Social Work Commons^™

An Exploration Of The Relationship Of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Symptoms And Traumatic Experiences In Adult Clients, Sasha Pansovoy

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This qualitative research study explored clinicians’ perspectives on the association between Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and trauma in the treatment of adult clients. Using both content and narrative analysis, the study examined whether OCD symptoms are reminiscent of the clients’ traumas. Nine clinicians were interviewed and presented narratives of clients who have experienced traumatic events and OCD. Key findings revealed that (1) 10 out of the 12 clients presented were abused as children; (2) OCD symptoms were perceived as coping strategies; (3) the majority of discussed clients were cisgender males; and (4) OCD symptoms of the clients reflected past traumas. Treatment …

"A Whole Lot Of Conscious Effort" : Exploring How Protective Factors Contribute To Resiliency In Parents Who Have Experienced Traumatic Events In Childhood, Annelies J. Spykman

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The purpose of this research project is to address the multiple variables that contribute to trauma exposure in childhood and how it manifests in the traumatized person’s later parenting styles. The over-arching research question is: do protective factors provide sufficient supports to parents who were subjected to traumatic experiences in childhood in order to lessen the transmission of trauma to their own children? This qualitative study is an assessment of interviews with 18 participants who identify as parents who have experienced at least one traumatic event in childhood. Findings of this study implicate a high level of resilience that has …

Exploration Of Intergenerational Transmission Of Trauma In Holocaust Survivors, Lisa S. Guthery

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This study was undertaken to help resolve current debate in the field as to whether or not the traumatic effects of the Holocaust are transmitted intergenerationally. What was preventing or, conversely, enabling the passage of symptomatology from one generation to the next, thereby accounting for the contradiction in research, and clinicians’ observations during their work with Holocaust families? Over 200 people received the study through social media and snowball sampling requesting participation in a Qualtrics survey consisting of 3 screening questions, 5 demographic questions, 4 sections of multiple-choice questions, and 2 open-ended questions. The four sections assessed parental PTSD symptomatology, …

The Impact Of Clinical Social Workers' Conceptualizations Of Moral Injury On Their Treatment Actions In Work With Veterans, Zachary P. Wigham

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This exploratory study was designed to determine how clinical social workers’ conceptualizations of Moral Injury impacted their treatment actions in work with veterans. Additionally, this study allowed insights into the clinical social workers’ education and practice on Moral Injury.

Using semi-structured interviews with licensed clinical social workers who each held a Master of Social Work degree and held at least two years of experience working with veterans, this study gathered data from 7 participants. This study gathered data categorized under five major areas: demographics, conceptualizations and related data, sources of learning and frequency of contact, treatment actions, and perceived skill …

Farm Work As Treatment For Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Mindy L. Walls

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This exploratory, descriptive study assessed what, if anything, is beneficial about engaging in agricultural work, or, farm work, for individuals living with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). An anonymous, online survey was utilized, asking a series of multiple choice and open ended questions about the participants’ farm work history, PTSD experience, and demographic information. Thirty-nine participants responded with varying identities and work history, but many shared experiences of PTSD. Almost all of the participants found farming to be beneficial for managing PTSD. Specifically, four themes arose from the data that explained what about farming was beneficial for individuals with PTSD: farming …

Moral Injury In Veterans : A Theoretical Investigation Of The Psychic, Moral And Social Sequelae Of War Trauma, Sarah C. Towers

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

Although the idea that a violation of deeply held moral and ethical values can result in a profound psychic, social and spiritual wounding is an ancient one, the exploration of the phenomenon of moral injury in the field of mental health has only recently gained traction. Moral injury is increasingly being regarded as its own psychological phenomenon, one that shares symptomology with PTSD, but is also distinct, and as yet not sufficiently accounted for in current PTSD criteria. This theoretical thesis charts the evolving clinical construct of moral injury and draws on two bodies of theory, narrative theory and adult …