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Full-Text Articles in Psychology

Exploring The Potential For Therapeutic Art-Making In School Psychology Practice: A Single Case Study Of A Training Experience, Alexandra G. Manion Jan 2022

Exploring The Potential For Therapeutic Art-Making In School Psychology Practice: A Single Case Study Of A Training Experience, Alexandra G. Manion

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of a training experience on the use of therapeutic art-making for school psychologists, with a focus on how to incorporate these concepts into their school-based mental health practice. Therapeutic artmaking includes the use of visual art activities (drawing, painting, clay, and collage) with specific therapeutic intent. Although there are examples of art therapists providing inschool therapeutic art-making services to support the mental health needs of students, there is far less information regarding the use of therapeutic art-making by school-based mental health providers, including school psychologists. This single case study explored …


A Phenomenological Study Of The Experiences Of Military Families, Who Have Children With Disabilities And Maladaptive Behavior, With School-Based Mental Health Personnel, Londi J. Segler Jan 2020

A Phenomenological Study Of The Experiences Of Military Families, Who Have Children With Disabilities And Maladaptive Behavior, With School-Based Mental Health Personnel, Londi J. Segler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study used a phenomenological approach to capture the lived experiences of military families who have children with disabilities and maladaptive behavior to note risk and protective factors that might impede the mental health development of that population of student. Through interviews with at-home-caregivers, I explored their experiences with public school staff, outside mental health services, and school psychologists. Study findings revealed that participants felt they were going to battle with school staff who were not willing to incorporate culturally responsive practices when working with their children. School staff who implemented regular bi-directional communication were more likely to gain …


How 6-12th Grade Staff Support Students With Depression: A Pilot Study To Develop Measures Of Implicit Associations, Explicit Attitudes And Helping Behavior, Paul M. Thompson Jan 2020

How 6-12th Grade Staff Support Students With Depression: A Pilot Study To Develop Measures Of Implicit Associations, Explicit Attitudes And Helping Behavior, Paul M. Thompson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Students with emotional disabilities are disproportionately suspended and expelled in K-12 schools. Attribution theory suggests individuals are less likely to provide assistance to others if they believe the individuals are responsible for their own difficulties. To test attribution theory, this study created new measures of explicit attitudes and implicit associations of licensed 6-12th grade staff regarding students with depression as well as a helping behavior measure of staff toward students with depression. The survey was distributed within a single school district in the western United States. A majority of the sample (N = 52) held a mental health license (60%), …


Fostering Trauma-Informed Schools By Considering The Experiences Of Teachers In Working With Trauma-Exposed Students, Allison A. Stiles Jan 2020

Fostering Trauma-Informed Schools By Considering The Experiences Of Teachers In Working With Trauma-Exposed Students, Allison A. Stiles

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

High rates of trauma exposure among youth in the United States and the detrimental effects of trauma on students’ psychosocial and academic outcomes are well-established. Such findings have engendered the emergence of trauma-informed schools across the nation. While research regarding trauma-informed schools has understandably focused on the needs of students, shockingly little is known about teachers’ experiences in working with trauma-exposed students. In particular, very few studies have examined the relationship between teachers’ indirect exposure to student trauma and related symptoms of secondary traumatic stress (STS), as well as factors that may predict STS levels or explain variation in the …


Psychotropic Medications And Children: Perceptions Of Mental Health Professionals, Elinor Jane Brereton Jan 2018

Psychotropic Medications And Children: Perceptions Of Mental Health Professionals, Elinor Jane Brereton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project explores mental health professionals' perspectives on the prescription of psychotropic medications to children. It emphasizes the placement of biomedicine within its larger social, economic, and political context, and the influence these structures have on the way mental illness is conceptualized and treated in children. Eight semi-structured interviews were conducted in Denver, Colorado with psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and a pharmaceutical board member to capture multiple perspectives from different positionalities within the field. Participants discussed factors that they believe influence prescribing practices including: professional role changes, issues of access, limited evidence, cost, and institutional pressures to practice within a …


An Exploratory Study Of Session Limited Models Of Therapy Outcomes In An Employee Assistance Program, Ivy C. Donaldson Jan 2018

An Exploratory Study Of Session Limited Models Of Therapy Outcomes In An Employee Assistance Program, Ivy C. Donaldson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) have grown increasingly popular over recent years. The prevalence of organizations utilizing and investing in EAP services for their employees has grown; however, companies that purchase EAPs are not well-informed as to which session-models are most effective for various diagnoses. The current study is the first to explore treatment outcomes of session-limited models (measured by Therapist Perception of Change, TPC) for diagnoses (anxiety and depression) in an EAP delivery system. Outcomes were measured by TPC ratings including: a) Regressed, b) remained at Baseline, c) Improved, and d) issue was Resolved. Analyses (Chi-Square and =t-test) were used …


The Impact Of Sudden Gains And Deteriorations On The Psychotherapy Process, Joanna Mary Drinane Jan 2018

The Impact Of Sudden Gains And Deteriorations On The Psychotherapy Process, Joanna Mary Drinane

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Within the field of psychotherapy research, there has been significant evidence to suggest that people change and improve because of treatment (Lambert & Ogles, 2004). One common phenomenon that has been observed when looking more closely at outcome trajectories has been termed sudden gains/deteriorations. These are defined as sudden changes in outcome (either positive or negative) of 25% or more from the pre-change level of symptoms that are in turn sustained over time (Tang & DeRubeis, 1999). Although there are data regarding how people who experience sudden gains end up after treatment, no studies have examined the impact that sudden …


The Roles Of Perceived Stress, Coping Styles, And Perceived Social Support On The Alcohol Consumption Among American College Students, Jesse Wynn Jan 2017

The Roles Of Perceived Stress, Coping Styles, And Perceived Social Support On The Alcohol Consumption Among American College Students, Jesse Wynn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The intention of this study was to better understand how certain aspects in a college student's life (i.e., perceived stress, styles of coping, and social support) or how combinations of these variables may contribute to higher levels of alcohol consumption. The present study examined the relationship between perceived stress, functional coping strategies, dysfunctional coping strategies, and perceived social support using Lazarus and Folkman's model of stress, appraisal, and coping. A sample of (N = 201) University of Denver undergraduate students between the ages of 18-25 complete measures of perceived stress, coping strategies, perceived social support, and alcohol use. Results …


Preclinical Assessment Of Immunocal® As A Preventative Treatment For Traumatic Brain Injury (Tbi) In A Mouse Model Of Closed Head Injury, Elizabeth Eugenia Ignowski Jan 2017

Preclinical Assessment Of Immunocal® As A Preventative Treatment For Traumatic Brain Injury (Tbi) In A Mouse Model Of Closed Head Injury, Elizabeth Eugenia Ignowski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Over the past three decades, traumatic brain injury (TBI) has been considered a "silent epidemic" and recognized as an emergent public health problem by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). TBI is defined as a bump, blow, or jolt to the head that disrupts the normal function of the brain. Due to the debilitating effects and prevalence of TBI, novel preventative treatment regimens are highly desirable in at risk populations. According to the CDC groups disproportionately affected by TBI include athletes, people aged 75+, and service men and women, among others. Here, we investigated a unique whey protein …


The Caregiver–Child Relationship, Youth Mental Health, And Placement Stability In A Child Welfare Sample, Laura A. Rindlaub Jan 2015

The Caregiver–Child Relationship, Youth Mental Health, And Placement Stability In A Child Welfare Sample, Laura A. Rindlaub

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objective: Healthy relationships between adolescents and their caregivers have been robustly associated with better youth outcomes in a variety of domains. Youth in contact with the child welfare system are at higher risk for worse outcomes including mental health problems and home placement instability. A growing body of literature points to youth mental health problems as both a predictor and a consequence of home placement instability in this population; the present study aimed to expand our understanding of these phenomena by examining the interplay among the caregiver-child relationship, youth mental health symptoms, and placement change over time. Method: The sample …


The Perceived Effects Of Dance For Individuals With Parkinson’S Disease And Healthy Amateurs, Taylor Marie Mastin Jan 2015

The Perceived Effects Of Dance For Individuals With Parkinson’S Disease And Healthy Amateurs, Taylor Marie Mastin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of the present study was to compare the effects of dance participation on physical and psychological functioning as perceived by two distinct groups of dancers: dancers with Parkinson's disease (PD) and healthy amateur (HA) dancers. Dancers in the Parkinson's sample group were gathered from participants in the Dance for PD® program, while healthy amateur dancers were recruited from university dance departments and through social media. Both groups were administered measures related to affect, self-efficacy, quality of life, and which aspects of dance classes were most helpful and/or challenging. Several open-ended questions for both groups were included, along with …


Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment: Does Family Systems Therapy Improve Family Functioning And Decrease Drug Use?, Darin J. Wallis Jan 2013

Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment: Does Family Systems Therapy Improve Family Functioning And Decrease Drug Use?, Darin J. Wallis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Family systems therapy is a way of working with individuals, couples, families, or a group of people that emphasizes relationships and a person's/family's greater "system" as important factors in establishing change and health (Haley, 1976; Minuchin, 1974). Treating adolescent substance abuse with family systems therapy has been demonstrated in the literature as being an effective method of intervention (Coatsworth, Santisteban, McBride, & Szapocznik, 2001; Kumfer & Alvarado, 2003; Leichtling, Gabriel, Lewis & Vander Ley, 2006; Liddle, 2002; Liddle et al., 2001; Rowe & Liddle, 2003), as the various ecological and epidemiological factors associated with adolescent substance abuse can be addressed …


Mental Health Literacy Of Latina Women In The United States For Their School-Aged Children, Annarheen S. Pineda Jan 2013

Mental Health Literacy Of Latina Women In The United States For Their School-Aged Children, Annarheen S. Pineda

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite known mental health (MH) disparities faced by Latino children relative to children from other minority groups of similar socioeconomic status (SES), little is known about how Latina mothers make MH decisions for their children. The present study examined links between Latina mothers' mental health literacy (MHL), including the recognition of and response to child psychiatric symptoms, and maternal acculturation factors as well as interpersonal violence (IPV) related symptomatology. Participants were 80 Latina mothers from Denver, Colorado and Modesto, California with at least one child between the ages of 8-12 years. Mothers were presented vignettes depicting child internalizing and externalizing …