Psychology Commons^™

Breaking The Silence: Family Conversations On Suicide, Alexa Diaz

Student Works

Suicide is the second leading cause of death for youth in the United States. Suicide remains to be a stigmatized topic. There is a necessary need for families to openly communicate about suicide as well as knowing what measures they need to take to prevent them from occurring. Providing a child with a secure attachment and an authoritative parenting style decreases the likelihood of suicidal ideation as well as engaging in suicide-related behaviors (Diamond et al., 2022). Media exposure may serve as a resource for parents to enhance their knowledge on mental health literacy (Abesinghe et al., 2023; Cingel et …

Addressing The Complexity Of Mental Health Care For Youth Experiencing Houselessness, Sarah Hamilton

Psychology Honors Projects

Children and youth experiencing houselessness have a unique set of mental health needs due to the traumatic experience of houselessness during childhood and the other adverse childhood experiences that often coincide with houselessness (van der Kolk, 2003; Wong et al., 2016). They face immense barriers in access to mental health care due to logistical factors as a result of their housing status and socio-structural factors (Krippel et al., 2020; Gallardo et al., 2020; Bradley et al., 2018). However, existing studies reveal a lack of evidence-based interventions for children and youth experiencing houselessness and a lack of insight from mental health …

Experiences Of Covid-19-Related Racism And Impact On Depression Trajectories Among Racially/Ethnically Minoritized Adolescents, Sabrina R. Liu, Elysia Poggi Davis, Anton M. Palma, Hal S. Stern, Curt A. Sandman, Laura M. Glynn

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Purpose

In 2020, racially/ethnically minoritized (REMD) youth faced the “dual pandemics” of COVID-19 and racism, both significant stressors with potential for adverse mental health effects. The current study tested whether short- and long-term trajectories of depressive symptoms from before to during the COVID-19 pandemic differed between REMD adolescents who did and did not endorse exposure to COVID-19-era-related racism (i.e., racism stemming from conditions created or exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic).

Methods

A community sample of 100 REMD adolescents enrolled in an ongoing longitudinal study of mental health was assessed before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were 51% girls, mean …

Social Capital And The Nonprofit Infrastructure; An Ecological Study Of Child Maltreatment, Duncan J. Mayer

Student Scholarship

Child maltreatment is a significant social problem that responds to neighborhood conditions, including disorder and support. Using administrative sources with the census response rate and geocoded nonprofit tax forms in a cross-sectional ecological design (N = 443), this article explores two understudied supportive factors in neighborhoods: aggregate social capital and nonprofit organizations. A series of Poisson models show aggregate social capital and nonprofit density are negatively related to child maltreatment rates, while the relationship between social capital and child maltreatment rates varies by the number of nonprofits present in the neighborhood. The results provide new insights into the ecology of …

An Artificial Therapist (Manage Your Life Online) To Support The Mental Health Of Youth: Co-Design And Case Series, Aimee-Rose Wrightson-Hester, Georgia Anderson, Joel Dunstan, Peter M. Mcevoy, Christopher J. Sutton, Bronwyn Myers, Sarah Egan, Sara Tai, Melanie Johnston-Hollitt, Wai Chen, Tom Gedeon, Warren Mansell

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: The prevalence of child and adolescent mental health issues is increasing faster than the number of services available, leading to a shortfall. Mental health chatbots are a highly scalable method to address this gap. Manage Your Life Online (MYLO) is an artificially intelligent chatbot that emulates the method of levels therapy. Method of levels is a therapy that uses curious questioning to support the sustained awareness and exploration of current problems. Objective: This study aimed to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a co-designed interface for MYLO in young people aged 16 to 24 years with mental health problems. …

"I Just Want To Be Me, Authentically": Identity Shifting Among Racially And Ethnically Diverse Young Adults, Aerika Brittian Loyd, Dulce Wilkinson Westberg, Lenisha Williams, Marisha Humphries, Alan Meca, Julie Carmen Rodil

Psychology Faculty Publications

Identity shifting represents a common but complex social, behavioral, and cognitive phenomenon. However, some forms of identity shifting originate in response to structural, institutional, and interpersonal marginalization enacted on lower status groups, such as people of color in the United States. The current study investigated ways young adults from diverse ethnic/racial groups discussed shifting to fit in with White Americans (a dominant group) in the United States and their own ethnic/racial group (a minoritized group) and elucidated self-reported motivations for shifting. Participants consisted of 764 young adults (ages = 18–23) recruited from two large public universities in the Southeast and …

Psychologist Perspectives On The Treatment And Assessment Of Problematic Sexual Behavior In Neurodivergent Youth, Emily R. Marhan

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

The following dissertation explored the subjective experience of mental health clinicians regarding their perceptions of providing treatment and assessment to neurodivergent youth (ND) who exhibited problematic sexual behavior (PSB). Prior to this study, scant research has been conducted pertaining to the treatment and assessment of youth who exhibit PSB, and less still on those with comorbid neurodivergence (Jones & Chaplin, 2017; Malovic et al., 2016; Pratt, 2013). This study utilized Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to inform interpretations of participant responses collected through semi-structured interviews. Participants consisted of five licensed psychologists with experience providing assessment and/or treatment to both neurotypical and ND …

A Constructivist Grounded Theory Analysis Of Seven Medical Provider Perspectives On Major Barriers To Prescribing Buprenorphine To Youth With Opiold Use Disorder In Outpatient Medical Settings: "We Should Be Providing Them With What We Know To Be The Gold Standard Of Care"., Maeve O'Leary Sloan

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

This study utilized Primary Care Provider (PCP) perspectives to unveil major barriers to prescribing buprenorphine to youth (ages 16-25) with opioid use disorder (OUD). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven PCPs recruited through convenience and snowball sampling. Interviews were conducted and recorded via Zoom video conferencing. Transcripts were generated and analyzed for themes using a Constructivist Grounded Theory (CGT) approach. The CGT of the present study describes four major barriers that limit PCP prescription of buprenorphine to youth: 1) PCPs Feel Overwhelmed, 2) PCPs Feel Ill Equipped to Treat Youth Patients with OUD, 3) PCPs Hold and Observe Stigma toward …

Child Psychological Well-Being And Adult Health Behavior And Body Mass Index, Julia Boehm, Farah Qureshi, Laura D. Kubzansky

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Objective: Psychological well-being (PWB) is linked with health behaviors among adults, but it is unclear if childhood PWB prospectively predicts healthy adulthood biobehavioral profiles. Such evidence may identify developmental windows for establishing positive health trajectories across the lifespan. Using data spanning 30 years, we investigated whether PWB at age 11 was associated with health behaviors and body mass index (BMI) at ages 33 and 42. We hypothesized children with higher versus lower PWB would engage in healthier behaviors, have lower BMI in adulthood, and be more likely to maintain optimal levels over time. Method: Data were from 4,728 participants of …

Exploring Correlates Of Student Preferences For Virtual Or In-Class Learning Among Neurodiverse Adolescents Using A Single-Case Design Methodology, Taryn A. Myers, John D. Ball, Mindy Gumpert, Mary Roberts

Human Movement Sciences & Special Education Faculty Publications

The purpose of the current study is to explore several correlates of adolescent students’ preferences for at-home virtual or in-class in-person learning in a single case of a school that serves students with learning differences. Correlates of interest were the Big Five personality traits (Openness to Experience, Conscientiousness, Extroversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism) and the students’ self-reported learning engagement. Participants were recruited from a single independent school for students with neurodiversity and special learning needs, where they had high exposure to computer-/internet-assisted learning. Twenty-seven students responded to questionnaires measuring preferred learning modes, personality traits, and learning engagement. Despite teacher reports …

The Impact Of Mobile Technology-Delivered Interventions On Youth Well-Being: Systematic Review And 3-Level Meta-Analysis, Colleen Conley, Elizabeth B. Raposa, Kate Bartolotta, Sarah E. Broner, Maya Hareli, Nicola Forbes, Kirsten M. Christensen, Mark Assink

Psychology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Background: Rates of mental health problems among youth are high and rising, whereas treatment seeking in this population remains low. Technology-delivered interventions (TDIs) appear to be promising avenues for broadening the reach of evidence-based interventions for youth well-being. However, to date, meta-analytic reviews on youth samples have primarily been limited to computer and internet interventions, whereas meta-analytic evidence on mobile TDIs (mTDIs), largely comprising mobile apps for smartphones and tablets, have primarily focused on adult samples.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of mTDIs for a broad range of well-being outcomes in unselected, at-risk, and clinical samples 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 …

Exploring Psychopathy Predictors In Males And Females, Teresa M. Encalada

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Psychopathy is a clinical term used to describe a personality disorder. This personality disorder presents as callousness, lack of empathy, feelings of grandiosity, impulsivity, narcissism, and a lack of guilt or remorse (Cleckley, 1951). It is noteworthy that by some estimates, those meeting the criteria of psychopathy commit 20 – 40% of violent crimes (Drislane et al., 2019) and makeup between 15% and 25% of the prison population (Kiehl & Hoffman, 2011). As such, psychopathy is one of the most significant criminal justice constructs of the present day because of the heightened and persistent levels of aggression, criminality, and financial …

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

Psychology Faculty Publications

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 …

Long-Term Outcomes Of Behavior Therapy For Youth With Tourette Disorder, Flint M. Epsil, Douglas W. Woods, Matthew W. Specht, Shannon M. Bennett, John T. Walkup, Emily J. Ricketts, Joseph F. Mcguire, Jordan T. Stiede, Jennifer S. Schild, Susanna W. Chang, Alan L. Peterson, Lawrence Scahill, Sabine Wilhelm, John Piacentini

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Objective

To determine the long-term durability of behavior therapy for tics among youth with Tourette disorder and persistent (chronic) motor or vocal tic disorders.

Method

Of the 126 youth who participated in a randomized controlled trial of behavior therapy 11 years prior, 80 were recruited for this longitudinal follow-up. Consenting participants were interviewed in person or remotely (Web-based video) by trained evaluators to determine the course of tics, current tic severity, and tic-related impairment. Recruitment and data collection occurred between 2014 and 2019, with an average follow-up duration of 11.2 years.

Results

Treatment responders to both conditions in the original …

Sociodemographic, Personal, Peer, And Familial Predictors Of E-Cigarette Ever Use In Espad Ireland: A Forward Stepwise Logistic Regression Model, Joan Hanafin, Salome Sunday, Luke Clancy

Articles

Introduction:
E-cigarette ever use has risen significantly in recent years in Ireland, similar to trends elsewhere in Europe, the United States, and Asia-Pacific region. Results from ESPAD Ireland (European School Survey Project on Alcohol and other Drugs) show teenage e-cigarette ever use increased from 18% (2015) to 37% (2019). Given this increase, our aim is to profile e-cigarette ever users and never users in this age group; to examine sociodemographic, personal, peer, and familial factors associated with e-cigarette ever use; and to suggest appropriate measures to reduce use.

Methods:
A nationally representative stratified random sample of 50 ESPAD schools was …

Youth Perceptions Of Prevention Norms And Peer Violence Perpetration And Victimization: A Prospective Analysis, Emily A. Waterman, Victoria L. Banyard, Katie Edwards, Victoria Mauer

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

The purpose of the current study is to prospectively examine the extent to which social norms perceptions regarding commitment to ending sexual violence are associated with subsequent peer victimization and perpetration experiences. Two types of social norms perceptions were examined: 1) peer norms (perceptions of norms among other students in their city), and 2) adult norms (perceptions of norms among adults in their city). Participants were 1259 middle and high school youth from a single school district (three high schools and five middle schools) who completed online surveys at two‐time points, 6 months apart. Adolescents for whom perceptions of peer …

Compassion, Discrimination, And Prosocial Behaviors: Young Diasporic Chinese During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Youli Chen, Zicong Wang, Qi Zhang, Weizhen Dong, Jia Huei, Chen Xu, Sizhe Ji Wu, Xiangyang Zhang, Chun Chen

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has fueled anti-Asian, especially anti-Chinese sentiments worldwide, which may negatively impact diasporic Chinese youths' adjustment and prosocial development. This study examined the association between compassion, discrimination and prosocial behaviors in diasporic Chinese youths during the COVID-19 pandemic. 360 participants participated and completed the multi-country, cross-sectional, web-based survey between April 22 and May 9, 2020, the escalating stage of the pandemic. This study found compassion as prosocial behaviors' proximal predictor, while discrimination independently predicted participation in volunteering, and could potentially enhance the association between compassion and charitable giving. These findings suggest that prosociality among young …

Attachment And Creativity Focused Counseling Intervention For Parents And Adolescents Presenting With A Trauma History, Leah Merle Batty-Hibbs

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

The central research question that informed this study asks: How do attachment and creativity focused counseling interventions encourage connection between an adolescent and their parent or caregiver? The research study centered on two mother and son dyads that participated in six weeks of a therapeutic intervention. The modality utilized an attachment and creativity focused approach created by the author. Data was collected through a post intervention semi-structured interview with the parent (adult). Data was transcribed and evaluated with an interpretive phenomenological approach. Six themes were identified by a team of researchers. The findings have implications for clinical practice with parents …

Youth Mental Health Service Preferences And Utilization Patterns Among Latinx Caregivers, Alejandro L. Vázquez, María De La Caridad Alvarez, Cynthia M. Navarro Flores, José Manuel González Vera, Tyson S. Barrett, Melanie M. Domenech Rodríguez

Psychology Faculty Publications

Latinx caregivers underutilize traditional youth mental health services (MHS) relative to their White counterparts. Disparities may be explained by barriers preventing engagement in traditional MHS. A potential mismatch between available services and preferred culturally appropriate healing practices may also contribute to treatment disparities. The current study examined Latinx caregivers’ perceived need for and utilization of support services in relation to family characteristics, youth problem-type, and barriers to care. Findings were contextualized by assessing caregiver preferences for addressing youth psychopathology. The study consisted of 598 Latinx caregivers from across the United States. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression models were used …

Teachers’ Impact On Psychosocial Treatment For Latinx Youth With Adhd, Margaret Grace, Theresa Lauer Kapke, Alyson C. Gerdes

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

This study examined the impact of teacher engagement in a psychosocial treatment for Latinx youth with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Results revealed that teachers were equally engaged in treatment regardless of the source of the referral to treatment, indicating that teachers were motivated to work with students and families. Additionally, results indicated that referral source and teacher engagement in treatment were related to treatment outcomes. These findings indicate that higher-quality teacher intervention implementation is related to enhanced child and parent treatment outcomes in a Latinx sample. Results additionally revealed significant relationships among parental acculturation and treatment outcomes. Clinical implications are discussed.

Academic Stress, Physical Activity, Sleep, And Mental Health Among Chinese Adolescents, Xihe Zhu, Justin A. Haegele, Huarong Liu, Fangliang Yu

Human Movement Sciences & Special Education Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to examine the impacts of academic stress on physical activity and sleep, and subsequently their impacts on anxiety and depression. Methods: This cross-sectional study collected data from a convenience sample of 1533 adolescents in an eastern province in China. Surveys were used to collect data on academic stress, anxiety, depression, sleep, physical activity, and demographics. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and path analysis were used to analyze data. Results: The participants reported about 6.77 ± 0.89 h of sleep per day and 1.62 ± 1.79 days of 60 min of physical activity each week. Academic …

The Centrality Of Disclosure Decisions To The Illness Experience For Youth With Chronic Conditions: A Qualitative Study, Roberta Lynn Woodgate, Pauline Tennent, Sarah C. Barriage, Nicole Legras

Information Science Faculty Publications

The aim of this paper is to illuminate findings of disclosure experiences for youth living with chronic illness using a non-categorical approach. The findings were derived from a larger qualitative study framed by social constructivist grounded theory that sought to understand youth's involvement in healthcare decision-making in the context of chronic illness. Fifty-four youth participated in the study, ranging from 9 to 24 years. Three main themes representing the youth's perspectives and experiences of disclosing chronic illness were identified: (1) disclosure is central to the illness experience; (2) spectrum of disclosure; and (3) navigating others' reactions to disclosure. The findings …

Sexting Among Adolescents: Examining The Association Between Sexting And Self-Esteem, Hanaah Fannin

Physician Assistant Studies | Student Articles

Purpose: This paper provides a systematic review of the published literature examining the association between sexting and self-esteem in adolescents. It further attempts to identify gaps in the current literature and provide recommendations for future research as well as patient care and education.

Methods: Electronic databases (CINAHL Plus with Full Text, Iceberg, and PsycINFO) were searched with publication dates between January 1, 2014 and September 30, 2019. The keywords used to conduct the search were: sexting, adolescents, self-esteem, youth, and teenagers. All records were screened to meet established criteria. The inclusion criteria included the following: a) articles written in the …

Critical Consciousness In Children And Adolescents: A Systematic Review,Critical Assessment, And Recommendations For Future Research, Amy E. Heberle, Luke J. Rapa, Flora Farago

Faculty Publications

Critical consciousness refers to an individual’s awareness of oppressive systemic forces in society, a sense of efficacy to work against oppression, and engagement in individual or collective action against oppression. In the past few decades, interest in critical consciousness as a resource that may promote thriving in marginalized people has grown tremendously. This article critically examines the results of a systematic review of 67 studies of critical consciousness in children and adolescents, published between 1998 and 2019. Across these studies, major themes included the role of socialization experiences, relationships, and context in the development of critical consciousness. In addition, critical …

Is It Who Am I Or Who Do You Think I Am? Identity Development Of Adolescents With Substance Use Disorders, Danielle N. Treiber

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

The purpose of this study was to unearth how adolescents with substance use disorders achieve the task of identity formation and the construction of self-concept in the midst of the drug culture and society that exists. It sought to uncover the social constructs designed to ignore and/or remove human complexities and allow an intersectional approach to be brought to a study on this population. Historically, there has been a failure to investigate the underlying social attitudes and behaviors that impact the very delicate and vulnerable process of finding self. Psychosocial and relational adjustment are strongly influenced by the extent to …

Mental Health And Teammates, Carly O'Dell

Honors Theses

Mental health is an aspect so essential throughout the human experience, yet an aspect overlooked by many. Specifically, mental health in youth is an area hardly touched by different initiatives, programs, and organizations that are put in place in order to bring assistance and guidance to youth. This is despite overwhelming statistics regarding youth and mental health. After analyzing the TeamMates Mentoring Program and finding inadequate measures in place regarding mental health, different initiatives were created in order to increase the program’s use of advocacy, awareness, and actions regarding mental health in youth.

Effects Of Sex Trafficking On Youth And Identification: A Literature Review, Karlee Hemmert

Student Works

Fighting the effects of sex trafficking on youth is a challenge for many reasons, including negative effects of trafficking and the inability of victims to self-identity or realize they are being sexually exploited. This literature review examined current research on the physical, psychological, and social effects of sex trafficking on youth, and how to identify youth who do not self-identify as victims of sex trafficking. Current studies show that some physical effects youth victims of sex trafficking confront are sexually transmitted diseases (STD’s), other diseases and infections, physical injuries, substance abuse, and malnutrition. Studies also show that victims may suffer …

Identifying And Intervening On Neural Markers Of Attention To Threat In Children With Anxiety Disorders, Michele Bechor

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objective: Attention Bias Modification Training (ABMT) for anxiety aims to train attention away from threatening stimuli and toward neutral stimuli. Although ABMT shows promising anxiety reduction effects in children and adolescents, no study has examined its influence on neural indicators of attention measured using event-related potentials (ERPs) in children or adolescents (i.e., youths). The present study examined the influence of ABMT on the P1, N170, P2 and P3 ERP components during completion of the emotional faces dot probe task in youths with anxiety disorders who failed to respond to cognitive behavioral therapy. Method: Thirty youths (M age = 11.97, …

Neurocognitive Correlates Of Treatment Response In Children With Tourette's Disorder, Susanna W. Chang, Joseph F. Mcguire, John T. Walkup, Douglas W. Woods, Lawrence Scahill, Sabine Wilhelm, Alan L. Peterson, James Dziura, John Piacentini

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

This paper examined neurocognitive functioning and its relationship to behavior treatment response among youth with Tourette's Disorder (TD) in a large randomized controlled trial. Participants diagnosed with TD completed a brief neurocognitive battery assessing inhibitory functions, working memory, and habit learning pre- and post-treatment with behavior therapy (CBIT, Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics) or psychoeducation plus supportive therapy (PST). At baseline, youth with tics and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) exhibited some evidence of impaired working memory and simple motor inhibition relative to youth with tics without ADHD. Additionally, a small negative association was found between antipsychotic medications and youth's …