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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

A Qualitative Study Of Group Therapy Incorporating Rap Music With Inmates, Abigail V. Richards Dec 2017

A Qualitative Study Of Group Therapy Incorporating Rap Music With Inmates, Abigail V. Richards

MSU Graduate Theses

This study aims to explore the lived experiences of inmates who participate in group psychotherapy incorporating elements of rap music. Rap music includes elements such as emotional expression, songwriting, community building, freestyling, and beat, which can be beneficial for individuals experiencing typical symptoms of incarceration such as anxiety, self-discovery, and difficulties regulating emotion. Ten inmates of a Missouri county justice center (50% male) were recruited on a volunteer basis to participate in a five-week psychotherapy group. The study involves psychoeducation, group-drumming, self-expression, and improvisation. Qualitative data were collected through an interview process with participants, including inmates, facilitators and supervisors. Results …


Alternative Interventions For Children Coping With Chronic Conditions: A Critical Review Of The Literature, Nina M. Pelsi, Kim S. Amer Jul 2017

Alternative Interventions For Children Coping With Chronic Conditions: A Critical Review Of The Literature, Nina M. Pelsi, Kim S. Amer

DePaul Discoveries

Reduction of stressors and anxiety levels in adolescents with chronic illnesses is a critical concept in pediatric health care in America today. The many stressors associated with chronic illness include displaying physical and mental differences, social stigma, financial difficulty, and family stress. These stressors may affect the adolescent’s ability to learn and cope in everyday life. The current research was a critical review of the literature examining studies done with adolescents coping with chronic diseases and illnesses. The aim was to analyze the most efficacious non-pharmacological methods for reducing stressors in adolescents with chronic illness. A critical review of the …


Trauma Therapy For Very Young Children Living In Poverty: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Joanna Ruth Love Jul 2017

Trauma Therapy For Very Young Children Living In Poverty: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Joanna Ruth Love

Dissertations (1934 -)

This study used a randomized control design with immediate treatment and wait list control conditions to evaluate the efficacy of the New Hope program, a home-based, parent-and-child therapy program that has been developed for very young children living in poverty who experienced one or more potentially traumatizing events. Within a three-phase model of treatment, the New Hope program is designed to establish safety, build the caregiver child relationship, create a nurturing environment, teach coping skills, address trauma-related thoughts and feelings, and develop prosocial skills. Training in this program included discussions regarding the cultural implications of providing therapy services in the …


Benefits Of Expressive Dance Classes In Women Experiencing Homelessness, Ashley J. Runnells May 2017

Benefits Of Expressive Dance Classes In Women Experiencing Homelessness, Ashley J. Runnells

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

This project represents multiple layers of a therapeutic dance experience intended to assist homeless women in increasing their sense of social connectedness, happiness, and self-esteem. Therapeutic dance classes were conducted at Mercy House in Harrisonburg, VA, illuminating the benefits to participants as well as the challenges of engaging this population. Further exploration occurred during the January dance therapy intensive workshop regarding developing of therapeutic dance interventions. The project concluded with a choreographed site-specific dance work exploring the stories of the participants, and a tangible creative response by way of a tea bag dress. Lessons learned included the rich opportunities present …


Immersive Cultural Plunge: How Mental Health Trainees Can Exercise Cultural Competence With African American Descendants Of Chattel Slaves A Qualitative Study, Clandis V. Payne May 2017

Immersive Cultural Plunge: How Mental Health Trainees Can Exercise Cultural Competence With African American Descendants Of Chattel Slaves A Qualitative Study, Clandis V. Payne

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This qualitative study utilized ethnographic techniques to explore the potential for change in mental health trainees resulting from the participation in an in vivo Immersive Cultural Plunge (ICP) within the African American Descendant of Chattel Slave community. The ICP combined Multicultural Immersions Experiences (MIE) of Cultural Immersion (CI) and Cultural Plunge (CP) to contribute to the developing body of research utilizing MIEs that incorporate contextual, experiential, and historical knowledge to teach the skill of cultural sensitivity. During the 12- hour ICP the participants experienced an orientation, a lecture, a tour/community interaction, a multimedia presentation within an African American community. In …


Therapeutic Induction Of Altered States Of Consciousness: Investigation Of 1-20hz Neurofeedback, Heather K. Hargraves Apr 2017

Therapeutic Induction Of Altered States Of Consciousness: Investigation Of 1-20hz Neurofeedback, Heather K. Hargraves

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Positive outcomes linked to experiences of altered states of consciousness (ASC) have been linked to various brain wave patterns, as well as both positive and negative personality traits and affective disorders. Various innovative neurofeedback (NFB) technologies are being developed in an attempt to create adjunctive therapeutic treatments. The current study investigated 1-20 Hz NFB to induce ASC and examine associations between NFB, ASC, mood changes, and trait predictors. 23 students completed trait measures of emotionality, openness and extroversion from the HEXACO test of personality and a measure of trait absorption. Participants then completed 15min of NFB. The Profile of Mood …


Self-Compassion And Breast Cancer In 23 Cancer Respondents: Is The Way You Relate To Yourself A Factor In Disease Onset And Progress?, Karen G. Kearnery, Richard E. Hicks Jan 2017

Self-Compassion And Breast Cancer In 23 Cancer Respondents: Is The Way You Relate To Yourself A Factor In Disease Onset And Progress?, Karen G. Kearnery, Richard E. Hicks

Richard Hicks

Breast Cancer has been extensively studied. However, there is limited knowledge about how psychological factors such as levels of self-compassion may be related to disease onset. This study examined whether higher levels of selfcompassion may be associated with a delayed onset of cancer and its progression and lower hyper-arousal scores in Australian women with breast cancer, using retrospective recollections as part of the study design. Participants from Australian cancer support groups were invited to complete an online survey including demographic and cancer history information, a hyper-arousal scale and a self-compassion scale (self-report scales). After data screening 23 of the 31 …


Acculturation, Enculturation, Stigma, And Attitudes Toward Seeking Psychological Help Among Eastern Europeans In The U.S, Andi Xhihani Jan 2017

Acculturation, Enculturation, Stigma, And Attitudes Toward Seeking Psychological Help Among Eastern Europeans In The U.S, Andi Xhihani

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Although approximately 2.1 million Eastern European immigrants are presently living in the U.S (Migration Policy Institute [MPI], 2011), this population has received little attention in the mental health field. Eastern European immigrants face many challenges to adapting to a new a culture, yet their process of acculturating has received little attention in counseling research. Based on Berry’s (1980) bidirectional model of acculturation as a framework, the present study examined the relationships of acculturation, enculturation, gender, and stigma of mental illness on Eastern European immigrants’ attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help. It was hypothesized that gender and stigma would moderate the …


Group Equine Assisted Therapy: A Novel Approach For Treating Adolescents Diagnosed With Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Nicole C. Wozniak Jan 2017

Group Equine Assisted Therapy: A Novel Approach For Treating Adolescents Diagnosed With Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Nicole C. Wozniak

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) is a pervasive form of mental illness which affects millions of youth ages 12-18. It is characterized by a frequent and persistent pattern of angry mood, defiant behavior, and/or vindictiveness. Teenagers afflicted with ODD are often unwilling to participate in treatment and have difficulty responding to traditional therapy models. The current "Best Practices" model for treating ODD is extensive family therapy. As of today, there is no Best Practice method for providing direct treatment to the young people themselves. Equine Assisted Therapy (EAT) has been found to be qualitatively effective in reducing ODD symptoms in the …


Does Improving Marital Quality Improve Sleep? Results From A Marital Therapy Trial, Scott R. Braithwaite, Wendy M. Troxel, Jonathan G. Sandberg, Julianne Holt-Lunstad Jan 2017

Does Improving Marital Quality Improve Sleep? Results From A Marital Therapy Trial, Scott R. Braithwaite, Wendy M. Troxel, Jonathan G. Sandberg, Julianne Holt-Lunstad

Faculty Publications

For most adults, sleep is a dyadic behavior. Only recently have studies explored the dynamic association between sleep and relationship functioning among bedpartners. The current study is the first to examine bidirectional associations between changes in insomnia and changes in marital quality over time, in the context of a marital therapy trial. Among husbands, improvements in marital satisfaction were associated with a 36% decreased risk of insomnia at follow-up. Regarding the reverse direction, counter-intuitively, wife baseline insomnia was associated with improvements in husbands’ marital satisfaction, but only among the non-treatment seeking comparison group. Results are discussed in terms of implications …