Digital Commons Network^™

An In-Depth Look At Filial Play Therapy, Sam Tumberg

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This project explores the various aspects that make up the filial play therapy model. Filial play therapy is an evidenced-based intervention that has been proven to work with a variety of different populations and can be applied in a variety of different settings. The purpose of this project is to give the Vision therapists at Headway a practical toolkit that can be applied in their therapeutic practice. The therapeutic toolkit contains practical therapeutic skills and techniques that can easily be applied within the Vision program.

Korean American Adolescents And Their Mothers: Intergenerational Differences And Their Consequences, Hui Chu

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

The current study examined the links and mechanisms associated with intergenerational cultural conflict, psychological distress, and the intergenerational differences in acculturation and model minority stereotype (MMS) endorsement for South Korean immigrants. Specifically, Korean American adolescents’ (ages 12-19, M = 15.3, SD = 1.71) and their mothers’ (N = 209 dyads) acculturation difference and MMS endorsement difference were measured and analyzed as predictors of intergenerational cultural conflict and psychological distress for adolescents. Furthermore, the study analyzed intergenerational cultural conflict as a mediator in the acculturation gap-distress and the MMS endorsement-distress paths. Results indicated that when mothers and their adolescents differed …

Relationships Between Traditional Music Audience Participation And Pro-Social Behaviors, Donald J. Polzella, Jeremy S. Forbis

Psychology Faculty Publications

In order to investigate the relationship between music audience participation and pro-social behaviors, this study analyzed data from 6239 households who took part in the 2008 U.S. Department of Commerce Current Population Survey: Participation in the Arts Supplement. The data were analyzed using logistic regression, in which three specific pro-social behaviors (i.e., voting in the most recent presidential election, making charitable donations or volunteering time, and attending community meetings) were regressed on participation in music (i.e., attending classical, jazz, or opera music concerts). After controlling for the effects of age, race, sex, income, education, marital status, and occupation class, it …

Pastoral Attitudes That Predict Numerical Church Growth, David R. Dunaetz, Kenneth E. Priddy

Selected Faculty Publications

The attitudes of 92 head pastors were measured concerning 20 ministry-relevant ideas and practices, as well as information about their church’s present numerical growth. A statistical analysis found four pastoral attitudes that predict positive or negative numerical church growth. Positive predictors of numerical church growth were strong beliefs that 1) personal and corporate prayer are important and 2) transfer growth is an indicator of congregational health. Negative predictors of numerical church growth were strong beliefs in 1) the importance of preaching and 2) the importance of outreach to the community. The practical implications of these findings are discussed in light …

The Life Course Perspective Of Delinquency: An Empirical Analysis Of Female Juvenile Offending From The National Youth Survey, Doshie Piper

Contemporary Issues in Juvenile Justice

No abstract provided.

Promotion Of Environmental Engagement Through Positive Youth Development In Tanzania, Katherine Westfall

Honors Theses

With climate change and environmental degradation already having devastating effects on communities in sub-Saharan Africa, enhancing youth's commitment to the environment and mobilizing their pro-environmental action is increasingly urgent. In this study, we explored predictors of environmental commitment and action based on a model of positive youth development. We predicted that sociodemographics, self-efficacy, connection to nature, sense of community, and club participation would predict environmental commitment and action. Tanzanian youth (N = 959) from regions across the country completed self-report measures assessing these constructs. Using a series of logistic and hierarchical multiple regressions, we were able to predict statistically significant …

Effect Of Medical Education On Empathy In Osteopathic Medical Students, Adam J. Mctighe

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Empathy is an integral component of the physician-patient relationship and involves a cognitive and emotional ability to connect with others in a meaningful fashion. To date, only two studies exist using osteopathic medical student samples while multiple studies have shown that allopathic student empathy declines significantly during year 3. Similar results were not found in the osteopathic samples; however, the designs used were cross-sectional, while allopathic studies were longitudinal. The current study utilized a mixed methods approach that included cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses, the first to do so within an osteopathic medical student population. The present study investigated empathy levels …

Effects Of Cultural Awareness Training In Conjunction With An Established Bullying Prevention Program, Megan Kallie Polanin

Dissertations

While many school bullying prevention programs have been designed to thwart school bullying perpetration, victimization, and physical aggression, empirical support is limited. To date, few researchers have addressed bullying within the context of children's cultural systems, and cultural awareness training has not yet been utilized as a mechanism to decrease bullying behaviors in the context of school bullying prevention programs.

This study examined the utility of incorporating multicultural training aimed at reducing prejudice within the context of school bullying prevention programming efforts within a diverse educational setting. This researcher hypothesized that the addition of meaningful culture curriculum would further reduce …

Evaluation Of Psychological Services For Anxiety And Depression Provided In A University-Based Primary Care Clinic, Elizabeth J. Sadock

Theses and Dissertations

Primary care clinics are increasingly integrating psychological services into their service programs, however few studies have used a comparison group to demonstrate the effectiveness of these services. This study evaluated the psychological services provided at the Ambulatory Care Clinic (ACC) at the Virginia Commonwealth University Health System (VCUHS) by comparing changes in 147 patients’ PHQ-9 depression scores and GAD-7 anxiety scores over time to the scores of 139 patients at the Hayes E. Willis Health Center, a comparison clinic with demographically similar patients but no integrated psychological services. Assessment data were collected from participants in the ACC at VCUHS during …

Development Of The Profession Of Counseling In Kenya, Uganda, And Tanzania: A Grounded Theory Study, Mueni Joy Maweu Mwendwa

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

The positive mental health of a country's population has a direct correlation to that country's economic and social advancement. As a result, the development of the counseling profession is critical. Even though fewer than half of African member states have an existing mental health policy in place, initiatives to establish mental health policies and develop the counseling profession are underway across the African continent. In general, there is a significant deficit of counseling literature, and specifically, research on the development of the counseling profession in Africa. This grounded theory study sought to explore the experiences of counseling leaders related to …

Changes In School Connectedness And Deviant Peer Affiliation Among Sixth-Grade Students From High-Poverty Neighborhoods, Kathleen Moritz Rudasill, Kate Niehaus, Lisa J. Crockett, Christopher R. Rakes

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

This longitudinal study examined associations between changes in School Connectedness and changes in Affiliation With Deviant Peers among students from high-poverty backgrounds during the year immediately following the transition to middle school. Sixth-graders (N = 328) attending two middle schools in a large school district completed measures of School Connectedness and Affiliation With Deviant Peers at three points across the year. Results from parallel process modeling showed that students’ reports of School Support significantly declined across the school year, School Support and Affiliation With Deviant Peers were negatively associated at the beginning of the school year, and students who reported …

Children's Cognitive Processing Of Abuse As Described In Investigative Interviews., Kayleen A. Willemsen, Kim P. Roberts

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

A great deal of research has examined ways in which investigative interviewers can elicit accurate information from children. More recently, research has studied children’s own thoughts or comprehension of abuse, and how these types of statements relate to disclosure, others’ perceptions of child witnesses, and psychological trauma. However, little research has investigated multiple types of children’s thoughts about abuse as they occur in an actual investigative interview. The current study examined seven types of statements children made about their abuse in a sample of 86 transcripts of investigative interviews conducted by Child Protective Services and a police department in a …

Bridging The Justice Gap: Exploring Approaches For Improving Indigent Access To Civil Counsel, Kelsey Atkinson

Pomona Senior Theses

The United States is among one of the only democratic industrialized nations in the world that does not provide guaranteed access to civil representation in cases involving basic human need. This leaves indigent litigants who are at risk of losing their homes or their children left to seek counsel through insufficient pro-bono programs or limited scope legal self-help centers. This thesis provides a history of the struggle for the right to civil counsel, known as Civil Gideon, and explores a variety of proposed solutions to bridge the justice gap for indigent litigants. Despite considerable support for Civil Gideon among scholars …

The Effect Of Ability Grouping For Talmud On The Academic Self-Concept Of Jewish Orthodox Middle School Students, Yitzchak Tzvi Goldberg

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have examined the relationship between ability grouping and academic self-concept in math, science, and English, and have found varying results. However, previous studies have not examined the relationship between ability grouping and academic self-concept for the subject of Talmud. Middle school presents a unique opportunity to examine this relationship because middle school is when both ability grouping for Talmud and the study of Talmud begin. The purpose of this correlational study was to assess the relationship between ability grouping and the academic self-concept for Talmud in middle school students. The predictive relationship among individual academic achievement, school average achievement, …

Factors That Promote And Inhibit Client Disclosure Of Suicidal Ideation, Robert William Orf

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Approximately 36,000 people commit suicide in the U.S. each year, making it the fourth leading cause of death for adults between 18 and 65-years-old. Clients participating in psychotherapeutic treatment are at elevated risk for suicide, due to the emotional distress that drives their entry into psychotherapy. Therapists cannot know the full extent of their clients’ risk for suicide if clients do not fully confide their thoughts and intentions. The current study sought to discover factors that inhibit and promote client disclosure of these thoughts and behaviors. The study utilized the Suicidal Ideation in Psychotherapy Questionnaire (SIPQ), a questionnaire developed for …

Therapists’ And Interpreters’ Perceptions Of The Relationships When Working With Refugee Clients, Janet Ann Robertson

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This dissertation consists of two articles focusing on foreign language interpreters in mental health. The first article is a literature review examining the existing research on mental health professionals working with foreign language interpreters while conducting therapy with refugee clients. After excluding articles that were not research studies and those that focused on physicians rather than therapists, 19 articles fit the search criteria. The majority of the articles that did not fall into the research category focused on recommendations and protocols for treatment. Those that did fit within the criteria were categorized into 5 main themes. Those themes were: effectiveness …

Displaced African Female Survivors Of Conflict-Related Sexual Violence: Challenges For Mental Health Providers, Adeyinka M. Akinsulure-Smith

Publications and Research

Conflict throughout Africa has created havoc for many. This overwhelming chaos has led to the disintegration of social order and generated widespread gender-based violence. As a result, African women have become casualties, experienced brutal acts of sexual violence, and been forced into exile. Drawing on the tribulations of displaced African female survivors of conflict-related sexual violence, this article discusses these women’s experiences and highlights the barriers and struggles encountered while seeking refuge. The article concludes by exploring the challenges of providing culturally informed, strength-focused mental health services to these women as they rebuild their lives in a new sociocultural context.

A Behavioral Intervention For War-Affected Youth In Sierra Leone: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Theresa S. Betancourt, Ryan Mcbain, Elizabeth A. Newnham, Adeyinka M. Akinsulure-Smith, Robert T. Brennan, John R. Weisz, Nathan B. Hansen

Publications and Research

Objective: Youth in war-affected regions are at risk for poor psychological, social, and educational outcomes. Effective interventions are needed to improve mental health, social behavior, and school functioning. This randomized controlled trial tested the effectiveness of a 10-session cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)–based group mental health intervention for multisymptomatic war-affected youth (aged 15–24 years) in Sierra Leone. Method: War-affected youth identified by elevated distress and impairment via community screening were randomized (stratified by sex and age) to the Youth Readiness Intervention (YRI) (n = 222) or to a control condition (n = 214). After treatment, youth were again randomized and offered an …

Making Space For Dying: Portraits Of Living With Dying, Elise Lark

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

In Making Space for Dying: Portraits of Living with Dying, I describe the everyday lived experience of dying and the care culture within freestanding, community-based, end-of-life residences (CBEOLR) utilizing portraiture and arts-based research. I craft four case studies into “portraits,” based on interviews, on-site visits, up-close observation, and field notes. In the person-centered portraits, I reveal the inner landscape of two terminally ill women, with data represented in poetry. In the place-centered portraits, I “map” the social topography of two CBEOLRs to illustrate how lives and care of the dying are emplaced, from the perspectives of community leaders, …

Substance-Abusing Mothers And Fathers' Willingness To Allow Their Children To Receive Mental Health Treatment, Michelle L. Kelley, Gabrielle M. D'Lima, James M. Henson, Cayla Cotton

Psychology Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to examine attitudes of substance-abusing mothers and fathers entering outpatient treatment toward allowing their children to participate in individual- or family-based interventions. Data were collected from a brief anonymous survey completed by adults at intake into a large substance abuse treatment program in western New York. Only one-third of parents reported that they would be willing to allow their children to participate in any form of mental health treatment. Results of chi-square analyses revealed that a significantly greater proportion of mothers reported that they would allow their children to participate in mental health treatment …

Childhood Sexual Behavior: An Integrated Developmental Ecological Assessment Approach, Kelley Simmons Jones

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This qualitative, theoretical review and analysis of extant literature explored the sociocultural influences effecting conceptualization of childhood sexual behavior problems. Themes emerged from analysis of peer-reviewed journals that illustrated the complex, multidimensional, and ecological factors influencing child sexual development and problematic sexual behavior. These included major themes of Child Sexuality: Ecological Context, Developmental Context, Complex Trauma, and Ecological Interventions. Specific factors associated with childhood sexual behavior problems included trauma, domestic violence, sexual and physical abuse, psychological and emotional distress, impaired attachment, and the effects of diverse ecological systems such as the family, parents, and sociocultural influences of the greater community. …

A Heart-Based Sufi Mindfulness Spiritual Practice Employing Self-Journeying, Faruk Arslan

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Spiritual Psychology is the study and practice of the art and science of the human evolution of consciousness. The heart occupies an important place in Sufism and is considered to contain the divine spark that leads to spiritual realization. Fethullah Gülen’s action-oriented Sufi methods described in his book series “The Emerald Hills of the Heart” provides the basis for a heart-based therapeutic intervention through self-journeying, which is the objective of this thesis. These self-purification and mindfulness-related transpersonal methods generate a form of treatment that is culturally sensitive. Through my reflections in this research, I transformed my personal experiences into …

Wounded Healers In Practice: A Phenomenological Study Of Jungian Analysts' Countertransference Experiences, Jeffrey M. Burda

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study explored Jungian analysts' experiences of countertransference (CT) using the qualitative method interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA). The purpose of this study was to better understand how Jungian analysts experience, understand, make use of, and manage CT in daily practice. Six certified Jungian analysts were interviewed about their CT experiences from their analytic work with a past client. The study's main findings were that CT originated primarily from analysts' personal wounds and tended to manifest as analysts' disengagement or withdrawal from the client. Furthermore, analysts often used awareness and understanding of their CT to better manage CT. The nature of …

The Self Of The Field And The Work Of Donnel Stern, Daniel Masler

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

No study has taken an updated and comprehensive review of Donnel Stern’s writings. An investigation of his philosophical assumptions, locating Stern’s work socioculturally and historically, along with an elucidation of Stern’s background in traditional psychoanalytic literature and clinical practice, brings out the meanings and enigmas present in his theories of dissociation, enactment, unformulated experience, multiple self-states, and reflection. Stern has offered one of the best-integrated theoretical models in relational psychoanalytic theory. An examination of his theories within the theoretical traditions to which he makes claim (psychoanalytic, interpersonal, hermeneutic, postmodern, and democratic) helps elucidate the challenge posed by relational psychoanalysis to …

Tracing The Maddening Effects Of Abuses Of Authority: Rationalities Gone Violent In Mental Health Services And Universities, Marilyn J. Palmer, Dyann Ross

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Organisations such as mental health systems and universities can be places where violence is part of the business as usual and hence taken-for-granted functionality of the workplaces. The paper challenges dominant perceptions of who is mad and what is dangerous to unsettle the largely unquestioned legitimacy of indirect and mainly, but not always, non-coercive forms of organisational power. To enable this analysis the research and language of domestic violence is presented to help anchor the nature of organisational violence so that it doesn’t get ignored or deferred as non-problematic, as something that just happens somehow separate from peoples’ actions or …

Promoting The Participation Of Seldom Heard Young People: A Review Of The Literature On Best Practice Principles, Cathy Kelleher, Mairéad Seymour, Ann Marie Halpenny

Reports

The purpose of this research was to review national and international literature on the participation of seldom heard young people and to identify best practice principles in the field. Key objectives were: to provide a detailed account of what is meant by s eldom heard children and young people; to examine the core aspects of participation as well as the barriers and challenges to participation for seldom heard children and young people; to identify approaches which can improve the inclus ion of seldom heard children and young people in decision-making that affects their lives. The project aimed to integrate the …

Evaluating The Efficacy And Acceptability Of Videoconferencing In School-Based Behavioral Consultation, Aaron Jason Fischer

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

School-based behavioral consultation is a way of providing psychological services to students through their teachers. This indirect service delivery model has been shown to be effective for improving academic and behavioral concerns. Typically, school-based behavioral consultation is conducted face-to-face (in-vivo) between consultants (psychologists) and consultee’s (teachers); however, current technologies have provided an alternative medium to communicate, via videoconferencing. Videoconferencing has been shown to be an effective alternative to face-to-face communication across many different practice domains and applications. Videoconferencing in schools, particularly for school-based behavioral consultation, may be a viable alternative. The proposed study evaluated the efficacy and acceptability of videoconferencing …

Australian Psychologists' Perceptions And Experiences Of Client Threats, Penny Hyde

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

There is empirical evidence that workplace violence is increasing, particularly in settings where health care professionals such as psychologists are employed, and often these incidents are perpetrated by clients. Given that client violence can have wide ranging and serious consequences, it is not surprising that researchers are focussing on this issue. One notable finding is that psychologists feel that they do not have the training or confidence to manage the violent behaviour of clients. A review of the relevant literature was undertaken to determine why psychologists feel ill prepared for such incidents. Whilst there is a wide range of definitions …

Best Interests Of The Child Principle In The Context Of Parent Separation Or Divorce : As Conceptualised By The Community, Nadia Dias

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Best interests of the child (BIC) is a construct that is central to legal decisions in several areas including parenting matters in the Family Courts, guardianship, child-protection, and adoption. Despite the centrality of the construct, BIC has not been operationalised (Thomson & Molloy, 2001) and there is little agreement about what is considered best for children within social service and legal communities (Banach, 1998). Given that one of the aims of law is to reflect public sentiment (Green, 1996), the current study explored the general public’s conceptualisation of BIC. More specifically, I sought to determine what community members think the …

Adult Adhd In Dsm-Iv-Tr And Dsm-5: Impact Of Increased Age-Of-Onset On Prevalence, Morgan Ashwill Grinnell

LSU Master's Theses

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent disorder estimated to affect 3%-7% of children and about 4% of the adult population. In adults, ADHD is associated with lower academic achievement, more interpersonal conflicts and a bevy of other negative outcomes. Research on the assessment and treatment of ADHD in adults has considerably lagged behind research conducted with children. Existing research has been influential in the American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) decision to update the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) definition of ADHD to include more developmentally expansive criteria. Modifications to the fifth edition of the manual (DSM-5) included an …