Psychology Commons^™

Subthreshold Ptsd And Associated Psycholgical Distress In Trauma Exposed Male And Female Veterans, Matthew A. Southard

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) represents the upper end of a stress-response continuum to traumatic events, rather than a discrete pathological syndrome (Ruscio, et al., 2002). Individuals with PTSD report higher levels of anxiety, depression, anger, aggression, and adjustment difficulties compared to non-traumatized individuals (Ginzburg, Ein-Dor, & Soloman, 2009; Thompson et al, 2011; Novaco and Chemtob, 2002; Kotler et al, 2001; Orth & Wieland, 2006). Subthreshold PTSD represents a less severe range on the stress-response continuum and these individuals may experience similar rates of symptoms of anger, aggression, and depression as those with full-PTSD (Jakupcak, et al., 2007; Mylle & Maes, …

First Semester Academic Functioning Of College Students : The Role Of Stressful And Traumatic Life Events., Ashlee J. Warnecke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A large number of the nearly 20 million students who were attending American colleges in 2015 will not graduate. One factor that may affect the success of students is the influence of past experiences, including past adversity, or exposure to traumatic or non-traumatic stressors. The present study sought to better describe and understand the role of stress/trauma history in college students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. The potential relationship this history has with academic outcomes was explored. Additionally, as not all students with a history of stressful and traumatic life events struggle academically, self-reported resilience, as well as resiliency factors, were …

Relations Of Discriminatory Experiences And Marianismo Beleifs With Ptsd Symptoms In Latinx Women, Claire Maria Bird

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Research examining the discriminatory experiences of Latinx women in minimal. The present study examined if various forms of discrimination predicted mental health symptoms in a sample of Latinx women, with the conceptualization of chronic discrimination as a possible form of trauma. There is evidence showing that Latinx individuals are at risk to develop posttraumatic stress disorder at higher rates than their non-Hispanic White counterparts, with many studies pointing to the experiences of racial/ethnic discrimination as a significant contributor (Kaczkurkin, Asnaani, Hall-Clark, Peterson, Yarvis, & Foa, 2016). Given the multiple forms of discrimination that women of color experience, ethnic discrimination, sexism, …

Clinician Bias In The Diagnosis Of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: How Clinician Characteristics And Training May Relate To Diagnosis, Renee Boeck

Dissertations

As our understanding of PTSD has advanced, changing demographics in the United States over the past few decades have led to a growing awareness of the mental health needs of an increasingly diverse and multicultural population. Research on ethnoracial differences in PTSD has had mixed results and additional research exploring possible contributing factors is needed to better explain observed differences. This study explored the presence of and contributing factors to clinician bias in the diagnoses of PTSD based on race and context. It examined whether clinicians were more likely to diagnose PTSD in a Black or White man due to …

Social Work Trauma Interventions: Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Kassie Baumann

Senior Honors Theses

According to Lynne Weilart (2013), in her article on the reasons why people seek out therapy, trauma is the number one reason people attend counseling. Many different trauma-informed approaches are designed specifically to address the consequences of trauma and to facilitate healing. Some of these approaches are as follows: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT); Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT);Mentalization Based Therapy (MBT); Trauma Systems Therapy (TST); Trauma Assessment Pathway (TAP); and Attachment, Self-Regulation, and Competency (ARC) (de Arellano, Danielson, Ko, & Sprauge, 2008). The effectiveness of each trauma intervention will be examined. DBT is one of these trauma interventions that is growing …

Generativity And Other Buffers Of Death Awareness In First Responders With Ptsd, David Joseph Herr

MSU Graduate Theses

Anxiety buffer disruption theory (ABDT) is an application of terror management theory to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). ABDT predicts that posttraumatic stress reactions occur when buffers of awareness of death, such as meaning in life, self-esteem, and social intimacy, fail to suppress overwhelming death-anxiety. The author suggested that generativity may also serve as an effective buffer of awareness of death. The present study investigated the presence of anxiety buffering disruption in first responders with PTSD via a mediation path model of self-report measures of PTSD symptoms, anxiety buffer variables, and death-though accessibility. While results indicate PTSD symptoms have a small …

Adult Syrian Refugees Resettled In The United States: Social Support, Personality, Somatic Complaints, And Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Zena Dadouch

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This study examined the relationships between perceived social support, personality traits, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in adult Syrian refugees resettled in the United States. Participants (N = 19) were recruited from resettlement organizations across the United States. To be eligible, participants had to be at least 18 years old, and had to have been resettled in the United States after 1/1/2015. After being screened for eligibility, participants completed a series of self-report questionnaires online, and were able to enroll in a drawing for 5 $50 Visa gift cards for their participation. The findings failed to lend support to …

A Phenomenological Examination Of Prisonization And The Psychological Effects Of Incarceration, Wanda Lynn Bates

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Adjustment to prison culture may influence the development of psychological issues for some individuals and may contribute to the difficulties of reentry to society, potentially contributing to the high rates of recidivism. The purpose of this study was to explore prisonization and its potential psychological effects from the perspective of individuals who experienced it. The theoretical foundation used to guide this study was the constructivist self-development theory, which can be used to explain how individuals may or may not have been affected by their traumatic experience. The participants for this phenomenological study included 10 individuals who experienced incarceration to fulfill …

Meta-Analysis Of The Effectiveness Magnitude Of Hypnosis On Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Treatment, Gueorgui Klissourov

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The increased intensity of modern life and the experiences in combat situations has brought on enormous stress and has led many individuals to develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Hypnosis is one of the treatment methods available to professionals and has been proven to provide fast, reliable results in multiple studies. Despite these results, the lack of understanding of the physiological effects of hypnosis on the brain has prevented its use as a common treatment method for PTSD. By examining the differences between the effectiveness of hypnosis in military and civilian populations, the aim of this meta-analysis was to isolate the …

Memory In Adult Female Victims Of Intimate Partner Violence, Jill Waite

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a national and global health problem. Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and World Health Organization suggest that 1 in 3 women will become a victim of violence by an intimate partner in her lifetime. Memory and learning have been shown to be affected in in-vivo animal studies under acute and chronic stress conditions. Using Bertalanffy's general systems theory, this study examined the impact of IPV on short-term memory in adult female survivors by comparing their performance to a control group (adult females with no IPV in the past 5 years) on measures …

Acceptance And Commitment Therapy And Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms In Women, Rachel Delateur

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study was to analyze the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) in a group setting for 8 weeks on the symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for women diagnosed with PTSD due to childhood trauma who have not served in the military. ACT was developed using contextualism with relational frame theory being the foundation for contextualism. Women diagnosed with PTSD due to childhood trauma were found to have higher rates of attempted suicide, higher rates of mental health disorders, as well as higher rates of medical disorders than those who were not diagnosed with PTSD. …

Personality And Mental Health Support Effects On Occupational Trauma And Posttraumatic Growth In Police Officers, Jennifer Leigh Wills

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate relationships between occupational trauma exposure, work environment stress, personality traits, posttraumatic stress, and posttraumatic growth in police officers.

Scope of the study: A cross sectional mixed method research study design with longitudinal component was utilized. The sample consisted of 109 police officers in approximately 13 police agencies from multiple communities ranging from small rural departments to major city and statewide agencies.

Instruments used: The California Psychological Inventory 434 (CPI-434); the Police Stress Questionnaire-Operational; the Police Stress Questionnaire-Organizational; the Critical Incident History Questionnaire; the Posttraumatic Checklist for the DSM-5; the Centrality of …

Contexts Of Recovery: Community Resilience Capacity As A Predictor Of Trauma Symptoms, Douglas J. Archie Iii

Theses and Dissertations

In October 2015, the state of South Carolina was devastated by effects related to hurricane Joaquin. The event set new state records for rainfall totals. Contemporary research highlights the need to increase community resilience so that populations can better adapt to the unique stressors presented by natural disasters. Using the framework provided by Norris et al. (2008) we measure four “capacities” of community resilience: Economic Development, Social Capital, Information and Communication, and Social Trust to determine their relationship to the development of PTSD symptoms and feelings of hope. Results revealed that overall perceived community resilience was a significant predictor of …

Quantitative Forecasting Of Risk For Ptsd Using Ecological Factors: A Deep Learning Application, Nuriel S. Mor, Kathryn L. Dardeck

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Forecasting the risk for mental disorders from early ecological information holds benefits for the individual and society. Computational models used in psychological research, however, are barriers to making such predictions at the individual level. Preexposure identification of future soldiers at risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other individuals, such as humanitarian aid workers and journalists intending to be potentially exposed to traumatic events, is important for guiding decisions about exposure. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate a machine learning approach to identify individuals at risk for PTSD using readily collected ecological risk factors, which makes scanning …