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Mental Health Stigma Related To Depression And Suicidal Behavior In Korean-Americans, Soo Min Kim

Student Theses

Despite the surge of the Korean population within the United States, the Korean-American population is significantly underrepresented in research when observed separately from other Asian groups. The Republic of Korea has had the highest suicide rate within the OECD nations for well over a decade (Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development), and evidence suggests that the risk of suicidality may extend to Koreans living abroad (Kung, 2018). There is also evidence of high prevalence of depressive symptoms in Korean-Americans (Bernstein et al., 2011). In addition, Koreans are consistently demonstrated to hold stigmatizing beliefs about mental illness, however, very little research …

An Investigation Of Continued Contact Between Victim And Perpetrator After Sexual Violence, Maria Bates

Student Theses

Given the prevalence of sexual violence and child sexual abuse (CSA) it is imperative to accurately conceptualize victim experience following sexual violence. Rape myths do not provide an adequate understanding of victim behavior post-abuse/assault (e.g., Denne et al., 2013; Harsey & Freed, 2023; Romero-Sanchez et al., 2018; Russel & Hand, 2017), such as prescribing that victims of sexual violence would never hold contact with a perpetrator post-abuse/assault (e.g., Maurer, 2015; Shepp et al., 2019; St. George et al., 2022; Smith, 2023). Since research shows that many victims, particularly CSA victims, know the perpetrator, (e.g., Basile, 2020; Gewirtz-Meydan & Finkelhor, 2020; …

Human Trafficking Screening Tools Amongst Migrants And Refugees: Current Tools And Future Outlooks, Audra Fox

Student Theses

While various human trafficking screening tools exist to help stakeholders identify indicators and risk of trafficking, few tools are designed specifically for use amongst migrants and refugees. Via interviews with anti-trafficking stakeholders, the following qualitative study describes what tools stakeholders currently use to asses trafficking amongst migrants and refugee, and if stakeholders desire a new tool specific for migrant/refugee populations. Thematic results indicate that most stakeholders are not using validated tools for trafficking victims, let alone migrants and refugees (n=5, 38.5%). Of the total sample, 62% of participants (n=8) reported various screening discrepancies across stakeholders. Additionally, …

Disrupting The Cascade: Using Improvement Science To Mitigate Negative Outcomes Associated With Exclusionary Discipline Practices In Schools, Katelyn Singleton

All Dissertations

The use of exclusionary discipline practices in schools has continued to increase since the advent of Zero Tolerance discipline policies in the 1990s. Research indicates that these practices are largely ineffective in addressing behavior, and result in detrimental outcomes for students and communities. This study focused on the use of Disciplinary Alternative Education Programs (DAEPs) as a form of exclusionary discipline. Using an improvement science design, the purpose of this study was to identify how DAEPs can be leveraged to mitigate negative outcomes associated with exclusionary discipline. Specifically, this study sought to understand how implementing explicit skill instruction and adult …

Facilitating Parental Scaffolding Of Joint Book Reading With Toddlers, Tiffany Pempek Rahl

Dissertations, 2020-current

Developmental research confirms the importance of early parental language input for building children’s vocabulary and language skills (Hart & Risley, 1995). While reading with a caregiver is a common way for language input to occur, the approaches parents utilize often fail to capitalize on techniques for improving language and pre-literacy skills (Huebner & Meltzoff, 2005). The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of embedding tips for scaffolding parent reading strategies into a children’s book. Thirty-eight parent-child dyads participated in a 2-week intervention. Families were randomly assigned to receive either a book with embedded tips (experimental condition) or …

Experiences And Perspectives Of Healthcare Professionals With Hypnotherapy For Adult Childhood Sexual Abuse Survivors, Ja'quavia Lynn Demus

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) has been defined as one of the most prevalent forms of childhood trauma. Current treatment approaches for adult survivors of CSA often fail to provide timely or sufficient relief, indicating a pressing need for more diverse and innovative therapeutic approaches to achieve optimal recovery. Hypnosis is one treatment method available and has been proven to provide reliable and timely recovery for other complex traumas. The purpose of this study was to gain knowledge on healthcare professionals expressed experiences and treatment of adult CSA survivors, while also exploring their efficacy and usage of clinical hypnotherapy as a …

Thieves Like Us: The Effectiveness Of A Positive Psychology Intervention On Compassion Fatigue, Burnout, And The Loss Of Compassion Satisfaction Among Peer Support Specialists, Eugene Lopez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Two common phenomena of helping professions are compassion fatigue (CF), and decreased compassion satisfaction (CS). Literature on CF and decreased CS focuses on professionals with extensive education, training, and higher compensation. Peer Support Specialists (PSS) are helping professionals providing comparable support to clients while in recovery, and may be more susceptible to CF, decreased CS, and a return to substance use. Methods to impact these outcomes, including positive psychology interventions (PPIs), are worth investigating as they are generally inexpensive, can be tailored, and may reduce turnover and absences. The current study used the PPI, Using Signature Strengths in a New …

College Students' Perceptions Of The Student-Teacher Relationship, Lauren E. Biggs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Humans, as social creatures, pursue relationships with others to fulfill various needs. As such, when we enter school, we naturally seek to establish relationships with teachers, who act as significant individuals in our lives. In general, research has shown that students with close, warm relationships with their teachers tend to experience more favorable outcomes related to academic achievement, behavior, and social-emotional factors. Students with more negative relationships with their teachers conversely tend to experience poorer outcomes. Though decades of research have consistently shown this correlation, few studies have examined the relationships between college students and their professors. The current study …

Narratives Of Grief And Loss From The Children Who Lost A Parent On 9/11, Ryan Sliwak

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Limited research exists on the grief experiences of children who lost a parent on 9/11, particularly how these children evolve in their grief process, including their comprehension of the loss and their evolving attachment to the deceased parent (Kaplow et al., 2018; Alvis et al., 2022). Existing frameworks often assume post-traumatic reactions without fully considering the nuances of grief experiences for these children (Chemtob, 2007; Hoven, 2005).

Two research questions guided this study: (a) How does the pre-loss relationship with the parent influence the ongoing internal relationship with the deceased parent? (b) How does maintaining an internal relationship with the …

Integrating Artificial Intelligence And Augmented Reality For Enhanced Task Performance In The Construction Industry, Aasish Chandrika Bhanu

All Dissertations

The Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) sector, characterized by its complex tasks, often faces challenges in adopting cutting-edge technologies, a trend that can significantly hinder productivity improvements compared to other industries. This dissertation explores the emerging integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Augmented Reality (AR) within the AEC domain, investigating how effectively this can be implemented to potentially revolutionize industry practices. AI could be used in the AEC domain for advanced analytical and decision-making processes, while AR could be used for training, visualization, and remote collaboration.

In scenarios where construction site workers require expert guidance, these technologies could be helpful. …

Risk Perception, Diabetes Risk Knowledge, And Fatalism In Adults At Risk For Type 2 Diabetes: A Self-Determination Theory Perspective., Cassandra M. Gonzalez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Rising rates of diabetes in the U.S. indicate an urgent need to explore and understand factors that elucidate individual diabetes risk. Research of fatalism, the belief that events are predetermined, suggests that fatalistic beliefs influence, shape, and potentially determine health behavior and decision-making. The Theory of Self-Determination posits the importance of motivation and competence in health behavior outcomes. The present study aimed to expand fatalism research by examining associations among fatalism and diabetes-related beliefs and knowledge, including perceived risk and risk knowledge, within the Self-Determination theoretical framework. Methods: Participants were 130 adults aged 26 to 64 without diabetes at …

Testing The Feasibility And Acceptability Of A Mindful Self-Compassion Group Workshop Among Individuals With Eating Disorders: A Pilot Study., Brenna Mary Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background. Shame and self-criticism are mechanisms shown to influence eating disorders (EDs). Self-compassion has been theorized to target shame and self-criticism and is a protective factor against EDs. One intervention shown to increase self-compassion and reduce shame and self-criticism is the Mindful Self-Compassion program (MSC). However, MSC has yet to be tested among individuals with an ED diagnosis. The current study investigated the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary outcomes of MSC delivered in a live, online format among individuals with an ED. Methods. Sixty-one participants completed baseline questionnaires measuring ED symptoms, trait self-compassion, self-criticism, and shame. Participants also answered questionnaires at …

4d Dynamic Spatial Brain Networks At Rest Linked To Cognition Show Atypical Variability And Coupling In Schizophrenia, Krishna Pusuluri, Zening Fu, Robyn Miller, Godfrey Pearlson, Peter Kochunov, Theo G M Van Erp, Armin Iraji, Vince D Calhoun

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Despite increasing interest in the dynamics of functional brain networks, most studies focus on the changing relationships over time between spatially static networks or regions. Here we propose an approach to study dynamic spatial brain networks in human resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI) data and evaluate the temporal changes in the volumes of these 4D networks. Our results show significant volumetric coupling (i.e., synchronized shrinkage and growth) between networks during the scan, that we refer to as dynamic spatial network connectivity (dSNC). We find that several features of such dynamic spatial brain networks are associated with cognition, with …

Digitally Connected, Evolutionarily Wired: An Evolutionary Mismatch Perspective On Digital Work, Mark Van Vugt, Stephen M. Colarelli, Norman P. Li

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

This paper makes the case for an evolutionary mismatch between digital work and the way human ancestors engaged in work. Psychological adaptations for producing things that early humans needed to survive and thrive, such as cognitive mechanisms for obtaining and processing food, toolmaking, and learning valuable working skills, evolved in the context of small networks of hunter–gatherers. These adaptations are central to understanding the significance of work in human evolution. Evolutionary mismatches operate when novel environments cue ancestral adaptations in ways that no longer provide adaptive benefits. We argue that digital work, although efficient and productive, is misaligned with some …

The Impact Of Perceived Administrative Support On Teacher Burnout, Madison L. Kelly

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Teachers are crucial to many facets of life (Güneyli, 2012). Due to current occupational requirements and emotional demands, many educational professionals experience burnout (Roethler, 2021). Burnout occurs when daily occupational challenges overpower one's ability to maintain a healthy emotional state and meet professional demands (Roethler, 2021). Previous studies have been conducted on the levels of teacher stress and burnout (Agyapong et al., 2022; Chang, 2009; Lindqvist et al., 2021; Skaalvik & Skaalvik, 2021), while few studies explored the impact of administrative support and its contribution to burnout within the teacher population (Howard et al., 2017; Jacob, 2007; McCray-Davis, 2022; Tickle …

Stockholm Syndrome And Divorce-Related Decision Making Of The Abused Spouse, Simela Sidiropoulou

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Knowledge of the challenges faced by domestic violence victims with Stockholm Syndrome (SS) symptoms during divorce was limited at the time of the current study. Previous findings supported frequent occurrence of doubts during divorce proceedings due to SS, with negative effects on victims’ well-being after separation. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate victims’ decision making processes affected by SS features. Data were collected from semistructured interviews with six mental health providers treating victims with SS symptoms during divorce proceedings. Interpretive phenomenological analysis was applied to identify vital experiences through the perspective of therapists. Analysis determined four themes. …

Trauma-Related Cognitions And Discrimination As Predictors Of Maladaptive Coping Among Marginalized Maltreated Youth, Shadie Burke

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Maltreated youth are at an increased risk for engaging in direct or indirect self-injurious behavior to cope with the aftereffects of a traumatic event. These behaviors are often associated with negative health outcomes, substance use and premature death. Existing research proposes a link between child maltreatment and indirect self-harm but the mechanism into why this occurs is unclear. The present study examined two key research questions: (1) which specific trauma-related cognitions, sexual identity and cultural factors predict direct self-injurious behavior (previous suicide attempt(s) and NSSI) among marginalized maltreated youth?; and (2) which specific trauma-related cognitions, sexual identity and cultural factors …

Case Trial Evaluations Of An Optimization Approach To Mental Health And Sport Performance For Adolescent Athletes, Dereck Davy Phrathep

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This dissertation will consist of five chapters – an introduction (Chapter 1), three original empirical studies (Chapters 2-4), and a conclusion (Chapter 5). Chapter 2 was accepted for publication by the Sport Social Work Journal (Phrathep et al., 2022a). Chapter 3 was accepted for publication by Clinical Case Studies (Phrathep et al., 2022b). Chapter 4 was accepted for publication by Frontiers in Sports and Active Living (Phrathep et al., 2023). These three manuscripts are linked by a primary interest in the evaluation of an optimization approach as an efficacious intervention for optimizing mental health and sport performance among adolescent athletes …

Under The Neon Lights: Examining The Memories Of Las Vegas' Route 91 Harvest Music Festival, William B. Ridgway

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The aim of the current study was to identify patterns of meaning in the trauma narratives of Route 91 Harvest survivors. We undertook a thematic analysis to examine survivors’ narratives collected shortly after the event (i.e., within one month), allowing for a more in-depth understanding of what survivors tended to emphasize or gravitate toward when recalling the episode of mass violence that resulted in the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history. From the rich thematic content emerged a dominant theme of memory for contextual details—specifically, sensory-perceptual features, time, and space. Specifically, Route 91 Harvest survivors reported vivid sensory experiences, …

Caring For A Family Member With Dementia: Collectivism And Individualism As Predictors Of Caregiver Burden, Christina Wawrowski

Dissertations

Caregiver burden, often associated with physical, emotional, and financial strain, is a significant concern for family members who are providing care to their loved ones. This study involved exploring the experiences of serving as a caregiver to a family member with dementia to better understand the relationship of collectivistic and individualistic orientations with perceived caregiver burden, while considering the level of social support and dementia severity. The research involved a quantitative approach, administering the Individualism and Collectivism Scale (Cultural Orientation Scale), the Caregiver Burden Inventory, the Functional Rating Scale, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and a demographic survey …

Impact Of Placement Disruption On School Outcomes In Maltreated Youth, Mallory Constantine

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

School attendance is a crucial component of a youth’s ability to access resources and attain educational success. Maltreated youth are at increased risk for school absences, poor school performance, impairment in cognitive processes, and development of psychopathology. Disruption from their known systems (i.e., family, social, school) as a result of removal from home creates unique and substantial barriers for maltreated youth in attending and engaging in school. The present study used a sample of maltreated youth and binomial logistic regression analyses to determine if the number of lifetime placements impacts school outcome variables of school attendance, classroom behavior, and academic …

Relationships Between Psychopathology, Impulsivity, And Disordered Eating, Repairer Etuk

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Impulsivity is defined by behaviors that are often performed without foresight or consideration for consequences. For some individuals, impulsive behaviors are excessive or dysfunctional, and can become extremely problematic, ultimately leading to impairments in quality of life and lowered psychological functioning. Impulsivity is a multifaceted factor, comprising several different domains that have been explored in past studies (e.g., trait impulsivity, decision making, response inhibition). However, previous research shows that trait impulsivity in adults is consistently associated with several psychiatric problems including substance abuse, eating disorders, and compulsive sexual behaviors. To date, few studies have investigated impulsivity, compulsive sexual behavior. disordered …

Gender Stereotyping In An Agricultural Sample, Andrea Fink-Armold

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

A vast wealth of social psychological research conducted over half a century has demonstrated the consequences of gender stereotypes. However, this research has significant limitations. Namely, generalizability outside of academia and the effects of social change. This study examined a non-academic population that has recently experienced significant gender role redistribution to overcome these limitations. Utilizing a full-cycle research approach consisting of both ethnographic and experimental methods, I examined three research questions: 1) how do gender stereotypes manifest within rural agricultural communities? 2) how is women’s increased participation in agriculture related to changes in gender stereotype use? and 3) how do …

The Phenomenon Of Creative Seeing As Discovered By Descriptive Experience Sampling: A Case Study, Amber Goto

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Descriptive Experience Sampling (DES) studies have found that people without known mental health conditions occasionally describe visual experiences that are distortions of reality. DES calls such visual-perceptual-distortion experiences creative seeing. Typically, participants don't realize that their perceptions are distorted until they note their descriptions, at which time they notice (with surprise) the discrepancy.We describe "Rhea," a female adult (between 25 and 30 years old) DES volunteer participant. Her DES sampling happened to produce a high frequency of creative seeing; the degree of detail provided by DES allows us to describe the creative-seeing phenomenon with otherwise unobtainable detail. The creative seeing …

The Influence Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Binge Eating In A Demographically Diverse Us Community Sample, Jessica H. Habashy

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The novel coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) has had profound effects among many individuals with or at risk for eating disorders. The most common primary eating disorder is binge eating disorder which has uniquely reflected more similarities than differences among diverse populations compared to other eating disorder classifications. Considering the upsurge of prevalence rates of eating disorders during the pandemic, it is important to assess the rate of binge eating across the demographic strata to gain a better understanding of who is impacted and provide healing to those who are suffering. Screening for binge eating features across the United States (US) using …

Psychopathy And Moral Decision Making, Dimitra Kourtesi

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Since the 1800s, psychopathy has been regarded as the absence of morality. The goal of our study was to explore whether psychopathic traits can affect the moral decision-making process in sacrificial moral dilemmas. Participants completed multiple self-report measures of psychopathic traits, utilitarian tendencies, and 16 sacrificial moral dilemma vignettes. After each hypothetical vignette, participants decided whether they believed it was morally right, permissible, and whether they behaviorally intended to sacrifice one person to save five people. Positive correlations emerged among all variables, which allowed us to perform a mediation analysis. Instrumental Harm – the idea of sacrificing one individual to …

Exploring The Everyday Inner Experience Of Grapheme-Color Synesthetes, Cody Michio Kaneshiro

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Synesthesia is a rare, multivariant condition where the stimulation of one sensory or cognitive sense induces extraordinary inner experiences. Grapheme-color synesthesia is a kind of synesthesia where the presentation of letters and/or numbers induce automatic, directly apprehended color phenomena within synesthetes (i.e., individuals with synesthesia). Despite synesthesia’s being defined by remarkable color experiences, first-person investigations that directly study synesthetes’ inner experience are rare. We used descriptive experience sampling (DES) to describe the everyday inner experience of six grapheme-color synesthetes, each sampled for from 6 to 14 sampling days. Our idiographic findings showed that the salient features of each individual participant’s …

The Role Of Cognitive Dysfunction In Late-Life Depression, Matthew Schurr

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Depression is one of the most common psychiatric concerns in older adults. Because of the intersection of biological, emotional, social, and cognitive factors that are at play in depression, symptoms are often heterogeneous in presence and severity. In combination with the expected changes in cognitive abilities as one ages, late-life depression can be additive to these changes. The higher risks of neurodegenerative processes and vascular events in later life can cause, magnify, or accelerate cognitive decline. As such, individuals with late-life depression often present with a complex array of problems that can impact cognition and functioning, and thus complicate the …

Understanding The Role Of Discrimination In The Experience Of Traumatic Stress In Latine, Michelle Strong

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Introduction. Research has found that low provider culture knowledge leads to poor mental health outcomes for Latine clients (Duke et al., 2011). Further, the 2017 APA Multicultural Guidelines emphasize the need for clinicians and researchers to conceptualize clinical and empirical data from a culturally competent lens, especially considering clinician and researcher bias while understanding a psychological phenomenon. Despite this, limited research exists categorizing the unique factors that affect mental health symptoms among Latine living in the United States (U.S.) especially as it pertains to trauma stress and discrimination (Marmot, 2005; Nadal, 2018). As such, the current study used meditational statistical …

Msw Portfolio: A Growth Mindset Approach, Katherine D. Bettcher

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

A growth mindset approach to Advanced Integrated Practice in Social Work.