Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Development Of 4thekids: An Educational Support Group For Caregivers Of Individuals With Cerebral Palsy, Khrista E. Neville

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

Raising a child can be challenging. Raising or caring for an individual with a disability can be even more challenging. Currently, groups exist to support these caregivers for individuals with disabilities. For example, caregivers of children diagnoses with Autism Spectrum Disorder often have groups designed to build community with others in similar positions while they support their loved one. However, there are few to no groups supporting caregivers of individuals with cerebral palsy. This doctoral specialization project aims to provide clinicians with a treatment manual to guide them through running a group that supports caregivers of individuals with cerebral palsy.

Canine-Assisted Cognitive Processing Therapy: Promoting Healing For Veterans Diagnosed With Ptsd Through Canine "Battle Buddies", Shelby L. Meadows

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

Trauma related symptoms and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have long been recognized for their connection to military and veteran populations and has become a significant barrier to the provision of mental healthcare. This original contribution to practice explores the significance of Canine Assisted Therapy as a novel approach to treating trauma in veteran and military populations. An extensive literature review examines the current research and discussion on trauma-informed care. It begins with a discussion on evidence-based practices for the treatment of PTSD, including Cognitive Processing Therapy, Prolonged Exposure, and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. This is followed by a comprehensive …

The Examination Of Suicidal Ideation And Ptsd Among First Responders, Amanda Catalan

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

First responders are vital to our safety and protection, but this does not come without a price. First responders are often exposed to life threatening situations that put them at risk, and are exposed to those in critical condition, and unfortuantely, those who have died. This makes first responders more at risk to develop mental health conditions, particulalrly Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. (PTSD). First Responders were found to be more likely compared to civilians to develop PTSD. They were also more likely to experience suicidal ideation. First responders who met criteria for a PTSD diagnosis were also more likely to have …

Clinical Challenges And Experiences: Shared Knowledge From Mental Health Clinicians, Tyler Mcqueen

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

Though there is an extensive need for mental health practitioners of child and adolescent psychology, there tends to be a significantly lower number of these providers compared to adult clinicians. For this reason, this study sought to provide emerging child and adolescent clinicians with a point of clinical reference to allow for more efficient and competent services to be provided. This was accomplished by increasing the reader’s foundational knowledge of child and adolescent treatment via a brief historical review, while also increasing the reader’s clinical knowledge/readiness by examining participant reported interventions/insights on the most commonly encountered therapy interfering behaviors, clinical …

Measures Of Mood: Adaptations For Adults With Developmental Disabilities And/Or Severe Mental Illness, Tara Bord

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

The COVID-19 pandemic was a source of anxiety and depression for many people, and for some it exacerbated existing mood and anxiety symptoms. Measurement of symptoms of anxiety and depression can play an important role in intervention to decrease these symptoms. However, to ensure validity of these measures, one must be able to understand the language of the screeners. An adapted Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 Item Scale were created for usage with adults with developmental disability and/or severe mental illness who may have difficulty understanding the language of the original versions of these measures. A study was …

Development And Initial Validation Of The Triarchic Model Scales, Jordan A. Organ

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

The term “psychopath” is a word used often, particularly on tv shows, courtroom dramas like Law and Order, and even in everyday language to describe the people we know who may be deviant, cold, and lacking remorse. Although these descriptors may be accurate, they don’t adequately encapsulate the construct of psychopathy entirely. The picture of individuals with actual psychopathy is much more complex, and our field’s history of attempts to parse out psychopathic traits is equally as convoluted, which has led to differences in conceptualization and measurement. Despite the attention paid to the psychopathy construct, a full conceptualization of …

Caregiver Mediated Positive Behavioral Intervention Training: A Solution For Hcbs Waitlisted Families, Nicholas P. Hoffmann

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability characterized by persistent challenges in social communication and interaction, and restrictive and repetitive patterns of behavior. These challenges manifest heterogeneously, resulting in a wide range of presentations and levels of support needs for individuals with the disorder. Behavioral intervention is an empirically supported treatment designed to support early skill development for people on the spectrum. Many Kentucky caregivers rely on two Medicaid waivers, the Supports for Community Living and Michelle P Waiver for these supports. However, there are currently over 14000 people on the waitlists for these waivers. The creation and implementation …

Exploring The Efficacy Of Interpersonal Psychotherapy Via Telehealth, Damon Tichenor Jr

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

The COVID-19 pandemic caused abrupt changes for healthcare providers across the globe. As a result of social distancing measures and stay-at-home orders, it was necessary that providers adapted their services to continue to reach their clients/patients. Specifically for the field of mental health, practitioners quickly and extensively adapted from a face-to-face format to providing their services using various forms of technology, otherwise known as telepsychology. Although telepsychology was established prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the rapid adjustment forced practitioners to adapt their interventions to formats in ways that had not been proven to be effective. The purpose of the current …

The Non-Standardization Of Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder: A Call To Action, Gabriel L.S Gomez

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most diagnosed disorders in adults and children, yet there is no standardized method to assess for ADHD. The similarity of symptoms shared across other disorders (comorbidity) makes the assessment of ADHD a very delicate process. This is not aided by the fact that the assessment of ADHD is not standardized. This allows individuals able to assess for ADHD to give a test or a combination of tests that they find fitting. This in turn brings into question the quality of testing and disagreement in diagnosing across fields. Lastly, ADHD-focused measures typically …

The Suicide Gene: Examining The Environmental And Genetic Impact Of Someone Who Is Suicidal, Casey Allen

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

Abstract

The progress of suicide focused research has been tremendous in recent years. There have been many theories posed that are foundational in understanding suicide. This project will examine the genetic and environmental impact of suicide. Serotonin, family heritability, twin studies, adoption studies, candidate genes, and genetic transmission of psychiatric disorders are key topics in the role genetics plays in suicide. Suicide has impacted many lives across the world. Survivors of suicide face stigma, trauma related symptoms, grief, and a whole host of other experiences. Suicide also poses a threat to the social, physical, spiritual, emotional, and psychological well-being on …

Qualities Of A School Counselor And Principal Partnership That Foster Student Learning And School Culture: A Qualitative, Eef Ji Fontanez

Online Theses and Dissertations

The close partnership between school counselors and principals suggested that their work together can influence student learning and school culture. Their roles, while different in nature, could be conducive to collaborating in an effective manner to help achieve their respective goals and the objectives of their employment responsibilities. Ideally, principals should fully understand the role of school counselors and allow them to implement a comprehensive counseling plan to increase student learning, reduce discipline issues, promote attendance, and positively impacts school culture. According to the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), outlined the role of a professional school counselor to incorporate the …

Posttraumatic Growth In Inmates: An Exploration Of Cumulative Adverse Life Experiences And Its Relationship To Growth, Rachel Taylor

Online Theses and Dissertations

Trauma is pervasive among incarcerated populations and revictimization is common. Trauma can ripple out, affecting other areas of life—for many inmates, trauma is related to mental health issues and substance abuse, both of which can contribute to increased likelihood of recidivism. This study evaluated cumulative trauma using the Adverse Childhood Experiences survey (ACEs) and the Trauma History Questionnaire (THQ) to find the effect of cumulative trauma on posttraumatic growth, the positive psychological change that may develop following a traumatic experience. Against the hypotheses and previous research, the results showed a negative relationship between cumulative trauma and posttraumatic growth, a negative …

Telehealth: Visual Adaptations For Acceptance And Commitment Therapy (Act), Caycie Smith

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

The COVID-19 pandemic led to an influx in therapeutic services provided via web-based “telehealth” platforms. Some therapeutic treatments that were traditionally offered in-person needed to be adapted for telehealth platforms. After virtually beginning ACT with a client who struggled to grasp the material, the ACT PowerPoints were created as an adaptation of an in-person treatment to help the client learn and retain the information. In addition to the ACT PowerPoints, in-session worksheets and homework activities were created as well.

This document examines literature involving the effectiveness and benefits of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), telepsychotherapy, and visual aids. The goal …

Dialectical Behavior Therapy Application Efficacy In The World Of An Athlete: Addressing Special Considerations, John P. Ferraro

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

The current project aimed to analyze the potential that Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Training (DBT-ST) could have on the student-athlete population. The project necessitated a research exploration of both DBT and sports psychology treatment. This was accomplished by searching Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) Library’s extensive databases, such as Academic Search Complete, PsycINFO, SportDISCUS, and Psycharticles. Considerations are discussed on athlete-specific concerns, such as stigma, athlete cultural views on mental health, eating disorders, coping through injury, and performance anxiety. Current sport psychology interventions are reviewed, and they are compared with the efficacy of DBT treatment literature. Similarities in sport psychology interventions …

Focusing On Friendship: Online Supported Activities For Adolescents On The Autism Spectrum, Molly King

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

A core feature of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is social skills differences. Social skills groups have received support as an intervention that fosters social skills of those with ASD. However, there is limited information about the use of telehealth-based social skills groups. The proposed ASD adolescent social group design is formatted for telehealth services, and has been conducted virtually since 2020. This ASD social group program features unique virtual teaching and recreational activity curriculum as well as some program evaluation data methods and responses from participants.

Finding Confidence, Balance, And Self-Acceptance: A Clinician’S Guide To Treating Involuntary Celibates, Brian Keller

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

Involuntary Celibates (incels) are a new and poorly understood population. In the field of psychology, very little research has been done on the population, and even fewer clinicians have successfully worked with clients from this group. This handbook was created in an attempt to outline the history, belief system, terminology, and common mental health problems of incels and their related groups. This information is distilled down and presented as a primer for anyone looking to understand this new population. Also, possible treatment recommendations are suggested and discussed in detail based on the particular psychological difficulties that incels often face.

Change Is The Only Constant: How Dialectical Behavior Therapy (Dbt) Can Be Made More Culturally Responsive Across Treatment Settings, Angela Susan Van Berkel

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

This program design demonstrates how Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), a well-regarded, existing evidence-based practice (EBP) used to treat many transdiagnostic and complex mental health disorders around the world, can be made more culturally responsive across treatment settings. An overview of the literature regarding global access to mental health treatment reveals that much effort has been made to close the mental health treatment gap by promoting EBPs. However, most EBP research is conducted in Western countries using majority white populations, which calls into question the generalizability and effectiveness of EBPs among U.S. cultural and racial minority and international populations. Despite the …

The Relationship Between Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorder And Criminal Responsibility, Taylor A. Chille

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

This original contribution to practice explores the significance of schizophrenia spectrum disorder, one of the most severe psychiatric disorders recognized in the DSM-5. This condition affects over 50 million people worldwide and is amongst one of the most common psychiatric illnesses diagnosed in criminal responsibility evaluations to date. Nonetheless, there is limited comprehensive literature specifically examining the relationship between schizophrenia and the insanity defense. Information provided in this literature review aims to fill that gap and act as a resource for clinical forensic practitioners who may encounter related cases. Specifically, this document will begin by introducing schizophrenia spectrum disorder and …

Group Ideation Treatment (Grit)-A Group Approach To The Treatment Of Suicidal Ideation And Relapse Into A Maladaptive Coping Skill, Hogan J. Gagle

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

Suicidal ideation is experienced across both acute presentations and chronic conditions of suicidality. For some, the ideation may be the only symptom that is present while others who have undergone treatment for suicidality may find a relapse into suicidal ideation. With the prevalence and potential relapse back to this maladaptive coping skill, the development of an intervention is needed that directly targets this case presentation. Ideation acts just as any other maladaptive coping skill, and just as with those, there is support for the use of group intervention. The individual’s family or friends may become apprehensive towards being supportive if …

Pride: A Review Of Lgbtq+ Affirming Therapy Techniques And Recommendations For Clinical Practice, Stephen Lemon

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

Despite recent advances in legal protections for and increases in social acceptability towards LGBTQ+ individuals, they continue to experience widespread prejudice and discrimination and seek therapy more often than their heterosexual counterparts as a result. As more and more LGBTQ+ people sought out therapeutic services, psychological research in the field of LGBTQ+ affirming therapy began to develop in order to meet these needs. Although the number of articles and studies conducted in this field has grown exponentially since the start of the 21^st century, a sizeable gap between research and application remains. Research often provides vague suggestions without discussing …

Gender Career Stereotypes, Implicit Bias, And Occupational Therapy, Laura H. Vanpuymbrouck, Carli Friedman

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Implicit (unconscious) gender bias and stereotypes can affect clinical decisions and interactions between healthcare professionals, as well as impact careers. However, there is no research exploring the implicit gender bias or stereotypes of occupational therapy students or practitioners. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the gender-career bias of occupational therapy students. To do so, occupational therapy students (n = 54) from three Midwestern United States graduate occupational therapy programs completed the gender-career attitudes implicit association test (IAT) – biases associating women with family, and men with career – as well as a survey polling demographic information. …

Hooves For Hope: Equine Assisted Psychotherapy As A Modality For Social And Emotional Learning In At-Risk Youth, Mattie H. Hyland

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

The purpose of this paper is to educate its readers on the utility of Equine Assisted Psychotherapy; an emerging modality of mental health treatment and to introduce a new program model for utilization of this treatment with at-risk youth. This paper is particularly focused on the use of this modality to facilitate social and emotional learning in at-risk youth. It begins by establishing the reasons that mental health providers, and American citizens on the whole, should be concerned with at-risk youth as well as defining what this term “at-risk youth” means within the context of this paper. In order to …

Church Hurt: A Therapeutic Approach For Treating Religious Trauma And Spiritual Bypass, Megan S. Thomas

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

Religious trauma is a condition that may surface following religious abuse from clergy, religious communities, and family. These entities may use scripture to justify their actions, leading for individuals to face internal conflict about their religious affiliation. Additionally, the restrictive teachings of conservative fundamentalist Christian religions can establish a foundation for potential conflict and trauma down the line. While religious trauma is gaining in recognition, there is still limited research on how to treat this condition. Further, individuals may retreat into the avoidant coping strategy of spiritual bypass, in order to evade the unresolved psychological pain from their religiously traumatic …

Implementing A Strengths-Based Cbt Specialization For African American Girls, Myresha C. Hinton

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

Historically, the African American community has experienced years of hardship and adversity. Beginning in the 17th century, enslaved African Americans were utilized for labor and labeled as “others” which in turn led the community to be viewed as inferior. With that preconceived notion, individuals were not allowed to obtain basic human rights (Oca & Bhugra, 2021). While there have been laws and regulations set for African Americans to have basic human rights, other forms of racism and discrimination have plagued the community for many decades. For example, systemic racism and healthcare disparities are other forms of discrimination that have seriously …

A Clinician-Created Art And Activity Workbook For Children And Adolescents Used During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Gabriella R. Martin

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

The Covid-19 Pandemic provided a unique need for telepsychology services. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is an evidence-based approach applicable to a variety of populations and referral concerns, applicable both for in-person or telehealth settings. In the literature review presented here, the development and use of CBT as well as the advantages, challenges, and considerations of teletherapy with children and adolescents is examined. After, a proposed supplemental intervention material is explored: an adaptable art and activity workbook for children and adolescents that is rooted in CBT. Designed for use during telehealth sessions, but adaptable for in-person sessions as well, this workbook …

Child Pain Matters: A Training Protocol For General Nursing Staff In An Infusion Center On Procedural Anxiety In Pediatric Patients With Crohn's Disease And Ulcerative Colitis., Mera El Ramahi

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

Procedural anxiety is a broad concept that encompasses fear, distress, and pain. Anxiety is the most critical factor affecting pain perception. There is a growing body of literature suggesting that early pain might have long-term consequences. There is also research evidence that has linked inadequately managed pain in the pediatric population to negative behavioral and physiological consequences later in life. Pediatric patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) refers to Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative Colitis. These chronic conditions often require multiple and repeated medical procedures that may cause pediatric patients to experience procedural anxiety. Needle related procedures are any procedures involving …

Growing With Our Heroes: Utilizing Hero Narratives In Therapy To Foster Psychological Resilience And Posttraumatic Growth, Reagan Overby

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

With the rise of positive psychology, clinical psychologists and other helping-professionals have rightly begun to emphasize the importance of psychological factors that predict human flourishing rather than studying risk factors and psychopathology alone. This new emphasis has largely driven research into constructs such as psychological resilience and posttraumatic growth (PTG); both manifestations of the human ability to survive or grow following experiences with extreme adversity that are often traumatic. The current standards of care for those who have experienced a trauma include asking these individuals to voluntarily discuss and confront their traumatic experiences; a task made challenging by nature of …

Interprofessional Practice And Handling The First Break: A Case Study, Jalen D. Clemmons

Social Work Masters Capstone Projects

Handling the first psychotic break can be a delicate process. In order to do so effectively, it is important to utilize the perspectives and disciplines offered within an inter-professional team. This paper is a case study revolving around the work done by an inter-professional treatment team at Eastern State Hospital.

Behavioral Intervention For Eating And Exercise Challenges In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Kristen G. Gibson

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a neurodevelopmental disability characterized by deficits in social-emotional reciprocity, deficits in nonverbal communicative behaviors relied on for social interactions, deficits in developing, maintaining, and understanding relationships, as well as restricted and repetitive patterns of interest and behavior, and sensitivity to certain sensory inputs. Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder are at an increased risk for multiple medical health concerns when compared to typically developing individuals, including overweight and obesity. Childhood obesity is a significant public health concern in the U.S. While many efforts have been made to prevent childhood obesity, few have been designed to align with …

Utilizing Attachment Theory In The Treatment Of Interpersonal Dysfunction For Narcissistic Personality Disorder, Meghan Semenick

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) can be characterized as a pervasive pattern of grandiosity, need for admiration, and lack of empathy beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts (APA, 2013). A core feature within NPD is interpersonal dysfunction, which in an extreme form, can be physically, emotionally, and sexually abusive. The etiology of this disorder is rooted in the type of parenting received during childhood, which develops into an individual’s overall attachment style. For this reason, I propose that by identifying adult attachment styles for individuals with NPD, appropriate attachment-based interventions can be selected to treat interpersonal …