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Sex Differences In Symptom Presentation Among Children And Adolescents Referred For An Autism Spectrum Disorder Evaluation, Jeremy John Cottle

All ETDs from UAB

The current study aimed to examine item-level sex differences in the diagnostic evaluation of ASD traits for children and adolescents referred for an ASD evaluation. By including all those referred for an ASD evaluation, the study aimed to include females who may be mis- or under-diagnosed by current ASD diagnostic procedures. Participants included 458 children and adolescents who were referred for an ASD evaluation at a tertiary care clinic. In this sample, 118 participants (25.8%) were female, 282 (61.6%) were diagnosed with ASD, and the average age was 6.67 years (SD = 3.65). MIMIC models were used to examine differential …

At Stake In Each Other’S Company: A Systems View Of Compassion Fatigue In Mental Health Work, Susan S. Standen

Journal of Conscious Evolution

Traditional research on the phenomenon of compassion fatigue (CF) in mental health work tends to include recommendations for workers to build skills in psychological detachment and self-care. This puts the burden of coping with vicarious trauma on the individual caregiver, not on the systems they operate within. Alternatively, a transformative systemic perspective suggests that Western cultural assumptions about care-giving and individual resilience need to be reassessed. By broadening the exploration of CF and comparing it with human reactions to overwhelming crises across fields and disciplines, new questions can be asked, and new solutions can be proposed. This essay details how …

Barriers Beyond Bars: Examining Experiences Of Students With Criminal Records, Anakin Rivera Ramirez

Dissertations and Theses

As educational opportunities, particularly prison education programs, continue to expand for incarcerated individuals, this study, which included two participants, one formerly incarcerated and one who pleaded guilty to avoid incarceration, suggests that those who plead guilty to avoid prison may enter college without the structured reintegration resources available to their incarcerated peers. While substantial research has explored the school-to-prison pipeline phenomenon in K-12 settings, fewer studies have examined its impact on students with criminal records navigating higher education. Grounded in Critical Race Theory (CRT) in education, this study seeks to understand the experiences of carceral system-impacted students of color in …

The Moderating Influence Of Generation On Leadership Style, Job Satisfaction, And Intent To Leave Among Child Welfare Workers, Kelly Cavanaugh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The declining retention rate among U.S. child welfare workers is a significant concern. Research suggested that as millennials enter the workforce, adopting leadership styles that best meet the needs of each generation and/or facilitate congruence between organizational goals and the distinct work values of both the younger and older generations will help increase retention. Specifically, supervisors needed to identify a leadership style that best satisfied the needs of millennials who are stereotypically less loyal to organizations and exhibit higher job mobility than older generations. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the extent to which generational cohort moderated …

Hmongcentric Niche Charter Schools: The Role Of Social Capital On Students’ Perceived Academic Competence, Zha Blong Xiong, Ting Xu, Kyle Nickodem, Malina Her

Journal of Southeast Asian American Education and Advancement

Using Coleman’s (1988) social capital theory, this study investigated the connection between family and school social capital and the perceived academic competence of students enrolled in Hmongcentric niche charter schools. The study analyzed 124 participants consisting of third, fourth, and fifth-grade students residing in Minnesota, with 93% identifying as Hmong. Results of structural equation modeling showed that school social capital, as measured by school attachment and school connection, is significantly linked to students’ perceived academic competence. Further analyses suggested that school attachment, especially in charter schools that focus on culture and language, plays a more crucial role in shaping students’ …

Awareness And Perception Of Artificial Intelligence In Counselling Practice Among Counsellors-In-Training, Margaret Kehinde Soetan, Ayorinde Emola Akinnusi

Buletin Konseling Inovatif

This study investigated awareness and perception of artificial intelligence in counselling practice among counsellors-in-training. Descriptive survey research design was adopted for this study. The population consisted of all counsellors-in-training (CITs) in Adeyemi Federal University of Education, Ondo. Two hundred (200) counsellors-in-training were randomly selected from Degree three (3) and four (4) as sample for the study. Structured questionnaire was used as instrument to collect data for the study. It was validated by experts in Test and Measurement. Reliability of the instrument was ascertained by using Cronbach’s Alpha statistics mean which yielded a coefficient of 0.83. Data collected was analysed by …

More Than Trauma: The Story Of Intergenerational Survival, Tiffany Fang

Dissertations

Parental trauma can have a profound effect on children. The process of passing along traumatic experiences, known as the intergenerational transmission of trauma (IGT) and the process of passing along adaptations to these adverse circumstances, known as the intergenerational transmission of resilience (IGR), have been explored in populations such as survivors of the Holocaust and war refugees (Danieli et al., 2017; Kellermann, 2001; Sangalang & Vang, 2017). This study sought to extend findings to Chinese American immigrant families, many of whom experienced trauma in the form of war, sociopolitical violence, and poverty in 20th-century China. Despite the presence of these …

Exploring General Education Teachers' Awareness Of Ableism In Elementary School, Hana Elizabeth Polachek

Dissertations

Ableism, or prejudice and discrimination on the basis of dis/ability is of growing interest to both practitioners and researchers (Branco et al., 2019; Friedman & Awsumb, 2019). In the United States, there are federal laws that protect public education as a fundamental right regardless of a student’s ability status. Prior researchers found that educators can hold biases with respect to a student’s disability label (Bassey et al., 2020; Donohue & Bornman, 2015; Freer, 2018; Gifford & Knott, 2016; Ko & Boswell, 2013; Lucas, et al., 2009; Nah & Tan, 2021; Pachiţa & Gherguţ, 2021; Röhm et al., 2022; Wüthrich & …

Effects Of Gratitude, Mindfulness, And Goal Setting On College Athletes' Well-Being, Performance, And Motivation, Vanessa E. Vanwoerkom

Student Works

Because of the emphasis of sports in today’s society, athletes experience near-constant pressure from the public, coaches, and fans. This can make it difficult to control feelings of stress, anxiety, and even depression. Positive psychology interventions have been shown to be useful in teaching athletes to cope with difficult emotions and to handle the stress that accompanied advanced competition (Gabana, 2018). The benefits of positive affect have been shown to enhance motivation and attention, facilitate coping with hardship, and increase problem-solving skills (McCarthy, 2011). The practices of gratitude, mindfulness, and goal setting are some of the most effective skills taught …

Investigating Queer Asians' Accultrative Resilience And Wellbeing, Yiyu Cheng

Dissertations

This dissertation examines the role of resilience factors in moderating the effects of acculturative stress on the well-being of queer Asian Americans. A total of 181 survey responses were collected from queer-identified Asian Americans over the age of 18 residing in the United States. Using hierarchical multiple regression analysis, this study explores three models incorporating two identity resilience factors (ethnic identity salience and queer identity salience), two community resilience factors (ethnic community support and queer community support), and two intersectional resilience factors (queer Asian identity salience and queer Asian community support). Well-being was assessed through life satisfaction, negative affect, and …

Parental Autonomy Support And Children’S Affect As Predictors Of Children’S Stem Engagement In An Informal Educational Context, Bianca Martins Aldrich

Dissertations

In this project, we examined relations between parental talk and children’s affect on children’s STEM talk during an engineering-related activity (i.e., tinkering) in a local children’s museum. We characterized children’s affect in terms of valence (positive or negative) and activation (activating or deactivating), and parental talk was characterized as autonomy supportive or directive, as well as STEM-related or not. Parents and their 4- to 10-year-old children were recruited at the entrance of the Tinkering Lab exhibit at Chicago Children’s Museum. Parents and children were video and audio recorded during the activity. We coded parents’ and children’s behaviors using a time-sampling …

Youth And Parent Knowledge And Perceptions Of Spina Bifida: Associations With Neurocognitive Factors, Self-Management, And Quality Of Life, Olivia Emery Clark

Dissertations

Spina bifida (SB) is a common congenital birth defect with multiple and varied medical, physical, and psychological impacts. The objective of these studies is to examine youth and parent condition-related knowledge in the context of SB and associations with executive function, quality of life, and medical self-management. Collectively, these studies examine both qualitative and quantitative multi-informant data from youth with SB, their parents, and their teachers. The first study used growth analyses to examine changes in condition-related knowledge over time, predicted by executive dysfunction and inattention, and predictive of medical self-management skills. The second study used qualitative coding methods to …

The Impact Of Social Support On Camouflaging Behaviors Among Young Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Exploring Protective And Risk Factors, Mofoluwakemi Omololu Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Impact of Social Support on Camouflaging Behaviors Among Young Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Exploring Protective and Risk Factors by Mofoluwakemi Omololu Johnson MSW, University of Ibadan, 2007 BSc, University of Ilorin, 2003 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Clinical Psychology Walden University August 2025   Camouflaging strategies used by individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to mask or compensate for autistic traits are often linked to adverse mental health out-comes. This quantitative correlational study investigated the relationship between perceived social support and camouflaging behaviors in young adults with autism. Grounded …

Examining The Impact Of Technology-Enhanced Peer Mentorship On First-Year University Students’ Mental Health And Academic Success, Maya Hareli

Dissertations

Poor mental health among first-year college students has been associated with a plethora of unfavorable outcomes including worsening mental health problems later in college as well as declines in academic performance, rates of college retention, and postgraduate employment and income potential. While demand for mental health services on college campuses is high, there are various barriers to accessing these services. Peer mentoring is a resource-efficient solution for curbing college student mental health and academic challenges; however, the effects of past mentoring programs are inconsistent. Additionally, technology-delivered interventions (TDIs) have been shown to yield positive outcomes for young adults along various …

A Dutch Translation And Multidimensional Structure Of The Adjustment Scales For Early Transition In Schooling, Robert Hamerslag, Ron Oostdam, Ruben Fukkink, Louis Tavecchio, Paul A. Mcdermott, Zoey Kim

Archives of Assessment Psychology

This study introduces and applies the Dutch translation of the Adjustment Scales for Early Transition in Schooling (ASETS), assessed in 323 kindergarten children across 30 regular schools in the Netherlands. Culturally-tailored, context-informed assessments are essential to address childhood adaptation challenges in early schooling. Starting with a professional translation and back-translation of the ASETS by a translation bureau, a panel of kindergarten teachers critically reviewed the translated items. They ensured reliability, contextual accuracy, and addressed nuances in Dutch school terminology, bridging cultural differences between U.S. and Dutch educational settings. The analysis included Exploratory Factor Analysis, revealing three behavioral problem categories: Aggressive/Oppositional, …

What Are The Lived Experiences Of Policing Professionals With Self-Reported Alterations To Biological Instinct Alongside Operational Demands?, Madyson Wier

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Operational demands and training of policing professionals may be a source of conflict leading to a potential increase in risk for both the officer and the general public. Training in a law enforcement academy does not adequately prepare officers for the impacts the career may have on mental health, changes to the biological system, or societal criticism of modern-day policing. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand how policing professionals experience changes in the autonomic nervous system with exposure to trauma in the field, and how self-reported alterations are further impacted due to operational expectations of their department. …

The Force Of Resilience: Exploration Of Correlations Between Generational Differences In Occupational Resilience And Turnover Intentions Among Active United States Law Enforcement Personnel, Kaylin Elizabeth Switzer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Law enforcement agencies across the United States are facing critical challenges with the recruitment and retention of officers. This study examined whether differences existed in occupational resilience and turnover intentions across generations of active law enforcement personnel, and whether resilience levels were correlated with turnover intentions. A quantitative, cross-sectional design was used to collect data via an online survey that included the Predictive 6-Factor Resilience Scale and the Expanded Multidimensional Turnover Intentions Scale. The sample consisted of 241 active members of law enforcement. There were two one-way ANOVA tests conducted to assess generational differences in resilience and turnover intention scores, …

Associations Between Parental Audism/Linguisticism And Deaf Individuals' Well-Being: Mediation By Interpersonal Needs And Relationship Quality, Dilan H. Arreguin, Crystal D. Oberle

JADARA

This study investigated whether audism and linguisticism from the parents of physically deaf or culturally Deaf individuals—that is, parents’ expectation of their child to communicate within audio-normative standards rather than use sign language—is related to poor mental health of the child. It also investigated whether these relationships are accounted for by interpersonal needs or child-parent relationship quality. For this study, 104 D/deaf adults completed a survey with measures of parental audism and linguisticism, depression, anxiety, thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness, parental closeness, and parental conflict. Parental audism and linguisticism positively correlated with depression and anxiety, and these relationships were mediated by …

Examining Student Critical Thinking Dispositions Within The College And Career Readiness Of Students Involved In Ffa And 4-H In Georgia, James D. Scott, Eric Rubenstein, Jason Peake, Nicholas E. Fuhrman Phd, Jori N. Hall

Journal of Youth Development

Preparing youth, primarily as they become high school graduates, to be ready to enter college and careers, has been a primary driving force in primary and secondary education for over 20 years. However, there lacks consistency in the definition and of the true idea of college and career readiness in the twentyfirst century. Additionally, there is a lack of research examining the impacts that student involvement in youth organizations has on the development of college and career-readiness skills. One facet of college and career readiness is the development of critical thinking skills and dispositions, which include enjoying solving problems, respecting …

Dsm-5 Based Algorithms For The Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised For Children Ages 4–17 Years, Linnea A. Lampinen, Shuting Zheng, Lindsay Olson, Vanessa H. Bal, Audrey E. Thurm, Amy N. Esler, Stephen M. Kanne, So Hyun Kim, Catherine Lord, China Pareneau, Kerri P. Nowell, Jane E. Roberts, Nicole Takahashi, Somer L. Bishop

Faculty Publications

Background: The Autism Diagnostic Interview, Revised (ADI-R) is a caregiver interview that is widely used as part ofthe diagnostic assessment for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Few large-scale studies have reported the sensitivityand specificity of the ADI-R algorithms, which are based on DSM-IV Autistic Disorder criteria. Kim and Lord (Journalof Autism and Developmental Disorders, 2012, 42, 82) developed revised DSM-5-based toddler algorithms, which areonly applicable to children under 4 years. The current study developed DSM-5-based algorithms for children ages4–17 years and examined their performance compared to clinical diagnosis and to the original DSM-IV-basedalgorithms. Methods: Participants included 2,905 cases (2,144 ASD, 761 …

The Efficacy And Usability Of Motivational Interviewing Just-In-Time Trainings For Youth Mentors, Mackenzie J. Hart, Samuel Mcquillin, Aidyn Iachini, Daniel K. Cooper, Mark D. Weist

Faculty Publications

Using youth mentors to deliver evidence-based psychosocial services has been proposed to increase the reach of treatments, in part given the affordability and ubiquity of mentors in youth settings. Further, tests of mentor-delivered motivational interviewing (MI) have shown increases in youth mentees' academic performance and wellbeing. Yet, traditional methods of training mentors to use MI can be costly and time-consuming. Previous work has suggested the value of asynchronous, brief, just-in-time training (JITT) to help offset these challenges; however, MI JITT for mentors has not yet been formally evaluated. As such, here, we report on a preliminary study of MI JITT …

Early Adult Outcomes Of 4-H Program Alumni: A Propensity-Matched Comparative Study, Steven M. Worker, Roshan K. Nayak, Anne Marie Iaccopucci, Nicole Marshall-Wheeler

Journal of Youth Development

A young person’s engagement in high-quality youth development programs should lead to stronger positive outcomes as a young adult. Theoretical literature advances broad indicators that mark success in young adulthood; however, there is a dearth of empirical publications reporting long-term outcomes to support this assumption. We conducted a cross-sectional survey study to report on three long-term outcomes (economic stability, health and well-being, and community involvement) of young adult (aged 19 to 34) alumni of the University of California 4-H Youth Development Program. We compared 4-H alumni outcomes to matched peers using secondary data sources. The 4-H alumni sample demonstrated more …

Assessing The Psychological Wellbeing And Resilience Of Frontline Health Workers In Uganda: A Cross-Sectional Study, Ahmed Sarki, Joseph Atukwatse, Gideon Mbithi, Sabina Odero, Mary Namuguzi, Bernard Mutwiri, Lestine Bitakwitse, Peninah Wachira, Kevinson Mwangi, Eunice Ndirangu, Amina Abubakar

Institute for Human Development, East Africa

Background: Health workers in the frontline are the major drivers of health systems in low- and middle-income countries. However, these health workers face both chronic and acute shocks and stressors that expose them to mental health problems which are often overlooked. We examined the prevalence of mental health problems, correlates of psychological functioning, and resilience of frontline health workers in Uganda.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study comprising 1800 frontline health workers across all regions of Uganda from August through October 2023. We used tools such as the PC-PTSD-5, PHQ9, PSS, GAD-7, Oldenburg Burnout Inventory, and CD-RISC-10 to assess PTSD, …

Promising Strategies For Impacting Youth Development Systems From Christian Summer Camps, Rachael Botting, Jacob Sorenson, Karen K. Melton, Rob Ribbe Dr.

Journal of Youth Development

As research on summer camp continues to expand and both scholars and practitioners gain a better understanding of the impact of the experience, it has become important to explore how the experience of summer camp is connected to the larger ecology of youth development. This study explores strategies of Christian summer camps for impacting faith in the home through interviews with 20 Christian summer camp leaders across three faith-based camping organizations: Christian Camp and Conference Association (CCCA), Lutheran Outdoor Ministries (LOM), and United Methodist Camp and Retreat Ministries (UMCRM). Using semi-structured interviews and an appreciative inquiry approach, this study identified …

Outcomes Of Bio-Psycho-Social-Spiritual Communitybased Drug Rehabilitation Program For Voluntary Vs. Court-Mandated Clients In The Philippines, Maria Regina M. Hechanova, Trixie Anne Co, Fessa R. Egusquiza

Psychology Department Faculty Publications

This study sought to evaluate the outcomes of a community- based rehabilitation program for voluntary and court-mandated drug users in the Philippines. Participants went through a bio-psycho-social-spiritual group-based program that aimed to develop their recovery skills and life skills. The program also included family modules to enhance their knowledge of drug use, its effects, and the role of family in recovery. A cohort design was used with pre- and posttest surveys administered before and immediately after the program. The sample consisted of 105 voluntary clients and 118 court-mandated clients who underwent screening or drug dependency evaluation and were recommended for …

Strategies For Out-Of-School Time Stem Educators Working With Youth Experiencing Diverse Abilities, Joelle Lemer, Rasha Elsayed, Kirsten Daehler, Nena Bloom

Journal of Youth Development

Out-of-school time learning occurs in a variety of settings including formal-learning environments, such as afterschool programs, or informal-learning environments, such as museums or youth clubs. Educators in out-of-school time contexts serve diverse youth populations. Many educators often have limited experience or preparation in how to support STEM learning, particularly with learners experiencing diverse physical and/or sensory abilities, such as mobility, dexterity, vision, or hearing. The purpose of this article is to share research-to-practice strategies for STEM in out-of-school time settings for professionals working with youth experiencing diverse physical and/or sensory abilities. These strategies are derived from a review of available …

How Young People Mobilize Social Capital Within Youth-Serving Organizations, Erica J. Van Steenis, Brian Lightfoot, Ashley Boat, Miray Seward

Journal of Youth Development

Youth-serving practitioners can incorporate organizational and programmatic approaches to support young people in strengthening their social capital. Through a robust network of support, young people can successfully transition to postsecondary education and obtain meaningful career opportunities. One way practitioners can support young people’s social capital is by leveraging their social-capital mobilization (i.e., the way relationships and resources are accessed and used to accomplish goals). Informed by an adapted version of the institutional space framework, the current study draws on insights from qualitative focus groups centered around social-capital mobilization within six education and workforce development programs. Data come from the perspectives …

Media And Mindfulness: Associations Between Adolescent Mindful Social Media Use, Chenae Christensen-Duerden, Sarah Coyne

Journal of Youth Development

The objective of this study is to examine social media mindfulness and other social media habits as predictors of depression in adolescents. As depression and poor mental health increase for American adolescents, so does the research surrounding the positive outcomes associated with mindfulness. It is possible that mindfulness could be an effective tool in managing individual social media habits, however, very little research exists exploring the effects of mindfulness on media use. The sample for the current study includes a national quota sample of 1,158 adolescents (between the ages of 10 and 17 years old) from the United States. Participants …

Covid-19 Adolescent Technology Use And Physical Activities: Cluster Analysis For Mental Health, Chunling Niu, Rui Jin, Ashley Love, Sohelia Sadeghi, Loren Cossette, Marissa Molina

Journal of Youth Development

This study examined how COVID-19 disrupted adolescent education, social interactions, and mental health by conducting exploratory cluster analysis to identify distinct profiles of technology use and physical activities, then comparing resulting clusters on demographics, social support, and mental health dimensions. Using the first wave of the longitudinal Oxford Achieving Resilience during COVID-19 (ARC) study of 1,196 United Kingdom adolescents aged 13-18, three clustering algorithms (k-means, k-medoids, and agglomerative hierarchical) identified optimal groupings validated both statistically and empirically. Three distinct clusters emerged: Cluster 1 (n = 380) characterized by low media use and moderate activity; Cluster 2 (n = 153) showing …

Culturally Responsive Stem Education: Integrating Mapping Techniques And Drone Technology For Youth, Mayra Rodriguez Gonzalez, Kevin G. Torres Garrido

Journal of Youth Development

Integrating drone and geospatial technologies with participatory techniques offers a promising approach to culturally responsive STEM education. However, these areas are rarely combined in existing literature. Drone and geospatial education for youth generally focuses on technical skills, while participatory methods in youth-led initiatives often aim to foster community connection and a sense of place. Unfortunately, these approaches typically exist in isolation within youth programming. This disconnect limits the potential to engage underrepresented youth in STEM by not linking spatial data to local contexts and culturally meaningful narratives. By combining these approaches, both technical learning and personal engagement could be enhanced, …