Patient-Targeted Googling: A Mixed-Methods Examination Of Psychologists’ Perceptions And Practices, Emily L. Putnam

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Patient-targeted Googling (PTG) refers to a healthcare professional searching their patient’s name or other identifying information on the Internet. Existing research is inconclusive regarding the prevalence and perceptions of PTG among psychologists, and the American Psychological Association (APA) Ethics Code lacks guidance on the topic. The present study used a mixed-methods approach with two arms of data collection (online survey, N = 94; and virtual focus groups, N = 36) to clarify PTG practices, explore PTG attitudes, and understand training and ethical guidance needs of psychologists and psychology trainees. Results revealed that 47.9% of psychologists and trainees reported having engaged …

The Combined Benefits Of Dispositional Mindfulness And Trait Self-Compassion As Potential Buffers Of The Effects Of Perceived Stress On Sleep Quality In College-Aged Young Adults., Jackie Ma

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Using a nonclinical sample of 108 undergraduates between the ages of 18 to 25 years old, this cross-sectional study investigated the relationship between dispositional mindfulness (as measured by the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire; Baer et al., 2006) and sleep quality (as measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index; Buysse et al., 1989). Second, it evaluated the association between trait self-compassion (as measured by the Self-Compassion Scale; Neff, 2003b) and sleep quality. Third, it aimed to test for an interaction effect between dispositional mindfulness and trait self-compassion as buffers against the adverse effects of perceived stress on sleep quality. Results showed …

Stability Of Neurocognitive Abilities In Heterogeneous Subgroups Of Schizophrenia, Megan L. Becker Wright

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Considerable work has been devoted to characterizing the latent structure of cognition in schizophrenia (SZ) to understand important clinical outcomes associated with generalized or specific deficits but findings are limited in a number of ways. Previous work has not assessed bifactor and other complex models of cognition in SZ, which might provide a better understanding of the structure of cognitive abilities. It is also unclear whether the latent structure of cognitive abilities is similar between men and women with SZ or whether the latent structure of cognitive abilities is stable over time with repeated assessment. These limitations must be addressed …

Evaluating The Scl-90-R For Use In Collegiate Athletes, Elena Gavrilova

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The present study examines psychometric properties of the Symptom Checklist 90 – Revised (SCL-90-R; Derogatis, 1994) in collegiate athletes. The SCL-90-R is one of the most widely utilized measures of broad psychiatric distress. Current literature, however, suggests its factor structure varies across populations (Ardakani et al., 2016; Bakhshaie et al., 2011; Olsen et al., 2004; Ronan et al., 2000; Sereda & Dembitskyi, 2016; Smits et al., 2014; Urbán et al., 2016). Although the SCL-90-R has been previously utilized in studies involving athletes, the psychometric properties of this scale have yet to be investigated in this population. This study examined the …

What We Learn From Each Other: Vicarious Posttraumatic Growth Among Non-Helping Professionals Following Exposure To Peer Trauma Experiences, Tiphanie Gayle Sutton

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Trauma can result in adverse psychological outcomes from survivors and the helping professionals who support them. Vicarious (or secondary) traumatization is common among helping professionals and can lead to compassion fatigue and burnout. However, empathetic engagement with trauma survivors and their stories has been shown to lead to positive vicarious outcomes, including vicarious posttraumatic growth. Vicarious posttraumatic growth has been linked to personal and professional benefits for helping professionals. However, positive vicarious outcomes after engagement with peer trauma experiences had yet to be explored outside of helping relationships. The present study found that vicarious posttraumatic growth in non-helping professionals was …

Cognitive Testing For Sport Concussion: The Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment And Cognitive Testing (Impact), Julia E. Maietta

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Sport concussion is among the most common injuries for an athlete to experience during sport participation. Because of the complex pathophysiological process that affects the brain during and after concussion, symptoms can be heterogeneous in presence and severity. Although most acute symptoms (e.g., headache, slowed processing speed, loss of consciousness, irritability, depression, anxiety) resolve within seven to 10 days for most athletes, there is evidence that higher initial symptom burden and other genetically based differences can lead to longer symptom duration and complicated recovery post-concussion. Because structural changes that commonly occur as a result of concussion (e.g., diffuse axonal injury) …

An In-Depth Examination Of The Literature On Early Pubertal Timing And Disordered Eating In Women And Girls: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Megan Marie Shope

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Objective: Extant data indicate that earlier onset of puberty increases risk for disordered eating symptoms in girls and women. However, whether earlier pubertal timing is predictive of all disordered eating symptoms, or whether it exerts differential effects across distinct symptoms (e.g., body dissatisfaction versus binge eating), remains unclear given inconsistencies in the literature and the lack of a systematic analysis. A meta-analytic approach can overcome these limitations by providing pooled estimates of early pubertal timing on disordered eating symptoms and testing for methodological moderators (i.e., disordered eating outcome/symptom type, measurement of pubertal timing, age of sample, type of sample, study …

Understanding The Role Of Identity Salience In The Relationship Between Experience Of Ethnic/Racial Discrimination And Mental Health Symptomatology, Michelle Strong

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Ethnic identity salience is shown to be a protective factor in the negative impact of discrimination on mental well-being in BIPOC. However, the extent to which ethnic identity salience is a protective factor in specific BIPOC is unclear. The current study examined whether ethnic identity salience would be equally protective against the negative effects of discrimination on depression and anxiety symptoms in LatinX/Hispanic, Black/African American, and AAPI groups. It included N =168 ethno-racially diverse college students (e.g., AAPI n = 59, Hispanic/LatinX n = 72, and Black/African n = 37 American college students). Hierarchical regression analysis was used to determine …

Co-Rumination, Romantic Relationships, And Depressive Symptom Development In Adolescence, Jessica L. Shankman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present research aimed to better understand the associations among romantic involvement, co-rumination with friends, and depressive symptom development in a sample of 338 adolescents (ages 14-19 years). Using a multi-method, longitudinal study design, the present study examined whether co-rumination (self-reported and observed) mediated the relationship between romantic involvement and depressive symptoms over time. Next, analyses separately tested whether this process was further moderated by positive friendship quality, whether youth discuss romantic experiences during problem talk with friends, and/or gender. Analyses also tested whether romantic relationship quality among romantically involved youth influenced depressive symptoms over time via co-rumination.

Results supported …

Operationalizing The Gift Of Love (Gol) In Interpersonal Reconstructive Therapy (Irt): An Examination Of The Role Of Meaning Reconstruction In Therapeutic Change., Eliza Stucker-Rozovsky

Dissertations, 2020-current

Interpersonal Reconstructive Therapy (IRT) (Benjamin, 2003/2006) is an integrative, principles-based treatment approach and theory of psychopathology that conceptualizes the motivating factor that underlies personality psychopathology as the gift of love (GOL). That is, copy processes are learned and maintained to achieve psychic proximity to the important people and their internalized representations (IPIRs) that were the original teachers. Relinquishing this gift of love allows a person to re-orient their life towards uncovering and living by their own individually held meanings that will then define how they relate to themselves and their world. Spirituality and religion have historically helped individuals make meaning …

Rape Myth Acceptance And Acknowledgment: Predictors Of Disclosing Sexual Assault And Service-Seeking Among College Students, Zerbrina Valdespino-Hayden

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Sexual assault is highly prevalent on college campuses in the United States (U.S.), such that college students are at high risk for sexual victimization. Furthermore, while the disclosure rates to informal sources are more prevalent, disclosure to formal sources (e.g., legal authorities and university staff) and mental health service use of college students who have experienced sexual assault are low. As such, understanding the factors that either facilitate or hinder disclosure and service-seeking is of critical importance. Research has identified rape myth acceptance (RMA) and acknowledgment of the victimization (i.e., whether the survivor labels their experience as sexual assault) as …

Factors Related To Formal And Online Help-Seeking Behaviors Among Latinx College Students, Tanya Singh

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The frequency of help-seeking behaviors among Latinx college students is low. Latinx college students are at an elevated risk for mental health problems, such as suicide ideation and behaviors, and there is an urgent need to understand the factors that most influence help-seeking in this population. This study aimed to understand how factors such as help-seeking intentions, suicide literacy, perceived need for help and levels of acculturation relate to help-seeking behaviors, as well as how these associations differed between formal and online sources of help among Latinx college students. Furthermore, this study assessed whether these relationships were moderated by an …

Exploring Clinical Implications Of Consensual Non-Monogamy: A Proposed Intake Assessment Tool, Rebecca Tuttle

Dissertations

Relationships in the United States are often assumed to adhere to heteronormative and mononormative standards, which is problematic because a significant minority of individuals are neither heterosexual nor monogamous (approximately 4.5% and 4% of the United States population, respectively). As a result of mononormative biases in particular, alternatives to monogamy, such as consensually non-monogamous relationships, are often socially stigmatized and clinically pathologized. The existing research on consensually non-monogamous individuals indicates, despite negative assumptions, those who engage in consensually non-monogamous relationships demonstrate psychological well-being, physical health, and levels of relationship satisfaction comparable to their monogamous counterparts. While engaging in consensually non- …

Lifetime Racism And John Henryism On Cognition And Cardiovascular Health In Black Men, Roy Mitchell

Dissertations

Lifetime racism is a type of chronic stress that is often accompanied by depression. Racism is the experience of many Black men because of several psychosocial stressors such as reduced resources and institutional barriers, to name a few. Active coping is typically utilized by Black men as a consistent means to reduce the negative outcomes linked to racism, however, this up-tempo coping style can contribute to poor cardiovascular health and cognitive impairment over time. The present study aimed to provide data to support the effects of lifetime racism and active coping on cardiovascular health and cognition. There were three hypotheses …

Using Nudges To Increase Engagement With Suicide Prevention Resources In An Online Sample Of United State Military Veterans, Brian W. Bauer

Dissertations

Suicide rates have continually increased from 1999 to 2019 in the United States, with populations such as military Veterans showing substantially higher suicide death and attempt rates than civilians. Behavioral economics researchers have demonstrated that people regularly make decisions that are not aligned with their own self-interests (i.e., irrational decisions). These irrational decisions often stem from humans having bounded rationality (i.e., limited computational power), which produce reliable cognitive biases that occur outside of people’s awareness and influence the decisions they make. There are many important decisions leading up to a suicide attempt (e.g., whether to engage with suicide prevention resources), …

Distress And Growth In The Black Community, Devin A. Noel-Harrison

Research Psychology Theses

Racial discrimination is an unfortunate reality that people of color regularly experience. This leaves lasting impacts on the health of individuals and communities. With the increased use of social media, videos depicting violence against black bodies are widely circulated. The consequences of being exposed to these race related traumatic events online (TEO) can be damaging to the mental health of the black community, maybe even more so if one’s racial identity is important and salient to their overall wellbeing. Though witnessing these race related TEO often lead to posttraumatic stress, positive change may also be possible known as posttraumatic growth.

Income Earner Status And Couple Type And Its Impact On Marital Satisfaction, Yudiana Ratnasari, Fath Fatheya

Makara Human Behavior Studies in Asia

The rise of opportunities for females to work outside household settings in Indonesia has changed the division of traditional roles and responsibilities among married couples and thus may affect the quality of marital relationships. This study aims to observe how income earner status (single or dual earner) within families and couple type play roles in marital satisfaction. The participants comprised 224 spousal couples who are analyzed individually and together to categorize couple types measured using the Relational Dimension Instrument and Couple Satisfaction Index. Results indicate that for income earner status, no significant predominant effect on marital satisfaction was observed. The …

Exploring Components For A Family-Focused Intervention For Families With A Child Diagnosed With Cancer And Other Chronic Illnesses, Nicole Kubinec

Psychology ETDs

Chronic illnesses are often life-long and affect academic performance, social development, psychological well-being, and family functioning. The broad effects of childhood chronic illnesses are often assessed using measures of child health-related quality of life (HRQL). Parent factors (parental distress, perceptions of child vulnerability, overprotection) and family factors (maintaining rituals, open communication, positive coping) have been associated with changes in child HRQL. This study sought to discover how parent and family factors were associated with child HRQL, and how such factors were perceived by families for inclusion in future interventions. Results demonstrated that parental perceptions of child vulnerability were associated with …

The Lived Experience Of Postpartum Anxiety During Covid-19: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study, Walker Ladd Phd, Jenny De Decker

The Qualitative Report

The experience of pregnancy and postpartum anxiety disorders results in adverse birth outcomes and the disrupted development of infants and children. Since the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has designated pregnant and postpartum women as more vulnerable to COVID-19 (CDC, 2021), and perinatal mood and anxiety disorders rates have increased. However, research regarding the lived experience of women with postpartum anxiety (PPA) during a global pandemic remains lacking. Using van Manen’s hermeneutic phenomenological research method, we interviewed eight women self-identifying as having had PPA during the COVID-19 pandemic. Analysis revealed five themes describing the lived …

Development And Validation Of A Measure For Social Support: Perceived Social Support Inventory, Lindsay Marie Clark

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Abstract

The literature consistently acknowledges the protective function of social support against various negative psychological and physiological outcomes (Cohen & Wills, 1985; Dunst et al., 1986; Taylor, 2011; Uchino, 2009). Further, social support can emerge from different members that comprise an individual’s social network, such as friends, family, teachers, colleagues, and members of common interest groups. Given the important role that social support plays in health outcomes, the importance of psychometrically sound measures for assessing the construct is essential for use in research and clinical settings. However, many of the current measures of social support are outdated, are limited in …