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Antioch University

2012

Articles 1 - 30 of 59

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

The Reintegration Myth: An Interpretive Phenomenological Inquiry Into The Reentry Experiences Of Air Force Reservists Returning From Afghanistan, Brent French Jan 2012

The Reintegration Myth: An Interpretive Phenomenological Inquiry Into The Reentry Experiences Of Air Force Reservists Returning From Afghanistan, Brent French

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This project documents the 18-month reentry trajectory of nine (including the author) United States Air Force Reservists returning home from a six-month deployment to Afghanistan in 2009 and 2010. Compared with their Active Component peers, members of the Reserve Component are more likely to be diagnosed with adaptive disorders and have an elevated risk of unemployment, substance abuse, and suicide. Since a critical difference between Active and Reserve Component members is the dual-status of reservists as both military members and civilians, this project sought to better understand this duality within the context of nonpathological reentry. This required an interdisciplinary approach …

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How Managed Behavioral Health Care Impacts Psychotherapeutic Practices, Beth S. Abramson Jan 2012

How Managed Behavioral Health Care Impacts Psychotherapeutic Practices, Beth S. Abramson

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The cost of health and mental health care is a growing problem for the United States. Managed care evolved as a way to continue providing quality services in a cost-effective fashion. In the mental health field, some individuals believe managed care reduces the quality of treatment. This exploratory study investigates current sentiments among mental health clinicians regarding managed care’s impact on mental health treatment and looks at how clinicians practice in light of managed care’s guidelines for treating patients. This study explores the current impact of managed care compared with managed care’s first detectable impact in the 1980s.

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Disappearance And Return: Psychoanalytic Perspectives On The Past, Nathaniel C. Thorn Jan 2012

Disappearance And Return: Psychoanalytic Perspectives On The Past, Nathaniel C. Thorn

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This is a theoretical dissertation about the psychology of returning to the past. The purpose of this work is to examine the growth potential of psychological returns and to clarify and contribute to psychoanalytic theory. Special attention is given to involuntary memories, or integrative returns, which are illustrated by four vignettes taken from a mixture of sources. These experiences provide a contrast to familiar pathological returns, such as the return of the repressed and the repetition compulsion. Accordingly, generative returns are differentiated from non-generative returns. With this distinction in mind, psychoanalytic theories are reappraised. A variety of psychoanalytic concepts and …

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Utilizing The Standard Trauma-Focused Emdr Protocol In Treatment Of Fibromyalgia, Tricia L. Teneycke Jan 2012

Utilizing The Standard Trauma-Focused Emdr Protocol In Treatment Of Fibromyalgia, Tricia L. Teneycke

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Fibromyalgia is a syndrome characterized by chronic pain and fatigue. It notably impacts individuals and their families, creates notable opportunity costs for society, and places heavy demands on the medical system. Fibromyalgia has no cure. Its etiology is uncertain but likely biopsychosocial. In a subset of individuals experiencing Fibromyalgia, the experience of one or more traumatic experiences precipitates the onset of symptoms. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based treatment for traumatic stress injuries. None of the handful of published accounts of EMDR treatment of Fibromyalgia have utilized the standard evidenced-based, trauma-focused EMDR (TF-EMDR) protocol, opting instead for …

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Role Of Foundations In The Changing World Of Philanthropy: A Houston Perspective, Ronnie Hagerty Jan 2012

Role Of Foundations In The Changing World Of Philanthropy: A Houston Perspective, Ronnie Hagerty

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

From the earliest days of the American nation, philanthropy has had a defining role in leading change. Philanthropy has provided vision and voice for nascent social movements ranging from civil rights and the women’s movement to AIDS research and environmentalism. As the 21st century has moved into its second decade, philanthropy finds itself facing significant pressures that threaten to compromise its ability to innovate and advocate for issues and individuals whose voices cannot be heard over the public rhetoric of the day. Once perceived as the purview of the rich and well connected, modern philanthropy cuts across social, economic, and …

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Emancipation From Affluenza: Leading Social Change In The Classroom, Merri Mattison Jan 2012

Emancipation From Affluenza: Leading Social Change In The Classroom, Merri Mattison

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to determine if one's level of affluenza could be reduced through education and awareness. In particular, this study measured whether or not exposure to the benefits of community involvement, and the harm of overconsumption could alter the intentions that college students have regarding their behavior, as it pertains to materialism, consumption, and civic responsibility. The data were collected from college students in the form of pre-tests and post-tests utilizing an affluenza scale created for this research. Over the course of a semester, information and activities that elucidated the benefits of community involvement and …

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A Relational Group Intervention For Teen Pregnancy, Megan E. Turchetti Jan 2012

A Relational Group Intervention For Teen Pregnancy, Megan E. Turchetti

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This dissertation project involved the program development and evaluation of a group intervention designed for pregnant and mothering teens. Current services for teenage mothers have significant problems with utilization. This is especially true for teen mothers living in rural regions. Research on service utilization demonstrates that many programs for teen mothers lack integrated understanding of this population’s needs as adolescents, and their needs as new mothers. The present group intervention, Mothering: A Beginners’ Group (MBG), integrates conceptual frameworks including empowerment, psychoeducation, and relational therapy in an effort to address the complex needs of teen mothers. A group space was designed …

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An Alcohol Intervention Model With College Students: Effectiveness Of The Basics Program, Francisco Gil-Del-Real Jan 2012

An Alcohol Intervention Model With College Students: Effectiveness Of The Basics Program, Francisco Gil-Del-Real

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS) program was designed at the University of Washington to provide treatment for high-risk drinkers in the college population. This program was evaluated in 2002 as a part of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA, 2002) report on college drinking. However, this evaluation was based exclusively on a narrative review of the available intervention literature. The purpose of the present study was to conduct meta-analyses on select empirical literature related to the efficacy of the BASICS program in order to serve as a complement to the already extant …

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Perceived Stress And The Buffering Hypothesis Of Perceived Social Support On Facebook, John G. Lynch Jan 2012

Perceived Stress And The Buffering Hypothesis Of Perceived Social Support On Facebook, John G. Lynch

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Online social networking sites have experienced a surge in popularity since their inception. Serving as a hub for communities of all ages, Web sites such as MySpace, Friendster and Facebook bridge geographic and time limitations and offer their members the opportunity to connect with anyone on the Internet at any time. The growing accessibility of technology for computer-mediated communication, outside of such Web sites offers similar opportunities. Although critics share concern over potential for the loss of intimacy, the possibility for increased levels of perceived social support through limitless networking options should not be overlooked. When we consider the strong …

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Hoof Prints For Healing: An Equine-Assisted Therapy Program For A Unique School, Alison M. Roy Jan 2012

Hoof Prints For Healing: An Equine-Assisted Therapy Program For A Unique School, Alison M. Roy

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The unique and meaningful relationship that can develop between humans and horses has been well documented for centuries. More recently a hypothesis has emerged that humans can improve self-concept and social competence from having a horse in their lives. To date, few studies have empirically explored this hypothesis. The hypothesized social and emotional benefits of interacting with horses have inspired Equine-Assisted Therapy (EAT) programs which utilize horses in goal-directed treatment. EAT programs have been shown to be especially effective for socially and emotionally disadvantaged children and youth. In the current project, the author created an EAT program for the socially …

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Raising Children On The Autism Spectrum: Parental Needs, Kathleen A. Ryan Jan 2012

Raising Children On The Autism Spectrum: Parental Needs, Kathleen A. Ryan

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The rates of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnoses have increased rapidly in the past few years. This increase is affecting many American families but the current research literature fails to evaluate the needs of parents who are raising children on the spectrum. Parents of children with Autism experience grief, denial, anger, guilt, depression, isolation, stress, financial difficulties, and marital struggles. The author proposed a mixed methods study to determine services received and satisfaction with those services; level of parental interest in specialized services; how well parents’ needs had been met with existing services; and what services parents of autistic children …

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Recipes Of Resolve: Food And Meaning In Post-Diluvian New Orleans, Jessica Claire Menck Jan 2012

Recipes Of Resolve: Food And Meaning In Post-Diluvian New Orleans, Jessica Claire Menck

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

In 2005 the city of New Orleans experienced catastrophic flooding as a result of the failure of the federal levee system following Hurricane Katrina. This was an immediate disaster that evolved into a longer-term crisis as the city, state, and national government struggled to respond to the event. This study focuses on one part of managing crisis: meaning making. Specifically, the study investigates meaning making within the food community of New Orleans, asking the questions: is food a way for individuals and groups to make meaning following critical change events such as the failure of the federal levee system in …

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Physical Restraints In Residential Facilities: Staff Members’ Perspectives, Mary Beth Ledoux Jan 2012

Physical Restraints In Residential Facilities: Staff Members’ Perspectives, Mary Beth Ledoux

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The use of physical restraints among children and adolescents in residential facilities is a controversial and emotional topic, especially since children are four times more likely than adults to be restrained in a residential setting. In this study, staff members who have restrained children and adolescents in a residential facility completed a 20-question online survey. The intent of the study was to get a clearer picture of residential workers’ thoughts, feelings, and perceptions toward restraints as well as their views on how effective they deem their restraint training to be. The information gathered from their answers can be helpful for …

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The Effects Of The Holocaust For Six Polish Catholic Survivors And Their Descendants, Kristen M. Montague Jan 2012

The Effects Of The Holocaust For Six Polish Catholic Survivors And Their Descendants, Kristen M. Montague

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

It is now well known that six million Jews, 220,000 Roma, 250,000 disabled persons, and thousands of Homosexuals and Jehovah’s witnesses were murdered in the Holocaust. It is less understood that due to their ethnic identity that approximately, 1. 9 million Polish Catholic citizens were murdered during the Holocaust and that 1.7 million Polish non-Jews were imprisoned in concentration camps in Siberia, 2.0 million were deported as forced laborers for the German Reich and 100,000 were killed in Auschwitz. To date, there are no studies within Western psychology that address the effects of the Holocaust for this population and/or their …

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Conceptualizations Of Wisdom In The Native American Community, Lamar Smith Jan 2012

Conceptualizations Of Wisdom In The Native American Community, Lamar Smith

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This qualitative study examined implicit theories of wisdom in a sample of adult individuals who identified as Native American. The research question focused on definitions of wisdom as they exist in the Native American Community. A total of eight participants were asked to answer the question “What is wisdom and how does one become wise?”. Interviews approximately 60 minutes in length revealed several themes in participant’s conceptualizations of wisdom. The study revealed that participants believed wisdom to be based on fundamental building blocks of a worldview of interconnectedness, a collectivist social structure, and an individual value system promoting of personal …

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Fatherhood And A Partner's Postpartum Depression: Coping, Relationship Satisfaction, Gender Roles, And Empathy, Martha G. Ruiz Jan 2012

Fatherhood And A Partner's Postpartum Depression: Coping, Relationship Satisfaction, Gender Roles, And Empathy, Martha G. Ruiz

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The present study focused on assessing differences in new father’s coping styles when living with a partner suffering from symptoms of postpartum depression. It further investigated whether a relationship existed between father’s coping style and their level of relationship satisfaction, empathy, and views on gender. Five fathers, between the ages of 27 and 46 volunteered their participation in this study. Fathers were recruited through their partners from medical and mental health clinics and agencies offering services to new mothers or mothers suffering from symptoms of postpartum depression. The Coping Responses Inventory (CRI) was utilized to determine if differences existed in …

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Wholeistic EducationTm, Cerissa Leigh Desrosiers Jan 2012

Wholeistic EducationTm, Cerissa Leigh Desrosiers

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This dissertation introduces Wholeistic EducationTM (WEDTM), an innovative, values-based, interdisciplinary pro-social theory that is the culmination of centuries of scientific and philosophical learning and exploration about optimal mental health and human development. WED is based on basic human nature and universal human rights, and so it applies to all variations of human society- racial, ethnic, religious, or otherwise. WED is a foundation theory to which any targeted implementation strategy can be applied. It is both a proactive strategy for seeking and maintaining health before a crisis arises in families, schools, and organizations as well as a treatment …

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The Origin Of A Sense Of Self In Women, Kimberly Dewing Robbins Jan 2012

The Origin Of A Sense Of Self In Women, Kimberly Dewing Robbins

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This phenomenological study focuses on how a strong sense of self in women changes social precepts and gender stereotypes empowering women to define themselves instead of being defined by society. A sense of self may be defined as the ability to distinguish one’s own values from those of any outside persuasions, and to do so well enough to be able to protect those ideals from unwanted external influence. Is a sense of self, realized at a young age, an innate feeling or developed over time through adversity and the maturation process? This study will specifically look at what influences can …

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Stresses Of Mothers Caring For An Older Adolescent Diagnosed With Autism: A Phenomenological Exploration, Linda Mason Jan 2012

Stresses Of Mothers Caring For An Older Adolescent Diagnosed With Autism: A Phenomenological Exploration, Linda Mason

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

A review of the literature provides ample research about caregiver stress in relationship to healthcare needs, aging, and mental illness. However, there is limited research about caregiver stress in regard to families that care for a child with disability. Further limited in scope is research about mothers who care for an older adolescent with diagnosed autism. This qualitative phenomenological study explored the lived experience of six mothers caring for an older adolescent diagnosed with autism. The question about what causes stress resulted in findings: isolation, coping with their child's challenging behaviors, and frustration with the establishment. The question about what …

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The Wounded Healer: Finding Meaning In Suffering, Garret B. Wyner Jan 2012

The Wounded Healer: Finding Meaning In Suffering, Garret B. Wyner

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

In modern history, no event has more profoundly symbolized suffering than the Holocaust. This novel “Husserlian-realist” phenomenological dissertation elucidates the meaning of existential trauma through an interdisciplinary and psychologically integrative vantage point. I use the testimony of a select group of Holocaust witnesses who committed suicide decades after that event as a lens to examine what their despair may reveal about an unprecedented existential, moral, and spiritual crisis of humanity that threatens to undermine our faith in human history and reality itself. By distinguishing what they actually saw about our condition from what they merely believed about reality, I show …

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Women's Leadership In Philanthropy: An Analysis Of Six Giving Circles, Deborah A. Witte Jan 2012

Women's Leadership In Philanthropy: An Analysis Of Six Giving Circles, Deborah A. Witte

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Women have played an essential role in the development of philanthropy in the United States. While their giving behavior and financial contributions have been studied extensively, other aspects of their philanthropy-namely leadership-have not been documented as completely. The giving circle-a new trend within philanthropy where groups of individuals pool their money, and through educating themselves about issues in their community, decide together where to award their funds-provides an ideal case for this study, as the majority of giving circle members are women. In order to gain a better understanding of women's leadership, focus groups were conducted with more than 35 …

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The Tangled Web: How Nonprofit Board Members Experience Organizational Crisis, Elizabeth A. Valicenti Jan 2012

The Tangled Web: How Nonprofit Board Members Experience Organizational Crisis, Elizabeth A. Valicenti

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The purpose of this grounded theory study was to develop an understanding of what board members experience during a time of organizational crisis. Major corporate and nonprofit failures of previously successful organizations in recent years have raised questions and led to speculation about the role of boards of directors through the crises. In this study twenty board members of nonprofit organizations who had experienced an organizational crisis during their board service were interviewed. Participants were asked to share their perceptions and explore how they identified and made meaning of the events and board processes that went on as the crisis …

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Getting Back To My Life: Exploring Adaptation To Change Through The Experiences Of Breast Cancer Survivors, Charles A. Foster Jan 2012

Getting Back To My Life: Exploring Adaptation To Change Through The Experiences Of Breast Cancer Survivors, Charles A. Foster

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The holding environment concept, developed by Donald Winnicott, has been used to represent the type of support that encourages adaptive change during psychosocial transitions. The leadership and change literature posited that the holding environment had the ability to shape the trajectory of the transition, yet did not test this empirically. The psychosocial breast cancer literature empirically researched support during and after treatments ended, but did not incorporate the holding environment concept. This presented the opportunity to inform both the leadership and breast cancer fields by studying holding environments in the breast cancer setting. This study had a twofold purpose: 1) …

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Developmentally Informed Community Treatment For Adolescents With Problem Sexual Behavior, Janet Lyons Walker Jan 2012

Developmentally Informed Community Treatment For Adolescents With Problem Sexual Behavior, Janet Lyons Walker

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The sexual abuse of children often results in profound intrapersonal and interpersonal dysfunction or difficulties for the victims. In 2010, sexual assault was perpetrated upon more than 63,000 children in the United States, and in more than 35% of those incidents, adolescents were the perpetrators. Research suggests that adolescents with problem sexual behavior act from their own vulnerabilities. Understanding the developmental seeds and pathways that become etiological factors in the commission of sexual assaults against children is only one important step in a mission to protect them. The treatment that emerges from a comprehensive understanding of adaptive and maladaptive adolescent …

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Heart To Heart: A Cardiac Rehabilitation Follow-Up Program, Tamara H. Bisbee Jan 2012

Heart To Heart: A Cardiac Rehabilitation Follow-Up Program, Tamara H. Bisbee

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This dissertation describes a tele-health follow-up program designed to attend to the problem of noncompliance in the process of health-behavior change after formal Cardiac Rehabilitation treatment at a southern New Hampshire community hospital. Cardiac Rehabilitation treatment encompassing lifestyle behavior change is associated with a significant reduction in morbidity and mortality in individuals with Coronary Heart Disease. However, evidence that adherence to lifestyle behavior change recommendations diminishes significantly within six months of treatment suggests that noncompliance is a significant barrier to the secondary prevention of a disease with prodigious consequences. Accumulating evidence that Cardiac Rehabilitation treatment encompassing extended duration of contact …

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Exploring Ethical And Boundary Challenges In Outreach Psychotherapy: A Training Model, Susan M. Rogers Jan 2012

Exploring Ethical And Boundary Challenges In Outreach Psychotherapy: A Training Model, Susan M. Rogers

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The need for outreach psychotherapists has increased considerably over the past few decades. Research suggests graduate training has not kept up with this phenomenon. Graduate students continue to be trained for in-clinic work, and are not prepared for the challenges of going into clients’ homes and into the community. The literature supports the necessity for therapists who will be doing outreach psychotherapy to be trained in working in these atypical settings, as many innate challenges exist in this work. Challenging mental health issues, distracting environmental issues, safety concerns, lack of collegial support and supervision in the field, feelings of isolation, …

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Comparing Static-99 Scores Of Incarcerated White, Black, And Latino Sex Offenders, Michele O. Waldron Jan 2012

Comparing Static-99 Scores Of Incarcerated White, Black, And Latino Sex Offenders, Michele O. Waldron

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Risk assessments contribute to sentencing and parole decisions, and thus are among the highest stakes assessments in the mental health field. The Static-99 has become a standard element of risk assessments for sex offenders, yet its norms and predictive accuracy have been established primarily with Caucasian samples, while the incarcerated population is disproportionately minority. Scoring of the Static-99 depends heavily on history of criminal offenses; if patterns of offenses differ along ethnic lines, the possibility that offense history should be understood to have ethnically-specific predictive validity (that is, the predictive significance of a given factor differs by ethnicity) becomes more …

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The Collaborative Role Of Psychologists In Rural Pediatric Primary Care Settings, Kimberly M. Russo Jan 2012

The Collaborative Role Of Psychologists In Rural Pediatric Primary Care Settings, Kimberly M. Russo

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

In this dissertation I discuss research conducted to gain a greater understanding of the unique collaborative needs and desires of medical professionals working with pediatric patients in rural communities. Specifically, I researched the following question: Do medical professionals working in rural areas desire more in-depth collaborative relationships with mental health professionals than they currently have? I acquired information on this subject by mailing surveys to primary care physicians, nurse practitioners, and family practice doctors to learn more about their opinions regarding collaboration with mental health professionals. I collected data over a one-month period, resulting in 11 completed surveys being returned. …

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Measuring The Effect Of Supported Employment Treatment On Self-Efficacy In Individuals With Severe Mental Illness, Meghan E. Szczebak Jan 2012

Measuring The Effect Of Supported Employment Treatment On Self-Efficacy In Individuals With Severe Mental Illness, Meghan E. Szczebak

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Competitive employment is a common goal for those with severe mental illness (SMI), and evidence shows that the majority of those with SMI want to work. However, despite the desire to work competitively, those with SMI have the highest unemployment rate of any disability group (Mueser, Salyers, & Muesar, 2001). The Recovery Model is an approach to Supported Employment that has provided hope for those with mental illness, as well as challenged treatment providers to adopt a more collaborative, optimistic approach to helping clients live fulfilling, self-directed lives. To increase employment for those with SMI, effective vocational rehabilitation methods must …

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What's In A Name? The Influence Of An Adhd-Inattentive Type Label On Perceived Social Competence As Viewed By Mental Health Professionals And Teachers, Jason Arkin Jan 2012

What's In A Name? The Influence Of An Adhd-Inattentive Type Label On Perceived Social Competence As Viewed By Mental Health Professionals And Teachers, Jason Arkin

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Objective: To determine whether the presence of an ADHD-PI label influenced adult perceptions of a female adolescent’s social competence. Method: Forty four primary and secondary teachers and 54 mental health professionals rated their perceptions based on a vignette that included or did not include the label ADHD-PI. Results: The ADHD-PI labeled vignettes elicited more negative perceptions of the child’s social acceptance and ability to make close friends. Also, mental health professionals rated the girl as more socially accepted, regardless of diagnosis. There were no other significant main effects and there were no significant interaction effects. Conclusion: The presence of an …

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