Psychology Commons^™

Development And Validation Of The Pain Resilience And Optimism Scale (Pros), Wonjin Seo

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Numerous self-report questionnaires have been used in pain research to explore patients' experiences. However, these questionnaires often employ negatively worded items that can potentially worsen patients' distress. In response to the emergence of positive psychology, this thesis aimed to develop a new questionnaire that adopts a positive and strengths-focused approach, incorporating resilience, to replace the negative items found in existing tools such as the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS). First, the effectiveness of the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) in measuring resilience following trauma was assessed through a systematic review using the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health status Measurement INstruments …

Supporting Post-Secondary Implementation Of Recovery-Oriented Practice In A Stepped Care Model, Janis Campbell

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

Student mental health has been a growing concern for higher education communities for many years. Campuses have been struggling to keep up with the increasing demand for services which has been complicated further by the COVID-19 pandemic. A Stepped Care model (SCM) developed at a Canadian university has been offering new ways of organizing mental health resources based on open access, student choice, and recovery principles. There are diverse definitions of recovery in the literature and are usually based on values such as empowerment, respect, and self-determination. SCMs have been shown to increase access to resources and reduce or eliminate …

Gender-Based Violence Survey, Alyssa J. Madhani

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

My research output shows the theoretical and practical skills gained from this internship. It also showcases some of the key learning from the survey- recognizing critical expertise in gender-based violence work.

In Search Of Psychiatric Kinds: Natural Kinds And Natural Classification In Psychiatry, Nicholas Slothouber

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In recent years both philosophers and scientists have asked whether or not our current kinds of mental disorder—e.g., schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder—are natural kinds; and, moreover, whether or not the search for natural kinds of mental disorder is a realistic desideratum for psychiatry. In this dissertation I clarify the sense in which a kind can be said to be “natural” or “real” and argue that, despite a few notable exceptions, kinds of mental disorder cannot be considered natural kinds. Furthermore, I contend that psychopathological phenomena do not cluster together into kinds in the way that paradigmatic natural kinds (e.g., chemical …

Prevalence Of Moral Injury In Canadian Forces Members Deployed To Afghanistan, Kevin T. Hansen

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Moral injury is a relatively new area of study within military mental health care, as such, prevalence estimates for both moral injury and exposure to potentially morally injurious events (PMIE; a moral injury precursor) are unknown for many of the world’s militaries. PMIE is commonly defined as the perpetrating, failing to prevent, witnessing, or learning about acts or events that transgress an individual’s deeply held moral belief(s). The primary purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of PMIE in a population of Canadian Armed Forces (CF) members who served in support of the recent mission to Afghanistan. How …

Gender And Age Considerations In The Relationship Of Frequency Of Nssi And Emotion Regulation In Comparison To Ssi, Kathryn Harrison

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a pervasive problem within our society and has been increasing since the late 1980s. NSSI is the deliberate destruction of body tissue without the intention of suicide. In comparison, suicidal self-injury involves the intention of suicide. A sample of 8-18 year olds (N=519) were studied to explore how differences in age, gender and emotion regulation impacted their engagement in NSSI and SSI. Participants were grouped into NSSI, SSI and control groups. Findings indicated that emotion regulation abilities did not significantly differ between groups, the SSI group were significantly older than both NSSI and control groups, the …

Mixed Methods Pilot Study Of Peri-Diagnostic Exercise Behaviour Change Among Women With Suspected Breast Cancer, Amy L. Deckert

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Approximately 1 in 9 Canadian women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime (CCS, 2013). Over the past 30 years, population-based screening programs have contributed to decreased mortality rates (CCS, 2013), however the psychosocial sequelae associated with screening for breast cancer cannot be ignored (Holland et al., 2010). Although the majority of women screened will receive a benign diagnosis, the threat of malignancy can induce elevated levels of distress (Andrykowski et al., 2002).

We conducted a mixed methods pilot study to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a 6-week self-managed exercise behaviour change intervention to attenuate distress in women with …

Measuring The Sixth Vital Sign: A Descriptive Analysis Of Distress In Individuals With Head And Neck Cancer And Their Caregivers, Catherine C. Bornbaum

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Introduction: Distress has become so problematic in oncology that it has been recognized as the “sixth vital sign” implying that distress monitoring should occur as routinely as the monitoring of one’s temperature or blood pressure. The research reported herein investigated the impact of head and neck cancer on levels of distress, commonly reported problems, and perceptions of quality of life in individuals with head and neck cancer and their caregivers.

Method: Two distinct studies were conducted; the first explored the patient experience of distress and quality of life while the second assessed the caregiver experience of these same constructs. A …