Psychology Commons^™

Change Is The Only Constant: How Dialectical Behavior Therapy (Dbt) Can Be Made More Culturally Responsive Across Treatment Settings, Angela Susan Van Berkel

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

This program design demonstrates how Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), a well-regarded, existing evidence-based practice (EBP) used to treat many transdiagnostic and complex mental health disorders around the world, can be made more culturally responsive across treatment settings. An overview of the literature regarding global access to mental health treatment reveals that much effort has been made to close the mental health treatment gap by promoting EBPs. However, most EBP research is conducted in Western countries using majority white populations, which calls into question the generalizability and effectiveness of EBPs among U.S. cultural and racial minority and international populations. Despite the …

The Integration Of Neuroscience And Counseling Using Neuroeducation In Trauma Treatment: A Quantitative Study, Daniel Ross Wood

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Researchers in numerous professional fields, including psychology, have applied neuroscience integration in their studies. Yet research has also demonstrated a hesitancy among counselors to utilize neuro-informed principles in case conceptualization and treatment. No researchers in the studies found among the mental health counseling fields considered this issue. If left unaddressed, counselors and clinicians may avoid the use of an effective and complimentary integrative approach or unintentionally misapply neuro-informed principles and violate ethical standards in practice. This quantitative research used a survey and case study design to consider mental health professional characteristic variables of self-competency, theoretical attitude, and strength of religious …

K-5 Elementary Alternative Program: A Case Study, William E. Scheuer Iv

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this case study was to examine how the K-5 elementary alternative program All Students Can Thrive (ASCT) used student-centered learning practices to influence the whole child. There is a lack of research on K-5 elementary alternative programs, such as ASCT, and specifically those that integrate student-centered learning practices to influence the whole child. Literature does not contain universally accepted interventions that are effective in the elementary alternative setting to help students return to the mainstream classroom setting better prepared to display appropriate behaviors when a student is removed from a mainstream classroom setting due to disruptive behaviors. …

Exploring Post-Traumatic Growth From Citizen Narratives Of Refugees From The 1947 Partition Of British India, Keshav J. Dhir, Kathryn J. Azevedo

Psychology from the Margins

Background: There is paucity of ethnographic survivor analysis of the 1947 Partition of British India. Methods: This qualitative study leverages post-traumatic growth (PTG) theory to explore the impact of mass migration trauma in childhood. Ten refugee narratives were collected by citizen historians. Interviews were translated, transcribed, and analyzed. Results: Elements of post-traumatic growth were revealed in all 5 domains for nine out of ten survivors. Discussion: Survivors’ appreciation of life often manifested in passion for a discipline or hobby. The importance of meaningful interpersonal relationships was observed and extended to acquaintances from other religious groups. Increased personal strength was revealed …

Impact Of Childhood Trauma On Skin Conductance Response To Fear, Safety, And Reward, Tristan Alana Gregg

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Trauma is associated with neurological and physiological differences that can persist years after trauma exposure. Physiologically, trauma has been associated with altered responses to cues in the environment, most commonly threatening stimuli. For instance, in participants who experience trauma during adulthood, such individuals exhibit heightened physiological arousal. Conversely, other studies have found that childhood trauma may be associated with blunted physiological arousal. Most of this research has involved threatening cues, but previous research suggests that trauma is also associated with aberrant physiological arousal responses to positive or rewarding cues. Skin conductance responses (SCRs) are a commonly utilized measure of physiological …

Risk Factors Of Cyberbullying Victimization: The Impact Of Developmental Trauma, Yuliya Mykytyn

Dissertations

Trauma has been considered as one of the significant causes of psychological distress, especially if the traumatic event occurred in the childhood. At the same time, due to wide popularity of social media as a source of communication, cyberbullying emerged as a new way to harass someone, with specific focus on adults and young adults. The area of focus of this research project is to investigate whether experienced trauma, specifically developmental trauma might serve as a risk factor for cyberbullying victimization. Additional focus was on the differences in traumatic experiences and their impact for people with diverse cultural and ethnic …

First Responder Coping And Its Impact On Resilience, Ptsd Symptomology, And Hypervigilance, Bianca Bullock

Dissertations

The present study investigated coping strategies utilized by first responders and how those strategies relate to resilience, PTSD symptomology, and hypervigilance. The purpose of this study is to help provide more detailed information as to how first responders’ coping impacts their overall functioning. First responders (N = 181), including law enforcement officers, firefighters, paramedics, and emergency medical technicians, completed online surveys measuring whether engaged or disengaged coping strategies were used to manage stressful situations. Self-perceived resilience, PTSD symptoms, and hypervigilance were also measured. A one-way between-groups multivariate analysis of variance was performed to test the relationships between engaged versus disengaged …

Trauma And Effects Of Being Raised By A Parent With Bipolar I Disorder: A Theoretical Approach Utilizing Internal Family Systems, Daniella Vasquez

Dissertations

Bipolar I disorder (BD) is a somewhat rare mental health disorder that impacts not only the person diagnosed but also their family (Chang et al., 2001; Cook et al., 2005; Wearden et al., 2008). Children of parents with BD may experience complex trauma as inconsistencies in parenting, conflict within the household, and possible neglect or abuse may be present (Chang et al., 2001; Rusner et al., 2009; Wearden et al., 2008). Multiple developmental areas can be impacted for individuals who have endured complex trauma to include attachment, somatic distress, affect regulation, biology, behaviors, cognition, and identity (Cook et al., 2005; …

Coercive Control And Trauma-Coerced Attachment In Commercial Sexual Exploitation: A Mixed-Method Examination, Kendra Doychak

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Commercial sexual exploitation (i.e., sex trafficking) can lead to myriad negative consequences for its victims, including exposure to coercive control and the development of trauma-coerced attachments. Scholars have offered theoretical conceptualizations of the relation between coercive environments and traumatic attachments, but this relationship is rarely empirically examined. The current study used data from 68 semi-structured interviews with former victims of sex trafficking to first, formally identify coercive control and second, empirically classify trauma-coerced attachment in this population. Mixed-method analysis were used to identify associations between coercive control and TCA in order to better explain how this abuse dynamic leads to …

Hope Agency And Hope Pathways As Potential Mediators Of Trauma Exposure And Psychological Adjustment In Emerging Adults, Miranda R. Schaffer, Edward C. Chang, Alaina E. Gregory, Misu Kwon, Claire J. Shimshock, Nithya M. Rao, Paige K. Demers, Madeleine R. Vieth, Jameson K. Hirsch

Adultspan Journal

The present study examined hope as a mediator between trauma exposure and negative affective conditions in 490 college students. Hope agency, but not hope pathways, mediated some of the association. Trauma exposure maintained a significant association with negative affective conditions. Implications for counselors working with trauma-exposed college students are discussed.

Hbcu Proud And At Risk: Evaluating The Relationship Between Aces And Academic Performance In Black First-Year College Students, Courtney Janell Loyd

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Few studies have studied the impact of trauma on academic performance and even fewer have studied Black students. Black college students are usually from a lower socioeconomic class which puts them at a greater disadvantage and a higher risk for dropping out of college. This study is a mixed-method research design. Participants included 44 undergraduate students recruited from a university in the Southern U.S. Phase 1 included paper-pencil surveys, and Phase 2 consisted of an open-ended questionnaire, which allowed for a deeper understanding of the lived experiences. This study used a Spearman Correlation to measure the strength of association between …

Trauma Treatment For Youth In Foster Care: A Mixed-Methods Study Of Clinician Perspectives And Treatment Model Use, Allison Blake Smith

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Youth in foster care experience trauma exposure and subsequent trauma-related disorders at much higher rates than their peers, with prevalence rates comparable with veterans of war. Although youth in foster care appear to receive services at higher rates than their peers, little is known about what outpatient care consists of, particularly for trauma-related disorders. Furthermore, although several evidence-based treatments exist for the treatment of child and adolescent trauma, little is known about how appropriate and effective existing treatment approaches are for youth in foster care. The current study used a mixed methods approach to examine a) the range of evidence-based …

Posttraumatic Growth And Primal World Beliefs Among People Who Have Caused Accidental Death Or Serious Injury, Mark L. O'Brien

Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) Capstone Projects

Background. Posttraumatic growth (PTG)—positive changes that people may experience in the aftermath of highly distressing experiences—has been observed in survivors of a variety of events but has not been previously studied among people who have caused accidental death or injury (PCADIs). In addition, questions remain about the role, in PTG, of changes in the assumptive world and the relationships between PTG and distress, personality, and social support. Methods. Participants (N = 528), included PCADIs (n = 44) and a non-trauma comparison group (n = 484), who completed the Primals Inventory and measures of personality, anxiety, and depression. …

Trauma-Informed Acceptance And Commitment Therapy For Substance Abuse, Whitney Nasse

Dissertations

The high co-morbidity of trauma and substance use disorders has prompted the need for more trauma-informed care within the available substance abuse treatments. The purpose of this research was to dissect and identify the strengths of two empirically studied treatment approaches for trauma and substance abuse. Furthermore, a suggested protocol was defined, showing the integration of these two models as a proposed treatment modality for trauma and substance abuse populations. Implications and recommendations for further research on this topic are also highlighted.

Inconsistency Is The Consistency: The Title Ix Reporting Process For Sexual And Gender-Based Misconduct Within Maryland Public Universities, Aliya R. Webermann, Kathryn Holland

Faculty Publications, Department of Psychology

Title IX is a primary federal legal approach to address campus sexual and gender-based misconduct, yet few students utilize Title IX reporting as a formal campus support, and those that do frequently report negative experiences. In this study, we interviewed 11 student survivors at four Maryland public universities who engaged with the Title IX reporting and response process. Our aims were to (a) examine how Title IX functions in a state public education system with a robust Title IX policy; (b) describe commonalities and differences in experiences; and (c) use theories of institutional betrayal and support to understand aspects of …

Trauma Exposure And Trauma Symptoms As Predictors Of Police Perceptions In Latinx Youths, Amanda Venta, German Cadenas, Alfonso Mercado, Luz M. Garcini, Melanie M. Domenech Rodriguez

Psychological Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Objective: The Latinx immigrant youth population composes nearly a quarter of all children in the U.S. and are a high-risk group for police encounters. Based on perceptions of Latinxs as criminals, increased enforcement actions against Latinxs in the U.S., and failures of policing and police brutality in immigrants’ home countries, we expected that immigrants who reported increased trauma exposure and symptoms would have more negative perceptions of police.

Method: This study utilized data from 107 recently immigrated Latinx youth to examine how trauma exposure (Child Trauma Screen) and symptoms (Child PTSD Symptoms Scale) related to perceptions of police (Criminal Sentiments …

The Role Of Traumatic Experiences In Developing Nocturnal Panic Attacks, Nicole S. Smith

Dissertations

Nocturnal panic attacks refer to panic attacks that occur out of a sleeping state with no obvious cause, resulting in awakening at the peak of a panic attack. Nocturnal panic affects roughly half of patients with panic disorder as well as individuals with other psychological disorders such as PTSD. Prior research has suggested that experiencing a traumatic event may lead to the development of nocturnal panic attacks. The current study sought to expand upon the extant literature related to the role of trauma in nocturnal panic by collecting a comprehensive trauma and panic history in order to establish a timeline …

The Role Of Adverse Childhood Experiences And Associated Features On Criminality In Emerging Adults, Jessica L. Harangozo

ETD Archive

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are associated with a variety of negative outcomes, including criminal and violent behaviors (Milaniak & Widom, 2015). Prior research indicates that antisocial personality traits such as callousness may play a mediating effect on the relationship between ACEs and criminality (Baglivio et al., 2020). Further, the developmental period in which childhood maltreatment occurs may be related to greater criminality (Thornberry et al., 2010). This research project aims to examine how ACEs relate to criminality in emerging adults, with consideration of antisocial personality traits and the developmental period of experiencing childhood abuse. This study hypothesizes: (A) Both higher …

The Impact Of Trauma Subtypes On Ptsd Severity In Syrian Child And Adolescent Refugees, Liza Hinchey, Lana Grasser, Bassem Saad, Kathleen Gorski, Arash Javanbakht, May Chammaa

Medical Student Research Symposium

Background:

Child and adolescent refugee populations are at increased risk for psychiatric disorders including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anxiety. Recent studies have demonstrated different symptomatology based on the type(s) of traumatic events experienced. Cluster analyses based on the Life Events Checklist (LEC) indicate three trauma subtypes: accidental/injury, victimization, and predominant death threat. Extending this line of research from adults to youth may lead to better understanding of the unique impacts of trauma subtypes on symptoms for improved prediction of risk and resilience.

Methods:

Refugee participants were recruited within 1 month of their resettlement in the U.S. Data used were …

A Solitary Solidarity: Conditions For Attunement In The "Migration Crisis" In Greece, Katherine Sheese

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In this dissertation I draw on ethnographic field work and qualitative interviews with activist volunteers in Greece in 2016 to explore the conditions for ethical and affective attunement in the face of crisis and complicity. I offer a thick description of the multiple injuries to one’s senses and sensemaking capacities and the contradictions, tensions, dilemmas that undermine the capacity for attunement, a term I use to refer to the overlapping abilities to feel, to be moved, and to locate oneself and to connect to others. I begin by developing a contextual analysis of the complex and contradictory machinery of …

Dance/Movement Therapy As A Transdisciplinary Approach To Treating Trauma, Destany Schadder

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This thesis considers dance/movement therapy as a transdisciplinary approach to treating trauma in the body. It explains what the functions of the brain are, how trauma negatively affects it, and how posttraumatic stress disorder is expressed in both the body and the brain. It discusses multidisplinary approaches, it shows how these approaches leverage the body in treating trauma. Moreover, it demonstrates the benefits and advantages of a dance/movement therapist in supporting individuals who have experienced traumatic events. To achieve these goals, this thesis discusses research by neuroscientists, such as Damassio (1999), who maintain that the body and mind directly affect …

Where I’M From: Internal Manifestations Among Cambodian Women Using The Expressive Arts A Literature Review, Noeun Chhim

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Chronic mental illness has affected many Cambodian people, but, culturally, Cambodians aren’t accustomed to opening up and discussing their feelings, rather defining mental illness to craziness and seeking help is presumed taboo. Thus, Cambodians are often reluctant to talk about their experiences and/or their related illnesses. Though Cambodians have experienced inconceivable suffering and violence during the Khmer Rouge era, for the purpose of this thesis, I will be discussing the role of Cambodian women and investigate the extent of what they’ve witnessed and experienced. Cambodian women have suffered through many years of trauma and grief, during and after the Khmer …

The Effectiveness Of Music Therapy With Children Who Have Experienced Trauma Using The Neurosequential Model Of Therapeutics (Nmt): A Literature Review, Brianna Lambert-Jenkins

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This paper initiates filling the gap in the literature by utilizing NMT, which addresses trauma through understanding and assessing how it has impacted a child neurodevelopmentally with music therapy. Children in intensive residential care are referred to treatment with a unique range of challenges resulting from their traumatic experiences. Of these challenges, included are a wide range of traumatic experiences such as physical/emotional abuse, neglect, sexual abuse, homelessness, witnessing violence or domestic abuse, adjustment issues, attachment issues, or trauma while in utero. The Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT) is a newer framework for working with developmental trauma. Current research around …

Moderators To The Effects Of Childhood Traumatic Stress On Childhood Physical Health, Shaneze Gayle Smith

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

According to the United States National Statistics on Child Abuse, in 2017 Child Protective Service agencies in the United States received an estimated 4.1 million referrals involving approximately 7.5 million children. A substantial body of research has revealed that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have detrimental long-term effects on physical health and a large number of health conditions. However, little research exists regarding the effects of childhood maltreatment on childhood physical health. Identifying protective factors such as self-esteem can moderate the effects of ACEs, help children thrive, and potentially lower the risk of a variety of conditions like cardiovascular disease, cancer, …

An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Of The Lived Experience Of Parental Caregivers For Children With Severe Epidermolysis Bullosa, Michael J. Valentine

Theses and Dissertations

Providing care to child with a chronic, rare diseases has been identified as a major life stressor with a myriad of negative physical and mental health consequences. These stresses have previously been found to create burden that may impair caregiving efforts and increase the risk of mortality for both the caregiver and affected child. Many rare diseases affect children. It is not known how caregiver burden and the source of stress varies by disease. Qualitative methods have been used to understand caregiver experience with the rare disease, epidermolysis bullosa (EB), but no such studies have occurred in the United States. …

The Trauma Of Premature Exposure To Violence: The Destruction Of Innocence In The Hunger Games, Riley Woody

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

#Metoo: The Literary And Social Impact Of Sexual Violence Narratives, Aura Comer

English Undergraduate Honors Theses

To fully understand the severity of sexual violence and its pervasiveness in America, I will present statistics of rape and sexual assault, as well as available legal court statistics of justice and punishment for offenders (or a lack thereof). However, there must be an acknowledgment of the disparity in information and representation pertaining to indigenous, LGBT+, immigrant, and minor communities. Note that these statistics do not speak to the complete pervasiveness of rape and sexual assault in the United States, given the negligent protection and lack of belief in victims, which results in victim silencing and a lack of reporting.

Multiple Risk Factors For Schizotypy In A Non-Clinical Population : Exploring The Continuum Of Psychosis Two Years Later, Jill Del Pozzo

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Schizotypy is a multidimensional construct that refers to a collection of cognitive and personality traits, impairments, and experiences thought to lie on a continuum for psychosis, which place an individual at increased risk for developing schizophrenia spectrum disorders. The expression of schizotypy varies along this continuum of psychosis (i.e., from healthy, to subclinical and prodromal symptomatology, to clinical and severe psychosis) and is dependent on several biopsychosocial factors and their interactions. Accordingly, it is important identify factors that correlate with higher levels of schizotypy over time, toward ascertaining knowledge about developmental pathways of risk and resilience for psychotic disorders. To …

Refugee Perceptions Of Post-Migratory Stressors Impact On Pre-Existing Trauma, Christine Elizabeth Krauter

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Refugees are an ever-growing population across the world. Refugees leave their country to survive from the horrors and traumas many experiences. They arrive in countries oftentimes with little to no language proficiency, housing, finances, or employment. The stressors many of them face mixed with the trauma they experienced pre-arrival can be a heavy burden to carry. The purpose of this case study is to understand the perceptions of post-migratory stressors impact on pre-existing trauma for refugees at Matthew House in Vancouver, Canada. A constructivist approach is taken since the focus is on the situation from the participants’ point of views …

Trauma And Alcohol/Substance Use: The Role Of Self-Regulation Flexibility, Saankari Anusha Challa

Dissertations

Despite a high comorbidity rate between trauma/PTSD and problematic alcohol/substance use, there is only a small body of work investigating moderators and mediators in this relationship. Few studies have examined the role of self-regulation, composed of coping and emotion regulation, in the context of PTSD and problematic substance use. Prior work has generally measured self-regulation categorically, with strategies labeled as maladaptive or adaptive, and therefore failing to account for the adaptiveness of the strategy in particular contexts. The present study is the only one to date to examine self-regulation flexibility in the relationship between posttraumatic symptoms (PTSS) and problematic alcohol/substance …