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Nurses' Posttraumatic Stress, Level Of Exposure, And Coping Five Years After Hurricane Katrina, Wendy Park

Nursing Dissertations (PhD)

First responders who participate in disaster are at risk of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Because of nurses’ unique role as professional and volunteer responders, there is a need to know more about risks of PTSD in this group.

Using a cross-sectional correlational design, associations between disaster exposure, problem focused coping (PFC), emotion-focused coping (EFC) and PTSD symptoms (Impact of Events Scale-Revised (IES-R) scale) were explored. A random sample (n= 995) was drawn from a list of nurses from the New Orleans region. Each nurse was mailed an invitation to participate in an online survey. Three post-card reminders were sent.

The …

A Self-Regulation Model Of Depression: Content Of Cognitive Representations And Prediction Of Treatment Seeking, Catherine Leite

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Leventhal's self-regulation model (SRM) was applied as a conceptual framework from which to examine individuals' cognitive representations of depressive symptoms. This thesis explored the nature of these representations, as well as factors that may impact on these representations and, in turn, influence coping strategies and professional help seeking. In particular, Study 1 examined the effect of symptom severity and the label used to identify the symptoms on the cognitive representations of depressive symptoms and coping, whereas Study 2 examined the effect of symptom duration in this regard. This thesis also considered the extent to which the various SRM domains are …

Childhood Maltreatment, Coping, And Coping Self-Efficacy Among Offenders, David Guion

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the relationship between childhood interpersonal trauma and coping self-efficacy, coping styles, and emotion regulation difficulties among male and female offenders in detention and diversion centers (N = 183). The coping-relapse model of recidivism posits that offenders’ coping ability plays a pivotal role in successful reentry (Zamble & Quinsey, 1997). Past research reveals that childhood maltreatment is associated with avoidant coping and emotion regulation difficulties, which could negatively impact reentry (e.g., Cloitre et al., 2009; Min, Farkas, Minnes, & Singer, 2007). The relationship between childhood maltreatment and coping self-efficacy has not been addressed. This study found that childhood …

What Are The Athletic Stressors And Clinical Implications Experienced By First Year Division Iii Student-Athletes : An Exploratory Study, Jennifer A. Johnson, Jennifer Anne Johnson

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This exploratory study was undertaken to investigate the ways that stressors from athletics may impact Division III female student-athletes emotional and cognitive states during their first year at college. Findings were compared to the experiences from various studentathletes from other divisions, assessing the extent to which they have coped and managed their stress. Data was collected from Division III female athletes at two all-women's colleges located in New England. With the help of five guided interview questions, narrative interviews were conducted with seven subjects who spoke about their first year experiences as a student-athlete. Interview questions were carefully designed to …

Mujeres Cultivando Raices : The Experience Of Mexican Migrant Farmworking Women And How They Cope In Reaction To Stress, Joana Padilla Zapata

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This qualitative study investigates the subjective experiences of Mexican migrant farmworking women in the South Texas region. This study will provide an understanding of how stress of the migrant farmwork lifestyle affects Mexican migrant farmworking women. Specifically, the line of inquiry is guided by one main research question: How do Mexican migrant farmworking women cope in reaction to stress? This study reviews a range of literature on migrant farmworkers and the significant stressors they are faced with. Through their own narratives, 12 female Mexican migrant farmworkers from the South Texas region reveal how they are confronted with the complex stressors …

Ghosts Of The Past : Polio Survivors Confront Post Polio Syndrome, Arianna Louise Opsvig

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This qualitative study explores the experience, attitudes, and coping skills of polio survivors confronting post polio syndrome (PPS), the re-emergence of polio-related symptoms in older age. It asks the question, ""What are the experiences and attitudes among individuals experiencing PPS towards declining physical functioning and secondary disability, and what are the resiliencies and coping strategies they are drawing upon in confronting symptoms?" This study seeks to provide social workers with a more richly described narrative of the resiliencies, approaches to coping, and challenges confronted by those with PPS than has been provided by past literature. Furthermore, it seeks to provide …

Coping Resources, Coping Styles, Mastery, Social Support, And Depression In Male And Female College Students, Kristen J. Aycock

Counseling and Psychological Services Dissertations

Depression is one of the most commonly-diagnosed disorders in college counseling centers (Adams, Wharton, Quilter, & Hirsch, 2008), so effective diagnosis and treatment are paramount to providing adequate care to college students. Treatment direction may depend on gender, however. Not only do males and females experience depression at different rates (Kessler et al., 2003), but there also is some evidence that factors predict depression differently by gender (Tamres, Janicki, & Helgeson, 2002). Specifically, the literature suggests that the choice of coping strategies may be gender-related; that perceived control is higher in males, yet more important to females; that social connectedness …

Emotional Intelligence And Coping Styles: Exploring The Relationship Between Attachment And Distress, Victoria L. Burns

Open Access Dissertations

The current study examined the roles of emotional intelligence (attention, clarity, and repair) and coping styles (reactive and suppressive) in the relationship between adult attachment and interpersonal and psychological distress. Participants were 233 undergraduate students from a Southeastern university who completed a battery of self-report questionnaires, including the Outcome Questionnaire-45.2 and the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems. This study utilized latent structural equation modeling in order to explore the well-established link between adult attachment and distress. Results support the notion that both emotional intelligence and coping styles are important variables to include when conceptualizing the relationship between attachment style and psychological …

Towards The Development Of Culturally And Contextually Relevant Model Of Coping For Low Income, Urban, African American Adolescents, Kristin Joy Carothers

College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences Theses and Dissertations

Low income, urban African American adolescents are exposed to disproportionately high rates of stressors in their everyday lives (Allison, Burton, Marshall, Perez-Febles, Yarrington, & Kirsh, 1999; Attar, Guerra & Tolan, 1994; Gaylord-Harden, Gipson, Mance & Grant, 2008). In order to succeed in their own context and beyond, these adolescents must learn to cope effectively with the stressors they face. Little of the extant coping intervention literature has incorporated low income, urban African American adolescents, even though these youth could benefit from such interventions. The following research develops a model of the culturally and contextually relevant factors that contribute to coping …

Examining The Relationship Between Work/Life Conflict And Life Satisfaction In Executives: The Role Of Problem-Focused Coping Techniques, Heather S Mcmillan

Doctoral Dissertations

Determining not only what makes people, but also how many people are, satisfied personally and with work has become an ongoing stream of research for both academics and practitioners. The idea of satisfaction is of such concern today that Gallup-Healthways conducts a survey, and reports, on the daily well-being of Americans (http://www.gallup.com/poll/106915/ gallup-daily-us-mood.aspx). Given the importance of satisfaction to individuals, organizations and society at large, it is imperative to understand the predictors and mediators of satisfaction. Research has been conducted on the negative (i.e., inverse) relationship between satisfaction and work/life conflict, as well as the positive relationship between coping and …

The Effects Of Coping On The Psychological Well-Being Of Inidividuals Who Are Late-Deafened, Jill Marie Meyer

Dissertations

Abstract Recent research supports the application of the theory of adaptation to various groups of individuals with disabilities. The premise of the theory is that individuals with certain disabilities may have greater difficulty adapting to their newly acquired level of functioning (Diener, Lucas, & Scollon, 2006). The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between disability factors and psychosocial outcomes, specifically psychological well-being, in a sample of individuals who lost their hearing after age 12. Coping was examined to determine if it was a mediator of the relationships between the disability factors (age of onset, severity of disability, …

Relations Between Violence Exposure, Threat Appraisal, And Coping Among Typologies Of Victimized Adolescents, Katherine Taylor

Theses and Dissertations

According to the transactional theory of stress and coping, threat appraisals influence coping and adjustment. Previous research has shown that threat appraisals mediate relations between violence exposure and adjustment, but few studies have examined links between threat appraisals and coping. The current study examined relations between violence exposure, threat appraisals, and coping among typologies of victimized adolescents. The sample included 159 predominately African American adolescents (M = 12.1). Path analyses were used to test whether threats of negative evaluation by self and others mediated relations between violence exposure and avoidance and positive reframing coping, respectively. Results did not indicate mediation …

Familial Influences On The Coping Strategies Of African American Youth From Foster Care Families And Biological Families, Cynthya Campbell

Dissertations

The purpose of the current study is to examine the impact of three parental factors: caregiver socialization of coping, caregiver modeling of coping and caregiver/child relationship (i.e. parent support) on coping strategies of African American youth in foster care and those who reside with at least on biological parent. Approximately, 110 African American children and adolescents and their caregivers reported on coping strategies used to manage stressors and stress-evoking events. Controlling for SES, child age and child gender, regression analyses were conducted to determine whether youth residing in foster care reported less attachment and less caregiver socialization of coping as …

Coping Style As A Mediator Of Stress Perception For Caregivers Of Children With Developmental Disabilities, Justin Wayne Peer

Wayne State University Dissertations

Past research has found that parents and primary caregivers of children with developmental disabilities experience more stress than parents with children of normal development (Cushner-Weinstein et al., 2008; Hussain & Juyal, 2007). The present study examined the influence that coping style has on the relationship between known stress influencing variables (social support, severity of child disability, life orientation) and the perception of stress for caregivers of children with developmental disabilities. Parents or primary caregivers (N = 127) whose children received mental health services from a large Community Mental Health agency in Washtenaw County, Michigan participated in the study. Participants were …

Effects Of Personality And Situation Upon Appraisal And Coping, Daniel Henry Mcgrath

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Stress and coping represent one of the most studied areas in the field of psychology. There is little agreement regarding the proper conceptualization of coping. Cognitive processesand personality traits have been proposed as important determinants of coping responses. Low correlations have been consistently found between personality traits, appraisal, and coping. Many studies in the stress and coping literature suffer from methodological issues. This study was designed to improve upon typical methodology, determine the relative predictive utility ofpersonality cluster approaches over dimensional approaches, and determine the effect of personality and situation upon appraisal and coping. Participants read hypothetical stressor scenarios. Primary …

Does The Quality Of The Patient-Physician Relationship Moderate Predictors Of Poor Adherence In Urban, Underserved And Vulnerable Patients With Chronic Illness?, Laura Russo-Innamorato

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Escalating prevalence rates and rising economic costs of chronic illnesses necessitate a better understanding of factors affecting patient adherence in the primary care setting. Despite technological advances and evidenced-based treatments, clinical outcomes are often poor. Data drawn from archival data of the “A Healthier You” wellness program designed to serve a predominately underserved population were examined to assess whether or not positive predictors of adherence could moderate the impact of negative predictors such as depression. Limitations of the study methodology precluded significant interpretations but suggested significant discrepancies between patient and physician perceptions of trust in the relationship and the satisfaction …

Adolescents With A Parent With Cancer: Personal Construct Psychology Interviewing Techniques, Michael Henman

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

This thesis examined how adolescents with a parent with cancer coped with the experience. The focus of much of the general developmental literature was found to be the problems faced by adolescents. Hence, when considering how children deal with adverse circumstances such as parental cancer, there was an assumption they would be unable to cope. Despite this assumption the literature can be read as showing that adolescents can, and indeed do, cope with, and even attribute benefits to, adverse events. However, while the literature does shed some light on adolescents' experiences, it is so disparate in both its methods and …

Responding To Tobacco Craving: Acceptance Versus Suppression, Erika B. Litvin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Most treatments for substance use disorders (SUDs) are based on a model that craving is a primary cause of relapse, and therefore they emphasize skills for preventing and reducing craving. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) provides a theoretical rationale for "acceptance" of drug-related thoughts and cravings, and proscribes suppression, a more intuitive and commonly used coping strategy. However, it remains largely unknown whether various coping strategies differentially affect craving intensity, drug use behavior, or other relevant outcomes during a craving episode. Using a randomized, between-subjects design (acceptance-based coping, suppression-based coping, or no coping instructions/control), the current study compared the effect …

The Construction Of Adversarial Growth In The Wake Of A Hurricane, Beverly Lynn Mcclay Borawski

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study employed a qualitative approach to explore the factors that contribute to positive change and growth following a natural disaster. The qualitative methodology included narrative interviews and family group interviews that were conducted with six families in Florida that had experienced two or three hurricanes within six weeks in 2004. Narrative analysis and thematic analysis were used to discover what factors contributed to participants experiencing positive growth.

Participants described the experience of surviving and coping with the hurricane. Participants reported that preparation before a hurricane was a three-part process that involved physical, mental, and emotional preparation. Four actions were …

Social Support, Social Stigma, Health, Coping, And Quality Of Life In Older Gay Men With Hiv, Larry Zuendel Slater

All ETDs from UAB

With the advent of antiretroviral therapy, people with HIV/AIDS are living longer and managing their HIV infection as would an individual with any other chronic disease. As life expectancy increases, quality of life has progressed as an emerging issue for older adults with HIV/AIDS. A majority of people living with HIV in the U.S. are still gay men, who thus comprise a large portion of those who are growing older with the disease. The aims of the descriptive, correlational study were to: (1) explore the relationships among age, race, socioeconomic status, health, social support, social stigma, coping, perceived health, and …

Predicting Posttraumatic Growth: Coping, Social Support, And Posttraumatic Stress In Children And Adolescents After Hurricane Katrina, Mark Allen Schexnaildre

LSU Master's Theses

There is a growing area of research that explores the possibility that negative life events could ultimately result in positive outcomes. However, there exists some debate on whether or not children are capable of experiencing such outcomes. The proposed study examined posttraumatic growth (PTG), positive psychological change in the wake of a traumatic event, in a sample of child and adolescent victims of Hurricane Katrina. Specifically, the roles of coping and social support were studied as predictors of PTG. Additionally, the relationship between PTG and posttraumatic stress disorder, which has been shown to be a complex one, was explored. This …

Parental And Carer Responses To Angelman Syndrome And Prader-Willi Syndrome, Allyson K. Thomson

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The research project undertaken as part of this thesis was designed to assess family stress levels and the use of coping strategies among the carers of people with an intellectual disability caused by Angelman syndrome (AS) or Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS). Both syndromes are genomic imprinting disorders that arise from disruptions in genes located within human chromosome 15q11-q13. Although the disease phenotypes are quite distinct, the genetic mechanisms involved are common to both syndromes but involve paternally-derived mutations in PWS as opposed to maternal mutations in AS. Previous investigations in Western Australia (WA) indicated that people with AS and PWS experience …