Camille Devereaux, who received her bachelor of science degree in biology (pre-physical therapy) from Clarkson University in 2021, is the lead author of an article published in the June 1 issue of the Journal of Allied Health.
Devereaux, now an incoming Clarkson Doctor of Physical Therapy graduate student, and Associate Professor of Physical Therapy Ali Boolani were co-authors of the paper “Predictors of Feelings of Anxiety in Graduate Allied Health Students – An Exploratory Study.”
“Camille was interested in learning more about anxiety,” says Boolani. “So, we decided to examine some data that I had collected previously from graduate health sciences students.”
They found that 100 percent of the population sampled reported feeling some anxiety over the past 30 days.
“Women reported feeling the most anxious and higher feelings of anxiety were associated with poor sleep and more time spent sitting per day,” says Boolani. “Exercise couldn’t make up for sedentary behavior.”
Boolani says that the study shows that students should try to sleep well and move around more during the day. “We also need to figure out why women reported feeling more anxious than men. We weren’t able to tell from this study, but it would make a great future project.”
“The idea and writing from start to finish were Camille’s, so she gets most of the credit for this manuscript,” he adds. “She came to me with the question, I suggested we examine some previously collected data and she figured out the rest.”
“I am very grateful for the experience I had to perform research under Professor Boolani that revolved around the topic of mental health,” says Devereaux. “I am appreciative of the opportunity I had to discover information that involved the importance of feelings of anxiety in individuals — especially as these factors were specifically connected to graduate health students as I become one myself.”
The other co-authors of the paper are Chelsea Yager, Physician Assistant, Department of Neurology, St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center, Syracuse; Assistant Professor Andrew C. Pickett, Division of Kinesiology & Sport Management, University of South Dakota; Associate Professor Matthew Lee Smith, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, and Center for Population Health and Aging, Texas A&M University; and Associate Professor Joel Martin, Sports Medicine Assessment Research & Testing (SMART) Laboratory, George Mason University.
Read an abstract of the article at https://www.ingentaconnect.com/contentone/asahp/jah/2021/00000050/00000002/art00018
