Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy Commons^™

Qualitative Analogue Study On Student Therapist’S Reactions To Client Suicidality, Cynthia A. Beevers

Dissertations

Suicidal clients are a reality for both professional and student therapists providing counseling (Chemtob et al., 1988; Dexter-Mazza & Freeman, 2003; Goodman, 1995; Howard, 2000; Jacobson, Ting, Sanders, & Harrington, 2004; Kleespies, Penk, & Forsyth, 1993; Kleespies, Smith, & Becker, 1990; Mackelprang, Karle, & Cash, 2014; McAdams & Foster, 2000). Previous research has investigated the experiences of professional therapists working with suicidal clients, but little is known about student therapists’ experiences with suicidal clients. Only two studies were found investigating the experiences of student therapists working with suicidal clients (Kleespies et al., 1993; Kleespies et al., 1990). However, in the …

Demonstrating Functional Analytic Psychotherapy As An Independent Variable In Efficacy Research: A New Measure Of Treatment Fidelity, Lindsey E. Knott

Dissertations

Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP) is a contextual behavior therapy that takes an in session, in vivo focus to improve client outcomes. This in vivo (IV) focus is distinctive of FAP and involves the therapist utilization of contingencies in session to decrease problematic response classes and increase more adaptive response classes (i.e., a differential reinforcement procedure). This contingent responding is proposed to be FAP’s mechanism of action leading to client change. FAP efficacy research mainly consists of small n single-case studies or group designs combing FAP with another CBT intervention. Maitland & Gaynor (2012) offered recommendations for increasing FAP efficacy research, …

Facing Our Demons: Psychiatric Perspectives On Exorcism Rituals, Joel R. Sanford

The Hilltop Review

Belief in possession by malevolent spirits exists in many cultures and religions throughout the world, and such beliefs often serve as explanations for a variety of psychological and emotional afflictions. Traditional remedies in these cases often involve exorcism rituals, which are believed to expel spirits from a person's mind and/or body. Some of the cases commonly attributed to involuntary spirit possession are diagnosed within the psychiatric community as schizophrenia or some sort of dissociative disorder and treated with psychotherapy and/or medicine. For some in the psychiatric community, exorcisms and their use by patients are viewed as problematic due to their …

Preferences For Evidence-Based Depression Treatments: An Emphasis On Patient-Focused Care, Lauren A. Frye

Dissertations

Research indicates most depressed patients in the general U.S. adult population seek depression treatment in primary care settings where the prevailing method of treatment is antidepressant medication. Although primary care physicians regard this approach as a preferable first line method of depression treatment, studies indicate many patients do not. Several studies have found depressed patients in these settings prefer psychotherapy or counseling over anti-depressant medication. Many advocate patient preferences should be integral to the treatment decision making process. There is a demonstrated propensity towards psychotherapy or counseling over antidepressant medication among depression patients. However, it is unclear which psychological depression …

Efficacy Of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy With The Use Of In-Room Coaching, Cassie Shacklett Reeve

Dissertations

One significant consequence of oppositional and defiant behavior is an increase in negative interactions between caregivers and the child exhibiting those behaviors (Greene & Doyle, 1999). Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is an empirically supported treatment that targets the development of a nurturing parent-child relationship along with teaching effective discipline strategies to decrease child noncompliance (Bodiford-McNeil & Hembree-Kigin, 2010). The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of PCIT when modified by utilizing strictly in-room coaching. This type of research would allow for expanded use of this empirically supported treatment into community agencies and clinics which do not …

The Counselor Experience In Counseling Clients Who Have Been Sexually Assaulted, Carrie J. Tremble

Dissertations

Despite sexual assault being the second highest reported violent crime in the United States, the literature regarding the experience of counselors who counsel clients who have been sexually assaulted is limited. This qualitative study explored and described the lived experiences of 9 counselors who, in the last five years, have provided counseling services to at least five clients who had been sexually assaulted when they were at least 18 years of age. The phenomenological data analysis approach of Moustakas (1994) was utilized to guide the data collection and analysis. Through in-depth, semi-structured interviews, the participants were able to share their …

Motivational Interviewing Assessment And Behavior Therapy As A Stepped-Care Approach To The Treatment Of Adolescent Depression, Tanya N. Douleh

Dissertations

Depression is a significant public health concern with a lifetime prevalence of 24.01 for adolescents in grades 9-12 (Lewinsohn, Hops, Roberts, Seeley, & Andrews, 1993) and a point prevalence of 4-6% (Kessler, Avenevoli, & Ries, 2001). The risks associated with adolescent onset depression include comorbidity, depressive episodes continuing into adulthood, and suicidality. These risks make it imperative to develop effective treatments to address adolescent depression. Stepped care is an approach to treatment which involves treatment of illness using the least invasive measures first and moving toward more invasive treatment as indicated by ongoing assessment. Through a single-participant design, the current …

Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy: A Descriptive Study, Erica Jex Gergely

Dissertations

The current study seeks to examine the program operations and treatment practices of individuals and organizations providing equine-assisted therapy services nationwide. Currently, there are several hundred programs across the United States that utilize equine-assisted therapy to treat common mental health problems in children, adolescents, and adults. Not all equine therapy programs function under the same theoretical model and therefore do not deliver treatment services using equivalent principles or techniques. In addition, program policies, procedures, and ethical guidelines of each provider vary. To date, there exists a paucity of research regarding equine-assisted therapy including both qualitative and quantitative data.

The present …

Psychometric Evaluation Of The Valued Living Questionnaire: Comparing Distressed And Normative Samples, David D. Cotter

Dissertations

The Valued Living Questionnaire (VLQ; Wilson, 2002) was created to measure the extent to which an individual contacts his/her chosen values, an important construct in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT; Hayes, Strosahl, & Wilson, 1999). The goal of the current study was to contribute to the psychometric evaluation of the VLQ by replicating and extending the first study of the VLQ’s psychometric properties conducted by Wilson, Sandoz, Kitchens, & Roberts (2010). In the present study, the VLQ was administered to a normative collegian sample (n = 171, M age = 19.32) and a distressed sample of collegians who were participating …

Review Of The Environment: Its Role In Psychosocial Functioning And Psychotherapy. Carolyn Saari. Reviewed By Timothy Page., Timothy Page

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Carolyn Saari, The Environment: Its Role in Psychosocial Functioning and Psychotherapy. New York: Columbia University Press, 2002. $49.50 hardcover, $22.00 papercover.

Examination Of Community Mental Health Services For Persons With Serious Mental Illness: A Descriptive Study Of 31 Counties In Michigan, Pamela C. Werner

Masters Theses

Thirty-one out of 55 Community Mental Health Boards participated in a survey conducted by the Alliance for the Mentally Ill of Michigan. This study examined a number of variables in the questionnaire using a product-moment correlational analysis.

Results indicated that family and consumer input is modestly correlated with comprehensive service delivery and staff/consumer education and training. Budget and the active number of mentally ill cases had a low correlation with comprehensive service delivery and staff/consumer education and training. Interagency collaboration was modestly correlated with program evaluation, and comprehensive services available to consumers. Weaknesses were noted in the management structure of …

Assessment Of The Relationship Between Regular Fitness Activity And Sexual Functioning In Women, Joanne Kolean-Burley

Masters Theses

This study assessed differences between female aerobic exercisers and nonexercisers in sexual functioning and arousability. Fourteen exercisers and 6 nonexercisers between the ages of 19 and 52 participated in the study. All subjects were involved in an ongoing sexual relationship with a duration of at least 3 months. Sexual functioning, satisfaction, and arousability were assessed through two self-report measures, the Sexual Interaction Inventory (LoPiccolo & Steger, 1978) and the Sexual Arousability Inventory (Hoon, Hoon, & Wincze, 1976); sexual arousability also was assessed through two extragenital physiological measures during exposure to erotic stimuli under laboratory conditions.

The results indicated that there …

The Effects Of Music Listening And Progressive Muscle Relaxation On The Anxiety Level Of Adjudicated Adolescent Males In A Residential Treatment Setting, Ned David Gladfelter

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of music listening and progressive muscle relaxation on the anxiety level of adjudicated adolescent males. Sixty-five delinquent, adolescent males in a residential treatment facility took part in either a music listening treatment, a progressive muscle relaxation treatment (Bernstein & Borkovec, 1973), or a combination of both methods, and the effects of each approach on the self-perceived anxiety level of the subjects were determined.

The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (Spielberger, 1983) and a Subjective Units of Discomfort Scale were used to measure levels of anxiety. Data gathered from these instruments revealed that …

The Effects Of Two Types Of Hypnotic Suggestions On Analgesic Responding In Moderately Hypnotizable Subjects, Gloria M. Haddad

Masters Theses

This study assessed the effects of two hypnotic suggestions on hypnotic performance in medium hypnotizable subjects. Subjects were exposed at separate intervals to either an hypnotic suggestion patter containing specific imagery or alternatively to a suggestion patter that provided only general problem-solving direction. Hypnotic performance was assessed using tolerance and threshold measures on a cold-pressor test.

The problem-solving suggestions were shown to increase both threshhold and tolerance of noxious stimulation. The imagery suggestions proved to be effective only for the threshhold measure.

These findings are discussed in terms of their implications for the use of hypnosis with subjects who do …

Reinforcement Effects On The I.Q. Scores Of Institutionalized Children And Adults With Developmental Disabilities, Jody Robin Lewis

Masters Theses

Eighteen institutionalized school-age and adult subjects with severe/profound developmental disabilities were evaluated for the effects of self-selected reinforcement for correct responding on their I.Q. scores when tested with the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale (Terman & Merrill, 1960) or the Leiter International Performance Scale (Arthur, 1952). Subjects were tested under both standard and reinforcement conditions. The results indicated that overall, subjects when tested under reinforcement conditions showed a significant increase in mean I.Q. scores when compared with the same subjects tested one month previously under standard conditions. Several features of the data reveal intriguing results with regard to subjects and related preexisting …

The Effects Of Problem-Solving Skills Training With Chronic Schizophrenic Patients, Asiah Mayang

Masters Theses

Problem-solving skills were taught to aggressive and frequently secluded chronic schizophrenic inpatients of a psychiatric hospital. A pre-intervention/post-intervention experimental-control group design was utilized. Eighteen patients were randomly assigned to three groups: six were assigned to the “treatment group” and received problem-solving skills training involving instructions, modeling, feedback, role-playing and social reinforcement; six were assigned to the “interaction” group, involving social interactions with the trainer only; and six were assigned to the “control” group, involving no treatment or interaction with the trainer. Improved problem-solving skills on both familiar and novel video-taped skits were observed for the treatment group, but not for …

Solitary Aerobic Exercise As A Treatment Of Unipolar Depressive Disorders In Women, Lisa Ann Romano-Neal

Masters Theses

The effects of solitary aerobic exercise on depressive symptoms were tested on four women diagnosed with unipolar depressive disorders. A multiple baseline design was employed. The subjects individually participated in uniform one hour aerobic workouts three times a week for five to eight weeks. Heart rate measures were monitored through the utilization of the physical working capacity test with the Monark 818E Professional Ergometer. Predicted volume oxygen uptake (VO2 max) measures at post-treatment did not increase in two of the four subjects when compared to pre-treatment VO2 max measures. The mean percentage of depressed adjectives endorsed showed minimal reductions on …

Applying The Matching Law In A Sheltered Workshop, Kristin Elizabeth Skousgard

Masters Theses

This study assessed the validity of the matching law in an applied setting. It manipulated extraneous reinforcement and measured the rate of rocking in a 24-year-old developmentally disabled man. The resulting data were compared to that predicted by the matching law.

The results were important in three ways: (1) extraneous reinforcement systematically affected rocking in an applied setting in the manner predicted by the matching law, (2) a clinically undesirable behavior decreased in frequency, and (3) this decrease occurred in the absence of direct intervention on the target behavior. Thus, to a slight degree, scientific, practical and humanitarian goals were …

Comparison Of Behaviors Of Suspected Sexually Abused And Nonsexually Abused Preschool Children Using Anatomical Dolls, Rita Kenyon-Jump

Masters Theses

Using anatomical dolls, the play behaviors of nine sexually abused preschool children (five males, four females), ranging in age from 3-5 years, were compared with nine preschool children with whom there was no suspicion of sexual abuse and who were matched on the basis of age, gender, race, family status, and socioeconomic status. There was no significant difference between the two groups on explicit sexual behavior (vaginal, oral, and anal intercourse with thrusting motions between the dolls or between the child and dolls and masturbation by the child). The groups were significantly (t (8) = 2.19, p < .05 ) different when behaviors with suspicious sexual implication were combined with explicit sexual behaviors. There were no differences between the groups on measures of aggression, anxiety, and nonsexual behavior. The occurrence of the suspicious sexual behaviors is discussed and reviews of previous doll research and physical evidence of child sexual abuse are provided.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation As An Adjunctive Treatment For Moderate Asthmatics, Kellye Hutton Slaggert

Masters Theses

This study examined the effects of parent assisted progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) training on moderate asthmatics. Three children between the ages of 7 and 12 participated in the study. After 3 weeks of PMR training and daily practice, the parents became involved in prompting their children to use PMR when an attack appeared likely.

The findings from this study suggest that parental prompting of PMR was instrumental in decreasing the frequency of attacks, increasing peak expiratory flow rates (PEFR) values, and decreasing the severity of attacks for 2 of the 3 subjects. The long term implications for using PMR as …

An Investigation Of Three Strategies To Enhance Generalization Of Conversational Skills, Janice Ann Cain

Masters Theses

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of three strategies to enhance generalization of taught conversational skills: (1) multiple and varied scenarios, (2) multiple conversational partners, and (3) homework assignments. A multiple baseline across behaviors design tested whether the initial training package produced generalization to the probe sessions and whether the addition of homework would produce greater generalization to the probe sessions compared to that observed during the initial training. Four adults, one male and three female, ranging in age from 20-64 years served as subjects. Skills were taught using a combination of coaching, modeling, behavioral …

Improving Active Treatment Through Performance Management, Carman E. Stark

Masters Theses

The primary purpose of this project was to evaluate a performance management program using a goal setting and feedback system implemented by unit supervisors in a large psychiatric hospital. The focus of the research study was to improve active treatment for mental health patients by increasing levels of staff-patient interaction. Behaviors o f self-recording by staff and instructions and goal setting by the unit supervisor were targeted. Feedback was provided by the unit supervisor in the form of publicly posted graphs indicating percent of completed assigned activities. The four phases used in the data summary include: (1) baseline, (2) goal …

Antecedent Aerobic Exercise Training With Schizophrenic Outpatients, Kathlyn A. Fuller

Masters Theses

This research evaluates the effects of aerobic exercise on the symptoms of schizophrenia. The positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia were repeatedly measured by using direct observation, surveys, and care giver checklists. Symptoms are subcategorized as positive and negative as suggested by Andreasen (1984). Aerobic exercise classes were taught 4 days a week for 6.5 weeks to chronically mentally ill clients in a community based day activity program. Participants were observed 1 hour and 3 hours following the aerobic session. The results demonstrated that chronic individuals exercised at an intensity sufficient to produce an aerobic training effect based on pulse …

The Effects Of Repeated Trials On The Cardiovascular Responses To Reading Aloud And Non-Stressful Conversation, George S. Renfrey

Masters Theses

This study assessed changes in blood pressure, heart rate, skin conductance, frontalis muscle tension, and breathing rates associated with repeated reading aloud and non-stressful conversation. Four male and 3 female normotensive subjects participated. Sixteen presentations of both verbal tasks, each preceded by a quiet rest period, were made across 8 sessions.

The results indicate that: (a) when compared with resting levels, statistically significant increases in heart rate, blood pressure, skin conductance, and frontalis muscle tension, and decreases in breathing rates may be produced by reading aloud and non-stressful conversation; (b) systolic blood pressure changes attenuate with repeated trials; and (c) …

The Effect Of A Multi-Component Treatment Package On Seat Belt Usage Among Hispanics, Senez Rodriguez-Charbonier

Masters Theses

This study analyzed the impact of a combination of approaches on the frequency of seat belt usage in a large Hispanic community in western Michigan. Subjects in either a treatment or a no-treatment control condition were observed weekly for seat belt usage while arriving at church over several months. They were observed for four weeks prior, during and after an intervention program. Subjects in treatment condition attended weekly group meetings where they viewed seat belt use promotion videos, publicly signed behavioral contracts agreeing to use their seat belts, and received permanent prompts which were installed on the dashboard of their …

Self-Control In Children: The Impact Of Reinforced Commitment, Michael G. Winter

Masters Theses

The present study attempted to determine whether offering a reward to subjects for "commiting" to a large, delayed-reward task affected their degree of self-control as assessed by the "switch point." Two boys and two girls between the ages of three and five participated.

The results of this study indicate that providing a reward for making a commitment to a future behavior involving a large, delayed-reward task does have an effect on a child's degree of self-control as measured by the "switch point." In addition, the "switch point" has been shown to be a useful tool for assessing a child's degree …

Aids Prevention Through Printed Media: Knowledge And Communication Behaviors Of Gay College-Aged Males, Cheryl L. Knight

Masters Theses

AIDS prevention research has established the effectiveness of multiple component group interventions. It has not identified whether the effectiveness is due to the format of the intervention (i.e., rehearsal, feedback, etc.) or its instructional content. This study investigates the impact of instructional content delivered in the inexpensive and readily obtained printed medium. Thirteen gay or bisexual college-aged men received an information pamphlet and an AIDS-related communication skills training booklet. Subjects were evaluated on measures of knowledge, safe and risky behaviors, and communication behaviors in each of three assessment sessions. Visual analyses and repeated measures analyses of variance did not support …

Effects Of Ro 15-4513 On Schedule-Induced Ethanol Intake In Rats And Schedule-Maintained Responding In Pigeons, Dawn D. Delaney

Dissertations

The partial inverse benzodiazepine receptor agonist, Ro 15-4513, is a recently synthesized compound with the ability to antagonize some of the biochemical and behavioral effects of low to moderate doses of ethanol and related CNS depressants. The present investigations sought to explore further the behavioral actions of Ro 15-4513. In Experiment 1, the effects of acute (0.6-5.4 mg/kg) and chronic (5.4 mg/kg) administrations of Ro 15-4513 on rats' schedule-induced consumption of water and 8% ethanol solution were examined. Acute and chronic administrations of Ro 15-4513 slightly reduced consumption of both liquids. No selective effects on ethanol consumption were observed.

In …

Psychophysiological Assessment Of Panic Disorder, Kent A. Koehn

Masters Theses

This study compared physiological and psychological measures between 9 subjects meeting the DSM-III-R criteria for panic disorder (PD) and 9 control subjects to identify psychophysiological differences that might be relevant to the etiology and maintenance of panic attacks. The subjects were assessed through a number of self-report measures and across three laboratory sessions involving five experimental conditions: baseline, role play, relaxation, mental arithmetic, and cold pressor. We measured electrodermal (EDG) and electro-myographic activity (EMG), heart rate (HR), and blood volume pulse (BVP) in terms of absolute values, reactivity, and habituation. Both groups were also assessed in their ability to accurately …

Smoking Cessation In Relapsed Smokers: A Competing Schedules Approach, Catherine E. Ellis

Masters Theses

Recent research in cigarette smoking reveals that social support and reinforcing alternative behaviors to smoking may be instrumental for sustained abstinence. This study examined the efficacy of these approaches with a group of relapsed smokers. Subjects were fifteen male and female Southwestern Michigan residents between the ages of 22-48. Both the treatment and control group attended two initial smoke-stopping sessions. The independent variable was a relapse-prevention package administered to the treatment group over the third through seventh sessions. Dependent variables were Carbon Monoxide (CO) levels, Saliva Thiocyanate (SCN) levels, and the daily number of cigarettes smoked. A two-way analysis of …