Clinical Psychology Commons^™

The Impact Of Pre-Treatment Identification Of Personality Style And Personality Disorder Symptoms On Psychotherapy Outcomes In A Training Clinic, Shauncie Marie Skidmore

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

To investigate the clinical and fiscal feasibility of administering a pre-treatment, dimensional personality assessment to clients seeking treatment at university-based counseling centers, a multi-phase study was conducted. This study sought to replicate the results of a recent study conducted by Ryder, Costa Jr., and Bagby (2007) regarding the validity of the DSM-IV-TR PD symptoms and their relationship to normal personality traits. This study also investigated the clinical utility of providing pre-treatment personality information to therapists, as assessed by a dimensional measure of normal personality the NEO-PI-R. Impact on treatment outcome was evaluated. After completing a pre-treatment assessment battery, university-affiliated clinic …

Predictors Of Help-Seeking In Returning Operation Enduring Freedom (Oef) And Operation Iraqi Freedom (Oif) Veterans, Carole Porcari

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Despite a significant number of Afghanistan and Iraqi veterans who reported symptoms of PTSD, depression, anxiety, and substance abuse, the majority of these veterans did not seek help for these problems. Past research has shown several variables that may contribute to an individual seeking help for a mental health problem including demographic variables, nature and severity of the mental health problem, and psychological variables. All Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) veterans and service members that registered with the Ann Arbor VA Healthcare System between 2001 and 2007 were contacted by mail and asked to participate in …

Intentions To Seek Therapy, Attitudes, And Stigma: An Analysis Of The Theory Of Reasoned Action, Matthew J. Altiere

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The relatively low utilization of mental health care is a concern for psychology, as only 32% of individuals with a psychological disorder receive treatment (Andrews, Issakidis, & Carter, 2001). It is typically attitudinal rather than structural barriers that influence individuals when deciding to pursue treatment (Outram, Murphy, & Cockburn, 2004). This study utilized the theory of reasoned action as a model to test the relationship among variables hypothesized to contribute to the intention to seek therapy: public stigma, self-stigma, social support, self-efficacy, attitudes toward seeking therapy, and psychological distress. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used to evaluate barriers to …

Assimilative Demands: The Psychological Impact Of Legal Decisions On Lesbians’ Lives, Melissa J. Grey

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Covering, a construct that has been absent from the empirical psychological literature, is the pressure to or act of downplaying characteristics associated with a stigmatized identity (Goffman, 1963). This research investigated the covering demand in lesbian-identified women drawing on four related literatures: acculturation, discrimination, stigma, and self-concealment. The objectives of this research were to examine the impact of structural, legal covering demands on psychological domains and develop a grounded understanding of these demands in lesbian women. A mixed-method approach was utilized. Forty-six lesbian-identified women recruited from community venues participated in the quasi-experiment and focus groups, and five also engaged in …

Exposure To A Computer-Hosted Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention For Pathological Gambling: Impact On Gambling Symptomatology And Disclosure Of Gambling Participation In Required Counseling For Adults Receiving Opiate Substitution Therapy For Heroin Addiction, Andrew E. Cameron

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This study examined the prevalence of pathological gambling (PG) in an urban methadone-maintenance population (n=125) using the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS). In addition, those meeting criteria for PG, and other inclusion criteria (n=42), were randomly assigned to one of two 6-week treatment groups and given the opportunity to utilize a computer-hosted cognitive-behavioral treatment program for PG. Seventeen participants used the treatment program, but no effect was found on their gambling behavior as measured by the SOGS and Timeline Follow-back procedure. Predictive factors of PG severity and treatment response were examined. Overall, 47.1% of those sampled …

Water Intake And Adherence To Clear Fluid Goals In Children Receiving Treatment For Encopresis, Elizabeth Shannon Kuhl

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

A six-session group intervention for treatment of retentive encopresis designed by Stark and colleagues yields high adherence for fiber (Stark et al., 1990a; Stark et al., 1997), but not fluid (Kuhl et al., 2009), recommendations. Children may also rely heavily on drinking juice to meet their clear fluid targets (Kuhl et al., 2009). This study examined the effectiveness of an enhanced intervention (EI) in improving children’s fluid goal adherence and modifying their daily fluid intake to include more water and less juice.

Data for 19 children who completed treatment previously served as the Non-Enhanced Intervention (NEI), and 18 children completed …

Acceptability Of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy, Jacqueline Mezza Titus

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The behaviors associated with Oppositional Defiant Disorder and other disruptive behavior disorders constitute the most common reason for referral of young children to mental health services (Schuhmann, Durning, Eyberg, & Boggs, 1996). Parent-Child Interaction Therapy is an empirically supported treatment for such disorders. However, families are frequently unable to maximize their use of such treatments. Barriers to treatment participation prevent families from entering or staying in treatment. While most of the treatment effectiveness research has been conducted with Caucasian families, African American families and Caucasian families experience these barriers to different degrees, resulting in varying treatment adherence and unclear treatment …

Qualitative Study Of Trauma Outcomes Among Acehnese Tsunami Survivors, Amrit Kaur

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This study uses qualitative methods to understand trauma from an indigenous perspective and to assess the validity of the DSM-IV (APA, 2000) diagnosis PTSD and depression in a remote Asian population. Twelve individuals were interviewed about their post-tsunami difficulties in the Indonesian province of Aceh. Contrary to our expectations, participants reported significant numbers of almost all DSM-IV-TR symptoms of PTSD and depression. Although the expressions of illness symptoms were colored by the local language and customs, participants reported few symptoms that could be seen as unique to this culture. These finding suggest that Western developed DSM-IV-TR symptomatology may be largely …

Factors Related To Formal And Informal Help-Seeking For Perinatal Depressive Symptoms, Erin Henshaw

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Effective treatment for maternal depression improves overall maternal functioning and prevents the negative infant outcomes associated with maternal depression (Verduyn et al., 2003). Despite the clear benefits associated with treatment for perinatal depression, less than one third of depressed women seek any form of treatment (Flynn et al, 2006). The Health Belief Model (HBM) has received some support for other health-promoting behaviors, but its relevance for explaining mental health help-seeking has not been adequately tested. This study adds to the literature by simultaneously providing a more comprehensive and adequate test of the HBM in predicting mental health treatment for depression …