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Stress Levels Of Bisexual Individuals In Mixed-Orientation Relationships, Amanda Bartley

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Binegativity, the negative perceptions, assumptions, and discrimination experienced by bisexual individuals, is associated with adverse health outcomes including higher rates of mood and anxiety disorders. There is a growing body of research on bisexuality, but there remains little research investigating the risk and protective factors, and the mental health outcomes of bisexual individuals in mixed-orientation relationships. The current study aimed to fill the gaps of the extant research, investigating if social support, outness of bisexual identity, satisfaction with communication between partners, and centrality of group membership and ingroup ties to the LBGT community moderate the relationship between experiences of negativity …

“Born Again:” Narrating The Mental Health Journeys Of Religious Exiters, Fio Haire

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Religious exit–also known as disaffiliation, deconversion, or apostasy–is a growing phenomenon in the United States with significant individual and social consequences. In this review, I consult existing literature to clarify the relationship between the process of religious exit and the mental health of exiters I organize this literature using Ebaugh’s (1988) role-exit model to frame exiting religion as a multi-stage process of role-identity disruption, exit, anomie, and reestablishment. I situate each stage as characterized by changes in mental health, in alignment with psychological theories of the impact of self-construction and self-concept on mental health symptoms. The literature suggests that, beginning …

The Expression Of Satanist Identity: Does Visible Identification Of Satanism Predict Discrimination And Depression?, Allyson Dudley

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The current research examines the relationship between visible expression of religion, identification within Satanism, experiences of discrimination, and depression in a sample of modern Satanists (n = 1,272). Historically, Satanism has been scrutinized as immoral and a threat to public safety. The current research attempts to challenge that viewpoint by employing culturally competent methods and understanding of modern Satanism. Findings indicate a negative relationship between expression of Satanism and discrimination, expression of Satanism and depressive symptoms, in-group ties and discrimination, and identification (in-group ties and in-group affect) and depressive symptoms. Results show a positive relationship between identification with Satanism and …

The Impact Of Social Media On Teenage Females Self-Esteem, Amanda C. Perkovich

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Social media has become the way we connect with the world. Social networking sites, including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter and TikTok, allow users to share intimate details of their lives, upload photographs, initiate and maintain relationships, plan social gatherings, observe the lives of others and express beliefs, values and emotions. In the last ten years, numerous articles have focused on the relationship between social media use and mental health however, very few studies have concentrated on self-esteem, especially in teenage females. The purpose of this literature review is to explore the associations between increased social media activity (greater than 2 …

Younger Hmong People’S Willingness To Communicate About Depression, Wa Yang

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This research examines the underlying issues about mental illness, particularly depression within the Hmong community. Previous scholars have focused on the Hmong culture’s origins, mental health status of Hmong refugees arriving in the United States, martial roles and mental health on Hmong females, and comparisons of Hmong traditional healing and Westernized medicine. These studies intersect in fields including psychology, medicine and public health, Hmong history, and social work. However, one missing component to this body of scholarship has been communication. Thus, my study focused on younger Hmong people’s willingness to communicate about depression within their families. Specifically, I conducted semi-structured …

Predicting Academic Outcomes Of Reinstated Technical College Students Following An Academic Suspension, Erica E. Stene Winkler

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This study explored the academic outcomes of two-year college students who were reinstated following an academic suspension at a small, Midwestern technical college. Binary logistic regression was used to identify factors that were predictive of student reinstatement outcomes (reinstatement success or reinstatement nonsuccess). The analysis included independent variables of age, gender, cumulative quality point status, term of dismissal quality point status, and evidence of a mental health concern. As an independent variable, evidence of a mental health concern was dichotomous (yes or no) and a qualitative review of suspension appeal paperwork submitted by students was used to identify any self-reported …

Benefits Of Exercise On Mental Health: Literature Review, Angela Ristau

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Providers diligently educate patients on exercise to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, and stroke. However, in recent years, providers judiciously educate patients on exercise and its correlation to improving or impacting mental health disorders. Physical activity has been steadily shown to relate to improved physical health, life satisfaction, cognitive functioning, and psychological well-being. A large body of literature examines the impact of physical activity and exercise on mental health. There is a growing interest in the use of exercise in the treatment of depression and anxiety, as a primary option or as an adjunct to pharmacological treatment. …

Assessment Of Stress Related Issues And Coping Mechanisms Among College Students, Emeka Okoro

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this research was to identify frequency of stressors and evaluate current levels of stress of undergraduate students. This study also analyzed and identified coping strategies implemented by college students. Two surveys were used in this study. The University Stress Scale developed by Stallman (2009) was used to identify perceived stressors and measure stress levels of participants. Brief Cope Inventory developed by Carver (1997) was used to assess coping strategies.

SPSS was used for data analysis and computation of scores. Academic/coursework demands was the highest perceived stressor among sampled undergraduates. Procrastination, study/life balance, finances and money problems were …

Working Mothers: The Relationship Between Intensive Mothering And Work-Family Conflict, Casey E. Baker

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This study examined the relationship between intensive mothering constructs and work-family conflict of working mother. The study consisted of 412 participants who identified themselves as mothers who work outside of the home. Participants identified mainly as Caucasian (97.57%), in a domestic partnership (80.3%), who worked 40 hours or more outside of the home (70.9%). The majority believed their work schedule was flexible (58.2%) and worked standard hours (86.2%). Results indicated mothers who worked outside of the home 10-20 hours per week were less likely to endorse Child-Centered, Stimulation, and Essentialism beliefs. Mothers who worked outside of the home 1-10 hours …

Impact Of Stigma On Attitudes Towards Seeking Professional Psychological Help For Depression, Anna Marie Dierks

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Depression is the most common mental illness, affecting almost seven percent of Americans each year. Although mental illness treatment through professional psychological services has been proven to be effective, underutilization of these services is high. Underutilization of seeking help could lead to serious consequences, such as suicide. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among adolescents and young adults aged 15-34 years old and in 2013 the highest rates of suicide were among adults aged 45-64 years old. Stigma has been viewed as a barrier to seeking professional psychological help.

Two age groups were chosen for this research due …

Cognitive Complexity, Mindfulness, And Reflection In Mental Health Professionals, Dharshini Goonetilleke

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

In this cross sectional quantitative investigation, the relationships among mental health professionals' cognitive complexity, mindfulness, and reflection were explored. To determine if there was a correlation between mindfulness and cognitive complexity, a Pearson's correlation was conducted: There was a strong positive correlation between mindfulness and cognitive complexity. To determine whether observing and describing (two key variables of mindfulness) could predict counselor overall cognitive complexity, a simultaneous multiple regression was conducted. The observing subscale significantly predicted counselor cognitive complexity and the describing subscale did not significantly predict mindfulness. To determine if there is a correlation between mindfulness and reflection, a Pearson's …

Mental Health Of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Heterosexual, And Questioning Youth In Rural, Micropolitian, And Metropolitan Regions In Minnesota: Assessing Internalizing And Externalizing Self-Report Behaviors, Jessica Louann Jorgenson

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Individuals identifying as gay, lesbian, bisexual, and questioning or unsure are often at greater risk of developing psychopathology. Minnesota youth, grades 9 and 11, completed the Minnesota Student Survey in 2013. Data were analyzed to ascertain differences within the aforementioned sexual minority groups as well as comparisons to heterosexual youth on questions adapted from the Global Appraisal of Individual Needs Short Screener (GAIN-SS). The GAIN-SS consists of self-reported items regarding internalizing and externalizing behaviors. In the present study, bisexual youth reported the most externalizing behaviors and the fewest internalizing behaviors. Heterosexual youth reported the fewest externalizing behaviors, but the most …

The Co-Occurrence Of Multiple And Overlapping Demands Among Women Leaving Prison, Jennifer Jo Schweitzer

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The findings presented in this thesis result from an analysis of the experiences over a three-year period of thirteen women recently released from prison, all of whom simultaneously struggled with severe physical and mental health problems, drug and alcohol addiction(s), and histories of trauma. The purpose of this study was to better understand the strategies women with these multiple and overlapping vulnerabilities utilized as they attempted to reintegrate into the community. This group of thirteen women is a subsample of a population of 41 women whose reentry experiences were the focus of a larger, longitudinal research project. The data consist …

The Dirty Work Of Law Enforcement: Emotion, Secondary Traumatic Stress, And Burnout In Federal Officers Exposed To Disturbing Media, Amanda Harms

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The present study adds to past research on exposure to disturbing media as a driver of burnout and secondary traumatic stress. Research has shown that exposure to this type of media can lead to secondary traumatic stress (STS), burnout, as well as other negative outcomes (Burns, Bradshaw, Morley, & Domene, 2008; Divine, 2010; Krause, 2009; Perez, Jones, Englert, & Sachau, 2010; Stevenson, 2007). In addition, I discuss this type of work as a form of "dirty work" (Ashforth & Kreiner, 1999). I examined the role of various emotional responses and stigma as mediators and moderators of the relationship between exposure …