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Mothers' Perceptions Of Website Information In Solving Behavioral Problems In Children With Disabilities, Heather Collins

Theses and Dissertations

This research investigated the needs of mothers in regard to designing an educational website for parents/caregivers of children with disabilities. This research was designed to provide information to inform outreach efforts of Brigham Young University's Family HOPE (Happiness, Optimism, Promise, and Excellence) Project. This project assists families struggling with child behavior problems. Results from this study provided an initial understanding of the potential for a website to offer support to families not directly served through the Family HOPE project. Participants included 26 adult females, 25 mothers and one female caregiver. Each participant was the primary caregiver of a child with …

Pain, Quality Of Life, And Coping In Pediatric Sickle Cell Disease, Crystal Marie Stack Lim

Psychology Dissertations

Introduction: Sickle cell disease (SCD) affects predominately African Americans and is one of the most prevalent diseases in the United States (Schecter, 1999). Research has not sufficiently examined whether pain associated with SCD impacts quality of life or whether coping impacts this relation. The purpose of this study was to examine the relation between pain and quality of life in children with SCD and to determine whether coping moderates the relation. A secondary aim was to examine associations between age and pain, quality of life, and coping. A final exploratory aim was to examine the relation between racial identity and …

Patterns Of Psychosocial Functioning And Mental Health Service Utilization In Children And Adolescents With Chronic Health Conditions Or Physical Disabilities, Sara M. Hunt

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was designed to further understand the psychosocial functioning of youth with chronic health conditions or physical disabilities, their need for and use of mental health services, and possible barriers to receiving needed services. Previous research has suggested these youth experience poorer psychosocial functioning compared to peers without special health care needs, and they also underutilize needed mental health services. A mixed-methods design was implemented consisting of a quantitative parent survey and a qualitative semistructured interview with young adults with special health care needs.

Children demonstrating poorer psychosocial adjustment in this study experienced more problems related to social functioning …

No M S Violencia: Family Conflict And Youth Aggression Among Latino Youth, Cathy Roche

Psychology Dissertations

This research examined the link between family conflict and youth aggression in Latino families. Attitudes toward aggression were tested as a mediator of this link, whereas family constellation variables (cohesion, responsibilities, birth order, and gender) were tested as moderators. This model was tested in a longitudinal community sample of 143 youth (study 1) and in a sample of 35 sibling dyads exposed to domestic violence (study 2). Differences between the two studies supported the notion that domestic violence and family conflict are distinct phenomena. For example, fairness did not have any main effects or interaction effects on behavioral outcomes in …

Predicting Children's Emotional And Behavioral Functioning: An Examination Of Coparenting And Parental Satisfaction, Samantha Scott

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

To examine the interplay among shared parenting, coparent support, parental satisfaction, and child behavior problems, the current study examines the responses of mothers and fathers who have children between the ages of 3- and 6-years. As part of this study, 107 parents (i.e., 80 mothers and 27 fathers) completed a questionnaire packet including measures of coparenting, parental satisfaction, and child behavior problems. Results are examined using correlational and hierarchical regression analyses. Correlational analyses suggest that coparent support and parental satisfaction are related positively and that coparent support and parental satisfaction are related negatively with children's behavior problems. Unique relationships are …

Predictors Of Parental Discipline In Families Raising Youth With Hearing And Communication Disorders, Jenny Klein

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Children with disabilities are at high risk for several forms of maltreatment, including abuse and neglect (Ammerman, Hersen, Van Hasselt, Lubetsky, & Sieck, 1994; Sullivan & Knutson, 1998b), and children with hearing and communication disorders comprise a substantial portion of children at risk (e.g., Sullivan & Knutson, 2000). For example, some literature investigating the parenting practices of parents raising children and adolescents with hearing and communication disorders suggests that these parents have a tendency to use physically harsh discipline practices (Knutson, Johnson, & Sullivan, 2004; Sullivan & Knutson, 1998b). Further, high prevalence rates of emotional and behavioral problems are documented …

Mitigating Risk For Anxiety Among Preschool-Age Children Living In Poverty: Evaluating The Impact Of Adult-Provided Social Support On Autonomic Stress Reactivity, Brian Cory Wolff

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Poverty increases children's exposure to stress, elevating their risk for developing patterns of heightened sympathetic and parasympathetic stress reactivity. Repeated patterns of high sympathetic activation and parasympathetic withdrawal place children at risk for anxiety disorders. This study evaluated whether providing social support to preschool-age children during mildly stressful situations helps reduce reactivity, and whether this effect partly depends on children's previously assessed baseline reactivity patterns. The Biological Sensitivity to Context (BSC) theory proposes that highly reactive children may be more sensitive than less reactive children to all environmental influences, including social support. In contrast, conventional physiological reactivity (CPR) theory contends …

Development Of The Video Suggestibility Scale For Children: Spanish-Language Version, Claudia Ornelas

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This study examined the psychometric properties of a Spanish version of the Video Suggestibility Scale (VSSC). A cross-cultural validation with a sample of 3-5 year old Spanish speaking children was performed to evaluate its psychometric properties (N = 79). The development of the VSSC Spanish language version (VSSC-S) is described. The new version was created using the translation-back-translation process to increase the instrument‟s equivalence. Internal consistencies were satisfactory. Construct validity was assessed by using factor analysis and the Varimax procedure. As expected, the VSSC-S items loaded on two separate factors. Overall, results suggest that the VSSC-S taps into similar constructs …

Parent Training, Support And Psychoeducational Groups As Evidence Based Practice In Children's Mental Health, Dorothy Wagner

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The evidence base for programs in children’s mental health has expanded significantly in the last decade (Burns, 2003), yet the implementation of these programs has lagged behind (Walrath, Sheehan, Holden, Hernandez & Blau, 2005). The purpose of this project is to research current evidence based practices and programs that could improve and/or update services that are provided to children and adolescents diagnosed with severe emotional disturbance (SED) in Steele County. Research and analysis of the feasibility of implementing a group intervention to provide support, psychoeducation and/or skills training to families was conducted.

The Role Of Hurricane Exposure And Life Disruption As Predictors Of Child Post-Traumatic Stress Symptomatology Following Hurricane Katrina, Angie Lynn Pellegrin

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

While many children emotionally recover following a disaster (Salzer & Bickman, 1999), possibly one-third of children will experience significant psychological distress or post-traumatic stress symptoms which cause interference with their daily school and home functioning (Vernberg, La Greca, Silverman, & Prinstein, 1996). Research supports the role that exposure, loss, and disruption play in increasing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) severity in children following disasters (La Greca, Silverman, Vernberg, Prinstein, 1996; Verberg et al., 1996). However, there are no assessments or questionnaires that have investigated what type of events during and following a hurricane are most predictive of post-traumatic stress reactions. Using …

Bring Mental Health Services Home: Meeting The Mental Health Needs Of Adolescents And Their Families In Rural Minnesota, Laura Filzen

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this project was to develop a program that addressed housing and therapeutic support to adolescents experiencing mental health issues, allowed adolescents to remain in the community, and promoted reunification with their families. “An important indicator of success for children in out-of-home care is a timely transition to reunification” (Park and Ryan, 2009). Based on the literature and practice, it is believed that intensive family therapy is needed to promote reunification and reduce recidivism of placement.

Gender Differences In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders And Comorbid Psychopathology, Julie Hess

LSU Master's Theses

Abstract Children and adolescents diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) frequently exhibit symptoms that are not associated with the core features of ASD. These symptoms may meet criteria for an additional diagnosis; however, accurate assessment of comorbid psychiatric conditions in ASD has been hindered by a lack of measures designed for this specific purpose. The newly constructed assessment measure, Autism Spectrum Disorders-Comorbid for Children (ASD-CC) has been developed specifically for examining comorbid psychiatric disorders in ASD. Therefore, this study set out to assess differences in the endorsement rates of psychiatric symptoms in children and adolescents diagnosed with ASD compared to …