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Self-State Shifts During Nonsuicidal Self-Injury: Associations With Trauma History And The Functions Of Self-Harm, Katie E. Callahan

Dissertations, 2020-current

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a clinically significant behavior associated with substantial psychological distress and elevated suicide risk. Despite considerable research on the emotional triggers and functional implications of NSSI, the internal relational states activated during self-harm remain poorly understood. This study examined shifts in self-directed relational patterns during NSSI episodes using the Structural Analysis of Social Behavior (SASB) model and Interpersonal Reconstructive Therapy (IRT) theory. A cross-sectional secondary data analysis was conducted with 125 participants who reported current or past NSSI. Residualized change scores were computed to index shifts in self-state between general and NSSI conditions. Measures included the SASB-based …

Postsecondary Experiences And Impact On Career Choices And Employment Status For Cisgender Women With Autism, Maureen Bell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cisgender women with autism remain underrepresented in research on postsecondary education and career development despite experiencing distinct barriers within these systems. This qualitative study examined how cisgender women with autism perceived the impact of their postsecondary education experiences on career choices and employment navigation. Guided by the social model of disability and intersectionality theory, nine postsecondary participants formally diagnosed with autism and who self-identified as cisgender completed semistructured interviews exploring their educational and employment experiences. Thematic analysis identified seven interconnected themes. Findings indicated that academic success often masked significant internal distress, suggesting that performance did not reflect accessible environments. Participants …

Burnout, Compassion Fatigue, Secondary Trauma, And Experiences With Death And Dying Among Organ And Tissue Recovery Professionals: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study, Shelby Andreasen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Professionals in organ and tissue recovery have complex job roles that affect the outcomes of patients who wait for a life-saving organ or a life-enhancing tissue graft. This profession had little research regarding burnout, compassion fatigue, and secondary trauma, as well as how consistent involvement with deceased patients affects these professionals and the outcomes of their cases. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of 11 organ and tissue recovery professionals (OTRPs). Constructivist self-development theory was applied to understand OTRPs’ lived experiences of compassion fatigue, secondary trauma, and burnout, as well as the impact …

Staff Education On An Electronic Health Record-Based Tracking And Reminder System For Long-Acting Injectable Antipsychotics, Osereme Nora Agboifo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Missed or delayed administration of long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotic medications remains a practice concern in outpatient mental health care because treatment gaps can interrupt continuity, increase relapse risk, and contribute to avoidable hospitalization. The practice problem addressed in this staff education project was inconsistent use of a standardized electronic health record (EHR)-based LAI tracking and reminder workflow. The project purpose was to improve staff knowledge, documentation consistency, reminder use, and follow-up practices for adults receiving LAI antipsychotic medications. The practice-focused question asked whether staff education on an EHR-based LAI tracking and reminder system would improve adherence monitoring and follow-up processes …

The Lived Experiences Of Intimacy And Isolation In Single Mothers During Covid-19: An Eriksonian Perspective, Chante Renee Reeves

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Single mothers were largely absent from the COVID-19 literature, despite being head of household in approximately 80% of single-parent homes. The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative research study was to gain insight into the lived experiences of single mothers during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study addressed how this group connected with family, friends, and others in meaningful ways despite government-imposed lockdowns and restrictions. This phenomenon was explored through Erik Erikson’s psychosocial development theory, with a focus on the intimacy versus isolation stage. An Eriksonian perspective on relationship building and maintenance in adulthood can help better understand and address the social …

Completion Outcomes And Predictive Characteristics In Mandated Inpatient Substance Use Treatment, Tina Marie Moyer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Treatment retention, specifically as it pertains to offenders who are mandated to receive substance use treatment rather than serve standard incarceration sentences, is receiving more scholarly attention. Although prior research indicates an association between substance use treatment and reduced criminal behavior, many studies have methodological limitations. The purpose of this quantitative non-experimental, comparative study was to compare treatment completion outcomes for mandated and non-mandated offenders and to examine individual predictors of treatment completion, thereby addressing gaps in the current research. Secondary data from adult offenders receiving treatment at an inpatient substance use rehabilitation facility were analyzed. The risk-needs-responsivity model was …

Licensed Counselors’ Professional Well-Being During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Jacqueline Flaherty

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

According to the American Counseling Association (ACA, 2014) Code of Ethics, professional counselors are responsible to monitor their own impairment. Specific interventions to prevent impairment and foster counselor professional well-being (PWB) and resiliency are imperative in a profession in which it is ethically required to continuously provide competent counseling. The purpose of this study was to explore the narratives of licensed counselors’ PWB during the onset of and successively during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The theoretical orientation for this study was Dewey’s theory of experience. Nine counselor participants who were licensed by May 2018 shared detailed accounts of …

Syllabus Psy 201: Psychological Research, Valeriia Modina

Open Educational Resources

Syllabus for PSY 201: Psychological Research, taught at the College of Staten Island in Fall 2026. Psychologists use the scientific process to collect information about human behavior. This enables them to develop valid and reliable explanations about behavior. This course will review the research process from the formulation of a research question through the publication of research findings. We will examine various data collection methods including observation, interview, survey, quasi-experimental, and experimental. Students will also be introduced to the way in which statistics help us understand and interpret the information we collect about behavior.

The Effects Of Using Home Language Vs English In Teaching Safety Skills, Emma Ruiz

Thesis Projects

Cultural competence and cultural awareness are terms that have started to become more widely used when discussing how therapists impact their clients. The push for cultural competence and awareness has started to create new questions about how a client’s culture can be intertwined with the services that they are receiving. The purpose of this study was to teach a combination of basic safety skills and identify if language impacted behavior. This study utilized one participant who did not acquire the skill to stop in either language. During the experiment, a third language was added to measure control; however, responding remained …

Artificial Intelligence (Ai) In Mental Health: Perceptions Of Ai Therapists, Ulker Yusupova

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

This study explores how people perceive Artificial Intelligence (AI) therapists compared to human therapists, focusing on differences in empathy, effectiveness, and competence. As AI tools like ChatGPT and mental health chatbots become more commonly used for emotional support, it is important to understand how users evaluate them in comparison to human professionals. To begin addressing this, in the first part of the study, participants reviewed therapist-client conversation transcripts and identified whether they believed the therapist was human or AI-generated, helping us validate the materials for the main study. Notably, initial findings suggest that participants frequently relied more on surface-level language …

Ai-Based Pilot Fatigue Monitoring For Enhanced Aviation Safety, Joshua Henderson, Alexander Landau, Braxton Moor, Jacky Yang, Caleb Difabio

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Pilot fatigue remains a persistent systemic operational hazard in commercial aviation because it can degrade attention, reaction time, decision-making, and crew coordination during safety-critical phases of flight. Although regulatory duty-time limits and Fatigue Risk Management Systems provide baseline protections, these controls rely heavily on voluntary reporting and post-event analysis, which may fail to detect fatigue in real time. The purpose of this project was to design and evaluate an artificial intelligence-enabled fatigue monitoring concept intended to reduce undetected pilot fatigue risk within the airline Safety Management System framework. The study applied a structured research approach including a literature review to …

The "3 A'S" Of Sport Specialization: Emerging Themes To Characterize Athletes' Sport Participation Pathway Decisions, Adelaide F. Stark, Justin S. Disanti Ph.D.

Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Symposium

In this study, former youth sport participants were grouped by their developmental sport pathways (i.e., if they specialized and when they specialized over the course of their participation) to identify emerging themes regarding why they chose their respective pathway, as well as how this impacted their sport experience. 948 participants completed a retrospective survey measure detailing their sport histories. Based on their specialization trajectory across their sport involvement (i.e., during elementary school, middle school, and high school) participants were sorted into three participation pathways – Early Specialization, Late Specialization, or Continued Multi-sport. Participants responded to open-ended questions about their decision-making …

Patient-Reported Outcomes Of Effectiveness Of Esketamine For Treatment-Resistant Depression, Erica L. Marino

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) affects approximately 30% of individuals with major depressive disorder who do not respond to conventional antidepressant therapies. TRD symptoms severely impact a patient’s quality of life (QoL) and impose a considerable burden on healthcare systems. The purpose of this quantitative study was to evaluate the impact of esketamine in decreasing depressive symptoms and improving QoL factors in patients diagnosed with TRD. The research aimed to determine whether there were statistically significant improvements in depressive symptoms, as measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and changes in QoL, as measured by the Quality of Life in Depression Scale, over …

Addressing Haitian High School Students’ Educational Challenges Through Their Self-Cultural Awareness, Gregory Louis

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

The study is grounded in the understanding that culturally responsive education practices can promote academic success and empower students to navigate multiple cultural contexts. A review of literature highlighted the complexities of Haitian students' educational experiences, the impact of cultural identity on academic achievement, and the need for further research on this topic.

The research employed in-depth, semi-structured interviews with Haitian high school students and their parents to gather data on their experiences, perceptions, and attitudes towards education and cultural identity. The study aimed to contribute to a deeper understanding of the educational experiences of Haitian students and inform strategies …

Fatigue And Circadian Disruption In Long-Haul Ferry Pilots: Human Factors Challenges And Mitigation Strategies, Parneet Makkar

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Fatigue and circadian rhythm disruption present significant human factors challenges in long-haul aviation operations, particularly for ferry pilots (pilots responsible for transporting aircraft long distances between locations) who often travel across multiple time zones before beginning flight duties. Circadian rhythms regulate the human sleep-wake cycle and are closely tied to cognitive performance, alertness, and coordination. Rapid travel across time zones can disrupt these rhythms, producing symptoms commonly associated with jet lag such as sleep disturbances, fatigue, and reduced cognitive functioning. For ferry pilots, long travel periods and irregular schedules may increase the likelihood of fatigue before flight operations even begin. …

Effects Of Human-Animal Interaction On Positive Youth Development: A Replication Study, Allison Pachunka, Jay Jeffries, Lisa Karr, Lena Luck, Bryan A. Reiling, Douglas H. Schultz, Jeffrey R. Stevens

People and Animals: The International Journal of Research and Practice

Interacting with animals can improve health and well-being across the lifespan. Some programs such as 4-H and FFA center around youth interacting with animals, potentially enhancing youth development. Mueller (2014) investigated whether these interactions and attitudes about animals influenced measures of positive youth development. The aim of our studies was to replicate Mueller’s methods and extend her work by evaluating whether membership in animal-focused youth programs moderate associations between interactions, attitudes, and positive youth development. We did not find strong relationships among human–animal inter-action and positive youth development, which failed to replicate Mueller’s findings. However, we did find relationships between …

Hypnotherapists’ Perspectives On Using Hypnosis To Address Somatic Symptoms In Clients With Psychological Distress, Tina Wilkerson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Somatic symptoms accompany psychological distress and can affect well-being. Hypnosis has demonstrated effectiveness in reducing psychological distress and related somatic symptoms, but limited research has explored hypnotherapists’ perspectives on its clinical application. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the experiences of licensed hypnotherapists with 3 years of experience using hypnosis to treat adults experiencing somatic symptoms associated with psychological distress. Guided by Engel’s biopsychosocial model and Hilgard’s neodissociation theory, data were collected through semistructured interviews with 10 licensed hypnotherapists and analyzed using phenomenological reduction and thematic analysis. Analysis resulted in four primary themes: (a) mind–body connection …

Exploring The Lived Experiences Of African American Couples: Narcissism, Marital Quality, And Spousal Distress, Lindella Lenise Mcdowell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Narcissism is a global phenomenon that is manifested across cultures. Despite research on narcissism and relationships, there is limited literature focusing on diverse cultural backgrounds, particularly African American couples, where one spouse has been diagnosed as exhibiting narcissistic tendencies or traits. Addressing the research gap may foster cultural understanding and encourage recognition of the effects of narcissism within the African American culture and the significance of social support. The purpose of this study was to increase knowledge and awareness of grandiose and vulnerable narcissism’s impact on African American couples. A qualitative phenomenological research design was used. The hierarchical two-dimensional view …

The Effect Of Snris On Pilot Reaction Time In Simulated Flight, Isabella Owen, Aidan Roach, Micah Henry, Casey Tressler

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Many aviators who are prescribed serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRI) or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) to treat mental health disorders such as major depressive disorder, general anxiety disorder, or post-traumatic stress disorder must halt their duties for a set amount of time. This is due to aviation authorities having data that suggests SNRIs and SSRIs lead to inhibitions in mental processes that can cause crashes or death. Most of the research that has been conducted examined the effects of SSRIs on individuals without mental health disorders in non-flight settings. This study will explore the effect SNRIs have on …

Effects Of Sleep Duration And Perceived Stress Of Reaction Time In Undergraduate Students, Caitlin Wescott, Edna Urrutia, Ryan F. Rednick, David Still

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Sleep deprivation and psychological stress are common among undergraduate students and can negatively affect cognitive performance. Reaction time is an important indicator of attention and processing speed and plays a critical role in both everyday activities, such as driving, and high-performance environments where rapid responses are required. This study aims to examine how sleep duration and perceived stress levels influence reaction time in undergraduate students. Participants will report their sleep duration and perceived stress levels through short surveys and wearable sleep data, while reaction time will be measured using a standardized computerized reaction time test. By comparing reaction time across …

Understanding And Responding To Childhood Trauma In The Classroom, Kara L. Ganzer

Master of Arts in Human Services

This capstone explored childhood trauma as a significant public health and educational issue because of its widespread impact on children’s development, learning, behavior, and educational experiences. A review of the current literature was conducted to examine adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), the neurobiological and developmental effects of childhood trauma, its impact within educational settings, and the trauma-informed approaches for supporting students who have experienced adversity. The literature suggested that childhood trauma can disrupt brain development, executive functioning, emotional regulation, attention, memory, and stress-response systems, contributing to academic, behavioral, and social-emotional challenges within the classroom. Findings also highlighted the important role schools …

Becoming A Therapist In A Foreign Land: Narratives Of International Trainee Clinicians Of Color In The U.S., Prathma Sharma

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this dissertation project is on the community of trainee clinicians of color, who have been consistently overlooked in the literature on mental health. This dissertation employed narrative analysis as a methodological framework to explore the experiences of international trainee clinicians of color as they navigated the complex landscape of mental health training in the United States. In an increasingly globalized world, the voices and perspectives of these individuals offered critical insights into the challenges, triumphs, and unique pathways that shaped their professional development. Much of the literature on diversity and inclusion tends to individualize the challenging experiences, …

Wip: Developing A Generative Ai Autoethnography Assistant, Jyoti Suhag, Jennifer Drewyor, Kathryn Bugbee, Michelle Jarvie-Eggart, Lynn Albers, Leo Ureel

Michigan Tech Publications

Background: Generative AI (genAI) is transforming educational research, offering new possi-bilities for conducting interviews while local sandboxing minimizes data privacy risks and hallucinations. Purpose: This work-in-progress presents the AI Autoethnography Assistant, a project investigating how large language models (LLMs) can support autoethnographic interview design and execution. Approach: Using prompt engineering grounded in Interpretative Phenomenological Anal-ysis, paraphrasing techniques, and structured follow-up questions, we developed protocols that incorporate po-sitionality and prompt reflection on origin stories and pivotal life moments. Outcomes: Conversations conclude at the user’s discretion, with the AI generating a thematic summary. We tested refined prompts across four platforms (Gemini, Claude, …

"Help Me Live It The Way You Do": Grounding Singaporean Responses To The Rorschach Situation, Casey Y. Lee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Contemporary research on the Rorschach and culture is striking for the latter’s disappearance as a variable of significance (Meyer et al., 2015; Meyer et al., 2007; Mihura et al., 2013; Viglione & Hilsenroth, 2001). This erasure is chronicled and reproduced in the narratives of universal objectivity, of extensive international meta-analyses, of replications, of standardized norms (Ritzler, 2004; Smith et al., 2018; Smith et al., 2020; Weiner, 2004). A different story emerges, however, when we ask, how has culture disappeared? The proposed study is a multimethod qualitative analysis of Singaporean responses to the Rorschach, aimed at generating sensitive yet critical discourses …

Impact Of Taped Problems Intervention Modification On Children With Deafness, Clyniece Hodge

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Children with hearing loss are at an increased risk of experiencing setbacks in various areas of life, including academic performance and employment opportunities. Academically, they are likely to experience poor academic achievement in reading, as well as in mathematics (ASHA, 2013). In comparison to gifted hearing students and average-ability hearing students, students with hearing loss are at a higher risk of low mathematics performance (Hassan & Mohammed, 2019). Despite these known challenges and risk factors, limited research has been conducted to identify effective intervention strategies for improving mathematical outcomes among this population. As such, this study aimed to evaluate the …

Integrating Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions In Inclusive Classrooms To Support Autistic Students, Paige J. Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current trend of an increasing prevalence rate of autism spectrum disorder creates a growing need for evidence-based interventions that can be accessed in the natural environments, such as within inclusive educational settings. Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBIs) integrate principles of applied behavior analysis and developmental psychology, and offer effective tools for increasing social communication behaviors in autistic children that align with the neurodiversity-affirming movement. The present study sought to evaluate the effectiveness of Behavior Skills Training (BST) in teaching core NDBI skills to a preschool teacher, examine changes in teacher self-efficacy related to supporting autistic students, and assess the …

Between Care And Despair: An Existential Phenomenological Study Of Eco-Anxiety As Lived Experience, Conor H. Sukhdeo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the lived experience of eco-anxiety among young adults aware of the ongoing ecological crisis but not directly exposed to climate-related disasters. Grounded in the human science tradition, ecopsychology, and existential phenomenology, this study employed Scott Churchill’s (2022) approach to Existential Phenomenological Research (EPR) to deepen our understanding of the phenomenon of eco-anxiety. Four participants, residing in Pittsburgh and aged 18-25, produced written experiential descriptions and participated in open-ended phenomenological interviews. As outlined by EPR, this data was analyzed through meaning unit delineation, imaginative variation, phenomenological reduction, and structural synthesis to produce individual situated structures of eco-anxiety for …

Consecuencias De La Violencia Docente: Recuentos Desde El Campo De La Formación Musical Universitaria En México, Karla M. Reynoso Vargas, Basilio Fernández-Morante

Visions of Research in Music Education

Este es un trabajo independiente, pero complementario al estudio «La violencia docente en la educación musical universitaria: una exploración en el contexto mexicano». Presenta el análisis de la información que se desprende de 53 relatos de víctimas de violencia docente en programas universitarios de música. Incorporamos reflexiones y aportaciones de estudiantes, profesionales y personas que abandonaron sus carreras de música en la República Mexicana, quienes compartieron voluntariamente sus historias. La primera categoría describe las consecuencias de la violencia docente. Por un lado, se observaron efectos interpretados como positivos, entre ellos la activación de la orientación al logro, el sobreesfuerzo y …

Adults’ Lived Experiences With Placement In Child Protective Services During Adolescence, Michaela First Haynes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Perceptions of safety and emotional support during involvement with child protective services (CPS) during adolescence may play a significant role in shaping attachment experiences and relationships in adulthood. Although researchers have examined the effects of child maltreatment and foster care involvement, limited research has explored how adolescents perceive emotional support and safety during CPS involvement and how those experiences influence attachment in adulthood. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the lived experiences of adults who experienced CPS involvement during adolescence and to understand how perceptions of safety and emotional support are reflected in their adult attachment relationships. …

Staff Education To Improve Clinical Staff Knowledge, Confidence, And Use Of The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (Phq-9) In Outpatient Depression Screening, Madjou Stella Ngantche

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Depression is one of the most common mental health conditions encountered in outpatient practice, yet inconsistent use of standardized screening tools contributes to missed opportunities for early identification and intervention. In outpatient settings, nurses and other clinical staff are often responsible for administering depression screenings; however, many lack formal education on the standardized use of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). To address this practice gap, this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) staff education project was implemented in an outpatient setting to determine whether staff education on the use of the PHQ-9 would improve staff knowledge, confidence, and intent to use …