Digital Commons Network^™

Housing Insecurity Among Black Women Surviving Intimate Partner Violence During The Covid-19 Pandemic: An Intersectional Qualitative Approach, Tiara C. Willie, Sabriya L. Linton, Shannon Whittaker, Karlye A. Phillips, Deja Knight, Mya C. Gray, Gretta Gardner, Nicole Overstreet

Psychology

Background: Housing instability is highly prevalent among intimate partner violence (IPV) survivors, and the coupling consequences of structural racism, sexism, classism, and the COVID-19 pandemic, may create more barriers to safe and adequate housing, specifically for Black women IPV survivors. In particular, the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic had the potential to amplify disadvantages for Black women IPV survivors, yet very little research has acknowledged it. Therefore, the current study sought to assess the experiences of housing insecurity among Black women experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) while navigating racism, sexism, and classism during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: From January to …

Social Capital And Changes Of Psychologic Distress During Early Stage Of Covid-19 In New Orleans, Kimberly Wu, Erica Doe, Gabriella D. Roude, Jasmine Wallace, Samantha Francois, Lisa Richardson, Katherine P. Theall

Psychology

Here we report on the relationship between measures of social capital, and their association with changes in self-reported measures of psychological distress during the early period of the COVID-19 pandemic. We analyze data from an existing cluster randomized control trial (the Healthy Neighborhoods Project) with 244 participants from New Orleans, Louisiana. Changes in self-reported scores between baseline (January 2019–March 2020) and participant’s second survey (March 20, 2020, and onwards) are calculated. Logistic regression is employed to examine the association between social capital indicators and measures of psychological distress adjusting for key covariates and controlling for residential clustering effects. Participants reporting …

Preliminary Efficacy Of A Digital Intervention For Adolescent Depression: Randomized Controlled Trial, Emily Peake, Ian Miller, Jessica Flannery, Lang Chen, Jessica Lake, Aarthi Padmanabhan

Psychology

Background:
Adolescent depression is a significant public health concern; however, access to effective mental health care is limited. Digital therapeutics (DTx) can improve access to evidence-based interventions; however, their efficacy in adolescents is sparsely documented.

Objective:
This study aims to examine the efficacy of a mobile app DTx versus an active control as an adjunct treatment for adolescent depression symptoms.

Methods:
An internet-based open-label randomized control trial was conducted nationwide with a partial crossover design, and 168 adolescents aged 13 to 21 years with symptoms of depression were recruited between November 2020 and September 2021. Participants were randomized (1:1) to …

Navigating Covid-19 And Racial Trauma As A Black Student At Predominantly White Institutions, Samantha Francois, Joan Blakey, Rae Stevenson, Timothy Walker, Curtis Davis

Psychology

Black students at predominantly White institutions (PWIs) contend with racial microaggressions that can lead to negative mental health and academic outcomes. The physical and mental health consequences of the novel coronavirus pandemic are well-known. What remains unknown is how targeted racial hate during a pandemic might have a compounded effect on Black essential workers. The current study examines how future essential workers in helping professions cope with dual crises as they navigate mostly White universities. Study participants were Black university students attending PWIs in the United States enrolled in social work, public health, or psychology programs during the 2020–2021 academic …

Spirituality In Clinical Practice: Integrating Who We Are With What We Do, Lorraine Mangione, Thomas G. Plante

Psychology

Inspired by the recent emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts in professional psychology and in society in general, we were interested in how personal religious and spirituality identities, practices, and traditions inform professionals in their work as clinicians and clinical supervisors and trainers to integrate who they are with what they do. The spiritual and religious intersectionality of professionals was explored by inviting 12 diverse professionals representing several different spiritual and religious traditions to reflect on their identities and the integration that they do to provide evidence-based professional services. Additionally, we asked them to consider best practices in …

A Case Study In Leveraging Strategic Partnerships Through Trust-Based Philanthropy, Nora L. Jones, Andrew Epstein, Megan Bair-Merritt, Stacy Drucy, Lindsay Farrington, Anabel Fernández, Julia M. Fleckman, Samantha Francois, Hannah Gilbert, Carey Howard, Anita Morris, Joanna Elkes Pierce

Psychology

This practice note highlights a case study of leveraging strategic partnerships through trust-based philanthropy, a set of practices rooted in values, relationship building, mutual learning, and equity. It describes the motivations, planning, and execution of a symposium organized by, and held for, a Foundation and four of its grantees. The symposium led to the development of sustained pathways between and among the partners, resulting in productive collaborations and shared projects. This case study is shared to illustrate the argument that it is the responsibility of funders, and certainly in their self-interest, to eliminate competition between organizations to whom they provide …

Improvements In Depressive Symptoms Following A Brief Relationship Intervention, Erica A. Mitchell, Patricia N.E. Roberson, Michaela Dipillo, James V. Cordova, Kristina Coop Gordon

Psychology

In the United States, 21 million adults are diagnosed with depression. Couple therapy effectively treats depression, however, couples encounter access barriers. The Relationship Checkup is an assessment and feedback intervention delivered in participants' homes. The current study examines changes in relationship satisfaction and depressive symptoms, and moderators and mechanisms of change in a community sample (N = 85 couples). Changes in depressive symptoms and satisfaction, and the association between changes in satisfaction and depressive symptoms were examined with multilevel modeling. Depressive symptoms (Cohen's d = 0.36) and satisfaction (d = 1.43) improved from baseline to 1-month follow-up, with greater declines …

Qualitative Family Research: Innovative, Flexible, Theoretical, Reflexive, Abbie E. Goldberg, Katherine R. Allen

Psychology

Qualitative research is increasingly part of the methodological repertoire of scholars who study families. In this article, we examine contemporary trends, tensions, and possibilities for the interdisciplinary enterprise of qualitative research on and about families. We situate our collaborative approach as critical family scholars who pursue social justice work. We then examine four trends that have recently emerged or evolved in qualitative family research. First, we address methodological innovations associated with the pervasive emergence of online technologies and their possibilities for enhanced sample selection, data collection, and data analysis. Second, we address the potential for qualitative methodological orthodoxy to become …

Adult Learners Self-Derive New Knowledge Through Integration Of Novel Information And Prior Knowledge And Are More Successful With Reactivation, Jayantika Chakraborty, Alena G. Esposito

Psychology

Self-derivation through integration is the process of integrating novel facts and producing new knowledge never directly taught. Knowledge integration has been studied with the presentation of two novel facts. However, in educational settings, individuals are required to integrate new information with prior knowledge learned days, months, or years earlier. Prior knowledge robustly predicts learning outcomes, but less is known about self-derivation through the integration of new information with prior knowledge. Thus, in Study 1, we examined adults' (n = 25) memory integration of new facts with prior knowledge. The participants had 52% accuracy in self-derivation. In Study 2 (n = …

Family-Building Desires Among Adopted Adolescents With Lesbian, Gay, And Heterosexual Parents, Abbie E. Goldberg, Lea Silvert, Rachel H. Farr

Psychology

Objective: This study qualitatively examined family-building desires of diverse adopted adolescents.

Background: Research on parenting aspirations has rarely included youth with LGBTQ+ parents and/or from adoptive families. Understanding diverse adopted adolescents' feelings about parenthood may yield insights regarding identity and ideas about family.

Methods: We conducted a thematic analysis of interview data from 48 adopted adolescents (27 were LGBTQ+) in the United States, aged 13 to 18, from lesbian, gay, and heterosexual two-parent families. Results: Most adolescents desired future parenthood, after achieving other normative milestones, and they typically did not feel familial or societal pressure to become parents. LGBTQ+ participants …

A Qualitative Exploration Of The Built Environment As A Key Mechanism Of Safety And Social Cohesion For Youth In High-Violence Communities, Lolita Moss, Kimberly Wu, Amber Tucker, Reanna Durbin-Matrone, Gabriella D. Roude, Samantha Francois, Lisa Richardson, Katherine P. Theall

Psychology

The characteristics of a neighborhood’s built environment may influence health-promoting behaviors, interactions between neighbors, and perceptions of safety. Although some research has reported on how youth in high-violence communities navigate danger, less work has investigated how these youth perceive the built environment, their desires for these spaces, and how these desires relate to their conceptions of safety and perceptions of other residents. To fill this gap, this study used focus group data from 51 youth ages 13–24 living in New Orleans, Louisiana. Four themes were developed using reflexive thematic analysis: community violence is distressing and disruptive, youth use and want …

A Clinical Trial Of The Examen And Mindfulness Within A Secular Substance Use Disorder Treatment Program, Christopher M. Buenrostro, Thomas G. Plante

Psychology

The Examen is a 500-year-old Jesuit introspective prayer and reflection. Recent research has indicated that it has utility in psychotherapy. This study implemented the Examen as a secular cognitive–behavioral tool in the first longitudinal clinical trial of the intervention with an addiction treatment population, comparing it directly to a treatment-as-usual mindfulness intervention. The study found that Examen and mindfulness are equivalent in outcomes on depression, anxiety, stress, and substance craving. Further research should continue to investigate the Examen as an alternative to mindfulness for religious and secular populations and the factors responsible for the success of these practices.

Mi Casa Sin Mí Parada No Es Casa: Conceptualizations Of Functioning And Functional Impairment In Rural Chiapas, Mexico, Sarah Joy Hartman, Néstor Noyola, Viena Murillo, Fátima Rodríguez Cuevas, Esteban V. Cardemil

Psychology

In mental healthcare, functional impairment is an essential element in diagnosing and monitoring the severity of mental disorders. However, current clinical practices do not account for how context and culture might shape conceptions of functional impairment, given the demonstrated influence of cultural context on mental health, particularly in Mexico. We interviewed 16 members of a rural community in Chiapas, Mexico to understand how they understood functioning and how functioning is impacted by distress. We analyzed the data using thematic analysis with a critical lens. With regards to conceptions of functioning, participants described that to function was to work (nuestra vida …

Ethical Considerations In Working With Roman Catholic Seminarians And Men And Women In Religious Formation, Thomas G. Plante

Psychology

There are many ethical challenges when mental health professionals work clinically with Roman Catholic seminarians as well as with men and women in religious formation. This article highlights several of the most prominent ethical issues and challenges confronted by mental health professionals working with these clients. These topics include issues of competence in evaluating, treating, and consulting with seminarians, those in religious life, or those applying to enter religious life. Issues of informed consent must also be considered so that seminarians, religious life clients, applicants, and their religious superiors have clarity about the limits of confidentiality and who maintains the …

Atypical Cognitive Training-Induced Learning And Brain Plasticity And Their Relation To Insistence On Sameness In Children With Autism, Jin Liu, Hyesang Chang, Daniel A. Abrams, Julia Boram Kang, Lang Chen, Miriam Rosenberg-Lee, Vinod Menon

Psychology

Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) often display atypical learning styles; however, little is known regarding learning-related brain plasticity and its relation to clinical phenotypic features. Here, we investigate cognitive learning and neural plasticity using functional brain imaging and a novel numerical problem-solving training protocol. Children with ASD showed comparable learning relative to typically developing children but were less likely to shift from rule-based to memory-based strategy. While learning gains in typically developing children were associated with greater plasticity of neural representations in the medial temporal lobe and intraparietal sulcus, learning in children with ASD was associated with more stable …

Potential Benefits Of The Jesuit Examen For Psychological Health And Well Being: A Pilot Study, Carolina Rader, Thomas G. Plante

Psychology

The Jesuit Examen is a form of prayerful reflection on daily experiences that was introduced five centuries ago by St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus (better known as the Jesuits). The Examen may be utilized by diverse populations when adapted and secularized, which can be completed by substituting the language of God in the original Examen for more inclusive terms such as “love.” Although five centuries old, the 10–15-min daily reflective practice has not been subject to empirical research. Furthermore, research has not explored the effects of the Examen on psychological health and well-being in a …

The Effects Of Centering Prayer On Well-Being In A Sample Of Undergraduate Students: A Pilot Study, Alejandro Eros, Thomas G. Plante

Psychology

Contemplative practices have likely been used for self-awareness, concentration, creativity, and well-being since the dawn of time. While practices such as yoga and Buddhist meditation have been extensively studied in recent decades, Christian contemplative practices have received less attention in empirical research. This study aims to investigate the effects of centering prayer, a Christian contemplative practice, on mental health and well-being. The research focuses on college students enrolled in a religious studies course that incorporates centering prayer into the curriculum. It is a pilot study because it is the first to explore centering prayer in an undergraduate setting. Using a …

The Relationship Between Dimensions Of Emerging Adulthood And Behavioral Problems Among Chinese Emerging Adults: The Mediating Role Of Physical Activity And Self-Control, Jin Kuang, Jeffrey Jensen Arnett, Erle Chen, Zsolt Demetrovics, Fabian Herold, Rebecca Y.M. Cheung, Daniel L. Hall, Michaela Markwart, Markus Gerber, Sebastian Ludyga, Arthur F. Kramer, Liye Zou

Psychology

Emerging adulthood (EA) is a critical stage of life to develop and sustain a healthy lifestyle, which is also a time of vulnerability to poor physical and mental health outcomes. In this study, we conducted a path analysis (N = 1326) to examine associations among four dimensions of EA, levels of regular physical activity (PA), self-control, MPA tendency and irrational procrastination. Results found: 1) higher levels of PA predicted both MPA tendency (β = −0.08, 95% CI: −0.11 to −0.06, p < 0.001) and irrational procrastination (β = −0.01, 95% CI: −0.17 to −0.008, p < 0.01) indirectly via self-control; 2) Instability (β = 0.13, 95% CI: 0.08 to 0.18, p < 0.01) and Responsibility (β = −0.06, 95% CI: −0.10 to −0.08, p = 0.03) exerted direct effects on irrational procrastination and Instability also indirectly predicted irrational procrastination via MPA tendency (β = 0.03, 95% CI: 0.02 to 0.05, p < 0.01). These findings proved that perceived features of EA are linked to behavioral problems and supported that regular PA plays a crucial role to protect mental health. © 2023, Tech Science Press. All rights reserved.

The Power Of Our Imaginations Combined: Collaborative Imagination’S Role In Facilitating Social Connection, Sarah Smith

Psychology

Imagined events and scenarios can influence our perceptions, cognitions, and emotions. It has been found that our imaginations are abundant with social scenarios and can affect how we think of our relationships with others, but can imagining an event together further impact our connection with others? And does the vividness of that imagined event correspond to social connection? In this study, we recruited 126 participants and separated them into pairs of which were then randomly assigned into one of three conditions. Collaborative imagination was found to increase social connection more so than individually imagining a shared social scenario. The vividness …

Do “Groove” Inducing Sounds Need To Be Perceived As Music For Individuals To Show Movement?, Edward Smith

Psychology

Since rhythm can be found anywhere in the world, generated by humans, animals, and machines, a question arises about what makes us move to music. If an individual knows that the sounds they hear are music, do they move differently than if they do not think that the sounds are music? To address this, we designed an experiment with two between-subjects conditions in which all participants will be administered the same musical stimulus. One group of participants will be told that the stimulus is music, whereas the other group will be told that the stimulus is merely ambient sound that …

Dysfunctions Associated With The Intraparietal Sulcus And A Distributed Network In Individuals With Math Learning Difficulties: An Ale Meta-Analysis, Jonathan Tablante, Lani Krossa, Tannaz Azimi, Lang Chen

Psychology

Math learning difficulty (MLD) is a learning disorder characterized by persistent impairments in the understanding and application of numbers independent of intelligence or schooling. The current study aims to review existing neuroimaging studies to characterize the neurobiological basis in MLD for their quantity and arithmetic dysfunctions. We identified a total of 24 studies with 728 participants through the literature. Using the activation likelihood estimate (ALE) method, we found that the most consistent neurobiological dysfunction in MLD was observed in the right intraparietal sulcus (IPS) with distinct patterns of the anterior and posterior aspects. Meanwhile, neurobiological dysfunctions were also observed in …

Neuronal Glutamate Transporters Mediate Stereotypic Reward-Based Behaviors, Jaci Yong

Psychology

Obsessive-compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a common neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by obsessions (uncontrollable and recurring thoughts), and compulsions (behaviors that one has the urge to repeat several times). One of the genes carrying non-functional mutations in OCD is Slc1a1, the gene that encodes the neuronal glutamate transporter EAAC1. However, we still have an incomplete understanding of how EAAC1 contributes to the onset of compulsivity in OCD-like behaviors. EAAC1 is abundantly expressed in the striatum, the input nucleus of the basal ganglia implicated with compulsivity and reward. Here, we use a series of behavioral assays to determine whether and how reward-based …

Medical Assistance In Dying (Maid): Ethical Considerations For Psychologists, Gerald P. Koocher, G. Andrew H. Benjamin, Jonathan Bolton, Thomas G. Plante

Psychology

Significant ethical challenges arise when mental health practitioners care for patients who seek to accelerate their own dying for rational medically valid reasons. Current and proposed laws provide for medical assistance in dying (MAiD) in several U.S. jurisdictions, all of Canada, and several other nations. Differing provisions of these laws complicate their utility for some patients who seek aid in dying. Some extant laws include roles that mental health professionals might play in assessing patients’ competence or capacity to consent, mental illness, or other cognitive and behavioral factors. Practitioners who choose to accept roles in the MAiD process must consider …

Lgbtq-Parent Families: Diversity, Intersectionality, And Social Context, Abbie E. Goldberg

Psychology

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, and trans (LGBTQ) parents become parents in a variety of ways, including via reproductive technologies, through foster care and adoption, and in the context of different-gender relationships. This review addresses research developments over the past 5–6 years, revealing that LGBTQ people continue to face barriers in becoming parents, especially those who are trans, of color, and have limited financial means. Bisexual and trans parents are increasingly centered in research, and have unique experiences of parenthood related to navigating (in)visibility and stigma in various contexts. Recent work has documented the impacts of sociopolitical events (e.g., COVID-19, the …

Shifting Students Toward Testing: Impact Of Instruction And Context On Self-Regulated Learning, Patricia M. Simone, Lisa C. Whitfield, Matthew C. Bell, Pooja Kher, Taylor Tamashiro

Psychology

Much of the learning that college students engage in today occurs in unsupervised settings, making effective self-regulated learning techniques of particular importance. We examined the impact of task difficulty and supervision on whether participants would follow written instructions to use repeated testing over restudying. In Study 1, we found that when supervised, instructions to test resulted in changes in the self-regulated learning behaviors such that participants tested more often than they studied, relative to participants who were unsupervised during learning. This was true regardless of the task difficulty. In Study 2, we showed that failure to shift study strategies in …

Brief Relationship Support As A Selective Suicide Prevention Intervention: Piloting The Relationship Checkup In Veteran Couples With Relationship And Mental Health Concerns, Dev Crasta, Jennifer S. Funderburk, Tatiana D. Gray, James Cordova, Peter Britton

Psychology

Introduction: Close relationship problems play a key role in many contemporary theories of suicide. However, the potential of relationship support in suicide prevention is understudied. This study explores the feasibility, safety, acceptability, and promise of utilizing the 3-session Relationship Checkup (RC) in veterans with mental health and romantic relationship concerns. Methods: We conducted a single-arm pilot of telehealth RC in veterans with a positive mental health screen and their romantic partners. Couples completed baseline and post-treatment assessments of study outcomes. Results: Feasibility analyses showed we were able to recruit an elevated-risk sample (30% history of attempts or interrupted attempts), take …

Editorial: Positive Youth Development, Mental Health, And Psychological Well-Being In Diverse Youth, Nora Wiium, Laura Ferrer-Wreder, Jennifer E. Lansford, Lene Arnett Jensen

Psychology

This is an editorial commentary on the Research Topic entitled: Editorial: Positive youth development, mental health, and psychological well-being in diverse youth. One impetus behind this Research Topic was to examine the ways in which positive development intersects with problematic aspects of development and behavior, with an emphasis on connections to indicators of mental health problems. The second impetus was to take an international approach, including youth from diverse countries and settings who were studied using a variety of etic and emic methods that correspondingly consider cross-culturally common features and features that vary across cultures.

Eugenics, Prejudice, And Human Development Revisited: The Role Of Structural Racism, Nancy Budwig, Hojin Han, Raquel Jorge Fernandes, Jimin Lee, Si Wang, Benjamin Wolff

Psychology

This manuscript stems from discussion in a graduate seminar on developmental theories taught by the first author and held at Clark University in the fall of 2022. While the first author drafted the text and played a central role in outlining the argument, all participants critically discussed and evaluated the ideas presented, analyzed primary materials in the archive, and played a central role in editing the manuscript. The student authors are listed in alphabetical order.

The available download on this page is the author manuscript accepted for publication. This version has undergone full peer review but has not been through …

Human Interaction With The Divine, The Sacred, And The Deceased: Topics That Warrant Increased Attention By Psychologists, Thomas G. Plante, Gary E. Schwartz, Julie J. Exline, Crystal L. Park, Raymond F. Paloutzian, Rüdiger J. Seitz, Hans-Ferdinand Angel

Psychology

Humans have likely been attempting to communicate with entities believed to exist, such as the divine, sacred beings, and deceased people, since the dawn of time. Across cultures and countries, many believe that interaction with the immaterial world is not only possible but a frequent experience. Most religious traditions across the globe focus many rituals and activities around prayer to an entity deemed divine or sacred. Additionally, many people–religious, agnostic, and atheists alike–report communication with their departed loved ones. During highly stressful times associated with natural disasters, war, pandemics, and other threats to human life, the frequency and intensity of …

What Is Catholic Psychotherapy And How Should It Move Forward?, Thomas G. Plante

Psychology

Catholic psychotherapy is a critically important specialization that under-scores the need for culturally competent best practices. It integrates state-of-the-art psychotherapeutic professional services with the rich religious, spiritual, and cultural contributions and traditions of the Roman Catholic Church. Since the Church is the single largest religious denomination in the world and represents about a quarter of the United States population, there is ample need for Catholic-informed and engaged psychotherapists with expertise in working thoughtfully and sensitively with Catholic clients, including laypersons and clerics, and with Church institutions such as schools, hospitals, and charitable groups. While the Catholic Psychotherapy Association has been …