Psychology Commons^™

Behavioral Couples Therapy For Smoking Cessation: A Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial, Heather Lachance, Erin M. Tooley

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

Introduction—Behavioral couples therapy (BCT) has been found to improve long-term abstinence rates in alcohol- and substance-dependent populations but has not been tested for smoking cessation. This pilot study examined the feasibility and acceptability of BCT for smoking-discordant couples.

Methods—Forty-nine smokers (smoking >10 cigarettes/day) with non-smoking partners were randomized to receive a couples social support (BCT-S) intervention, or an individually-delivered smoking cessation (ST) treatment. The couples were married or cohabiting for at least one year, with partners who had never smoked or had not used tobacco in one year. Both treatments included seven weekly sessions and 8-weeks of nicotine …

Saving Our Sisters: Effects Of A Computer-Based Version Of Sista On The Hiv-Related Behaviors Of African American Women, Krystal Frieson

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) are infectious diseases wreaking irreparable havoc on the lives of millions all around the world. Of those infected and affected by HIV in the United States, African Americans disproportionately bear the burden of this disease, which has resulted in a major crisis within the African American community. In 2010, African Americans accounted for approximately 44% of all new HIV infections among adolescents, 13 years of age and older, and adults [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2012). These statistics become even more dismal when both race and gender enter the …

Should Educators Be ‘Wrapping School Playgrounds In Cotton Wool’ To Encourage Physical Activity? Exploring Primary And Secondary Students’ Voices From The School Playground, Brendon P. Hyndman, Amanda Telford

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Physical activity in school playgrounds has changed considerably over recent decades to reflect a climate of ‘surplus safety’. A growing culture of surplus safety can be attributed to a desire of parents and teachers responsible for children to protect school students from danger. The aim of this research was to examine students’ perceptions of playground safety influences on physical activity during school breaks from the perspectives of the ‘users’ of school playgrounds. Data collection consisted of seven focus groups (4 primary school & 3 secondary school) conducted across four schools (2 primary & 2 secondary). During this study, the focus …

Adhd Versus Ptsd In Preschool-Aged Children: Implications For Misdiagnosis, Klaudette D. Stewart

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has been one of the most diagnosed disorders in children since it was included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders−III (DSM−III) in 1980. The number of children who have been diagnosed since that time has grown significantly, raising concerns about the overwhelming number of young children being diagnosed and prescribed medication. According to the literature, young children are diagnosed at a higher rate by pediatric primary care physicians (PCPs) than clinical child psychologists (CCPs) because they are taken to a PCP’s office by a parent, rather than referred from a school environment, …

Effectiveness Of Psychoeducation For Adult Survivors Of Sexual And Domestic Violence, Sophia Laun

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The current study investigated psychoeducational programs for adult, female survivors of sexual violence and domestic violence in a community-based, nonprofit organization in the Northeastern United States. Participants’ trauma symptoms were measured by the Trauma Symptom Checklist-40 (Briere & Runtz, 1989) and knowledge of interpersonal violence was measured by a Client Questionnaire developed by the organization. The study used the intent-to-treat analysis, using paired-samples t-tests to examine changes from pretest to posttest. There were 35 participants in the sexual violence sample and 61 participants in the domestic violence sample. The results indicated that for participants in both the sexual violence psychoeducational …

A Pilot Study To Develop A Projective Method To Understand And Measure Resilience, Tina Chen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many factors affect resilience, such as personality traits and environmental support. A projective assessment has many advantages to understand a person as a whole. Up to present, there is no projective assessment for resilience. This dissertation was a pilot study to develop a projective method. Sixty-five college students participated in this study. Participants used words to describe their feelings after hearing an open-ended story with a traumatic event; they also completed the story. In this study, the resilience ratio, defined as the ratio of the number of positive responses divided by the number of total responses, reflected the resilience level …

Minority Stress, Depression, Relationship Quality, And Alcohol Use: Associations With Overweight And Obesity Among Partnered Young Adult Lesbians, Tyler B. Mason, Robin J. Lewis

Psychology Faculty Publications

Purpose: Although lesbian women are more likely to be obese compared to heterosexual women, relatively little research has examined correlates of overweight and obesity among lesbians. The purpose of this study was to examine the association of minority stress and depression, relationship quality, and alcohol-use variables to overweight and obesity among lesbians in relationships.

Method: Self-identified lesbians (n = 737) in current relationships completed measures of demographics, minority stress, depressive symptoms, relationship variables, and alcohol use.

Results: Overweight and obesity were associated with more public identification as a lesbian, more depressive symptoms, increased heavy drinking, longer relationship length, and lower …

Delinquency And Crime Prevention: Overview Of Research Comparing Treatment Foster Care And Group Care, Gershon K. Osei, Kevin M. Gorey, Debra M. Hernandez Jozefowicz

Social Work Publications

Background: Evidence of treatment foster care (TFC) and group care’s (GC) potential to prevent delinquency and crime has been developing.

Objectives: We clarified the state of comparative knowledge with a historical overview. Then we explored the hypothesis that smaller, probably better resourced group homes with smaller staff/resident ratios have greater impacts than larger homes with a meta-analytic update.

Methods: Research literatures were searched to 2015. Five systematic reviews were selected that included seven independent studies that compared delinquency or crime outcomes among youths ages 10–18. A similar search augmented by author and bibliographic searches identified six additional studies with an …

An Exploration Of Factors Influencing Attrition From A Pediatric Weight Management Intervention, Melissa Ann Kwitowski

Theses and Dissertations

Childhood obesity is a serious health problem in the United States. Numerous weight management programs attempt to address this issue. However, attrition poses significant treatment efficacy challenges. Understanding attendance and attrition from childhood obesity programs is crucial for effective and appropriate resource utilization. NOURISH+ is a community-based treatment program for parents of overweight and obese children (age 5–11 years, BMI ≥ 85th percentile). The current study investigated attrition from NOURISH+ to enhance understanding of pediatric obesity treatment retention factors. NOURISH+ participants (n=70) completed a questionnaire assessing barriers to adherence and general program feedback. Data were analyzed using frequencies, …

Barriers To Recovery For Bangor's Buprenorphine Patients, John R. Mclaren, Erin Keller

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

There are several buprenorphine providers at EMMc's Center for Family Medicine serving the greater Bangor, ME region - an area of substantial opiate use. Among the patient population of outpatient buprenorphine users, both locally and nationally, there are high rates of relapse (~32%). In order to decrease relapse rates, it's first imperative to conduct a baseline review of the current buprenorphine population to identify specific types of patients who are at higher risk of relapse. By understanding the barriers to recovery, the office hopes to apply an intervention to the current program, targeting this local demographic more effectively.

Physician Role In Enhancing Patient Communication, Tamanna Sahni

Undergraduate Research Posters

Communication in the in-patient environment is crucial, and the relationship between a patient and physician enhances patient health and wellness. Patients should feel confident with their abilities to feel comfortable conversing with physicians, which would thus treat symptoms more effectively. This communication has decreased over time, hence patients are often are unable to obtain medical information from their healthcare providers. What is the relationship between psychological factors, such as self-esteem, and quality of patient-physician communication? And can physicians ensure increased patient comfort in the medical environment?

Various factors can affect the patients’ comfort with their physicians, and when addressed, these …

Hiv Stigma Within Religious Communities In Rural India, Krutarth J. Vyas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study was conducted to gain a better understanding of HIV/AIDS-related stigma within religious communities in rural Gujarat, India. This study used the hidden distress model of HIV stigma and the HIV peer education model as conceptual frameworks to examine a rural population sample of 100 participants. Regression analysis was conducted to test if school education had a moderating effect on the relationship between illness as punishment for sin (IPS) and HIV stigma. Religiosity was tested for mediating effects on the relationship between early religious involvement (ERI) and HIV stigma. The results of this study indicated that single unemployed men …

Perception Of Anal Hpv Infection By Hiv-Positive Men Practicing Male-Male-Sex, Philecia Simone Mullings

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a preventable, sexually transmitted infection whose prevalence has been rising dramatically among men who have sex with men (MSM) in the United States since 2008. The HPV infection rate for MSM is rising even faster for MSM who are infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and for those who have developed acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is not clear whether MSM in general and MSM with HIV have the knowledge necessary to prevent infection of themselves and their partners. This phenomenological study explored the knowledge, health perceptions, attitudes, and norms of the community of …

Health-Related Beliefs Among Low-Income African American Women And Their Perceptions About Obesity, Cenora Kimberly Akhidenor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The aim of this study was to explore the health-related beliefs and perceptions of low-income African American women regarding obesity. Phenomenology served as the conceptual framework for this study. African American women, especially those in low-income brackets, have been shown to weigh more than women of other racial/ethnic groups. The consequences of these high rates are increased risks of developing chronic health disorders, such as type II diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The study sample consisted of 7 low-income obese African American women, ranging in age from 20 to 62, who resided in the Pacific Northwest. Recruitment for participation occurred via …

Facilitating Weight Tolerance Among Health And Fitness Majors Toward Obese Persons, Stephanie Boss

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Weight bias exists in some health-related degree programs. Overweight and obese persons who experience weight bias in health-related services often delay or avoid medical attention altogether. Guided by the attribution theory, the purpose of this sequential explanatory study was to examine weight bias among health majors at a southwest regional university to illuminate how attitudes can affect the level of care provided to overweight persons. The Attitudes toward Obese Persons (ATOP) scores from a convenience sample of 184 health majors revealed that participants' scores were found to be significantly lower than the midpoint (60) of the ATOP scale, M = …

Investigating The Value Of Workplace-Endorsed Social Media For Improving Deskbound Employee Physical Activity Program Engagement And Reducing Sedentary Behaviour Health Risks, Darren Leigh Webb

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Sedentary (prolonged sitting) behaviour is now recognised as an independent health risk factor contributing to a number of preventable lifestyle related diseases (Katzmarzyk, Church, Craig, & Bouchard, 2009). The widespread integration of computers into the office environment has seen an increase in employee work time participating in technology facilitated desk-based tasks requiring them to remain physically inactive (Philipson & Posner, 2003). According to recent research, workplace sedentary behavioural practices have objectively been measured as accounting for 81.8% of employee time, with a further 15.3% categorised as light activity within office based populations (Parry & Straker, 2013). With a recorded national …

Hpv Vaccine Decision-Making Among Male Sexual Minorities: An Integrative Theoretical Framework For Vaccine Promotion, Christopher W. Wheldon

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Men who have sex with men (MSM) are at increased risk of anal cancer as a result of anal HPV infection. Routine HPV vaccination is recommended for all MSM up through age 26; however, vaccine uptake among this population is low. The Integrative Model of Behavioral Prediction (IM) was used to identify, describe, and explain psychosocial factors related to HPV vaccine decision-making for young MSM. A sequential mixed-methods approach consisting of semi-structured interviews, a quantitative survey, and a qualitative open-ended survey was used to address the following aims: (1) Determine salient outcome, normative, efficacy, and control beliefs related to HPV-vaccination …

Effects Of Occupational Stressors On Nurses’ Safety Performance And Well-Being: A Within-Individual Study, Xinxuan Che

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Occupational stressors have been extensively studied as predictors of safety performance and employee well-being in previous research. However, many newly introduced organizational constructs that have the characteristics of an occupational stressor have rarely been studied as such, especially from a within-person perspective. The current study focused on three occupational stressors in relation to safety performance. Based on previous literature, I proposed that within individuals, compulsory citizenship behavior, illegitimate tasks, and interpersonal conflict at work as occupational stressors would have negative effects on employees well-being and safety performance through negative emotions (anger), job attitudes (job satisfaction and organizational commitment) and role …