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La Espiritualidad: Transmitting Peruvian Culturo-Spiritual Elements Into Occidental Systemic Spaces, Deisy Amorin-Woods

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This paper is a decolonising, Indigenous qualitative inquiry that integrates elements of critical autoethnography, narrative methods and conceptual analysis to explore how Peruvian Andean cosmology can inform contemporary systems thinking and family therapy practice. Writing as a mestiza, a Peruvian migrant in Australia, the author traces the lived experience of cultural erosion within Western, individualistic contexts and her reconnection with ancestral Andean teachings. These teachings—rooted in reciprocity, ecological attachment, collective responsibility and relational balance—are presented as living epistemologies that offer timely contributions to working therapeutically. The author examines core Andean concepts including ayll (kinship-based community), ayni (sacred reciprocity), Yachay (aprenderes …

Full Issue, Volume 21, Issue 2, Journal Of Youth Development

Journal of Youth Development

No abstract provided.

Reducing The Complexity Of The Experimental Design Attenuates Trait-Level Effects In Threat Safety Discrimination Learning, Justin M. Lazzarino

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Trait measures of negative emotionality have sometimes been shown to play a role in shaping threat learning, but findings are mixed. For example, Johnson et al (2023) showed that the inhibitory and prospective subscales of the Intolerance for Uncertainty Scale (IUS) were associated with diminished and enhanced threat-safety discrimination, respectively, during the acquisition phase of a Pavlovian fear conditioning task. This finding was subsequently replicated in an independent sample (Kinney-Petrucha, 2024, unpublished). However, these findings and other trait-level fear acquisition effects have not been consistently observed in the broader fear learning literature. Variation in the complexity of or uncertainty inherent …

Healing Historical-Intergenerational Trauma And Colonial Soul Wounds With Ancestral Healing Practices And Psychosocial Limpias: An Ofrenda For The Salvadoran Community, Joanna D. Beltrán Girón

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In 1992, the United States-backed Salvadoran military and the leftist guerrillas signed the Chapultepec Peace Accords, which put an end to a 12-year war in El Salvador that resulted in 75,000 deaths, 12,000 forced disappearances, and half a million internal displacements. Around 85% of the reports made by survivors of the war attributed the violence to state agents, paramilitary groups, and death squads.While taking into account this history of state violence, this dissertation is interested in the psychosocial aftermath of the war and in how survivors integrate healing practices in their lives in response to the painful memories their bodies …

The Five Cs Of Positive Youth Development In Singapore: Building Adolescent Resilience, Teresa Theodora Jing Yi Tan, Li Neng Lee

Journal of Youth Development

The Five Cs of Positive Youth Development (PYD) model is one of the most empirically discussed frameworks on youth thriving. Generalisability of the model was investigated among 210 middle (15-18 years old) and 250 late (19-25 years old) adolescents in Singapore. The Five Cs of PYD was evaluated as a mediator between intentional self-regulation, social-emotional competencies and family functioning, and the outcome of adolescent resilience. Results validate the model among youths in Singapore and show that the Five Cs of PYD positively predict adolescent resilience. The study extends the global application of the model while highlighting the need to consider …

The Impact Of Religious Behaviors, Islamophobia, Gender Roles, Language Proficiency, And Education Levels On Mental Illness Stigma And Help-Seeking Behaviors Among Arab Women In The U.S., Rima Muhsen

Dissertations

The official U.S. census does not provide data on the number of Arab Americans in the United States, which hinders studies that focus on this population group to explore their needs and improve access to mental health services. Arab women in America represent a subgroup that has received insufficient attention from researchers, particularly regarding culturally sensitive topics such as mental health problems and their associated stigma. The influence of cultural, social, and religious factors on self-stigma associated with mental illness has not been adequately studied among this marginalized group. While previous research has suggested a relationship between self-stigma, social stigma …

Well-Being, Resilience, And Trauma During Migration: A Mixed Methods Study Of Venezuelan Migrants In Transit, Margaret S. Port

Dissertations

A substantial body of research has examined the psychological impact of experiences preceding and following migration, yet comparatively little attention has been given to the psychological toll of the migration journey itself. Moreover, due to the relative novelty of the Venezuelan migrant crisis and the community’s arrival in the United States, the psychological impact of Venezuelan migrants’ unique migration experience has been underexamined. This study utilized an explanatory sequential mixed methods design to investigate the relationships between well-being, resilience, and trauma among Venezuelan migrants in Chicago, Illinois, while also exploring their lived experiences of the migration journey. Study participants (n …

Understanding And Enhancing Suicide Prevention Strategies In The Military: The Roles Of Culture, Leadership, And Command Climate, Kelly Johanna Pires

Dissertations

Military service members are shaped and molded to fit a military culture that emphasizes mission readiness and continuous preparedness. Countless hours are spent training for various situations that can arise. Many trainings are geared toward worst-case scenarios that can cause an increase in stressors and traumatic events. They are expected to demonstrate resilience and overcome adversity to remain mission-ready. This expectation to be mission-ready creates the space for mental health difficulties as well as stigma and avoidance of help-seeking behaviors. In many cases, the desire to stay mission-ready creates a barrier for conversations around mental health. The military emphasizes qualities …

Legends, Lies, & Rewritten Lives: After The Little Bighorn: Forgotten Struggles Of Those Who Walked Away, 2nd Edition, Thomas B. Davidson

DU Textbooks

This Story surrounds an event that occurred one summer on June 25, 1876, along the banks of the Little Bighorn River in what is now the state of Montana. Seen from a 21st century perch, it is a story of a collision between two very different civilizations or empires. Both empire’s military fought in the manner of their society. This narrative will attempt to balance the believable truth of what happened in that contest between the military representatives of both societies while also trying to tell an engaging story, without drifting into naked partisanship, purple prose, or sensationalism. The narrative …

Psychological Architecture: Evaluating The "Greenhouse Model" As A Structural Standard For Lgbtq+ Well-Being, Ava Lee

University Honors Theses

Traditional LGBTQ+ mental health frameworks often conceptualize psychological safety as a matter of individual endurance. This paper critiques this focus on adaptive resilience, which systematically shifts responsibility from institutions to individuals. To counter this, the study introduces "Psychological Architecture," a framework viewing social environments as constructed infrastructures that can either support or undermine queer well-being. The model contrasts performative "Glasshouses," which prioritize visibility over safety, with engineered "Greenhouses" that nurture sustainable safety through three sequential pillars: Authentic Representation (walls), Emotional Validation (insulation), and Vocal Activism (ventilation).

Grounded in the findings of a 2024 qualitative pilot study of a queer roller …

Exploring Minor Feelings: Asian And Asian American’S Racialized Emotions, Identity, And Mental Health Amidst Covid-19, Kristina Mirasol Arevalo

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the central role of racialized emotions in shaping how Asians/Asian Americans (A/AA) experience, interpret, and respond to racism, yet these emotional processes remain underexamined in psychological research. Rather than treating emotions as outcomes of discrimination, this dissertation conceptualizes racialized emotions as dynamic processes through which structural racism is experienced, interpreted, and embodied in everyday life. This framework positions racialized emotions as a key mechanism linking racialized social contexts to identity development and mental health. Across three studies using qualitative and quantitative methods, I examine how racialized emotions shape racial meaning-making, ethnic-racial identity, and psychological well-being among …

Anti-Mattering And Negative Core Beliefs In The Association Between Internalized Racism And Social Anxiety, Alicia K. López

Graduate Masters Theses

Internalized racism is associated with adverse mental health conditions, including anxiety. However, research examining the relation between internalized racism and social anxiety remains limited. The primary purpose of this current study was to explore the relation between internalized racism and social anxiety and whether cognitive processes, such as negative core beliefs about the self or interpersonal factors, such as anti-mattering help explain this relation.  Specifically, this study examined anti-mattering as a potential mediator linking internalized racism and social anxiety and whether negative core beliefs about the self, mediate the relation between internalized racism and anti-mattering. Lastly, the study examined a …

Applying A Neurodiversity-Informed Approach To Understanding Resolution In Families Raising A Child With Autism, Emma Manole

Honors College Theses

The first known documentation of the syndrome we today refer to as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) was published by Austrian psychiatrist Leo Kanner (1943), who identified a cluster of disordered symptoms among 11 young children, which he termed “early infantile autism”. Consequently, the psychiatric world became aware of autism as its own disorder separate from schizophrenia or “childhood psychosis” (Wing, 1997). Since then, the ways in which autism is studied, diagnosed, referred to, defined, and treated have seen drastic changes (Blacher & Christensen, 2011) over the course of almost a century. It is only natural that the perceptions held by …

Temwayaj: An Exploration Of Intergenerational Trauma And Resilience Through The Wisdom Of Haitian Elders, Niara J. Carrenard

Graduate Masters Theses

Haitian people have a unique history of trauma shaped by colonial violence, the brutal legacy of slavery, and political instability all of which intersect to create a complex and multifaceted experience of trauma across generations. This study explores how intergenerational and historical trauma are understood, carried and expressed across generations in the Haitian community. Drawing from grounded theory, this research examines the layered effects of colonial violence and chronic instability on Haitian people. While trauma is typically described as an individual phenomenon, this project is examining trauma as a relational process that manifests amongst different generations. Through in-depth qualitative interviews, …

Analyzing The Impact: Foster Grandparent Program, Shanetta Weatherspoon, Miyue Chen, Monica Pereda

The Scholarship Without Borders Journal

The Foster Grandparent Program (FGP) is a multigenerational approach to community volunteerism. The study uses intergenerational solidarity to conceptualize the impact of the FGP. The study aims to examine the impact of two dimensions by analyzing data from the Assignment Assessment Forms and the New General Self-Efficacy Scale. Paired t-tests were conducted to determine whether there is a difference in the mentees’ behavior pre- and post-intervention over four years and by way of three priority areas. Results indicated that the FGP has an impact on both the mentees and volunteers. Findings suggest that the program’s activities are the vehicle for …

Caribbean Clergy's Perceptions Of Marital Rape, Nasheba Barzey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Treatment Providers’ Perspectives On Reintegration Of African American Registered Sex Offenders With Intellectual Disabilities, Laneka Sherelle Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Organizational Sustainability In Shared-Space Behavioral Health Models, Lorie Lopez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Mnar Attrition On Estimation Of Latent Growth Curve Models With Binary Observed Variables, Jason T. Newsom, Brian T. Keller, Mallory R. Kroeck, Nicholas A. Smith

Psychology Faculty Publications and Presentations

A Monte Carlo simulation was used to evaluate the performance of latent growth curve (LGC) modelswith binary observed variables when the attrition pattern was missing not at random (MNAR) for fivetime points. Parameter and standard error biases for three estimation methods were compared:weighted least squares with mean and variance adjustment (WLSMV), categorical robust marginal max-imum likelihood (categorical MLR), and Bayes. The results indicated that robust diagonal weightedleast squares paired with multiple imputation (MI) performed best when values were missing at ran-dom. When data were missing not at random, Bayesian estimates performed best.

Impact Of Covid-19 On Employee Well-Being In Healthcare Organizations, Tim Duy Dole

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Notes From The Editor, Jay Nathan

Journal of Global Awareness

No abstract provided.

Heroism As Emotional Integration: A Process Model Of Emotion-Driven Heroic Action, Scott T. Allison

Heroism Science

Heroism is often framed as the expression of prosocial motivation fueled by positive emotions such as empathy, compassion, and moral elevation. This perspective, however, overlooks the complex emotional dynamics that characterize high‑risk, morally consequential action. This article advances a process model of heroism as emotional integration, involving the dynamic coordination of multiple and often competing emotions—including fear, anger, compassion, and moral concern—under conditions of uncertainty and threat. Drawing on research in heroism studies, positive psychology, and affective science, the model distinguishes heroism from ordinary helping by emphasizing emotional conflict, regulatory processes, and identity‑based commitment. It further differentiates rapid, intuitive …

Improving Human-Wildlife Coexistence: An Ecological And Educational Approach To Rewilding Grizzly Bears (Ursus Arctos Horribilis) In California, Amanda C. D. Rosales

Master's Projects and Capstones

Megafauna extinction during the Holocene has been both caused and amplified by climatic changes and human influence. By the last half century, large carnivores were diminished in Europe and the United States, but policies increasingly addressed species decline and their territories expanded. This research examined large carnivore rewilding across the European Union and United States, specifically for rewilding brown bears, Ursus arctos, in historic habitat. Next, case studies for the health status of climate-impacted whitebark pine, Pinus albicaulis, a high energy food for bears, was assessed. Ultimately, research case studies, human perspective surveys, and the California Department of Education content …

A Psycho-Spiritual Transformation In Covid-19 Crisis Narratives: A Comparative Study In Indonesia And Pakistan, Heru Prakosa, Nurlaela Widyarini, Johanes Seno Aditya Utama, Juan Carlos

Makara Human Behavior Studies in Asia

Although the COVID-19 pandemic ended as a global health emergency, its psychosocial legacy persists in many communities. This study examines how religion and spirituality support recovery in Indonesia and Pakistan by shaping crisis narratives. Faith-based language is treated as psychosocial data and interpreted through its functions in meaning-making, emotion regulation, social connection, value anchoring, and action commitment using Psycho-Spiritual Transformation (PST) as a guiding framework. Open-ended responses were collected from 274 participants via an online survey in July 2021 (Indonesia n = 236; Pakistan n = 38). Across both contexts, narratives typically moved from pressure and inner conflict toward spiritual …

Until The Ground Breaks, Annie Hu

Masters Theses

Until the Ground Breaks explores the complex relationship between personal memory, embodied experience, and internalized "archival logic." By examining long-term cross-cultural diasporic experiences and the shifting dynamics of family narratives—including the sensory experiences and fading memory of a grandmother, a father's correspondence that acts as a textual record of emotional logic, and the continuous revision of family history—this thesis dissects the psychological tremors that occur when the illusion of a singular, stable memory archive collapses. This research rejects the view of memory as a static container of truth, revealing it instead as a dynamic, unstable, and constantly rewritten living system. …

Waterway: A Steam-Based Therapeutic Device System, Mingyuan Dong

Masters Theses

Across history and global cultures, water has played a central and often spiritual role in practices of care, from cleansing rituals to saunas and steam therapies. Yet, within contemporary product design, water is typically treated as a utility rather than as an experiential material capable of shaping perception, attention, and well-being. This thesis, Waterway, investigates how water, specifically in its steam state, can be designed as both a therapeutic medium and a ritualized experience that engages the body and mind.

Waterway proposes a steam-based wellness system that addresses physical pain and somatic discomfort while cultivating slower, more attentive interaction. Rather …

The Lived Experience Of African Immigrants Receiving Mental Health Services In The U.S., Ori Adure Onazi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

University Counselors' Experiences With Providing Services To Students Of Color, Kim Ridley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Purity Culture And Sexual Shame, Dr. Amanda Gray, Dr. Kat R. Klement

Journal of Counseling Sexology & Sexual Wellness: Research, Practice, and Education

We investigated the relationship between Christian purity culture (PC) exposure/endorsement and sexual shame in 1,273 participants. Purity culture (PC) is a belief system predicated on sexual abstinence until heterosexual marriage and traditional gender roles. Correlational data showed that PC exposure was associated with higher sexual shame, particularly among women, and only among those who no longer endorsed PC. However, we did not find a causal relationship between PC exposure and sexual shame. Based on these findings, we provide recommendations for countering sex-negative messages during adolescence to improve healthy sexual development and better health and relationship outcomes.

Helicopter Parenting And Its Impact On The Well-Being Of Diverse Emerging Adults, Tamieka S. Martin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Helicopter parenting involves excessive over-involvement, overprotection, and autonomy restriction. Research suggests that helicopter parenting often leads to poor outcomes for emerging adults (18-25). This style of parenting is incongruent with the appropriate developmental stage of emerging adulthood, which prioritizes autonomy supportive parenting for more positive well-being outcomes. Literature on this phenomenon consists of a majority White female sample. This study is an examination of the relationship between well-being outcomes (depression, anxiety, and autonomy) for a diverse population of emerging adults who were helicopter parented. This correlational quantitative study includes 120 college participants. Spearman’s rho correlation was employed to analyze the …