Psychology Commons^™

"There’S More To Us Than This:" A Qualitative Study Of Black Young Adults’ Perceptions Of Media Portrayals Of Hiv, Maya Corneille, Anna Lee, Roseina Britton, Judith C. Barker

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

The extent to which the targeted group attends to and is engaged by HIV/STI prevention messages is one component of effective health communication. Through an empirical examination of the cumulative perceptions of HIV/STI prevention media messages targeted to Black youth and young adults, this qualitative study privileges the voices of Black/ African American young adults as a group that is frequently targeted in HIV prevention campaigns. Semi-structured interviews with 23 Black/African American young adults yielded key themes that suggest barriers to effective health communication. Traditionally, health promotion has advocated for targeted messages as a means to increase risk perception and …

Smoking And Exercise: Mechanisms And Effects During Simulated And Genuine Quit Attempts, Stefanie De Jesus

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Cigarette smoking is a leading agent for premature morbidity and mortality among the global community. Most individuals surrender to tobacco use disorder due to the inability to cope with cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Exercise appears to provide acute relief. Currently, it is unclear how exercise attenuates these reductions. Furthermore, the available evidence has focused on acute outcomes besides smoking behaviour and is limited to simulated quit attempts. Three experimental studies were designed to address these outstanding issues. Not surprisingly, a bout of moderate intensity exercise was found in study 1 (chapter 2) to reduce cravings associated with a temporary period …

The Use Of Peer Mentoring To Decrease Stress In Student Registered Nurse Anesthetists, Elise G. Head

Doctoral Projects

Nurse anesthesia programs throughout the nation are extremely competitive with strict admissions criteria and demanding curriculum. Students enrolled in these programs, termed Student Registered Nurse Anesthetists (SRNAs), experience high average daily stress levels throughout their enrollment in a nurse anesthesia program (NAP). This quantitative study examined whether there is a decrease in SRNA average daily perceived stress when peer mentoring is employed. Inclusion criterion was all SRNAs enrolled in a single 3 year, post-baccalaureate Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) NAP at a comprehensive Carnegie research university with Southern Regional Education Board-Level 1 designation. Fifty-six SRNAs were surveyed using a modified …

Utilization Of A Focus Group To Evaluate The Perceived Stress Levels And Coping Mechanisms Of Student Registered Nurse Anesthetists, Cillora Hicks

Doctoral Projects

Each year, thousands of Student Registered Nurse Anesthetists (SRNAs) matriculate into a nurse anesthesia educational program, confronted with unforeseen challenges and stressors. Although a certain amount of stress is essential to stimulate learning, excessive stress can have dire consequences in delaying a students’ academic and clinical progression. The purpose of this Capstone Project was to explore and describe the perceptions of 12 SRNAs relevant to their stress levels and coping behaviors in the management of academic and personal stress. The clinical research questions guiding the study examined the stress levels and coping behaviors of the SRNAs as measured by the …

Recuerdos Que Curan. Memoria Y Ciencia Ficción En Chile, Kaitlin R. Sommerfeld, Juan C. Toledano

Alambique. Revista académica de ciencia ficción y fantasía / Jornal acadêmico de ficção científica e fantasía

A través del análisis de la novela Synco de Jorge Baradit y el cuento "Exerion" de Pablo Castro, se propone el uso de la literatura de ciencia ficción como vehículo para la curación de traumas producidos por la dictadura chilena de Augusto Pinochet. Los autores creen que a través del extrañamiento y la heterotopía, la ciencia ficción puede ser útil y pertinente a lo que se ha venido a llamar como literatura del trauma.

The College Experience: Exploring The Relationship Between Sleep, Executive Function, And Alcohol Use, Evelyn R. Conner

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Community-Based Rehabilitation Supports For Social Inclusion And Work Participation Of Young Adults With Visual Impairment In Kenya: A Case Study, Philomena Jepkemboi Tanui

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Young adults with a visual impairment (VI) experience less interaction with the community that impacts the way they relate to the world as they transition to the larger society where they face significant barriers of adjustment, exclusion, and work participation. Young adults with VI contend with cultural stigma, inequality, poor self-esteem caused by marginalization, a low quality of life (QOL), and lack of Social support systems that exist beyond the home. The aim of this study was to understand the perceptions of young adults with VI in Elgeyo-Marakwet and Kisumu Counties of Kenya concerning the barriers to community inclusion and …

Examining The Association Between Psychotropic Medication And Suicidal Desire And Risk, Brittney L. Assavedo

Master's Theses

The primary aim of this study was to examine the relationship between components of suicidal desire and psychotropic medication. Specifically, the usage of psychotropic medication, the usage of specific classes of psychotropic medications and the amount of psychotropic medication utilized and differences in feelings of perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness and overall suicide risk were examined. The present study utilized pre-collected data consisting of 225 patients with substance use disorder undergoing residential treatment for substance dependence. It was posited that individuals utilizing psychotropic medications would exhibit higher mean levels of thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness, and suicide risk relative to individuals not …

The Role Of Fear Avoidance Beliefs In Return To Work Post-Injury, Bruce Watt, Lucas Ford, Rebekah M. Doley, Sabrina Ong, Katarina Fritzon, Richard Hicks, Tony Cacciola

Richard Hicks

BACKGROUND: Fear avoidance beliefs have been demonstrated significant predictors of disability and work status post occupational injury and appear particularly important in explaining the transition from acute to chronic disability. OBJECTIVE: This study examined the relationship between fear avoidance beliefs, health-related quality of life, and their influence on return to work (RTW) outcomes, including durable RTW, post-occupational injury. METHODS: A total of 1179 questionnaires were posted to clients previously receiving vocational rehabilitation services from the Return to Work Assist program in Queensland, Australia. Participants were asked to indicate their current RTW status in addition to completing questionnaires measuring fear avoidance …

The Role Of Fear Avoidance Beliefs In Return To Work Post-Injury, Bruce Watt, Lucas Ford, Rebekah M. Doley, Sabrina Ong, Katarina Fritzon, Richard Hicks, Tony Cacciola

Rebekah Doley

BACKGROUND: Fear avoidance beliefs have been demonstrated significant predictors of disability and work status post occupational injury and appear particularly important in explaining the transition from acute to chronic disability. OBJECTIVE: This study examined the relationship between fear avoidance beliefs, health-related quality of life, and their influence on return to work (RTW) outcomes, including durable RTW, post-occupational injury. METHODS: A total of 1179 questionnaires were posted to clients previously receiving vocational rehabilitation services from the Return to Work Assist program in Queensland, Australia. Participants were asked to indicate their current RTW status in addition to completing questionnaires measuring fear avoidance …

The Role Of Fear Avoidance Beliefs In Return To Work Post-Injury, Bruce Watt, Lucas Ford, Rebekah M. Doley, Sabrina Ong, Katarina Fritzon, Richard Hicks, Tony Cacciola

Bruce Watt

BACKGROUND: Fear avoidance beliefs have been demonstrated significant predictors of disability and work status post occupational injury and appear particularly important in explaining the transition from acute to chronic disability. OBJECTIVE: This study examined the relationship between fear avoidance beliefs, health-related quality of life, and their influence on return to work (RTW) outcomes, including durable RTW, post-occupational injury. METHODS: A total of 1179 questionnaires were posted to clients previously receiving vocational rehabilitation services from the Return to Work Assist program in Queensland, Australia. Participants were asked to indicate their current RTW status in addition to completing questionnaires measuring fear avoidance …

Community-Based Memory Screening Intervention And Memory Knowledge In Older Adults, Tessa S. Lundquist

Doctoral Dissertations

As the United States’ population ages, there is a growing need for older adults to screen for age-related memory problems. Four theoretically-derived psychosocial factors are predictive of dementia screening intention: perceived benefits, perceived susceptibility, self-efficacy, and knowledge about aging memory. The current study preliminarily tested whether these factors could be increased with a community-based, educational memory screening intervention. Educational presentations were offered at community senior centers and data on psychosocial factors and willingness to screen were collected pre- and post-presentation from 32 older adult participants (age M = 78.69, SD = 7.12). Perceived benefits and self-efficacy significantly increased from pre- …

Poverty Indicators And Mental Health Functioning Among Adults Living With Hiv In Delhi, India, Ezer Kang

Department of Psychology Faculty Publications

Poor mental health functioning among persons living with HIV (PLHIV) has gained considerableattention particularly in low-income countries that disproportionately carry the global HIV/AIDSburden. Fewer studies, however, have examined the relationship between poverty indicators andmental health among PHLIV in India. Based on this cross-sectional study of 196 HIV-seropositiveadults who received medical services at Shalom AIDS Project in Delhi, India, structural equationmodeling and mediation analysis were employed to estimate the associations between povertyindices (household asset index, food security, unemployment, water treatment, sanitation), HIVhealthfactors (illness in the past 3 months, co-morbid medical conditions), and psychologicaldistress. In the final model, ownership of fewer household …

A Neurobiological Pathway That Mediates Stress-Induced Drug Use, Oliver Vranjkovic

Dissertations (1934 -)

Cocaine addiction represents a tremendous health and financial burden on our society and the high rate of relapse to cocaine use in abstinent addicts represents a major barrier to effective therapy. Thus, understanding the factors that contribute to relapse and the underlying neurobiological processes is important for guiding the development of treatment for addiction. Stressful life events often trigger drug use in recovering addicts. The contribution of stress to drug use is problematic due to the unpredictable and often uncontrollable nature of stress. A growing literature indicates that norepinephrine and corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) in the brain play key roles …

The Sixties Scoop Among Aboriginal Veterans: A Critical Narrative Study, Munira Abdulwasi

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This study explored the experience of Aboriginal Veterans adopted and/or fostered during the Sixties Scoop using critical narrative inquiry. The objectives were to: 1) understand the lived experience of Aboriginal veterans adopted and/or fostered during the Sixties Scoop, 2) explore any health needs expressed by Aboriginal veterans adopted and/or fostered during the Sixties Scoop, and 3) provide recommendations for the implementation of health services and programs to assist this group of Aboriginal veterans with their health needs. Eight individual interviews were conducted with participants in Kitchener-Waterloo, London, Ottawa, Winnipeg, and Vancouver. All interviews were audio-taped, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using …

Clinical Data Warehousing: A Business Analytics Approach For Managing Health Data, Lekha Narra, Tony Sahama, Peta Stapleton

Peta B. Stapleton

Heterogeneous health data is a critical issue when managing health information for quality decision making processes. In this paper we examine the efficient aggregation of lifestyle information through a data warehousing architecture lens. We present a proof of concept for a clinical data warehouse architecture that enables evidence based decision making processes by integrating and organising disparate data silos in support of healthcare services improvement paradigms.

An Investigation Of Relationship Satisfaction On Resilience And Body Image, Peta Stapleton, Olivia Gergis

Peta B. Stapleton

The aim of this study was to explore the association between relationship satisfaction and low body image. The current research also investigated whether body image dissatisfaction (BID) was affected by ethnic diversity. Past research has examined many factors which are highly related to BID; however, there is a paucity of research investigating relationship satisfaction, resilience, and body image as interrelated factors. A community sample consisting of male and female participants (N = 169) classified as “in a relationship” completed an online survey. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis demonstrated, consistent with expectations, that resilience was a predictor of relationship satisfaction and …

Beliefs About Causes Of Obesity: A Comparison Of Australian Doctors, Psychologists And Community Members, Peta Stapleton

Peta B. Stapleton

The current study aimed to investigate differences in beliefs about causes of obesity between Australian doctors, psychologists and a community sample. Forty-one doctors, 66 psychologists and 98 community members completed questionnaires regarding beliefs about causes to obesity, including measures of obesity stigma. The results showed a consistent pattern of beliefs across groups, with all three groups having strong beliefs about behavioural and psychological causes to obesity. Further, results showed that the three groups did not have particularly strong or weak antifat attitudes and although they did not have overly favourable attitudes towards obese people, their attitudes were not highly negative. …

Cross-Cultural Differences In Coping, Connectedness And Psychological Distress Among University Students, Tara S. Bales, Aileen M. Pidgeon, Barbara C.Y. Lo, Peta Stapleton, Heidi B. Magyar

Aileen M. Pidgeon

Globally the high prevalence of psychological distress among university students is concerning. Two factors associated with low psychological distress among university students are adaptive coping strategies and campus connectedness. The current study examines the cross-cultural differences among university students across three countries, Australia, United States of America and Hong Kong in the utilization of academic coping strategies, levels of campus connectedness and psychological distress. Cross-cultural differences were examined using the theory of cultural orientations; individualism and collectivism. Participants consisted of 217 university students. The results indicated no significant differences between the countries on individualism or collectivism or on the reported …

Resilience Attributes Among University Students: A Comparative Study Of Psychological Distress, Sleep Disturbances And Mindfulness, Cher J. Mcgillivray, Aileen M. Pidgeon

Aileen M. Pidgeon

Australian university students report experiencing higher levels of psychological distress compared to other Australians, and are at increased risk of developing mental health problems. Psychological distress has been connected with poor academic performance, higher attrition rates and sleep disturbances. A protective factor associated with sleep-related self-regulation is mindfulness. Mindfulness based programs have shown benefits in stress reduction and resilience. Resilience is considered a protective factor that interacts with stressors to reduce the likelihood of negative outcomes. Resilience is also associated with positive social and personal well-being together with enhanced mental health and adjustment to university life. The current study examines …

Clinical Essentials For Obesity, Ryan Garry Montanari

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

In order for health psychologists to be prepared to address obesity, foundational information on obesity is required. Psychologists have the potential to assist with lifestyle and behavioral modifications, especially when weight problems are tied to mental health conditions. Furthermore, clinicians can focus on triggers for unhealthy choices, in addition to unhealthy beliefs about eating and weight. The purpose of this research project is to provide health psychologists with essential information on the scope, associated risks, and evidence-based interventions for obesity so that they will be better prepared to deliver effective treatments.

Child Maltreatment And Military-Connected Youth: Developing Protective School Communities: School Responses Of Referral And Clinical Interventions Do Not Address Needs Of Military Families, Kris T. De Pedro

Education Faculty Articles and Research

"Since the beginning of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, more than 2 million school-aged youth in the United States have had a parent enlist in the military. About 1.2 million of these youth have experienced the deployment of a parent. Multiple and prolonged deployments and exposure to veteran trauma disrupt family relationships and financial stability. The deployment cycle also effects the mental health and well-being of service members and left-behind caregivers and children. Indeed, the caregivers in particular must cope with emotional stress and may have feelings of social isolation. Even when seeking help, left-behind caregivers may have difficulty locating …

Comparing Outcomes From An Online Substance Abuse Treatment Program And Residential Treatment Programs For Consumers Who Are Deaf: A Pilot Study, Josphine Wilson Ph.D., Deb Guthmann Ed.D., Jared Embree, Susan Fraker

JADARA

Numerous barriers exist when attempting to provide culturally appropriate substance use disorder (SUD) treatment to persons who are Deaf, including a lack of accessible community-based treatment providers. To address these barriers, the Deaf Off Drugs and Alcohol (DODA) Program has provided culturally and linguistically appropriate cessation and recovery support services via a telemedicine program to Deaf individuals who are clinically diagnosed with a SUD. This study was conducted to assess whether an online SUD treatment program, such as DODA, is an effective way to serve the Deaf population, which is underserved due to communication and other cultural barriers. DODA’s effectiveness …

One-Session Mindfulness Meditation: The Effects Of Stress Anticipation, Christina Dorothy Colgary

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The current study concerns three main questions that are related to mindfulness meditation: the benefits of a brief preventative one-session mindfulness meditation, the effects of mindfulness meditation compared to a concentrative meditation, and correlations between rumination and stress when facing anticipated and unanticipated stressors. Type of meditation and whether or not participants could anticipate an upcoming stressor were varied in four conditions. Participants completed one 20-minute session of either mindfulness meditation or guided imagery meditation and were informed of a speech preparation task either before or after completing the meditation. Both one-session of mindfulness meditation and guided imagery meditation were …

Investigating The Role Of Dispositional Mindfulness As A Protective Factor Or Boy Image Dissatisfaction Among Women, Aileen M. Pidgeon, Lisa Appleby

Aileen M. Pidgeon

Body image dissatisfaction, which is increasing as an issue for women, can diminish quality of life with negative psychological consequences. The relationship between internalizing the thin body ideal and the development of body image dissatisfaction has been studied in psychology. The thin body ideal is aspiring to a perfect female body that is very thin, presented as the ideal in the media. Research has focused on investigating strategies that women use to resist internalizing a thin-ideal body and prevent developing body dissatisfaction. The present study investigated the protective benefits of dispositional mindfulness against developing body image dissatisfaction in a sample …

The Shared Experiences Of Counselors Who Practice In Natural Environments, Bonnie King

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to gain a deep understanding of the shared experiences of therapists who provide counseling in non-traditional, natural environment settings. Eight participants shared their experiences about counseling in nature. The primary research question for this study was: What are the shared experiences of counselors who provide nature-based counseling? A review of the literature of nature-based counseling provided benefits to spending time in nature, descriptions of various types of nature-based counseling, and ethical and legal issues that affect nature-based counselors.

Semi-structured interviews comprised of open-ended questions were used to collect data by phone and …

Should'a Put A Ring On It: Investigating Adult Attachment, Relationship Status, Anxiety, Mindfulness, And Resilience In Romantic Relationships, Aileen M. Pidgeon, Alexandra Giufre

Aileen M. Pidgeon

This study aimed to investigate the predictive ability of relationship status, anxiety, mindfulness, and resilience in relation to the two orthogonal dimensions of adult attachment: attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance. 156 participants completed measures assessing relationship status, adult attachment, anxiety, mindfulness and resilience. The results showed that resilience and the relationship status of single significantly predicted attachment anxiety, whereas anxiety and being either single or divorced significantly predicted attachment avoidance. A significant mediating role of resilience in the prediction of attachment anxiety from being single was also observed. The main implications of this study provided preliminary support for the significant …

Testing Theory Of Planned Behavior And Neo-Socioanalytic Theory Models Of Trait Activity, Industriousness, Exercise Social Cognitions, Exercise Intentions, And Physical Activity In A Representative U.S. Sample, Phuong T. Vo, Tim Bogg

Psychology Faculty Research Publications

Prior research identified assorted relations between trait and social cognition models of personality and engagement in physical activity. Using a representative U.S. sample (N = 957), the goal of the present study was to test two alternative structural models of the relationships among the extraversion-related facet of activity, the conscientiousness-related facet of industriousness, social cognitions from the Theory of Planned Behavior (perceived behavioral control, affective attitudes, subjective norms, intentions), Social Cognitive Theory (self-efficacy, outcome expectancies), and the Transtheoretical Model (behavioral processes of change), and engagement in physical activity. Path analyses with bootstrapping procedures were used to model direct and …

Interactions Between Maternal Prenatal Obesity And Physiological Stress: Predictors Of Offspring Adult Obesity, Jennifer L. Hambleton, Jared Vineyard, Nicki L. Aubuchon-Endsley (Mentor)

Idaho Conference on Undergraduate Research

Over half of US women of childbearing age are overweight or obese. This is significant because excessive gestational maternal weight may program offspring for greater risk of lifetime obesity. Preliminary research suggests this effect may be moderated by fetal exposure to stress hormones, known to be dysregulated in obese individuals. However, long-term longitudinal research of these constructs is needed.

Therefore, this study used archival data from the NEFS/CPP Studies to examine interactions between maternal pre-pregnancy BMI/gestational weight gain and fetal cortisol exposure as predictors of offspring growth trajectories from birth-7 years and adult BMI via growth curve modeling and ANOVAs. …

Sex Differences In Placental Epigenetic Regulation Of Leptin Hormone Are Associated With Elevated Maternal Gestational Weight Gain, Nicole E. Douthit, Nicki Aubuchon-Endsley Ph.D. (Mentor)

Idaho Conference on Undergraduate Research

In utero epigenetic factors affect health and development, though sex differences in epigenetic effects of prenatal maternal health may exist for placental hormones. Specifically, maternal prenatal obesity affects expression of placental leptin hormone genes, which play a unique role in metabolism and appetite. However, the effects of such expression on infant neurobehavioral development differ by offspring sex.

Therefore, we examined sex differences in the effects of maternal gestational weight on placental leptin gene methylation. Data (n=155) were taken from the Behavior and Mood in Mothers and Behavior in Infants Study. Maternal pre-pregnancy weight was self-reported, while delivery weight …