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Full-Text Articles in Psychology

The Lived Experience Of The Covid-19 Pandemic Among Mandate-Resistant Adults In Washington State, Amber N. Peterson Jan 2024

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

Antioch University Full-Text 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 …


A Constructivist Grounded Theory Analysis Of Seven Medical Provider Perspectives On Major Barriers To Prescribing Buprenorphine To Youth With Opiold Use Disorder In Outpatient Medical Settings: "We Should Be Providing Them With What We Know To Be The Gold Standard Of Care"., Maeve O'Leary Sloan Jan 2023

A Constructivist Grounded Theory Analysis Of Seven Medical Provider Perspectives On Major Barriers To Prescribing Buprenorphine To Youth With Opiold Use Disorder In Outpatient Medical Settings: "We Should Be Providing Them With What We Know To Be The Gold Standard Of Care"., Maeve O'Leary Sloan

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

This study utilized Primary Care Provider (PCP) perspectives to unveil major barriers to prescribing buprenorphine to youth (ages 16-25) with opioid use disorder (OUD). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven PCPs recruited through convenience and snowball sampling. Interviews were conducted and recorded via Zoom video conferencing. Transcripts were generated and analyzed for themes using a Constructivist Grounded Theory (CGT) approach. The CGT of the present study describes four major barriers that limit PCP prescription of buprenorphine to youth: 1) PCPs Feel Overwhelmed, 2) PCPs Feel Ill Equipped to Treat Youth Patients with OUD, 3) PCPs Hold and Observe Stigma toward …


Exploring The Definition Of Resilience: A Convergent Parallel Mixed Methods Study In Adults Over The Age Of 65, Sara J. Blessington Jan 2023

Exploring The Definition Of Resilience: A Convergent Parallel Mixed Methods Study In Adults Over The Age Of 65, Sara J. Blessington

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

The definition of a word helps us understand its context and how it is meant to be used in daily life or research. When a word lacks a universal definition, it is hard to know how to use it. “Resilience” is that type of word. The resilience community in psychological research does not have a concrete, universal definition for this word. It takes on whatever characteristics are useful to the investigator. This study began with seeking a universal definition for the domain known as resilience. This study used a convergent parallel design with adults aged 60 and older living independently …


Relationships Harm, Relationships Heal: Exploring Larger Bodied People's Experiences Of Weight Stigma And Eating Disorders In The Context Of Family Relationships, Rebecca Erin Belinsky Jan 2023

Relationships Harm, Relationships Heal: Exploring Larger Bodied People's Experiences Of Weight Stigma And Eating Disorders In The Context Of Family Relationships, Rebecca Erin Belinsky

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

Eating Disorders are the second deadliest mental illness, after opioid addiction, and affect a significant amount of the population, with some studies estimating that almost one in ten people will struggle with an eating disorder in their lifetime and that many more will suffer from subclinical eating disorder symptoms like disordered eating (Deloitte Access Economics, 2020). The majority of people struggling with an eating disorder are not medically underweight, and traditionally eating disorder research and treatment has failed to address eating disorders in people in larger bodies (Galmiche et al., 2019). To better understand the needs and experiences related to …


Black Mental Health Clinicians' Experiences And Lessons From The Intersecting Crises Of Black Mental Health, Covid-19, And Racial Trauma: An Interpretive Phenomenological Study, Chanté Meadows Jan 2023

Black Mental Health Clinicians' Experiences And Lessons From The Intersecting Crises Of Black Mental Health, Covid-19, And Racial Trauma: An Interpretive Phenomenological Study, Chanté Meadows

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

This study explored the experiences of African American mental health clinicians’ during the intersecting crises of the Black mental health crisis, the highly publicized racial tension tied to extrajudicial violence and over-policing of Black Americans, and the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic started a global crisis that affected millions of people’s physical and mental health and overall well-being. Shared trauma explores the duality of mental health clinicians’ personal and professional experiences. Grounded in critical race theory and models of trauma, this study explores Black mental health clinicians’ lived experiences and lessons. This is an interpretive phenomenological study with narrative interviews of …


Meeting The Client Halfway: A Relational Revision To Account For Intra-Actions In Psychotherapeutic Space, Lara Pirro Jancetic Jan 2023

Meeting The Client Halfway: A Relational Revision To Account For Intra-Actions In Psychotherapeutic Space, Lara Pirro Jancetic

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

This post-qualitative study branching from new-materialist, post-humanist epistemology and ontology examines relationality through the lens of three different theories: agential realism, John Shotter’s communication theory, and relational mindfulness. These theories each describe the dynamics involved in relationships, how they each make sense of these dynamics, and what they entail for human relations. Using a post-qualitative diffractive methodology, this study examines these theories and how they intersect to bring about new insights in our understanding of relationships and how this information can support therapy practice. The results are a series of nine principles of orientation, which were applied to marriage and …


From Intersubjectivity To Activism: A Case For Engaged Psychoanalytic And Psychodynamic Psychology, Abigail Bliss Jan 2023

From Intersubjectivity To Activism: A Case For Engaged Psychoanalytic And Psychodynamic Psychology, Abigail Bliss

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

This dissertation consists of a book proposal, including a completed introduction and first chapter, in addition to detailed chapter outlines summarizing the content for the actual book. After framing this project and exploring its inspiration, which includes Freud and his free clinics (Danto, 2005), the first chapter begins with explorations of multiple theories of intersubjectivity and the analytic third, considering how contemporary sociopolitical factors might affect the intersubjective experience. To this end, I demonstrate how race, politics, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the incorporation of telehealth practices affect the intersubjective experience in psychoanalytic/psychodynamic (PA/PD) psychotherapy. I then research and review PA/PD …


Nonsuicidal Self-Injury And Real-Life Self-Disclosure Among Internet Users, Matthew Tanner Jan 2023

Nonsuicidal Self-Injury And Real-Life Self-Disclosure Among Internet Users, Matthew Tanner

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

The purpose of this study was to explore several unknown issues regarding disclosure of nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) among users of social media. NSSI is a category of behaviors that cause intentional harm to the body without the intent to commit suicide. However, individuals who self-injure may unintentionally risk serious and even life-threatening harm. Moreover, the stigma and resultant shame associated with NSSI discourage reporting and thus complicate research into the behavior. This study examined the factors involved in individuals’ decisions to disclose NSSI. The current study uses primarily descriptive statistics from an internet-based survey to explore the following questions: (a) …


Black Marriage, Attachment And Connecting In Relationships: An Observational Multi-Method Study Investigating The Effects Of The Getting The Love You Want Workshop On Black Couples’ In-Session Attachment, Interactions, Marital Satisfaction And Communication, Paula Smith Jan 2023

Black Marriage, Attachment And Connecting In Relationships: An Observational Multi-Method Study Investigating The Effects Of The Getting The Love You Want Workshop On Black Couples’ In-Session Attachment, Interactions, Marital Satisfaction And Communication, Paula Smith

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

The focus of this dissertation is examining the impact of Imago Relationship Therapy (IRT), more specifically the “Getting the Love You Want” workshop (GTLYW), on five Black/African American couples’ attachment, interactions, marital satisfaction and communication. This study examines Black couples’ lived experiences through a modified version of a quantitative measure, called the Patient Attachment Client System (PACS), the Marital Satisfaction Questionnaire-Revised (MSQ-R), semi-structured questionnaires to measure qualitative data as well as direct observation of participants’ interactions. PACS analyzes how patients’ in-session discourse enables them to share present experiences and link these processes with their attachment structure. In this view, attachment …


A Mixed-Methods Exploration Of Quality Of Life In Forensic Inpatients With Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders On The Social Learning Program, Alexa Hutzenbiler Jan 2023

A Mixed-Methods Exploration Of Quality Of Life In Forensic Inpatients With Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders On The Social Learning Program, Alexa Hutzenbiler

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

This mixed-methods study explored the quality of life and lived experiences of adult individuals with diagnoses of schizophrenia spectrum disorders residing and receiving treatment on the Social Learning Program (SLP) at Fulton State Hospital, a high-security state forensic facility. Eleven participants completed the WHOQOL-BREF quantitative quality-of-life measure. Ten participants completed in-depth, semi-structured, qualitative interviews. Interviews were transcribed then analysed using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis. The major themes that emerged included “Working the Program,” “Relationship Dynamics with Self and Others,” “Meaning,” “I’ve Been Having Breakthroughs,” and “Areas for Improvement in the Program.” Combined, the findings of the present investigation demonstrate the utility …


Relationships Among Trait Mindfulness, Self-Compassion, And Compassion Fatigue In Mental Health Professionals Working With Clients With A Terminal Illness, Christen Aiguier Jan 2023

Relationships Among Trait Mindfulness, Self-Compassion, And Compassion Fatigue In Mental Health Professionals Working With Clients With A Terminal Illness, Christen Aiguier

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

This quantitative study explores the relationships among trait mindfulness, self-compassion, and compassion fatigue (CF) in mental health professionals working with clients with a terminal illness. The Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), Self-Compassion Scale, and Quality of Life Version 5 were used to explore these facets through linear multiple regression analysis. The Reactions to Research Participation Questionnaire–Revised was used to explore the cost–benefit ratio based on participant perceptions of the research experience. Participants (N = 43) self-selected from emailed invitations sent to members of professional organizations. Data was analyzed using multiple linear regression. Significant correlations included individual relationships between elevated trait mindfulness …


Metaphor And Intersubjectivity: The Use Of Metaphor Within A Metaphor, Sara Jalbert Jan 2023

Metaphor And Intersubjectivity: The Use Of Metaphor Within A Metaphor, Sara Jalbert

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

Psychotherapists experience encounters in psychotherapy that present the opportunity for metaphor and imagery to be utilized as methods of intervention that enhance attunement in the therapeutic dyad. Working within imagery, tropes, and metaphor may facilitate experiential processing and integration of information. Metaphor has been used across cultures for many years to describe abstract concepts and to apply deeper meaning to the confines of logical thought. This paper discusses the literature on metaphor as an object of shared language, enhancing the space which minds share in the therapeutic dyad, and posits that metaphor has the ability to enhance intrapsychic levels of …


Understanding How Secular Spirituality Transforms Intergenerational Parenting Styles, Barrie Birge Jan 2023

Understanding How Secular Spirituality Transforms Intergenerational Parenting Styles, Barrie Birge

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

A family is a relational system that shapes a child’s development, and it is well-established that parenting directly exasperates or reduces a child’s internal and external behaviors (Foran et al., 2020; Rikuya & Toshiki, 2018). Parents are influential figures during childhood and adolescence and play a key role in their children’s development (Baumrind, 1978; Maccoby & Martin, 1983). Therefore, it is of great concern that developmental challenges in children and adolescents in the U.S. continue to increase. The Centers for Disease Control (2019) confirms adolescent mental health and suicide variable trends in the U.S. continued to increase significantly between 2009 …


Social And Cultural Considerations In Accessing Mental Health Treatment In The Gambia, West Africa, Safiya Njai Jan 2022

Social And Cultural Considerations In Accessing Mental Health Treatment In The Gambia, West Africa, Safiya Njai

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

This study examines the social and cultural considerations in accessing mental health treatment in The Gambia, West Africa. Participants were recruited from The Gambia for a qualitative study that included semistructured interviews (N = 17). A team of analysts identified five themes. The results highlighted social and cultural conceptualizations of mental health and mental illness, sociocultural determinants of health, interventions, barriers to care, and the legal framework to support mental health change. These findings are important for counselors to understand different perceptions of mental health and mental illness and the associated stigma. Furthermore, several opportunities for advocacy in The Gambia …


Exploring The Needs Of Black Single Mothers In Therapy, Nompelelo Boucher Jan 2022

Exploring The Needs Of Black Single Mothers In Therapy, Nompelelo Boucher

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

This qualitative study of 6 Black single mothers utilizes a focus group format to explore their experiences in mental health treatment. The specific barriers they face to seeking treatment are reviewed, given that this particular population is substantially underrepresented in mental health therapy. The study seeks to gain a better insight of what factors contribute to attracting and retaining them in therapy for positive outcomes. Six emergent themes surfaced highlighting the fact that these women overcome numerous historical and cultural barriers to present for treatment to address serious issues of stress, grief, and loss, that they have a desire to …


Beyond The Controversy: An Exploration Of Cultural Socialization Behaviors In Transracial Adoptive Families, Karmen Smith Jan 2022

Beyond The Controversy: An Exploration Of Cultural Socialization Behaviors In Transracial Adoptive Families, Karmen Smith

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

The voices of the families that have successfully raised transracially adopted children with a positive cultural identity are missing from the literature: “Further research is needed on adoption from the perspective of the adoptee” (Clark et al., 2006, p. 192). There are methodological shortcomings that inhibit our ability to definitively determine adjustment outcomes for this population. Such shortcomings, combined with a failure to address additional variables that influence outcomes, have left identified gaps in the research unaddressed. The purpose of this grounded theory study is to identify the cultural socialization behaviors that contributed to the development of the participant’s positive …


It Takes Two: Professional Interconnections And Potential Collaborations Between Small-Town Family Attorneys And Couple/Family Therapists, Wendy Lenk Mcclary Jan 2022

It Takes Two: Professional Interconnections And Potential Collaborations Between Small-Town Family Attorneys And Couple/Family Therapists, Wendy Lenk Mcclary

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

Attorneys who specialize in family practice may experience significant rates of mood disorders and substance reliance. Law schools typically do not provide supportive coursework or mentoring to help students learn to manage their feelings and those of crisis-impacted clients. Lawyers may well consider that understanding emotional needs and providing emotional support does not fall within their codes of practice. Societal stigma may prevent family attorneys and their clients from seeking therapy. Small-town attorneys may be particularly vulnerable to professional stress and safety concerns. The purpose of this study was to explore and understand the lived experiences of family attorneys practicing …


A Journey To Finding Space In The Tension: Experience Of Instructors' Relationship With Religion And Spirituality In Doctoral Psychology Programs, Samantha Mcgee Jan 2022

A Journey To Finding Space In The Tension: Experience Of Instructors' Relationship With Religion And Spirituality In Doctoral Psychology Programs, Samantha Mcgee

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

Religion and spirituality, when viewed through a holistic lens, can reflect important aspects of a person’s identity. It can be a source of well-being and also struggle. The fields of religion, spirituality and psychology have had a history of being polarized, with some efforts to integrate the two fields. Tensions exist at multiple ecological levels around the topic of religion and spirituality, which can make it easier to avoid discussing it in classrooms and therapy rooms. It is important to address and create room for discussion of experiences around religion and spirituality in classrooms that are training psychologists so they …


No Time For That: Graduate Psychology Student Perspectives On Self-Care Culture, Anthony Primavera Jan 2022

No Time For That: Graduate Psychology Student Perspectives On Self-Care Culture, Anthony Primavera

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

Graduate psychology students face numerous stressors that can hinder their performance both academically and clinically as they move through their education and into the professional world (Pakenham & Stafford-Brown, 2012; Shen-Miller, 2011). Engagement with regular self-care not only can enhance a sense of well-being, but also plays a crucial role in shielding an individual from some of the most harmful effects of stress (Wise et al., 2012). Graduate level psychology programs are inherently positioned to teach graduate trainees about the importance of self-care practices and to help them develop self-care habits that they can take into future careers. It appears …


The Impact Of Creative Arts On Meaning Reconstruction And Loss Adaptation In Widowed Adults, Dani Baker-Cole Jan 2022

The Impact Of Creative Arts On Meaning Reconstruction And Loss Adaptation In Widowed Adults, Dani Baker-Cole

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

In counseling, helping grieving clients find meaning after significant loss is a unique, multidimensional, and lengthy process. This is particularly true in Western societies, where antithetical linear grief models, supported by hegemonic expectations to move on after loss, add exhausting pressure to speed up an individual’s natural grieving process. For that reason, this study examined how creative arts interventions such as using traditional art media and expressive writing, combined with postmodern, nonlinear, culturally sensitive bereavement models, help individuals explore their loss narrative to make meaning and adapt to loss. Specifically, this study examined the impact of a switch from traditional …


Developing The Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Power, And Privilege Assessment In Cft/Mft: A Delphi Study, Carrie Hatch Jan 2022

Developing The Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Power, And Privilege Assessment In Cft/Mft: A Delphi Study, Carrie Hatch

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

Marriage and Family Therapists (MFTs) and Couple and Family Therapists (CFTs) engage in clinical practice from a systemic framework. This framework positions MFTs to consider the impact of social systems on the MFT/CFT field and their clients. Issues related to diversity, equity, inclusion, power, and privilege (DEIPP) impact all of the systems in which we operate. Currently, there is no consensus on a tool measuring training clinicians’ competencies related to DEIPP beyond self-report. There is a need for a DEIPP competency measure because, currently, the most widely used measure is self or observer report, which may not provide a complete …


The Flourishing Trainee: Operationalizing Self-Care Education In Clinical Psychology Training Programs, Bonnie B. Zinn Jan 2022

The Flourishing Trainee: Operationalizing Self-Care Education In Clinical Psychology Training Programs, Bonnie B. Zinn

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

Evidence suggests that clinical psychology trainees may be vulnerable to stress, vicarious traumatization, secondary traumatic stress, compassion fatigue, and burnout. Research also indicates that engaging in self-care may help to protect clinical psychology trainees against those experiences and enhance their well-being. However, best available research suggests self-care education is not consistently incorporated into clinical psychology training or prioritized by program directors. This study provided a systematic review of existing literature on self-care for clinical psychology trainees, utilizing reflexive thematic analysis to identify the essential skills, knowledge, and attitudes of self-care which should be taught to trainees, and how to operationalize …


The Caregiver’S Experience Of Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome, Jordyn Deschene Jan 2022

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

Antioch University Full-Text 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 …


Love Outside Margins: Mental Health And Marginalization In Intercultural And Monocultural Couples, Tara Masseratagah Jan 2022

Love Outside Margins: Mental Health And Marginalization In Intercultural And Monocultural Couples, Tara Masseratagah

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

As the number of intercultural couples increases in North America, the impact of perceived marginalization of these relationships on the mental health of individuals is an area that requires continued clinical understanding. This quantitative study sought to explore how anxiety and depression levels in intercultural and monocultural couples are associated with levels of perceived marginalization. Qualitative follow-up questions were used to understand the varying reasons for marginalization and support between couples. One hundred twenty-four individual participants in romantic relationships took part in this study; of this, 64 were in monocultural relationships and 60 were in intercultural relationships. This study found …


The Experiences Of Marriage And Family Therapists Balancing Relational Teletherapy And Self-Care During The Covid-19 Pandemic: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Elizabeth Dumayne Jan 2022

The Experiences Of Marriage And Family Therapists Balancing Relational Teletherapy And Self-Care During The Covid-19 Pandemic: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Elizabeth Dumayne

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought many changes to the world of mental health, especially in the delivery that marriage and family therapists provide services to their clients and while balancing their own self-care. In order to provide therapists with a base from which to work through these changes, a thorough review of the literature is provided as well as an interpretative phenomenological analysis. Chapter one provides an introduction to the topic of relational teletherapy during the COVID-19 pandemic and self-care for therapists, defines the terms teletherapy and self-care, and clarifies the conceptual frameworks at use in the dissertation: ecological systems …


Managing Expectations After Expecting: A Phenomenological Study Of Anger And Societal Expectations In New Motherhood, Jennifer Monahan Demella Jan 2022

Managing Expectations After Expecting: A Phenomenological Study Of Anger And Societal Expectations In New Motherhood, Jennifer Monahan Demella

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

The literature on motherhood is dominated by topics on the roles of attachment, prenatal care, and childrearing. Research on the negative effects of motherhood is typically described in terms of postpartum depression (PPD) or postpartum mood disorder (PPMD). However, anger is a prominent component in motherhood, which may not be seen through the criteria of PPD or PPMD. Additionally, angry mothers conflict with the mythos of the Good Mother. In this phenomenological study, the thematic structure of mothers’ experience within the first year of their newborns’ life are examined. Data from interviews with seven women who were four to ten …


Experiences Of Queer Women And Nonbinary Individuals With Mental Health Care Services During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Elizabeth Claire Simpson Jan 2022

Experiences Of Queer Women And Nonbinary Individuals With Mental Health Care Services During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Elizabeth Claire Simpson

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative effect on mental health. Queer women and nonbinary individuals disproportionately experience mental health issues when compared to heterosexuals, often facing challenges in receiving care from providers who are sensitive to their concerns and competent in their care. Objective: To report experience of queer women and nonbinary individuals in the United States with mental health care services before and during the pandemic. Methods: Data were gathered via a 43-item survey about experiences with mental health care services before and during the pandemic that was posted on four social media sites, and flyers hung …


The Strategically Broken System: A Grounded Theory Study Of The Clinical Implications Of Immigration Law, Policy, And Practice, Kelle Agassiz Jan 2021

The Strategically Broken System: A Grounded Theory Study Of The Clinical Implications Of Immigration Law, Policy, And Practice, Kelle Agassiz

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

The majority of clinicians do not receive education pertaining to the legal aspects of immigration in their curriculum, training, or continuing education. In addition, the process of navigating the immigration system has been exacerbated in recent years due to rapid policy changes under the Trump administration, which has contributed to a hostile political climate, particularly for immigrants from Central America and Mexico. Using a classic grounded theory research approach, this study explored the relationship between the psychological implications of immigration and the legal challenges that immigrants face today, with a specific focus on immigration from Central America and Mexico. Through …


Experience Of Gender Role Expectations And Negotiation In Second Generation Desi Couples, Deepa Patel Jan 2021

Experience Of Gender Role Expectations And Negotiation In Second Generation Desi Couples, Deepa Patel

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

Due to the lack of research on the Desi community, this qualitative study was the first of its kind to investigate the process of gender role expectation and negotiation style among second generation Desi couples. Previous research provided awareness of unequal treatment amongst the male and female genders within the patriarchal structure of the Desi community. However, this study provided a unique understanding on Desi couples’ perspective on gender dynamics. Six couples, ages 25- 35, who were married for at least 3 years and identified as second generation Desi were interviewed in order to gain a deeper understanding of gender …


I’M So Satisfied: A Qualitative Approach To Understanding The Process Of Marriage Satisfaction Among African American Couples, Rashida Spence Jan 2021

I’M So Satisfied: A Qualitative Approach To Understanding The Process Of Marriage Satisfaction Among African American Couples, Rashida Spence

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

The current study uses a strengths-based framework to identify the process of marriage satisfaction among 1 same-sex African American married couple and 5 heterosexual African American married couples. Six themes emerged through qualitative analysis demonstrating that marriage satisfaction is a co-constructed experience created between couples through a series of interactions cultivating healthy conditions that strengthen relationship functioning and promote well-being. Based on the results the experience of marriage satisfaction is formed by the organizing concepts of connection, intentionality, purpose, sentiments of peace, authentic communication, and well-being. Results are discussed in association with existing research, as well as, Self-Determination, and Relationship …