Digital Commons Network^™

Does Self-Care Moderate The Association Between Adverse Childhood Experiences, Trauma Symptoms, And Parental Reflective Functioning?, Vinaya Thomas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Unresolved adverse and traumatic experiences in parents can amplify the risk of perpetuating intergenerational transmission of trauma. Parents’ positive and adaptive practices such as self-care might act as a protective factor against this ripple effect. This study investigated whether self-care moderated the relationship between parental ACEs, post-traumatic stress symptoms, and parental reflective functioning in mothers who are experiencing high psychosocial stress (n = 59) residing in rural Appalachia. Within our sample, there was no statistically significant linear relationship between our predictors, ACE score and PTSD symptoms, and our outcome of interest, maternal pre-mentalizing. We did not find empirical support for …

An Exploration Of Adult Children’S Attachment To Their Parents Across Two Cultural Groups: Indians In India And Indians Who Immigrated To The United States, Vilasini Meenakshi Arun

Doctoral Dissertations

Typically, attachment theory has been studied and explored with western populations. Individuals seeking mental health treatment within the United States include western and nonwestern cultural groups and research, theories and interventions that apply to diverse populations are necessary. Attachment relationships are often a part of, or reasons for clients to seek therapy either overtly or covertly, thus allowing research on attachment to better inform treatment plans and practice. An attachment relationship between a parent and child can be influenced by several factors and may change over the course of development, but little is known about this process among Indians …

Evaluating The Client Base And Housing Outcomes Of A Community Based Organization Serving Unhoused Adults, Emi Caprio

Doctoral Dissertations

There is a well-documented, bidirectional relationship between mental health and housing instability. When coupled with the complex historical, societal, and political factors contributing to houselessness, the result is a unique set of mental health needs within this community. Despite this, there is a low rate of mental health service utilization and a dearth of research on how to tailor services to meet the needs of unhoused individuals. Additionally, first-hand perspectives are often omitted, as this population is seen as “hard to reach”. The goal of this two-phase mixed-methods program evaluation was to better understand the demographic and mental health profiles …

Exploring Cultural, Health, And Technology Intersections: A Focus On Migrant Experiences, Merna Mina, Sahij Gill

Bridges: An Undergraduate Journal of Contemporary Connections

Despite the plethora of theories and frameworks addressing culture, health, and technology adoption, there remains a notable absence of a unifying theory that comprehensively encompasses all three aspects, particularly concerning newcomers. The Health Belief Model, for example, underscores individual perceptions and attitudes toward health yet fails to consider the intricate interplay between cultural factors and technology adoption among immigrant populations. The Healthy Immigrant Effect, which posits that immigrants often exhibit better health outcomes than native-born individuals, does not mention the role of technology on health outcomes. Acculturation theories, while shedding light on the adaptation process, often fall short of explaining …

Connections Through Stories In A Small Town In Rural Virginia, Andrea Plamondon

Dissertations

Stories are powerful tools used for centuries to entertain, teach, empower, and build community. Neuroscience research shows that stories impact the brain in ways that allow us to increase empathy and connect with people (What Happens in the Brain When We Hear Stories?, n.d.; Yang, 2014; Zak, 2015). Community Psychologists have used stories to collect qualitative data and life experiences to create or change a community narrative and address community trauma (Hyman, 2002; Rappaport, 2000). While existing research describes the power of stories and provides storytelling techniques, this research study identified a new method – The Community Story …

Drug Use And Harm Reduction: Community Readiness As Pathway To Well-Being And Reintegration, Lauretta Ekanem Omale

Dissertations

Drug abuse negatively impacts the life and well-being of those who use drugs; this harm often extends to their loved ones, communities, and society. One presumptive set of psychological explanations for drug abuse is an addictive personality, a psychological susceptibility resulting from challenging family relationships, inadequate reinforcement, the absence of healthy role models, conflicting parental expectations, and a lack of love and respect. Harm reduction is a public health approach that focuses on minimizing the harmful effects of drugs and reducing judgment. It aims to meet people where they are in life and provide judgment-free, empathetic, supportive, and needed medical …

Building Partnerships With Indigenous Communities, Andrea Plamondon

Dissertations

Non-indigenous researchers embark on research with indigenous communities with good intentions but can unintentionally continue to oppress. While existing research shows building partnerships with indigenous communities, requires researchers to work “with” not “for” communities and walk side-by-side, and to do so with reciprocity, respect, relevance, responsibility and reverence, this research study identified an iterative model to learn, follow, and emerge research relationships through ongoing connections and outlined the mindsets to consider and assess often. Ten non-indigenous researchers from the US and Canada shared their stories about building relationships with indigenous communities. Through their stories of successes and challenges, strengths and …

At The Intersection Of Domestic Violence And Mass Shootings: A Qualitative Analysis Of The Relationship Between Ipv And Gun Violence, Troy P. Bleau

University Honors Theses

The intersectional study of domestic violence and mass shootings has only recently been the subject of inquiry within the psychology field. Within the past ten years research has been developed to examine the relationship between these two epidemics. What authors have found is that DV does play a role in shooting perpetration (Geller et al., 2021; Glick et al., 2021; Gold et al., 2020; Johnson et al., 2023; Kivisto et al., 2020; Smucker et al., 2018; Zeoli & Paruk, 2019). This study aimed to identify domestic violence as a risk factor to predict, and subsequently intervene before future instances of …

Connection To Places: Exploring Impacts Of Development And Individual Characteristics, Seamus Mcgrath

Psychology Honors Papers

Research revolving around Sense of Place or connections to Place is a uniquely chaotic area of study. It is understood that these connections to places have many concrete outcomes like environmental stewardship or relative comfort in a location. However, little is known about what individual characteristics predict strong connections to places. In this study, Object Attachment (via the OASM), sentimentality (Kama Muta Frequency Scale), Belongingness (via SOBI), Animistic Thinking and Development (IDEA) are posited to have connections to sense of place, measured using the Five Dimensions of Place Attachment. The analysis primarily consisted of regression models, which supported previous research …

Effectiveness Of A Peer-Supported Digital Brief Intervention: Reducing Alcohol Use & Related Harms In Young Adults With Histories Of Interpersonal Trauma, Caitlin Mcgettrick

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Alcohol is the most frequently used substance in the United States, and young adults ages 18-25 have the highest rates of heavy alcohol use. Heavy and persistent alcohol use is associated with a host of negative outcomes in young adults, including poor mental health, lower life satisfaction, cognitive impairments, poor academic performance, increased risk for motor vehicle accidents, and substance use disorders. Brief interventions (BI) are low-resource, short-term interventions designed to reduce problematic substance use and mitigate the substantial harms posed by heavy and persistent use of substances such as alcohol. BIs have limited effectiveness in trauma survivors despite trauma …

Cultural And Structural Barriers Of Utilizing Mental Health Services In A School-Based Setting For Latinx Populations, Silvia Lozano, Bridgette Guadalupe Calderon

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This qualitative research study aimed to reduce mental health service disparities in Latinx communities and helps fill in the gap by addressing cultural and structural barriers to utilizing MHS in a school-based setting for Latinx youth. There is limited research regarding Latinx parents’ perspectives and the reservations they have on utilizing school-based mental health services (MHS) for their children. This study identified six important themes: cultural factors, trust and rapport, reservations, access and awareness, parental involvement and challenges, and school-based resources. Implications for school districts are that they can use these findings to increase early intervention mental behavioral health programs …

Unveiling Existentialism And Self-Expression: Utilizing The Arts, Raquel Eduardo Nunez

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This analysis is an exploration of identity through the examination of art as a means of self-expression and societal critique. It delves into existentialism to explain the impacts of art on both positive societal experiences and negative interactions unique to the immigrant and Mexican American community. The artist, Raquel Eduardo Nuñez, examines their own art to dissect their position in life as a Mexican-born individual living in a foreign country. This method was chosen to allow a space of self-reflection and awareness to explore the components that shape identity and reveal art as a medium for interpretation of links between …

Bidirectional Relationships Between Use Of Popular Social Media Platforms And Anxiety, Depression, And Social Support, Olivia Dick

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The relationship between social media use and mental health outcomes among young populations has been a cause for increasing concern in research. However, the directionality of these relationships remains ambiguous due to existing literature being largely cross-sectional and having limited focus on individual platforms. This study aimed to explore the bidirectional relationship between social media use across prominent platforms and various mental healthrelated outcomes among young adults. A sample of 203 young adults, ages 18-29, completed baseline and 6-month follow-up assessments measuring social media use across Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat, as well as measures of depression, anxiety, and perceived friend …

Lessons In Persistence, Syble Heffernan

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

LESSONS IN PERSISTENCE is a thesis that operates within the tradition of writing about trauma and resilience, taking up themes of mental illness, class, colonialism, loss of a parent, navigating queerness in a conservative Christian context, and reckoning with gender-based violence and expectations directed toward people socialized as women. The use of ecopoetics highlights the relationship between traumas to the earth brought about by climate change, war, and worldwide suffering, and those brought upon the human body (specifically marginalized bodies) by grief, illness, abuse, and the loss of self. The collection ultimately aims to establish explicit connections between internal and …

Psy-7 Peer Effects Of Seeking Mental Health Help From A Professional, Devanshi Patel, Susan Ruppel

SC Upstate Research Symposium

How does peer support effect the ability of students to seek out mental health help from a professional? In this study, the experimenter investigates the type of support the students receive from their peers and how that affects their ability to seek out help from a professional. Accurate intention-seeking of students was recorded for both the behavioral concerns and their support types. A Mental Help Seeking Intention Scale was used to measure the data collected in this study. It was found that the behavioral concern (mental, physical) of a student does not matter in this study, nor did the type …

Making Deception Fun: Teaching Autistic Individuals How To Playfriendly Tricks, Adel Naj, Megan St. Clair, Kacie Massoudie, Jonathan Tarbox, Lauri Simchoni, Marianne Jackson, Angela Persicke

Psychology Division Scholarship

Perspective taking is a critical repertoire for navigating social relationships and consists of a variety of complex verbalskills, including socially adaptive forms of deception. Detecting and being able to use socially adaptive deception likelyhas many practical uses, including defending oneself against bullying, telling white lies to avoid hurting others’ feelings,keeping secrets and bluffing during games, and playing friendly tricks on others. Previous research has documented thatsome Autistic1 children have challenges identifying deception and playfully deceiving others (Reinecke et al., 1997). Thecurrent study employed a multiple baseline across participants design to evaluate the use of multiple exemplar training, rules,modeling, practice, and …

Controlling The Narrative: The Effects Of Media Coverage On Fear Of Crime And Socio-Political Ideology, Andrew Koppelman

Theses

Several decades of study have established an understanding that media have a unique power to influence the perspectives and worldviews of audiences. This phenomenon has been explored through the lenses of Social Learning and Cultivation theory, wherein media appeal to base human tendencies of self-preservation and teaches audiences how to maximize rewards for their actions by acting as a sort of instructor or friendly warning from members of the community. While prior studies have suggested the presence of this effect, little research has been devoted to understanding the ways that this may influence behaviors in viewers. My research seeks to …

Contributions Of Barad's New Materialism To Well-Being Research, M. Isidora Bilbao-Nieva, Alejandra Meyer

The Qualitative Report

In this article, we discuss the contributions that Karen Barad's theorizations can make to the study of well-being, particularly their ontoepistemological framework, “agential realism,” that emphasizes the inseparability of matter, ethics, and knowledge, as the relational entanglements of agencies. We use these ideas to imagine well-being as differential materializations, entanglements of human, and the non-human agencies that “intra-act” with each other and are inseparable from how we know about them and our responsibilities in their reconfigurations. From this perspective, we see well-being as a phenomenon, underpinning its dynamism and processuality. Analyzing an interview fragment, we exemplify how Barad's theorizations can …

Tavr In Older Adults: Moving Toward A Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment And Away From Chronological Age, Abdulla A Damluji, Gwen Bernacki, Jonathan Afilalo, Radmila Lyubarova, Ariela R Orkaby, Min Ji Kwak, Scott Hummel, James N Kirkpatrick, Mathew S Maurer, Nanette Wenger, Michael W Rich, Dae Hyun Kim, Roberta Y Wang, Daniel E Forman, Ashok Krishnaswami

Journal Articles

Calcific aortic stenosis can be considered a model for geriatric cardiovascular conditions due to a confluence of factors. The remarkable technological development of transcatheter aortic valve replacement was studied initially on older adult populations with prohibitive or high-risk for surgical valve replacement. Through these trials, the cardiovascular community has recognized that stratification of these chronologically older adults can be improved incrementally by invoking the concept of frailty and other geriatric risks. Given the complexity of the aging process, stratification by chronological age should only be the initial step but is no longer sufficient to optimally quantify cardiovascular and noncardiovascular risk. …

Defusing Escalating Situations, Louis Lamont Fletcher Phd, David Allen Watson

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

The Executive Director of Facilities and Operations and the Director of Safety and Security for a Colorado School district with 28,000 students will share tools, techniques, and experiences with conflict resolution. The presenters will outline the recognizable precursors to conflict, the importance of the individual's initial reaction, and provide tools to facilitate de-escalation. This interactive presentation provides relevant tools to de-escalate conflicts between peers, supervisors and subordinates, teachers and students, teachers and parents, school security officers and students, superintendents and board members, and school districts and community members.

At The Intersection Of Religion, Spirituality, And Clinical Psychology: A Conversation With Two Jewish Psychologists, Robert A. Demayo, David A. Levy

Psychology Division Scholarship

This article presents a dialogue between two Jewish psychologists who share their respective personal and professional journeys on how spirituality and religious affiliation impacts their work as clinicians. They address the following questions: How would you identify your cultural background with respect to your religious or spiritual history and identity? How do you manage the competing demands of respecting both individual cultural identity and group cultural identity? How did your early experiences with Judaism influence your professional practice? What were your earliest academic influences on the question of spirituality in psychology? How have religion and spirituality manifested in your clinical …

Reforming Egypt’S Alternative Child Care System Through Deinstitutionalization: An Assessment Of The Current Status And Readiness To Change In The Residential Care Sector, Dina Elbawab

Theses and Dissertations

The main objective of this study was to assess the current status and readiness of the sector of residential care institutions for children to take part in the deinstitutionalization of children in alternative care in Egypt. The assessment was carried out using an adapted version of the Community Readiness Model (CRM), a tool developed by the Tri-Ethnic Center at Colorado State University. Accordingly, the assessment comprised semi-structured interviews with fourteen key informants to assess the following six readiness dimensions: efforts, knowledge of the efforts, leadership, community climate, knowledge of the issue, and resources related to the issue. The study briefly …

Power And Control Wheel Tactics: Assessing Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (Ptsd) Epistemology Among Domestic Violence Survivors, Lisa Hady

Theses and Graduate Projects

Domestic violence affects more than 10 million adults in the United States annually (National Network to End Domestic Violence, 2020). The Power and Control Wheel (PCW) places power and control at the center of physical and sexual violence, with eight surrounding tactics representing the abusive behaviors perpetrators use to retain power and control over survivors. Although the PCW has been extended to understand various abusive relationships, and the PCW tactics have been examined in both Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) and Non-Intimate Partner Violence (NPV; Basile et al., 2004; Scott, 2018), limited research compares tactics used based on the perpetrator’s relationship …

Cultural, Psychosocial, And Educational Factors In Relation To Ethnic Identity Among Cambodian High School Students In The United States, Traci L. Weinstein, Khanh Dinh, Tamara Springle

Journal of Southeast Asian American Education and Advancement

This study examined the relationship between preferred ethnic labels an cultural, psychosocial, and academic variables in a sample of 174 Cambodian high school students in the U.S. Results indicated that participants who chose “American” ethnic labels reported higher scores on White/Anglo orientation and on English language usage and fluency, whereas participants who chose the “Cambodian” ethnic label reported more Khmer language usage and frequency. Students who chose the combined “Cambodian American” ethnic label reported stronger beliefs in the utility of education and higher academic aspirations. The findings from this study expand the research on ethnic identity by focusing on 2nd …

High Times, Higher Stakes: Mental Health Impacts In New Recreational Marijuana Legal Landscape, Jason T. Lorenzon J.D., Chris Pezalla, Diana Semilia

National Training Aircraft Symposium (NTAS)

This presentation delves into the societal and mental health consequences arising from the increasing trend of legalizing recreational marijuana. Specifically, we will examine the potential normalization of unconventional behavior among aviation college students, who may grapple with substance use challenges due to stress, sleep difficulties, and the demands of college life. Given the rigorous nature of flight training, prioritizing the mental well-being of pilots becomes imperative.

With the recent legalization of recreational marijuana in Ohio, this presentation integrates insights from Diana Semilia's 2022 study on Kent State Flight Students Ages 19-26. The study's objective was to extract practical recommendations applicable …

Cascades Ecopsychology Conference, July 24-27

The International Journal of Ecopsychology (IJE)

No abstract provided.

Religion And Spirituality In Psychotherapy: A Personal Bedrock Of Faith, Edward Shafranske

Psychology Division Scholarship

Personal beliefs and values conjoin with professional training to influence clinical practice. This article examines the role of religion and spirituality (R/S) through the lens of the author’s personal experiences and illustrates the confluence of faith, belief, identity, and practice in professional life. An autobiographical “glimpse” introduces the author’s formative experiences as a Roman Catholic and illustrates how religious narratives furnished conceptions of suffering, forgiveness, and transcendence that contributed to authentic hope for the client. Although often seemingly silent, R/S may influence psychotherapy practice. Clinical supervision provides a context to examine these personal factors.

Building Blocks For A Happy Life: Longitudinal Associations Between Early Life Income, Mentorship And Later Well-Being, Thomas Chan, Veronica Fruiht, Nicardo Mcinnis

Psychology | Faculty Scholarship

Longitudinal data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID; N = 2996) were used to test hypotheses about the link between well‐being and financial and social developmental resources. Results suggest that higher average family income from birth to age 18, and personal and professional mentoring received between 17 and 30, were positively associated with indicators of positive well‐being and negatively related to negative indicators of well‐being. Interactions between early life family income and mentoring during emerging adulthood were not significant predictors of any of the well‐being outcomes. In all cases, the magnitudes of the coefficients became larger when simultaneously …

The Relationship Between Cognitive Impairment In Psychiatric Patients And Readmission Rate To An Inpatient Facility, Cherilyn Isis Schuff

Theses and Dissertations

The primary intention of this study was to further understand the impact of assessing cognitive impairment in psychiatric patients, as a mediating factor on readmission rates. Mild cognitive dysfunction impacts a patient’s functional outcomes (Bowie & Harvey, 2006; Davis et al., 2012; Marcantonio, et al., 2001). Little information exists to guide best practices in the treatment of adults with cognitive impairment who are hospitalized for acute conditions (Davis et al., 2012). A cognitive impairment may impact patient prognosis and ability to function outside of a setting focused on stabilization. Neuropsychological testing is a valuable tool in predicting a patient’s cognitive …

The Psychosocial Beliefs, Experiences And Expectations Of Children Living With Obesity, Lisa Newson, Nicola Sides, Amineh Rashidi

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Childhood obesity has been shown to impair psychological health. However, psychological factors are often overlooked in both research evaluations and treatment interventions, and children's perspectives on managing obesity are underexplored. Neglecting psychosocial factors might undermine interventions. This research explored the psychological beliefs, expectations and experiences of children living with obesity (range 7–13) and attending a weight management programme (WMP). Methods: Thirty-four participants (19 females, 15 males, average age 9.5 years) completed a semistructured interview. Recorded interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Four overarching themes were developed: (1) defining health and self-recognition; (2) external influence; feedback, …