Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Female Adults’ Experiences Of Sexual Harassment And Assault In The Presence Of Others: A Qualitative Analysis Of The Effectiveness And Consequences Of Bystander Intervention Strategies, Kayla Ford

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Bystander intervention programs aim to reduce the acceptance of violence against women by fostering prosocial behavior from community members, and often provide knowledge on behaviors associated with sexual risk and ways a bystander can intervene. However, there is limited knowledge on which intervention strategies are used, and how these interventions impact perpetrator behavior and incidence of verbal and physical harm to those involved. There is even less research on these phenomena from the perspective of the victim. To address these gaps, the current study utilized a qualitative approach to (1) identify bystander intervention strategies employed; (2) discuss trends of the …

Maintaining Social And Emotional Wellbeing Among Older Adults During Periods Of Increased Social Isolation: Lessons From The Covid-19 Pandemic, Brigitta Scarfe, Claire Adams, Eyal Gringart, Daniel Mcaullay, Moira Sim, Natalie Strobel

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objective: Older adults are vulnerable to isolation and poor emotional wellbeing during COVID-19, however, their access to appropriate supports is unknown. The aim of this study was to explore older adults’ experiences accessing social and emotional support during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia. Method: Ten older adults from Western Australia (Australia) aged 68 to 78 years participated in individual semi-structured interviews between December 2020 and January 2021. Responses were investigated using thematic analysis. Results: Three key themes emerged: adaptability and self-sufficiency; informal support-seeking; and digital and online technologies. Older adults were adaptable to COVID-19 restrictions; however, some were anxious about …

The Impossible Situation? Impasse As Psychotherapeutic Paralysis, Possibility, And Progress, Leo Cancelmo

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Psychotherapeutic impasse has long been understood in the clinical literature as treatment stagnation and even failure, both from one-person and two-person psychodynamic perspectives. However, there is a dearth of empirical research that delves deeper to understand this complex and rich phenomenon. Using semi-structured interviews with nine psychodynamic therapists speaking about individual adult patients, this study examined experiences of impasse to better understand treatments that become embroiled in a kind of paralysis. Qualitative analyses revealed dyads where patients were conceptualized as struggling chronically with negative feelings about themselves and others, and who experienced traumatic personal histories. Impasse in and of itself …

The Lived Experience Of Postpartum Anxiety During Covid-19: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study, Walker Ladd Phd, Jenny De Decker

The Qualitative Report

The experience of pregnancy and postpartum anxiety disorders results in adverse birth outcomes and the disrupted development of infants and children. Since the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has designated pregnant and postpartum women as more vulnerable to COVID-19 (CDC, 2021), and perinatal mood and anxiety disorders rates have increased. However, research regarding the lived experience of women with postpartum anxiety (PPA) during a global pandemic remains lacking. Using van Manen’s hermeneutic phenomenological research method, we interviewed eight women self-identifying as having had PPA during the COVID-19 pandemic. Analysis revealed five themes describing the lived …

Examining The Social Validity Of Parent Training: Post-Participation Parent Perceptions And Reflections Of Group Triple P, Nycole C. Kauk

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Child behavior problems are highly prevalent and impactful on the child and their family system, bringing both short-term and long-term consequences (Sanders, 2012). Many risk factors for child behavior problems are modifiable via the use of Behavioral Family Interventions, such as behavioral parent training programs (Kazdin, 1991). Behavioral Family Interventions (BFI) modify factors within the family system to minimize modifiable risk factors and engineer protective factors to produce behavior change (Kazdin, 1991). While several manualized behavioral parenting interventions exist, the Triple P parenting program is one of the most researched and effective programs used internationally, particularly the Level 4 package; …

Sex Trafficking And Mental Health Treatments, Maria A. Georgescu

Student Theses

Currently there is no agreement amongst professionals on a specific approach for providing for victims of sex trafficking. A two-part study was conducted in order to screen mental health professionals who have experience providing for victims of sex trafficking to participate in a semi-structured qualitative interview. Through a grounded theory approach, light is shed on what mental health providers experienced with providing for victims of sex trafficking find effective.

The main findings highlight how being forced into sex trafficking young (under 18) is impactful for the course of treatment according to 100 % (n=6) of participants, meeting the patient where …

Post-Traumatic Growth, Resilience, And Coping In Aya Cancer Survivors, Julia Piluk

Theses and Dissertations

Adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors experience psychosocial outcomes of cancer that may cause a positive or negative outlook. Qualitative data (N=26) was collected and analyzed for subthemes of post-traumatic growth, resilience, and coping methods. Results suggest that overall, AYA cancer survivors report a sense of hope for their future.

Sexual Orientation Diversity And Inclusion In The Workplace: A Qualitative Study Of Lgb Inclusion In A Uk Public Sector Organisation, Ashley Williams, Neill Thompson, Binna Kandola

The Qualitative Report

Inclusion has been identified as a key component of successful approaches to organisational diversity management. To date, the inclusion literature has predominantly used quantitative methodology to study visible forms of diversity such as gender and ethnicity. Invisible forms of diversity, such as sexual orientation diversity, have received limited research attention, despite Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual (LGB) employees facing significantly higher rates of bullying and discrimination in the workplace than their heterosexual colleagues. The current study uses semi-structured interviews and template analysis to investigate LGB employees’ experiences of workplace inclusion within a UK public sector organisation. Findings demonstrate that LGBs share …

The Effect Of Creative Art Therapy On Trauma Victims Suffering From Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Sophia Swiatek

Senior Honors Theses

When confronted with a traumatic situation, individuals’ brains often face difficulty in storing and/or processing such experiences. Unfortunately, this presents challenges for accessing those memories later in life, especially if the individuals are solely using speech-based techniques to do so. This fact has spurred research on whether various other therapeutic techniques, such as Creative Art Therapy (CAT), can produce better results in improving the mental health of a trauma victim suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This study attempts to uncover whether age, gender, and/or type of therapy play a significant role in the improvement of CAT clients’ mental health …

Is Ego Strength A Trait That Contributes To Trauma Resilience?, Matt Hiltebrand,

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Given the ubiquitous experience of trauma among first responders, there is a critical need to understand the traits that contribute to resilience in experiencing traumatic events. Strength of identity is associated with resilience in several meaningful life events including negative peer review, adjustment to significant change, and recovering from depression or anxiety (Kim & Choi, 2013). There is a scarcity of research that has examined ego strength as a trait that contributes to trauma resilience. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between ego strength and the experience of trauma among veteran first responders (including, paramedics, firefighters, …

Mortality Salience In Therapists: Sudden Death Of A Patient - An Exploratory Study, Amanda Oliva

Selected Full Text Dissertations, 2011-

The purpose of this qualitative research study is to explore therapists’ experiences of the sudden passing of their patient. In particular, the researcher aims to explore the internal and external experiences of the therapist’s grief, as well as implications for training and professional life. Seventeen psychotherapists, ranging in professional training, aged 30 to 80, who lived in several states across the country, participated in individual interviews with the principal investigator via online video conferencing. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed, according to the qualitative research method of Auerbach and Silverstein (2003), to extrapolate themes and theoretical constructs from their anecdotal …

Posttraumatic Growth Following Critical Incident Exposure For Urban Firefighters, Deirdre Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Firefighters are often exposed to critical/traumatic incidents. Regular exposure to critical/traumatic incidents has the potential to cause negative psychological problems among this population, though there is also a likelihood that firefighters can experience a positive effect such as posttraumatic growth (PTG) as a result of critical incident exposure. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of PTG for urban firefighters following exposure to work-related traumatic events. The phenomenon of PTG provided the conceptual framework for the study. Data were collected from semistructured telephone interviews with eight urban firefighters. Findings from coding and thematic analysis …

Staff Burnout And The Neglect Of Elderly Residents In Care, Stephanie Belveg

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is increasing concern about patient neglect in nursing homes as nursing home staff become burnt out. Although there has been research on burnout in nursing home staff and neglect, little research has been done to understand the specific connection of burnout and neglect through the lived experiences of staff members. Underpinned by Maslach’s theory of burnout, the purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the lived experiences of nursing home staff who experienced burnout before and after they witnessed neglect of elderly patients. Nine semistructured interviews were conducted with elderly care staff who had experienced burnout and witnessed …

Mental Health In The Military, Amy Jean Grasse

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The current qualitative research project explored the lived experiences of senior leaders who have worked with service members known to seek mental health treatment. Despite a large amount of research on the effects mental health has on military members, the scholarly community does not know the experiences individuals face when employing active-duty personnel with known psychological limitations. This phenomenological study aimed to identify senior leadership’s lived experiences to identify the barriers and facilitators they faced when employing service members known to have sought mental health treatment. The attribution theory and modified labeling theory were the theoretical frameworks chosen for this …

A Journey To Finding Space In The Tension: Experience Of Instructors' Relationship With Religion And Spirituality In Doctoral Psychology Programs, Samantha Mcgee

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Religion and spirituality, when viewed through a holistic lens, can reflect important aspects of a person’s identity. It can be a source of well-being and also struggle. The fields of religion, spirituality and psychology have had a history of being polarized, with some efforts to integrate the two fields. Tensions exist at multiple ecological levels around the topic of religion and spirituality, which can make it easier to avoid discussing it in classrooms and therapy rooms. It is important to address and create room for discussion of experiences around religion and spirituality in classrooms that are training psychologists so they …

An Emerging Masculinity: A Qualitative Study Of Majority-Status Men's Gender Socialization, Emily Sargent

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Majority-status American men have been found to disproportionately experience suicide, homicide, perpetration of sexual assault and intimate partner violence, as well as, alcohol and drug-related concerns. Current research considers gender socialization of traditional constructs of masculinity to be “toxic” for men and others (i.e., Women, gender and sexual minorities). This study sought to explore young men’s current experience of masculinity identity development in America. Six participants who self-identified as White, straight, English speaking, educated, cisgender, and emerging adult men shared their lived experience of masculinity via virtual video interviews. To assess results of this qualitative study, interpretive phenomenological analysis was …

What About Me: Understanding The Relationship Between Gender Identity And Social Anxiety, Jessica Allen

All Master's Theses

Anxiety disorders have been researched primarily in cisgender populations until very recently. A clear gap in the literature exists for gender diverse individuals in this research. Through analysis of transgender and gender-diverse individuals’ accounts of their experiences with social anxiety, this study developed a scale specifically aligned with these encounters, titled the Allen Scale. Further, this study examined whether body dysmorphia symptoms have any correlation with social anxiety symptoms in either gender-diverse or cisgender populations. Results uncovered no clear statistical difference between the gender diverse group and the cisgender group on ratings of experienced discrimination, social anxiety or body dysmorphia …

Psychosocial Influences On And Behavioral Characteristics Of Young Adult Food Addiction, Rachel A. Wattick

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Introduction. Research on food addiction has increased in recent years, but there are few studies focusing on college-attending young adults, who may be at risk of developing food addiction due to the stress of the college environment. Additionally, causes and characteristics of food addiction are under-explored.

Aim. This dissertation aims to 1) determine the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and other early life influences on the development of food addiction in college-attending young adults and 2) determine the psychosocial and behavioral characteristics of young adults with food addiction.

Methods. A sequential explanatory mixed-methods design was used for aims 1 …

B-Sure (Bereavement Support Research): The Differential Experiences Of Peer And Professional Support In Grief, Andrea Crowley

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Abstract

The project aimed to investigate the differential experiences of those who have received peer or professional support for grief and bereavement. Although much is known with regards to the perceived impacts of peer and professional support in general, there is little research surrounding these support types in the context of grief and bereavement, the potential for these support types to be complementary, and how the COVID-19 pandemic may have impacted the experiences of those receiving these forms of support. The main goal of this project was to address a significant gap in the literature by investigating the following questions: …