Psychology Commons^™

How Did Latinxs Near The U.S.-Mexico Border Fare During The Covid-19 Pandemic? A Snapshot Of Anxiety, Depression, And Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms, Bianca T. Villalobos, Juventino Hernandez Rodriguez

Psychological Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Introduction: The current study documented levels of anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress, and COVID-19 fears and impacts among Latinxs living near the U.S.-Mexico border during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: Participants of this cross-sectional study were 305 Latinx adults living in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) who completed an online survey between June and November 2020.

Results: About half of participants scored above the cut-off for anxiety (50.2%; GAD-7 scores ≥10) and depression (48.8%; PHQ-9 scores ≥10), and more than a quarter of participants showed clinical levels of posttraumatic stress (27.3%; PCL-5 scores ≥31). Latinxs reported on average 22 types of negative …

Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms In Response To Covid-19–Related Adverse Events In Hispanic Individuals, Michiyo Hirai, Laura L. Vernon

Psychological Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

The current study examined the effects of COVID-19 death and infection stressors on posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and the moderating role of resilience and coping in the association between the COVID-19 stressors and PTSS in Hispanic young adults. On average, COVID-19 death led to higher PTSS than COVID-19 infection. Among participants with relatively high resilience, higher engagement coping, or lower disengagement coping, the magnitudes of the impacts of COVID-19 death and infection on PTSS were similar, suggesting the buffering role of resilience and coping. Resilience and engagement coping may protect Hispanic individuals from elevated PTSS in response to traumatic experiences.

Intergenerational Transmission Of Alexithymia As A Predictor Of Child Posttraumatic Stress Outcomes During Covid-19, Casey Burton

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to test the role of parent alexithymia in explaining why some children are functioning relatively well during the COVID-19 pandemic while others are experiencing poor mental health. Participants were 88 U.S. children (M_age = 9.94 years; 54.5% female; 59.1% White) and their parents/caregivers (68.2% female; 59.1% White). Two models were tested: a path model in which the association between parent alexithymia symptoms and child COVID-19-related posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) was mediated by child alexithymia symptoms, and a moderator model in which the association between parent alexithymia symptoms and child PTSS was moderated …

The Experiences Of Female Survivors Of Sexual Assault When They Make A Police Report, Tracy L. Rainey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nearly 20% of all women will be the victim of an attempted or completed sexual assault within the United States, yet less than one quarter of victims will report their experienced crime to law enforcement (LE). Many survivors of sexual violence experience apprehension about reporting sexual assault, due to fear of social consequences, relational consequences, and fear of the reprisal from LE officers. The purpose of this interpretive descriptive qualitative study was to describe and interpret the experiences of adult, female sexual assault survivors when they make a LE report about their victimization. Resilience theory, which is the study of …

Posttraumatic Cognitions As A Pathway From Resilience To Sleep In First Responders, Emily Peterman Cabano

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

Abstract

First responders experience repeated trauma exposure within a unique environment that subjects them to multiple personal and professional stressors, discourages vulnerability, and disrupts sleep (Chamberlin & Green, 2010; Vargas de Barros et al., 2013). First responders have been shown to have higher rates of posttraumatic stress disorder, as well as more frequent negative effects of their symptoms including adverse effects on their personal and professional functioning (Cheng et al., 2018; Gayton & Lovell, 2012). While first responders face significant risks to their mental health in the line of duty, there is insufficient population-specific research focused on these unique risks, …

The Mental Health Of Latinx Adults In The United States During The Coronavirus Pandemic: A Snapshot Of Anxiety, Depression, And Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms, Bianca T. Villalobos, Juventino Hernandez Rodriguez

Psychological Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

The current study documented levels of anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress, and COVID-19 fears and impacts among Latinxs in the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants of this cross-sectional study were 388 Latinx adults who completed an online survey between June and November 2020. Almost half of participants showed clinical levels of anxiety and depression and more than a quarter of participants showed clinical levels of posttraumatic stress. Latinxs reported on average 22 types of negative pandemic life impacts. Group differences based on gender, educational attainment, income, vulnerability to COVID-19, and essential worker status were found for mental health symptoms. Severity …

From Military Service To Diakonia: A Training Program For Clergy Ministering To Veterans, Danielle Xanthos

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Many veterans opt to seek the support of clergy before mental health professionals. Most clergy, however, are unfamiliar with the nuances of the veteran culture and experience. Mental health professionals who specialize in working with the veteran population can collaborate with clergy to bridge this gap of care to mutually develop a better understanding of veteran culture and symptoms of mental health conditions common among the veteran population, and by equipping clergy with basic tools that promote psychological and spiritual wellbeing. Special consideration is given to the concept of moral injury and the application of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, illustrating …

Risk Factors Associated With Somatic Symptoms Following Military Sexual Trauma In Members Of The National Guard And Reserves, Chelsea J. Mcmahon

USC Aiken Psychology Theses

Objective: The purpose of the present study is to expand existing literature on risk factors that are associated with poorer physical health outcomes following incidents of Military Sexual Trauma (MST) to include both Military Sexual Harassment and Military Sexual Assault in members of the United States National Guard and Reserve.

Method: The current study used archival data collected by a research team at the Veteran Affairs Boston Healthcare System in order to identify potential factors such as gender, social support, immediate medical treatment, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, and Depression. Moderation and mediation analyses were performed to examine the association between experiences …

Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms And Alcohol Outcomes: The Mediating Role Of Drinking Motives And Protective Behavioral Strategies, Hallie R. Jordan

Dissertations

The present study evaluated the sequentially mediating role of drinking motives (i.e. social, enhancement, coping, conformity) and alcohol protective behavioral strategy (PBSA) subtypes (i.e. serious harm reduction [SHR], stopping/limiting drinking [SLD], manner of drinking [MOD]) on the relationships posttraumatic stress symptoms had with hazardous drinking and alcohol-related negative consequences in college students. Participants were 492 (50.8% men) traditional age (i.e. 18 to 25 years old) college students reporting past 30 day alcohol consumption and the experience of at least one potentially traumatic event over their lifetime. Participants reported their gender and completed measures of posttraumatic stress symptoms, drinking motives, PBS …

A Chronic Route?: Examining The Path Between Community Violence Exposure, Posttraumatic Stress & Juvenile Delinquency In Low-Income, Urban, African-American Youth, Kaleigh Valencia Wilkins

Master's Theses

Background: Exposure to community violence (ECV; direct victimization and witnessing) can predict negative outcomes for youth such as posttraumatic stress (PTSS) and juvenile delinquent behavior (JDB). Psychosocial reactions to violence can be different based on gender. Predictors of ECV in youth is less understood. This study aims to explore potential chronic pathways between initial ECV and continued ECV for early adolescents. The relationship between ECV as a predictor and ECV as an outcome is hypothesized to be mediated by both PTSS and JDB and moderated by gender. Method: A total of 266 African-American, sixth grade students in high crime, high …

Trauma And Identity: A Reciprocal Relationship?, Steven L. Berman, Marilyn J. Montgomery, Kaylin Ratner

Faculty Publications - Graduate School of Counseling

Trauma can alter the course of identity development and destabilize existing identity commitments. Trauma, whether past or current, can also impact the resources a person brings to identity work. However, identity can also be a lens through which trauma is perceived and interpreted, helping to determine whether a traumatic experience results in posttraumatic stress disorder or posttraumatic growth. Despite the apparent implications each construct has for the other, the scholarship at the intersection of trauma and identity remains sparse. This Special Issue explores how and when trauma and identity influence one another by considering their association across various adolescent populations, …

Recovery After Genocide: Understanding The Dimensions Of Recovery Capital Among Incarcerated Genocide Perpetrators In Rwanda, Kevin Barnes-Ceeney, Lior Gideon, Laurie Leitch, Kento Yasuhara

Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Utilizing survey data from 302 men and women incarcerated in the Rwandan correctional system for the crime of genocide, and structured interviews with 75 prisoners, this mixed methods study draws on the concept of recovery capital to understand how individuals convicted of genocide navigate post-genocide healing. Genocide smashes physical and human capital and perverts social and cultural capital. Experiencing high levels of posttraumatic stress symptoms with more than two-thirds of the sample scoring above typical civilian cut-off levels, raised levels of depression, and high levels of anxiety, and failing physical health, the genocide perpetrators require multiple sources of recovery capital …

The Transactional Theory Of Stress And Coping: Predicting Posttraumatic Distress In Telecommunicators, Dana Marie Dillard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Telecommunicators (e.g., dispatchers and 911 operators) experience firsthand the death and suffering of friends, family, peers, and strangers in a chaotic work environment characterized by chronic stress and lack of support. Previous research has demonstrated telecommunicators are at increased risk for negative health outcomes; however, existing research does not identify predictive pathways to posttrauma symptoms in telecommunicators. In an application of the transactional theory of stress and coping, I used structural equation modeling to examine occupational antecedents, work-family conflict, negative appraising, and coping as predictors of posttraumatic stress symptoms in telecommunicators. A convenience sample of 103 telecommunicators, recruited through agencies …

Posttraumatic Stress And Hazardous Alcohol Use In College Students: The Moderating Role Of Alcohol Protective Behavioral Strategies, Hallie R. Jordan

Master's Theses

The present study evaluated the moderating role of alcohol protective behavioral strategy subtypes (Al-PBS; Serious Harm Reduction [SHR], Manner of Drinking [MOD], Stopping/Limiting Drinking [SLD]) and gender on the relationships between traumatic stress symptoms and both hazardous drinking and alcohol-related negative consequences. Participants were 915 traditional age (18 to 25 years old) college students from nine universities in the United States who reported drinking in the past. All participants reported their gender and completed measures of traumatic stress symptoms, Al-PBS use, hazardous drinking, and alcohol-related negative consequences through an online survey. Experiencing greater traumatic stress symptoms was associated with both …

Measuring Community Violence, Trauma, And Family Functioning Among Youth Living In Low-Income, Urban Environments, Kyle Deane

Dissertations

Exposure to community violence is a pressing public health concern that has profound effects on an adolescent’s development and psychological well-being, and is disproportionately experienced by ethnic minority youth living in economically disadvantaged urban environments. Efforts to measure violence exposure and its sequelae have centered primarily on the use of retrospective questionnaires and cross-sectional design and often fail to consider other contributory risk or resilience factors. Comprised of three related studies, the goal of this dissertation is to address the relations between of exposure to community violence, adjustment difficulties, such as posttraumatic stress, and family functioning among African American and …

Intra- And Inter-Personal Predictors Of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder And Sexual Risk-Taking Behaviors, Seigie L. Kennedy

Graduate Dissertations and Theses

Sexual risk-taking, while common in college culture, can increase the risk of sexual victimization. Nearly 20% of college women have been sexually assaulted (Krebs et al., 2009). Moreover, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has been associated with sexual risk-taking (Johnson & Johnson, 2013). Self-esteem and social support are known to be related to PTSD and sexual risk-taking (Gullette & Lyons, 2006; Johnson & Johnson, 2013). This study aims to examine sexual victimization history, self-esteem, and social support as relative predictors of PTSD and sexual risk-taking using a sample of 229 female undergraduates. Results suggest that enhancing self-esteem, as opposed to bolstering …

An Initial Application Of A Biopsychosocial Framework To Predict Posttraumatic Stress Following Pediatric Injury, Meghan L. Marsac, Nancy Kassam-Adams, Douglas L. Delahanty, Jeffrey Ciesla, Danielle Weiss, Keith F. Widaman, Lamia P. Barakat

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Objectives—Each year millions of children suffer from unintentional injuries that result in poor emotional and physical health. This study examined selected biopsychosocial factors (i.e., child heart rate, peritrauma appraisals, early coping, trauma history) to elucidate their roles in promoting emotional recovery following injury. The study evaluated specific hypotheses that threat appraisals (global and trauma-specific) and coping would predict subsequent posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), that coping would mediate the association between early and later PTSS, and that heart rate would predict PTSS and appraisals would mediate this association.

Method—Participants were 96 children hospitalized for injury and assessed at 3 …

Investigation Of A Mindfulness-Based Intervention With Survivors Of Interpersonal Violence, Laura Elise Stayton

Dissertations

Interpersonal violence is a widespread problem that includes intimate partner violence, sexual violence, and stalking. The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control in 2010 reported that approximately 1 in 5 women and 1 in 59 men have suffered sexual assault in their lifetime (Breiding et al., 2014). In addition, 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men have been a victim of physical violence perpetrated by an intimate partner (Breiding et al., 2014). A number of potential negative consequences of interpersonal violence exposure include the development of posttraumatic stress disorder, substance …

Profiles Of Emotion Regulation: Understanding Regulatory Patterns And The Implications For Posttraumatic Stress, Samantha Chesney, Nakia Gordon

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Trauma survivors often experience posttraumatic stress (PTS) and report concurrent difficulties with emotion regulation (ER). Although individuals typically use multiple regulatory strategies to manage emotion, no studies yet examine the influence of a constellation of strategies on PTS in a community sample. We assessed six ER strategies and investigated whether specific profiles of ER (i.e. the typical pattern of regulation, determined by how often each strategy is used) were related to PTS. A hierarchical cluster analysis indicated that four distinct profiles were present: Adaptive Regulation, Active Regulation, Detached Regulation, and Maladaptive Regulation. Further analyses revealed that an individual's profile …

First Mothers/Birth Mothers: Social Support And Long-Term Psychological Stress And Growth, Megan L. Lyons

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

Adoption has become a growing area of research. While much of the existing research focuses on the adoptees and their adoptive parents, this study aimed to focus on the first mothers/birth mothers and their life experiences related to placing an infant, or infants, for adoption. The aim of this study was to determine areas for future clinical focus and support program development throughout the adoption process. The study worked toward this goal by considering the availability and impact of perceptions of social support on the psychological stress and growth of first mothers/birth mothers post-adoption and sought to: (a) determine the …

Iraqi Refugees And Cultural Humility: A Mental Health Professional Training Program, Megan Brunmier Marsh

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

This paper describes the development of a thorough nine-hour professional training program targeting the cultural humility of mental health clinicians who are treating new Iraqi refugee communities. I used the 15-step evidence-based Comprehensive Program Development Model created by Calley (2009) for the design of the structure, curriculum, and materials for this proposed program (Calley, 2011). The training program is informed by conceptual frameworks of cultural competence and humility, ecological systems theory, and social justice with goals of (a) exploring clinicians’ cultural attitudes in order to improve self-awareness at multiple levels (e.g., physiological, psychological, interpersonal), (b) increasing clinicians’ knowledge about Iraqi …

Assessing U.S. Veterans' Work Role Functioning: Influences Of Posttraumatic Stress, Sense Of Coherence, And Vocational Identity, Lauren Kelly Osborne

Dissertations

Since beginning military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks that now characterize the Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) combat eras, unique stressors and conditions have faced service members. Advancements in military medicine have resulted in greater survival rates of combat veterans, but have also increased rates of chronic psychological distress (Schnurr, Lunney, Bovin, & Marx, 2009). Research regarding these concerns has increased as these service members are now returning home and re-entering civilian life and many studies show the detrimental effects on psychosocial functioning following combat including employment difficulties. As …

Protective Psychosocial Factors And Trauma In Multiple Sclerosis Spousal/Partner Caregivers : Intersecting Roles And Interactional Influences, Alison J. Rivers

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a debilitating, unpredictable, chronic illness for which many diagnosed individuals are cared for by their spouses or partners (e.g., McKeown, Porter-Armstrong, & Baxter, 2003). These MS spousal/partner caregivers are especially vulnerable to the deleterious outcomes of caregiving (e.g., Buhse, 2008; Corry & While, 2009). The present research examined hypothesized protective psychosocial factors and the impact of trauma in these unique caregivers through two cross-sectional studies (n=93 and n=62). Findings from Study One demonstrate that lower caregiver burden and higher dyadic adjustment were associated with improved caregiver mental health outcomes (Chapter 1). Study One also shows that …

Longitudinal Examination Of Family Violence, Posttraumatic Stress, Social Skills, And Aggression : An Exploratory Analysis, Shawn Wilson

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Aggression in adolescence is associated with many negative outcomes both during adolescence and later in adulthood. In order to properly prevent and treat aggression, it is important to understand what factors are associated with the development of aggression. This study examined how exposure to family violence, posttraumatic stress, and social skills were related to both parent- and adolescent-rated aggressive behavior. This study was comprised of two components. First, a series of mediation models were examined using structural equation modeling. Second, exploratory analyses of the moderating effects of adolescent race and gender were conducted using multiple regression. The sample consisted of …

An Evaluation Of The Validity Of A Script-Driven Imagery Procedure Among Traumatic Event Exposed Adolescents, Emily Renae Mischel

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Extensive research suggests script-driven imagery procedures employed with traumatic event-exposed adults produce reliable reactions that map onto contemporary models of posttraumatic stress, including increased physiological (Carson et al., 2000; Orr et al., 1998; Ramón et al., 2006) and negative affective (Pitman et al., 1987) responses to trauma scripts. Therefore, such procedures can be utilized in a controlled, laboratory-based setting, supporting mechanism-oriented research designed to better understand the nature, correlates, and consequences of traumatization and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). Unfortunately, only one study has begun to evaluate the validity of script-driven imagery procedures for use with youth, making further investigation of …

Mechanisms Of Regulation: Profiling The Impact Of Emotion Regulation On Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms, Samantha Ann Chesney

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Trauma survivors are at a high risk for developing symptoms of posttraumatic stress (PTS) and often experience difficulties with emotion regulation. However, there is no clear understanding of how multiple strategies may be used to effectively regulate PTS. The current study evaluates participants' use of six different strategies and investigates whether a specific profile of emotion regulation (i.e., the individual's default pattern of regulation, determined by the frequency with which s/he uses different strategies from a regulation inventory) is related to PTS. Results of a hierarchical cluster analysis indicated that four profiles of emotion regulation were present in the current …

Factor Structure Of Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms Among Torture Survivors, Ginger V. Armas

Theses and Dissertations

The central aim of the current study is to examine structural models of posttraumatic stress symptoms, as measured by the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire-Revised (HTQ-R; Mollica et al., 1992; Mollica, McDonald, Massagli, & Silove, 2004). Participants were international torture survivors who sought psychological treatment from a torture rehabilitation center in the United States. It was hypothesized that the factor structure of posttraumatic stress reactions among this heterogeneous sample of torture survivors would be consistent with the aroused intrusion model (Rasmussen, Smith, & Keller, 2007) rather than the dysphoria model (Simms, Watson, & Doebbelling, 2002). In order to evaluate model superiority, confirmatory …

Posttraumatic Stress, Family Functioning, And Adjustment In Urban African American Youth Exposed To Violence: A Moderated Mediation Model, Kyle Deane

Master's Theses

Exposure to community violence is a pressing public health issue that disproportionately impacts poor, urban, and ethnic minority youth. It has been associated with a multitude of negative externalizing and internalizing symptoms, most frequently with posttraumatic stress. This study investigates the role that posttraumatic stress has in mediating the relation between exposure to community violence and other adjustment difficulties. Moreover, because not all adolescents experience these difficulties in the face of significant violence exposure, the study examines the moderating role of family cohesion and support in buffering the effect of violence and posttraumatic stress on later adjustment. A sample of …

A Longitudinal Model Of Posttraumatic Stress And Posttraumatic Growth In Adults Affected By Hurricane Katrina, Mark Allen Schexnaildre

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Numerous studies have documented the negative psychological outcomes in individuals who experienced Hurricane Katrina. However, little is known about the long-term adjustment of hurricane-exposed individuals, especially with regard to positive outcomes, in the years after the storm. Specifically, few studies have measured posttraumatic growth (PTG), which refers to positive psychological change achieved by individuals who struggled with a traumatic experience. In their model of PTG, Tedeschi and Calhoun theorize that a certain level of trauma-related psychological distress and disruption is necessary for PTG to develop. The current study attempted to test the PTG model with a longitudinal path analysis of …

Community Violence Exposure Among Underprivileged Adolescents : What Are The Buffering Effects Of Family Qualities On Negative Outcomes?, Katherine Marie Harrison

LSU Master's Theses

Crime and violence are common in impoverished neighborhoods. Consequently, many youth are at risk for victimization and witnessing violent acts. Extensive research has established the presence of significant associations between violence exposure and aggression and posttraumatic stress symptoms among youth. Research has confirmed the protective role of several family characteristics against these negative outcomes despite adversity. However, the literature investigating the buffering effects of family in the relationship between community violence exposure and aggressive behavior and posttraumatic stress symptoms is limited. The current study examined the moderating effect of family factors such as household structure, social support, and parenting techniques …