Digital Commons Network^™

Examining The Relations Among Trauma, Distress, Resilience, And Physical Health, Kathryn Elizabeth Chaisson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the role of traumatic distress as a mediator in the relation between trauma exposure and somatic malaise and healthcare utilization. Resilience was examined as a moderator between trauma exposure and somatic malaise and healthcare utilization, then between trauma exposure and traumatic distress. A total of 206 female participants recruited from an obstetrics and gynecology specialty practice completed measures of trauma exposure, traumatic distress, resilience, somatic malaise, and healthcare utilization. Multiple hierarchical regressions were performed to test the hypothesized relations. Results indicated that trauma exposure was a significant predictor of traumatic distress and resilience, and of somatic malaise …

Female Adolescent Trauma Survivors Worldviews: Is This A Defining Moment In My Life Or Does This Moment Now Define My Life?, Carey Lynn Sorenson

Theses and Dissertations

What is your life experience? Do you feel you have taken an active role in your life experiences or do you feel as though life "just happens to you"? Trauma is an event that comes into one's life, without invitation, and can alter the meaning and value of every event thereafter. Many times, exposure to trauma can leave one feeling like he or she is a passive participant in life and that his or her efforts are fruitless.

This researcher tapped into the worldview of sixteen adolescent trauma survivors by conducting qualitative interviews to gain an understanding of how their …

Effects Of Trauma Induced Stress On Attention, Executive Functioning, Processing Speed, And Resilience In Urban Children, Antoinette Welsh

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Brain development, and particularly structures involved in executive functioning, occurs at different rates in children, leading to differential performance in school. Due to neuroanatomical changes secondary to the stress response, children who have experienced stress as a result of poverty and traumatic events may be at increased risk for cognitive difficulties, including attention, executive functioning, and processing speed (Blair, Granger, & Razza, 2005; DeBellis, Hooper, & Sapia, 2005). Prevalence rates among urban children suggest that 70-100% have been exposed to trauma (Dempsey, Overstreet, & Moely, 2000; Macy, Baryry, & Noam, 2003). Some of these children develop posttraumatic stress disorder and …

Heart Rate Variability As A Moderator Of Trauma Writing Outcomes, Alison Eonta

Theses and Dissertations

Writing about personal traumatic experiences is associated with beneficial effects on physical and psychological symptoms compared with writing about emotionally neutral events. However, not everyone benefits from trauma writing to the same extent. The present study hypothesized that the effectiveness of trauma writing may be moderated by emotion regulation, as indexed by respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA). Research also shows that greater physiological reactivity is predictive of better trauma writing outcomes. Given the importance of physiological output in emotional processing, response training was developed and found to increase appropriate physiological reactivity. Because higher RSA is thought to indicate a more flexible …

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 …

Suicide Attempts Among Emotionally And Behaviorally Disturbed Adolescents Removed From The Home, Faith M. Wanja

Master's Theses

This study was conducted to examine the relationship between adolescent suicide behavior and the age of removal from home amongst children with emotional and behavioral disturbance. The study aims to determine whether a child�s removal from home can be counted as a viable basis for the development of suicide prevention programs and an expansion for evidence based practices. The study was conducted using archived de-identified data collected and provided by a private not-for-profit behavioral health treatment facility located in rural Kansas. The participants included male and female adolescents between the ages of thirteen to eighteen years old that were admitted …

Homelessness: Relationships Between Program Completion At A Transformational Shelter And Mental Illness, Substance Abuse, And Trauma, Richard T. Mccutcheon

Theses & Dissertations

Each and every evening many people do not have a home to return to. Solving the epidemic problem of homelessness is an ongoing pursuit. Analyzing issues related to homelessness will help solve the problem of homelessness for some individuals and families. Data was gathered, prioritized and analyzed to determine correlations and relationships between completion of a transformational shelter’s program and mental illness, substance abuse, and trauma. Demographic variables were assessed as well. A person is more likely to complete the program if they have a substance abuse issue. Females are more likely than males to complete the program. Program completion …

An Empirically-Supported Model Of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder In Maltreated Youth, Adrianna Wechsler

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Posttraumatic stress disorder in maltreated youth is a young and burgeoning field. Lemos-Miller and Kearney (2006) were among the first to propose and test a theoretically and empirically-based model of PTSD in maltreated youth. The present study replicated and evaluated the Lemos-Miller and Kearney model within a larger and more diverse sample of maltreated adolescents. First, the Lemos-Miller and Kearney model was tested via structural equation modeling (SEM). Second, the model was evaluated across age, gender, and ethnicity. Third, trauma history, family environment (i.e., cohesion and conflict), dissociation, and trauma-related cognitions were evaluated as potential mediating variables within the model. …

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 …

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 …

A Collective Case Study Of The Diagnosis Of Dissociative Disorders In Children, Jacqueline J. Reycraft

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There is a paucity of research on the diagnosis of dissociative disorders in children. Most children are misdiagnosed with more common mental disorders with similar symptoms. Earlier recognition of dissociative disorders can save years of pain, suffering, and cost. This qualitative collective case study examined the process of diagnosing dissociation in two children under the ages of 12 at the beginning of treatment. A concurrent focus on the training and development of the therapist/researcher is included. Archival data including progress notes, psychotherapy notes, assessments, correspondence, legal documents, school records, and medical records were analyzed using within-case and cross-case analyses to …

Empowering Communities From The Ground Up: Perspectives On A Lay Mental Health Project In Post-Earthquake Haiti, Gilberte Bastien

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

An Exploration Of Social Supports And Cultural Traditions On The Development Of Posttraumatic Growth Among Adult Haitian Immigrants, Patricia L. Weldon

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The research objective was to explore how post-traumatic growth is expressed in Haitian immigrants and what role social supports and cultural traditions may play in the development of post-traumatic growth. Post-traumatic growth is defined by positive changes in one or more of five domains including; personal strengths, relating to others, appreciation of life, spirituality and life philosophy (Calhoun & Tedeschi, 2006). Conceptual frameworks of constructivism (Rodwell, 1998), strength based approach (Saleebey, 2000)and eco systems theory (Bronfenbrenner, 1979) were employed to guide the study.