Janell Mensinger

Nova Southeastern University | NSU · Clinical and School Psychology

Background Adolescent suicide crises usually require mental health services (inpatient and/or outpatient) to address their needs. Navigating the health care system, especially around suicide crises, is difficult and parents of adolescents usually manage their treatment access and engagement. Little research has examined how parents take on this car...

COVID-19 exacerbated burnout and mental health concerns among the healthcare workforce. Due to high work stress, demanding schedules made attuned eating behaviors a particularly challenging aspect of self-care for healthcare workers. This study aimed to examine the feasibility and acceptability of a heart rate variability biofeedback (HRVB) mobile...

COVID-19 exacerbated burnout and mental health concerns among the healthcare workforce. Due to high work stress, demanding schedules made attuned eating behaviors a particularly challenging aspect of self-care for healthcare workers. This study aimed to examine the feasibility and acceptability of a mindfulness-based heart rate variability biofeedb...

The Eating Disorders In weight-related Therapy (EDIT) Collaboration brings together data from randomised controlled trials of behavioural weight management interventions to identify individual participant risk factors and intervention strategies that contribute to eating disorder risk. We present a protocol for a systematic review and individual pa...

Eating disorders (ED) and weight stigma pose significant healthcare challenges. Patients at higher weights, like some with atypical anorexia (AAN), may face increased challenges due to weight stigma. This study analyzed patients' lived experiences with weight stigma in healthcare. Thirty-eight adult patients with AAN completed in-depth, semi-struct...

Research shows that individuals with a body mass index (BMI) over 30 have experienced an 11-fold increase in restrictive eating and a 7-fold increase in binge eating since the 1990s. Most health promotion programs for higher-weight individuals have not been developed with the high eating disorder risk for this population in mind. The purpose of cur...

Aims and objectives Studies have shown that the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on individuals who interact with patients with SARS-CoV-2 but focused largely on clinicians in acute care settings. This qualitative descriptive study aimed to understand the experiences and well-being of essential workers across settings during the pandemic. Backgr...

The Eating Disorders In weight-related Therapy (EDIT) Collaboration brings together data from randomised controlled trials of behavioural weight management interventions to identify individual participant risk factors and intervention strategies that contribute to eating disorder risk. We present a protocol for a systematic review and individual pa...

Purpose To examine the sequential explanatory roles of frailty and depression in the relationship between fear of falling (FOF) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in older adults. Design Secondary data analysis Methods Path models were constructed hypothesizing frailty and depression as serial mediators of the relationship between FoF and...

Background Self-reported symptom causes of mobility difficulty that contribute to fear of falling (FOF) in older adults has not been fully explored as an area for intervention.AimsIdentify the prevalence of self-reported symptoms causing mobility difficulties and to examine the difference in FOF by symptom category.Methods Conduct a secondary data...

Objective: There are limited data to guide the interpretation of scores on measures of eating-disorder psychopathology among underrepresented individuals. We aimed to provide norms for the Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire (EDE-Q) and Clinical Impairment Assessment (CIA) across racial/ethnic, gender, and sexual identities, and sexual orien...

Family relationships are a critical factor in the etiology and maintenance of disordered eating (DE). Attachment theory provides a framework for how relational factors can impact DE, which can be further expanded with objectification theory. Parental relationships can either buffer or increase risk for body shame and DE. Specifically, parental psyc...

Age is a risk factor for a host of poor outcomes following traumatic brain injury (TBI), with some evidence suggesting that age is also a source of excess disability. We tested the extent to which age moderates the effect of injury severity on functional trajectories over 15 years post injury. Data from 11,442 participants from the 2020 National In...

INTRODUCTION. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic substantially affects health care workers from multiple disciplines, including nurses, physicians, therapists, and first responders. The aims of this study were to 1) explore and describe the experiences of health care workers and first responders working with individuals with COVID-19 infection, and 2) i...

Purpose Feeling connected to nature, or nature relatedness (NR), can positively impact physical and psychological well-being. However, the relationship between NR and dietary behaviors has not been studied. This research examined the relationship between NR and dietary behaviors, including dietary diversity and fruit and vegetable intake. Design C...

The COVID-19 pandemic introduced an unprecedented health crisis, requiring many Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) to expand their duties and services, while other RDNs faced unemployment, reduced hours, and changes to their work environment. This study evaluated whether the pandemic impacted RDNs’ weight, eating behaviors, and psychological...

Mobility limitations in older adults are associated with negative outcomes including fear of falls (FOF) and poorer quality of life. However, self-reported symptoms contributing to mobility difficulty have not been fully explored as an area for intervention. The study aimed to identify the prevalence of self-reported symptom causes of difficulty wa...

To enhance access to evidence-based treatment it is increasingly important to evaluate scalable virtual programs that support the needs of those struggling with disordered eating. This study described a scientifically grounded, trauma-informed framework known as Body Trust,® and aimed to pilot test the preliminary effectiveness and mechanisms of ch...

Studies show decreased well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially for healthcare providers from Asia. Less is known about the psychological responses of working during the pandemic on hospital-based registered nurses (RNs) in the United States (US). Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to report the well-being of U.S.-based hospital RNs...

The COVID-19 pandemic required schools to transition courses to an online platform. This shift to Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) created gaps in the literature about its impact on students. The purpose of this study was to test the relationship between learner and instructional attributes and learner satisfaction with ERT. A modified version of th...

Objective: Given increased prevalence of eating disorders (EDs) among individuals higher on the weight spectrum we aimed to: 1) report the prevalence of ED patients in higher levels of care (residential, partial hospitalization, and intensive outpatient) attributing the onset of their ED to anti-obesity messaging, 2) report the most commonly recol...

BACKGROUND Early during the development of the COVID-19 pandemic it was evident that healthcare workers, first responders and other essential workers would face significant stress and workplace demands related to equipment shortages and rapidly growing infections in the general population. Although the effects of other sources of stress on health h...

Background: Early during the development of the COVID-19 pandemic it was evident that healthcare workers, first responders and other essential workers would face significant stress and workplace demands related to equipment shortages and rapidly growing infections in the general population. Although the effects of other sources of stress on health...

Objective: Currently, there is debate in the eating disorders field regarding how to define atypical anorexia (AAN), how prevalent it is in community and clinical settings, and how AAN rates compare with low-weight AN. This systematic review assesses AAN literature from 2007 to 2020, to investigate: (a) the demographic characteristics of AAN studi...

Objectives: We developed a tool, Serial Neurologic Assessment in Pediatrics, to screen for neurologic changes in patients, including those who are intubated, are sedated, and/or have developmental disabilities. Our aims were to: 1) determine protocol adherence when performing Serial Neurologic Assessment in Pediatrics, 2) determine the interrater...

Background: mHealth apps have been not been well tested among childhood cancer survivors (CCSs) to track physical and psychosocial functioning for improved self-management of post-treatment needs. Objectives: This pilot study had 3 aims: (1) assess the usage of the Health Storylines mHealth app; (2) examine its effect in improving self-efficacy...

Fear of falling is a known predictor for decreased health-related quality of life (QoL) in older adults, including among high risk frail community-dwelling older adults with multiple comorbidities including depression. The study aimed to examine the sequential explanatory roles of frailty and depressive symptoms in the relationship between fear of...

Prior research suggests that diabetes is a risk factor for falling. Moreover, older adults with diabetes are more likely to experience hip fractures when compared to older adults without diabetes. Research has also shown a relationship between fear of falling and quality of life. This study aimed to examine the moderating role of diabetes in the re...

Objectives: Determine level of agreement among clinical signs of shock type, identify which signs clinicians prioritize to determine shock type and select vasoactive medications, and test the association of shock type-vasoactive mismatch with prolonged organ dysfunction or death (complicated course). Design: Retrospective observational study. S...

Aims: This mixed methods quasi-experimental study examined the outcomes of a brief art therapy-based and a narrative interview-based intervention to address the psychosocial needs of home hospice caregivers. Methods: Participants (n = 14) chose to participate either in a narrative interview (n = 7) or arts-based interview (n = 7). Standardised self...

A cancer diagnosis can be extremely stressful and life-altering for patients. Chronically high levels of stress can increase inflammation and affect the progression of the cancer. Psychosocial interventions could reduce stress and address cancer patients’ emotional, psychological, and spiritual needs. This mixed-methods pilot study compared 2 singl...

Eating disorders (EDs) occur at higher rates among sexual/gender minorities (SGMs). We currently know little about the risk factor profile of SGMs entering ED specialty care. Objective: To (a) compare history of abuse-related risk in SGMs to cisgender heterosexuals (CHs) when entering treatment, (b) determine if SGMs enter and exit treatment with...

Objectives: Systemic endothelial activation may contribute to sepsis-associated organ injury, including acute respiratory distress syndrome. We hypothesized that children with extrapulmonary sepsis with versus without acute respiratory distress syndrome would have plasma biomarkers indicative of increased endothelial activation and that persistent...

Objectives: To evaluate the effect of providing early attending physician involvement via telemedicine to improve the decision process of rapid response teams. Design: Quasi-experimental; three pairs of control/intervention months: June/July; August/October; November/December. Setting: Single-center, urban, quaternary academic children's hospi...

Background: Deviations (DEVs) from resuscitation guidelines are associated with worse outcomes after adult in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA), but impact during pediatric IHCA is unknown. Methods: Retrospective cohort study of prospectively collected data from the American Heart Association's Get With The Guidelines-Resuscitation registry. Childr...

Objectives: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has a prevalence of 4% in children. Few studies have explored the role of secondhand smoke (SHS) on OSA severity and have shown contradicting results. Most studies have focused on the effect of SHS on snoring. This study explored the association of SHS exposure and OSA severity in children aged 3-18 years....

Eating disorders are a serious, life-threating condition impacting adolescents and young adults. Providers in primary care settings have an important role in identifying disordered eating (DE) symptoms. Unfortunately, symptoms go undetected in 50% of patients in medical settings. Using the behavioral health screen, this study identified DE risk pro...

Women are disproportionately impacted by pain compared to men, highlighting the need to better under- stand factors that contribute to this gender disparity. Previous findings suggest weight-related stigma may be associated with pain among women attempting to lose weight. The goal of this study is to deter- mine if experienced and/or internalized we...

Background: Ventilation is critical in airway management, and failure can be fatal. The optimal ventilation approach for endotracheal intubation in children with difficult airways remains controversial. The Pediatric Difficult Intubation (PeDI) Registry is an international multicenter registry that collects intubation data in difficult to intubate...

Objective: To determine trends in opioid prescribing for home use after pediatric outpatient surgery. Design: Retrospective analysis of a de-identified database. Setting: Multispecialty children's hospital and freestanding surgery centers. Patients, participants: A total of 65,190 encounters of pediatric outpatient surgeries from 2013 throug...

Background Serious childhood illnesses (SCI), defined as severe pneumonia, severe dehydration, sepsis, and severe malaria, remain major contributors to amenable child mortality worldwide. Inadequate recognition and treatment of SCI are factors that impact child mortality in Botswana. Skills assessments of providers caring for SCI have not been vali...

Objective: External ventricular drains (EVDs) are commonly used in the neurosurgical population. However, very few pediatric neurosurgery studies are available regarding EVD-associated infection rates with antibiotic-impregnated EVD catheters. The authors previously published a large pediatric cohort study analyzing nonantibiotic-impregnated EVD c...

Objectives Millions of children die every year from serious childhood illnesses. Most deaths are avertable with access to quality care. Saving Children’s Lives (SCL) includes an abbreviated high-intensity training (SCL-aHIT) for providers who treat serious childhood illnesses. The objective of this study was to examine the impact of SCL-aHIT on kno...

Purpose: Caring for cancer patients can be highly stressful for both family caregivers and oncology professionals. These high levels of stress can lead to poorer patient outcomes and increased risk of health problems for the caregivers themselves. Art therapy may help these caregivers as art-making can be a relaxing and enjoyable form of self-expr...

Objectives: Estimate the inter-rater reliability of critical care nurses performing a pediatric modification of the Glasgow Coma Scale in a contemporary PICU. Design: Prospective observation study. Setting: Large academic PICU. Patients/subjects: All 274 nurses with permanent assignments in the PICU were eligible to participate. A subset of...

Background: Prophylactic analgesic administration reduces pain behavior after pediatric bilateral myringotomy and pressure equalization tube placement (BMT). We hypothesized that postoperative pain in children treated with intraoperative ketorolac would, among several exposures of interest, be strongly associated with ear condition. Methods: We...

Background: In infants and young children, anesthetic dosing is based on population pharmacokinetics and patient hemodynamics not on patient-specific brain activity. Electroencephalography (EEG) provides insight into brain activity during anesthesia. The primary goal of this prospective observational pilot study was to assess the prevalence of iso...

Importance Guidelines for declaration of brain death in children were revised in 2011 by the Society of Critical Care Medicine, American Academy of Pediatrics, and Child Neurology Society. Despite widespread medical, legal, and ethical acceptance, ongoing controversies exist with regard to the concept of brain death and the procedures for its deter...

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine changes in scores from the Kouzes and Posner Student Leadership Practices Inventory of undergraduate students in the health professions who were engaged in a nine-month leadership program. The authors also assessed changes in scores on the same inventory for several observers who rated the students’...

This Statistical Analysis Plan (SAP) details the statistical procedures to be applied for the analysis of data for the multi‐center electroencephalography (EEG) study. It consists of a basic description of the study in broad terms and separate sections that detail the methods of different aspects of the statistical analysis, summarized under the fo...

Biomedical research has been struck with the problem of study findings that are not reproducible. With the advent of large databases and powerful statistical software, it has become easier to find associations and form conclusions from data without forming an a‐priori hypothesis. This approach may yield associations without clinical relevance, fals...

Sizeism permeates and shapes how scientific and professional communities—including therapists—perceive, understand, and behave toward anyone considered fat. In this article, we use scientific evidence to argue for the recognition and establishment of fat acceptance to subvert sizeism. We first critically review the Weight Normative Approach, which...

Studies show that women with high BMI are less likely than thinner women to seek healthcare. We aimed to determine the mechanisms linking women's weight status to their healthcare avoidance. Women (N = 313) were surveyed from a U.S. health-panel database. We tested a theory-driven model containing multiple stigma and body-related constructs linking...

Background: Coloring books for adults have become a ubiquitous presence in retail outlets worldwide and in the visual cultural landscape. The goal of this study was to determine differences in outcomes between art therapist-facilitated open studio and individual coloring. Methods: The study used a within-subjects experimental design. Healthy adult...

Objectives: To investigate the influence of internalized weight stigma (IWS) on physical activity (PA) outcomes among women with body mass index (BMI) over 30 kg/m2. Design and Method: Data were drawn from an RCT that included 80 primarily inactive women (94% non-Hispanic/Latina white; mean age=39.6, SD=4.1, range=30.0 to 45.0; mean BMI=38.0 kg/m2,...

In all the ways it matters, fat is a feminist issue. Yet, we find this perspective is absent within the mainstream weight stigma literature. In this chapter, we apply a feminist lens to render visible the problems inherent in the mainstream weight stigma research, with particular attention given to the ways in which this scientific discourse serves...

Religion and spirituality are emerging as relevant factors in the development, prevention, and treatment of eating disorders (EDs) and related symptomatology such as disordered eating and body dissatisfaction. Religious orientation (i.e., underlying motivational factors associated with religious practice) has been shown to be associated with risk f...

Numerous psychological, cultural, and biological variables have been investigated in the etiology of eating disorders (EDs) and their risk factors such as body dissatisfaction and a preoccupation with weight and appearance. Despite its historical link to EDs, the role of religion has largely been ignored. Most studies investigating religious influe...

Weight loss is the primary recommendation for health improvement in individuals with high body mass index (BMI) despite limited evidence of long-term success. Alternatives to weight-loss approaches (such as Health at Every Size – a weight-neutral approach) have been met with their own concerns and require further empirical testing. This study compa...

Weight stigma is a significant socio-structural barrier to reducing health disparities and improving quality of life for higher weight individuals. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of internalized weight stigma on eating behaviors after participating in a randomized controlled trial comparing the health benefits of a weight-neutral p...

Introduction: Given the escalation of public health efforts towards the eradication of obesity, increased attention has been paid to interventions for improving the health of larger persons. Despite a lack of evidence of long term success, most health promoting methods practiced, utilize weight loss as a treatment goal. A Health At Every Size appro...

BACKGROUND: With obesity rates at an all time high, it is imperative to gather data on new methods for effectively promoting health in this population. Consequently, a growing number of researchers have called for a closer look at adaptive eating strategies. Intuitive eating is a recently defined and validated construct that is inversely related to...

R. Baron and D. A. Kenny's (1986) paper introducing mediation analysis has been cited over 9,000 times, but concerns have been expressed about how this method is used. The authors review past and recent methodological literature and make recommendations for how to address 3 main issues: association, temporal order, and the no omitted variables assu...

Teaching faculty cannot reliably distinguish between satisfactory and unsatisfactory resident performances and give non-specific feedback. This study aimed to test whether a novel rating form can improve faculty accuracy in detecting unsatisfactory performances, generate more rater observations and improve feedback quality. Participants included tw...

According to the USDA 10.9% of American households are food insecure. Current food insecurity rates are nearly twice the government's 2010 goal of under 6%. Given the importance of proper nutrition during pregnancy, rates of food insecurity among pregnant women is of particular public health concern. In preparation for the development of a nutritio...

Breastfeeding is associated with improved developmental and social outcomes for an infant. Despite these health benefits, only 54% of women breastfeed in the early postpartum period. Although an understanding of socio-demographic characteristics, breastfeeding intent, and breastfeeding attitudes can facilitate breastfeeding initiatives, these facto...

Numerous psychological, cultural, and biological variables have been investigated in the etiology of eating disorders (EDs) and their risk factors such as body dissatisfaction and a preoccupation with weight and appearance. Despite its historical link to EDs, the role of religion has largely been ignored. Most studies investigating religious influe...

Fast-food marketing to children is considered a contributor to childhood obesity. Effects of marketing on parents may also contribute to childhood obesity. The authors explore relevant hypotheses with data from caregivers of 2-to 12-year-old children in medically underserved communities. The results have implications for obesity-related public poli...

A previous randomized trial with 224 alcohol and/or cocaine addicts who had completed an initial phase of treatment indicated that 12 weeks of telephone-based continuing care yielded higher abstinence rates over 24 months than did group counseling continuing care. The current study examined mediators of this treatment effect. Results suggested that...

In this study of 866 adolescent girls from US private schools we examined disordered eating. Based on the feminist theory of conflicting gender roles, we hypothesized that girls with greater disordered eating attitudes would be more likely to: (1) perceive more conflicting gender role prescriptions at school, and (2) endorse the superwoman ideal. W...