illness and/or highly stressful medical treatments, procedures, hospitalization, and interactions with the healthcare system. Medical trauma affects nearly every aspect of an individual’s life, can lead to avoidance or excessive utilization of healthcare services, and may result in adverse health outcomes. In the past, researchers have documented various conditions, diagnoses, procedures, and events that may lead to medical trauma. Some researchers focus on clinically treating medical trauma and medical-related PTSD through diverse therapeutic methods. However, to date, few researchers have explored common thematic elements across the narratives of individuals who have experienced medical trauma. The scarcity of qualitative research on medical trauma narratives likely contributes to the limited awareness and understanding of medical trauma among healthcare professionals, mental health clinicians, and the general public. In this study, I am interviewing adult residents of Idaho regarding their personal experiences with medical trauma. Utilizing data derived from participant responses, I am conducting a thematic analysis to identify shared themes across various narratives and experiences of medical trauma. In the future, this research can be used to support further studies and help raise awareness of medical trauma.

This theoretical project examined the potential for a situated assessment of empathy and compassion in the context of efforts to train compassion via meditation. Rather than measuring the generalized experiences of individuals through aggregated self-report, situated assessments measure a construct in the situations where it occurs. In this context, it is applied to form of meditation called “the benefactor practice,” in which people learn to become receptive to experiences of care by calling to mind and visualizing a benefactor (e.g., a memory of a caring moment or an important person who demonstrated kindness). The situated assessment will assess the experiential qualities brought forth by the mediation in individuals and whether or not those felt qualities can enhance sustainable empathy while reducing feelings of empathetic distress. Researchers have shown that situated assessments outperform more generalized measures in predicting people’s behavior in specific contexts, which is necessary for assessing the diverse range of experiences brought forth by mediations. This theoretical work will form the basis for a future empirical project to assess people’s experience with the benefactor practice and its effect on empathy and compassion.

Falls are a significant health concern among the elderly, often leading to serious injuries, reduced mobility, and loss of independence. While exercise can not completely eliminate the chance of an individual falling, it can lead to increased stability and reduce fall risks. How do assisted living communities provide elderly populations varied opportunities for exercise to improve stability, and what exercise programs can be offered to keep them from getting bored and quitting? This study examines the effectiveness of Tai Chi and Traditional Balance exercises in enhancing physical stability and self-assurance among older adults residing in assisted living facilities. Volunteer residents (N = 8) of the Benedictine Living Community consented to participate. All participants were involved in an exercise routine at the time of the study, able to stand supported for short periods (i.e., 2 minutes), exercise without supplemental oxygen (eliminating the risk of tubing causing potential falls), and had not experienced an adverse event or fallen prior to beginning the study. Participants were randomly placed in either the Tai Chi or Traditional Balance group that met 30 minutes twice a week for 8 weeks. Initial assessments were conducted to give a baseline for the participants' balance and confidence. Questionnaires on participant confidence were collected weekly, and post-program assessments were completed at the end of the eight-week program. The study findings may contribute to the development of additional evidence-based exercise recommendations for fall prevention, providing older adults with more options and a variety of exercise regimes.

Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities have been subjected to intergenerational racial traumatic stressors, yet lack accessibility to the means of navigating and healing said trauma. Previous research suggests the efficacy of somatic practices for the reduction of posttraumatic stress symptoms.The objective of this research is to assess the feasibility and acceptability of an Embodied Radical Healing intervention (i.e., Radical Healing integrated with Trauma Center Trauma-Sensitive Yoga [TCTSY] for BIPOC communities) and identify the preliminary effects of the intervention on race-based traumatic stress and posttraumatic stress disorder/complex posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms. This study hypothesizes that the intervention will be both feasible and acceptable and show a trend toward symptom reduction by the end of the study. TCTSY is the main somatic approach used in Embodied Radical Healing. Ten to twelve participants are recruited in each of the two rounds via convenience sampling. The participants attend the Embodied Radical Healing sessions once a week for 10 weeks. Effects of the interventions will be measured through the use of qualitative data gathered from participant interviews. This research is the qualitative portion of a mixed-method, multiphasic, single-arm, community-based, and longitudinal trail. After our interviews, consensual qualitative research approaches will be used to identify commonalities and nuances in the results of our research.

Poor working memory may result in a negative response in a subject's goal directed behaviors, problem solving skills, learning challenges, and social interactions, caused by various factors. Working memory (WM) correlates with P300 amplitude, an event related brain potential measured using electroencephalography (EEG), and a higher level of WM decreases the P300 amplitude. The n back task is a cognitive test to assess the WM, specifically the P300 amplitude. This study hypothesizes that vagus nerve (vibrotactile taVNA) will increase the participants’ P300 amplitude during an n back task, thus increasing their WM capacity. This study examines the differences between a control working memory while doing a two back test and a vagus nerve stimuli group on a cross over experimental design. Using the n back method, the researchers assess the EEG of the P300 wave amplitude after a brief stimulus via Python. Previous studies indicate a correlation between WM with P300 wave amplitude, N back with P300 amplitude, and Vagus Nerve with WM; hence, this research suggests a correlation between all variables. Results show that the stimulation group will have a larger P300 value compared to the control group. These results show that vagus nerve stimulation could be used to improve a user's working memory.

This study investigates the impact of attachment styles on emotional expression and relationships dynamics. Based on the attachment theory, it hypothesizes that individuals with insecure attachment styles will demonstrate an increase in negative emotional expression and responsiveness in relationships. The hypothesis will be tested by conducting a survey for adults aged 18 and above using established questionnaires via the UW-Whitewater survey system. Anticipated results are expected to reveal the correlations between specific attachment styles and patterns of emotional expression and responsiveness in relationships. This research will contribute a deeper understanding of the interplay between attachment styles, emotional regulation strategies, and relationship dynamics. Future directions include developing interventions to help promote positive emotional regulation strategies and relationship satisfaction based on attachment styles.