Psychology Commons^™

The Mental Health Experience Of Transgender And Gender Diverse Colombians: Que La Diversidad No Cueste La Vida, María Natalia Acosta Canchila

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents from University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Experiences of TGD people in various countries reflect difficulties accessing mental health services and significant mental health needs. In Colombia, experiences in broader healthcare systems suggest various barriers to care that include experiences of discrimination. However, specific experiences in mental health services have not been thoroughly examined. The current study aimed to understand the experiences, perceptions, and needs of TGD people in Colombia in mental health systems. Qualitative data was collected via 40 semi-structured interviews with TGD people in Colombia, data was analyzed via reflexive thematic analysis. Findings suggests great mental health needs related to needing support in the process …

The Impact Of Asian American Cultural Centers On Sense Of Belongingness For Asian American Undergraduate Students, Malina B. Maladore

PsyD Program in Clinical Psychology Doctoral Dissertations (New England)

This dissertation examines the role of cultural centers and experiences of microaggressions in shaping the ethnic identity of Asian American undergraduates in U.S. higher education institutions. Utilizing Phinney’s model of ethnic identity development, a study with 175 participants revealed a positive correlation between reported microaggressions and sense of ethnic belonging in students attending universities with cultural centers. The findings highlight the complexities of belongingness and the potential impact of cultural centers on ethnic identity and experiences of microaggressions. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of Asian American students’ experiences in higher education. This dissertation is available in open access …

The Lived Experience Of The Covid-19 Pandemic Among Mandate-Resistant Adults In Washington State, Amber N. Peterson

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study examined the lived experience of self-identified, mandate-resistant adults in Washington state. This study explored participants’ experience of the COVID-19 pandemic, from a retrospective framework by uncovering challenges, silver linings, decision-making, and self-reported mental health. Remote interviews were conducted with nine participants. Participants were between 23–31 years old, mostly male, and over half identified as Black. Through semi structured interviews, data was collected and analyzed using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Participants described their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic and highlighted significant changes in the way they lived their lives. Most notably, participants described ways in which they defied COVID-19 …

Validation And Clinical Utility Of The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 And Center For Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale As Depression Screening Tools In Collegiate Student-Athletes, Lindsey Keenan, Yvette Ingram, Branden Green, Rachel Daltry, Sebastian Harenberg

Sports Medicine Faculty Publications

Context: The National Athletic Trainers' Association recommends including mental health screening measures as part of the preparticipation examination for all student-athletes (SAs). Despite this recommendation, most mental health screening tools have not been validated in the SA population. Objective: To validate and examine the clinical utility of 2 depression screening tools in the collegiate SA population. Design: Cross-sectional mixed-methods study. Setting: Two Northeastern United States university athletics programs. Patients or Other Participants: A total of 881 (men = 426, 48.4%; women = 455, 51.6%; mean age = 19.7 6 1.4 years) National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II collegiate SAs completed …

Mental Health Applications As A Resource For Reducing Access Disparities? A Case Example From A Disaster Mental Health App, Laura Perez-Villagomez

Honors Theses

Past research indicates Latinx individuals underutilize mental health services when it comes to addressing their mental health concerns, but often fail to mention the barriers to underutilization. Systemic barriers to seeking care largely fall under two larger umbrellas: cost and availability. A focus on whether disparities observed in traditional mental health services persisted for a trauma-focused app that recruited participants from the 2017 Hurricane outbreak provides us a unique outlook on a comparative analysis of utilization and engagement between the applications, Bounce Back Now (BBN) and Enhanced Usual Care. BBN is made up of four major components including tracking, …

Addressing The Complexity Of Mental Health Care For Youth Experiencing Houselessness, Sarah Hamilton

Psychology Honors Projects

Children and youth experiencing houselessness have a unique set of mental health needs due to the traumatic experience of houselessness during childhood and the other adverse childhood experiences that often coincide with houselessness (van der Kolk, 2003; Wong et al., 2016). They face immense barriers in access to mental health care due to logistical factors as a result of their housing status and socio-structural factors (Krippel et al., 2020; Gallardo et al., 2020; Bradley et al., 2018). However, existing studies reveal a lack of evidence-based interventions for children and youth experiencing houselessness and a lack of insight from mental health …

Gender As An Environmental Stressor In Individuals Genetically Predisposed To Mood Disorders: A Preliminary Analysis, Kara West

Audre Lorde Writing Prize

Given the recent ‘epidemic’ of mental health disorders, we urgently need to better understand who is suffering and how. One aspect of this that research has come closer to identifying is where symptoms and diagnoses are missed in certain individuals, especially based on gender. However, if certain genders are actually more likely to deal with certain disorders we need to understand why and where that comes from. There is a general consensus in the medical field that some individuals are simply genetically predisposed to various disorders based on sex, but there is limited evidence that sex actually determines genetic predisposition. …

Examining The Influence Of Parenting Practices On Youth's Sleep Health During A Sensitive Developmental Period, Juliana Acosta Lievano

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sleep problems among youth are highly prevalent and associated with mental and physical health concerns. During early adolescence, youth’s sleep health is at risk for disturbance, and problems with sleep around this developmental period have been shown to longitudinally predict escalating rates of anxiety and depression later in adolescence. Sleep-related behaviors are embedded within the family system and as such they are influenced by familial processes including parenting practices. However, the influence of parenting practice on young adolescents’ sleep health has been understudied. Moreover, there is limited evidence on the concept of nighttime parenting as it relates to youth’s sleep …

Borderline Personality Disorder Stigmatization: Bias, Discrimination, And Prejudice In The Healthcare Field, Briana L. Kunstman

Psychology: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a personality disorder characterized by patterns of unstable moods, impulsive behaviors, and insecure relationships. Often misdiagnosed as Bipolar Disorder, BPD is difficult to diagnose due to its symptoms overlapping with many other conditions. There has been a reluctance to work with individuals who have BPD due to the surrounding stigma. In fact, healthcare workers tend to misunderstand BPD, and assume that those who have it are manipulative, aggressive, violent, and unable to be helped. This stigmatization has a profound impact on how BPD clients are seen in the healthcare field and furthermore how they receive …

The Caregiver’S Experience Of Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome, Jordyn Deschene

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

As the rate of Lyme disease diagnoses increases in the United States, it can be assumed that the frequency at which post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS) is diagnosed will also increase. While research has been published on the experience of caregivers of other chronic illnesses, no studies have examined the experience of the PTLDS caregiver. This quantitative study sought to discover the most significant burdens, mental health status (levels of anxiety and depression), and level of invalidation experienced by the PTLDS caregiver. Thirty individual participants took part in this study. This study found that mental burden is a significant area …

Historical Trauma Response Scores As A Function Of Unresolved Grief And Substance Use Disorder In American Indian Populations, Andrew R. Saunders

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Abstract

Researchers are interested in the outcomes of interventions, specifically, measuring historical trauma (HT) among American Indian/Alaska Native communities and the long-term distress and substance abuse as a result of historical trauma response (HTR). Previous literature has implicated limitations in the clinical conceptualization of the relationship between intergenerational transfer of HTR and substance abuse. The aim of the current study is to examine treatment efficacy of 50 homosexual, American Indian males randomized to a culturally-adapted juxtaposition of (1) Group Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT), (2) Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and (3) Historical Trauma and Unresolved Grief Intervention (HTUG), or (4) waitlisted on …

First Responder Mental Health, Kira Swensen, Timothy Keady, Maren Wright Voss

All Current Publications

Communities spend thousands of dollars on first responders to protect them physically: body armor for law enforcement officers, heat resistant gear for firefighters, gloves and reflective clothing for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel. Supporting and investing in programs related to first responders’ mental health is equally important in keeping their minds safe. First responders train long hours each year to stay prepared for almost any situation. In the past, training has centered around physical safety and job efficiency. In recent years, efforts have been made to include mental health training and reduce the stigma associated with mental health for first …

Community-Engaged Development Of A Parent-Child Book Reading Wise Intervention, Po-Hun Chou

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Children living in communities with high rates of poverty experience significant detriment to their academic skills and social, emotional, and behavioral health. Though a range of evidence-based interventions exist that aim to reduce these disparities, they face substantial barriers (e.g., related to financial and human resources, opportunity cost to target families, variable fit across the diverse populations in low-income households). In contrast, wise interventions use psychologically precise pathways to produce small, recursive changes that result in significant benefits. As such, they represent a resource efficient strategy with the potential for considerable impact with contextual adaptation. The current study utilized social …

An Exploration Of Overparenting And College Student Ability To Manage The Stress Associated With College Life, Isabelle Creste

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

There has been an increase in the level of anxiety, perceived stress, and mental health problems among college students. An examination of the contributions of parenting to these increases may help in improving college student mental health; however, research is limited in this area. This study examined the associations between overparenting, and other types of parenting including, authoritarian, authoritative, and permissive parenting, and differentiation of self, cognitive emotion regulation, perceived stress, and state and trait anxiety. The participants were 163 undergraduate college students (74.8% identified as cisgender women, 25.2% identified as cisgender men). The participants completed questionnaires that described their …

"I'M A Srong Independent Black Woman": The Cost Of Strong Black Woman Schema Endorsement, Stephanie Castelin, Grace White

EGS Content

The Strong Black Woman Schema (SBWS) is a cultural expectation placed on black women tounfailingly display signs of strength and caretaker qualities, while suppressing their emotions.The present study aimed to examine the relationship between the SBWS and psychologicaldistress, suicidal behaviors, and resilience. Researchers expected to find a positive relationshipbetween the SBWS and psychological distress, a positive relationship between the SBWS andresilience, and an undefined relationship between the SBWS and suicidal behaviors. The studyalso examined the potential moderating effects of the SBWS and resilience on the existingpsychological distress-suicidal behaviors relationship. Lastly, the study examined howsocioeconomic status moderates the relationship between the …

Women’S Lived Experiences Of Gender Microaggressions: Dental Hygienists’ Stories, Karin E. Hovey

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This dissertation presents research involving women’s subjective experiences of gender microaggressions. The introduction includes a review of the literature on microaggressions: (a) the types of microaggressions, (b) the emotional and psychological cost to those who experience microaggressions, and (c) how gender microaggressions against women work to maintain oppression and sexual objectification of women in American society. This current research addresses the knowledge gap created by little research on women’s lived experiences of gender microaggressions they encounter in their everyday lives, particularly in the workplace. The population studied was dental hygienists. This population is unique because of the disproportionate number of …

The Experience Of Relapse After Long-Term Sobriety And Subsequent Return To Sobriety, Bahram Edward Kaikhosrow Shahrokh

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

While psychiatric medications have been categorized as the same as substances of abuse in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), medications for common medical disorders were not affected by this disapproval of medication. It may be time for a new dialogue (Woody, 2015). According to Gjersing and Bretteville (2018), there has been a concerning increase in overdose deaths in the last decade. This includes a threefold increase in overdose deaths from prescription narcotics and six-fold increase in overdose deaths from heroin in the United States. When prescription opioid users find difficulty in obtaining pills, they may move on to heroin, which is much …

Internalized Homophobia Of Lgb Emerging Adults: Identity Complexities And Mental Health, Emily Christine Newbury

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Meyer’s (2003) minority stress model explores the relationship between the social stress of sexual minorities and mental health. Internalized homophobia is linked to feelings of shame, guilt, and worthlessness, and contributes to the development of mental health problems (Ramirez-Valles, Molina, & Dirkes, 2013). The present study examined the relationship between internalized homophobia and mental health in young adults who identify as LGB. Participants (N =130) were recruited from universities in Connecticut and Georgia, as well as from the Amazon Mechanical Turk website. It was hypothesized that higher levels of internalized homophobia would be related to higher levels of self-reported anxiety, …

Substance Abuse Treatment In Prison Settings: A Systematic Review, Emilee Cline

Psychology Capstone Projects

A significant relationship between criminal behavior and substance abuse exists, which leads to a large proportion of individuals in the prison system who meet criteria for a substance use disorder. This review compares empirically-supported treatments for substance use disorder to current substance abuse treatment programs offered in United States prisons. A review of current literature indicates that Therapeutic Communities are the most common form of substance abuse treatment provided, and often these are combined with Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy groups. Special treatment considerations are provided based on the type of substance used, gender, and ethnicity. Empirically-supported treatments are currently being implemented by …

Psychometric Properties Of A Modified Moral Injury Questionnaire In A Military Population, Abby L. Braitman, Allison R. Battles, Michelle L. Kelley, Hannah C. Hamrick, Robert J. Cramer, Sarah Ehlke, Adrian J. Bravo

Psychology Faculty Publications

Moral injury (MI) results from perpetration of or exposure to distressing events, known as morally injurious events (MIEs), that challenge moral beliefs and values. Due to the type of involvement in recent military conflicts, many veterans report MIEs that may cause dissonance and, in turn, MI. Although 2 existing measures assess MIEs, neither currently assesses the defining characteristics of MI (i.e., guilt, shame, difficulty forgiving self and others, and withdrawal). The present study reports the initial psychometric test of a modified version (Robbins, Kelley, Hamrick, Bravo, & White, 2017) of the Moral Injury Questionnaire—Military version (MIQ-M; Currier, Holland, Drescher, & …

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

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

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

Consumers, Clergy, And Clinicians In Collaboration: Ongoing Implementation And Evaluation Of A Mental Wellness Program, Glen Milstein, Dennis Middel, Adriana Espinosa

Publications and Research

As a foundation of most cultures, with roots in persons’ early development, religion can be a source of hope as well as denigration. Some religious institutions have made attempts to help persons with mental health problems, and some mental health professionals have sought to engage religion resources. These programs have rarely been sustained. In 2008, the Mental Health Center of Denver (MHCD) developed a program to assess the utility of religion resources within mental health care. In response to positive feedback, MHCD appointed a director of Faith and Spiritual Wellness who facilitates community outreach to faith communities and spiritual integration …

Iraqi Refugees And Cultural Humility: A Mental Health Professional Training Program, Megan Brunmier Marsh

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This paper describes the development of a thorough nine-hour professional training program targeting the cultural humility of mental health clinicians who are treating new Iraqi refugee communities. I used the 15-step evidence-based Comprehensive Program Development Model created by Calley (2009) for the design of the structure, curriculum, and materials for this proposed program (Calley, 2011). The training program is informed by conceptual frameworks of cultural competence and humility, ecological systems theory, and social justice with goals of (a) exploring clinicians’ cultural attitudes in order to improve self-awareness at multiple levels (e.g., physiological, psychological, interpersonal), (b) increasing clinicians’ knowledge about Iraqi …

Consequences Of Job Stress For The Psychological Well-Being Of Teachers, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Renzo Bianchi, Peter Luehring-Jones

Publications and Research

This chapter examines research on the relationship between job stressors and mental health (depressive symptoms, burnout, and mental disorders such as depression) in teachers. Teachers are exposed daily to job stressors (e.g., student disruptiveness) that have been linked to adverse mental health effects. Epidemiologic research indicates that when compared to members of other groups, teachers experience higher rates of mental disorder, although some studies question that conclusion. Large-scale studies indicate when compared to members of other occupational groups, teachers are at higher risk for exposure to workplace violence, with its adverse mental health consequences. Longitudinal research has linked teaching-related stressors …

Provider Perspectives On Self-Injurious Behavior: Past, Present, And Future Directions, Laura A. Hilton

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Self-Injurious behavior (SIB) has received a great deal of attention in recent years. Although concern about the prevalence of this behavior has increased, some therapists feel that they cannot adequately treat those who engage in self-injurious behavior (Miller, 2005). In this study, mental health providers were asked to complete a brief survey about their experiences providing treatment to those who engage in self-injurious behavior. The goal was to gather information with respect to their experiences treating self-injurious behavior. The study explored provider perspectives with regard to attitude, prognosis, best treatment practices, clinical preparedness, and comfort level in treating individuals who …

The Benefits Of Multicultural Eclectic Service Delivery, Eugena Griffin

Publications and Research

To date, Blacks in America are often misdiagnosed or mistreated due to the failure of mental health practitioners to provide services from a multicultural eclectic purview. It is necessary to attend to the past and present influences of psychosocial variables related to real and perceived discrimination on minority achievement, behavior, and clinically health outcomes. When providers do not take into consideration these factors, they have a limited conceptualization of their clients’ needs. Such psychosocial variables can exacerbate behaviors, symptoms, and at times be the antecedent that onset those symptoms. Thus, it is imperative that health providers learn methods to investigate …

Demographic Characteristics And Trauma Symptomology In Juvenile Justice Residents At Echo Glen Children's Center, Britta L. Bergan

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Exposure to traumatic and stressful events has become increasingly commonplace and the impact of such experiences has been well documented. Trauma events in childhood have been associated with a number of factors, including maladaptive emotional and behavioral responses, increased vulnerability for exposure to additional traumatic events, and adverse experiences later in life. Juvenile justice youth have been found to have higher rates of trauma exposure, when compared to community samples of same-aged peers. The population of youth residing at Echo Glen Children’s Center, in Snoqualmie, Washington, exhibit unique characteristics for a juvenile justice population, including age (the youngest juvenile offenders …

A Phenomenological Exploration Of The Experience Of Parenting Half-Siblings Within A Blended Family, Nicole Josephsen

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Blended families are a growing population and encompass a diversity of characteristics and family types. Among the different types of blended families are those with both stepchildren and mutual children. Research on the complex experience of parenting a mutual genetic child and a stepchild within a blended family is minimal. To better understand the unknown experience of such parents, this phenomenological study was conducted to provide an in depth description of the experience of simultaneously parenting mutual children and stepchildren within a blended family. In this phenomenological study the researcher conducted interviews with six participants who varied by gender, socioeconomic …

Factors In Optimal Collaboration Between Psychologists And Primary Healthcare Physicians, Margaret A. Drewlo

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This survey study explored factors in optimal collaboration between registered psychologists and primary healthcare physicians (PHCP). With rising costs of healthcare, healthcare funding cuts, and changes in the way healthcare delivery is perceived, interprofessional collaboration is timely to explore. In particular, the attitudes of registered psychologists about salient factors noted in the collaboration literature, such as education and training, accessibility, and communication factors are important to the practice of psychology. As part of the exploratory nature of the study, questions about gender and hierarchy were also presented. While most data were quantitative, qualitative data were gathered on 6 of the …

Pornography Addiction And Mental Health Disorders, Tabitha Cassidy

Senior Honors Theses

This study aims to understand the differences between mental health disorders in a sample of pornography users, addicts, and non-users. Participants in the study included males and females who visited a paraprofessional counseling center on a college campus (n=1048). Between non-users and users of pornography, one-way analysis of variance planned comparison results indicated that participants significantly differed in scores of Depression, Anxiety, and Global Severity Index as measured by the Brief Symptom Inventory 18 (BSI 18). Non-Suicidal Self-Injurious behaviors as measured by the Ottawa Self-Injury Inventory; and Grandiosity/Narcissism as measured by the Spiritual Assessment Inventory. Independent sample t-test scores indicated …