The National University System Repository exists to increase public access to research and other materials created by students and faculty of the affiliate institutions of National University System. Most items in the repository are open access, freely available to everyone.
Recent Submissions
Item Narrative Play: Using Tabletop Role-Playing Games for the Cognitive and Emotional Development of Diverse Populations(2025-02-05)In this thematic literature review the author explores how tabletop role-playing games (TRPGs) can be a suitable tool for improving the social and emotional skills of various populations of clients. The utilisation of TRPGs reduces the symptoms of social anxiety, improves social connectedness, and enhances emotional resilience. The research on whether virtual or in person TRPG sessions are more effective is mixed, because the researchers conducted their studies during the Covid 19 pandemic; thus, the results vary depending on the circumstances. Grounded in Yalom's (1970) group therapy framework and Bandura and Walters’s (1963) social cognitive theory, this capstone highlights that TRPGs can improve interpersonal skills, motivation, and engagement from adolescence to older adulthood. The findings suggest that TRPGs create a structured yet flexible atmosphere in which the participants feel safe, accepted, and comfortable with taking risks in a low-stakes environment to practise social interactions, develop problem-solving abilities, and engage in the co creation of narratives. Additionally, current research has suggested that TRPGs can increase intrinsic motivation and might be a suitable alternative for individuals who do not engage in traditional forms of therapy. However, the literature also reflected potential limitations, including safety concerns, the necessity of skilled facilitation, and ethical considerations with regard to fantasy-reality distinctions. The implications for practice include the need to develop a structured, regulated facilitation training, which did not exist at the time of this research. Future researchers should explore the longitudinal impacts and standardisation models to strengthen the empirical basis for therapeutically applied role-playing games (TA RPGs).Item Bridging Gaps in Perinatal Mental Health: Exploring Care for Postpartum Depression(2025-02)Postpartum depression can be a serious concern for new families and parents. Many families face marginalized care and support during this challenging period. Using the Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory and Crenshaw’s intersectionality theory as guiding frameworks, this capstone examines how systemic factors, including socioeconomic status, cultural identity, and access to healthcare, intersect to shape the postpartum experiences of individuals. By exploring current evidence in research and literature reviews, the capstone will investigate the various risk and protective factors that influence the postpartum experience. The capstone will also explore various evidence-based treatment interventionss to identify a multidisciplinary approach to perinatal mental health care. Implications for the review, limitations, recommendations and future research are discussed, aiming to enhance equity and accessibility in perinatal mental health support across diverse populations.Item Developing Core Competencies for Reference Staff(2024)A poster presentation for the California Academic Reference Librarians Discussion Interest Group-South (CARLDIG-S)Item Continuous Improvement in the Face of Change Evaluating and Enhancing Library Webinars at an Online University(2024-11) Our project had two specific goals. First, we wanted to minimize the cognitive load needed to understand the format and purposes of our webinars. In the wake of National University and Northcentral University's recent merger, our students were bombarded with a vast number of new resources and updated information. It was therefore essential that our library services (including webinars) were intuitive and easy to understand. Our second goal was to ensure an effective return on investment of librarian time by identifying both less-attended and highly popular webinars in the wake of an increased, post-merger student population. We conducted a quantitative analysis of webinar attendance data over the previous year. Data collection involved collating and correcting data from two Libcal systems, due to the recent merger of two library systems. Attendance data was then averaged and correlated with the audience, time of day, and day of the week. The results were then color-coded to support rapid interpretation of the results. The quantitative analysis was augmented with a qualitative assessment of librarian feedback and published literature to contextualize attendance data, interpret meaning, and extrapolate best practices. From our research, we generated a list of best practices for webinar titles, descriptions, branding, and tags. We also were able to identify several under-attended webinars suitable to be retired from their current live webinar format, as well as some highly popular webinars that should be offered more often. Through the internal assessment process, we also identified our webinars as an opportunity for continuous review and improvement.Item Understanding Negative Body Image and Its Consequences in Black Women from a Culturally Responsive Lens(2024-10)Negative body image in Black women is a critically understudied and misunderstood sociocultural issue that is often viewed from a Eurocentric lens, ignoring the cultural nuances that exist for Black women, which is reflective of the historical and systemic discrimination and erasure that Black women have long faced in North America. This capstone research project utilizes a thematic literature review of peer-reviewed studies published between 2019 and 2024 to investigate how culturally specific factors shape and influence body image and the lived experiences of Black women. This review is guided by the question: How can we better understand body image concerns in Black women to provide culturally responsive counseling and treatment? Key findings reveal that negative body image is developed and influenced in adolescence by parents, family and friends, and for Black women is compounded by factors such as colorism, conflicting Eurocentric and cultural beauty standards, the strong, black woman persona, and media representations that portray Black women in a marginalized, caricatured, and stereotyped way. These culturally nuanced stressors are linked to mental health concerns, including depression, anxiety, and eating disorders that are often undiagnosed and untreated due to systemic and cultural barriers, emphasizing the importance of culturally responsive therapeutic practices, community-based interventions, and culturally inclusive frameworks in both research and clinical practice to better understand and address the unique experiences of Black women with body image-related concerns.
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