Proposal

Personal Prevention Project
Chelsea Glessner
Draft #2 (2-2-08)

I. Project Vision

Name: Staying Sane?

Project Identity: This project is designed to test various coping mechanisms with regard to daily stresses and use statistical analysis to determine the validity of distinct interventions upon my personal stress levels as measured by self-report (See I. A. a. for specific tests used).

Goal: To improve mental health and increase ability to use positive coping mechanisms

Healthy People 2010 Focus Area: Mental Health and Mental Disorders (#18)

Outcomes:
1. Show consistently lower stress measures upon completion
2. Reduce recurrence of stressful states
3. Show ability to lead a 10-30 minute teaching workshop on positive coping strategies and their benefits using first-hand knowledge

Secondary Outcomes:
1. Increase knowledge of mental health problems and diseases
2. Increase knowledge of positive coping mechanisms
3. Increase awareness of services for mental health

Level of Prevention: Secondary

Project Timeline: February 1 – August 24

Project Documented: blog found at http://stayingsaneppp.blogspot.com/ with weekly journaling, milestones, intervention plans, and assessment report as completed

Milestone Check: The specific interventions for stress management will change monthly. Upon this change, the Perceived Stress Scale (Cohen, 1983) will be completed to get data on the monthly stress level prior to starting an intervention and finishing another. Another check will be to obtain cathecolamine and cortisol tests (urine and saliva, respectively) from the Duke Student Health Center to get a physiologic picture of stress in between stress interventions. The milestone check will include assessment of compliance to interventions and a self-analysis of possible barriers to compliance as well as written suggestions to improve compliance. This will all be completed on the blog.

A. Assessment Parameters
a. Self-evaluation tests
b. Self-identified weekly stressors
c. Physiological Response to stress and interventions
i. Heart rate self-measured before and after every intervention
ii. Blood pressure weekly as measured by a student nurse
iii. Catecholamines (urine test) and cortisol (saliva) monthly
d. Statistical analysis on stress-measurement scores and any evidence of statistical correlation between self-assessment scores and intervention plans

B. Empirics
a. Bormann, J. E., Becker, S., Gershiwin, M., Kelly, A., Pada, L., Smith, T. L., et al. (2006). Relationship of Frequent Mantram Repetition to Emotional and Spiritual Well-Being in Healthcare Workers. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing , 218-224.
b. Brantley, P. J., Bodenlos, J. S., Cowles, M., Whitehead, D., Ancona, M., & Jones, G. N. (2007). Development and Validation of the Weekly Stress Inventory-Short Form. Journal of Psychopathological Behavioral Assessment , 55-60.
c. Brantley, P. J., Waggoner, C. D., Jones, G. N., & Rappaport, N. B. (1987). A Daily Stress Inventory: Development, Reliability, and Validity. Journal of Behavioral Medicine , 61-74.
d. Cohen, S., Kamarck, T., & Mermelstein, R. (1983). A Global Measure of Perceived Stress. Journal of Health and Social Behavior , 385-396.
e. Granarth, J., Ingvarsson, S., von Thiele, U., & Lundberg, U. (2006). Stress Management: A Randomized Study of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Yoga. Cognitive Behavior Therapy , 3-10.
f. Harris, A. H., Cronkite, R., & Moos, R. (2006). Physical activity, exercise coping, and depression in a 10-year cohort study of depressed patients. Journal of Affective Disorders , 79-85.
g. Roth, D. L., & Holmes, D. S. (1987). Influence of Aerobic Exercise Training and Relaxation Training on Physical and Psychological Health Following Stressful Life Events. Psychosomatic Medicine , 355-365.

C. Action Strategies
a. Participate in self-monitored predetermined interventions
b. Self-evaluate stress before and after every intervention action
c. Keep personal and professional journal
d. Attend therapy sessions at CAPS
e. Consult with Dr. Martin for self-assessment scales
f. Consult with CAPS therapist for self-therapies and interventions
g. Consult with Duke Integrative Medicine for self-therapies and interventions

D. Baseline Assessment
a. Self-evaluation tests
i. Perceived Stress Scale (Cohen, 1983)
ii. Heart rate and blood pressure measurements
iii. Catecholamine and cortisol measurements
b. Initial assessment visit with CAPS at Duke University
E. Implementation Plan
a. Use of different intervention strategies for predetermined amount of time
b. Self-evaluation during each intervention
i. Prior to and after intervention (monthly): Perceived Stress Scale (Cohen, 1983)
ii. Weekly Stress Inventory-Short Form (Brantley, 2007)
iii. Daily Stress Inventory (Brantley, 1987)
c. Intervention Schedule:

February: Daily Exercise
March: Meditation
April: Volunteer Work
May: Mantram Repetition
June: Yoga
July: Progressive Relaxation
August: Subject Choice

F. Evaluation
a. Descriptive Statistics of assessment scores
b. Statistical examination of correlation between interventions and assessment scores
c. Subjective opinion of intervention effectiveness
d. Peer Evaluation of Portfolio