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Does Ethnic Identity, In-Group Preference, And Acculturation Protect Latinas With A History Of Interpersonal Trauma From Developing Symptoms Of Ptsd?, Evelyn M. Ramirez

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Previous research suggests ethnic identity, a sense of belonging to a particular cultural group, may be protective against symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, the role of ethnic identity, in-group preference (i.e., an individual’s preference for interactions with members of their own ethnic group) and acculturation (i.e., the level of comfort with the mainstream culture) have not been investigated as protective factors for Latinas with a history of interpersonal and sexual trauma. In this study, ethnic identity, in-group preference and acculturation were assessed via self-report on the Scale of Ethnic Experience in two samples of undergraduate Latina and non-Latina …

Weak Social Support As An Indicator For Worse Trauma Related Symptoms, Michael B. Sugarman

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the relationship between social support and trauma related symptoms in trauma exposed participants. Using the SCID and CAPS, weak family support factors were found to be associated with a greater number and severity of trauma related symptoms; suggesting that family support is important for trauma exposed people.

Adult And Juvenile Rats Differentially Express Mpfc Glua2 Following Traumatic Memory Retrieval, Edgar Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations

To advance our understanding of how traumatic memories are modulated between adults and juveniles, we characterize the AMPAr subunits, GluA1, GluA2, GluA3 in the mPFC of rodents following traumatic memory retrieval.

GluA2 was differentially expressed in adults but not juveniles rats. There were no changes in GluA1 or GluA3 expression

Self-Compassion And Suicide Risk In Veterans: Serial Effects Of Shame, Guilt, And Ptsd, Jessica Mckinney

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Suicide is a significant public health concern and ranks as the 10^th leading cause of death in the U.S. Veterans are at a disproportionately higher risk for suicide, due to risk factors such as exposure to trauma and its negative cognitive-emotional sequalae, such as PTSD, shame, and guilt. However, not all veterans exposed to traumatic events, or who experience shame and guilt, die by suicide, perhaps as a result of the presence of individual-level protective factors such as self-compassion. Conceptualized as self-kindness, mindfulness and common humanity, self-compassion is beneficially associated with mental and physical health, including reduced suicide risk. …

The Relationship Between Frequency Of Yoga And Meditation On Ptsd Symptoms In Individuals Who Have Experienced Intimate Partner Violence, Kimberly Polignani

Dissertations

Intimate partner violence (IPV) has become a growing phenomenon in the United States,

affecting nearly 13% of the population. The adverse mental health outcomes from people who experience IPV are prevalent and more than half have a diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Therefore, therapeutic techniques for PTSD appear to be feasible for IPV survivors and their mental health issues. Complementary and alternative medicine has become a widely accepted approach for PTSD. Being two complementary and alternative medicine techniques, yoga and meditation are effective forms of therapy in many diagnoses, including PTSD. This study utilized a not-for-profit organization called the …

Examining The Gender- And Sexuality-Related Cognitive “Stuck Points” Of Men And Women With Experiences Of Adult Sexual Assault: Implications For Cognitive Processing Therapy, Marin Beagley

Dissertations

Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) is considered a gold-standard psychotherapy protocol for the treatment of posttraumatic stress symptoms secondary to a variety of traumatic events. Despite its demonstrated efficacy, there is research to suggest CPT may not be as effective in reducing PTSD symptoms for men with an adult sexual assault trauma as it is for their female counterparts. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether CPT treatment outcome discrepancies may be attributable to gender differences in posttraumatic cognitions, or “stuck points.” As the act of sexual victimization is incongruent with socially prescribed masculine gender norms, it was …

The Impact Of Sexual Assault Disclosure Reactions On Interpersonal Factors And Mental Health, Lindsey Chesus

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Sexual victimization is experienced by about 20% of women and two percent of men (Black et al., 2011). Disclosure of these incidences is high, with about 90% of survivors speaking out at least once about their assault (Ullman & Peter-Hagene, 2014). Though disclosure rates appear high, common reactions given by formal (e.g. law enforcement) and informal (e.g. a friend) sources are negative and counterintuitive to survivor growth (Ullman & Brecklin, 2002). Often studied with military veterans and suicide, perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belonging are tied to social disconnect and perceived rejection from interpersonal support systems, and often follow stressful life …

The Role Of Sexual Self-Schema And Psychological Distress In The Relationship Between Sexual Victimization And Sexual Functioning And Satisfaction, Alexandra Medina

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Sexual assault (SA) has been associated with various negative psychological consequences for survivors. Recent studies have shown an association between the history of sexual assault and sexual dysfunction among female survivors of sexual victimization. Specifically, sexual assault survivors experience difficulties with aspects of sexual functioning, sexual satisfaction, and sexual self-schemas (Rellini & Meston, 2011). The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between sexual victimization severity and sexual functioning and sexual satisfaction. In addition, we tested a sequential mediational model in which sexual self-schema followed by depressive and PTSD symptoms would mediate the relationship between sexual victimization …

The Effect Of Substance Use On The Relationship Between Ptsd Symptom Clusters And Suicide In Adolescents, Lindsay S. Moore

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

Adolescent Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a multifaceted, debilitating disorder that if left untreated has been shown to lead to problematic internalizing and externalizing behaviors including suicidal ideation and substance use. Little is known about the course of PTSD in adolescents and less is known about the individual effects of PTSD symptom clusters. Furthermore, there is a dearth in the literature studying the predictive effects of PTSD, substance use and suicidality in adolescent samples. Participants were a clinical sample of adolescents referred from inpatient and outpatient clinics in the Pacific Northwest as part of a larger study. Ages of participants …

The Role Of Meaning Making In Expressive Writing And Adults With Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Literature Review., Leah Kennedy Rose

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This literature review examines the positive impact that expressive writing can have on adults who have experienced a traumatic event and are suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Expressive writing can take a number of different forms and falls under the category of expressive arts therapy. When used in addition to traditional psychotherapy and, if necessary, psychotropic medications, expressive writing can be an effective treatment method for adults with PTSD. Despite an initial increase in negative affect arousal, engaging in an expressive writing intervention can result in numerous improvements in physical, mental, and emotional well-being. By facilitating the meaning-making process, …

Beyond Words: Expressive Arts Therapy In Individual And Group Process In Recovery From Trauma, Agnes Carbrey

Educational Specialist, 2009-2019

This paper describes expressive arts therapies that are interventions for the treatment of trauma. A literature review of this broad topic is narrowed to define art therapy used in conjunction with talk therapy, and provides brief examples from dance movement therapy, visual arts therapy, poetry-journaling-storytelling therapy, and sound-music therapy. Recent innovations in the field include the use of body-oriented interventions and group processes. When thinking about trauma, the body is a positive and negative reservoir of memory, and trauma may be trapped in the body. The author reviews the overlap between contemporary art, contemporary dance movement analysis, and forms of …

White Matter Integrity In Individuals At-Risk For Ptsd Development: A Longitudinal Investigation, Carissa Weis

Theses and Dissertations

Trauma exposure is prevalent and while most are resilient, some go on to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)—an anxiety-related disorder that results from traumatic experience. The brain changes that result from traumatic experience and PTSD are not well understood. Further, little is known about what distinguishes those who are resilient after trauma from those at risk for developing PTSD. Previous work indicates white matter integrity may be a useful biomarker in predicting PTSD and researchers have found changes in the integrity of three white matter tracts—the cingulum bundle, corpus callosum (CC), and uncinate fasciculus (UF)—in the aftermath of trauma. However, …

Face Affect Perception In Schizophrenia And Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Lisa Beckman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Schizophrenia (SZ) and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are often comorbid psychological disorders. Separately, research has previously demonstrated deficits in social cognition, including affect recognition impairment in both disorders; however, less is reliably known about the specific deficits unique to a comorbid diagnosis of SZ and PTSD. This study examined the ability to correctly identify facial expressions in individuals diagnosed with SZ (n = 38) and PTSD alone (n = 20), comorbid SZ and PTSD (n = 26), and healthy controls (n = 28). Participants were administered a test battery to establish diagnoses of of schizophrenia and PTSD, and to evaluate …

White Matter Integrity In Individuals At-Risk For Ptsd Development: A Longitudinal Investigation, Carissa Weis

Theses and Dissertations

Trauma exposure is prevalent and while most are resilient, some go on to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)—an anxiety-related disorder that results from traumatic experience. The brain changes that result from traumatic experience and PTSD are not well understood. Further, little is known about what distinguishes those who are resilient after trauma from those at risk for developing PTSD. Previous work indicates white matter integrity may be a useful biomarker in predicting PTSD and researchers have found changes in the integrity of three white matter tracts—the cingulum bundle, corpus callosum (CC), and uncinate fasciculus (UF)—in the aftermath of trauma. However, …

Understanding Comorbid Depression In The Context Of Ptsd Through Underlying Dimensions, Melissa Turkel

Dissertations

Depression co-occurs with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder at a high rate, resulting in numerous complications for pathology and treatment. More research is needed regarding variables that may explain this common comorbidity. One possible variable is that of underlying dimensions, latent factors that give rise to these manifestations of psychopathology. This study explored potential underlying mechanisms of comorbid PTSD and depression, including negative affect, rumination, emotion dysregulation, neuroticism, and behavioral inhibition. While previous studies have investigated these dimensions individually, there is a dearth of research that simultaneously investigates multiple dimensions or determines the relative contributions of underlying dimensions to psychopathology. Thus, the …

The Impact Of Ptsd And History Of Involvement In The Criminal Justice System On Medication Treatment Success In Opioid Use Disorder, Kirk Sanger

Doctoral Dissertations

This analysis examined the impact of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), history of trauma, and a history of involvement in the criminal justice system (CJS) on treatment outcomes related to medication treatment for opioid use disorder. This study employed a secondary analysis of data derived from a multi-state, multi-site treatment center focused on substance abuse and more specifically opioid use disorder treatment. The total sample size was 19,970 patients. The majority of the sample received treatment in Massachusetts, was white, and non-Hispanic. Those with PTSD accounted for 9.5% of the sample, while 12% had a history of trauma. Just under 1/4 …

The Role Of Dissociation And Hyperarousal In Adult Sexual Revictimization, Madeline S. Herman

ETD Archive

The purpose of the present study was to examine how child sexual abuse (CSA), hyperarousal symptoms, and dissociation symptoms are associated with sexual revictimization in adulthood. The study hypothesized that (A) a history of CSA will be associated with greater instances of adult sexual victimization, (B) higher rates of hyperarousal will be associated with lower rates of adult sexual revictimization in survivors of CSA, (C) higher rates of dissociation will be associated with higher rates of adult sexual revictimization in survivors of CSA, and (D) in looking at both hyperarousal and dissociation, hyperarousal symptoms will buffer the relationship between CSA …

Development And Validation Of The Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale In A Sample Of Social Media Users, Megan Nicole Mancini

ETD Archive

This study examined the psychometric worth of a piloted measure, Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale for Social Media Users (STSS-SM). The STSS-SM is a 17-item instrument designed to measure intrusion, avoidance, and arousal symptoms associated with indirect exposure to traumatic events via social media use. Young adult social media users (N = 144) completed a survey containing the STSS-SM and measures of depression, trauma history, social media use, and demographics. A confirmatory factor analysis supported a three-factor model of secondary traumatic stress in social media users. Additionally, evidence for internal consistency and convergent and discriminant validity were found. These findings suggest …

Behavioral Interference Of Memory Reconsolidation As A Treatment For Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms, Benjamin Darnell

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is best conceptualized as a failure of the stress response to naturally resolve following trauma exposure (e.g., Orcutt, Bonanno, Hannan, & Miron, 2014). Current treatments are effective for some, but not all who suffer from PTSD (e.g., Bradley, Greene, Russ, Dutra, & Westen, 2005; Lee et al., 2016), and relapse is common (Ursano et al., 2004; Davidson et al., 2001). Considering that PTSD is a memory-based disorder, a treatment that could augment trauma memories has the potential to address the limitations of current interventions. Research on memory suggests that, if a memory is retrieved under the …

The Relationship Between Combat Experience, Veteran Pathology And The Pathology Of Their Intimate Partners: What Factors Predict The Pathology Of Veterans And Their Intimate Partners, Edwin A. Brennan

Dissertations

Problem Statement

Military members and their family members who are part of the Global War on Terrorism have experienced deployments and war for over sixteen years and with the resulting toll on both the veteran and their intimate partner. As a result, higher levels of pathology, such as PTSD, Anxiety, and Depression have been experienced by this population. While research has studied the effect of combat on military members, very little research has addressed the effects on family members. Further, no research that has been found by this researcher, has addressed the concept of resonating of pathology between the combat …

Psychological Effects Of Training In Martial Arts After Interpersonal Trauma, Alexandro Garcia Vargas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Individuals who experience a traumatic event may have an adverse emotional reaction that negatively impacts their quality of life. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the influence of training in the martial arts as an intervention in the treatment of interpersonal trauma. The biopsychosocial model provided the framework for the study. The research questions addressed the effects of training in the martial arts and the biological, psychological, and social functioning of individuals who had sustained a form of interpersonal trauma. Data were collected from semistructured interviews with 9 participants. Data were analyzed using Moustakas's modified van …

Impact Of Stress Inoculating Training On Police In Aftermath Of Critical Incidents, Russell Ford

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Critical incidents (CI) have increased over the last several decades, with police officers experiencing more trauma and a rise in psychological problems. Stress inoculation training (SIT) could possibly lower symptoms of posttraumatic stress experienced by the police officers who have responded to CIs. To date, little research exists specific to using SIT to lower symptomatic effects of CIs in police officers. The purpose of this quantitative ex post facto study was to examine and compare symptoms of posttraumatic stress, depression, and anxiety for police officers who have or have not received SIT prior to a CI. The theoretical foundation was …

Relationship Between Preparedness Training And Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Severity In Combat Veterans, Charles F. Snay

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the past decade, the military has deployed approximately 1 million members into combat, and a factor that plagues the military veterans returning from combat is the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A factor to examine is preparedness training before combat because the research has shown that postcombat resilience training has been effective in reducing symptoms of PTSD. Using the social cognitive theory, the purpose of this study was to determine whether self-reported preparedness training before deployments was related to lower severity of self-reported PTSD. Based on prior research, age and gender are other variables that this study examined. …

Time And Transitions As Predictors Of Effective Postdeployment Resilience, Ricarlos Marcell Caldwell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Since 9/11 over 2.77 million U.S. service members have deployed 5.4 million times to a theater of war with the majority serving in the U.S. Army. The increased stress inherent in a single combat deployment grows exponentially with each subsequent deployment, resulting in behavioral issues and suicide attempts and ideations. This study's purpose, following resilience theory, was to explore the associations of military life experiences (permanent changes of station, promotions, retirements, etc.) and deployment characteristics (number of deployments, operational specialties, combined lengths of deployments, etc.) to postdeployment resilience in U.S. military personnel. The study's design was a quantitative correlational research …

The Impact Of Service Dogs On Combat Veterans With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Christine R. Hansen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Combat veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) related symptoms often require the use of complementary therapeutic aids, such as service dogs, to assist them in their recovery in addition to traditional evidence-based therapy. Anecdotal literature was available on the use of service dogs, but quantitative research has not been conducted to answer the question of what the impact was of the use of service dogs on reducing symptoms of PTSD among combat and non-combat veterans. Attachment theory was one of the most common theoretical frameworks for exploring the use of service dogs for treating combat PTSD. The theoretical framework for …

Service Dogs For Veterans With Ptsd: Taxonomy, Work Stress Reduction, And Matching, Lindsay Parenti

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Research suggests that many veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) struggle with reintegration (Sayer et al., 2010), but are unlikely to seek help or complete treatment (Schottenbauer et al., 2008). To make matters worse, available treatment options are often time consuming, challenging, and/or associated with negative side effects (Carafano & Hutchinson, 2017). Using animals as a treatment modality for veterans with PTSD is an emerging topic of interest and has shown promise (Owen, et al., 2016; Richie et al., 2016). However, several factors have hindered the advancement of this field. Obstacles include a lack of standard terminology and classification system, …

Are Chronic Inflammatory Diseases Associated With Trauma Exposure And Gender? An Empirical Analysis Of Self-Reported Trauma And Health Histories Of Men And Women, Meghan Lacienski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A growing body of research indicates an association between trauma, inflammation, and chronic inflammatory disease; however, the mechanisms of this relationship are not fully understood, and the salience of potential risk factors, such as cumulative effects of trauma, trauma type, and gender, remain unclear. Trauma is associated with poor mental and physical health, such as PTSD, depression, and chronic inflammatory conditions, and this association may be stronger when certain risk factors are considered (Brody, Pratt, & Hughes, 2018; Groer, Kane, Williams, & Duffy, 2014; Husky, Mazure, & Kovess-Masfety, 2018; Kilpatrick et al., 2013). For example, sexual trauma and multiple traumatic …