Clinical Psychology Commons^™

Defining Dimensions In Schizotypy: Factor Structure Replication And External Validation Of The Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire – Brief Revised Updated (Spq-Bru)., Elaina Montague

Department of Psychology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Background: Schizotypy is a construct that captures quantitative dimensions of the psychosis continuum from clinical to non-clinical expressions. The purpose of this study was to determine the factor structure and criterion validity of a newly revised self-report measure, the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire–Brief Revised Updated (SPQ-BRU; Davidson, Hoffman, & Spaulding, 2016) for predicting later cognitive-perceptual experiences in college undergraduates.

Method: The data analytic sample was comprised of 2,474 undergraduate students (female = 71.9%) attending a university in the Midwest. First, we aimed to identify a model of best fit by comparing latent measurement models of schizotypy using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). …

Evaluation Of A Group-Based Resilience Intervention For Typhoon Haiyan Survivors, Ma. Regina Hechanova, Pia Anna P. Ramos, Lynn Waelde

Psychology Department Faculty Publications

This study evaluated the impact of Katatagan, a culturally adapted, group-based, and mindfulness-informed resilience intervention developed for disaster survivors in the Philippines. The intervention aimed to teach six adaptive coping skills: harnessing strengths, managing physical reactions, managing thoughts and emotions, seeking solutions and support, identifying positive activities, and planning for the future. Pre- and post-intervention assessments were conducted with 163 Typhoon Haiyan survivors. Six-month follow-up assessments were obtained for 37 participants. Pre- and post-results showed improvements in participants’ self-efficacy on all six coping skills. The 6-month follow-up revealed significant improvements in four of the six coping skills. Focus group discussions …

Principles Of Incorporating Spirituality Into Professional Clinical Practice, Thomas G. Plante

Psychology

Incorporating spirituality into contemporary professional clinical practice has become more common in recent years most notably with the popular interest of mindfulness meditation, mindfulness based stress reduction, and yoga in particular. However, many other spiritual and religiously based assessment and treatment approaches have also been successfully utilized with a great deal of evidence-based research to support their use and effectiveness. The purpose of this brief article is to outline several guiding principles for those professionals interested in integrating spiritual and religious wisdom and approaches into their professional clinical practices in the spirit of diversity and multiculturalism sensitivity and respect. Psychology …

Marijuana Use Is Associated With Behavioral Approach And Depressive Symptoms In Adolescents And Emerging Adults, Natasha E. Wright, Danny Scerpella, Krista M. Lisdahl

Psychology Faculty Articles

Background

Repeated CB1 binding due to THC results in downregulation of the endocannabinoid system in cortex and limbic regions, perhaps disrupting frontolimbic functioning. This is particularly a concern in young adults who are still undergoing neurodevelopment in frontal and limbic regions. Such disruptions may be linked to increased depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and executive dysfunction, and decreased behavioral approach.

Objectives

Here we examine the influence of young adult marijuana use on anxiety, depressive symptoms, behavioral approach, and executive dysfunction. The influence of alcohol and gender were also assessed.

Methods

84 participants (42 MJ, 42 controls) aged 18–25 were balanced for …

Perceptions Of Peer Sexual Behavior: Do Adolescents Believe In A Sexual Double Standard?, Michael Young, Susan Cardenas, Joseph Donnelly, Mark J. Kittleson

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

BACKGROUND

The purpose of the study was to (1) examine attitudes of adolescents toward peer models having sex or choosing abstinence, and (2) determine whether a “double standard” in perception existed concerning adolescent abstinence and sexual behavior.

METHODS

Adolescents (N = 173) completed questionnaires that included 1 of 6 randomly assigned vignettes that described male and female peer models 3 ways: (1) no information about model's sexual behavior, (2) model in love but choosing abstinence, and (3) model in love and having sex. Participants read the vignette to which they had been assigned and responded to statements about the peer …

Cognitive Beharioal-Therapy For Child Anxiety: Long-Term Follow-Up And Predictors Of Long-Term Outcomes, Cristina T. Del Busto

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Anxiety and its disorders are highly prevalent in childhood and adolescence, and are associated with impairment in social and academic functioning. Empirical evidence has accumulated demonstrating the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for youth anxiety disorders delivered in individual, group, and parent formats. This dissertation study compared two of these formats, a youth only individual format, and two types of parental involvement formats to answer questions related to the long-term diagnostic outcomes and psychosocial functioning outcomes of youth who receive CBT for anxiety disorders. Specifically, this dissertation sought to compare individual and parent involvement to determine whether targeting parenting behaviors …

Alcohol Use Variability In A Community-Based Sample Of Nonstudent Emerging Adult Heavy Drinkers, Cathy Lau-Barraco, Abbly L. Braitman, Amy L. Stamates, Ashley N. Linden-Carmichael

Psychology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: While nonstudent emerging adults are at elevated risk for experiencing alcohol-related problems, there remains a paucity of research devoted specifically to addressing drinking in this group.

OBJECTIVES: The present study sought to offer unique insights into nonstudent drinking by examining drinking variability across 30 days using a retrospective diary method. Specific aims were to: (1) compare within- and between-person variability in alcohol use across 30 days, and (2) determine the extent to which central social-cognitive between-person factors (i.e., social expectancies, perceived drinking norms, social drinking motivations) predict between-person alcohol use as well as within-person variability in drinking.

METHODS: Participants …

Burnout Et Dépression, Entre Normal Et Pathologique? Histoire D’Une Différenciation Hasardeuse, Bianchi Renzo, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Eric Laurent

Publications and Research

Initial described in the 1970s, the burnout syndrome has been difficult to characterize. It has been difficult to distinguish it from both clinical and subclinical depressive syndromes. In this chapter, we present a logical analysis of the distinction between burnout and depression. We synthesize the results of studies that bear on that distinction. We find that methodological and the historical separation of two lines of research as well as the lack of articulation between dimensional and categorical approaches to psychopathology.

Corned Beef And Karma: A Story About My Volunteering (Reluctantly) To Review For A Journal, Irvin Sam Schonfeld

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Differences In Depression, Anxiety, And Life Satisfaction Between Intercollegiate Athletes, Intramural Participants, And Non-Athletes, Megan Wilson

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

It is widely supported that participation in athletics is positively correlated with increased overall health. However, some research indicates that participation in increased levels of competition is positively correlated with higher levels of depression and anxiety. This means, that if compared, athletes competing nationally or internationally would report higher levels of both depression and anxiety than athletes competing at the intercollegiate level. Research indicates that this could be caused by increased amounts of pressure, personal cost, and expectation.

This study examines potential differences between intercollegiate, intramural, and non-athletes in these areas on a college campus. The first hypothesis is that …

Sleep, Executive Control, And Psychopathology In Children: A Longitudinal Study And An Examination Of Brief Sleep Treatment, Katherine M. Kidwell

Department of Psychology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Researchers have acknowledged that poor sleep is not merely a symptom of psychopathology but also a contributing factor to the development of psychopathology in children (Walker & Harvey, 2010). However, more research is needed to explicate the associations among sleep, executive control (EC), and psychopathology. Specifically, there are few studies using longitudinal designs and limited research on how treating sleep can improve mental health symptoms. This dissertation provides a conceptual framework for the associations among sleep, EC, and psychopathology. The conceptual framework is bolstered by two studies. Study 1 is an examination of early sleep problems and preschool EC as …

An Unclear Self Leads To Poor Mental Health: Self-Concept Confusion Mediates The Association Of Loneliness With Depression, Stephanie B. Richman, Richard S. Pond, Nathan Dewall, Madoka Kumashiro, Laura B. Luchies

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Past research has established that loneliness is associated with both self-concept confusion and depression. The present work ties these disparate lines of research together by demonstrating that self-concept confusion mediates the relationship between loneliness and depression. Three studies, one cross-sectional and two longitudinal, supported this hypothesis. Moreover, the model was supported both in samples of dating and married couples and in samples of noncouples. This research contributes to a greater understanding of why people who feel socially disconnected have poor mental health. Understanding this mechanism has important implications for strategies targeting the early prevention of depression and improving mental health …

Relationship Science And Interventions: Where We Are And Where We Are Going, Kieran T. Sullivan, Erika E. Lawrence

Psychology

Relationship distress and divorce often have profound effects on couples and their children. Relationship science has long sought to prevent and alleviate relationship distress; this chapter is a summary of many important recent developments in the field. Ongoing challenges in studying and assisting intimate relationships are also discussed.

Technology And Opportunity: People With Serious Mental Illness And Social Connection, Lisa Townsend, Allison Zippay, Kyle Caler, Bradley Forenza

Department of Social Work and Child Advocacy Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Objective: Little information exists regarding how individuals with serious mental illness use technology and whether this usage facilitates social connections. This study contributes to filling this knowledge gap by examining ways in which a sample of persons with serious mental illness use cell phones and the Internet. Methods: Interviews with 50 consumers living in supported housing were asked about their use of cell phones and computers and their perceptions of social connections. Results: Cell phones and computers allowed greater linkage with social, medical, mental health, and employment resources. Nearly all obtained phones through publicly funded programs. “Running out of minutes” …

Ogden College Of Science & Engineering Newsletter (Summer 2016), Cheryl Stevens, Dean

Ogden College of Science & Engineering Publications

No abstract provided.

Evaluating Treatments And Interventions: What Constitutes “Evidence-Based” Treatment?, Lisa Jobe-Shields, Amanda Costello, Carrie Jackson, Rochelle F. Hanson

Psychology Faculty Publications

This chapter provides an overview of the evidence-based treatment (EBT) paradigm, beginning with definitional issues, followed by a discussion on use of the iterative process and the importance of strong academic–practice partnerships to inform the development, selection, and implementation of EBTs. The discussion then turns to the importance of attaining, measuring, and sustaining fidelity to the treatment models; and identifying common barriers to sustained EBT use. Drawing from our expertise related to interventions for children and adolescents, a few dissemination/implementation models are highlighted as examples of current efforts to achieve sustained use of EBTs among practitioners, within agencies, and across …

Anxiety And Callous-Unemotional Traits: Physiological And Behavioral Responses To Others' Distress, Kathleen I. Crum

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research documents considerable anxiety-related heterogeneity in youth with callous-unemotional traits (CU), a pattern of callousness and shallow emotionality (Frick & Ellis, 1999) associated with lasting impairment (Fontaine et al., 2011). This heterogeneity may relate to behavioral differences, with the presence of both CU and anxiety associated with increased questionnaire-based reports of aggression and/or historical documentations of past aggression (Kahn et al., 2013). Anxiety in CU youth is associated with greater attention to others’ distress cues (Kimonis et al., 2012) compared to CU-only counterparts, in contrast to the decreased distress-cue attentiveness thought to contribute to aggression in CU youth (Dadds et …

Understanding Posttraumatic Stress And Academic Achievement: Exploring Attentional Control, Self-Efficacy, And Coping Among College Students, Ashley M. Cantrell

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The present study examined differences in attentional control, attentional control self-efficacy, and coping as self-regulatory mechanisms among students with varying grade point averages (GPA) who experience posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). Subjects included 58 college students from one large comprehensive university in the Mid-South who met the criteria for diagnosis of PTSS based on the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R). Three groups were created based on college GPA and graduation requirements at the university (at-risk for graduation, on-track for graduation, and ontrack for graduating with honors). Participants completed a survey that included demographics and measures of PTSS, attentional control, attentional control …

The Relationship Between Personal Factors, Work Factors, Ptsd, And Suicide Ideation In Emergency Medical Service Providers, Faith Joy Boldt

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

EMS providers work in a high-stress environment and are routinely exposed to critical incidents. Many providers are left to deal with the chronic stress on their own, either because of lack of effective employer-based programs or a culture that discourages its use. The extent to which these factors -- as well as personal characteristics such as resilience, PTG, and coping skills -- influence PTSD and suicide ideation among EMS providers has not been well studied among EMS providers. An online survey was administered to a convenience sample of EMS providers. Of the 2,683 respondents, more than one quarter (27.7%) met …

Duration Of Time Spent Playing Online Video Games, Interpersonal Skills, And Introversion Personality Traits As Predictors For Social Anxiety Symptoms, James D. Bender

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study sought to determine if time spent engaging in online gaming, interpersonal communication skills, and introvert personality traits are predictors of an individual’s likelihood of experiencing symptoms of social anxiety. A sample of 128 participants (82 males and 46 females) completed measures of demographics, interpersonal communication skills, problematic online gaming, social anxiety, and introversion. Participants were recruited through Amazon Mechanical Turk. There were significant correlations among social anxiety and interpersonal communication skills, problematic online gaming, and introversion. There was no significant correlation among social anxiety and time spent playing Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPG), a specific form of …

Nonsuicidal Self-Injury Characteristics As Predictors Of A Suicide Attempt, Kandice M. Perry

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study examines the impact features of nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) have on predicting a suicide attempt in a sample of young adult self-injurers. Participants completed the Inventory of Statements About Self-Injury, the Self-Harm Behavior Questionnaire and demographics questionnaires to assess lifetime self-injury frequency, number of different methods used, severity of methods, the desire to stop self-harming, functions, the experience of pain, and response latency. Results indicated that NSSI frequency, high severity methods, and endorsing more intrapersonal functions predicted the presence of a suicide attempt. Additionally, those who experienced pain while selfinjuring were found to be significantly more likely to report …

Reward Responsivity In Parenting: Development Of A Novel Measure In Mothers, Chelsey M. Hartley

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the current dissertation was to develop a measure of mother’s reward responsivity in parenting. I proposed that deficits in reward responsivity may contribute to maladaptive parenting behaviors, especially among depressed mothers. Reward responsivity is conceptualized as an individual difference in reactivity to pleasurable stimuli and represents a key motivational component that could contribute to the frequency and quality of mothers’ interactions with their infants.

To empirically evaluate the link between mother reward responsivity, behaviors towards their infant, and infant behavior outcomes, a measure of reward responsivity in relation to parenting behavior was needed. The current dissertation addressed …

Parent-Child Interaction Therapy As A Family-Focused Approach For Young Children With Traumatic Brain Injury, Dainelys Garcia

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is the leading cause of death and disability in children and adolescents in the U.S. and disproportionately affects young children. The negative consequences of early childhood TBI include deficits in behavior and attention, cognitive abilities, and academic skills. Behavior problems in particular are one of the most common and persistent consequences following TBI in young children. Therefore, interventions are needed that target the adverse effects of TBI on behavior. The purpose of the current work was to examine the initial outcome, feasibility, acceptability, and satisfaction of a time-limited and intensive format of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) …

Predicting Sexual Revictimization In Childhood And Adolescence: A Prospective Examination Using Ecological Systems Theory, Samantha L. Pittenger

Department of Psychology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Child sexual abuse is a prevalent problem in the United States and is associated with revictimization: a victimization episode perpetrated by a different individual and occurring subsequent to initial abuse experiences (Barnes, Noll, Putnam, & Trickett, 2009). While evidence shows that 20-39% of sexual abuse victims report revictimization within childhood or adolescence, much of the research to date has focused on its occurrence in adulthood. Thus, there is a limited understanding of the pathways to revictimization and its associated outcomes for youth. The present study examined predictors of sexual revictimization within childhood and adolescence using ecological theory, which includes individual, …

The Benefits Of Multicultural Eclectic Service Delivery, Eugena Griffin

Publications and Research

To date, Blacks in America are often misdiagnosed or mistreated due to the failure of mental health practitioners to provide services from a multicultural eclectic purview. It is necessary to attend to the past and present influences of psychosocial variables related to real and perceived discrimination on minority achievement, behavior, and clinically health outcomes. When providers do not take into consideration these factors, they have a limited conceptualization of their clients’ needs. Such psychosocial variables can exacerbate behaviors, symptoms, and at times be the antecedent that onset those symptoms. Thus, it is imperative that health providers learn methods to investigate …

Peer-Assisted Social Learning In Urban After-School Programs, Sarah A. Helseth

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study launches a program of research that targets the unmet mental health needs of children living in urban poverty by infusing evidence-based practices and mental health promotion into peer-mediated recreational activities delivered in community-based after-school programs (ASP). We examined the feasibility and promise of a Peer-Assisted Social Learning (PASL) model to promote social competence among low-income, minority youth. In collaboration with our community partner, we developed and implemented a series of 21 recreational activities designed to generate natural opportunities for peer-facilitated problem solving. Socially skilled children were identified by ASP staff and paired with less-skilled peers to maximize opportunities …

Sexual Health Promotion Programming For Youth In Or At-Risk For Foster Care: Improving Knowledge, Attitudes, And Behaviors., Maya Boustani

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Among girls in foster care, 48% become pregnant at least once by age 19 (Dworkey & Courtney, 2010). Teen moms are less likely to graduate from high school and their children also are more likely to be placed in foster care due to abuse or neglect (Hoffman, 2006). Furthermore, 50% of 21-year-old men aging out of foster care report they have gotten someone pregnant, compared to 19% of their peers not involved in foster care (Courtney et al., 2007). Youth in or at-risk for foster care (YFC) report limited knowledge about, access to, and use of condoms; ambivalent attitudes toward …

Contingency Management Works, Clients Like It, And It Is Cost-Effective., Kimberly C. Kirby, Lois A Benishek, Mary B Tabit

Faculty Scholarship for the College of Science & Mathematics

No abstract provided.

Examining Multi-Session Brief Intervention For Substance Use In Primary Care: Research Methods Of A Randomized Controlled Trial., Jaclyn E Chambers, Adam C Brooks, Rachel Medvin, David S Metzger, Jennifer Lauby, Carolyn M Carpenedo, Kevin E Favor, Kimberly C Kirby

Faculty Scholarship for the College of Science & Mathematics

BACKGROUND: Brief interventions such as Screening, a single session of Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) have shown mixed effectiveness in primary care. However, there are indications that multi-session brief interventions may demonstrate more consistently positive outcomes, and perhaps a more intensive approach would be of benefit in addressing substance use in primary care. This study compared the effectiveness of SBIRT with a single BI session (BI/RT) to a multi-session brief-treatment intervention (BI/RT+) in primary care. We also developed easy-to-use, evidence-based materials to assist clinicians in delivering these interventions.

METHODS/DESIGN: This study was conducted in three Federally Qualified Healthcare …

Teaching Children With Autism Who Have Difficulty Mastering Auditory Discriminations, Sarah Lichtenberger

Research and Creative Activities Poster Day

Simple and conditional visual and auditory discrimination repertoires are critical components of many skills necessary for daily functioning, including communication, academic, and daily-living skills (Green, 2001). When auditory discrimination is not under instructional stimulus control, it can result in delayed acquisition of new skills and limit academic progress. The purpose of this study was to teach auditory discrimination to children with autism who had little to no progress on classroom procedures that required auditory discrimination, such as selecting an object from an array when given the name of the object as the direction. Auditory discrimination was taught starting with teaching …