Psychiatry and Psychology Commons^™

Embodied Co-Regulation: A Neuroregulatory-Informed Dance/Movement Therapy Transition Intervention Method For Arousal Regulation For Adolescents In A Partial Hospitalization Program, Anamaria Guzman

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This thesis introduces a novel Dance/Movement Therapy (DMT) approach, focusing on nervous system arousal regulation during transitions between therapy groups. The core of the method involves a brief 5-minute exercise designed to modulate arousal levels, encompassing alertness and energy, aiming to establish a baseline homeostasis. Rooted in Polyvagal Theory and Developmental Neurobiology, the approach assumes the co-regulation of nervous systems within a group therapeutic setting. Two primary outcomes are self-assessed: 1) somatic experiences documented through narratives and 2) nervous system biodata measured using the Flowtime headband monitoring of brainwaves, heart rate, and other biomarkers. Results indicated that all six sessions …

Evidence-Based Practices And Self-Efficacy: A Quantitative Study Of Mental Health Counselors Treating Clients With Substance Use Disorder, Carl Bastien

Dissertations

Substance use disorder affects a substantial number of individuals in the United States. The specific problem of this research is that it was not known to what extent their use of evidence-based practices is driven by their sense of self-efficacy. The purpose of this quantitative correlational research was to examine to what extent the use of evidence-based practices covary with a sense of self-efficacy for mental health counselors treating individuals diagnosed with a substance use disorder. The study population was 121 mental health counselors who specialized in substance use disorder treatment who completed a digital survey. The study findings did …

Occupational Depression In Italy: Associations With Health, Economic, And Work-Life Characteristics, Renzo Bianchi, Caterina Fiorilli, Giacomo Angelini, Nicoletta Dozio, Carlo Palazzi, Gloria Palazzi, Benedetto Vitiello, Irvin Sam Schonfeld

Publications and Research

Background: The Occupational Depression Inventory (ODI) reflects a new approach to job-related distress centered on work-attributed depressive symptoms. The instrument was developed with reference to the characterization of major depression found in the DSM-5. The ODI has been validated in English, French, and Spanish. This study (a) investigated the psychometric and structural properties of the ODI’s Italian version and (b) inquired into the nomological network of occupational depression. Methods: A convenience sample of 963 employed individuals was recruited in Italy (69.9% female; mean age = 40.433). We notably relied on exploratory structural equation modeling bifactor analysis, common-practice …

Self-Conscious Emotions And The Right Fronto-Temporal And Right Temporal Parietal Junction, Adriana Lavarco, Nathira Ahmad, Qiana Archer, Matthew Pardillo, Ray Nunez Castaneda, Anthony Minervini, Julian Keenan

Department of Biology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

For more than two decades, research focusing on both clinical and non-clinical populations has suggested a key role for specific regions in the regulation of self-conscious emotions. It is speculated that both the expression and the interpretation of self-conscious emotions are critical in humans for action planning and response, communication, learning, parenting, and most social encounters. Empathy, Guilt, Jealousy, Shame, and Pride are all categorized as self-conscious emotions, all of which are crucial components to one’s sense of self. There has been an abundance of evidence pointing to the right Fronto-Temporal involvement in the integration of cognitive processes underlying the …

Equine Assisted Psychotherapy: Implications For Treating Trauma, Kara L. Harrison Psy.D.

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

Trauma related symptoms and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) have been increasingly recognized for the key roles they occupy in mental health and overall individual well-being within both adult and childhood populations. They often represent significant barriers to the provision of mental healthcare within military populations and individuals diagnosed with serious mental illness (SMI). This original contribution to practice explores the significance of Equine Assisted Psychotherapy as a novel adjunctive approach to treating trauma. symptoms in adults and children. An extensive literature review examines current research and discussion on common definitions and nomenclature. It begins with discussion on the broader areas …

Comparison Of Schedules, Stress, Sleep Problems, Fatigue, Mental Health And Well-Being Of Low Cost And Network Carrier Pilots, Marion Venus

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Objective

This research investigates and compares working-conditions, duty rosters, stress, sleep problems, fatigue levels, mental health, and well-being of pilots working for network (NWCs), and low-cost carriers (LCCs). This study extends previous research by investigating working conditions, pilots’ actual rosters, fatigue and mental health of two groups of pilots flying for LCC or NWC.

Method

A comprehensive cross-sectional online survey was completed by N=338 pilots (185 NWC, 153 LCC pilots). All pilots reported their roster data of the last 2 months during peak flight season, psychosocial and work-related stress (e.g., high job insecurity, less total flight-experience, lower income, more time …

Emotion And Judgment In Young Women Of A Society In Transition, Maura A. E. Pilotti, Khadija El Alaoui

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

The present study asked whether emotional responses to narratives of moral transgressions are shaped by the reader’s assumed relationship with the injured party (i.e., oneself, familiar other, and unfamiliar other). Its goal was to test a cultural, religious, and individualistic account of such responses in young females of a traditional society in transition towards a sustainable integration into the global economy. To this end, female college students from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia were asked to identify their emotional reaction to each of several moral transgressions, report its intensity and then judge the severity of the transgression. In agreement with …

Interactions Of International Pilots' Stress, Fatigue, Symptoms Of Depression, Anxiety, Common Mental Disorders And Wellbeing, Marion Venus, Martin Grosse Holtforth

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Objective

This study Investigates more dimensions than previous studies simultaneously: pilots’ duty rosters, stress, sleep difficulties, fatigue levels, wellbeing, symptoms of depression, anxiety, and common mental disorders (CMD), and how they are interrelated.

Background

Several scientific studies have confirmed that fatigue can pose a significant risk to flight safety. Other studies reported positive depression screening results for more pilots, compared with the general population.

Method

A cross-sectional online survey was completed by 406 international pilots, who reported their duty rosters of the last two months. Pilots also self-assessed their stress-levels, sleep problems, fatigue, wellbeing, and mental health.

Results

Although pilots …

The Program To Reduce Implicit Bias In Carroll Hospital Center Using The Implicit Association Test, Katherine E. Traynor

Capstone Showcase

Natural brain processes make all individuals susceptible to unconscious bias; however, stressful, fearful, or anger-evoking situations as well as the negative influence of media and social surroundings increase the risk of holding obstructive bias, and there is a greater risk of being negatively impacted by this phenomenon when belonging to a minority population (Rose & Flores, 2020). As a result, high rates of infant mortality (10.2 deaths per 1,000 live births for the Non-Hispanic Black population compared to 4.1 in the White population) and cardiovascular related diseases (190.0 cases per 1,000 in the Non-Hispanic Black population compared to 161.3 in …

A Meta-Analysis Of Associations Between Weight Bias Internalization And Conceptually-Related Correlates: A Step Towards Improving Construct Validity, Kelly A. Romano, Kristin E. Heron, Cassidy M. Sandoval, Lindsay M. Howard, Rachel I. Macintyre

Psychology Faculty Publications

Weight bias internalization (WBI), a process of weight-based self-devaluation, has been associated with adverse mental and physical health. However, there are limitations with the existing conceptualization and operationalization of WBI that raise questions about the implications of this evidence-base. To address these limitations, the present study investigated the construct validity of WBI by conducting a meta-analysis of associations between WBI (as currently operationalized) and conceptually-related correlates. Studies identified through October 2021 that provided zero-order correlations for associations between WBI and conceptually-related constructs were examined. Meta-regression determined whether these associations differed across WBI measures and demographic (age, sex/gender, race, BMI) and …

Characterizing Human Random-Sequence Generation In Competitive And Non-Competitive Environments Using Lempel-Ziv Complexity, Alice Wong, Garance Merholz, Uri Maoz

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

The human ability for random-sequence generation (RSG) is limited but improves in a competitive game environment with feedback. However, it remains unclear how random people can be during games and whether RSG during games can improve when explicitly informing people that they must be as random as possible to win the game. Nor is it known whether any such improvement in RSG transfers outside the game environment. To investigate this, we designed a pre/post intervention paradigm around a Rock-Paper-Scissors game followed by a questionnaire. During the game, we manipulated participants’ level of awareness of the computer’s strategy; they were either …

Reporting Of Eating Disorder Deaths, Katherine Mobley, Amy Hord

Symposium of Student Scholars

Those affected by eating disorders experience disturbances in eating behaviors which are often related to underlying psychiatric disorders such as anxiety, depression, or obsessive-compulsive disorder (Parekh, 2017, Drieberg et al., 1998 p.53). The duplicitous nature of the disorder makes it difficult to diagnose, and the tole it takes on an individual’s physical health makes its mortality rate the second highest among psychiatric disorders (Guinhut et al., 2021 p.130). Even if the correct education and resources are accessible to certain individuals, negative stigmatization about the disorder can make sufferers unlikely to seek help (Becker et al., 2010). Findings from analysis of …

The Impact Of Levodopa Administration On Learning From Short-Term And Long-Term Action Consequences: A Paradigm Validation., Masood Rezaei

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Behavioral and neuroimaging studies have identified two valuation systems in the human brain for controlling behavior known as model-free (MF) and model-based (MB). MF is based on immediate evaluation and MB is based on long-term evaluation of the outcome of our decisions. Previous studies suggest that dopamine baseline activity may play an important role in the balance between the two systems and determine how they compete or interact in controlling our actions. The overarching aims of this study is to investigate the impact of levodopa administration on learning from immediate and long-term action consequences, and to dissociate the role of …

The Effectiveness Of Implementing A Collaborative Mental Health Approach On Quality Of Life For Individuals Of Low Socioeconomic Status, Tyler Z. Tooley

MSU Graduate Theses

The ultimate purpose of this study is to provide insight and education to mental health clinicians, politicians and the general public of the numerous effects poverty has on mental health, in addition to the most beneficial ways to combat those insidious effects. The specific barriers met by individuals of low socioeconomic status severely affect psychological and physical health, as well as social and environmental relationships, which therefore diminish overall quality of life. The aim of this study is to examine the effectiveness of implementing a collaborative mental health approach for low income individuals on length of engagement in services and …

An Examination Of Social Connectedness On Ptsd And Freezing In A Student Military Population, Jessica Marie Ledwith

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the impact of social connectedness (SC) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in a military college population, and their relation to physiological measures such as body sway, heart rate (HR), and heat rate variability (HRV). According to previous research, people with PTSD are more likely to exhibit a freezing response to affective images. In the present study, we explore the potential freezing response for military personnel at the levels of PTSD symptom groups and social connectedness. We also investigate the possible buffering effect social connectedness has on the outcome of PTSD and freezing. There was a total of …

Fight, Flight, Or Freezing? Investigating The Immobility Response In Military Veterans, Paige Elizabeth King

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

When the body is faced with threat to life or limb, the autonomic nervous system works to overcome the danger – by either fight, flight, or freezing. While immobility may not appear to be the most logical solution, theories exist that it allows for judgement of the situation and preparation for action. This study investigated the stress response that military veterans, with or without post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), demonstrate when shown unpleasant images. Researchers wanted to determine the extent to which veterans would show freezing or immobile responses when under an unpleasant image condition. It was hypothesized that veterans who …

How Does Alcohol Intoxication Impair Risk Detection Of Sexual Assault? Testing An Integration Of Alcohol Myopia And Social Information Processing Theories, Alexander James Melkonian

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Sexual assault among young adults is a highly prevalent public health concern. Alcohol is often implicated as a risk factor for sexual assault through its impairing effects on an individual’s ability to process and respond to social cues in the environment. The effect of alcohol myopia can result in greater focus of attention on salient environmental cues. The relationship between alcohol intoxication and resulting behavior may depend on what type of information is most salient. The current study examined the effects of alcohol on social information processing as it relates to sexual assault risk detection. Method: Participants were 48 young …

An Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling Bi-Factor Analytic Approach To Uncovering What Burnout, Depression, And Anxiety Scales Measure, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Jay Verkuilen, Renzo Bianchi

Publications and Research

In this study, we addressed the ongoing debate about what burnout and depression scales measure by conducting an exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) bifactor analysis. A sample of 734 U.S. teachers completed a survey that included the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale (CES-D-10), the depression module of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7), and the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), which contains emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalization (DP), and (diminished) personal accomplishment (PA) subscales. Job adversity and workplace support were additionally measured for the purpose of a nomological network analysis. EE, burnout’s core, was more highly …

Stress, Social Support, And Mindfulness In Parents Of Children With Neurodevelopmental Deficits: A Quantitative Analysis, Branden D. Syrotchen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Parenting children with neurodevelopmental deficits (NDDs) is very stressful, more so than the parenting of typically developing children. There is considerable research on the topic of chronic stress experienced by caregivers; however, less is understood of parental stress experienced when raising children with NDDs. The purpose of this study was to examine how parental traits and habits, in the forms of mindfulness and social support levels, affect this cohort's general stress levels. The study was guided by Self-Determination Theory, which explored how parental acts could be classified along a continuum of being intrinsically or extrinsically derived. A convenience sample of …

A Laboratory-Based Experimental Test Of Reasons For Living: Effects On Behavioral Approach Toward A Suicide-Related Stimulus, Sasha Micaella Rojas

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There are few laboratory-based experiments that examine the effects of suicide-related risk or protective factors on suicide-related outcomes. Consistent with extant evidence-based theoretical models and treatments for suicidal behavior, it appears that increasing awareness of reasons for living may reduce risk for suicidal behavior. Thus, the current study represents an initial effort to experimentally examine the impact of bringing awareness to one’s most important reason for living on behavioral approach towards a suicide-related stimulus. Random assignment was used to assign an unselected undergraduate sample of 78 participants to complete either a script-driven imagery procedure specific to the most important reason …

Development Of The Clark And Becker Scale Of Symptomatology (Cbs): Symptom-Level Item Performance, Michael Clark

All Master's Theses

Depression and anxiety are common, often comorbid, mental disorders. Many researchers have developed efficient self- and clinician-report measures of depression and anxiety. Most of these existing measures of depression and anxiety measures yield overall or specific subscale scores. The Clark and Becker Scale of Symptomatology (CBS) was designed to measure individual symptoms of depression and anxiety. It utilizes a different type of bipolar scaling to aid in accurate symptom endorsement. Unlike other pre-existing measures, the CBS is designed to be interpreted at the symptom level. The CBS was administered to a nationally representative sample (n = 530). Concurrent validity …

Eeg Study Of The Featural And Configural Components Of Face Perception, Heather Rose Stegman

Summer Research

Prior research using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) suggests that facial features (i.e. eyes, nose, and mouth) and their configuration (i.e. T-shaped arrangement of features) are processed in different face-specific brain regions. However, precise response time of featural and configural face processing is unknown. Featural processing may occur before configural processing, or configural processing may occur before featural processing; conversely, they may occur simultaneously. Here, using the electroencephalography (EEG), we will examine the face-specific event related potential (ERP), the N170, to analyze temporal differences between featural and configural face processing.

Naturalistic Clinical Decision Making By Emergency Department Staff And The Assignment Of Categorical Suicide Risk Ratings Within An Urban Veteran Population, Gerd R. Naydock

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The ability to comprehensively and effectively identify those individuals who are at greatest risk to engage in self-directed violence (SDV) forms the cornerstone for all professional suicide prevention activities. To that end, mental health professionals have come to rely on the use of risk stratification to identify at-risk individuals as a way to inform and guide risk management and treatment, without having the benefit of empirical evidence to support such practices. The current program evaluation examined archival data comprised of suicide risk assessments conducted by mental health professionals on suicidal veterans (N = 1,560) in the emergency department of a …

Impacts Of Objective And Subjective Social Inclusion On The Quality Of Life Of Individuals With Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders And Major Depressive Disorder, Katie A. Johanning-Gray

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Increased social inclusion and enhanced quality of life for individuals with severe mental illnesses (SMIs) are goals of the recovery movement. The present study examined the differences in reported subjective social inclusion (SubSI) and objective social inclusion (ObjSI) between individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSDs) and those diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Furthermore, the amount of variance in quality of life (QOL) which can be predicted by type of diagnosis, SSDs or MDD, symptom severity, and SubSI and ObjSi was determined. An archival data set was used. Participants were 337 individuals whose primary diagnosis was an SSD or …

Inventory Of Cognitive Distortions: Validation Of A Measure Of Cognitive Distortions Using A Community Sample, Michael B. Roberts

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine and evaluate further the psychometric properties of a self-report inventory of cognitive distortions using a nonclinical, community sample. A group of 474 individuals were contacted via the social networking site, Facebook, and through a college list-serve and were asked to complete multiple measures and also to send the link to other individuals, thus utilizing a snowball sample. The measures used included the Inventory of Cognitive Distortions (ICD), Dysfunctional Attitude Scale (DAS), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and a brief questionnaire to collect demographic information on each participant. Results revealed positive psychometric properties for …

The Relationship Between Adhd And Trait Facets Of The Five-Factor Model, Todd William Bennett

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Facets of the Five-Factor Model (FFM) were examined in order to understand its interaction with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)-symptoms. By utilizing archival data, in a correlational design, adults between the ages of 18-66 were tested for the presence of ADHD, which was then compared with data gathered from the NEO-PI-R. Comorbid psychiatric conditions often associated with ADHD were accounted for in the design. Results partially supported the hypotheses, specifically, that altruism was inversely related to Impulsivity, as predicted. However, other findings largely did not support a relationship between other specific NEO-PI-R facets and ADHD. Other significant relationships that were …

The Effectiveness Of A Computer-Assisted, Cognitive-Behavior Program For Treating Anxiety Symptoms In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Jennifer A. Zabel

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex and multifaceted, neurodevelopmental disorder that severely impacts children and families across a variety of settings. Prevalence rates of ASD are continuing to increase rapidly, with sizeable intervention and treatment costs placed on families and society. Further complicating the matter, many individuals with ASD also evidence co-occurring anxiety symptoms or disorders and tend to be at a higher risk for developing such problems when compared to other clinical populations or typically developing children. This study investigated the effectiveness of a computer-assisted CBT program, Camp Cope-A-Lot (CCAL), in regards to reducing anxiety symptoms in four …

Interactions Of Borderline Personality Disorder And Mood Disorders Over Ten Years, John G. Gunderson, Robert L. Stout, M. Tracie Shea, Carlos M. Grilo, John C. Markowitz, Leslie C. Morey, Charles A. Sanislow, Shirley Yen, Mary C. Zanarini, Alex S. Keuroghlian, Thomas H. Mcglashan, Andrew E. Skodol

Charles A. Sanislow, Ph.D.

Objective: To examine the relationship of borderline personality disorder (BPD) to mood disorders by using data from the Collaborative Longitudinal Personality Disorders Study on the reciprocal interactions of BPD with both depressive and bipolar disorders over the course of 10 years.

Method: The study included 223 BPD patients with DSM-IV–defined co-occurring major depressive disorder (MDD) (n = 161), bipolar I disorder (n = 34), and bipolar II disorder (n = 28) who were reliably and prospectively assessed over a period of 10 years between 1997 and 2009. Proportional hazards regression analyses were used to assess the effects of improvement or …

Socioeconomic-Status And Mental Health In A Personality Disorder Sample: The Importance Of Neighborhood Factors, Zach Walsh, M. Tracie Shea, Shirley Yen, Emily B. Ansell, Carlos M. Grilo, Thomas H. Mcglashan, Robert L. Stout, Donna S. Bender, Andrew E. Skodol, Charles A. Sanislow, Leslie C. Morey, John G. Gunderson

Charles A. Sanislow, Ph.D.

This cross-sectional study examined the associations between neighborhood-level socioeconomic-status (NSES), and psychosocial functioning and personality pathology among 335 adults drawn from the Collaborative Longitudinal Personality Disorders Study. Participants belonged to four personality disorder (PD) diagnostic groups: Avoidant, Borderline, Schizotypal, and Obsessive Compulsive. Global functioning, social adjustment, and PD symptoms were assessed following a minimum two-year period of residential stability. Residence in higher-risk neighborhoods was associated with more PD symptoms and lower levels of functioning and social adjustment. These relationships were consistent after controlling for individual-level socioeconomic-status and ethnicity; however, the positive association between neighborhood-level socio-economic risk and PD symptoms was …

Convergent And Incremental Predictive Validity Of Clinician, Self-Report, And Structured Interview Diagnoses For Personality Disorders Over 5 Years, Douglas B. Samuel, Charles A. Sanislow, Christopher J. Hopwood, M. Tracie Shea, Andrew E. Skodol, Leslie C. Morey, Emily B. Ansell, John C. Markowitz, Mary C. Zanarini, Carlos M. Grilo

Charles A. Sanislow, Ph.D.

OBJECTIVE: Research has demonstrated poor agreement between clinician-assigned personality disorder (PD) diagnoses and those generated by self-report questionnaires and semistructured diagnostic interviews. No research has compared prospectively the predictive validity of these methods. We investigated the convergence of these 3 diagnostic methods and tested their relative and incremental validity in predicting independent, multimethod assessments of psychosocial functioning performed prospectively over 5 years.

METHOD: Participants were 320 patients in the Collaborative Longitudinal Personality Disorders Study diagnosed with PDs by therapist, self-report, and semistructured interview at baseline. We examined the relative incremental validity of therapists' naturalistic ratings relative to these other diagnostic …