Health Psychology Commons^™

Cognitive Functioning, Depression, And Strengths As Predictors Of Quality Of Life In Multiple Sclerosis, Tara Annthea Crouch

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) are at significant risk for decreased quality of life, partly due to associated cognitive impairment (Højsgaard Chow et al., 2018). A discrepancy often exists between objective and perceived measures of cognitive impairment (Middleton et al., 2006); the paths through which they predict quality of life for MS patients remain unclear (Baumstarck-Barrau, et al., 2011). Objective cognitive functioning as well as one’s perceptions of it may differentially impact quality of life, and therefore may or may not act through the same mechanisms to impact quality of life. Depression is one possible mediator known to impact ...

Medical Mistrust, Hiv-Related Conspiracy Beliefs, And The Need For Cognitive Closure Among Urban-Residing African American Women: An Exploratory Study, Jennifer Rae Myers Phd, Kelsey Ball Phd, Sharlene L. Jeffers Ma, William B. Lawson Md, Phd, Dlfapa,Pa

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Despite advances regarding access to care and overall treatment, medical mistrust remains an important factor regarding clinical research participation as well as prevention/treatment-seeking behaviors among African American women. Such attitudes may be a result of psychosocial variables such as HIV-related conspiracy endorsement as well as a need for cognitive closure (NFCC) that reinforces their beliefs of interpersonal and institutional discrimination. To explore how well these psychosocial factors predict medical mistrust, thirty-five urban-residing African American women completed a demographics survey, the Medical Mistrust Index (MMI), a HIV-related conspiracy beliefs survey, and the Need for Closure Scale (NFCS). Results showed that ...

Moderating Effects Of Posttraumatic Growth On Suicidal Ideation After Combat Exposure, Matthew A. Strader

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The suicide rate in the United States has risen since 1999 (Curtin, Warner, & Hedegaard, 2016). This increase may be a distinct problem for military service members who may have an additional risk through combat exposure (Bryan et al., 2015). There is a need to identify protective factors for suicide broadly and specifically for military service members and veterans. There is emerging evidence that posttraumatic growth may be a protective factor for suicide ideation possibly buffering the effects of combat exposure on suicide ideation (Bush, Skopp, McCann, & Luxton, 2011). The current study was designed to further examine the relationship between combat ...

Health Equity Through Spatial Justice: A Critical Phenomenology Of Urban Trail Makers, Arvin Simon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research has increasingly demonstrated that race, class and place are powerful predictors of health and social justice. This study was conducted to identify the lived experiences of individuals who were hired and trained as part of a green job program that created trails within a city park in Pittsburgh’s Mount Washington Community. This program has historically hired individuals who were formerly incarcerated, many of whom identify as African American. We explored the personal and social experiences of working in nature to better appreciate the intersections of race, class and environment in an urban community. This current study is based ...

Psychological Outcomes Associated With Crossfit, Jessica Fell, Glenn Geher

Journal of Evolution and Health

CrossFit is an exercise program that was theoretically designed to map onto ancestral forms of exercise and movement. Whether CrossFit actually matches the kinds of movements that were regularly implemented by our pre-Agrarian ancestors is up for debate. Assuming that CrossFit, regardless of its actual evolutionary relevance, may have some benefits, the current work examined whether CrossFit is associated with psychological and social benefits to individuals compared with a more traditional exercise regimen (Gold’s Gym). This study included 188 participants, 69 Gold’s Gym members and 119 CrossFit members who completed an online survey. In addition to several questions ...

The Role Of Retail Pharmacy In The Treatment Of Mental Illness, Melissa Sturgill

Undergraduate Research Symposium (URS)

Mental illness treatment in the United States has developed and changed drastically in the past century. Where in the early 1900s,one with a severe mental illness would be institutionalized, today, the same person could be treated with psychotherapy and medications.

Pharmacists are the modern bridge to aid those with mental illness to live on their own and contribute to society.

Exited Prostitution Survivor Policy Platform, Marian Hatcher, Alisa L. Bernard, Allison Franklin, Audrey Morrissey, Beth Jacobs, Cherie Jimenez, Kathi Hardy, Marlene Carson, Nikki Bell, Rebecca Bender, Rebekah Charleston, Shamere Mckenzie, Vednita Carter

Dignity: A Journal on Sexual Exploitation and Violence

Survivors of prostitution propose a policy reform platform including three main pillars of priority: criminal justice reforms, fair employment, and standards of care. The sexual exploitation of prostituted individuals has lasting effects which can carry over into many aspects of life. In order to remedy these effects and give survivors the opportunity to live a full and free life, we must use a survivor-centered approach to each of these pillars to create change. First, reform is necessary in the criminal justice system to recognize survivors as victims of crime and not perpetrators, while holding those who exploited them fully responsible ...

Alcohol Expectancies Among Sudents In The City Of Pokhara, Nepal, Niran Tamrakar

Public Access Theses and Dissertations from the College of Education and Human Sciences

Alcohol plays a vital role in various aspects of Nepalese society. It also presents public health risks. Though adolescents in Nepal are at high risk for negative consequences from alcohol use, there is limited information available on their alcohol behaviors and beliefs. The present study aims to describe alcohol expectancies among a sample of secondary students in Nepal to identify and understand motivations underlying their alcohol-related behaviors. A self-report survey was administered to 591 students from different Englishmedium schools in the city of Pokhara. This study began with the Chinese Adolescent Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire (CAAEQ), then used qualitative methods to ...

The Relationship Between Neuroticism, Self-Esteem, And Disordered Eating Attitudes: Examining The Health At Every Size Theory, Liana Cho

Masters Theses

Background. In the modern day treatment of overweight/obesity, conflicting recommendations regarding treatment have been released by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) and advocates of the Health at Every Size (HAES) movement. While the AND have indicated their support for self-monitoring practices, such as keeping a food diary or tracking calories, HAES advocates have claimed that these restrictive practices may result in increased disordered eating tendencies and poor self-esteem.

Subjects. The participants for this study included 410 students at Grand Valley State University. Almost 80% of participants were female, and just over 85% of participants identified as white ...

Breaking The Silence: Discussions About Disability, Sex, & Gender Identity, Janet Sauer, Kirsten Bond, Cassidy Donahue, Molly Wolber, Hannah Hunter, Elizabeth Bellin, Katherine Deluga

Violence Against Women conference

Silence often accompanies topics about disability, sexuality, and gender identity. This panel of Lesley students, alumni, and faculty discuss the issue of silence involving social stigma and ignorance that can often lead to violence against people with disabilities. The panelists participated in an interdisciplinary course, Disability Studies, in which students chose to research these topics for their social action projects and papers. Panelists who see themselves as allies and/or self-identify as disabled share their research, personal experiences, and interviews with the audience to provide insights into some of the systematic exclusion of people with disabilities in these discussions, particularly ...

Technology And Human Well-Being, Charles E. Bartlett Iii, Tiona Doctor, Aubrey L. Moore Ii

Georgia Undergraduate Research Conference (GURC)

Social media can be described as social applications relating to websites, content communities, social networking sites, video games and virtual social worlds (Griffiths, 2017). Social media participation has increased on social networking sites (Smith and Anderson, 2018) as a way for people to interact and communicate with each other (Pantic, 2014). In many cases, technologies (e.g., cell phones) are used primarily for social media purposes. For example, 92% of teens report going online daily via cell phone (Teen Cell Phone Addiction Treatment, 2018). When participating on social media sites, people have the opportunity to judge others as well as ...

Use Of Drug Dependency To Entrap And Control Victims Of Sex Trafficking: A Call For A U.S. Federal Human Rights Response, Jacquelyn C.A. Meshelmiah, Carra Gilson, Athapattu Pathirannelage A. Prasanga

Dignity: A Journal on Sexual Exploitation and Violence

Survivors of sex trafficking who were forced into drug use as victims are in need of social services to treat their drug dependency and other mental disorders. Access to social services is a human rights issue that must be acted upon by state and federal officials. The law, however, requires approval of the T-Visa for receipt of benefits. Along with the T-visa application process, the applicant (human trafficking survivor) must be willing to assist in every reasonable way in the investigation and prosecution of the trafficker. The authors argue that drug dependency treatment and other social service benefits should be ...

Lifestyles, Income, Health Factors, And Life Satisfaction Of Older Hispanic Adults, Gina Fe G. Causin Ph.D., Hyunsook Kang Ph.D., Mary S. Olle Ph.D.

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

The aim of this study was to explore to what extent life styles, income, and health factors contribute to the life satisfaction of Hispanic older adults. A secondary data analysis from a national survey of Hispanic Established Populations for the Epidemiologic Study of the Elderly (HEPESE) (Markides, Ray, Angel, & Espino, 2012) was used. Subjects were Hispanic older adults (over 75 years, n = 1542). For this study, Hispanics and Latinos were considered as one and the same. A two-step hierarchical regression was conducted to address the research question. The results showed health status and income were unique predictors in the first ...

Older Adults’ Social Relations: Life Satisfaction To Widowhood, Hyunsook Kang Ph.D., Bonnie Ahn Ph.D.

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

Abstract

The objective of this study was to examine the breadth and depth of relationships with relatives and friends and the possible implications of those relationships with regards to life satisfaction to widowhood. Data from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP) survey were used, which sampled persons 57-85 years of age (N=3005). It was hypothesized that older widowed adults have greater quality of both family and friend relationships than do older married adults. Structural Equational Modeling analysis results supported these hypotheses, revealing that older widowed adults reported higher quality of engagement in family and friend relations ...

Involuntary Termination From Substance Use Disorder Treatment: Unknown Phantoms, Red Flags, And Unexplained Medical Data, Izaak L. Williams Csac

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

In the United States, all treatment programs receiving public funds are required by law to regularly submit admission and discharge data, inclusive of the forced/involuntary termination or administrative discharge of clients, to their local state authorities. In some states, this requirement even extends to programs not receiving public funds. The aim of collecting discharge data—collected under the auspices of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Association [SAMHSA]—is to assist state and county authorities, funders, and accreditors to monitor recovery-focused program performance. However, investigation here undertaken shows that published discharge data from many state treatment settings are ...

A Critical Analysis Of The Delivery Of A Psychosocial Workshop For Cancer Survivors With Lymphedema, Ryan Hamilton, Roanne Thomas, Yvonne Anisimowicz, Marquelle Piers, Renee Matte

The Qualitative Report

Secondary lymphedema is a chronic condition that can develop after the treatment of cancer and can often lead to negative psychological and social impairments. When dealing with chronic illness, hoping and coping are interdependent. Previous research has assessed the outcomes of workshops designed to enhance hope but has not examined the workshop itself to determine how those outcomes were achieved. This study deconstructs the Living Hopefully with Lymphedema workshop to identify (1) what aspects of the workshop facilitated or interfered with therapeutic progress, (2) key aspects of facilitation that contributed to the functioning of the workshop, and (3) how participants ...

Review Of A Politically Incorrect Feminist By Phyllis Chesler, Robert Brannon

Dignity: A Journal on Sexual Exploitation and Violence

Phyllis Chesler’s new memoir, A Politically Incorrect Feminist (St. Martin's Press, 2018), spans almost fifty years of second-wave feminism. She names 100s of women, both famous and virtually unknown today who took part in the awakening and growing women’s movement, marching, sitting-in, writing and organizing since the 1960’s. It is the personal life story of one of the earliest feminist authors and political activists of the second-wave, the author of Women and Madness and 17 other books. Chelser discusses major issues of the time and provides an insider’s view of many of the feminism’s ...

Never Again! Surviving Liberalized Prostitution In Germany, Sandra Norak, Ingeborg Kraus

Dignity: A Journal on Sexual Exploitation and Violence

This article, co-authored by a six-year survivor of the sex trade industry in Germany (Sandra Norak) and a psychologist and trauma therapist (Ingeborg Kraus), provides perspectives on the difficulty of withstanding the coercion of traffickers and the difficulties of exiting prostitution in a country in which prostitution has been legalized, normalized and made “a job like any other.” This normalization persuades survivors to believe their traffickers that it is a legitimate occupation and encourages them to endure the violence. Liberalization also has prevented the development of needed trauma services to those seeking to exit the sex trade industry.

Posttraumatic Stress And Hazardous Alcohol Use In College Students: The Moderating Role Of Alcohol Protective Behavioral Strategies, Hallie R. Jordan

Master's Theses

N/A

Can Mindfulness Address Maladaptive Eating Behaviors? Why Traditional Diet Plans Fail And How New Mechanistic Insights May Lead To Novel Interventions, Judson A. Brewer, Andrea Ruf, Ariel Beccia, Gloria I. Essien, Leonard M. Finn, Remko Van Lutterveld, Ashley E. Mason

Open Access Articles

Emotional and other maladaptive eating behaviors develop in response to a diversity of triggers, from psychological stress to the endless external cues in our modern food environment. While the standard approach to food- and weight-related concerns has been weight-loss through dietary restriction, these interventions have produced little long-term benefit, and may be counterproductive. A growing understanding of the behavioral and neurobiological mechanisms that underpin habit formation may explain why this approach has largely failed, and pave the way for a new generation of non-pharmacologic interventions. Here, we first review how modern food environments interact with human biology to promote reward-related ...