Psychology Commons^™

Examining The Impact Of Financial Stress On Affect And Eating Behaviors, Ellen Hunt Steele

Theses and Dissertations

Economic pressure and concomitant financial stress have been associated with mental and physical health problems, conflict, and poorer education and employment outcomes. Moreover, financial stress can be seen in specific hardships (e.g., food insecurity) and lead to maladaptive attempts to regulate emotions stemming from financial stressors. Women may be more vulnerable to consequences of food insecurity and attempts to regulate emotions with eating than men. Thus, the current study examined the impact of a randomized financial stress induction on affect and snack food choice while accounting for the influence of food insecurity and gender. Participants included 269 validly responding individuals. …

Patterns Of Diet And Physical Activity In Adolescent Cancer Survivors, Madison Fertig

Theses and Dissertations

Diet and physical activity have been shown to reduce the risk of obesity and related diseases in cancer survivors. Adolescents are at a unique developmental stage where they have more control over their own health behaviors, indicating an important time to develop and maintain healthy behaviors.

Post-Traumatic Growth, Resilience, And Coping In Aya Cancer Survivors, Julia Piluk

Theses and Dissertations

Adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors experience psychosocial outcomes of cancer that may cause a positive or negative outlook. Qualitative data (N=26) was collected and analyzed for subthemes of post-traumatic growth, resilience, and coping methods. Results suggest that overall, AYA cancer survivors report a sense of hope for their future.

Parenthood Orientation Among Young Women: Is It Associated With Pregnancy Intention And Unprotected Intercourse?, Nakeisha Blades

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored relationships between parenthood orientation, pregnancy intention, and unprotected intercourse. Nulligravid, sexually active women aged 18-29 (N = 252) were surveyed on these topics in May 2019. There were significant differences in parenthood orientation by past and current pregnancy intention. Higher scores on parenthood orientation were associated with increased odds of past unprotected intercourse and expecting future unprotected intercourse. Only education and contraceptive self-efficacy retained significance in adjusted models. Study results are consistent with prior work on parenthood orientation and pregnancy intention and point to other factors as stronger correlates of contraceptive use.

Non-Verbal Pride Expressions As A Predictor Of Lgbtq Health, Craig Gilbert

Theses and Dissertations

Pride is a self-conscious, positive emotion that has been assessed in a wide range of populations and with a variety of pre-validated measures. Research has shown that the presence of pride can function as a potential resilience factor against minority based stress and has been linked to increased emotional well being, life satisfaction, and self-esteem. However, a majority of this research relies upon self-report questionnaires as opposed to observational data. To evaluate the predictive power of non-verbal pride behaviors, a group of LGBTQ+ individuals (n=125) were asked during a recorded interview to describe an experience where they felt prideful about …

Investigating The Potential Causal Relationship Between Free Will Belief And Well-Being, Courtney J. Alderson

Theses and Dissertations

This multi-study dissertation had four primary aims. My first was to add to the evidence base indicating a positive association between free will belief (FWB) and subjective well-being (SWB). My second aim was to develop a measure to assess the FWB theme referred to as the principle of alternate possibilities (PAP). To achieve the first two aims, I conducted two cross-sectional studies to further establish the FWB-SWB association and start the development and assessment of a new PAP FWB measure. In the first study (N=995), I hypothesized that an EFA of the new PAP items would produce at least a …

Characterizing The Patterns, Predictors, And Processes Involved In Recovery From Substance Use Disorders, Rebecca L. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Alcohol and drug use disorders are associated with significant cost to individuals, families, and society.Approximately 40-75% of affected individuals remit from alcohol use disorders (AUD). Although the development of AUD is well studied, recovery from AUD and factors that contribute to recovery are not as well characterized. With the definition of recovery evolving towards a process rather than an outcome, there is a need to better understand psychosocial functioning and quality of life among individuals at different points in their recovery journeys. Concurrently, additional research is needed to understand the interplay between sources of recovery capital, individual differences in risk …

A Technology-Based, Mixed Methods Approach To Examining The Psychosocial Determinants Of Maternal Health Disparities, Hannah M. Ming

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Exposure to racism and discrimination in the U.S. increases Black women’s risk for experiencing maternal health disparities. Additionally, racism and discrimination affect maternal psychosocial well-being, creating evidence for a biopsychosocial relationship between racism and maternal health outcomes. However, current research does not define the psychosocial Black maternal self well. Given the dynamic relationship between racism, psychosocial well-being, and Black maternal health outcomes, research must comprehensively examine the Black maternal self. The operationalization of a comprehensive construct for Black maternal psychosocial well-being can improve understanding of the relationship between racism, psychosocial well-being, and Black maternal health outcomes.

Purpose: …

Predicting Medication Adherence Patterns During The Maintenance Phase Of Treatment For Pediatric Leukemia And Lymphoma: A Model Of Individual- And Family-Level Factors, Stephanie M. Romo

Theses and Dissertations

Adherence during the maintenance phase of pediatric cancer treatment is critical to prevent relapse and ensure long-term, event-free survival. Yet, little research has been done to examine individual- and family-level factors that may relate to adherence during the maintenance phase of treatment, particularly among Latinx patients. This is surprising given findings demonstrating that children who miss more than 5% of their prescribed oral chemotherapy medicine, most commonly 6-mercaptopurine (6MP), are 2.5-2.7 times more likely to relapse than children who take 95% or more of their prescribed 6MP. Pediatric cancer patients face unique adherence challenges given the importance of family involvement …

Psychosocial Factors In Fibromyalgia: A Phenomenological Understanding Of The Experiences Of Latinas, Elisenda Rodes

Theses and Dissertations

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a syndrome characterized by chronic, widespread musculoskeletal pain. Its prevalence is estimated to be about 2% to 5% of the adults in the United States (Arnold et al., 2019). However, significant variations exist in this respect, due to a lack of consensus about the guidelines for FM diagnosis by physicians. FM symptoms are not restricted to pain, and often include fatigue, anxiety, depression, somatic and cognitive symptoms, and poor quality of life. Although its etiological causes are still not clear, important psychological, social, and cultural factors have been linked to the onset, maintenance, and to the ways …

Black Hearts Matter: A Comparative Study Of Sociodemographic, Clinical, And Psychosocial Characteristics In Black And White Persons With Heart Failure, Hannah M Anderson Hughes

Theses and Dissertations

Heart failure (HF) is a chronic, progressive, debilitating illness that disproportionately affects Black individuals, often leading to poor quality of life (QOL). Various sociodemographic, clinical, and psychological characteristics are related to QOL in patients with HF. Because most studies do not include representative Black samples or report findings from racial subgroup analyses, these relationships and any existing racial differences are not well understood. The purpose of this descriptive, comparative study was to explore the relationships among sociodemographic, clinical, and psychological characteristics and QOL in patients with HF and to determine if there were racial differences between Black and White individuals. …

The Abuse Liability Profile Of An Unflavored, Sucralose-Sweetened, Electronic Cigarette In Combustible Cigarette Smokers, Sarah F. Maloney

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of sucralose and nicotine in otherwise unflavored PG/VG ECIG liquid solutions, via a 30-watt ECIG, using multiple measures predictive of abuse liability to provide a basic understanding of the effects of sweeteners and perceived sweetness on ECIG abuse liability in reference to combustible cigarettes. Fourteen dependent smokers completed five independent study sessions that were within-subject, Latin-square ordered, and were identical in regards to all aspects but the product used. In each session, participants were given either their own brand of cigarettes or one of the four ECIG conditions: 0 mg/mL …

Perceived Discrimination And Mental Health Outcomes In College Students: The Mediating Role Of Preventive Health Behaviors And Social Support, Sarah C M Morton

Theses and Dissertations

Perceived discrimination has been linked to adverse mental health outcomes, increased risk-taking behaviors, and poor engagement in health promoting behaviors. College students may be especially susceptible to negative mental health outcomes associated with discrimination due to the unique stressors faced by young adults (e.g., prolonged transition to adulthood, onset of mental health disorders, changes in social support). The current study examined the mediating and moderating roles of health behaviors and social support on the association between perceived discrimination and mental health outcomes (e.g., anxiety, depression, suicidality) in college students. A total of 709 college students (42.8% White; 72.2% female; 30.2% …

The Examination Of Health Care System Distrust As A Barrier To Utilization And Engagement Of Preventive Services In The Health Care System In Black Emerging Adults, With A Special Focus On Insurance Status And Usual Source Of Care., Alexandra Wynn

Theses and Dissertations

Health care system distrust is a well-known barrier to health utilization and engagement in older African Americans. However, it has not been explored in Black emerging adults, individuals 18- 26. It is important to explore the social and psychological effects of systemic barriers, such as health care system distrust, in this developmental period as emerging adults undergo unique demographic shifts, changes in sense of self, and identity exploration. Due to emerging adulthood being an exploratory and challenging transitionary phase, emerging adults have an increased susceptibility to preventable morbidity and mortality issues and decreased access to important preventive services. Thus, health …

Empowerment In Adolescents And Young Adults With Cystic Fibrosis, Rachel Holder

Theses and Dissertations

Adolescence and young adulthood is a pivotal time for individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF) that is characterized by increased self-management, transition to adult-oriented healthcare, and often a decline in treatment adherence and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) (Abbott et al., 2015; Modi et al., 2008). The literature regarding which factors are important for readiness to transition, treatment adherence, and HRQoL is limited in this population. However, empowerment has emerged as a salient construct in other disease groups (Acuña Mora et al., 2019; Burström et al., 2019; Kaal et al., 2017). As such, this thesis determined the convergent validity of the …

Shared Decision Making In Adolescence: The Role Of Race And Health Status, Mona L. Quarless

Theses and Dissertations

Youth participation in Shared Decision Making (SDM) is still a novel clinical practice with unique considerations. Moreover, though SDM has been touted as an effective model for patient-centered care it has largely been underutilized and under-researched in Black and Latinx adolescent populations. The current study examined the association of health factors that may relate to Black and Latinx adolescents, their families, and HCPs engaging in SDM. Specifically, I examined within-group racial differences in relation to health conditions (i.e., pain, obesity, mental health status) and SDM during adolescence. Measures of adolescent chronic pain, BMI status (overweight/obese), mental health symptoms (depression/anxiety), SDM …