Digital Commons Network^™

Laughing Through The Pain: An Analysis Of Dark Humor In Trauma-And-Crisis-Centered Occupations, Zoe R. Potter

University Honors Theses

The use of dark, or "black" humor by professionals in trauma-and-crisis-centered occupations is common, with fields such as healthcare, crime, emergency response, and social work reporting frequent use of dark humor on the job. Using a literature review approach, peer-review articles were examined to understand the function that dark humor plays in trauma-and-crisis-centered fields. The findings suggest that dark humor acts as a coping mechanism, and contributes to various group dynamics between colleagues. The literature was also reviewed for the effects that dark humor has on patients or people in contact with trauma-and-crisis personnel. While some preliminary findings point to …

Parecoxib Reduced Postsurgical Pain And Facilitated Movement More Than Patient Controlled Analgesia, Szu-Ching Chiu, Hanoch Livneh, Jin-Cheng Chen, Chia-Ming Chang, Honda Hsu, Tsay-I Chiang, Tzung-Yi Tsai

Counselor Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Postoperative pain management is an imperative issue for patients undergoing lumbar spinal fusion surgery. Delayed pain relief is associated with poor clinical outcomes. This study compared the effects of intravenously administered patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) with intravenous parecoxib, both commonly used methods for analgesic pain control after surgery.

Methods: A non-randomized study was used to recruit 68 patients who were scheduled to receive lumbar spinal fusion surgery at a hospital in Taiwan from April through December of 2020. The group treated with parecoxib received an initial perioperative dose of parecoxib 40 mg during a 30-min period and then postoperative intravenous …

Can The Concepts Of Energy And Psychological Energy Enrich Our Understanding Of Psychosocial Adaptation To Traumatic Experiences, Chronic Illnesses And Disabilities?, Hanoch Livneh

Counselor Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

The aim of this paper is to familiarize the reader with the concept of psychological energy (PE), and the role it plays in deepening our understanding of psychosocial adaptation to traumatic life events and, more pointedly, the onset of chronic illness and disability (CID). In order to implement this aim, the following steps were undertaken: First, a brief historical review of the nature of energy, force and action, as traditionally conceived in the field of physics, is provided. Second, an overview of PE is presented, with a shared emphasis on both its historical underpinnings and its present conceptualizations in the …

Parenting And Children's Academic Coping As A Dynamic System: Feedforward, Feedback, And Mediators Of Changes Across The School Year, Kristen Elizabeth Raine

Dissertations and Theses

Using a motivational framework based in self-determination theory, the present study investigated the dynamic system between parenting and children's coping, defined as the ways they handle the everyday difficulties they encounter in school, using a sample of 1,020 students in grades three through six drawn from a larger cohort-sequential study. Three overarching research questions were examined using multiple regression that concerned 1) feedforward effects from parents' initial provision of motivational support (i.e., involvement, structure, and autonomy support) to changes in children's academic coping across the school year, 2) feedback effects from children's initial coping to changes in the same parenting …

Mothers' Drinking Motives, Sheila Kathleen Umemoto

Dissertations and Theses

Increases in women's excessive alcohol use are leading to concerns about a developing public health problem since, for women, it takes fewer years and lower doses to develop a range of alcohol-induced health problems. Maternal status is generally considered protective against alcohol use; however, this effect is weakened by multiple social role strain, leading to higher stress and negative affect, and subsequent coping-related alcohol use. Given that the majority of mothers with young children are working or looking for work (72.3%; BLS, 2021), it is likely that the combination of competing demands and expectations associated with multiple roles of parent, …

Relationships Between Coping Mechanisms And Perceived Stress Of Portland State University Community Members Amidst Covid-19, Julie Goldman

University Honors Theses

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the coping mechanisms used by the Portland State University (PSU) community and their relationships to perceived stress.

Methods: A virtual survey composed of demographic questions, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS10), the Brief COPE, and two open-ended questions was distributed to the community. Data were collected from 231 respondents, mostly PSU students. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to compute mean PSS score, adaptive coping score, and avoidant coping score. Pearson correlations and t-tests were run to explore the relationship between perceived stress and coping data.

Results: Perceived stress …

The Effects Of Sociodemographic Characteristics, Caregiving Practice Patterns, Coping Mechanisms, And Social Support On The Health Of Asian American Ethnic Groups And Asian American Caregivers, Suryadewi Edi Nugraheni

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Background: Asian American family caregivers came from various ethnic groups with different sociodemographic characteristics and culturally specific values. However, cultural practices were often overlooked because researchers often combined all Asian Americans under one umbrella. Objective: The purpose of the study was two-fold. First, the study investigated the study sample of Asian Americans participating in the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) 2009 comprised of multiple Asian American ethnic groups. By utilizing the study sample, the research aimed to investigate 1) the associations between caregiving and self-rated health (SRH) and hypertension and 2) the associations between heterogeneity of Asian American ethnic groups …

Psychometric Evaluation Of The Arthritis Self-Efficacy Scale In Chinese Adults With Rheumatic Diseases: A Cross-Sectional Study, Tzung-Yi Tsai, Ming-Chi Lu, Hanoch Livneh, Miao-Chiu Lin, Ning-Seng Lai, How-Ran Guo

Counselor Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Arthritis Self-Efficacy Scale (ASES) was designed to assess the degree of self-efficacy among patients with arthritis. Though the original English version of this instrument has shown a high degree of reliability and validity, a Chinese version of this scale has yet to be validated. Therefore, the aim of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the psychometric characteristics of the Chinese version of ASES (C-ASES) in a population of Chinese adults with rheumatic diseases (RDs).

Adjustment To College And Alcohol-Related Problems Among Student Veterans : Is Social Support A Buffer?, Lindsay Claire Buckner

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

U.S. Military veterans are increasingly represented on college campuses nationwide and, like their civilian peers, appear to be at risk for heavy alcohol use and its related problems. Qualitative research indicates that the college experience is fraught for many student veterans, owing to difficulty with adjustment to the social, academic, or emotional challenges unique to a higher education setting. Adjustment to college appears to be a risk factor for alcohol-related problems in civilian college students, but the extent to which this relation generalizes to student veterans is unknown. The current study sought to (1) determine the unique effects of alcohol …

Association Of Use Of Rehabilitation Services With Development Of Dementia Among Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis: Analysis Of Domestic Data In Taiwan, Ming-Chi Lu, Hanoch Livneh, Chieh-Tsung Yen, Hua-Lung Huang, Miao-Chiu Lin, Shu-Wen Yen, Ning-Sheng Lai, Tzung-Yi Tsai

Counselor Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

Objectives: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) was found to trigger the higher risk of dementia. Limited information, however, is available on whether the use of rehabilitation services (RS), an integral part of healthcare programs, can lessen dementia risk for RA subjects. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship of RS use to the development of dementia in RA patients.

Methods: We identified 2,927 newly diagnosed patients with RA, 20–70 years of age between 1998 and 2007, from a national health insurance database. 965 patients from this sample received RS, and 1,962 patients were designated as a control group (non-RS …

An Expansion Of A Model Of Depression In Multiple Sclerosis : Emotion Regulation And Coping As Moderators Of The Relationship Between Functional Disability And Adjustment To Disease, Elizabeth W. Raffanello

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune-mediate disease affecting the central nervous system (CNS), producing a range of physical and emotional symptoms. Psychological disorders, particularly depression and anxiety, are common in MS, but only partially accounted for by MS symptoms. The associations between common MS sequelae (e.g., fatigue, pain, disability) and mental health indicators are weak and inconsistent, suggesting the presence of moderators. This research study examined two possible moderators of the association between MS sequelae and adjustment to disease: emotion regulation and coping. Emotion regulation refers to the processes used to modulate emotional experiences. It is closely related to coping, …

Comparing Stress Levels And Coping Styles In College Athletes And Non-Athletes, Melanie Martin

Honors Theses

The way individuals manage their stress levels impacts their everyday functioning. In addition to general life stressors, college athletes and college students have athletic and academic performances riding on their ability to cope with the wide variety of daily stressors. This study aimed to primarily look at the differences in stress levels and coping styles between college athletes and non-athletes. Additionally, the current research examined gender differences between the two groups regarding coping styles. College athletes did not report higher levels of perceived stress nor more positive coping styles than non-athletes as measured by the COPE questionnaire. There were significant …

Body Changes With Baby: A Qualitative Insight Into Body Image After Birth, Samantha Lewis

University Honors Theses

Pregnancy is stressful to a woman’s body and often leaves physical reminders such as stretch marks, loose skin, or scars that last for many months or years after giving birth. This study used semi-structured interviews and an inductive qualitative approach to interview eight participants and explore some of the methods women use to cope with body changes from pregnancy. Analysis of interview transcripts revealed the most common changes experienced during pregnancy were weight gain, hair growth, and stretch marks; after pregnancy, weight loss, hair loss, and sagging breasts were the most common changes. The dominant coping strategy cited by participants …

Repatriation Adjustment, Job Satisfaction, And Turnover Intentions As A Function Of Core Self-Evaluations And Role Clarity, Nathaniel J. Van Heuveln

Culminating Projects in Psychology

A growing corpus of employee relocation literature proposes the construct of repatriation work adjustment as not only a desired outcome on behalf of returning employees and their organizations, but also a persistent challenge. Contemporary research consistently traces repatriation work adjustment to a wide range of individual, occupational, and cultural antecedents, while also hypothesizing it as a contributor to desired outcomes. However, there exists a dearth of literature examining the intermediary role of job factors in the relationship between individual differences and repatriation work adjustment. By examining the main and indirect effects of core self-evaluations and role clarity, the present study …

Depression And Anxiety In Emerging Adults : The Impact Of Executive Function And Coping, Elisabeth J. O'Rourke

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Emerging adulthood is a developmental period marked by increased anxiety related to academic, social, and professional stressors. The ability to successfully cope with stress is strongly negatively related to mental health outcomes. Furthermore, recent studies indicate a connection between executive function impairment, anxiety and depression. The current study examines executive functioning (EF), coping, anxiety, and depression in a sample of 210 emerging adults (NMales = 131, Mage = 19.14). Additionally, the relation between EF and coping is explored. Finally, coping’s effect on the relation between EF and outcome (anxiety and depression) is investigated. The results demonstrate that males and females …

An Exploration Of The Relationship Of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Symptoms And Traumatic Experiences In Adult Clients, Sasha Pansovoy

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This qualitative research study explored clinicians’ perspectives on the association between Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and trauma in the treatment of adult clients. Using both content and narrative analysis, the study examined whether OCD symptoms are reminiscent of the clients’ traumas. Nine clinicians were interviewed and presented narratives of clients who have experienced traumatic events and OCD. Key findings revealed that (1) 10 out of the 12 clients presented were abused as children; (2) OCD symptoms were perceived as coping strategies; (3) the majority of discussed clients were cisgender males; and (4) OCD symptoms of the clients reflected past traumas. Treatment …

Psychosocial Adaptation To Disability Within The Context Of Positive Psychology: Philosophical Aspects And Historical Roots, Hanoch Livneh, Erin Martz

Counselor Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to review the conceptual and clinical similarities that exist between the principles of positive psychology and those underlying rehabilitation counseling and psychology, occupational rehabilitation, and those espoused by the field of psychosocial adaptation to chronic illness and disability (CID). Methods: Three themes were selected for review. These included the historical contributions of early scholars in the area of psychosocial adaptation to CID that later were indirectly infused into mainstream positive psychology; state and trait constructs that constitute much of the infrastructure of positive psychology and psychosocial adaptation to CID; and, finally, the …

How Do Students Appraise And Cope With Episodic Stressors : A Four-Wave Study, Jingyi Huang

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Stress is a dynamic process. For episodic task-related stressors, four stages – the anticipatory stage, the confronting stage, the waiting stage, and the outcome stage – can be defined. Using a student sample, in this study I employed a longitudinal design to examine how exam-related coping unfolds across these stages, how perceived control predicts the use of coping strategies, and how personality moderates the relations between perceived control and the selection of coping strategies. The results show that across time behavioral disengagement and substance use had a convex trajectory, and that seeking of emotional social support and positive reinterpretation had …

Filial Responsibility In The Family Of Origin Experiences Of Social Workers, Aphrodite Easton

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This exploratory quantitative study examined social workers’ family of origin experiences of filial responsibility, including emotional and instrumental caregiving. Additionally, this investigation explored the relationship between social workers’ past and current caregiving experiences, reported coping strategies, and the perceived fairness of their families of origin. This research was carried out through an anonymous, online survey of 46 part- and full-time MSW students and MSW graduates using self-report measures including a demographic survey, the Filial Responsibility Scale-Adult, and the Proactive Coping Inventory.

In support of the study’s main hypothesis, participants’ childhood experiences of filial responsibility were significantly correlated with adulthood experiences …

Coping With Incarcerated-Related Stress : A Study Of Coping Responses By Women Romantically Involved With Incarcerated Men, Jaleesa I. Myers

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

Research related to coping responses of women romantically involved with, or married to, incarcerated men has been unexamined in social work literature. This study examined how women romantically involved with, or married to, incarcerated men cope with economic, social and emotional stress associated with their partners ’ incarceration by examining their use of problem-focused, emotion-focused and avoidant-focused coping styles. The study answered to what extent do women romantically involved with, or married to, incarcerated men utilize adaptive coping responses, especially paying close attention to experiences of African American women. Using quantitative methods, the Brief COPE —a 28-item inventory—was administered to …

Self-Shock : The Experience Of Individuals Relocating Within The United States, Michelle Mieko Kaiulani Daggett

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This qualitative study explored the experience of relocation on self-identity. More specifically, this study focused on the concept of self-shock, the idea that being in a foreign environment impacts an individual’s ability to maintain a consistent identity. This research was based on 12 interviews that were conducted via video-conferencing call or in-person with individuals who have relocated domestically for the first time within the United States. The findings of this study suggest that individuals relocating domestically within the United States can and do experience self-shock. One reason for conducting this study is because relocating is commonplace within the United States …

"I Own My T!" : The Experience Of Older Transgender People Of Color Regarding Personal Identity, Systems Of Support, And Desires For The Future, Venae N. Rodriguez

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

While it has been widely reported that transgender individuals experience mistreatment in all aspects of life, transgender people of color, who have rarely been the focus of studies, are faced with even higher incidents of bias (Auldridge, et al., 2012; Dunn & Moodie-Mills, 2012; Grant, et al., 2011). Especially absent is writing on older transgender people of color (Auldridge, et al., 2012; Cook-Daniels, 2015; Fredricksen-Goldsen, et al., 2013; Persson, 2009; Van Wagenen, Driskell & Bradford, 2013). Also missing is literature on the resiliency of transgender people of color and transgender elders. Finally, of the few studies that do exist, most …

Coping With Information Technology: Mixed Emotions, Vacillation, And Nonconforming Use Patterns, Mari-Klara Stein, Sue Newell, Erica L. Wagner, Robert D. Galliers

Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

Achieving the promised business benefits of an IT system is intimately tied to the continued incorporation of the system into the work practices it is intended to support. While much is known about different social, cognitive, and technical factors that influence initial adoption and use, less is known about the role of emotional factors in users' behaviors. Through an in-depth field study conducted in two North American universities, we examine the role of emotions in how specific IT use patterns emerge. We find that there are five different characteristics of an IT stimulus event (cues) that, when interacting in a …

Work-Life Balance, Identity Salience And Break Taking Behaviors In Indian Expatriates, Pooja Bangalore Vijayakumar

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This study focuses on the challenges faced by Indian expatriates working in the IT industry in the USA. It specifically examines participants’ work-nonwork role relationship quality, identity salience, and break taking behaviors. The sample for this study consisted of 415 Indian expatriates working in the IT industry. A computational tool called PROCESS was used to test the path analysis-based moderation and mediation analyses and their integrated form of conditional process models to determine whether work-nonwork role relationship quality mediates the relationship between work-related stressor and wellbeing. The relationships among work-related stressors, work-nonwork role relationship quality, and wellbeing were examined, while …

Childhood Experiences Of Introversion : An Exploration Of Navigating Social And Academic Spaces And Ways Of Coping, Leah S. Schwartz

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences of introversion in childhood. This research seeks to understand how introverted children perceive themselves and how this impacts the way they interact with the world around them. The overarching research question is: how does the experience of being an introverted child impact one’s sense of self? Given the practical and ethical challenges of interviewing actual children, for this qualitative research I interviewed 12 adult self-identified introverts about their childhood experience of being introverted. The design for this research study is qualitative and exploratory. Findings included what being introverted meant to …

Sleep With One Eye Open : Specific Safety Concerns That Homeless Males Face And How They Cope With Dangers, Rachel Sloane

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This qualitative study attempts to understand the safety concerns that homeless males have and how they cope with dangers. In-person, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 adult males who had been homeless after the age of 18. The interviews were conducted at an emergency men's shelter located in an urban East Coast city. This agency provided a safe space for individuals who fit the inclusionary criteria to participate in one on one interviews. Personal narratives were used in order to gain a more insightful, person centered understanding of specific dangers and coping skills used towards those dangers. Adult males was …

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Sense Of Coherence, Engagement In Health Behaviors, And Individual Coping Style., Dean Todd Misener 1973-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Stress is a pervasive issue among traditional college students; affecting their choice in health behaviors, and overall academic performance. What is not clear is why some students, despite the pervasiveness of stressors are able to do well in school and maintain/improve their health, while other students struggle to maintain their health and do poorly in school. Aaron Antonovsky theorized that when confronted with a stressor a person with a high sense of coherence (SOC) will be motivated to cope, believe the challenge is understood and that the necessary resources to cope with the stressor are available. Overall, Antonovsky theorized that …

How Coping, Ptsd And Treatment Preferences Interact?, Martha Mae Golubski

ETD Archive

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental disorder characterized by symptoms of intrusive recollection, avoidance or numbing, and hyper arousal following being exposed to a traumatic event involving threatened or actual death or serious injury (4th ed., text rev, DSM-IV-TR American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Those with PTSD, employ a variety of coping strategies to deal with the symptoms following their trauma exposure. Across studies, it has been found that coping styles which are active have a positive effect on both physical and psychological health (Gil & Caspi, 2005 Lazarus & Moskowits, 2004 Olff, Langeland, & Gersons, 2005). However, avoidance coping …

Coping With Negative Emotion In Middle Childhood : Relationship To Temperament And Psychopathology, Kristen Uhl

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Children are exposed to various stressors throughout development. Research has demonstrated that childhood stressors can negatively affect adjustment, and that children's temperament and coping impact the effects of stress on adjustment. The current study examines children's coping responses to situations eliciting anger, sadness, fear, and worry in a sample of 191 children (102 boys, 89 girls; mean age = 9.57 years, SD=0.57) recruited from a suburban school district. Additionally, the predictive relationship of temperament variables on coping strategy use is explored. Finally, coping and temperament's effect on the development of psychopathology is investigated. Results show that children reported using more …

Religious Coping And Perceived Stress In Emerging Adults, Gila Frank

Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this study were to: (1) examine the use of religious/spiritual coping by emerging adults coping with perceived life stressors; (2) assess the relationship between positive and negative forms of religious coping, and overall religious/spiritual coping with perceived stress; and (3) identify the specific religious/spiritual coping behaviors used by emerging adults when in times of perceived stress. The study analyzed self-report data collected from 715 emerging adults from a diverse undergraduate public university in California. Frequency analysis indicated that emerging adults commonly use prayer for self and others, count their blessings, and try not to sin when under …