Digital Commons Network^™

Coping Styles Among Individuals With Severe Mental Illness And Comorbid Ptsd, Shannon Ashley Mcneill

Dissertations

There is little known about the mechanisms by which persons with SMI cope with their stress, and virtually no research is available on the influence of comorbid PTSD (SMI-PTSD) on coping within the SMI population. The current study examined coping strategies utilized by individuals with SMI versus those with SMI-PTSD, while also investigating the role of PTSD symptom severity, overall psychological distress, and substance use on coping strategy usage. Participants included adults (N = 90) recruited through a metropolitan community mental health center, all describing current symptoms of an SMI, 48 of whom met criteria for SMI-PTSD. Results of this …

The Relationship Between Posttraumatic Cognitions And Social Support In The Severity Of Ptsd Symptoms, Ellen Margaret Koucky

Dissertations

Posttraumatic cognitions (PC), perceived social support (PSS), and received social support (RSS) contribute to the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but little is known about the way these variables may influence each other in this process. The current study tested the association between PSS and RSS and compared levels of these support types in PTSD-positive versus PTSD-negative subjects. An SEM model investigating the role of PC, PSS, and RSS in predicting PTSD symptom severity was also tested. Results indicate a significant difference in the strength of the association between support types based on diagnostic status and lower levels of …

The Sexual Assault Severity Scale: A Comprehensive Measure Of Assault Severity, Karyn Crystal Swinson

Dissertations

Many studies in the sexual assault literature have found a significant relationship between sexual assault severity and psychological distress, specifically PTSD and suicidality. However, in the current literature, there is an inconsistent and incomplete definition of the construct of assault severity. The present study aims to create a comprehensive self-report questionnaire, called the Sexual Assault Severity Scale (SASS) that includes assault characteristics, such as victim-offender relationship, substance use, and peritraumatic responses, and cognitive variables, such as posttraumatic schema disruptions and coping self-efficacy in the conceptualization of assault severity. Two models evaluating the relationship between assault severity and post assault distress …

Trauma And Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder In Therapeutic Day School Students: Prevalence In This Population And Effective Treatment Programs, Monica Roberts

Dissertations

This survey-based, comparative study investigated the percentage of students at a suburban Chicago therapeutic day school who meet criteria for clinically significant levels of PTSD as compared to students in a general education setting. The directional hypothesis was that students placed at therapeutic day schools have a higher prevalence of PTSD than a general population of students. The method used was a survey assessment called the Child PTSD Symptom Scale (CPSS) given to 16 students at a suburban Chicago therapeutic day school. These CPSS scores were analyzed and statistically compared to CPSS scores of an already published study with students …

Relationship Among Schizoid And Schizotypal Personality Traits And Social Support On Ptsd Symptom Severity, Wilfred Joseph Mccloskey

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common disorder in the general population with a lifetime prevalence of 7.8% (females 10.4%; males 5.0%; Kessler et al, 1995). PTSD can become debilitating and can significantly affect an individual’s social and occupational functioning. Consequently, it is essential to better understand the factors associated with development and maintenance of PTSD. Research has documented the benefits of social support in the prevention and treatment of PTSD. However, it is unclear whether other variables moderate the effectiveness and desirability of social support. Currently, the empirical literature examining the role of potential moderators of social support (e.g. …

Personal And Contextual Resilience Factors And Their Relations To Psychological Adjustment Outcomes Across The Lifespan: A Meta - Analysis, Kristen Lamp

Dissertations

Research concerning resilience following trauma and adversity indicates that resilient adaptation occurs more often than originally hypothesized. Correlational studies have identified resilience factors including social support, self-efficacy, self-esteem, spirituality, and optimism. However, these studies have evidenced mixed findings regarding the relationships between resilience factors and adjustment outcomes including adjustment to trauma, psychological adjustment, and posttraumatic growth. In the present study, definitions and concepts in resilience research were clarified, and findings from the past five decades of lifespan resilience research were reviewed. A meta-analysis designed to summarize the existing research and uncover the true nature of the relationships among resilience factors …

Neuropsychological, Psychological, And Injury Variables Associated With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder In Individuals Who Suffered An Electrical Injury, Jana Wingo

Dissertations

Electrical injury (EI) represents a major form of trauma that can greatly impact the individual cognitively, physically, and emotionally. EI can lead to a variety of cognitive impairments affecting attention, processing speed, motor skills, and memory. Furthermore, EI can lead to a variety of physical impairments from burns to cardiac injury. In addition to other psychiatric disorders, individuals who suffer an EI can eventually develop Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

This study examined a clinical sample of 143 individuals (86.0% male, 85.3% Caucasian, 44.1% diagnosed with PTSD) who have experienced an EI to determine the factors associated with the development of …

Physiological And Psychological Responses To 911 Emergency Tapes, Jackie Hammelman

Theses and Dissertations

The news has become a central part of daily culture in the United States and provides up to date information regarding a vast array of topics from weather to war. A specific aspect of the news, emergency 911 tapes, and their influence on viewers' physiological and psychological health was investigated. Research regarding the relationship between physiological arousal and exposure to brief traumatic stimuli, as well as research addressing the development of pathological psychiatric symptoms are discussed in the literature review. This study examined the relationship between exposure to 911 emergency tapes, physiological arousal, and symptoms of psychopathology while considering the …

The Role Of World View Changes In The Longitudinal Associations Between Depression And Ptsd Symptoms And Later Sexual Problems, Erin Paige Mason

Wayne State University Theses

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is a risk factor for the development of depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, as well as sexual problems. Additionally, previous research supports a relationship between symptoms of depression and PTSD and sexual problems in both sexually abused and non-abused samples. There has been little attempt, however, to explain the mechanisms responsible for this relationship. The current study proposed that abuse-related changes in world views might be one such mechanism and examined whether world view changes mediate longitudinal associations between depression and PTSD symptoms and sexual problems (sexual concerns, dysfunctional sexual behavior, and risky sexual …

Understanding The Relationship Between Sexual Trauma And Screenings, Emily N. Karakis

ETD Archive

The most common cause of cervical cancer in women is the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) (Cokkinides, Bandi, Siegel, Warn, & Thun, 2007). Survivors of sexual assault are at a high risk for contracting HPV and other sexually transmitted infections (Lee, Westrup, Ruzek, Keller, & Weitlauf, 2007), therefore placing them at higher risk of developing cervical cancer. Unfortunately, these women are less likely than non-survivors to have cervical cancer screenings (Bazargan, Bazargan, Farooq, & Baker, 2004). Previous research has suggested that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and locus of control (LOC) may have some influence on screening participation in sexual assault survivors. This …

Effects Of Partner Attachment Quality On Ptsd Severity With Combat-Exposed Veterans, Robert Desmond Shura

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a response to a traumatic stressor encompasses re-experiencing, avoidance, and hyperarousal. Although many individuals will experience a traumatic stressor in the course of a lifetime, only a fraction fully develop PTSD. The purpose of this dissertation was to inform the question as to why some develop PTSD as a response to combat exposure and others do not. This study used the PTSD Checklist – Military Version (PCL-M), Trauma Symptom Inventory - 2 (TSI-2) and the Attachment and Clinical Issues Questionnaire (ACIQ) to test if secure partner attachments predict PTSD severity, anger, and somatization. These models …

Imagery Rehearsal Therapy For Posttraumatic Nightmares: Symptom Severity And Control Appraisal Outcomes, Ashley Kay Rose

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This research included a small-scale randomized, controlled trial of IRT (Imagery Rehearsal Therapy) with a sample of military veterans receiving treatment for PTSD from the VAMC in Huntington, WV. Domains assessed included nightmare severity, posttraumatic cognition, general sleep quality, and PTSD symptom severity. The intended purposes were to evaluate the relative contribution of the imagery rehearsal and rescripting component of IRT intervention in isolation from the sleep hygiene component, to assess fluctuations in symptoms across time, and to assess any relative contribution of control appraisals in outcomes. Due to an unexpectedly small sample size, no definitive conclusions can be drawn …