Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Clinician Identified Barriers To Treatment For Individuals In Appalachia With Opioid Use Disorder Following Release From Prison: A Social Ecological Approach, Amanda M. Bunting, Carrie B. Oser, Michele Staton, Katherine S. Eddens, Hannah K. Knudsen

Sociology Faculty Publications

Background: The non-medical use of opioids has reached epidemic levels nationwide, and rural areas have been particularly affected by increasing rates of overdose mortality as well as increases in the prison population. Individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) are at increased risk for relapse and overdose upon reentry to the community due to decreased tolerance during incarceration. It is crucial to identify barriers to substance use disorder treatment post-release from prison because treatment can be particularly difficult to access in resource-limited rural Appalachia.

Methods: A social ecological framework was utilized to examine barriers to community-based substance use treatment among individuals …

Assessing The Affects Of Treatment Services, Financial Assistance, Race/Ethnicity, And Income On The Criminal Justice Outcomes Of Women On Probation., Jordan Wilfong

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this study is to examine the affect that treatment services have on the criminal justice outcomes of women on probation. The research to date on the treatment services provided to the criminal justice population has tended to focus on prisoners rather than probationers, with even fewer studies that include samples of women on probation. This study will investigate the impact on criminal justice outcomes of services intended to treat issues identified to increase recidivism among female probationers, such as substance use disorders, illicit drug use, mental health issues, and poverty. An additional assessment is conducted to determine …

Evaluating Recommendations Versus Utilization Of Essential Components Of A Functional Analysis Procedure, Alissa Conway

Dissertations

Functional behavior assessment (FBA) has been identified as an essential process for behavior analytic practitioners to identify the variables maintaining challenging behaviors (BACB Professional and Ethical Compliance Code for Behavior Analysts (PECC), 3.01ab, 2014). FBAs include a range of strategies, including indirect measures (e.g., interviews and questionnaires) and direct measures of behavior (descriptive and experimental strategies). Functional analysis (FA) is typically considered the most sophisticated of the options subsumed under FBAs in that it involves both direct measures of behavior and experimental manipulation of hypothesized controlling variables to identify controlling variables for challenging behaviors. The results of FAs allow practitioners …

Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Among Sexual Minority Youth: An Etiological And Treatment Overview, Lauren C. Smithee, Brock W. Sumner, Roy A. Bean

Faculty Publications

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) among sexual minority youth (SMY) is a problem that is growing in attention yet is understudied and requires an informed response from therapists who engage in clinical work with youth. This paper proposes a unique model of treatment for working with SMY who engage in NSSI, accounting for proximal, distal, and systemic factors that influence the etiology of NSSI. This model is based on a review of two bodies of clinical literature: (a) treating adolescent NSSI and (b) working with SMY and their families. As an etiological theory of self-harm, Nock (2009) is applied to SMY, factoring …

Exploring Intersecting Program Elements In Longer-Term Concurrent Disorder Services For Adults: A Qualitative Evaluation, Aaron Turpin, Micheal L. Shier

The Qualitative Report

Previous research highlights multiple factors that impact the attainment of client-identified recovery goals in substance misuse treatment programs. However, fewer studies examine how programs meet the broad range of needs expressed by clients through their intersecting elements of service delivery. This study seeks to develop an understanding of intersecting program and recovery elements in relation to an overall framework for programming, focusing on how overlapping elements of treatment ventured to support clients in multiple areas of their recovery. Qualitative interviews were conducted with clients (n=41) in three longer term substance use treatment programs, and data from interviews were analysed using …

A Comparison Of Traditional And Culturally Sensitive Parent Training Of Functional Communication Training, Adriana Rodriguez

Thesis Projects

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effect of culturally sensitive interventions on parent training. Behavior-analytic services were provided to 3 Latino/Latina families that included children diagnosed with developmental disabilities whose problem behaviors were maintained by social reinforcement. Children were exposed to preference assessments and a functional analysis. Parents then were trained on the implementation of Functional Communication Training (FCT) using English as well as Spanish protocols. Data were collected on the percentage of correct steps completed by the parent as well as levels of child problem behavior. Culturally sensitive intervention does not impact parent training. This …

Yatros.Thesis.2018.Docx, Nicolette Yatros

Nicolette Yatros

Assessment And Treatment Of Behavior Maintained By Automatic Reinforcement, Nicolette Yatros

Thesis Projects

Two to four subjects diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or related disabilities will undergo a functional analysis to ensure hand-clapping is maintained by automatic reinforcement. A secondary analysis (sensory analysis) will be conducted to assess different stimuli that are sensory-stimulating. Finally, a function-based noncontingent reinforcement (NCR) procedure using sensory stimuli will be applied to reduce the target behavior, and the schedule of reinforcement will be thinned. We expect a decrease in hand-clapping when the function-based treatment is implemented. This research will further elucidate how NCR can impact behavior maintained by automatic reinforcement.

Adding Acceptance And Commitment Therapy To Exposure And Response Prevention For Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Michael P. Twohig, Jonathan S. Abramowitz, Brooke M. Smith, Laura E. Fabricant, Ryan J. Jacoby, Kate L. Morrison, Ellen J. Bluett, Lillian Reuman, Shannon M. Blakey, Thomas Ledermann

Psychology Faculty Publications

The objective of this study was to test whether treatment acceptability, exposure engagement, and completion rates could be increased by integrating acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) with traditional exposure and response prevention (ERP). 58 adults (68% female) diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD; M age = 27, 80% white) engaged in a multisite randomized controlled trial of 16 individual twice-weekly sessions of either ERP or ACT + ERP. Assessors unaware of treatment condition administered assessments of OCD, depression, psychological flexibility, and obsessional beliefs at pretreatment, posttreatment, and six-month follow-up. Treatment acceptability, credibility/expectancy, and exposure engagement were also assessed. Exposure engagement was …

Using Mhealth To Increase Treatment Utilization Among Recently Incarcerated Homeless Adults (Link2care): Protocol For A Randomized Controlled Trial, Jennifer M. Reingle Gonzalez, Michael S. Businelle, Darla Kendzor, Michele Staton, Carol S. North, Michael Swartz

Behavioral Science Faculty Publications

Background: There is a significant revolving door of incarceration among homeless adults. Homeless adults who receive professional coordination of individualized care (ie, case management) during the period following their release from jail experience fewer mental health and substance use problems, are more likely to obtain stable housing, and are less likely to be reincarcerated. This is because case managers work to meet the various needs of their clients by helping them to overcome barriers to needed services (eg, food, clothing, housing, job training, substance abuse and mental health treatment, medical care, medication, social support, proof of identification, and legal aid). …

A Program Evaluation On The Effectiveness Of Chronic Pain Management In A Rural Community, Sylvia D. Ramirez

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Chronic pain is a well-known, significant problem in the United States, affecting approximately 55% of adults in Western countries. Opioid use to manage chronic pain impacts individual’s social, psychological, and physiological health. The shortcomings of monotherapy, such as opioid use, have been led to extensive research to develop and assess the outcome of multi-disciplinary evidence-based programs. Rather than eliminating pain, interventions focus on pain management and improving quality of life, independence, and mobility. This quasiexperimental study examined the effectiveness of the Persistent Pain Program (PPP), an 8-week Cognitive Behavioral Treatment program and movement therapy intervention for patients living in a …

Dance Movement Therapy With Adolescents In A Partial Hospital Program: A Method For Engagement, Claude Michelle Aubourg

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Therapeutic engagement during adolescence can be a major challenge in adolescent mental health. Research has indicated therapeutic techniques designed for engaging clients are often ineffective for adolescents because adolescents bring distinctive qualities to the therapy process that differentiate them from other therapy populations. There is also limited research showing effectiveness of Dance/Movement Therapy (DMT) with the adolescent population. This capstone will present an adaptable method utilizing dance/movement therapy interventions with participants ages 12-17 in a Partial Hospital Program. The objective of this project was to examine how DMT can improve engagement in treatment with adolescents in a partial hospital program …

Alzheimer's Disease Treatment Interventions And The Soul: Moral And Ethical Considerations, Bruce Vermeer

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

No abstract provided.

Addiction Treatment Outcomes And Religiosity: What Is The Relationship?, Sidney Harrington Smith Iii

Honors Theses

This study examines how religiosity, specifically, church attendance, prior to admission into an addictions treatment facility (Teen Challenge) is related to the treatment outcomes of completing the program and the participants’ length of stay in treatment. Additionally, the study investigates how other factors such as marital status, ethnicity, alcohol and drug use, and level of education may be related to treatment outcomes. Using archival data of 388 enrollees in a Teen Challenge program in southern United States, the results show that religiosity prior to treatment admission is significantly related to program completion. However, the second outcome variable, length of time …

Utilizing A School-Based Treatment To Address Socially Anxious Elementary School Students, Mckell Nelson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Despite the availability of promising clinic-based programs, youth exhibiting socially anxious behaviors rarely receive the treatment they may need. Those that do get treatment, often do so in the school setting. Thus, the demand for effective interventions to address those needs in the school-setting is growing. The present study investigated the effects of a modified CBT intervention, delivered in the school setting, on positive peer interactions and self-rating social anxiety. Results showed that the treatment package provided an increase in positive peer interactions across all four participants, as well as a decrease in self-rated anxiety behaviors.

Meditation May Diminish The Symptoms Of Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (Pots), Allyson Killen

Psychology: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

Various forms of meditation have been integrated into treatment options because of the derived benefits. Transcendental Meditation (TM) has been shown to decrease heartrate, blood pressure, and stress symptoms (Seaward, 2018). Additionally, Mindfulness Meditation (MM) has been shown to decrease anxiety and has been used in different treatments for chronic disorders (Buchholz, 2015). To my knowledge, no previous research has looked at the beneficial effects of meditation as a treatment option for POTS. POTS is a dysautonomic disorder characterized by an increase in HR by greater than 30 bpm and an intolerance of orthostatic fluctuations. Since this significantly affects physiological …

Dissociative Identity Disorder: An In-Depth Look, Brittany Horchner

The Kabod

Dissociative Identity Disorder is a mental health disorder where there are two or more distinct people within one individual. These distinct people or personalities are also called alters. An alter is a fully distinct person, that carries on a whole different personality than the original person. That means that if a person has two distinct people within them one could be very smart and introverted, but the other one may not have as high of IQ and might be extraverted. The personalities of each alter are different and very distinct from one another. The alternative personality or personalities would also …

Low Perceived Control Over Health Is Associated With Lower Treatment Uptake In A High Mortality Population Of Bolivian Forager-Farmers, Sarah Alami, Jonathan Stieglitz, Hillard Kaplan, Michael Gurven

ESI Publications

Indigenous people worldwide suffer from higher rates of morbidity and mortality than neighboring populations. In addition to having limited access to public health infrastructure, indigenous people may also have priorities and health perceptions that deter them from seeking adequate modern healthcare. Here we propose that living in a harsh and unpredictable environment reduces motivation to pursue deliberate, costly action to improve health outcomes. We assess whether variation in Health Locus of Control (HLC), a psychological construct designed to capture self-efficacy with respect to health, explains variation in treatment uptake behavior among Tsimane Amerindians (N=690; age range: 40–89 years; 55.8% female; …

Therapeutic Effects Of Prolonged Cannabidiol Treatment On Psychological Symptoms And Cognitive Function In Regular Cannabis Users: A Pragmatic Open-Label Clinical Trial, Nadia Solowij, Samantha J. Broyd, Camilla Beale, Julie-Anne Prick, Lisa-Marie Greenwood, Hendrika H. Van Hell, Chao Suo, Peter Galettis, Nagesh B. Pai, Shanlin Fu, Rodney J. Croft, Jennifer H. Martin, Murat Yucel

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Chronic cannabis use has been associated with impaired cognition and elevated psychological symptoms, particularly psychotic-like experiences.

Prolonged Cannabidiol Treatment Effects On Hippocampal Subfield Volumes In Current Cannabis Users, Camilla Beale, Samantha J. Broyd, Yann Chye, Mark M. Schira, Peter Galettis, Jennifer H. Martin, Murat Yucel, Nadia Solowij

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

No abstract provided.

Perceived Stigma And Social Support In Treatment For Pharmaceutical Opioid Dependence, Sasha Cooper, Gabrielle Campbell, Briony K. Larance, Bridin Murnion, Suzanne Nielsen

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Introduction and Aims The dramatic increase in pharmaceutical opioid (PO) use in high‐income countries is a growing public health concern. Stigma and social support are important as they may influence treatment uptake and outcomes, yet few studies exist regarding perceived stigma and social support among people with PO dependence. The aims of the study are to: (i) compare characteristics of those with PO dependence from iatrogenic and non‐iatrogenic causes; (ii) document perceived stigma and its correlates in people in treatment for PO dependence; and (iii) examine correlates of social support in people in treatment for PO dependence. Design and Methods …

An Exploration Of Values Among Consumers Seeking Treatment For Borderline Personality Disorder, Simone Mohi, Frank P. Deane, Anne Bailey, Dianne M. Mooney-Reh, Danielle L. Ciaglia

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background

Consumer feedback identifies a new challenge in the treatment of borderline personality disorder (BPD) is to address the discrepancy between clinical treatment targets and the more personally meaningful goals people are seeking in treatment. This highlights the need to increase clarification of people’s values and link these to therapy goals. The current study explores ways in which individuals with BPD identify with values across key life domains.

Methods

At initial assessment 106 consumer participants attending an outpatient clinic for the treatment of BPD completed the Personal Values Questionnaire by Blackledge and colleagues. This 90-item measure asks participants to respond …

First In Vitro Evidence Of Modulated Electro-Hyperthermia Treatment Performance In Combination With Megavoltage Radiation By Clonogenic Assay, Marjorie Mcdonald, Stephanie Corde, Michael L. F Lerch, Anatoly B. Rosenfeld, Michael A. Jackson, Moeava Tehei

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

Modulated electro-hyperthermia (mEHT) is a form of hyperthermia used in the treatment of cancer. It is a variation that relies on a particular form of enhanced selectivity to enable more effective cancerous cell death yet maintaining the integrity of healthy non-cancerous cells. It is yet to successfully make the major step into the wider medical community despite several encouraging trials. In this study, we investigate mEHT from an in vitro perspective. We demonstrate a supra-additive effect on 9 L gliosarcoma cells when exposed to mEHT in combination with MV X-ray radiation. The supra-additive effect is hypothesized to be induced by …

An Analysis Of Youtube Content On African American Parenting In The Face Of Community Violence, La-Rhonda Harmon

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

This qualitative study analyzed YouTube video content on the discussion about African American parenting in the face of community violence. The study investigated if conversations about African American parenting changed after the killing of Trayvon Martin, which occurred on February 26, 2012. Ten videos recorded before Trayvon Martin’s death and 20 after were selected and analyzed. Transcripts were coded for emerging themes using grounded-theory research design. Several themes emerged in the videos recorded before and after Martin’s death. Themes related to African American beliefs about parenting and acculturation emerged from the videos recorded before Martin’s death. Themes related to African …

Mental Disorder And Criminal Justice, Stephen J. Morse

All Faculty Scholarship

This paper is a chapter that will appear in REFORMING CRIMINAL JUSTICE: A REPORT OF THE ACADEMY FOR JUSTICE BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN SCHOLARSHIP AND REFORM (Erik Luna ed., Academy for Justice 2018). The criminal law treats some people with severe mental disorders doctrinally and practically differently at virtually every stage of the criminal justice process, beginning with potential incompetence to stand trial and ending with the question of competence to be executed, and such people have special needs when they are in the system. This chapter begins by exploring the fundamental mental health information necessary to make informed judgements …

The Efficacy Of Neurofeedback In The Treatment Of Autism., Rosemary Akhavan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Autism is a disorder that impairs the development of a person's ability to interact with other people and to relate productively with the outside world. There are many types of interventions being used to treat autism, but there are no cures or definitive treatments for this disorder. A biological theoretical foundation was the basis of this study, as recent neuroimaging techniques have demonstrated that autism is a neurological disorder that reveals distinct abnormalities in the brain. The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of neurofeedback (NFB) in the treatment of autism. NFB has shown promise of improving …

Differential Treatment Outcome Factors For Custodial And Noncustodial Mental Health Care Programs, Sheila Fay Waters

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have suggested that jails and prisons in the United States are becoming the new mental health clinics, contributing to the phenomenon of mass incarceration and costing upwards of $15 billion per year in public revenue. The problem is no conclusive evidence exists that treatment in these custodial environments is more effective than that provided by noncustodial programs; especially for substance users. Additionally, the continuing incarceration of people with mental health problems by the hundreds of thousands poses a difficult ethical dilemma regarding why this population does not receive noncustodial or hospital treatment instead. The study addressed the research question …

Treating Public Speaking Anxiety: A Comparison Of Exposure And Video Self-Modeling, Emily Marie Bartholomay, Daniel Houlihan

Psychology Department Publications

The purpose of this study was to examine the relative effectiveness of video self-modeling (VSM) and exposure therapy in treating public speaking anxiety (PSA) in a college student. The study employed a single-subject A-B design with parametric variations. Two phases were utilized in this study: baseline (exposure therapy) and intervention (video self-modeling) with a one-month follow-up. Generalization probes were also employed to assess whether or not decreases in PSA would generalize to other settings. Results of this study indicate a significant decrease in self-report public speaking anxiety from both pre- to post-treatment as well as from baseline to exposure sessions. …

“Just Because A Doctor Says Something, Doesn’T Mean That [It] Will Happen”: Self-Perception As Having A Fertility Problem Among Infertility Patients, Ophra Leyser-Whalen, Arthur L. Greil, Julia Mcquillan, Katherine M. Johnson

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Only some individuals who have the medically defined condition ‘infertility’ adopt a self-definition as having a fertility problem, which has implications for social and behavioral responses, yet there is no clear consensus on why some people and not others adopt a medical label. We use interview data from 28 women and men who sought medical infertility treatment to understand variations in self-identification. Results highlight the importance of identity disruption for understanding the dialectical relationship between medical contact and self-identification, as well as how diagnosis acts both as a category and a process. Simultaneously integrating new medical knowledge from testing and …