Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Collaborative Models Of Care In The Appalachian Region Of Tennessee: Examining Relationships Between Level Of Collaboration, Clinic Characteristics, And Barriers To Collaboration, Jeffrey Ellison

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Decades of research have shown that there are significant advantages to maintaining close communicative and collaborative relationships between primary care and behavioral health providers. Fiscal, structural, and systemic barriers, however, often restrict the degree to which such interprofessional collaboration can occur. In the present study the authors examined relationships between primary care clinics in the Appalachian region’s characteristics (i.e., clinic type, rurality, and clinic size), barriers (i.e., fiscal, structural, and systemic) reported to using increased collaboration, and the level of collaboration used at a particular clinic.

For the present study 136 surveys were completed by providers working in primary care …

An Examination Of Risk And Protective Factors For Suicidal Behavior In A Low-Income, Underserved Primary Care Sample, Kristin L. Walker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Suicidal behavior, including ideation and attempts, is a significant public health problem. Due to the complexity of suicidal behavior, it is necessary to consider an array of factors that could serve as risk and protective factors. Previous research has shown that deficits in social problemsolving ability are associated with increased risk for suicidal ideation and attempts; conversely, problem solving strengths are associated with reduced risk. This dissertation project, consisting of 3 individual manuscripts, was designed to explore the relationship between social problemsolving ability and suicidal behavior in low-income primary care patients. Furthermore, additional constructs including health related quality of life, …

Explaining Combat Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: An Integrated Mental Illness And Military Process Model, Mandi F. Deitz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the current study was to examine a process model of combat-related and mental-illness related processes that explain increased likelihood of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This dissertation proposed the development of PTSD may occur due to cultural, social, and self-related pathways associated with veterans’ dual encounters with combat (i.e., severity) and mental illness symptoms. Participants were 195 military veterans recruited from multiple sites and strategies to maximize sample size and representation. Participants were asked to complete several self-administered assessment inventories, including: the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist-Military, the Trauma Symptom Checklist, the Combat Experiences scale, the Self-Stigma of Mental …

Mental Health Referral In Primary Care: Influence Of A Screening Instrument And A Brief Educational Intervention, Michael T. Miesner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although less than half of all patients with mental disorders seek mental health treatment per se, approximately 80% of all people will visit their primary care physician (PCPs) within a year (Strosahl, 1998). However, it is not well understood how to best handle patients presenting with mental health issues in primary care practices. The purpose of this project was to implement an intervention involving a screening measure for anxiety and mood disorders in a primary care setting to increase the volume of anxiety and mood disorder screening, to increase the accuracy of disorder detection, and to also enhance PCPs patterns …

Health-Related Quality Of Life And Suicidal Behaviors In Primary Care Patients: Conditional Indirect Effects Via Interpersonal Needs And Depressive Symptoms, Catherine Rowe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Suicide is a public health problem and complex relationships exist between intrapersonal suicide risk factors and interpersonal risk factors. Health-related quality of life (HRQL) may interact with difficulties with interpersonal relationships and psychopathology. We examined thwarted interpersonal needs and depressive symptoms as potential mediators on the association between HRQL and suicidal behaviors. It was hypothesized that thwarted interpersonal needs would mediate the association between HRQL and suicidal behavior, and that this mediating effect would be dependent on the moderating effect of depressive symptoms. It was hypothesized that thwarted interpersonal needs and then depressive symptoms would sequentially mediate the association between …

Traumatic Life Events And Symptoms Of Anxiety: Moderating Effects Of Adaptive Versus Maladaptive Coping Strategies, Alishia Foster

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The experience of trauma is prevalent among young adult college students and is often associated with poor mental health outcomes such as symptoms of anxiety. Not all individuals who have experienced trauma, however, develop anxiety, perhaps due to individual-level adaptive characteristics, such as use of adaptive rather than maladaptive coping strategies. Yet, little research has examined the interrelationships between the experience of trauma, specific types of coping strategies, and subclinical anxiety symptoms. A sample of 915 undergraduate students completed self-report measures of trauma, coping strategies, and anxiety symptoms. We hypothesized that traumatic life events would be associated with anxiety symptoms, …

Phonological Working Memory Deficits In Adhd Revisited: The Role Of Lower-Level Information Processing Deficits In Impaired Working Memory Performance, Joseph Raiker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Working memory deficits in children with ADHD are well established; however, insufficient evidence exists concerning the degree to which lower-level cognitive processes contribute to these deficits. The current study dissociates lower level information processing abilities (i.e., visual registration, orthographic conversion, and response output) in children with ADHD and typically developing children and examines the unique contribution of these processes to their phonological working memory performance. Thirty-four boys between 8 and 12 years of age (20 ADHD, 14 typically developing) were administered novel information processing and phonological working memory tasks. Between-group differences were examined and bootstrap mediation analysis was used to …

Evaluation Of A Digitally-Automated Alcohol Curriculum Designed To Alter Expectancies And Alcohol Use In First Year College Students, Amy Schreiner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

High-risk alcohol consumption remains a primary public health concern for students on college campuses. In response to this concern the National Advisory Council of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism created a task force to identify and recommend strategies to aid college administrators in implementing effective alcohol programming at their institutions. While most administrators report being aware of these recommendations, many have not successfully implemented empirically supported interventions on their campuses. One significant barrier is the cost and difficulty of training and hiring skilled staff to implement these interventions. Of the strategies identified as effective, challenging alcohol expectancies …

Mothers' Temperament And Personality: Their Roles In Parenting Behaviors, Parent Locus Of Control, And The Outcomes Of Young Children, Jayme Puff

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many researchers have used the terms 'temperament' and 'personality' interchangeably when describing parents' behavioral styles. Although individual relationships among parents' temperament and personality, parenting behaviors, other parent characteristics, and young children's outcomes have been documented in the literature, parents' temperament and personality have not been examined collectively in conjunction with parenting and child outcome variables. As part of this study, 214 culturally diverse mothers with young children who ranged in age from 2- to 6-years rated their own temperament and personality, their parenting characteristics, and their young child's functioning (i.e., temperament and emotional and behavioral functioning). When examining mothers' temperament …

The Effects Of Viewing Sexually Explicit Materials On Men's Body Image Satisfaction, Interest In Pursuing Cosmetic Surgery, And Body Change Behaviors, Elizabeth Schuster

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effects of viewing sexually explicit media on men's body image, body change behaviors, and esteem in a randomized experimental study. The purpose was to determine if a cause and effect relationship exists between viewing sexually explicit media and body image dissatisfaction in men. Participants were randomized to one of four conditions. They were asked to view a short media clip and then answer a series of questionnaires assessing their current body change strategies (e.g., pathogenic weight control practices), interest in risky body behaviors (e.g., cosmetic surgery), esteem (i.e., genital, sexual, and self-esteem), and overall body image …

The Development And Psychometric Evaluation Of A New Measure Of Self-Objectification, Danielle Lindner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Researchers have traditionally used two measures of self-objectification, the Self-Objectification Questionnaire (Noll & Fredrickson, 1998) and the Objectified Body Consciousness Body Surveillance subscale (McKinley & Hyde, 1996), to demonstrate that self-objectification is related to body shame and dissatisfaction, appearance anxiety, decreased awareness of internal states, decreased flow experiences, disordered eating, depression and sexual dysfunction. Although the SOQ and OBC have been used widely, they also have several limitations, including problems with missing data, lack of generalizability, and concerns about content validity. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a new measure of self-objectification called the Self-Objectification Beliefs …

Modeling Risk For Sexually Transmitted Infections In Women In A Court-Ordered Substance Treatment Program, Frances Deavers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Developing a comprehensive model of Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) risk factors and their inter-relationships is vital to improving methods of risk identification and treatment delivery. The CDC posed three general categories that may serve as a framework for such a model: sexual network, individual behavior, and social/ structural risk. None of the extant risk models incorporate measures from all three categories. Additionally, none of these models, generally focused on individual behavior, use medical data on infection as their outcome variable. This is problematic because the ultimate outcome of infection is also influenced by sexual network and social/ structural variables, in …

The Role Of Religion In The Relationship Between Loneliness And Health Behaviors, Lindsy Jean Magee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

While research has demonstrated the relationship of religion to health risk and health promoting behaviors, it has not investigated the relationship between religious coping and health risk and health promoting behaviors. In addition, while the link between loneliness and certain health risk and health promoting behaviors has been established, little research has looked at the potential effect that religion has on the relationship between loneliness, health risk, and health promoting behaviors. As such, it was the purpose of this study to investigate the relationship between religious coping and health risk and health promoting behaviors and to investigate the role of …

Toward A Conceptualization Of Emetophobia: Examining Intolerance Of Uncertainty As A Unique Predictor Of Symptoms, Mimi Zhao

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Emetophobia, a poorly understood disorder, is a specific phobia characterized by an irrational and persistent fear of oneself vomiting or others vomiting. Though research on the disorder is sparse, previous investigations have reported interference in social, occupational, and health domains in the lives of individuals with emetophobia (Lipsitz et al., 2001; McFayden & Wyness, 1983; Veale & Lambrou, 2006). To this end, the current study examined whether individual differences in Anxiety Sensitivity (AS), Disgust Sensitivity (DS), and Intolerance of Uncertainty (IU) are associated with symptoms of emetophobia, whether AS predicts symptoms of emetophobia above and beyond DS, IU, and expected …

Cognitive Effects And Academic Consequences Of Video Game Playing, Sean Hollis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: prior video game playing (vgp) research has generated mixed empirical findings. Recent studies suggested positive effects vgp may have on cognitive skills, particularly improvements in visuospatial skills, processing speed, working memory, multitasking, and problem solving skills. By contrast, other studies have suggested that vgp leads to lower academic performance - indicating further research on vgp effects is needed. This study investigated the effects of vgp on cognitive skills and academic performance. Methods: 208 participants were recruited from the University of Mississippi psychology department in exchange for research participation credit. The sample was 68.9% female and 31.1% male. Ages ranged …

Risk And Protective Factors In The Relationship Between Peer Victimization And Internalizing Disorders, Rebecca Hamblin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the experience of peer victimization through the lens of an integrative model of individual (gender, ethnicity, grade level) and social (receipt of prosocial support from peers, peer victimization) risk and protective factors in terms of association with psychopathology. The examination was conducted in a rural sample of elementary school children of multiple ethnicities. Results suggest that both overt and relational forms of peer victimization predicted social anxiety, depression, OCD, GAD, panic, and separation anxiety and loneliness symptoms with moderate effect sizes. No differences in either overt or relational victimization were found among …

Stop Making Sense: Exploring Basic Properties And Clinical Applications Of Coherence, Michael James Bordieri

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the ways in which people make sense of ambiguous tasks and the degree to which people prefer contexts where coherent responding is possible. Relational frame theory contains a foundational assumption that coherence (i.e., making sense) is reinforcing for verbally competent humans. That is, it is assumed that humans relate ambiguous stimuli in ways that go together because they have an extensive learning history where others have given praise, positive attention, and other reinforcement for this behavior. This study was designed to empirically investigate this core assumption of relational frame theory by analyzing response patterns to ambiguous stimuli …

Hispanic Immigrant Parental Messages Of Resiliency And Emotional Regulation To Their Children: An Examination Of Important Variables And An Intervention, Rodrigo Velezmoro

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This two-part study examined the adjustment of Hispanic immigrants. Part one examined the communication that occurs between Hispanic immigrant parents and their adolescents/young adults about life in the United States (U.S.). It also examined how attitudes toward the U.S. and various protective factors influence psychological adjustment. Hispanic immigrants (n = 123) with an average of 11 years living in the United States and their adolescents/young adults between the ages of 14-22 served as participants. For both parents and their adolescents/young adults, favorable attitudes toward the U.S. were associated with improved psychological adjustment. Contrary to prediction, attitudes toward the U.S. did …

Marital Adjustment In Parents Of Multiple Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Rachel Mills

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current study investigated the relationship between raising multiple children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and martial adjustment and whether perceived social support moderates this relationship. The sample (n = 115) consisted of 77 parents of a single child diagnosed with an ASD and 44 parents of 2 or more children diagnosed with an ASD. There was no significant difference in martial adjustment between the parents of single versus multiple children with ASDs and no significant relationship between number of children with an ASD within a family and marital adjustment. Although the main hypotheses were not supported, data from experimental …

Direct-To-Consumer Advertising Of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy For The Treatment Of Depression, Lauren B. Flegle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Narrative Writing And Post-Writing Processing Instructions On Ptsd, Laura Mcintire

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Sexual Assertiveness As A Predictor Of Differential Vulnerability In Sexual Victimization Between Sorority- And Non-Affiliated College Women, Mary Ashton Phillips

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since Koss' seminal research in 1985, it has been clear that college women are especially vulnerable to sexual victimization; more than 30% of her sample had experienced the legal definition of rape, which includes completed as well as attempted rape. Since then, several studies have found similar findings. Koss, Gidycz, and Wisniewski (1987) reported that 15.4% of a sample of college women had experienced rape and 12.1% had experienced attempted rape since the age of 14. Gross, Winslett, Roberts, and Gohm (2006) also found in their college sample that 13.3% of women had experienced rape and 18.2% had experienced attempted …

Neurocognitive Outcomes In Children Experiencing Seizures During Treatment For Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Stephanie L. Nassar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There is a growing literature for cognitive late effects among childhood cancer survivors, yet little empirical information is known regarding specific neurocognitive outcomes of children who experience seizures while treated for acute lymphoblastic leukemia. This study examined prevalence of on-protocol seizures, seizure risk factors, and neurocognitive change in children with therapy-related seizures in comparison to the normative sample and a matched cohort of children without on-protocol seizures. Participants included children enrolled on the St. Jude frontline leukemia treatment protocol, Total Therapy 15 (TOTXV) - the first systematic investigation of intensified chemotherapy agents plus optimal intrathecal therapy without irradiation. Out of …

Attention And Emotion Regulation In Social Functioning, Katherine H. Moyer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recent models of social functioning have identified attention and emotion regulation as important factors in explaining social functioning. In these models, emotion regulation is conceptualized as a cognitive process under attention control (Beauchamp & Anderson, 2010; Crick & Dodge, 1994; Lemerise & Arsenio, 2000). Recently, an alternate conceptualization of emotion regulation has been suggested. In this model, emotion regulation is independent of attentional control and is conceptualized as consisting of four factors: emotion awareness and understanding; acceptance; impulse control and goal directed behavior in the context of negative emotions; and flexible use of contextually appropriate strategies to modulate emotion responses …

Evaluating Values, Mindfulness, And Working Alliance: Exploring The Effects Of Short, Specific Techniques, Regan Slater

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Comfactors research indicates that there is a positive relationship between therapeutic relationship and improved client outcomes. However, little research has been done to examine the nature of this relationship. The current study examined the relationship among values, mindfulness, and working alliance. This study used different specific interventions and examined the interventions' impact on values and mindfulness. The study also examined whether changes in values and mindfulness led to differences in working alliance ratings. Participants were 66 undergraduate students and were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: mindfulness plus values, mindfulness, or control. The participants were then led in a …

Aspects Of The Self And Psychological Outcomes, Neil P. Martin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Depression ranks among the top health concerns on college campuses and impairs students’ functioning across numerous domains including academic, social, and personal areas, and there is still an urgent need for a model that can provide comprehensive understanding of the development and treatment of depression. The Internal Family Systems (IFS) model is introduced to bridge this gap. The current study aimed to make contributions to mental health literature by advancing our understanding of IFS theory (specifically, the concept of Self) in predicting depression, providing a framework for promoting a non-pathological model of depression, and adding to the body of empirical …

Childhood Trauma, Self-Esteem, And Helping Behaviors: Does History Of Trauma Predict Helping?, Adriana B. Joseph

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There is insufficient evidence from the available research to fully determine the relationship between self-esteem and helping behaviors. Specifically, some findings indicate that those with lower self-esteem are less likely to help others than those with higher self-esteem (Michelini, Wilson, & Messe, 1975), while others show the opposite trend (Briggs, Landry, & Wood, 2007). Individuals with a history of childhood trauma are more likely to report low self-esteem than those with no history of childhood trauma (Valerio & Lepper, 2009); also, those with a history of trauma are more likely to help others (Frazier, Greer, Gabrielsen, Tennen, Park, & Tomlich, …

Adult Attachment And Emotion Identification: A Cognitive Evaluation, Jennifer F. Barron

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Whether adult or infant, attachment bonds aid in the development of beliefs about oneself and others (Collins & Read, 1990; Hazen & Shaver, 1987). Additionally, attachment seems to play a vital role in human development, communication, emotion recognition and comprehension, and the development of appropriate mental representations of emotional experiences (Denham et al., 2002; Greg & Howe, 2001; Raikes & Thompson, 2006). Because attachment is considered a somewhat stable trait, it seems logical that the importance of emotional experiences would not be limited to childhood, and would be important in establishing and maintaining healthy adult relationships (Kerr, Melley, Travea, & …