Psychology Commons^™

An Existential Punchline: How Humor Functions In A Young Adult Friendship Facing Advanced Cancer, Megan E. Solberg

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Young adults (i.e., age 18-39) only comprise 4% of the total cancer population, yet cancers in this group are commonly found at more advanced stages due to situational factors influencing delayed diagnosis including access to healthcare, quality health insurance and competing life demands that may hinder prioritization of healthcare. Young adults with cancer also face unique challenges including higher rates of psychological distress, which may contribute to increased risk of social disconnection in response to cancer. Research suggests that humor may be a helpful coping approach and communication mechanism for mitigating distress and discussing difficult topics. Grounded within the frameworks …

Protocol For The Promoting Resilience In Stress Management (Prism) Intervention: A Multi-Site Randomized Controlled Trial For Adolescents And Young Adults With Advanced Cancer, Alison O’Daffer, Liam Comiskey, Samantha R. Scott, Chuan Zhou, Miranda C. Bradford, Joyce P. Yi-Frazier, Abby R. Rosenberg

Psychology: Faculty Scholarship

Background

Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with cancer are at high risk of poor psychosocial outcomes, and evidence-based interventions designed to meet their psychosocial and communication needs are lacking. The main objective of this project is to test the efficacy of a new adaptation of the Promoting Resilience in Stress Management intervention for AYAs with Advanced Cancer (PRISM-AC).

Methods/design

The PRISM-AC trial is a 2-arm, parallel, non-blinded, multisite, randomized controlled trial. 144 participants with advanced cancer will be enrolled and randomized to either usual, non-directive, supportive care without PRISM-AC (“control” arm) or with PRISM-AC (“experimental” arm). PRISM is a manualized, …

Du Undergraduate Showcase: Research, Scholarship, And Creative Works, Caitlyn Aldersea, Justin Bravo, Sam Allen, Anna Block, Connor Block, Emma Buechler, Maria De Los Angeles Bustillos, Arianna Carlson, William Christensen, Olivia Kachulis, Noah Craver, Kate Dillon, Muskan Fatima, Angel Fernandes, Emma Finch, Colleen Cassidy, Amy Fishman, Andrea Francis, Stacia Fritz, Simran Gill, Emma Gries, Rylie Hansen, Shannon Powers, Jacqueline Martinez, Zachary Harker, Ashley Hasty, Mykaela Tanino-Springsteen, Kathleen Hopps, Adelaide Kerenick, Colin Kleckner, Ci Koehring, Elijah Kruger, Braden Krumholz, Maddie Leake, Lyneé Alves, Seraphina Loukas, Yatzari Lozano Vazquez, Haley Maki, Emily Martinez, Sierra Mckinney, Mykaela Tanino-Springsteen, Audrey Mitchell, Kipling Newman, Audrey Ng, Megan Lucyshyn, Andrew Nguyen, Stevie Ostman, Casandra Pearson, Alexandra Penney, Julia Gielczynski, Tyler Ball, Anna Rini, Christina Rorres, Simon Ruland, Helayna Schafer, Emma Sellers, Sarah Schuller, Claire Shaver, Kevin Summers, Isabella Shaw, Madison Sinar, Claudia Pena, Apshara Siwakoti, Carter Sorensen, Madi Sousa, Anna Sparling, Alexandra Revier, Brandon Thierry, Dylan Tyree, Maggie Williams, Lauren Wols

DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive

DU Undergraduate Showcase: Research, Scholarship, and Creative Works

Do Semantics Matter In Empathetic Person Perception Of Children Or Adults With Mental Illness?, Rylie Hansen, Caroline Polak, Emma Gries, Stevie Ostman, Gina A. Paganini, E. Paige Lloyd

DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive

Experiences of stigma, discrimination, or aggression negatively affect the well-being of people experiencing symptoms of psychopathology. However, empathy is thought to undermine prejudice and discrimination and is linked with positive outcomes (e.g., greater well-being, more social support, etc.) among those with stigmatized mental illnesses. The current work investigates the influence of target age (adult or child) and language type (person-first or identity-first) on how much empathic concern perceivers report toward individuals with a hypothetical mental health condition. This research contributes to an ongoing debate about whether person-first or identity-first language carries stigmatizing or protective effects, while also considering a novel …

The Effect Of Language Type And Perceived Controllability On Stigma And Compassion, Maddie Leake, Christine Mcgrath, Trudy Mickel, Claire Shaver, Gina A. Paganini, E. Paige Lloyd

DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive

Previous research suggests that mental health stigma creates significant barriers to treatment seeking and adherence, diminishes treatment outcomes, and motivates social rejection towards people experiencing mental illness; by contrast, compassion seems to offer protective effects, improving treatment outcomes and helping behavior. The current work extends the established literature by experimentally examining the independent and interactive effects of two factors theorized to influence stigma and compassion: controllability and language. Participants read vignettes about hypothetical mental illnesses explained with a genetic attribution (indicating low controllability) or a behavioral attribution (indicating high controllability) and completed measures of perceived controllability, stigma, and compassion. We …

Examining The Effect Of Physician Language On Physician Impressions, Kathleen L. Hopps, Anna H. Rini, Maggie E. Williams, Gina A. Paganini, E. Paige Lloyd

DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive

Previous research provides evidence that stigma can be perpetuated through language with consequences for well-being and quality of care. For example, providers who use stigmatizing language transmit bias toward patients with implications for care provided by other healthcare professionals. The current work extends upon this research by investigating perceptions of physicians who use stigmatizing or humanizing language. The current work sought to document the negative consequences of providers’ indelicate language on impressions of the provider, thereby motivating thoughtful language choices. To this end, the current work experimentally manipulated the language (stigmatizing, identity-first and destigmatizing, person-first) that hypothetical providers used to …

Parental Misattunement And The Production Of Shame Of Existing: How To Address The Shame Of Existing Through An Intersubjective Systems Approach, Tal Ginsburg

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Shame is at the root of many commonly encountered psychopathologies. Its development has often been attributed to early childhood emotional misattunement. In severe cases, individuals can develop an extreme form of shame called the “shame-of-existing”. This paper primarily intends to contribute to the limited research about the shame-of-existing, which includes psychoanalytic perspectives from 1950-1990s, and theoretical analysis in 2014. The concept of shame of existence will be explored through an in-depth case study analysis of a 31-year-old, heterosexual, cisgender, white male who presented to psychotherapy with low-self-worth, and shame in acknowledging his own emotions and needs. This client was treated …