Psychology Commons^™

Building Psychosocial Assets And Wellbeing Among Adolescent Girls: A Randomized Controlled Trial, K. S. Leventhal, Jane Gillham, L. M. Demaria, G. Andrew, J. W. Peabody, S. Leventhal

Psychology Faculty Works

We conducted a randomized controlled trial of a 5-month resilience-based program (Girls First Resilience Curriculum or RC) among 2308 rural adolescent girls at 57 government schools in Bihar, India. Local women with at least a 10th grade education served as group facilitators. Girls receiving RC improved more (vs. controls) on emotional resilience, self-efficacy, social-emotional assets, psychological wellbeing, and social wellbeing. Effects were not detected on depression. There was a small, statistically significant negative effect on anxiety (though not likely clinically significant). Results suggest psychosocial assets and wellbeing can be improved for girls in high-poverty, rural schools through a brief school-day …

A Culturally-Sensitive Model Of The Development Of Child Anxiety., Jenny Marie Petrie

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Explanatory models significantly enhance the understanding of etiological influences that place children at risk for anxiety, yet little is known about processes that promote resilient outcomes in children. While contextual factors influence risk and protective processes, cultural constructs have not been incorporated into existing models of anxiety and the role of culture remains obscure. The current study proposes a culturally sensitive model for understanding the etiological and mitigating processes underlying anxious symptoms in ethnic minority youth, and preliminarily tests basic components of the proposed model within a non-clinical community sample of 49 African American (AA) parent-child dyads who completed self-report …

Examining Resilience In Relation To Ptsd Symptomatology In Maltreated Youth, Timothy Day

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Resilience following exposure to adverse life situations is an ongoing process that reduces the impact of traumatic experiences and opens potential for posttraumatic growth (Fincham, Altes, Stein, & Seedat, 2009; Luthar, Cicchetti, & Becker, 2000). The relationship between resilience and risk for PTSD in maltreated youth, however, remains unclear. This study sought to explore this relationship by examining a sense of mastery, a sense of relation to others, and emotional reactivity in youth endorsing a history of maltreatment related trauma. Participants were recruited from a Las Vegas Department of Family Services affiliated clinic and were administered the Children’s PTSD Inventory …

The Development And Initial Evaluation Of Katatagan: A Resilience Intervention For Filipino Disaster Survivors, Ma. Regina Hechanova, Lynn Waelde, Pierce S. Docena, Liane Peña Alampay, Arsenio S. Alianan, Mary Jane B. Flores, Pia Anna P. Ramos, Maria Isabel E. Melgar

Psychology Department Faculty Publications

This paper documents the development, pilot, and initial evaluation of Katatagan, a group-based resilience program designed to hone coping skills of Filipino disaster survivors. The paper describes vulnerabilities and protective factors of Filipino survivors based on previous research and key informant interviews. It also explains how Luthar and Cicchetti’s (2000) resilience framework and guidelines for the development of interventions were incorporated in the objectives and the design of the resilience intervention. The intervention consists of six modules that aim to improve self-ecacy, adaptive coping skills, and well-being of Filipino survivors. The paper presents an initial evaluation of Katatagan among college …

Fostering Emotional, Social, Physical And Educational Wellbeing In Rural India: The Methods Of A Multi-Arm Randomized Controlled Trial Of Girls First, K. S. Leventhal, L. M. Demaria, Jane Gillham, G. Andrew, J. W. Peabody, S. Leventhal

Psychology Faculty Works

Background: There are 600 million girls in low and middle income countries (LMICs), many of whom are at great risk for poor health and education. There is thus great need for programs that can effectively improve wellbeing for these girls. Although many interventions have been developed to address these issues, most focus on health and education without integrating attention to social and emotional factors. This omission is unfortunate, as nascent evidence indicates that these factors are closely related to health and education. This paper describes the methods of a 4-arm randomized controlled trial among 3,560 adolescent girls in rural Bihar, …

From Human Reliability To Resilience & System Performance - Adapting To A Changing World, Gesa Praetorius, Fulko C. Van Westrenen

Gesa Praetorius

An Investigation Of Relationship Satisfaction On Resilience And Body Image, Peta Stapleton, Olivia Gergis

Peta B. Stapleton

The aim of this study was to explore the association between relationship satisfaction and low body image. The current research also investigated whether body image dissatisfaction (BID) was affected by ethnic diversity. Past research has examined many factors which are highly related to BID; however, there is a paucity of research investigating relationship satisfaction, resilience, and body image as interrelated factors. A community sample consisting of male and female participants (N = 169) classified as “in a relationship” completed an online survey. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis demonstrated, consistent with expectations, that resilience was a predictor of relationship satisfaction and …

Resilience Attributes Among University Students: A Comparative Study Of Psychological Distress, Sleep Disturbances And Mindfulness, Cher J. Mcgillivray, Aileen M. Pidgeon

Aileen M. Pidgeon

Australian university students report experiencing higher levels of psychological distress compared to other Australians, and are at increased risk of developing mental health problems. Psychological distress has been connected with poor academic performance, higher attrition rates and sleep disturbances. A protective factor associated with sleep-related self-regulation is mindfulness. Mindfulness based programs have shown benefits in stress reduction and resilience. Resilience is considered a protective factor that interacts with stressors to reduce the likelihood of negative outcomes. Resilience is also associated with positive social and personal well-being together with enhanced mental health and adjustment to university life. The current study examines …

The Cultural Connectedness Scale And Its Relation To Positive Mental Health Among First Nations Youth, Angela Snowshoe

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The mental health and wellbeing of youth is one of the most urgent concerns affecting many First Nations communities across Canada. Despite a growing recognition that cultural connectedness (i.e., the extent to which an individual is integrated within his or her First Nations culture) is an important factor for promoting the mental health of First Nations youth, there remains a clear need for a conceptual model that organizes, explains, and leads to an understanding of the resiliency mechanisms underlying this construct. Study 1 involved the development of the Cultural Connectedness Scale (CCS) with a sample of 319 First Nations, Métis, …

Examining Characteristics Of Resilience Among University Students: An International Study, Aileen Pidgeon, Natasha Rowe, Peta Stapleton, Heidi Magyar, Barbara Lo

Peta B. Stapleton

Attending university is a particularly stressful time due to unique emergent stressors such as changes in environment, loss or diminishment of social support networks, academic pressures, developing peer relationships, and financial management. There is growing recognition that these common stressors may have deleterious effects on the mental health of students. Resilience, a personality characteristic that moderates the negative effects of stress and promotes adaptation, has been associated with increased psychological well-being. Despite a growing body of research on resilience and its clinical significance in preventing mental health problems, relatively little is known about contributing factors for resilience in well-adjusted university …

Should'a Put A Ring On It: Investigating Adult Attachment, Relationship Status, Anxiety, Mindfulness, And Resilience In Romantic Relationships, Aileen M. Pidgeon, Alexandra Giufre

Aileen M. Pidgeon

This study aimed to investigate the predictive ability of relationship status, anxiety, mindfulness, and resilience in relation to the two orthogonal dimensions of adult attachment: attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance. 156 participants completed measures assessing relationship status, adult attachment, anxiety, mindfulness and resilience. The results showed that resilience and the relationship status of single significantly predicted attachment anxiety, whereas anxiety and being either single or divorced significantly predicted attachment avoidance. A significant mediating role of resilience in the prediction of attachment anxiety from being single was also observed. The main implications of this study provided preliminary support for the significant …

Reactions To Negative Feedback: The Role Of Resilience And Implications For Counterproductivity, Kabir N. Daljeet

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The model of Organizational Frustration (Spector, 1978) suggests that individuals are more likely to engage in counterproductive work behaviour (CWB) after having had a negative experience at work due to the negative emotions brought on by such an experience. The King and Rothstein (2010) model of resilience suggests that the degree to which an individual self-regulates after an adverse workplace experience influences how they subsequently behave. Using vignettes, participants were told they received either positive or negative feedback regarding their job performance and were asked to fill out measures of resilience and intentions to engage in CWB. In a sample …

The Impact Of Childhood Sexual Abuse: A Qualitative Analysis Of Healthy `Couples’ Perceptions, Brian C. Doane

Dissertations

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is a problem affecting millions of individuals, with a prevalence rate of 28% to 30% for women (Cobia, Sobansky, & Ingram, 2004) and 14% for men (Breire & Elliott, 2003). Because of the psychological trauma associated with CSA and the potential impact on the survivor’s sexuality, a couple’s relationship satisfaction may be reduced and survivors may experience difficulty in maintaining healthy intimate relationships. How CSA impacts an individual has been studied extensively, but its effect on committed couple relationships has received much less attention in the literature. Additionally, very few studies have incorporated the non-abused partner’s …

Predictors Of Depression In Prostate Cancer Patients: A Comparison Of Psychological Resilience Versus Pre-Existing Anxiety And Depression, Christopher Sharpley, Vicki Bitsika, Addie Wootten, David Christie

Vicki Bitsika

Background: Previous anxiety and depression can influence current anxiety and depression, and psychological resilience may be a buffer against current anxiety and depression. However, despite the relevance of these two sets of predictors of anxiety and depression, and their potential in treatment planning, no reports have been published on their role in post-diagnosis anxiety and depression among prostate cancer (PCa) patients. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the roles of these predictors in a sample of men with prostate cancer. Method: Retrospective self-reports of anxiety and depression for how they were before receiving their diagnosis of PCa and at the …

No Safe Base: An Attachment Theory Perspective On The Mediational Effects Of Reappraisal And Resilience On The Well-Being Of Homeless Women In The Skid Row District Of Los Angeles, Stephanie L. Montgomery-Graham

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This study aims to test the relationship between attachment style and well-being by examining the possible mediating roles of emotion regulation (conceptualized as reappraisal and suppression) and resilience (Karreman & Vingerhoets, 2012). One hundred homeless women living in homeless shelters in the Skid Row district of Los Angeles were sampled to test Karreman and Vingerhoets’ model of attachment and well-being (2012). Dismissive attachment style comprised the largest group among the four measured attachment styles (n=39). Both dismissive and secure attachment positively correlated with well-being in this sample. Fearful attachment was the only attachment style negatively related to well-being. Preoccupied attachment …

Hope Among Resilient African American Adolescents, Jessica Briana Mcclintock

Dissertations (1934 -)

African American youth have historically been disproportionately affected by an array of environmental stressors that have put them at higher risk for poor adjustment outcomes (Adams III et al., 2003; Mcloyd, 1990). Despite their hardships, not all of these youth fall victim to negative environmental influences (Miller & MacIntosh, 1999). Many exceed expectations and their lives take positive trajectories that lead to positive adaptation (Hunter, 2012; Miller & MacIntosh, 1999). This positive adaptation in spite of significant risk is referred to as resilience (Cicchetti, 2010). While the importance of resilience has been well documented in European Americans, the majority of …

Participation In Sports And The Development Of Resilience In Adolescents, Jason Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

Adolescents today are faced with an array of risk factors including sexual activity and drug and alcohol use, as well as environmental factors that are beyond their control, such as parental divorce and poverty. The attribute of resilience is an extremely desirable quality that, if developed, has the capacity to reduce the effect of many of these risk factors that many adolescents are exposed to. Sport participation is a potential intervention that a large portion of adolescents can have access to through school and community programs that could potentially foster resilience. The current causal-comparative, non-experimental study sought to add to …

Psychological And Social Variables Impacting Young Adults Caring For Severely Mentally Ill Mothers, Courtney Gale Deloney

Dissertations

This dissertation study examined the psychological and social functioning of young adults who care for their severely mentally ill mothers; in doing so this study examined the independent variables coping style, perceived stress, quality of life, and resilience. The dependent variables considered were race, socioeconomic status, support group participation, and living in the same household as one’s mother. Young adulthood was examined as a distinct period of human development. The policy of deinstitutionalization led many families to become caregivers for their severely mentally ill relatives. While some knowledge on this exists, little is known about the experiences of young adult …

Examining The Impact Of Resilience On Work Stress And Strains In Nurses, Julie J. Lanz

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

To address commonly cited organizational and personal outcomes in the nursing industry, it is important to identify factors that may mitigate the relationship between workplace stressors and strains such as turnover intentions, job satisfaction, burnout, and injuries. The purpose of the current study is to explore the role of trait resilience on the emotion-centered model of job stress in a sample of U.S. nurses. The study uses a multiwave design to examine the mitigating role of trait resilience on work strains in nurses. In a sample of 185 nurses and 97 multiwave pairs, resilience was found to be significantly related …

Profiles Of Protective Factors In Urban African American Youth Exposed To Community Violence: A Prospective Study Of Resilience, Devin Colleen Carey

Dissertations

The broad purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between exposure to community violence and adjustment in an urban sample of African American youth living in Chicago. After years of research on community violence, there has been a call to understand the influences of all levels and systems on child adjustment, as well as to use research to promote positive outcomes and prevention of future violence (Aisenberg & Herrenkohl, 2008). With this in mind, this project used latent profile analysis to create profiles of protection based on individual, family, peer, and community factors, as well as evaluate the …

Identifying Resilience In Hiv-Negative Sexual Minority Men With Syndemic Conditions, Eva N. Woodward

Psychology Department Dissertations

HIV/AIDS is a major public health concern for sexual minority men, especially men with risk factors for the virus. Most HIV prevention programs target relatively few behaviors, such as increasing individual condom use (Coates, Richter, & Caceres, 2008) through an exclusive focus on reducing high-risk behaviors (Herrick et al., 2011). Some researchers have posited whether more effective interventions, based on identifying and bolstering strengths of sexual minority men, should be developed. To that end, I conducted (a) a systematic review and (b) a qualitative study to serve as foundational steps in identifying resilience resources in samples of high risk, HIV-negative, …

Looking “Upstream”: The Role Of Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction In Service Members’ Future Orientation, Bradley J. Antonides

Theses and Dissertations

OBJECTIVE: This study explores psychological experiences that may influence service members’ self-concepts and future orientations. As stable, optimistic, future orientations have been associated with resilience to psychological distress and suicidality (Johnson, et al., 2011), it is worthwhile to explore how service members’ attitudes toward the future might be shaped in the context of intrapersonal and interpersonal experiences. METHOD: Data were collected from service members of the Virginia National Guard (N = 192) and included a Transportation unit, an Engineer unit, an Infantry unit and a group with no specific unit affiliation or substantive military experience. The study is a …

The Role Of Self-Blame And Resilience In Psychosocial Outcomes In College Students Who Engage In Cyberbullying, Jennifer Rose Bailey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Bullying behaviors (traditional and cyber) are often associated with adverse long-term consequences. As a result of an increase in technology use, traditional bullying has gradually expanded to include cyberbullying. While research in the area of cyberbullying is relatively new, current evidence suggests that cyberbullying is a pervasive problem from childhood into adulthood, and is associated with long-term detrimental effects for bullies, victims, and bully-victims. Research also suggests that self-blame, the tendency to view life events as being within an individual’s control may exacerbate the development and intensity of psychological symptoms (e.g., anxiety, depression) that may result from experiencing stressful events. …

Health Behaviors, Hardiness, And Burnout In Mental Health Workers, Jeremiah Brian Schimp

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Burnout has emerged as a significant and costly issue in the modern workforce. Researchers have not fully explored the role of individual health behaviors and personality in burnout among mental health workers. The knowledge gap addressed in this study was the connection between health behaviors, what mental health workers do to take care of themselves, and hardiness, the characteristic way they perceive and interpret environmental challenges. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of health behaviors and hardiness among mental health workers on the 3 dimensions of burnout as measured by the MBI-HSS: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and …

Resilience Among Immigrant Adult Learners: Experiences In Postsecondary Education--A Mixed-Methods Study, Sandra Lee Samuels

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A human being's resilience refers to his or her abilities to combine internal and/or external resources effectively in response to significant contextual challenges in order to best succeed in a given environment. As such, this concept is vital across the lifespan and has been widely researched. However, few researchers to date have studied resilience as it relates to adult learners, and, significantly, those with immigrant status. Immigrant adult learners are facing compounded risks, which create challenges in various societies to identify this group's unique needs and/or to fully understand their experiences in diverse contexts, such as the Cayman Islands. Informed …

Personality, Resilience, Self-Regulation And Cognitive Ability Relevant To Teacher Selection, Eleanor Sautelle, Terry Bowles, John Hattie, Daniel N. Arifin

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The current study uses social judgment theory to inform the design of processes to be used in selecting teachers for training programs. Developing a comprehensive selection process to identify individuals who are likely to succeed as teachers is a mechanism for improving teacher quality and raising the profile of the profession. The design of such a process requires the identification of qualities of effective teaching that can be assessed at selection, and their relative importance. Six psychological constructs are identified from previous literature that are likely to differentiate between teaching candidates – Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Resilience, Self-Regulation and Cognitive Ability. …

“I Want To Leave—Go Far Away—I Don’T Want To Get Stuck On The Res[Ervation]”: Developmental Outcomes Of Adolescent-Aged Children Of Navajo Native American Teen Mothers, Rochelle L. Dalla, Heather R. Kennedy

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

In 1992 and 1995, data were collected from 29 Navajo Reservation teenage mothers. In 2007, 71% (n = 21) of the original sample participated in a follow-up investigation. Then in 2008, data were collected from their children. Here, we present results of the 2008 investigation by describing the developmental outcomes of 14 “at risk” youth—those born to Navajo Native American adolescent mothers. Grounded in Ecological Systems Theory, our primary goal was to identify risk and protective factors across social and physical contexts (e.g., family, peer, school, and reservation community). A supplemental goal was to examine associations among indices of psycho-social …

Enhancing Quality Of Life: The Effects Of Positive Cognitions, Claudine Antoniette Gerald

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Enhancing Quality of Life:

The Effects of Positive Cognitions

by

Claudine Antoniette Gerald

M.S., Walden University, 2009

B.S., Florida Atlantic University, 2002

Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Philosophy

General Psychology

Walden University

August 2015

The purpose of this study was to test the nature of the relationship among cognitive factors to determine quality of life in a sample of 180 adult internet users. Theories of the positive psychology paradigm, salutogenesis, dynamic equilibrium model, family systems, and family resilience theories were the bases for examining the relative significance of the cognitive factors, …

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 …

The Efficacy Of A Crisis Intervention And Resilience Building Training Program For Counselors-In-Training, Sameerah Sue Davenport

Wayne State University Dissertations

Because of the prevalence of potentially traumatic events, counselors-in-training may have to assist individuals in crisis, as early as the internship phase of their counseling program. However, counselors-in-training receive minimal training in crisis intervention, which may be deleterious to the counselor as well as the client. Similarly, counselors-in-training receive minimal training on resilience building, a key component of crisis intervention. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a crisis intervention and resilience building training program, grounded in REBT, for counselors-in-training.

This study used a quasi-experimental, switching replications design consisting of two groups and three waves …