Tonya Cross Hansel
Biographic Data
| ID | 4871507 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Tonya Cross Hansel |
| GIVEN NAMES | Tonya Cross |
| FAMILY NAME | Hansel |
| SIGNATURE | HANSEL T C |
| AFFILIATIONS | Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-7237-6080 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 18 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 12 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 18 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2009 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
Climate change, disasters, and global events: Prioritization of communication, practice education and student mental health in social work disaster frameworks
Social work has a long history of responding to disasters, crises, and wars, leading both national and international efforts, with schools of social work playing a key role in training future professionals. However, most research focuses on preparing students for disaster relief work, rather than educating them during disasters. This article introduces the Social Work Educators Disaster Framework, allowing educators to integrate their unique expe…
Exploring Teen Suicide Rates through the Lens of Macro Risk Factors
As the second leading cause of death in teenagers, suicide has been a consistent public health issue for the past decade. Our goal is to understand the relationship between increasing teen suicide rates by state policies. We explore links between macro-level risk factors and state suicide rates. Risk factors explored include state behavioral health spending, child access policies for firearms, insurance coverage, tax revenue from tobacco and alco…
Work Environment and Health Care Workforce Well-Being: Mental Health and Burnout in Medically Underserved Communities Prone to Disaster
Health care workers (n = 71) completed an online survey or participated in one of five focus groups. Clinical cutoff scores revealed concerning levels of depression (16%), anxiety, and burnout (49%). Qualitative responses (n = 172) yielded two themes: work environment and well-being. Addressing burnout requires an ecological systems mindset, which accounts for complex stressors present in individual providers’ lives (large-scale disasters and per…
‘We all bleed the same’: Module development in diversity education to facilitate empathy and connection
Authors provide an approach to diversity education that strives to combat the perpetuation of inequality and systemic racism during the current pandemic. Doctoral students (N = 9) collaborated with faculty (N = 2) from a private university in the southern region of the US to develop a unit engrained in issues of contemporary society. The proposed unit provides a perspective of intersectionality that combines aspects of sameness and differentness …
Value added by the doctorate of social work: Professional satisfaction, scholarly leadership, and practice-informed research
As social work doctoral programs are undergoing a substantive shift, in the United States, more institutions of higher education are trending towards a resurgence of a doctorate of social work degree (DSW). However, little attention has been given to the experiences of DSW students. The purpose of this cross-sectional study is to explore why students choose DSW education, professional aspirations, and intended contributions to the field of social…
Utilizing a Matrix Approach to Analyze Qualitative Longitudinal Research: A Case Example During the Covid-19 Pandemic
Qualitative Longitudinal Research (QLR) is an evolving methodology used in understanding the rich and in-depth experiences of individuals over time. QLR is particularly conducive to pandemic or disaster-related studies, where unique and rapidly changing environments warrant fuller descriptions of the human condition. Despite QLR's usefulness, there are a limited number of articles that detail the methodology and analysis, especially in the social…
Harnessing Technology for Research During the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Mixed Methods Diary Study Protocol
Project Title: Psychosocial Reactions to a Global Pandemic: A Diary Study During COVID-19. Design: The study uses a mixed methods design that includes both a cross-sectional quantitative survey and qualitative diary entries submitted online eight times by student participants. Context of Study: The study timeline spans the full shutdown, phase 1 reopening, and phase 2 reopening of New Orleans Louisiana. Objectives: The study has three primary obj…
Loneliness, isolation, and social support factors in post-Covid-19 mental health
Social support plays a key role in well-being, yet one of the major preventative efforts for reducing the spread of COVID-19 involves social distancing. During times of crisis, social support is emphasized as a coping mechanism. This requires many people to change their typical ways of connectedness and assumes that people have existing healthy relationships or access to technology. The purpose of this article was to explore the potential impact …
Revisiting Zero Tolerance Policy in Public Schools: The Case for Wraparound Services, Community Partnerships, and Antiracist Policies in Alternative Schooling
Lessons Learned from Community Health Providers in Posthurricane Receiving Communities
There is an accumulating body of research on behavioral health, temporary displacement, and social connectedness after disasters; however, less is known about perceptions of providers regarding services and the effectiveness of the services that are offered. The purpose of this study is to provide an in-depth analysis of reflections from providers who worked immediately after Hurricane Katrina in the Greater Baton Rouge area, which was one of the…
Three-year longitudinal study of perceptions of competence and well-being among youth exposed to disasters
This article examines perceptions of competence/well-being over time and linkages to exposure to natural disaster experiences and stress associated with the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in youth. A multi-wave naturalistic design was used to follow N = 3,399 students, ages 8–18 years who were evaluated for perceptions of competence/well-being, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, hurricane exposure experiences, and stress related to the o…
Building Resilience after Disasters through the Youth Leadership Program: The Importance of Community and Academic Partnerships on Youth Outcomes
Building Resilience after Disasters through the Youth Leadership Program: The Importance of Community and Academic Partnerships on Youth Outcomes
The YLP demonstrated how disaster response interventions supporting resilience-based leadership and empowerment influenced students' perceived ability to achieve goals fostering post-disaster resilience. Successful initiatives, such as the YLP, emphasize the importance of parallel and interactive individual, family and community support processes to enhance the recovery experience for both individuals and communities
Factors Contributing to Mental and Physical Health Care in a Disaster-Prone Environment
Environment as a contextual factor plays an important role in southeastern Louisiana, as this area represents a major economic hub for the United States port, petroleum, and fishing industries. The location also exposes the population to both natural and technological disasters, including Hurricane Katrina and the Gulf oil spill. This study explored associations among hurricane loss, oil spill disruption, and environmental quality of life on ment…
Children’s disaster experiences and psychological symptoms: An international comparison between the Chilean earthquake and tsunami and Hurricane Katrina
Improved understanding of the psychological impact on children following natural disasters is needed to assist with psychological recovery. The purpose of this exploratory study was to compare the disaster experiences and psychological symptoms of children, ages 8 to 17, following the Chilean earthquake and tsunami, and Hurricane Katrina. Over one-third of all students ( N = 827) met the symptom cut-off for mental health referral. Two one-sided t…
The Function of Avoidance in Improving the Understanding of Disaster Recovery
Functional avoidance as an intermittent coping mechanism is a necessary component in disaster recovery. By temporarily avoiding losses after disaster, survivors can secure basic needs and begin rebuilding. It is not until recovery projects are completed that mental health outcomes become apparent. Many individuals begin a healthy grieving process; however, for others, where avoidance extends past the completion of normalizing tasks it becomes pat…
Louisiana Spirit Specialized Crisis Counseling: Counselor perceptions of training and services
Posttraumatic stress symptoms in children after Hurricane Katrina: Predicting the need for mental health services
The purpose of this study was to examine factors related to the development of posttraumatic stress symptoms in children and adolescents after Hurricane Katrina. It was hypothesized that a positive correlation would exist between trauma exposure variables and symptoms indicating need for mental health services experienced 2 years after Hurricane Katrina. Specifically, the authors hypothesized that experiences associated with natural disaster incl…
Harnessing Technology for Research During the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Mixed Methods Diary Study Protocol
Project Title: Psychosocial Reactions to a Global Pandemic: A Diary Study During COVID-19. Design: The study uses a mixed methods design that includes both a cross-sectional quantitative survey and qualitative diary entries submitted online eight times by student participants. Context of Study: The study timeline spans the full shutdown, phase 1 reopening, and phase 2 reopening of New Orleans Louisiana. Objectives: The study has three primary obj…
Utilizing a Matrix Approach to Analyze Qualitative Longitudinal Research: A Case Example During the Covid-19 Pandemic
Qualitative Longitudinal Research (QLR) is an evolving methodology used in understanding the rich and in-depth experiences of individuals over time. QLR is particularly conducive to pandemic or disaster-related studies, where unique and rapidly changing environments warrant fuller descriptions of the human condition. Despite QLR's usefulness, there are a limited number of articles that detail the methodology and analysis, especially in the social…
Building Resilience after Disasters through the Youth Leadership Program: The Importance of Community and Academic Partnerships on Youth Outcomes
The YLP demonstrated how disaster response interventions supporting resilience-based leadership and empowerment influenced students' perceived ability to achieve goals fostering post-disaster resilience. Successful initiatives, such as the YLP, emphasize the importance of parallel and interactive individual, family and community support processes to enhance the recovery experience for both individuals and communities
The Function of Avoidance in Improving the Understanding of Disaster Recovery
Functional avoidance as an intermittent coping mechanism is a necessary component in disaster recovery. By temporarily avoiding losses after disaster, survivors can secure basic needs and begin rebuilding. It is not until recovery projects are completed that mental health outcomes become apparent. Many individuals begin a healthy grieving process; however, for others, where avoidance extends past the completion of normalizing tasks it becomes pat…
Posttraumatic stress symptoms in children after Hurricane Katrina: Predicting the need for mental health services
The purpose of this study was to examine factors related to the development of posttraumatic stress symptoms in children and adolescents after Hurricane Katrina. It was hypothesized that a positive correlation would exist between trauma exposure variables and symptoms indicating need for mental health services experienced 2 years after Hurricane Katrina. Specifically, the authors hypothesized that experiences associated with natural disaster incl…
Louisiana Spirit Specialized Crisis Counseling: Counselor perceptions of training and services
The Function of Avoidance in Improving the Understanding of Disaster Recovery
Functional avoidance as an intermittent coping mechanism is a necessary component in disaster recovery. By temporarily avoiding losses after disaster, survivors can secure basic needs and begin rebuilding. It is not until recovery projects are completed that mental health outcomes become apparent. Many individuals begin a healthy grieving process; however, for others, where avoidance extends past the completion of normalizing tasks it becomes pat…
Children’s disaster experiences and psychological symptoms: An international comparison between the Chilean earthquake and tsunami and Hurricane Katrina
Improved understanding of the psychological impact on children following natural disasters is needed to assist with psychological recovery. The purpose of this exploratory study was to compare the disaster experiences and psychological symptoms of children, ages 8 to 17, following the Chilean earthquake and tsunami, and Hurricane Katrina. Over one-third of all students ( N = 827) met the symptom cut-off for mental health referral. Two one-sided t…
Factors Contributing to Mental and Physical Health Care in a Disaster-Prone Environment
Environment as a contextual factor plays an important role in southeastern Louisiana, as this area represents a major economic hub for the United States port, petroleum, and fishing industries. The location also exposes the population to both natural and technological disasters, including Hurricane Katrina and the Gulf oil spill. This study explored associations among hurricane loss, oil spill disruption, and environmental quality of life on ment…
Lessons Learned from Community Health Providers in Posthurricane Receiving Communities
There is an accumulating body of research on behavioral health, temporary displacement, and social connectedness after disasters; however, less is known about perceptions of providers regarding services and the effectiveness of the services that are offered. The purpose of this study is to provide an in-depth analysis of reflections from providers who worked immediately after Hurricane Katrina in the Greater Baton Rouge area, which was one of the…
Three-year longitudinal study of perceptions of competence and well-being among youth exposed to disasters
This article examines perceptions of competence/well-being over time and linkages to exposure to natural disaster experiences and stress associated with the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in youth. A multi-wave naturalistic design was used to follow N = 3,399 students, ages 8–18 years who were evaluated for perceptions of competence/well-being, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, hurricane exposure experiences, and stress related to the o…
Building Resilience after Disasters through the Youth Leadership Program: The Importance of Community and Academic Partnerships on Youth Outcomes
Building Resilience after Disasters through the Youth Leadership Program: The Importance of Community and Academic Partnerships on Youth Outcomes
The YLP demonstrated how disaster response interventions supporting resilience-based leadership and empowerment influenced students' perceived ability to achieve goals fostering post-disaster resilience. Successful initiatives, such as the YLP, emphasize the importance of parallel and interactive individual, family and community support processes to enhance the recovery experience for both individuals and communities
Loneliness, isolation, and social support factors in post-Covid-19 mental health
Social support plays a key role in well-being, yet one of the major preventative efforts for reducing the spread of COVID-19 involves social distancing. During times of crisis, social support is emphasized as a coping mechanism. This requires many people to change their typical ways of connectedness and assumes that people have existing healthy relationships or access to technology. The purpose of this article was to explore the potential impact …
Revisiting Zero Tolerance Policy in Public Schools: The Case for Wraparound Services, Community Partnerships, and Antiracist Policies in Alternative Schooling
Harnessing Technology for Research During the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Mixed Methods Diary Study Protocol
Project Title: Psychosocial Reactions to a Global Pandemic: A Diary Study During COVID-19. Design: The study uses a mixed methods design that includes both a cross-sectional quantitative survey and qualitative diary entries submitted online eight times by student participants. Context of Study: The study timeline spans the full shutdown, phase 1 reopening, and phase 2 reopening of New Orleans Louisiana. Objectives: The study has three primary obj…
Value added by the doctorate of social work: Professional satisfaction, scholarly leadership, and practice-informed research
As social work doctoral programs are undergoing a substantive shift, in the United States, more institutions of higher education are trending towards a resurgence of a doctorate of social work degree (DSW). However, little attention has been given to the experiences of DSW students. The purpose of this cross-sectional study is to explore why students choose DSW education, professional aspirations, and intended contributions to the field of social…
Utilizing a Matrix Approach to Analyze Qualitative Longitudinal Research: A Case Example During the Covid-19 Pandemic
Qualitative Longitudinal Research (QLR) is an evolving methodology used in understanding the rich and in-depth experiences of individuals over time. QLR is particularly conducive to pandemic or disaster-related studies, where unique and rapidly changing environments warrant fuller descriptions of the human condition. Despite QLR's usefulness, there are a limited number of articles that detail the methodology and analysis, especially in the social…
‘We all bleed the same’: Module development in diversity education to facilitate empathy and connection
Authors provide an approach to diversity education that strives to combat the perpetuation of inequality and systemic racism during the current pandemic. Doctoral students (N = 9) collaborated with faculty (N = 2) from a private university in the southern region of the US to develop a unit engrained in issues of contemporary society. The proposed unit provides a perspective of intersectionality that combines aspects of sameness and differentness …
Exploring Teen Suicide Rates through the Lens of Macro Risk Factors
As the second leading cause of death in teenagers, suicide has been a consistent public health issue for the past decade. Our goal is to understand the relationship between increasing teen suicide rates by state policies. We explore links between macro-level risk factors and state suicide rates. Risk factors explored include state behavioral health spending, child access policies for firearms, insurance coverage, tax revenue from tobacco and alco…
Work Environment and Health Care Workforce Well-Being: Mental Health and Burnout in Medically Underserved Communities Prone to Disaster
Health care workers (n = 71) completed an online survey or participated in one of five focus groups. Clinical cutoff scores revealed concerning levels of depression (16%), anxiety, and burnout (49%). Qualitative responses (n = 172) yielded two themes: work environment and well-being. Addressing burnout requires an ecological systems mindset, which accounts for complex stressors present in individual providers’ lives (large-scale disasters and per…
Climate change, disasters, and global events: Prioritization of communication, practice education and student mental health in social work disaster frameworks
Social work has a long history of responding to disasters, crises, and wars, leading both national and international efforts, with schools of social work playing a key role in training future professionals. However, most research focuses on preparing students for disaster relief work, rather than educating them during disasters. This article introduces the Social Work Educators Disaster Framework, allowing educators to integrate their unique expe…
Psychology (15 works) · Medicine (12 works) · Political science (9 works) · Mental health (7 works) · Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research (7 works) · Psychiatry (7 works) · Resilience and Mental Health (7 works) · Sociology (7 works) · Clinical Psychology (6 works) · Disaster Response and Management (6 works)