Student Research Symposium Program Fall 2024

Ryan Greenwood - “Student Perceptions of Mental Health Services on College Campuses” (poster session 1) This study investigates student perceptions of mental health services at Missouri Valley College, focusing on factors such as adequacy, accessibility, stigma, and barriers to help-seeking behavior. As mental health challenges like anxiety, depression, and stress increasingly affect college students, institutions must provide adequate support systems. Previous research highlights the impact of stigma, accessibility issues, and perceptions of service adequacy on student utilization of mental health resources. Through a survey of Missouri Valley College students, this study seeks to determine whether the current mental health services meet their needs and identify potential improvement areas. Findings indicate that while awareness of mental health services is relatively high, stigma and accessibility issues remain significant barriers. The study concludes with recommendations for enhancing mental health support at Missouri Valley College, including increasing resources, improving outreach, and fostering a more supportive campus climate to promote positive student mental health outcomes. Maria Greider - “Performance of Distinction in Debate: Poetry Interpretation” (session 3) According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America anxiety affects over 40 million Americans as one of the largest mental illnesses faced by Americans, yet only 36.9% receive treatment. Regularly, people are made fun of or told their anxiety is not a real instance of a mental health concern. Yet, this population is 6 times more likely to be hospitalized than those who do not face some form of anxiety. This nationally qualified debate performance is a representation utilizing poetry in order to tell a story surrounding the experience of living and struggling with anxiety. This performance is an advocacy piece pushing for better awareness and understanding of anxiety in our world. Stephanie Griffith - “Educating Families of Hospice Patients” (session 9) Currently, 1.8 million people in the United States use hospice. Hospice is a specific type of care that focuses on the patients’ quality of end-of-life care provided. Studies show 70% of the population have no knowledge of hospice. The purpose of this project is to educate family members of patients on hospice about pain management strategies, nonverbal cues the patient is suffering, and differences between palliative and hospice care in booklet form. The goal is for family members of these patients to be able to care for their loved ones with minimal harm being caused. Around 40-80% of information provided to patients is immediately forgotten and of that retained, 50% is incorrect. One way to ensure that family members comprehend the material of the education they receive is to use the teach- back method. In the event that a patient forgets any education, they can refer to this take-home booklet. Andrea Grigoras - “Impact of Playing Surface on Lower Extremity Injuries in Men College’s Soccer: A Comparative Study of Grass and Turf Fields” (session 3) An increasing number of college campuses are being asked to support more outdoor athletic teams, which poses a challenge for athletic departments trying to stay within budget constraints. One potential solution is converting natural grass fields to synthetic turf, which research shows has various

advantages. However, synthetic turf also appears to increase the risk of lower extremity injuries. Our qualitative study examined injury reports from two comparable men’s college soccer teams—one playing on natural grass, the other on synthetic turf. Using a Two Proportions: Two-Tail Z Test, our findings aligned with previous studies, confirming increased injury rates on synthetic turf and leading us to reject our null hypothesis. Wyatt Grunwald - “Community Composition of Catfishes in the Salt Fork Creek, Saline County, Missouri, with Notes on Interactions with Freshwater Mussels” (session 8) Catfishes (Ictaluridae) are an ancestral group of fishes with a fossil record dating back to the Cretaceous Period (~70 million years ago). Several species of catfishes reside in the Salt Fork Creek, Saline Co. The Salt Fork Creek is a third order stream that possesses physical characteristics from the Glaciated Plains to the north and Ozark Plateau to the south. The purpose of this research was to examine spatial differences in the community composition of catfishes in the Salt Fork Creek while also examining potential mussel parasites. Jesus Gutierrez, Brittani Heuszel & Julia Vidallon - “Authoritative Parenting & Childhood Psychological Development” (graduate session 3) The presentation will aim to inform parents, future parents, and caregivers in effective techniques to help guide children through the childhood development period. Research has shown that children thrive in authoritative parenting households and are less likely to experience mental health issues (Wang et al., 2024). Authoritative Parenting is an interactive parenting style that combines high levels of affection, sensitivity and responsivity with moderate to high levels of regulations and demandingness (Broderick & Blewitt, 2020). Childhood psychological developmental periods and influences of authoritative parenting style will be covered in the presentation to help caregivers better guide children in building firm foundations that foster positive and desirable traits. The presentation will be broken into 3 parts; Why authoritative parenting is positive. Why it’s important to middle childhood development, and ways to effectively implement authoritative parenting with a child going through that phase of psychological development. David Gysbers - “Evaluating the Association Between Procrastination and Academic Achievement” (poster session 1) It has been well established that procrastination is a significant issue among college students. Prior research has documented the high prevalence of procrastination and the relationship between procrastination and academic success. This study aims to determine the impacts of procrastination on student achievement at Missouri Valley College. This research will focus on active versus passive procrastination, academic apathy, and their correlation with academic achievement. A convenience sample of 100 Missouri Valley students will be analyzed through an online questionnaire containing 34 items. This questionnaire will test four categories: general procrastination, active versus passive procrastination, academic apathy, and academic achievement. After collecting the responses, the data will be presented and discussed.

Fall 2024 Student Research Symposium | Page 14

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