Clinical Psychology Commons^™

Relationships Between White Psychology Trainees’ Multicultural Competence And Racial Affect In The Pandemic, Daniella L. Colb

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

In this dissertation, I used an exploratory research approach to examine White psychology trainees’ affective responses to race-related material and how they relate to trainees’ self-perceived levels of multicultural competence amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement. Participants completed self-report instruments about their experiences and identities, their affective responses to racial content, and their grasp of facets of multicultural competence. Significant correlations were found between affective responses—specifically White guilt and negation—and multicultural competence. The relationship found between White guilt and multicultural competence may speak to the power of guilt to motivate trainees’ pursuit of …

The Moderating Effect Of Race On Ipts Factors And Suicidal Ideation In A Military Sample, Shelan A. Porter

Research Psychology Theses

Suicide rates have increased over the last 20 years in all ethnic and racial groups in the US, but most prominently for veterans and non-white racial subgroups. Suicidal Ideation is a predictor for suicide but there is limited research looking at mental health differences in the at-risk military community due to race. 794 military personnel were surveyed electronically on a range of mental health measures in a southern US joint forces training center between 2014 and 2015. Guided by the Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicide, this secondary data analysis considered the moderating effect of a three-group race model on the relationship …

The Influence Of Covid-19 On Tobacco Racial Health Disparities: Testing The Differential Effects Of Covid-19 On Smoking Motivation Variables Across Black And White Smokers, Patricia F. Calixte-Civil

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic has illuminated persistent racial differences in access and quality of healthcare resources that result in disproportionately poor health outcomes for Black and African Americans, relative to Whites. Given COVID-19’s influence on racial health disparities broadly, examination is warranted on whether the pandemic has more specificallyinfluenced smoking motivation and, subsequently, tobacco-related health disparities. The goal of this study was to test whether COVID-19 related video content differentially primed smoking motivation (cravings, cessation self-efficacy, and motivation to quit) among Black and White smokers. I used an online research platform to host an experiment with a 2x3 between-subjects factorial design …

From Intersubjectivity To Activism: A Case For Engaged Psychoanalytic And Psychodynamic Psychology, Abigail Bliss

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

This dissertation consists of a book proposal, including a completed introduction and first chapter, in addition to detailed chapter outlines summarizing the content for the actual book. After framing this project and exploring its inspiration, which includes Freud and his free clinics (Danto, 2005), the first chapter begins with explorations of multiple theories of intersubjectivity and the analytic third, considering how contemporary sociopolitical factors might affect the intersubjective experience. To this end, I demonstrate how race, politics, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the incorporation of telehealth practices affect the intersubjective experience in psychoanalytic/psychodynamic (PA/PD) psychotherapy. I then research and review PA/PD …

Borderline Personality Disorder And Violent Crime: The Moderating Role Of Sex And Race, Genevieve Allison

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

People receiving treatment for substance use disorders (SUD) are at risk of justice involvement. Although it is well-established that borderline personality disorder (BPD) increases risk for criminal involvement, it is unclear whether this relationship exists among people with SUDs. Furthermore, prior research has found sex and race differences in the relationships between BPD and justice involvement as well as violence, but these moderators have not been explored within a substance using sample. The current study utilized a sample receiving SUD treatment to examine whether BPD is associated with prior violent charges and, if race and sex moderated this relationship. Results …

Stigma Related To Criminal Justice History: The Role Of Offense Type, Mental Health Treatment, Mental Illness, And Race From Formerly Incarcerated Persons’ Perspective, Lindsey Ryan-Jones

Student Theses

Research has shown that offenders perceive stigma and anticipate stigma once they are released from incarceration, especially regarding employment and housing (LeBel et al., 2012). However, there is limited information about offense type, mental health treatment, mental illness and race affect how formerly incarcerated persons perceive, anticipate and experience stigma. While research has shown that those with mental illness are more likely to have recidivate and sex offenders are viewed negatively by the public, there are gaps in understanding reasons why this occurs (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2017; Sample & Bray, 2006; Levinson et al., 2007; Rade, Desmarais & Mitchell, …

Race, Racial Matching, And Cultural Understanding As Predictors Of Treatment Engagement In Youth Mental Health Services, Wendy Chu

Theses and Dissertations

Racially marginalized youth experience barriers that impact their ability to maximally benefit from mental health services; thus, efforts to identify strategies that support youth treatment engagement may address mental health and treatment disparities. This study examined the role of youth race, youth-therapist racial matching, and youthreported therapist cultural understanding on youth’s early treatment engagement in mental health services. The youth sample (n = 1159; M_age = 13.8 years, SD = 2.9; 52.1% female) comprised of 778 (67.1%) Latinx, 221 (19.1%) African American, 139 (12.0%) White, and 21 (1.8%) Asian American clients. The therapist sample (n = 126; Mage …

Racial Bias In The Association Of Externalizing Symptoms With Black And White Children: The Development And Application Of An Implicit Association Test, Maura Francis

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that school and mental health professionals more strongly associate externalizing behaviors with Black children compared to White children. To test this hypothesis, we developed an implicit association test to determine if there was a difference in the reaction times in classifying symptoms as externalizing when the symptoms were paired with the word “Black Child” as opposed to paired with the word “White Child”. In a sample of 54 school and mental health professionals, we found clear evidence in support of our hypothesis. The existence of this implicit bias may explain …

The Impact Of A Relationship Education Program On Health Disparities Among Pregnant Women, Anne Clara Biermann

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Health disparities amongst pregnant individuals of color have long been documented and yet, they persist. While there is growing recognition, the search continues for solutions to close the health disparity gap between White women and women of color. This research is a follow-up to a 2022 study exploring the impact of the MotherWise program on birth outcomes. MotherWise provides an individual-oriented relationship education program and case management service for minority and low-income pregnant women in Colorado. This research further explores a positive trend of the program's impact on preterm birth rates by examining differential effects of participation by race. In …

A Call To Dismantle Systemic Racism In Criminal Legal Systems, Cynthia J. Najdowski, Margaret C. Stevenson

Psychology Faculty Scholarship

Objectives: In October 2021, APA passed a resolution addressing ways psychologists could work to dismantle systemic racism in criminal legal systems. The present report, developed to inform APA’s policy resolution, details the scope of the problem and offers recommendations for policy and psychologists to address the issue by advancing related science and practice. Specifically, it acknowledges the roots of modern-day racial and ethnic disparities in rates of criminalization and punishment for people of color as compared to White people. Next, the report reviews existing theory and research that helps explain the underlying psychological mechanisms driving racial and ethnic disparities …

Identifying Risk Factors For Ptsd Symptom Clusters In Maltreated, Multiracial Youth Using Nonparametric Modeling, Mallory Constantine

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Multiracial youth are one of the most at-risk racial groups for child maltreatment. Multiracial individuals are also more likely to report mental health concerns than other racial or ethnic groups. This study aimed to identify demographic and psychological risk factors that are unique to multiracial, maltreated youth with respect to PTSD symptoms (i.e., re-experiencing, hyperarousal, avoidance) through classification and regression tree (CART) analyses. Participants included 99 multiracial, maltreated youth directly following their placement in an emergency group shelter due to substantiated maltreatment. The first hypothesis was that female gender, English first language, questions related to guilt and self-blame, and depressive …

Youth Bystander Intentions To Intervene In Peer Intimate Partner Violence: The Co-Influence Of Perceived Perpetrator Race And Perceived Culpability, Nana Amoh

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In recent years, bystander intervention programs that focus on addressing violence have notably become more popular and prevalent on college campuses. Bystander intervention programs serve to help college students identify and intervene in emergency situations like intimate partner violence. Despite advances in the bystander intervention literature, there is a dearth of research that has examined bystander intentions to intervene in situations of intimate partner violence among youth who have witnessed violence between peers. This study examined bystander intentions to intervene among young adults who witnessed peer male-to-female physical intimate partner violence and whether intentions to intervene varied depending on perpetrator …

Impact Of Moral Injury For Ethnic/Racial Minority Male Veterans, Kristopher Kern

Doctoral Dissertations

Trends in demographics of post-9/11 veterans (deployments to the Middle East after 2001) describe this group as having higher survival rates, increased service-connected disabilities, and more racially diverse (NCVAS, 2018; Schnurr et al., 2009; Tanelian & Jaycox, 2008). Additionally, their deployment experiences include combat-related experiences that contradict personal moral beliefs, later named “moral injury” (MI) (Litz et al., 2009). Currier, Holland, and Mallot (2015) describe MI as intense emotions of shame, guilt, and anger alongside maladaptive behaviors emerging after “witnessing and/or participating in warzone events that challenge one’s basic sense of humanity” (p. 231).

The research on MI continues to …

Examining Race And Anxiety Sensitivity As Predictors Of Electronic Cigarette Use And Dependence, Carson Schmitz

Honors Theses

Electronic Cigarettes (e-cigarettes) have gained popularity among U.S. adults with rates of use significantly increasing over the past decade. As such, the current literature has begun to explore factors associated with e-cigarette use in significantly affected populations. Anxiety sensitivity (AS), the fear of the sensations associated with the experience of anxiety, is a known transdiagnostic risk factor for tobacco use. Additionally, higher AS has been shown to be associated with higher levels of e-cigarette use, greater perceived benefits of use, greater positive outcome expectancies, greater perceived risks of use, more quit attempts, and more difficulty quitting. Further, preliminary research focusing …

Intra-Familial Microaggressions, Object Relations, And Racial Identity Formation In Multiracial Individuals, Ashley Danies

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The concept of the self in relation to others is referred to in psychoanalytic theory as one’s ‘object-relations’ (Kernberg, 1984). One of the earliest object-relationships is between baby and caretaker(s), through which the baby develops a sense of their own identity (Mahler, 1967; Sandler & Sandler, 1978). Multiracial individuals, or those whose families fall in two or more different racial/ethnic groups, report racial microaggressions from within their own families (Nadal, Sriken, Davidoff, Wong, & McLean, 2013). Notably, Multiracial individuals who have one White parent and one non-White parent face a greater possibility of rejection from one or both sides of …

A Phenomenological Investigation Of African American Male Veterans’ Experience Of Social Connection, Brian Coleman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research project examines the experience of African American male veterans’ social connections with other veterans. Social connection has been found to be a key factor in promoting positive health outcomes and overall well-being. In addition, social connection involves not only a sense of being connected to others but can also include feelings of exclusion. Given the increasing health disparities of between African American and White men, and of our nation’s veteran population, greater attention to factors that promote well-being are essential. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the lived experiences of social connection of African American …

The Effectiveness Of A Mindfulness, Acceptance, Valued Action, And Flexible Coping Intervention For Race-Based Stress On Momentary Coping And Distress Symptoms, Jennifer Honculada Martinez

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Racism and racism-related stress has been shown to be associated with negative mental health outcomes among people of color (POC), such as increased depressive and anxious symptoms (e.g., Williams, Neighbors, & Jackson, 2003). Further, approximately up to 98% of all POC report experiencing a racist experience over the past year and in their lifetime, indicating that racism-related stress is a chronic experience. Most research on coping with racism has evaluated the cross-sectional impact of racism and mental health but has yet to identify which coping strategies may be most effective as buffers against the psychological impact of racism. Further, little …

Foster Care And Youth Homelessness: The Impact Of Race And Victimization History, Nakisa Asefnia

Theses and Dissertations

The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development shows that there are 31,062 unaccompanied homeless youth living in the U.S.. Simultaneously, approximately 250,000 youth exit the foster care system each year, many of whom have little support for a successful transition. Research has shown that emerging adults, who exit foster care by aging out, have an increased chance of homelessness. These youths’ victimization experiences, particularly those leading to child welfare involvement and subsequently foster care, may increase their chances of difficulties with regard to homelessness. In addition to their increased vulnerability and risk of homelessness, race is a compounding …

A Quantitative Approach And A Qualitative Approach Towards Intersectionality Among Individuals With Lgbtq+ Identities, Viet (Mason) Trinh

Honors Projects

This is a two-parted project that integrates a quantitative approach and a qualitative approach toward the concept of intersectionality. Research about intersectionality has shown the advantages and disadvantages of both approaches. Therefore, I decided to explore the concept using both approaches. The quantitative section of this project investigates the relationship between victimization experiences due to race/ ethnicity and/ or LGBTQ+ identities and emotional well-being. The sample for this section consisted of college students from all states in the United States who identified as LGBTQ+ and were between 18 and 24 years old. The qualitative section examines salient identities, identity gaps, …

Mindfulness And Blood Pressure Across Demographics: Analyses From The Serenity Study, Gabrielle R. Chin

Theses and Dissertations

Mindfulness, as a state, trait, and training, is linked with myriad positive mental and physical health outcomes. Understanding the individual characteristics potentially influencing links between mindful traits, mindfulness training, and physical health, is therefore important, yet remains under-addressed. Utilizing data from the ongoing Serenity Study (NCT02371317), the current project examines if (1) at baseline, higher trait mindfulness relates to lower BP consistently as a function of demographics, (2) Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) training lowers BP consistently across demographic subgroups and initial levels of trait mindfulness, and (3) if change in trait mindfulness following MBSR training correlates with change in BP …

Racial Differences In Perceptions Of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Behavior, Sungha Kang

Masters Theses

Previous research has suggested there may be racial differences in how adults perceive and rate children’s ADHD behavior (i.e., inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity). The current study examined these differences between African-American/Black (AA/B) parents and European-American/White (EA/W) parents and teachers. Participants watched video clips of children in classrooms and rated their ADHD behaviors and their likelihood of having ADHD. Results showed that EA/W parents and teachers rated African-American boys’ ADHD behaviors and their likelihood of having ADHD higher than AA/B parents. Mechanisms by which these differences exist were explored, including beliefs about stigma related to ADHD, values in movement and expressiveness, experiences …

The Relationship Between Personal Values And Personality Traits In Inpatient Behavioral Patients, Chelsea M. Frank

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Inpatient behavioral-health hospital admission has become an important therapeutic option for severely ill psychiatric patients and accounts for one third of the national mental-healthcare costs. After discharge, approximately 40% of patients with psychiatric problems are rehospitalized within 1 year of release from an inpatient behavioral-health hospital. Currently, no clear agreement exists within the psychology field as to which variables predict readmission. Identifying personal values and personality traits in assessment may be beneficial to help understand individual’s better, thereby informing treatment planning to help reduce the rate of readmission. The present study examined the relationship between personal values and personality traits …

The Role Of Personality In The Development Of Health Disparities During Late-Mid Life, Juliette Mcclendon Iacovino

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objectives: The current study examined race/gender disparities in initial levels and trajectories of self-reported physical and mental health, and health care utilization, as well as the impact of personality and stressful life events on race/gender disparities. We hypothesized that health disparities would remain stable or decrease over time; that at-risk personality traits (e.g., high neuroticism) would have a more robust negative impact on health for black participants; that trust would mediate racial disparities in health; and that personality traits would moderate the association between stressful life events and health trajectories differentially across race/gender. Methods: Analyses utilized the first six waves …

The Influence Of Race And Gender On The Choice Of A Mental Health Provider, Meghan Rackers

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Although the current mental health treatment model provides little opportunity for consumers of services to exert control of their mental health experiences (specifically when choosing a provider), the ability to select a service provider may aid in the formation of the therapeutic alliance. The abundance of research regarding the topic of racial and gender matching of clinicians and clients has focused on treatment outcomes and client retention, and less on client preference and how it relates to likelihood that they will seek out services. Previous studies have used face-valid surveys asking whether clients would prefer a clinician who is a …

Attribution Of Blame In Rape: The Role Of Race, Alice Genna

Student Theses

Reports have shown that about 18 percent of women and 1 percent of men in the United States reported experiencing rape in the past (Center for Disease and Control Prevention, 2011). In addition, a previous study has shown that victims of rape are often reluctant to report the incidents, because they fear society’s perceptions of rape (Deming, Covan, Swan & Billings, 2013). Given this, it is important to study factors influencing individuals’ attribution of blame in rape. While many studies have focused on the role of gender, sexual orientation, and alcohol influence in perceptions of rape, research on the role …

The Impact Of Stigma On The Mental Health Of Resettled African And Asian Refugees, Victoria M. Baptiste

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

The global refugee crisis worsens day-by-day, with millions of refugees forced to seek safe haven abroad. Pre-migration trauma exposure contributes to disproportionately higher rates of psychopathology, especially among torture survivors and women. The extant literature has largely focused on the effects of pre-migration factors; however, increasingly, researchers recognize the critical impact of post-migration living difficulties (PMLD) in exacerbating refugee mental health. One example of a PMLD is stigma, defined as a socially devalued attribute (e.g., minority race, ethnicity, sex). A robust literature documents the deleterious effects of stigma on psychological functioning, but few studies of refugees have explored stigma, which …

Recidivism: An Analysis Of Race, Locus Of Control, And Resilience, Danisha Latrell Thomas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Recidivism is a growing problem in the United States that has contributed to prison overcrowding. In the United States, this is especially true for minorities, who have the highest incarceration, conviction, and recidivism rates. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to explore the relationship between race, recidivism, locus of control, and resilience. For the quantitative component, the Connor-Davidson Resilience scale (CD-RISC) and the multidimensional locus of control scales were used to measure resiliency and locus of control differences among racial groups (N = 126) on parole at a Fort Worth, Texas parole office. For the qualitative component, in-depth …

Masculine Identities Among Asian American Men: Negotiating Varying Masculine Ideals For The Self And Others, Elisa J. Lee

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The study examined the implications of varying masculine identities for Asian American men of East Asian descent. The study tested the hypotheses that compared to White men, Asian American men would endorse lower levels of Western hegemonic masculine ideals, see themselves as less masculine in terms of those ideals, and report lower levels of believing others perceive them as masculine by Western hegemonic standards. It also examined if the type of masculinity Asian American men endorsed moderated the psychological functioning (gender role conflict, psychological distress, and substance use) related to any discrepancies and synchronicities between self-perception and others’ perception (e.g. …

Parents And Teachers’ Perceptions And Clinical Diagnosis Of Autism Among White And Non-White Groups, Margaret Gopaul

School of Psychology Publications

The pervasiveness of autism has significantly increased over the past 2 decades with the 2014 Center for Disease Control and Prevention report indicating 1 in 68 children are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Early intervention is recommended as the most effective treatment approach. Nevertheless, previous research has indicated that White children are diagnosed with ASD about 1.5 years earlier than are Non-White children. A current gap remains in literature regarding ASD and different racial groups, and evidence has been inconclusive regarding disparities in identifying and diagnosing ASD. To fill this gap, this study investigated the relationship between child race, …

Parents And Teachers’ Perceptions And Clinical Diagnosis Of Autism Among White And Non-White Groups, Margaret Gopaul

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

The pervasiveness of autism has significantly increased over the past 2 decades with the 2014 Center for Disease Control and Prevention report indicating 1 in 68 children are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Early intervention is recommended as the most effective treatment approach. Nevertheless, previous research has indicated that White children are diagnosed with ASD about 1.5 years earlier than are Non-White children. A current gap remains in literature regarding ASD and different racial groups, and evidence has been inconclusive regarding disparities in identifying and diagnosing ASD. To fill this gap, this study investigated the relationship between child race, …