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Full-Text Articles in Sociology

The Relationship Between Historical Trauma And Mental Health Status: The Moderating Role Of Ethnic Immersion For Polynesian Americans, Cameron W. H. Hee Jun 2022

The Relationship Between Historical Trauma And Mental Health Status: The Moderating Role Of Ethnic Immersion For Polynesian Americans, Cameron W. H. Hee

Theses and Dissertations

A large body of research has examined the intergenerational consequences of historically traumatic events with populations whose ancestors have collectively faced significant experiences of loss and trauma due to colonization, genocide, and other forms of oppression and marginalization. This type of research is especially prevalent among indigenous populations and historical trauma has been used to theoretically explain some groups overrepresentation in negative societal and health indices. Yet there has been virtually no empirical study of the effects of historical trauma using a Polynesian sample. The aim of this dissertation was to examine the association historically traumatic losses may have with …


"It's Like Being Pulled In Two Directions": Experiences Of Transgender Latter-Day Saints, Morgan Monet Jul 2021

"It's Like Being Pulled In Two Directions": Experiences Of Transgender Latter-Day Saints, Morgan Monet

Theses and Dissertations

This study qualitatively examined the experiences of transgender individuals who also identify as active members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (N=10). Researchers took an interpretive phenomenological approach to elicit factors which allow trans Mormon folks to hold their apparently conflicting religious and gender identities simultaneously (and the consequences of doing so). Overall, we aimed to answer the broad question, “what is it like to be transgender and Mormon?” Following a process of semi-structured interviews, transcription, and coding, the broad categories which seemed to connect many elements of the trans/Mormon experience were 1) a sense of being …


"I Thought That We Could Nurture The Nature Out Of Our Son": Making Meaning Of Parenting In The Narratives Of Parents Of Children In Residential Treatment, Jared V. Worwood Mar 2021

"I Thought That We Could Nurture The Nature Out Of Our Son": Making Meaning Of Parenting In The Narratives Of Parents Of Children In Residential Treatment, Jared V. Worwood

Theses and Dissertations

This study implements relational dialectics theory to explore the meaning of parenting from the perspective of parents who had enrolled a child in a residential treatment program. Contrapuntal analysis of six interviews revealed two discourses competing to make meaning of parenting. The Discourse of Demanding Parenting Ideals (DDPI) consisted of two themes: relentless sacrifice and complete responsibility, whereas themes of boundary-setting and acceptance compose the Discourse of Realistic Best Effort (DRBE). Discursive interplay between these discourses occurred in the forms of diachronic separation, synchronic interplay, and discursive transformation to make meaning of parenting and hold theoretical and practical implications.


The Student Experience Of Higher Education During The Covid-19 Pandemic: How Class And Race Shape Socially Distanced Learning At A Public University, Alice M. Quach Jan 2021

The Student Experience Of Higher Education During The Covid-19 Pandemic: How Class And Race Shape Socially Distanced Learning At A Public University, Alice M. Quach

Theses and Dissertations

While prior research has examined trends toward growing uncertainty and precarity for young adults within the economy and higher education, the COVID-19 pandemic appears to be exacerbating these existing inequalities and risks. Drawing from 30 semi-structured in-depth interviews with college students at a large Southern and urban public university, this study examines how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting students’ learning experiences, and how those experiences are differentially shaped, in turn, by their class and race. This exploratory research illuminates our understanding of the multiple mechanisms by which the COVID-19 pandemic is shaping existing inequalities in the higher education system, mostly …


The Association Of Sleep Quality And Loneliness With Perceived Physical And Mental Health Status In Autistic Adults, Nicholas Charles Clark Russell Aug 2020

The Association Of Sleep Quality And Loneliness With Perceived Physical And Mental Health Status In Autistic Adults, Nicholas Charles Clark Russell

Theses and Dissertations

Autistic individuals report a greater prevalence of physical and mental health difficulties, compared to the general population. This study examines factors which impact physical and mental health in the general population to evaluate whether they potentially underlie this increased prevalence in autistic individuals. We compared twenty-two autistic adults, twenty-three adults reporting symptoms of insomnia, and twenty-one neurotypical adults. The primary factors were sleep quality and insomnia; secondary factors were level of autistic traits, alexithymia, and prosocial behavior. Participants completed self-report measures looking at each of these factors as well as their perceived physical and mental health. Participants also wore an …


Describing Therapeutic Relationship Change And Failure In Group Psychotherapy, Harold Thomas Svien Aug 2019

Describing Therapeutic Relationship Change And Failure In Group Psychotherapy, Harold Thomas Svien

Theses and Dissertations

Objectives. This study reanalyzed data from Burlingame and colleagues’ (2018) randomized controlled trial on the effect of adding Group Questionnaire (GQ) to Outcome Questionnaire (OQ-45) feedback. These data were assessed for the feedback effect using the amount of GQ alerts in one session reported by the group member to track change in GQ subscales as a measure of reversing therapeutic relationship failure.Methods. 374 participants engaged in 58 psychotherapy groups. Every participant provided GQ measurements after every group session. These GQ measurements formed ‘person-session units’ representing whether or not each type of alert was present following each group meeting. Person-session units …


"Camouflaging" In Women With Autistic Traits: Measures, Mechanisms, And Mental Health Implications, Jonathan S. Beck Aug 2019

"Camouflaging" In Women With Autistic Traits: Measures, Mechanisms, And Mental Health Implications, Jonathan S. Beck

Theses and Dissertations

Autistic traits are associated with frequent psychological distress and everyday functional challenges. Some individuals with autistic traits “camouflage” these traits during social interactions by effortfully engaging in “typical” social behaviors. Camouflaging seems to be especially common in autistic girls and women. Emerging evidence proposes a role for camouflaging behaviors in poorer mental health and daily functioning. Furthermore, camouflaging efforts may delay receipt of a proper diagnosis and access to appropriate mental health care. Despite their clinical significance, camouflaging efforts remain difficult to quantify, and the mechanisms and impacts of camouflaging are poorly understood. This study aimed to compare multiple methods …


Sri Lankan Widows' Mental Health: Does Type Of Spousal Loss Matter?, Katrina Nicole Nelson Jul 2019

Sri Lankan Widows' Mental Health: Does Type Of Spousal Loss Matter?, Katrina Nicole Nelson

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined mental health outcomes for widowed Tamil women in Sri Lanka to identify any associations between type of spousal loss and several outcomes, including internalized stigma as a result of widowhood, anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, and posttraumatic stress symptoms. A sample of 381 Tamil female widows living in Eastern Sri Lanka were surveyed in 2016 to understand their experiences in a post-disaster and post-war context. Type of spousal loss was separated into seven categories: war-related death, death as a result of tsunami, illness-related deaths, accidental death, suicide, disappearance, and other. Path analysis was used to assess whether type …


Mental Health And The Relationship Between Parental Divorce And Children’S Higher Degree Acquisition, Brittany V. Pittelli Apr 2019

Mental Health And The Relationship Between Parental Divorce And Children’S Higher Degree Acquisition, Brittany V. Pittelli

Theses and Dissertations

Studies between parental divorce and children’s educational attainment have been extensively observed in family research. However, few studies have attempted to examine the negative relationship of those associations with graduate level attainment. This study suggests that parental divorce is associated with diminished overall mental health (i.e., depressive symptoms) in children, and that this decrease may help explain the connection between parental divorce and lower graduate level academic attainment. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 (NLSY97), a nationally representative sample of nearly 9,000 individuals interviewed, this study outlines hypotheses that link parental divorce, mental health, and graduate …


Does Machismo Culture Influence Latina/O Attitudes On Mental Health?, Amanda R. Mercado Dec 2018

Does Machismo Culture Influence Latina/O Attitudes On Mental Health?, Amanda R. Mercado

Theses and Dissertations

This study represents an attempt to contribute to the identified gap in knowledge towards the effects of machismo on both Latina women and Latino men and how it effects their attitudes towards mental health. The idea that previous research on machismo has been so one-sided, but has revealed that psychological distresses were present and ignored, leaves room for my research to explore how Latina women are affected because they are just as susceptible to psychological distresses as men. By using a research based framework to explain the effects of machismo on both Latina women and Latino men, my study will …


Associations Among Different Types Of Prosocial Behavior Toward Friends, Friendship Quality, And Mental Health Outcomes During Adolescence, Daye Son Jul 2018

Associations Among Different Types Of Prosocial Behavior Toward Friends, Friendship Quality, And Mental Health Outcomes During Adolescence, Daye Son

Theses and Dissertations

The current study used a multidimensional approach to prosocial behavior by a) exploring various types of adolescent prosocial behavior toward friends (physical helping, sharing, defending, emotional support, including) using both qualitative and quantitative data, and b) examining longitudinal associations among prosocial behavior toward friends, friendship quality, and mental health (anxiety, life satisfaction, depression). The data were taken from Waves 8, 9, and 10 of the Flourishing Families Project. Participants at Wave 8 consisted of 470 adolescents (M age = 18.4 years, SD = 1.04, 49% male, 32% high school students, 33% single-parent families) from the United States. Results revealed that …


Overwhelmed: A Qualitative Study Of The Mental Health Experiences Of Mothers Of Minor Children After Release From Jail And Prison, Ann Elizabeth Stanton May 2018

Overwhelmed: A Qualitative Study Of The Mental Health Experiences Of Mothers Of Minor Children After Release From Jail And Prison, Ann Elizabeth Stanton

Theses and Dissertations

Mass incarceration in US jails and prisons is a major public health concern. Over one million women are released from US jails and prisons each year. Incarcerated women experience disproportionately high rates of mental health issues and most incarcerated women are mothers of minor children. Mothers of minor children who leave jails and prisons with mental health issues face increased risks of experiencing substance use, risky behaviors, homelessness, and recidivism. Their children are also at increased risk for adverse mental health, behavioral, and social outcomes. The purpose of this study was to explore the mental health experiences of mothers of …


The Role Of Afrocentric Features In Mental Healthcare Utilization And Counselor Preferences In Black College Students, Randl B. Dent Jan 2017

The Role Of Afrocentric Features In Mental Healthcare Utilization And Counselor Preferences In Black College Students, Randl B. Dent

Theses and Dissertations

Though mental health issues are prevalent in Black young adults, they underutilize mental healthcare services. This research examined the role of feature-based discrimination in mental healthcare (under)utilization. Study 1, a secondary analysis of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, provided no evidence supporting a link between skin tone and mental healthcare utilization, when controlling for depression diagnosis. However, when controlling for depression symptoms, there was a trend such that Black young adults with darker, as opposed to lighter, skin tone utilized healthcare less. Study 2, an experimental study with 33 Black college students, showed 73% of the …


A Longitudinal Examination Of The Effects Of Acculturation And Mental Health Problems On Immigrant Father Involvement: A Cross-Cultural Study, Keitaro Yoshida Dec 2015

A Longitudinal Examination Of The Effects Of Acculturation And Mental Health Problems On Immigrant Father Involvement: A Cross-Cultural Study, Keitaro Yoshida

Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined how acculturation, mental health problems, and parenting stress are associated with two dimensions of father involvement longitudinally for Latino and Chinese immigrant fathers using a nationally representative sample of young children and their resident fathers from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort (ECLS-B). After controlling for a variety of individual and demographic characteristics and previous levels of father involvement, results from multiple group structural equation modeling revealed that immigrant fathers' English proficiency is negatively associated with care-taking involvement at 2 years, but positively associated with care-taking involvement at 4 years. Interestingly, mothers' English proficiency is also …


The Influence Of Family Relationship Satisfaction And Perceived Work-Family Harmony On Mental Health Among Asian Working Mothers In Singapore, Jerevie Malig Canlas Mar 2015

The Influence Of Family Relationship Satisfaction And Perceived Work-Family Harmony On Mental Health Among Asian Working Mothers In Singapore, Jerevie Malig Canlas

Theses and Dissertations

Women's participation in the labor force has increased in Singapore in the recent years. Research has suggested that women's attempt to relate their traditional roles as wife and mother with the expectations of their modern role as a paid employee may have an impact on their mental health. Data from a cross-sectional national probability sample of 284 employed mothers in Singapore were used to investigate the relationships between work hours, marital satisfaction, child relationship satisfaction, work-family harmony, and mental health. Based on the results of the Structural Equation Model, mothers who worked long hours experienced more positive mental health. This …


Identifying Program Needs Of Women Detainees In A Jail Environment, Jeanna Michele Rodda Oct 2014

Identifying Program Needs Of Women Detainees In A Jail Environment, Jeanna Michele Rodda

Theses and Dissertations

Since the 1980s, the population of incarcerated women has been steadily increasing. Approximately 200,000 women are incarcerated in prisons and jails in the United States (Clarke, Phipps, Tong, Rose, and Gold, 2010). There is an increasing level of comorbidity among the population of incarcerated women, with the majority requiring mental health, physical health, substance abuse and pregnancy services at the time of their incarceration or soon afterwards. Incarcerated women face a number of challenges; they are cut off from their primary support system and their children. Their physical health deteriorates, they lack appropriate coping skills, and often experience withdrawal symptoms. …


Somatoform Disorder: Treatment Utilization And Cost By Mental Health Professions, Lori Barker Morton Mar 2011

Somatoform Disorder: Treatment Utilization And Cost By Mental Health Professions, Lori Barker Morton

Theses and Dissertations

Somatoform disorder is a prevalent mental health disorder in the United States. This disorder costs the United States one billion dollars annually. Medical providers report somatoform disorder is difficult to treat. Previous studies have shown that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is effective at reducing symptoms of somatoform disorder. Unfortunately, little research has been done on treatment outcomes and cost of somatoform disorder, particularly by profession to reduce health care costs for somatoform patients and providers. Administrative data from CIGNA for 149 somatoform disorder cases were analyzed to determine the cost, number of sessions, dropout rates, and recidivism rates for somatoform …