Digital Commons Network^™

Couple Recovery From Problematic Pornography Use: A Phenomenological Study Of Change Moments And Common Factors, Travis J. Spencer

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Pornography use has been reported to have harmful effects on relationships and individuals. However, research on effective treatment for problematic pornography use (PPU) is limited. This manuscript reviews the previous treatment literature for PPU and highlights the gaps that need further study. Then, I discuss how I performed a qualitative study of 11 couples who had successfully been treated for PPU in order to analyze the key mechanisms of change that were employed in their recovery process and address the missing gaps in this field of research. The five major emerging themes from this study are Catalysts for Recovery, Foundation …

Utilizing A School-Based Treatment To Address Socially Anxious Elementary School Students, Mckell Nelson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Despite the availability of promising clinic-based programs, youth exhibiting socially anxious behaviors rarely receive the treatment they may need. Those that do get treatment, often do so in the school setting. Thus, the demand for effective interventions to address those needs in the school-setting is growing. The present study investigated the effects of a modified CBT intervention, delivered in the school setting, on positive peer interactions and self-rating social anxiety. Results showed that the treatment package provided an increase in positive peer interactions across all four participants, as well as a decrease in self-rated anxiety behaviors.

Introducing Two New Weed Control Tools: A "Smart" Spray Wand And A Wildland Weed Treatment Time Model, Bryan E. Dayton

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Wildland invasive weed treatment, a primary task of land managers, is expensive. Variables including weed canopy cover, slope, land cover, and weed visibility can affect treatment time and cost. A partnership was established with the Department of Plants, Soils, and Climate at Utah State University, Providia Management Group (PMG Environmental LLC) and Jardyne Technologies to develop a wildland weed treatment time model to better understand the effect of these variables on treatment time.

The “smart” spray wand (SSW) is a new precision tool used to develop this model. The SSW is a spray wand with an integrated GPS and a …

Cationic Starch Synthesis, Development, And Evaluation For Harvesting Microalgae For Wastewater Treatment, Renil John Anthony

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Microalgae are the preferred crop for the production of biodiesel. Microalgae are microplants that have the ability to harness sunlight more efficiently than other plants and store 20-80% lipids per g of dry algae in their cells. Microalgae have the extraordinary ability to grow in brackish water or wastewater. Microalgae can be grown in municipal wastewater to uptake phosphorus and nitrogen and remediate the wastewater of these nutrients. Microalgae thus cultivated accomplishes a dual role of wastewater treatment and provides a sustainable feedstock for biofuels and other bioproducts.

This study focused on efficiently harvesting microalgae from water using modified starch. …

An Application Of Acceptance And Commitment Therapy As It Relates To Children, Hannah Thompson

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

This paper expounds upon a modern therapy which has emerged as an effective, albeit less conventional, mode for the treatment of people with Obsessive-compulsive Disorder (OCD). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, is a therapy based on the premise that an effective way of coping with unwanted cognitions, such as those present in OCD, is for one to focus on life ideals and values. This approach contrasts with the conventional method of remedying the symptoms of a mental disorder such as OCD before pursuing life goals. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy has several dimensions which will be discussed.

A Systematic Review Of Psychological Treatments For Combat-Related Ptsd, Benson G. Munyan Iii

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

With ongoing military operations spanning the globe, a new population of combat veterans is emerging. Posttraumatic stress disorder is an enormous issue for veterans, and knowing the status of psychosocial treatments for it seems necessary. The current study seeks to provide a more comprehensive description of the current status of outcome research for combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder, including treatments being utilized, attrition rates, percent responders/nonresponder, and population conflict (i.e., OIF, OEF, Vietnam). The literature was systematically reviewed and 10 randomized controlled trials were identified that focused solely on veteran populations with posttraumatic stress disorder. Treatments utilized in these studies included …

Design Of A Constructed Wetland For Wastewater Treatment And Reuse In Mount Pleasant, Utah, Yue Zhang

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Municipalities in the Intermountain West are facing water shortages based on their current population growth projections. Utah has the second highest per-capita culinary water use in the United States. Among other cities, Mount Pleasant, Utah, is seeking innovative and cost-effective ways to reduce culinary water use. This study presents a feasibility analysis of and a design for using a free water surface constructed wetland system to treat the city’s wastewater. The study further presents a cost-benefit assessment of using the treated water for landscape irrigation in the city. The study is based on an analysis of existing wastewater quality, local …

Treatment Of Pediatric Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Utilizing Parent-Facilitated Acceptance And Commitment Therapy, Jennifer Yardley

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) affects as many as 2.7% of children. Pediatric OCD is associated with significant distress for both families and children in multiple domains. Unfortunately, the majority of children with OCD do not receive adequate treatment. Without treatment pediatric OCD often persists into adulthood.

The current primary psychological treatment for pediatric OCD is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) with exposure and response prevention (ERP). However, there are multiple limitations of this treatment. Some children either do not respond to current treatments or respond only minimally, while others drop out or refuse treatment.
Exposure-based treatments yield problems with treatment adherence, …

The Effects Of Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia On Social Functioning: An Investigation Into The First Year Of Treatment, Rachel L. Duchoslav

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Cancer is currently the leading cause of death by disease in children under the age of 15 in the US. While the number of childhood cancer survivors continues to grow, psychological research on this population has lagged. Existing research on the psychosocial effects of childhood cancer is marked by inconsistent conclusions as well as methodological limitations. However, the effect of childhood cancer on social functioning is one area with relatively more consistency. Existing research suggests that childhood cancer can lead to deficits in prosocial skills as well as the emergence of social problems.

The present study investigated individual change in …

Acceptance And Commitment Therapy For The Treatment Of Compulsive Pornography Use: A Randomized Clinical Trial, Jesse M. Crosby

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Compulsive pornography use (CPU) is generally defined by the inability to control the use of pornography and the resulting negative effects on quality of life or general functioning including damaged relationships, loss of productivity, impaired performance at work or school, job loss, financial expenses, guilt/shame, and personal distress. Statistics indicate that CPU may be as common as other psychological disorders and that the effects of the behavior can be just as severe. It is estimated that 1.5% to 3% of the adult population of the United States meets the criteria for compulsive pornography use. A review of the literature found …

Greater Sage-Grouse Response To Sagebrush Reduction Treatments In Rich County, Utah, Roger Blair Stringham

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Management of greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) in the west has changed over the last several decades in response to environmental and anthropogenic causes. Many land and wildlife management agencies have begun manipulating sagebrush with herbicides, machinery, and fire. The intent of these manipulations (treatments) is to reduce sagebrush canopy cover and increase the density of grass and forb species, thus providing higher quality sage-grouse brood-rearing habitat. However, monitoring of sage-grouse response to such manipulations has often been lacking or non-existent. The objective of our study was to determine the response of sage-grouse to sagebrush reduction treatments that have …

Statistical Analysis Of Wastewater Remediation And Bio-Fuels Production Of Algae, Jay D. Jones

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The Logan city wastewater treatment system consists of a series of seven large aerated ponds (460 acres) that biologically treats 15 million gallons per day of wastewater from Logan city and six other communities. Tighter regulations of allowed phosphorus levels in the effluent have recently been implemented due to environmental concerns of a downstream reservoir. The Biological Engineering program at Utah State University, the Bio-fuels Center, the Utah Water Research Laboratory (UWRL) and the city of Logan are working together to remediate the wastewater treatment system using microalgae. Algal growth requires the uptake of phosphorus. Thus, phosphorus in the effluent …

Teacher Treatment Integrity In School Based Interventions, Gregory A. Simpson

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Identifying effective treatments to address undesirable behaviors is one major goal of research in changing human behavior. Researchers want to demonstrate that it is indeed the treatment that is effecting a change in the target behavior and not some extraneous influence. When researchers examine the effectiveness of an intervention the treatment is implemented with the attempt to decrease the influence of other factors that may explain behavior change that occurs in hopes to see the desired effect of the independent variable (treatment) on the dependent variable (behavior). For this type of research, it is important to keep all variables except …

Family Involvement In Three Utah Adolescent Residential Treatment Centers, Wesley W. Larson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Family participation in residential treatment for disturbed adolescents has increased over time. A general sense of this movement is that this is beneficial. However, there are no common descriptions of family involvement in residential treatment in the literature. In order to be able to better understand which components of family involvement are most beneficial, we need to first understand how residential treatment centers (RTCs) define and describe family involvement. This study compiled data from interviews with nine participants, one each from administration, therapy staff, and direct care staff level of three northern Utah RTCs that claimed family involvement in youth …

Does Teaching Problem-Solving Skills Matter?: An Evaluation Of Problem-Solving Skills Training For The Treatment Of Social And Behavioral Problems In Children, Bryan B. Bushman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Parent training combined with problem solving skills training has been proposed as a comprehensive treatment for childhood oppositional behaviors, poor child social skills, and parental stress. The current study compared Parent Training + Problem Solving Skills Training with a Parent Training + nondirective condition. Parents of 32 children first attended Parent Training. After the parents completed Parent Training, children were randomly assigned to individual therapy in either a Problem Solving Skills Training condition or a nondirective condition. Data comparisons between the groups were made at postindividual therapy and at 6-week follow-up. Results indicated that children in the Problem Solving Skills …

Efficacy Of A Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment For Weight Loss In Adults With Type 2 Diabetes, Kathy Wickersham

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is increasing across all sociodemographic groups. Obesity and overweight are major risk factors in the development of the disease and in the development of complications. Conversely, weight loss improves glycemic control, which reduces likelihood of complications. Interventions combining cognitive and behavioral components show promise in addressing the problem of weight loss maintenance. The objective of this study was to test the efficacy of a cognitive-behavioral intervention. Participants were 54 adults diagnosed with type 2 diabetes randomly assigned to either a treatment group or a control. The assessment measures utilized in this study were the …

Celiac Disease: What Dietitians Can Do To Effectively Treat A Growing Problem, Meagan Roxanne Wade

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The symptomology of celiac disease, also known as gluten-sensitive enteropathy or celiac sprue, was first described in AD 50 by Aretaeus, a noted ancient Greek physician who specialized in isolating and explaining disease states. Clinical manifestations of the disease were distinctly defined by Samuel Gee in 1888 who theorized that diet therapy was likely the treatment for the disease: "the allowance of farinaceous must be small, but if the patient can be cured at all, it must be by means of diet." Farinaceous foods included those rich in starches or mealy in texture. Treatment at the time consisted of a …

Selective Mutism: The Little Known Disorder That Causes Big Problems, April Meyer Vogt

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

For my senior thesis/project, I planned on delving into the subject of Selective Mutism (SM) and how it interferes in a child's education, and what treatments and evaluations are available to help treat and diagnose a child with SM. SM is a type of anxiety disorder that can occur when a child develops an acute fear of speaking. Treatment of a child with SM usually focuses on techniques to lower anxiety and increase self-esteem and confidence in communication and social settings. I focused my presentation towards treatment models and options, including, but not limited too: behavioral therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, …

Women's Substance Abuse Treatment With Supplemental Couple's Therapy: Changes In Women's Levels Of Intimacy And Autonomy In Relation To Treatment Outcomes By Treatment Modality, Charles N. Davis

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The current study is a secondary analysis of a National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) study in which 122 women received treatment for their substance abuse problems. Three models of substance abuse treatment were administered. One included standard substance abuse treatment alone and two models included supplemental couple's therapy in addition to standard treatment. The current study examined the significance of the relationship between changes in the women's levels of intimacy and autonomy, during and after treatment, and their treatment outcomes according to the treatment modality they received.

It was hypothesized that the relationship would be significant in that levels …

Physicians' Health Promotion Practices For Mexican American Patients At Risk For Type 2 Diabetes, Holly Day Mcfarland

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The relationship between physicians' perceptions of Mexican American patients at risk for Type 2 diabetes and the subsequent care they provide was studied. Primary care providers responded to questionnaires about their health promotion practices. A 2x2 analysis of variance was used to identify differences in reported treatment of patients that accounted for both ethnicity and risk. Results indicated Hispanic patients received less time with their providers than Caucasian patients regardless of risk for Type 2 diabetes. Both groups received about the same reported care in terms of information gathered for diagnosis, diagnosis made, and treatment regimen prescribed. Data also suggested …

Parents' And Teachers' Acceptability Of Treatments For Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: The Effects Of Presentation And Information Delivery, Jason Donald Gage

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most frequently diagnosed problems affecting school-age children. This disorder can cause significant problems for children who consequently need treatment. Consumers of interventions for ADHD have efficacious treatments to choose from, but such treatment may not be implemented appropriately and effectiveness may decrease. Viewing treatments as 111 acceptable can affect treatment integrity and in turn increase effectiveness. Therefore, it is important that professionals understand how to increase the acceptability of treatments when first presenting treatment options to consumers. The primary purpose of this study was to determine if presenting parents and teachers with additional …

A Meta-Analysis Of The Alcohol Treatment Outcome Literature: 1993 To 2000, Anthony Phillip Tranchita

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Alcohol misuse is a very common problem with high financial and personal costs. Treatment requires allocation of limited resources for optimal impact. Responsible decision making in this area should be based upon reasoned weighing of research evidence. Miller and colleagues completed a meta-analytic review of all controlled studies published before 1992 to help clinicians do just that. The coding system they employed examined methodological quality, as well as outcome, to obtain a rank­ordering of treatments that seem to have the most quality research support. The current study attempts to extend this work utilizing the same coding on studies published since …

Treatment Of Separation Anxiety Disorder And School Refusal: A Comprehensive Review Of The Literature, Nicole Petersen

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Separation anxiety disorder is a condition in which a child or adolescent experiences severe anxiety when separation from a parent or caregiver is imminent. A possible symptom of separation anxiety disorder or other psychological conditions is that the child may refuse to attend school or run away from school during the day, an occurrence commonly referred to as school refusal. Children with separation anxiety disorder or school refusal may, as a result, be limited in their social and educational opportunities. Therefore, a review of published studies on the treatment of separation anxiety disorder and school refusal was completed. To adequately …

Syndrome X: A Review Of The Cluster Of Abnormalities, Diagnosis, And Treatment, Kathryn Lundgren Gurney

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Syndrome X is a cluster of abnormalities including insulin resistance, hypertension, dyslipidemia, upper-body obesity, increased levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor 1, decreased levels of tissue plasminogen activator, and hyperuricemia. The combined effect of these abnormalities greatly increases risk for Type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease. Individuals at risk for Syndrome X are those with any of the abnormalities (not necessarily all) or with a family history of diabetes, hypertension, or early-onset coronary artery disease. Treatment of Syndrome X should be early and aggressive, starting with lifestyle changes. Exercise, proper diet, and weight loss all improve insulin resistance and thereby …

Effects Of A Parent's Intervention To Decrease Stereotypic Behavior And Increase Interactions Using Self-Management Treatment For Students With Autism In Korea, Jeongil Kim

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The present investigation examined the effects of a parent's intervention to teach students with autism self-management to decrease their stereotypic behaviors. A time-lagged ABA (A represents the first baseline, B does intervention, and A does the second baseline) design was used. Three mothers of children with autism were trained to reduce their children's stereotypic behaviors using a self-monitoring strategy. The training for the parent was conducted in two settings after the first baseline condition. A classroom was used for the first training session and the home was used for the second training session. The intervention by the parent was conducted …

A Meta-Analytic Review Of Studies Examining The Effects Of Childhood Sexual Abuse In Women, Sheryl A. Dagang

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Childhood sexual abuse is a prevalent problem that impacts adult women and the mental health professionals who treat them. Decades of studies have been conducted examining the impact of childhood sexual abuse in order to be better able to treat clients with this history. Yet, few clear guidelines have resulted from these activities.

In order to gain a clearer picture of this research, a meta-analysis was conducted on 41 published studies to describe the nature of the problem, the subjects involved in these studies, the measures used to determine effect, and the impact of eight variables that potentially mediate the …

Treatment Of Low Quality Forages By Hydrogen Peroxide And(Or) Anhydrous Ammonia And Their Utilization In Ruminant Nutrition, Mohammed Diouri

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Three experiments were conducted to evaluate low quality forages treatment by anhydrous ammonia (NH₃) and(or) hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂).

In experiment I, a control and three treatments of barley straw were compared: NH₃, NH₃ after rehydration of the straw with water (NH₃+H₂O), and NH₃ after rehydration with a H₂O₂ solution (NH₃+H₂O₂). Forages were fed, with a supplement, at two levels of intake (ad libitum and 75% of ad lib.). Treatments were administered in a split-plot in a Latin …

Anaerobic Treatment Of Whey Permeate Using Upflow Sludge Blanket Bioreactors, Seokhwan Hwang

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Whey permeate was anaerobically digested in laboratory scale upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactors. Nine hydraulic retention times between 5 and 0.2 days were examined with a fixed influent concentration of 10.6 ± 0.2 g COD/L.

Chemical oxygen demand removal efficiency ranged from 99.0 to 18.9% and maximum production rate of methane gas was 2.67 L/L/day at a hydraulic loading rate of 12.97 kg COD/m³/day. About 70% of the chemical oxygen demand removed was converted to methane.

Both the nonlinear least square method with 95% confidence interval and linear regression were used to evaluate kinetic coefficients. The maximum substrate …

Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment Of Adolescent Depression: Effects On Multiple Parameters, Steven E. Curtis

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Clinical depression is the most frequently reported mental health problem for adolescents. Previously studied psychological treatment approaches for adolescent depression have recently been combined and packaged into a comprehensive psychoeducational intervention titled the Adolescent Coping With Depression Course (ACWDC). This study investigated whether treatment of clinically depressed adolescents using the ACWDC resulted in significant emotional, behavioral, and/or academic performance changes as reported by the adolescent, and observed by the parents and teachers.

Nineteen clinically depressed adolescents were identified by screening 876 students in a local high school, using a multistage screening procedure. All selected subjects met the DSM III-R criteria …

Assessment-Based Treatment For Physically Abusive Parents: An Exploratory Study, Scott E. Blickenstaff

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Literature on child abuse supports the conception that physical abuse is a multidetermined behavior. Multifaceted treatment programs have shown some promise in dealing with the heterogeneity of abusive parents. Most of the reported comprehensive intervention programs have provided predetermined doses of a variety of treatment components to each subject. The intent of this study was two-fold: (a) to provide treatment components based on assessment of the parent and (b) to train the parent to a specified level of competency. A multiple baseline design was used in this clinical study of six agency-referred, physically abusive parents. Based on initial assessment and …