Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Psychotropic Medications And Children: Perceptions Of Mental Health Professionals, Elinor Jane Brereton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project explores mental health professionals' perspectives on the prescription of psychotropic medications to children. It emphasizes the placement of biomedicine within its larger social, economic, and political context, and the influence these structures have on the way mental illness is conceptualized and treated in children. Eight semi-structured interviews were conducted in Denver, Colorado with psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and a pharmaceutical board member to capture multiple perspectives from different positionalities within the field. Participants discussed factors that they believe influence prescribing practices including: professional role changes, issues of access, limited evidence, cost, and institutional pressures to practice within a …

An Exploratory Study Of Session Limited Models Of Therapy Outcomes In An Employee Assistance Program, Ivy C. Donaldson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) have grown increasingly popular over recent years. The prevalence of organizations utilizing and investing in EAP services for their employees has grown; however, companies that purchase EAPs are not well-informed as to which session-models are most effective for various diagnoses. The current study is the first to explore treatment outcomes of session-limited models (measured by Therapist Perception of Change, TPC) for diagnoses (anxiety and depression) in an EAP delivery system. Outcomes were measured by TPC ratings including: a) Regressed, b) remained at Baseline, c) Improved, and d) issue was Resolved. Analyses (Chi-Square and =t-test) were used …

Studying Facial Expression Recognition And Imitation Ability Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder In Interaction With A Social Robot, Farzaneh Askari

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) experience limited abilities in recognizing non-verbal elements of social interactions such as facial expressions [1]. They also show deficiencies in imitating facial expressions in social situations. In this Master thesis, we focus on studying the ability of children with ASD in recognizing facial expressions and imitating the expressions using a rear-projected expressive humanoid robot, called Ryan. Recent studies show that social robots such as Ryan have great potential for autism therapy. We designed and developed three studies, first to evaluate the ability of children with ASD in recognizing facial expressions that are presented to …

Development Of Low Frequency Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Methods And Instrumentation For Biological Applications, Laura A. Buchanan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

EPR is a powerful biophysical tool that can be used to measure tumor physiology. With the addition of magnetic field gradients, the spectral properties of paramagnetic species can be mapped. To facilitate EPR imaging, methods and instrumentation at frequencies between 250 MHz and 1 GHz were developed.

At low spin concentrations, the rapid scan background signal is often many times larger than the EPR signal of interest. To help remove the background contribution, a data acquisition procedure that takes advantage of a cross-loop resonator and bipolar power supplies was developed at 250 MHz. In this procedure, two scans are collected. …

Patient-Specific Quantification Of The Relationship Between The Left Atrium Pressure And The Ostial Diameter Of The Left Atrial Appendage, Sky Tianqi Gao

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The left atrial appendage has been a historically understudied region of the heart until fairly recently with the new understanding of its role in the stroke pathway of patients with atrial fibrillation. The goal of this study is to take a look at the biomechanical behavior of the left atrium and left atrial appendage under normal physiological loading conditions using material properties taken from biaxial stretch tests. Several different options for material properties models were tested and biaxial stretch test data of cadaveric human tissue samples for the left atrium and appendage were fit to a Fung-type strain-energy function for …

The Impact Of Sudden Gains And Deteriorations On The Psychotherapy Process, Joanna Mary Drinane

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Within the field of psychotherapy research, there has been significant evidence to suggest that people change and improve because of treatment (Lambert & Ogles, 2004). One common phenomenon that has been observed when looking more closely at outcome trajectories has been termed sudden gains/deteriorations. These are defined as sudden changes in outcome (either positive or negative) of 25% or more from the pre-change level of symptoms that are in turn sustained over time (Tang & DeRubeis, 1999). Although there are data regarding how people who experience sudden gains end up after treatment, no studies have examined the impact that sudden …

Cinematherapy With Inside Out: A Theoretical And Practical Guide, Jessica Rosenfeld

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Since its release in 2015, the Disney/Pixar film "Inside Out" has received widespread critical and commercial acclaim. Despite the film's basis in established psychological theories, little has been published regarding its clinical applicability, particularly for adolescent and adult clients in traditional talk therapy. Through the use of cinematherapy, a deeper examination of the film is offered, and suggestions for treatment use are provided. Via the lens of modern psychodynamic (Intersubjectivity) and behavioral (ACT) techniques, this paper offers diverse options for integrating "Inside Out" in psychotherapy and proves that it contains clinical applicability for a wide range of practitioners.

Horses In Therapy: The Practice Of Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy, Mandi J. Turner

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Horses are being used in psychotherapy at increasing rates despite a lack of evidence establishing efficacy of the practice (Anestis, Anestis, Zawilinski, Hopkins, & Lilienfeld, 2013; Selby & Smith-Osborne, 2013). Without common and consistent practices based on a working theory of how Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy (EFP) creates change, it is unknown how varied the practice is across the United States (Anestis et al., 2013). A lack of studies establishing efficacy leaves providers to determine effectiveness based on anecdotal evidence that may be at risk for bias (Lilienfeld, Ritschel, Lynn, Cautin, & Latzman, 2014). The American Psychological Association (APA) provides recommended …

Guidelines For Adapting Structural Family Therapy Approach For Immigrant Generation East Asian American Families, Shijia Liu

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

The author developed detailed guidelines for adapting the structural family therapy approach for therapists who work with immigrant east Asian American families. Due to different acculturation levels among family members, immigrant parents often have conflicts with their children, which have become an important reason why Asian American families seek mental health services. The review of both traditional east Asian family-related cultural values and European American cultural values illustrates the parenting emphases that vary to a great extent between these two broad cultural groups. The widely accepted child development theories, parenting theories, and family therapy approaches were developed primarily based on …

A Qualitative Evaluation Of A Substance Abuse Treatment Program For Athletes, Megan K. Lavoy

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

The focus of this study was to examine the experiences of two past participants of an athlete­-specific drug and alcohol rehabilitation program. Researchers have discussed the vulnerability of an athlete population and prevalence of substance use among athletes ( e.g., Turrisi, Mastroleo, Mallett, Larimer, & Kilmer, 2007; Martens, Watson, Royland, & Beck, 2005). Some rehabilitation programs and specific approaches to treating substance abuse in athletes have started to emerge and are beginning to be discussed in the literature (Donahue et al., 2014). However, there remains a gap in the research of studies examining the experiences of these athletes who have …

Cultural Adaptation To Suicide Prevention Interventions On College Campuses, Leisha Marie Chiles

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Suicide is the second leading cause of death for adolescents and young adults ages 15 to 34. Given that college students are within that age range, it is believed they are at a similar risk. As college campuses try to address the suicide risk among their diverse student body, many have developed a public health approach, including the use of gatekeeper trainings. Many of these population-based interventions take a one-size fits all approach to suicide prevention, but with an increasingly diverse student population represented on college campuses this type of approach may fall short and fail to meet the cultural …

Working With Transnational Women From Latin American Countries From A Feminist Therapy Framework: A Guide For Mental Health Providers Working With This Population, Diana Hinojosa

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

The experiences of transnational families in the United States have largely been examined as they relate to the impact that separation and migration have on the family system. In most recent years, women have assumed the experience of migration and have moved to countries like the United States to work and provide for their families back home. Transnational families are typically understood as family members who live separated from each other, often across national borders, but continue to maintain unity and connections with each other. The following literature review will examine the social factors impacting Latin American women’s decision to …

Six-Month Post-Release Outcomes For Inmates With Traumatic Brain Injury In Supported Community Programming, Elizabeth O. Ahlers

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a serious public health issue. The incidence of TBI is much higher in the incarcerated population than in the general population, making this a uniquely vulnerable population. Methods: This study looks at data from the Jail Based Behavioral Health Services (JBBS) to examine recidivism rates among inmates participating in supportive programming. It also uses data from a state brain injury program to examine the impact of case management on community engagement in the justice-involved population with a history of brain injury. Results: Statewide data for a population of inmates who elect to participate …