Psychology Commons^™

Treatment Of Co-Morbid Methamphetamine Substance Abuse And Borderline Personality Disorder Features Using Modified Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Jessica R. Schultz Fischer

Dissertations

The study investigated the effectiveness of a time-limited, skills-based treatment in a population of female substance abusers. This project implemented a pilot clinical trial to evaluate the effectiveness of a 12-session modified Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) protocol among a small sample of women, with co-morbid borderline personality disorder features, receiving concurrent outpatient treatment for methamphetamine abuse. A non-concurrent multiple baseline design was used. In addition to on-going assessment conducted during baseline and weekly over the course of treatment, a comprehensive assessment battery was administered pre-, and post-treatment as well as at 1 and 3 months following treatment. Findings suggest that …

An Investigation Of Relationship Characteristics, Exercise And Physical Activity, Couple And Life Satisfaction, Mark W. St. Martin

Dissertations

Exercise has been shown to be positively related to many different variables including sexual satisfaction, mental health, and physical health. These variables, in turn, have been linked to increased life satisfaction and couple satisfaction. The primary purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between exercise and couple satisfaction as well as exercise and life satisfaction. A secondary purpose was to replicate previous findings on the relationships between communication, love, sexual satisfaction, self-esteem, and physical health and couple satisfaction.

A total of 229 undergraduate and graduate students from a large Midwestern university in the United States participated in this …

An Examination Of The Role Of Anxiety And Obsessive-Compulsive Features In Muscle Dysmorphia Symptomatology, Christopher Chandler

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Although Muscle Dsymorphia (MD) has received more attention in recent years, it still lacks an official classification. The current study incorporates trait anxiety and obsessive-compulsive features into an etiological model of MD in the hopes of establishing them as reliable predictors of such MD symptomatology as drive for muscularity, social physique anxiety, and negative body attitude (self). This model was based upon previous research that has linked trait anxiety and obsessive-compulsive features to eating disorders (ED). In this model, it was predicted that trait anxiety and obsessive-compulsive features would predict overall MD symptomatology, drive for muscularity, social physique anxiety, and …

Efficacy Of Cognitive Therapy And Pharmacotherapy In Depression: A Meta-Analysis, Daniel B. Michel

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

A meta-analysis comparing the long-term effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and pharmacotherapy in preventing relapse following treatment discontinuation was performed using published studies of depressed participants. Twenty-three articles met inclusionary criteria and were included in the analyses. Weighted effect sizes and moderators, treatment type, were calculated using statistical analysis software. Initially, fixed effects models were applied to the data, but due to significant between-group heterogeneity that could not be fully explained by treatment type, mixed effect models were used to account for the residual heterogeneity. Results indicated that overall, depressed individuals treated to remission with CBT evidence decreased relapse …

Ethnicity And Mental Health Treatment Utilization By Patients With Personality Disorders, Donna S. Bender, Andrew E. Skodol, Ingrid R. Dyck, John C. Markowitz, M. Tracie Shea, Shirley Yen, Charles A. Sanislow, Anthony Pinto, Mary C. Zanarini, Thomas H. Mcglashan, John G. Gunderson, Maria T. Daversa, Carlos M. Grilo

Charles A. Sanislow, Ph.D.

The authors examined the relationship between ethnicity and treatment utilization by individuals with personality disorders (PDs). Lifetime and prospectively determined rates and amounts of mental health treatments received were compared in over 500 White, African American, and Hispanic participants with PDs in a naturalistic longitudinal study. Minority, especially Hispanic, participants were significantly less likely than White participants to receive a range of outpatient and inpatient psychosocial treatments and psychotropic medications. This pattern was especially pronounced for minority participants with more severe PDs. A positive support alliance factor significantly predicted the amount of individual psychotherapy used by African American and Hispanic …

Human Parietal "Reach Region" Primarily Encodes Intrinsic Visual Direction, Not Extrinsic Movement Direction, In A Visual Motor Dissociation Task., Juan Fernandez-Ruiz, Herbert C Goltz, Joseph F X Desouza, Tutis Vilis, J Douglas Crawford

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

Posterior parietal cortex (PPC) participates in the planning of visuospatial behaviors, including reach movements, in gaze-centered coordinates. It is not known if these representations encode the visual goal in retinal coordinates, or the movement direction relative to gaze. Here, by dissociating the intrinsic retinal stimulus from the extrinsic direction of movement, we show that PPC employs a visual code. Using delayed pointing and event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging, we identified a cluster of PPC regions whose activity was topographically (contralaterally) related to the direction of the planned movement. We then switched the normal visual-motor spatial relationship by adapting subjects to …

Psychiatry’S Thirty-Five-Year, Non-Empirical Reach For Biological Explanations, W. Joseph Wyatt, Donna M. Midkiff

Psychology Faculty Research

This is our third article in a series that began with a special issue of Behavior and Social Issues in 2006. Here we briefly review our central points from the first two articles. First is that over the past thirty-five years, claims of biological causation of mental and behavioral disorders have gone well beyond the research data, for reasons that are largely related to psychiatry’s lost esteem and protection of its “turf,” as well as to the financial interests of the pharmaceutical industry. Our second position is that claims of psychotropic drugs’ effectiveness have been overstated. We respond, as well, …

The Development Of The Self-Injury Self-Report Measure., Sonia Lorraine Coney

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite the amount of research that has been conducted on self-injury there is a lack of empirically validated instruments with which to measure self-injurious behavior. The present study developed a measure to examine self-injury and the associated features. Undergraduate students (n = 184) were administered a set of surveys to assess demographics, self-injurious behavior, suicidal ideation, Axis I and Axis II disorders, and impulsivity. Results indicated that a reliable measure, able to assess the extent of self-injury as well as associated features, was developed. Such a measure will enable clinicians to better assess self-injury and enable researchers to more fully …

Integrating Spirituality And Psychotherapy: Ethical Issues And Principles To Consider, Thomas G. Plante

Psychology

Professional and scientific psychology appears to have rediscovered spirituality and religion during recent years, with a large number of conferences, seminars, workshops, books, and special issues in major professional journals on spirituality and psychology integration. The purpose of this commentary is to highlight some of the more compelling ethical principles and issues to consider in spirituality and psychology integration with a focus on psychotherapy. This commentary will use the American Psychological Association's (2002) Ethics Code and more specifically, the RRICC model of ethics that readily applies to various mental health ethics codes across the world. The RRICC model highlights the …

The Sensitivity And Psychometric Properties Of A Brief Computer-Based Cognitive Screening Battery In A Depression Clinic, S A. Langenecker, A Caveney, B Giordani, E A. Young, Kristy Nielson, L J. Rapport, L A. Bieliauskas, M J. Mordhorst, S Marcus, N Yodkovik, K Kerber, S Berent, J K. Zubieta

Kristy Nielson

At present, there is poor accuracy in assessing cognitive and vegetative symptoms in depression using clinician or self-rated measures, suggesting the need for development of standardized tasks to assess these functions. The current study assessed the psychometric properties and diagnostic specificity of a brief neuropsychological screening battery designed to assess core signs of depression; psychomotor retardation, attention and executive functioning difficulties, and impaired emotion perception within an outpatient psychiatry setting. Three hundred eighty-four patients with mood disorders and 77 healthy volunteers participated. A large percentage of patients met diagnostic criteria for Major Depressive Disorder alone (49%) or with another comorbid …

Validity Of The Clinical Assessment Of Depression With The Brief Symptom Inventory, Carlie West

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Depression is a disorder frequently noted in college students that can affect multiple aspects of one's life, ranging from physical health issues to interpersonal relationship difficulties. Therefore, it is imperative that the depressive symptoms of college students be identified, evaluated, and treated. This investigation explored the validity of a newly published self-report narrow-band measure of depression, the Clinical Assessment of Depression (CAD; Bracken & Howell, 2004) with an existing broad-band measure, the Brief Symptom Inventory (Derogatis, 1993). College students 18 to 52 years of age (n = 280) enrolled in undergraduate courses in psychology at a south central Kentucky university …

The Effects Of Intensity Level And Expertise On Attentional Focus During Exercise, Diana Gieske

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

An important goal of exercise psychology is to identify factors that influence exercise adherence. More than half of Americans do not get the physical activity that doctors recommend for maintaining or improving a healthy lifestyle. Attentional focus during exercise has been identified as one casual factor with regard to exercise adherence. Attentional focus has traditionally oeen defined as associative or dissociative (Morgan & Pollock, 1977). Association implies that an exerciser's attention is focused on how his or her body is reacting to the exercise (such as sweating, muscle soreness, and breathing) or on things such as pace and split-times. Dissociation …

A Model For Preventing Anorexia In College Students, Laura Ann Negin

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The prevalence of anorexia nervosa in the general population is relatively low, but anorexia is at the forefront of health concerns because of its seriousness. Unhealthy weight loss has numerous physical, psychological, and social consequences. Most seriously, the mortality rate for people with eating disorders is the highest of all the major psychiatric disorders.

This dissertation presents a model for preventing anorexia nervosa in a population of college students that includes a comprehensive institutional approach, psychoeducational software, a high-risk population, a holistic approach that identifies an individual’s personal risk factors and protective factors, and individual therapy.

The model is built …

Religious Coping And Depression In Home Care Patients, Kirsten Ingheim

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This study examined the impact of a medical illness in 36 elderly male and female home health care patients with a primary diagnosis of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and how they coped with their medical condition. Relationships between depression and religious coping, functional status, quality of life, and depression, as well as relationship between functional status and quality of life were investigated. In addition, a moderating effect of the relationship between functional status and depression by religious coping was explored. The participants completed the Religious Problem-Solving Scale (RPSS) (Collaborative, Deferring, and Self-Directing), the SF-12 …

Predictors Of Emotional Reactions In Women Treated For Breast Cancer, Erin E. Ramirez

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Breast cancer can be a devastating disease that impacts a woman in all spheres of her life (Ingram, 1989). Previous studies have examined the impact of breast cancer on body satisfaction, as well as the impact on emotional well-being. Studies have also examined the role of the coping style that a woman engages in response to the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer in the woman's psychological adjustment to the disease. However, to date, no research has introduced and tested a multifaceted model.

The purpose of this study was to develop a model predicting psychological maladjustment in women treated for …

Behavioral Compliance And Verbal Intelligence In Children, Jared Jackson

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Compliance with parental requests is an important developmental task necessary in the socialization of children. The majority of research has focused on the relationship between child compliance and variables related to age, parental interactions, and child temperament. While these variables account for almost half of the variance related to compliance in children, there is still a large amount of variance unaccounted for. An area that has not been fully explored is the role of verbal intelligence in behavioral compliance of children. This study explored the contributions that verbal intelligence may play in the behavioral compliance of children. Results from this …

Predictors Of Emotional Reactions In Women Treated For Breast Cancer, Erin E. Ramirez

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Breast cancer can be a devastating disease that impacts a woman in all spheres of her life (Ingram, 1989). Previous studies have examined the impact of breast cancer on body satisfaction, as well as the impact on emotional well-being. Studies have also examined the role of the coping style that a woman engages in response to the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer in the woman's psychological adjustment to the disease. However, to date, no research has introduced and tested a multifaceted model.

The purpose of this study was to develop a model predicting psychological maladjustment in women treated for …

Children With Autism: Sleep Problems And Predictors Of Maternal Stress, Cindy Y. Nam

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Research examining the impact of children’s autism and the sleep problems frequently associated with the disorder on parents’ stress has been quite limited. Studies have been constrained by methodological problems, including small sample sizes and the examination of children of autism within larger groups of children with a range of developmental disabilities. Typically, diagnostic criteria used to select children for an autism study is not indicated and no measure of the severity of children’s symptomology is included. The present investigation was designed to examine children’s autism symptomology and parents’ reports of their children’s sleep problems as well as the parents …

Predictors Of Female Sexual Dysfunction, Julie M. Merrell

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Tiefer, Hall, and Tavris (2002) described factors comprising four categories of female sexual dysfunction. They suggested that unique factors need to be examined to understand sexual dysfunction in women. Socio-cultural, political, or economic factors, partner and relationship factors, psychological factors, and medical factors described as aspects of women’s lives that can be the source of sexual dysfunction. The current study examined indicators of the above factors-body shame, relationship satisfaction, sexual self-schema, positive and negative affect, and overall health-as predictors of female sexual dysfunction. The hypotheses were: Body shame and negative affect will be negatively associated with sexual function; and relationship …

Effects Of Therapy Dogs On Anxiety In Children Participating In Sexual Abuse Forensic Interviews At Children's Advocacy Center, Andra K. Chamberlin

Student Dissertations & Theses

This study investigated the effect of therapy dogs on physiological and psychological measures of anxiety before and after a forensic interview in children who may have been sexually abused. A convenience sample consisted of 37 children ages 6 to 12 years who presented at a children’s advocacy center for sexual abuse forensic interviews. Twenty children had a therapy dog present during their time at the Center and 17 did not. Researchers measured systolic blood pressure (SBP) and heart rate (HR) using a Zelwa WS-TS Touch Screen Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor. State- anxiety was assessed using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for …

Effects Of Colon Cancer Risk Counseling For First-Degree Relatives, Karen Glanz, Alana D. Steffen, Lauren Taglialatela

Faculty and Research Publications

Background: Individuals with a first-degree relative who has had colorectal cancer are at increased risk for colorectal cancer and thus can benefit from early detection. Tailored risk counseling may increase adherence to screening guidelines in these persons. The present study evaluated a culturally sensitive Colon Cancer Risk Counseling (CCRC) intervention for relatives of colorectal cancer patients.

Methods: A randomized trial evaluated personalized CCRC sessions with print materials and follow-up phone calls compared with a comparable General Health Counseling (GHC) intervention. One hundred and seventy-six siblings and children of colorectal cancer patients, living in Hawaii, were assessed at baseline and 4 …

Examining The Ability Of The Halstead -Reitan Battery And The Wide Range Achievement Test To Utilize Severity In Discriminating Among Alzheimer's Dementia Patients, Gina Gibson-Beverly

Doctoral Dissertations

Measuring change in cognitive status is essential for the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of brain dysfunction. Psychological abilities are differentially affected by brain dysfunction severity, as some abilities are more vulnerable to brain dysfunction than others. Neuropsychological assessments can be viewed as a continuum of "hold" and "don't hold" tests. "Hold" tests assess abilities that remain stable in spite of brain dysfunction, while "don't hold" tests measure skills that are significantly compromised by brain impairment. The present study ranks the Halstead-Reitan Battery (HRB) and the Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT) subtests based on their ability to discriminate between two levels …

Evaluation Of A Sleep Hygiene Program To Improve Inmate Sleep Quality, Jennifer F. Hodges-Crowder

Doctoral Dissertations

Research investigating the effectiveness of treatments for inmates with poor sleep quality appears minimal. Some difficulties related to poor sleep quality can be addressed effectively with little time and expense. Studies show that psychoeducational interventions are effective in reducing sleep complaints and improving sleep quality in a variety of populations including college students and adults. However, the effect of sleep hygiene interventions on inmate sleep complaints is unknown. Thus, the purpose of this study was to evaluate a psychoeducational intervention program aimed at improving prison inmate sleep habits, length, and quality.

Participants of this study were inmates at a department …

The Health Implications Of Violence Against Women: Untangling The Complexities Of Actual And Chronic Effects: Part Two, Carol E. Jordan

Office for Policy Studies on Violence Against Women Publications

No abstract provided.

The Importance Of Gender And Readiness To Change In The Prediction Of Drinking And Negative Consequences Of First-Year Student Drinkers, Margot E. Ackermann

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

College drinking is widespread, and binge drinkers can experience serious consequences. The present study examined the effectiveness of two interventions, expressive writing and behavioral monitoring, as well a combined condition, in reducing drinking and negative consequences associated with drinking. Gender differences and differences in readiness to change binge drinking were also assessed. Participants (N = 97) completed a pretest, eight weekly intervention activities, and a posttest during their first semester of college. An ANOVA tested the hypothesis that individuals higher in readiness to change binge drinking participated in more of the weekly intervention activities; this hypothesis was not supported. A …

Comparison Of Alternative Models For Personality Disorders, Leslie C. Morey, Christopher J. Hopwood, John G. Gunderson, Andrew E. Skodol, M. Tracie Shea, Shirley Yen, Robert L. Stout, Mary C. Zanarini, Carlos M. Grilo, Charles A. Sanislow, Thomas H. Mcglashan

Charles A. Sanislow, Ph.D.

BACKGROUND: The categorical classification system for personality disorder (PD) has been frequently criticized and several alternative dimensional models have been proposed.

METHOD: Antecedent, concurrent and predictive markers of construct validity were examined for three models of PDs: the Five-Factor Model (FFM), the Schedule for Nonadaptive and Adaptive Personality (SNAP) model and the DSM-IV in the Collaborative Study of Personality Disorders (CLPS) sample.

RESULTS: All models showed substantial validity across a variety of marker variables over time. Dimensional models (including dimensionalized DSM-IV) consistently outperformed the conventional categorical diagnosis in predicting external variables, such as subsequent suicidal gestures and hospitalizations. FFM facets …

Positive Childhood Experiences: Resilience And Recovery From Personality Disorder In Early Adulthood, Andrew E. Skodol, Donna S. Bender, Maria E. Pagano, M. Tracie Shea, Shirley Yen, Charles A. Sanislow, Carlos M. Grilo, Maria T. Daversa, Robert L. Stout, Mary C. Zanarini, Thomas H. Mcglashan, John G. Gunderson

Charles A. Sanislow, Ph.D.

OBJECTIVE: Recent follow-along studies of personality disorders have shown significant improvement in psychopathology over time. The purpose of this study was to prospectively investigate the association between positive childhood experiences related to resiliency and remission from personality disorder.

METHOD: Five hundred twenty patients with DSM-IV-based semistructured interview diagnoses of schizotypal, borderline, avoidant, or obsessive-compulsive personality disorders were evaluated 6 times over 4 years between September 1996 and June 2002. Positive childhood experiences, including achievements, positive interpersonal relationships with others, and caretaker competencies, were measured using the Childhood Experiences Questionnaire-Revised. The effects of positive childhood experiences on clinically significant remission from …

Psychosocial Impairment And Treatment Utilization By Patients With Borderline Personality Disorder, Other Personality Disorders, Mood And Anxiety Disorders, And A Healthy Comparison Group, Emily B. Ansell, Charles A. Sanislow, Thomas H. Mcglashan, Carlos M. Grilo

Charles A. Sanislow, Ph.D.

This study compared psychosocial functioning and treatment utilization in 130 participants who were diagnosed with a borderline personality disorder (BPD), a non-BPD personality disorder (OPD), a mood and/or anxiety disorder (MAD), or had no current psychiatric diagnosis and served as a healthy comparison group. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th Edition) diagnoses, psychosocial functioning, and treatment utilization were determined by using well-established semistructured research interviews conducted by trained doctoral-level clinicians. Analysis of variance revealed the most severe deficits in functioning characterized the BPD group across areas of global functioning with more moderate impairments in functioning occurring in OPD …

Are Successful Applicants To The Roman Catholic Deaconate Psychologically Healthy?, Thomas G. Plante, Kathleen Lackey

Psychology

The current investigation evaluated psychological and personality profiles of successful applicants to the deaconate in several Roman Catholic dioceses in California. The MMPI-2 and 16PF were administered to 25 applicants between 2004 and 2006 who subsequently entered the permanent deaconate program. Results indicate that these applicants to the deaconate were generally well-adjusted as well as being socially responsible. Findings also suggest some tendency for defensiveness, repression, naivete, and a strong need for affection, as well as for being emotionally stable, genuine, and cooperative.

Alcohol Slows Interhemispheric Transmission, Increases The Flash-Lag Effect, And Prolongs Masking: Evidence For A Slowing Of Neural Processing And Transmission., Sarah A Khan, Brian Timney

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

While the alcohol literature is extensive, relatively little addresses the relationship between physiological effects and behavioural changes. Using the visual system as a model, we examined alcohol's influence on neural temporal processing as a potential means for alcohol's effects. We did this by using tasks that provided a measure of processing speed: Poffenberger paradigm, flash-lag, and backward masking. After moderate alcohol, participants showed longer interhemispheric transmission times, larger flash-lags, and prolonged masking. Our data are consistent with the view that alcohol slows neural processing, and provide support for a reduction in processing efficiency underlying alcohol-induced changes in temporal visual processing.