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General Psychology 2e, Will Stutterheim

All Open Educational Resources

General Psychology 2e offers an insightful exploration into the complexities of the field of psychology and all that it has to offer. This book provides a thorough introduction to the foundational principles of psychology, covering essential theories, research findings, and applications that illustrate the intricate workings of the mind.

The text begins with a historical overview of psychology, tracing its evolution from philosophical roots to its establishment as a scientific discipline. It then delves into essential topics regarding stress and mental health disorders and concludes with therapy and treatment approaches. It then covers research in psychology, biopsychology, consciousness, and perception. …

Latino Men’S Barriers And Obstacles Towards Treatment Seeking Attitudes, Rebecca Gonzalez

Theses and Dissertations

There is a drastic difference in the number of Latino men utilizing mental healthcare as only 24 percent of Latino men with a severe mental illness ever receive treatment. Previous research has revealed stigma and attitudes are important factors in the help seeking process, but with limited Latino participants. The current study gathered survey data from Latino male university students about their levels of stigma, attitudes towards both tele – health and in person counseling, perceived barriers and benefits, treatment history, and current levels of depression. It was revealed that in contrast to previous studies, Latino men’s social stigma is …

Clinician Perceptions Of Female Sex Offender Treatment In Modern Society, Taylor J. Bryant

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Clinicians are starting to see a higher population of female sex offenders enrolled in their treatment facilities. Current research indicates that both society and clinical professionals struggle with viewing women as sex offenders due to gender stereotypes and minimization of sex crimes committed by women. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine clinician perceptions of female sex offender treatment and how these perceptions may impact clinician engagement. The theoretical frameworks utilized in this study were the attachment theory and psychoanalytical theory. Data included clinician experiences with treating female sex offenders, exposure to professional trainings on this population, and …

Physical Intimate Partner Violence Of African American Women: Promising Practices And Pitfalls In Treatment, Melissa Erinn Duncan

Theses and Dissertations

Intimate partner violence is a serious health concern among African American women. It is estimated about 41% of African American women experience physical violence from an intimate partner. A number of risk factors, as well as cultural and contextual dynamics (e.g., gendered racism, low socioeconomic status, cultural norms, exposure to family violence, as well as cultural mistrust of the healthcare and legal systems), are associated with the high prevalence rate of African American women experiencing physical abuse. Due to the unique challenges that African American women survivors of partner violence often experience, there is a gap in the current literature …

An Updated Look At Mental Health Services In American Public And Private Prisons, Lieren E. Tyira

Student Theses

People residing in American prisons have the legal right to mental health care while incarcerated (Justia, 2021). This is important, as the prevalence of mental disorders is high in this population (Prins, 2014), and incarceration is a psychologically damaging experience, which hinders a person’s success at rehabilitation. Numerous of issues related to the mental health services (MHSs) in both public and private prison facilities have been reported in recent years, which warrants systematic exploration. The little existing research comparing the presence of MHSs in these facilities has produced mixed results, it uses out-of-date datasets, and none has explored MHSs in …

Predicting Sexual Offense Treatment Completion Through Specific Responsivity Factors, Blain Cameron Stumpf

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Sexual offending is a serious, harmful, and costly behavior that impacts the safety of a community (Barros et al., 2020; Peterson et al., 2017; Severson & Pettus-Davis, 2013). To improve community safety and reduce further harm, several specialized treatments have been developed to rehabilitate individuals convicted of a sexual offense (ICSO). Recent meta-analytic studies have suggested that specialized cognitive-behavioral treatments for ICSO do in fact lead to a reduction in sexual recidivism (Gannon et al., 2019; Harrison et al., 2020; Kim et al., 2016). To increase engagement with and completion of treatment programs, and subsequently to reduce the risk of …

Mental Health Treatment In Juvenile Correctional Facilities: Utilizing Assessment To Inform Treatment, Sarah Riccio

Dissertations

Youth in juvenile correctional facilities face a wide range of mental health difficulties. Over the years, the juvenile justice system has prioritized the need for providing appropriate and effective treatment services to youth throughout their detainment. Despite these ongoing efforts, treatment practices in juvenile correctional facilities continue to fall short. This study will first focus on assessment practices within these facilities and the impact current practices have on diagnosis and subsequent treatment. Emphasis will be placed on the importance of comprehensive evaluations for informing diagnosis and determining the individual treatment needs of detained youth. An integrated approach to assessment will …

Miami-Dade County Status Offenders: A Literature Review Of Punishment And Rehabilitation Of Youth, Colette B. Harris

Contemporary Issues in Juvenile Justice

The number of juveniles in detention centers has decreased across the United States. Although overall incarceration rates of juveniles in Miami-Dade County have declined, the number of youths at risk for delinquent activity and the number of girls in detention centers has increased. In the last nine years, Florida legislators have created laws to eliminate zero-tolerance policies in county schools, lessened the punishment role of law enforcement officers for in-school behaviors, as well as minimized the presence of law enforcement officers on school grounds. Although Miami-Dade County has been a part of the reformation of the Florida juvenile justice system, …

Medication Assisted Treatment: Examining Enrollment And Demographic Factors Of Treatment, Antwana Letoya Drayton

Theses and Dissertations

Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) has been a long-standing epidemic concern related to the continuous growth of variations of the substance and its’ potency. Due to the versatility of the substance to be both an illicit drug and also a prescription medication, the interest in controlling and monitoring its’ use creates a greater public health concern. Treatment overtime has been revitalized to directly address the social, biological, and physiological difficulties of patients with OUDs. Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) has been explored and has become one of the most widely used plans for treatment of Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) related to pain …

Changing Criminal Thinking: An Examination Of Heterogeneity In Treatment Effects In A Sample Of Justice-Involved Persons With Dual Diagnoses, Michael Lester

Dissertations

Recent studies have indicated variability in cognitive change for justice-involved persons with mental illness exposed to treatments for criminal thinking and psychiatric risk factors. Research suggests that proactive styles of criminal thinking may be more difficult to change than impulsive or reactive styles. To date, however, no studies have identified risk factors for a limited response or modeled observed disparities in responsivity to interventions aimed at reducing criminal thinking. Using an archival dataset comprising 206 probationers with a dual diagnosis who were exposed to active CBT-based treatment, a latent profile analysis modeled unobserved heterogeneity in treatment response per observed changes …

Exploring The Role Of Core Positive Selves With Men Convicted Of Child Sexual Offenses: A Character Strengths Initiative, Tiffany A. Miner

Individual, Family, and Community Education ETDs

The aim of this study was to help men convicted of child sexual offenses learn to recognize and engage their character strengths over 12 months. Participants were six men convicted of contact and noncontact (internet) child sexual offenses. All participants were members of a community-based reintegration group for registered citizens. In the first weeks of the study, participants received the Values in Action Inventory of Strengths survey. The survey, containing 240 questions—10 items for each of the 24 character strengths outlined—helped participants identify their top character strengths. The study explored (a) how the men could use their character strengths to …

Reduced Recidivism In Drug Offenders By Treatment Involving Motivational Interviewing, Meleeka Clary

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractIncarcerated substance users frequently recidivate because of a lack of substance treatment; it was not known whether motivational interviewing (MI) significantly reduces recidivism among substance users. The purpose of this quantitative study was to evaluate the effectiveness of MI as a treatment method for reducing recidivism among incarcerated individuals with substance use disorders. Social cognitive and extrinsic motivation theories served as the theoretical foundation for the study. Motivation is an important factor in offender engagement with treatment and has been linked to improved treatment outcomes. The research questions asked whether the availability of MI in detention facilities was significantly related …

The Experience Of Conflicting Identities Amongst African American Law Enforcement Officers, Jeremy R. Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Law enforcement’s unjust treatment of African Americans is a worldwide concern but impacts the African American community in different ways, particularly African American law enforcement officers who are placed in conflicting positions. They aspire to see change and more conforming police treatment, compared to other racial populations, but work for the same organization that exhibits the biased treatment they desire to have abolished. The purpose of this qualitative research study was to explore African American law enforcement officers’ experiences of conflicting identities. The theoretical foundation was based on Turner’s theory of self-categorization (SCT). The key research questions addressed African American …

Florida’S Veteran Treatment Courts, John Rocco Capra

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Following the terror attacks on the United States, an increasing number of veterans are returning to civilian life after having experienced service in active combat zones. As a result, many of these veterans are returning from their military service suffering from serious mental health issues and other injuries that include posttraumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, and major depression. Since the early 1990s, several specialized therapeutic courts have been developed as part of an effort to address a specific population within the state criminal justice systems. One of these recent court systems is the Veterans Treatment Court (VTC), created first …

The Characteristics And Effectiveness Of Treatment For Young Sex Offenders In Australia And New Zealand: A Systematic Review, James Finney

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Sexual offending by young people presents a serious and devastating issue effecting victims, families, and wider society. This has led investigative efforts to understand the efficacy of treatment programs to cease or at minimum reduce sexual recidivism. Evaluations examining treatment efficacy have predominately been conducted in the United States and Canada, with limited research focused exclusively on young sex offenders in Australia and New Zealand. To address the paucity of information, a systematic review of young sex offender treatment research in Australia and New Zealand was conducted. The systematic review employed a comprehensive search strategy and rigorous vetting procedure, which …

Barriers And Facilitators To Opioid Use Treatment And Recovery Services During Pregnancy, Loralie Woods

Dissertations

Purpose: To identify barriers and facilitators to opioid use treatment and recovery services among pregnant and nonpregnant women who misuse opioids.

Background: Over 130 Americans die daily after overdosing on opioids. Women have not been immune from opioid use disorders (OUDs), with a 4-fold increase from 1999-2010. The prevalence of opioid use among pregnant women increased from 1.5 per 1,000 hospital deliveries to 6.5. Although the annual National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) has provided information on risk factors for OUD related to socioeconomic and demographic factors, no studies using this data have identified barriers to opioid use …

Substance Use Treatment Accessibility For Pregnant And Postpartum Women, Adrienne Borders

Psychology ETDs

This study aimed to (1) characterize substance use treatment preferences, barriers, and attitudes in an under-represented sample of pregnant and postpartum women; (2) examine associations between barriers and help-seeking preferences, treatment attitudes, treatment engagement, substance use, and well-being; and (3) examine moderating effects of culture. Participants were 27 women, most of whom were treatment-experienced, of ethnic minority status, and from lower-income households. Results indicated flexibility in treatment preferences, and positive attitudes about treatment despite an extensive number of barriers. Participants indicated greater interference from stigma, relative to instrumental barriers. Qualitative responses revealed unique barriers experienced by this sample, and offspring …

From Reformatories, To Today, And Into The Future: What Needs To Change For Female Offenders, Alyson Berry

Senior Honors Projects

In society, and within the criminal justice system, women have always been deemed insignificant and many of their problems have been neglected. Even as time has progressed, convicted women's physical and mental needs are still disregarded as well as their motivation, risk, and recidivism rates. Since the late 1800s, the number of incarcerated women has risen. This indicates a need for change in the current system to decrease the population of female offenders and their likelihood of becoming repeat offenders. In order to determine what aspects have worked and which ones need to be revised, different time periods need to …

Clinicians' Attitudes Toward Sex Offender Treatment, Vallerie Hancock

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Clinician attitudes toward a client have a significant influence on outcomes for that client's treatment. Exploring the attitudes of clinicians toward sex offenders can provide additional insights into methods to improve treatments for this population. The purpose of this qualitative grounded theory study was to examine the attitudes of clinical professionals who work with sex offenders to identify the specific ways that these attitudes influenced professional behaviors and client interactions. Grounded theory was used to move beyond a general description of the issue to formulate a theory regarding clinician work with sex offenders and its implications. The sample comprised 10 …

Lived Experiences Of Women Receiving Substance Abuse Treatment From Male Counselors, Robert C. Bennett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The cost of the misuse of drugs is significant. The impact is felt across multiple systems across America and is covered mostly by federal, state, and local governments. Women comprise a significant portion of the persons using illicit drugs. Treatment is an effective way of reducing substance misuse. However, research into the efficacy of treatment for women lag that of men. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reported that women receiving substance abuse treatment from a man had shorter stays in treatment and poorer outcomes than those who had a female counselor while in treatment. Phenomenological and relational-cultural …

The Experience Of Relapse After Long-Term Sobriety And Subsequent Return To Sobriety, Bahram Edward Kaikhosrow Shahrokh

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

While psychiatric medications have been categorized as the same as substances of abuse in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), medications for common medical disorders were not affected by this disapproval of medication. It may be time for a new dialogue (Woody, 2015). According to Gjersing and Bretteville (2018), there has been a concerning increase in overdose deaths in the last decade. This includes a threefold increase in overdose deaths from prescription narcotics and six-fold increase in overdose deaths from heroin in the United States. When prescription opioid users find difficulty in obtaining pills, they may move on to heroin, which is much …

Positive Experiences Among Dui Offenders In Court-Mandated Substance Abuse Treatment, Katarzyna Blanka Pilewicz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol and other drugs puts communities' and individuals' safety at tremendous risk. The excessive use of alcohol, illicit drugs, and/or some prescribed medications causes cognitive impairment and the physical incapability of operating a vehicle. The court system penalizes drunken driving behaviors by placing DUI offenders in a variety of mandated interventions to minimize the risk of reoffense. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore DUI offenders' positive experiences and perceptions derived from DUI programs and how they impacted well-being and commitment to positive change using Seligman's well-being theory as a conceptual framework. …

A Review Of The Use Of Positive Reinforcement In Drug Courts, Katherine Bascom

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

There is a need to provide effective treatment for drug-abusing offenders, as evidenced by the explicitly supported relationship between drug use and crime (Anglin & Perrochet, 1998; Tonry & Wilson, 1990; McBride & McCoy, 1993). Drug policy in the United States has viewed drug abuse as a public safety concern or a public health concern (Marlowe, 2002). In 1989, the Miami Drug Court in Dade County, Florida developed a drug court system that is currently used nationwide. The model embodies a very strong behavioral orientation with clear expectations, as well as graduated sanctions and rewards for successive infractions and accomplishments. …

An Analysis Of Youtube Content On African American Parenting In The Face Of Community Violence, La-Rhonda Harmon

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

This qualitative study analyzed YouTube video content on the discussion about African American parenting in the face of community violence. The study investigated if conversations about African American parenting changed after the killing of Trayvon Martin, which occurred on February 26, 2012. Ten videos recorded before Trayvon Martin’s death and 20 after were selected and analyzed. Transcripts were coded for emerging themes using grounded-theory research design. Several themes emerged in the videos recorded before and after Martin’s death. Themes related to African American beliefs about parenting and acculturation emerged from the videos recorded before Martin’s death. Themes related to African …

Posttraumatic Reactions To Psychosis: A Qualitative Analysis, Weili Lu, Kim T. Mueser, Stanley D. Rosenberg, Philip T. Yanos, Neisrein Mahmoud

Publications and Research

The current study aimed to evaluate the potentially traumatic aspects of psychotic symptoms and psychiatric treatment of psychosis using qualitative methods. Participants included 63 people with first episode psychosis or multiple psychotic episodes recruited from an inpatient psychiatric unit and an urban state psychiatric hospital in the North East region of the United States. Quasi-structured interviews were used to explore those aspects of symptoms and treatment that were perceived as traumatic Emotional reactions to the most traumatic aspect of symptoms and treatment, during and after the event, were also examined. Participants described a number of traumatogenic aspects of psychotic symptoms, …

Treatment, Supervision, And Recidivism Of Individuals Convicted Of A Sex Offense In The United States: A Pilot Study, Gabriele F. Trupp

Student Theses

Although, previous research has shown that treatment programs for individuals convicted of a sex offense have the potential to lower sexual recidivism rates (Hanson & Bussiere, 1998; Hanson et al., 2002; Losel & Schmucker, 2005), there is some pause as to the methodological strength of these studies (Furby, Weinrott, & Blackshaw, 1989; Rice & Harris, 2003). Additionally, the literature is mixed regarding which elements of supervision for individuals convicted of a sex offense contribute to lower sexual recidivism (Aos, Miller, & Drake, 2006; Aytes, Olsen, Zakrajsek, Murry, & Ireson, 2001; Buttars, Huss, & Brack, 2016; McGrath, Cumming, Hoke, & Bonn-Miller, …

The Effects Of Mental Health Treatment In Correctional Facilities, Victoria Ziemek

Undergraduate Research

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of mental healthcare in the criminal justice system on post-release recidivism of people with serious mental illness (PSMI). It can be noted that mental illness is not the cause of criminal behavior, but there is a significant negative relationship between mental health services available while incarcerated and successful community reentry. A review of previous research on this topic was used to develop the hypotheses and questions tested in this study. The review provides evidence that PSMI who have been involved with more community based outpatient services have been more susceptible …

Pill Poppin’ Nation: Substance Use, Mental Health, And Treatment Among Criminal Justice-Involved African Americans, Joi-Sheree' P. Knighton

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

The purpose of this dissertation was to examine substance use-related outcomes among criminal justice-involved African Americans using a multiple manuscript format. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has deemed nonmedical prescription opioid use an epidemic. National estimates indicate approximately 3.9% of African Americans engage in nonmedical prescription opioid use. Research suggests African Americans involved in the criminal justice system may be significantly at risk of substance use more generally; yet, there are no known estimates of nonmedical opioid use among this subgroup. Rising rates of nonmedical opioid use also has implications for discussing barriers to treatment among socioeconomically marginalized …

Investigating Individual Pathways To Recovery, Mackenzie R. Mcbride

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Drug use is most prevalent among young adults between ages 18 and 24; this is just one factor that contributes to the high rates of substance use on college campuses. Collegiate recovery programs (CRPs) have been growing in number, awakening the “youth in recovery” movement. This paper presents literature on various tools and elements of recovery, with a focus on CRPs and their significance. This study aims to fill the knowledge gap by examining individual pathways to recovery and learning about the characteristics of students participating in CRPs, including their life events and decisions to seek treatment. Semi-structured interviews were …

The Connection Between Drug Use And Crime In Western Australia, Kathryn Riordan

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Despite decades of research, there is no consensus as to the factors that explain the association between drug use and criminal behaviour. While the evolving sophistication in research methodology has identified factors that are associated with involvement in both drug use and crime, exploration of the idiosyncratic factors that contribute to initiation, maintenance and desistence in drug use and criminal behaviour over time, across culture and social context remains unknown. In this research a grounded theory approach was used to develop an explanatory model based on the reported experiences of 22 non-Aboriginal and 11 Aboriginal adult male offenders, incarcerated in …