Health Psychology Commons^™

Still In The Shadows: A Content Analysis Of Sexual Addiction In Couple Therapy, Austin Ellis, Quintin Hunt, Tod Young, Rebecca Nemecek, Jordan Staples, Stephen Fife, Colleen Peterson

Graduate Research Symposium (GCUA)

There is no universally accepted definition of “sex addiction” in the literature, though it is generally understood as persistent patterns of sexual behaviors acted out despite negative consequences to self or others (Kafka, 2010; Levine, 2010). Though sexual addictions are often addressed individually, most take place within a social context that includes family members and/or intimate relationships. The purpose of this presentation is to present the results of a content analysis of M/CFT peer-reviewed journals and summarize the extent to which this literature addresses sexual addictions and couples therapy. The content analysis adds to the existing literature by ...

Traumatic Brain Injury: The Relationship Of Psychosocial Variables And Location Of Injury To Post-Injury Depression, Alicia L. Smith

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) affects nearly 1.4 million people in the United States annually, and of these, 10% to 77% will experience post-injury depression. Psychosocial variables such as previous substance and alcohol abuse, prior mental illness, low educational attainment, and poverty have been identified as possible risk factors. Additionally, the location of injury appears to play a key role particularly if the injury occurs in the left hemisphere. This study examined archival data from brain-injured patients in an effort to better understand the factors related to post-TBI depression. Past medical records of brain-injured adults (N = 52) were reviewed and ...

Combatting Dental Anxiety In Patients, Gretchen Osdoba

Natural Science Capstone Theses

Dental Anxiety is a highly debilitating condition that can keep people away from the dentist and from receiving critical care. This can lead to serious medical conditions that could have easily been prevented through proper dental care. The purpose of this paper is to describe the nature of dental fear and the different treatment options available. I will focus on helpful traits of dentists and the use of psychological treatments, nitrous oxide, anti-anxiety medications, and general anesthesia to reduce this fear. I will also discuss a comparison of a psychological treatment and an anti-anxiety medication as short-term and long-term treatment ...

Synthesising The Outputs Of Deliberation: Extracting Meaningful Results From A Public Forum, Kieran C. O'Doherty

Journal of Public Deliberation

Recent years have seen an increase in empirical studies of public deliberation. This has led to important advances in thinking through issues such as who to include, how best to inform lay audiences about a particular topic, and how to maximise the perceived legitimacy of deliberation. An important issue that has not received much attention is how to define, identify, and report the results of deliberation. The conversations among individuals that occur over the course of a deliberation can be understood as a large and complex set of qualitative data. The deliberative discourse that is produced over the course of ...

Self-Regulation And Physical Activity In Wku Employees, Scott Perkins

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Many Americans do not engage in the recommended amount of physical activity, and thus do not receive the potential physical and mental health benefits from physical activity. Stage of change is a model that categorizes individuals into one of five stages based on behavior and intentions for future behavior. This model is useful for promoting physical activity because it allows for tailoring of interventions to individuals with different physical activity levels and readiness for change. The main purpose of this research was to test if more adaptive scores for Essential Self-Regulation Model (ESRM) constructs are found for persons in higher ...

Perceptions Of Stigma And Other Barriers To Seeking Mental Health Services Among Veterans, Ashley J. Nichols, Ruveanna Hambrick, Lauren M. Sparks

University of North Georgia Annual Research Conference

This presentation is a subset of a larger study that examines the prevalence and manifestation of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among a group of combat veterans. It examines the health of the social environment. The culture of the military values self-reliance and strength, and seeking mental health services stigmatizes one as weak (Bush et. al, 2011). Consequently, a significant proportion of the veteran population who are in need of mental health care are choosing not to seek treatment at all. Some combat veterans may also express concern about the potential effects a diagnosed mental disorder may have on their ...

Negative Religious Coping Styles Predict Greater Depressive Symptoms And Less Life Satisfaction, Kira A. Barros, Hannah Toyama, John E. Perez

Student Research & Creativity - Day of Celebration

The purpose of this study was to identify negative religious coping methods
 that have an association with depressive symptoms and life satisfaction among cancer patients. This study was based on Pargament’s (1997) framework of positive and
negative religious coping styles that specify how an individual makes use of religion to understand and deal with stressors. The sample included 179 predominantly White, Christian, female patients with stage II through IV cancer. We used a cross-sectional design with self-report measures to examine punishing God reappraisal and spiritual discontent as they relate to depressive symptoms and satisfaction with life. We hypothesized that ...

The Effects Of Hiv/Aids On The Mother-Child Relationship, Margaret Gross

Student Research & Creativity - Day of Celebration

39 semi-structured interviews were conducted with HIV+/- mothers living in central Uganda. Interviews were assisted by a translator and recorded manually on paper then coded and analyzed. The majority of HIV+ mothers were found to be single, supported 5+ children, worked longer days to get by, and emphasized the importance of having a counselor. These findings suggest a strong relationship exists between HIV and motherhood. There is a need for further attention to help single mothers and foster programs that encourage economic growth within their families, nutritional improvement, and overall attention to a group that is currently receiving little assistance.

The Role Of Psychological Flexibility In Mental Health Stigma And Psychological Distress For The Stigmatizer In An African American College Sample, Chantel M. Sims, Akihiko Masuda

Georgia State Undergraduate Research Conference

No abstract provided.

Exploring Gender Differences In The Association Between Alcohol Use And Depression Among Emergency Department Patients, Davida Woods, Joanna Akin, Gabe Kuperminc

Georgia State Undergraduate Research Conference

No abstract provided.

Constructing Body Image In University Women: The Relationship Between Self-Esteem, Self-Compassion, And Intuitive Eating, Peta B. Stapleton Dr, Ankita Nikalje

Assistant Professor Peta B Stapleton

Body image related concerns among women are well researched. However, this research has consistently focussed on identifying pathological and maladaptive correlates of body image. Body image research has been based on the assumption that a positive body image is merely an absence of or is defined by low levels of a negative body image. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the relationship between self-esteem, self-compassion and intuitive eating in conceptualising body image related avoidance behaviours. Female university students (N = 137) completed four measures online: the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Self-Compassion Scale of Neff, Intuitive Eating Scale of Tylka ...

Get What You Give, Peta B. Stapleton Dr

Assistant Professor Peta B Stapleton

There’s more to good health than eating right and exercising, you also need to do good, to feel good. Here’s what you need to know about taking your health to the next level.

Is your fruit bowl always over-flowing with this season’s ripest produce? Is your veggie crisper chock-a-block with greens? Are your sneakers well worn? Are you vigilant about seeing your GP for an annual check-up? If you answered yes to all these questions you’re on your way to ensuring your health and wellbeing is in top shape. But we have one more question. When ...

How Helping Others Helps Yourself: Positive Personal And Mental Effects Of Volunteering, Peta B. Stapleton Dr

Assistant Professor Peta B Stapleton

THE benefits of volunteer organisations are widely known. Most recently in Queensland, the flood crises ignited a far-reaching community response and strangers shovelled mud and debris from houses of people they had never met. They shared sandwiches and tears and volunteers took leave from their jobs to help out.

From the Australian Royal Flying Doctors to Marine Rescue services, it seems people are happy to offer their services

voluntarily without payment or recognition. Often called the helpers' high, random acts of kindness as well as taking

part in organised events can increase your sense of well-being and optimism. We saw ...

The Relationship Between Eating Disorder Symptomology, Critical Body Comments, And Memory Recall, Morgan Littrell

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Previous research done in the area of eating disorders suggests many different variables, such as cognitive, biological, and social, that are thought to influence eating disorder development and maintenance. The present study attempts to combine cognitive and sociocultural research findings, memory recall and critical body comments, in an effort to see how, if at all, these two variables affect eating disorder symptomology. Participants for this study were 120 female students that were recruited via Study Board. Participants completed the demographics form, the Eating Disorder Inventory-3 RF, and the Social Hassles Questionnaire. The participants then watched an E-prime presentation of different ...

Modelling Stress Constructs With Biomarkers: The Importance Of The Measurment Model, Joanne Bradbury

Joanne Bradbury

Background The transactional model of stress describes a psychological and physiological stress response that is elicited when an environmental demand is perceived to out-weigh the ability to cope with the demand. With perception at its core, this theory explains large variances in human stress responses. A frequently cited measure of stress perception is the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). A two-step approach to structural equation modelling (SEM) necessitates that a valid measurement model for stress be first established through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and then the impact of stress on the biomarkers be assessed. Methods The aims of this study were ...

Perceptions Of Childhood Abuse And Life Stress: Contributors To Increase In Binge Eating Behavior, Dylan C. Nguyen

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Many studies reported that childhood abuse and stress play contributory roles in the development and maintenance of disordered eating behaviors. However, these studies made no mentioned efforts to validate their self-report data, and thus failed to separate the effects of actuality versus perception of childhood abuse. Thus, the current study examined how perceptions of childhood abuse and life stress affect binge eating behavior among university students.

Participants for the current study included 173 undergraduate students, recruited via Study Board. After giving verbal consent, participants completed a series of surveys and questionnaires that collected demographic data, and measured perception of abuse ...

Development Of The Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms -- Childhood Obesity Model, Kristi Wilsman

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This project developed a model to account for an obesity outcome in children who have posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and whose parents have posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) or PTSD. A literature review provided the basis for the model and covered the areas of childhood obesity, parental PTSS, childhood PTSD, adverse childhood experiences, relational PTSD, ineffective parent support, and the stress response. A model to explain the outcome of obesity in children with PTSD as mediated by parental support provided after a traumatic event was developed: The Parental PTSSChildhood Obesity Model. The literature review supports a relational perspective for viewing child ...

Impact Of Goal Compatibility On Self-Care Adherence Among Patients With Congestive Heart Failure, Karen M. Zhang

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Increasing adherence to self-care behaviours can optimize the health of patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). This study examined whether considering the compatibility of self-care to valued life goals can improve the prediction of self-care adherence, above and beyond knowledge and self-efficacy. Forty CHF patients (22.5% female; mean age = 66.22) identified their goals though a card-sort and rated the compatibility of self-care regimens to these priorities. Aspects of CHF knowledge, self-efficacy and adherence to self-care were also assessed. Results indicated that participants valued CHF management, but its importance did not correlate with adherence. General and applied knowledge was ...

The Truth About "Truth" And Other Anti-Drug And Anti-Tobacco Media Campaigns Aimed At Youth, Abby Schneider

Colgate Academic Review

Tobacco and drug use by the nation's youth is a major problem facing America. One way in which experts have sought to address this issue has been through the implementation of anti-tobacco and anti-drug media campaigns aimed at youth. These programs have been met with varying success, however, and their effectiveness remains controversial. This paper seeks to explore, through the lens of psychology, the formal and content-based factors that influence the effectiveness of such anti-substance media campaigns.