Melissa Sharer
Biographic Data
| ID | 4411595 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Melissa Sharer |
| GIVEN NAMES | Melissa |
| FAMILY NAME | Sharer |
| SIGNATURE | SHARER M |
| AFFILIATIONS | St. Ambrose University, Davenport, IA, USA |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-5528-8238 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 8 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 1 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 8 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2011 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 1 |
Improving foster care and juvenile justice services
Feasibility of Problem Management Plus to Improve Refugee Psychological Support in the U.S. Midwest
Community-engaged approaches to addressing mental health concerns have reduced health inequities experienced by refugee communities. Problem Management Plus (PM+)—a brief psychological intervention developed by the World Health Organization—has shown effectiveness in improving mental health and well-being of adults experiencing distress. This paper documents lessons learned during the implementation of the first PM+ pilot program among refugee co…
Do HIV provider and client perspectives align on person-centered care? Lessons learned from implementation of the Person-Centered Care Assessment Tool (PCC-AT) in HIV treatment settings in Ghana
Person-centered care (PCC) is foundational to improve client’s experiences in care while advancing HIV-related outcomes. However, information is scarce on how to assess PCC in HIV treatment settings. This study team developed the PCC assessment tool (PCC-AT) to assess the performance in HIV clinics in Ghana. The objectives of this study were to: (1) pilot the PCC-AT and assess scoring consistency and reliability among clients and providers; and (…
Expanding the Lens From Health Outcomes to Learn More About Key Stakeholders and the Structural Factors as a Pathway Toward Health Equity
Comparatively worse health outcomes persist for historically underserved populations relative to their more privileged peers due to systemic health inequities in the United States and worldwide. The relationship between preventable health differences and social injustice is salient, with recurring media coverage of viral outbreaks and televized court cases of police brutality bringing it to public attention. Rather than waiting for social determi…
HIV risk screening for high-yield community testing services for orphans and vulnerable children
This systematic literature review focuses on the identification of risk and protective factors – sociodemographic, behavioral and structural – associated with orphans’ and vulnerable children’s (OVC) likelihood of being or becoming HIV infected to inform the development of a high-yield community screening tool to identify at-risk OVC and link them to HIV testing services. The review examines the state of the evidence regarding HIV risk, protectiv…
The power of siblings and caregivers
Children affected by HIV and AIDS have significantly higher rates of mental health problems than unaffected children. There is a need for research to examine how social support functions as a source of resiliency for children in high HIV-prevalence settings such as South Africa. The purpose of this research was to explore how family social support relates to depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress (PTS). Using the ecological model as a fra…
Mental health of youth orphaned due to Aids in South Africa
This research explored the biological and social support relationship between youth orphaned due to AIDS and his/her caregiver to identify protective factors that are related to positive mental health outcomes. These youth have significantly higher levels of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress (PTS) symptoms compared to those orphaned due to other causes and non-orphans. Using a 2009 cross-sectional data-set from South Africa, 254 yout…
Family planning in conflict
Family planning services are desired by women living in crisis situations when offered in a manner appropriate to their needs, yet services are rarely adequate to meet these needs. Refugee and internally displaced women must be included in national and donors' plans to improve family planning in Africa
Expanding the Lens From Health Outcomes to Learn More About Key Stakeholders and the Structural Factors as a Pathway Toward Health Equity
Comparatively worse health outcomes persist for historically underserved populations relative to their more privileged peers due to systemic health inequities in the United States and worldwide. The relationship between preventable health differences and social injustice is salient, with recurring media coverage of viral outbreaks and televized court cases of police brutality bringing it to public attention. Rather than waiting for social determi…
Family planning in conflict
Family planning services are desired by women living in crisis situations when offered in a manner appropriate to their needs, yet services are rarely adequate to meet these needs. Refugee and internally displaced women must be included in national and donors' plans to improve family planning in Africa
Mental health of youth orphaned due to Aids in South Africa
This research explored the biological and social support relationship between youth orphaned due to AIDS and his/her caregiver to identify protective factors that are related to positive mental health outcomes. These youth have significantly higher levels of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress (PTS) symptoms compared to those orphaned due to other causes and non-orphans. Using a 2009 cross-sectional data-set from South Africa, 254 yout…
The power of siblings and caregivers
Children affected by HIV and AIDS have significantly higher rates of mental health problems than unaffected children. There is a need for research to examine how social support functions as a source of resiliency for children in high HIV-prevalence settings such as South Africa. The purpose of this research was to explore how family social support relates to depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress (PTS). Using the ecological model as a fra…
HIV risk screening for high-yield community testing services for orphans and vulnerable children
This systematic literature review focuses on the identification of risk and protective factors – sociodemographic, behavioral and structural – associated with orphans’ and vulnerable children’s (OVC) likelihood of being or becoming HIV infected to inform the development of a high-yield community screening tool to identify at-risk OVC and link them to HIV testing services. The review examines the state of the evidence regarding HIV risk, protectiv…
Expanding the Lens From Health Outcomes to Learn More About Key Stakeholders and the Structural Factors as a Pathway Toward Health Equity
Comparatively worse health outcomes persist for historically underserved populations relative to their more privileged peers due to systemic health inequities in the United States and worldwide. The relationship between preventable health differences and social injustice is salient, with recurring media coverage of viral outbreaks and televized court cases of police brutality bringing it to public attention. Rather than waiting for social determi…
Do HIV provider and client perspectives align on person-centered care? Lessons learned from implementation of the Person-Centered Care Assessment Tool (PCC-AT) in HIV treatment settings in Ghana
Person-centered care (PCC) is foundational to improve client’s experiences in care while advancing HIV-related outcomes. However, information is scarce on how to assess PCC in HIV treatment settings. This study team developed the PCC assessment tool (PCC-AT) to assess the performance in HIV clinics in Ghana. The objectives of this study were to: (1) pilot the PCC-AT and assess scoring consistency and reliability among clients and providers; and (…
Feasibility of Problem Management Plus to Improve Refugee Psychological Support in the U.S. Midwest
Community-engaged approaches to addressing mental health concerns have reduced health inequities experienced by refugee communities. Problem Management Plus (PM+)—a brief psychological intervention developed by the World Health Organization—has shown effectiveness in improving mental health and well-being of adults experiencing distress. This paper documents lessons learned during the implementation of the first PM+ pilot program among refugee co…
Improving foster care and juvenile justice services
Medicine (5 works) · Global Maternal and Child Health (4 works) · Psychology (4 works) · Mental health (3 works) · Nursing (3 works) · Poverty, Education, and Child Welfare (3 works) · Public health (3 works) · Anxiety (2 works) · Child Nutrition and Water Access (2 works) · Clinical Psychology (2 works)