Digital Commons Network^™

Microstructural Characterization Of Complex Metal Alloy Systems With A Focus On Electron Microscopy, Alexandra Allamon

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Multi-principal element alloys (MPEAs)/high-entropy alloys (HEAs) are a class of materials that provide novel and superior combinations of properties, with promise for use in challenging application areas that many of the current established materials cannot fit. With a higher number of constituent elements, many of the newly created alloys are compositionally complex in nature, known to contain combinations of relatively soft FCC phases, hard BCC phases, and, in some cases, even harder intermetallic phases. Microstructural study of these new materials is essential to understanding the enhanced properties they may possess, but their complexity can make this study much more challenging …

Ion Hydration In Bulk And Nanoconfined Water: Insights From Machine Learning Force Fields, Zachary D. Baker

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Understanding ionic hydration remains a central challenge in physical chemistry and materials science, as the interactions between ions and water molecules govern diverse phenomena ranging from electrolyte transport to selective ion separation. While experimental techniques have provided invaluable insights into solvation energetics and coordination numbers, they often lack atomistic resolution, particularly under nanoscale confinement where direct measurement becomes infeasible. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations can bridge this gap; however, conventional classical force fields are limited by their simplified, fixed functional forms and empirical parameterization, whereas ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) achieves higher accuracy at the expense of severe computational cost and …

Shifting The Paradigm: Empowering School Social Workers As Leaders In Family Engagement Policy And Practices In K-12 Education, Amber Onkst

DSW Capstone Projects

This capstone examined the school social worker’s role in family engagement in K–12 education. It consists of three products that collectively review the current literature, conceptualize a gap in practice, and provide a tangible application to school social work in Kentucky. The first product, the systematic literature review, critically examines literature related to the school social worker’s role in family engagement policy and practices to inform an understanding of increasing engagement at the macro level. A narrative review was conducted to assess common themes. There was substantially limited research regarding this topic, showcasing a knowledge gap. The literature primarily revealed …

Chromatographic And Electrophoretic Analysis Of Lignin-Derived Monomers And Dimers: Extraction Method Development And Evaluation Of Cyclodextrins For Recovery, Anjam Sadik

Theses and Dissertations--Chemistry

Biorefineries play a vital role in reducing dependence on fossil fuels and addressing global warming concerns. Unfortunately, investment in biorefineries remains limited due to economic sustainability concerns. One approach to enhance the economic viability of biorefineries is by fully utilizing the potential of feedstocks, particularly lignocellulosic biomass, which is commonly used in these processes. Traditional processing methods often alter the lignin portion of biomass, making it unsuitable for further utilization. However, when retained in its native form, lignin can serve as a valuable source of chemicals that contribute to the economic sustainability of biorefineries.

The lignin-first approach, which removes lignin …

Catalytic Deoxygenation Of Oleaginous Biomass To Renewable Diesel And Sustainable Aviation Fuel Via Decarboxylation/Decarbonylation, Chukwudalu Great Umenweke

Theses and Dissertations--Chemistry

Several technologies have been developed to produce hydrocarbon biofuels – renewable diesel (RD) and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) – from fats, oils, and greases (FOG), with the hydroprocessing of esters and fatty acids (HEFA) representing one of the most mature pathways. In its current form, HEFA is mainly reliant on the hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) reaction, which has several drawbacks since HDO requires large amounts and pressures of hydrogen, feedstocks of high purity and cost, as well as problematic sulfided catalysts that risk contaminating the biofuel product with sulfur. A process based on decarboxylation/decarbonylation (deCO_x) offers an attractive alternative to …

Insights Into Factors Influencing Radical Coupling Chemistry Of Monolignols During Lignification And Induced Changes In Plant Secondary Metabolism, Rachel Poornima Sutherland

Theses and Dissertations--Chemistry

Lignin is a complex aromatic biopolymer and an important constituent in plant cell walls. The process of lignin biosynthesis, known as lignification, is poorly understood and challenging to study but has important implications in a variety of fields including sustainable energy, bioengineering, and materials science and is therefore of interest to pursue. In the final stage of lignification, H-, G-, and S-monolignols are oxidized by laccase and peroxidase enzymes to generate radical species that couple to form dimers and further oligomeric species to ultimately produce the lignin polymer. Biomimetic lignin model systems utilize in vitro oxidative coupling reactions as an …

Impact Of Catastrophic Brain Injury Guidelines On Organ Donation Rates, Kristen D. Nordham, Danielle Tatum, Abdallah S. Attia, Mayur B. Patel, Anil Paramesh, Juan C. Duchesne, Jeffry Nahmias, Amelia W. Maiga, Allan B. Peetz, Pascal O. Udekwu, Anquonette Stiles, Chloe Shell, Joshua D. Stodghill, Taneen Maghsoudi, Erin Iacullo, Bryant Mclafferty, Erin Coonan, Ryan M. Boudreau, Steven A. Zimmerman, Berje Shammassian, Tanya Egodage, Isabella Aramento, Patrick Morris, Jacob Metheny, Michael S. Farrell, Matthew D. Painter, Owen T. Mccabe, Philomene Spadafore

Surgery Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND One third of organ donors suffer catastrophic brain injury (CBI). There are no standard guidelines for the management of traumatic CBI prior to brain death, and not all trauma centers have institutional CBI guidelines. In addition, there is high variability in management between institutions with guidelines. Catastrophic brain injury guidelines vary and may include various combinations of hormone therapy, vasopressors, fluid resuscitation, and other practices. We hypothesized that centers with CBI guidelines have higher organ donation rates than those without. METHODS This prospective, observational EAST-sponsored multicenter trial included adult (18+ years old) traumatic-mechanism CBI patients at 33 level I …

Investigation Of D-Π-A Re (1) Complexes For The Homogenous Photocatalytic Reduction Of Co2, Ryan M. Chafin

Theses and Dissertations--Chemistry

Increasing anthropogenic emission of CO₂ into the atmosphere is a global issue that shows no signs of deceleration due to the current trends in dependencies on fossil fuels for energy demand. Although deleterious in nature, this greenhouse gas can serve as a useful feed-stock for the production of small-carbon-chain commercial chemicals if the factors owing to its inertness can be overcome. Fortuitously, CO₂’s chemically inert nature is already circumvented in nature through an elegant cascade of biochemical reactions known as photosynthesis, which nearly all plants and some families of bacteria exploit to produce simple sugars for metabolic …

The Physiology Of Exercise, Rosie Lanphere

Open Educational Resources

The Physiology of Exercise (3rd Edition) is an essential resource for upper-level undergraduates studying exercise science. Written by Rosie Lanphere, PhD, CSCS, this text provides a clear and comprehensive exploration of how the human body responds and adapts to physical activity.

Covering metabolism, energy expenditure, and the integrated roles of the nervous, cardiovascular, endocrine, muscular, and respiratory systems, this edition reflects the latest research and practical applications in the field.

Designed with students in mind, each chapter includes learning objectives, key terms, and scholarly questions to reinforce understanding. Whether preparing for a career in exercise science or professional certification, this …

Trace Level Benzoylecgonine Detections In Equine Plasma/Serum – A Proposed Interim Plasma Level Regulatory “Cut-Off“, Andreas F. Lehner, Kimberly Brewer, Levent Dirikolu, Abelardo Morales Briceñod, Robert Holland, George Maylin, Clara Fenger, Thomas Tobin

Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center Faculty Publications

Cocaine is a widely used human recreational substance routinely transferring at pharmacologically irrelevant trace level amounts to non-user humans and horses. Horses and humans rapidly demethylate cocaine to benzoylecgonine which is excreted in urine at concentrations approaching two thousand times higher than the corresponding plasma cocaine concentrations. In human workplace drug testing, these usually pharmacologically irrelevant trace level urinary detections of benzoylecgonine are handled by application of a 100 ng/ml urinary “cut-off“, as presented by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). In horse racing several American states have long used published urinary “cut-offs“ for benzoylecgonine of from …

Secondhand Tobacco Smoke Exposure And Sleep Disturbance In School-Aged Children In Appalachian Ohio, Ketrell Mcwhorter, Christine Kim, Timothy J. Hilbert, Danielle E. Mcbride, Anthony A. Mangino, Patrick J. Parsons, Kurunthachalam Kannan, Erin N. Haynes

Epidemiology and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Introduction: Secondhand tobacco smoke (SHS) exposure remains a major public health concern for children and has been implicated in sleep disturbances through biological and behavioral mechanisms. Different methods of measuring SHS exposure have yielded inconsistent results. This study examined the relationship between SHS exposure and sleep among rural Appalachian 7–9-year-olds, utilizing three SHS measurements: natural log-transformed (ln) serum cotinine concentrations, dichotomized serum cotinine levels (≥0.05 vs. <0.05 ng/ml), and parent/caregiver report of ≥1 smoker in the home. We hypothesized SHS-exposed children would have a significantly higher prevalence of sleep disturbance—e.g., short sleep, frequent snoring, night awakenings—compared to unexposed, regardless of measurement method. Methods: We used data from the Marietta Community Actively Researching Exposure Study, a cohort of 404 children in Marietta and Cambridge, Ohio. Sleep disturbances were parent/caregiver-reported. Linear models were used for continuous outcomes to estimate beta coefficients; log-binomial models with generalized estimating equations (exchangeable correlation) were applied for dichotomized outcomes to estimate prevalence ratios (PR), each with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: Twenty-six percent of children had a parent/caregiver report of ≥1 sleep disturbance. There was a 35% increased prevalence of short sleep [PR = 1.35 (95%CI:1.02–1.80), p =.04] with each unit increase of ln serum cotinine levels, adjusting for age, sex, parent education, BMI percentile, and history of breathing difficulties in the past two years. Increasing ln serum cotinine levels were associated with a significant 5.5-min decrease in average sleep duration in age-adjusted models. Conclusions: Higher SHS exposure was associated with poorer sleep outcomes, with serum cotinine emerging as the only measure linked to short sleep, underscoring the importance of smoke-free environments, particularly in rural communities, and objective exposure assessment.

Impact Of A 24 H Feed Withdrawal On Active Nutrient Transport, Intestinal Morphology, And Gene Expression In The Equine Small And Large Intestine, Blaire E. Aldridge-Dean, Timothy B. Lescun, John Scott Radcliffe

Animal and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

Horses are often subjected to short-term feed withdrawal (FW) pre- or post-surgery to reduce anesthetic complications. However, removing nutrients from the intestinal lumen may negatively impact intestinal health. Thirteen horses were used to determine the effects of a 24 h FW on gut barrier function, active nutrient transport, transporter gene expression, and intestinal morphology. Following 0 or 24 h FW (0FW or 24FW, respectively), horses were euthanized via overdose of sodium pentobarbital and sodium phenytoin, and segments of proximal jejunum (PJ), mid jejunum (MJ), ileum (Il), and right ventral colon (RVC) were harvested for histology (PJ and Il), gene expression, …

Post-Weaning Weight Gain In Pigs Is Not Affected By Moderate Duration Transport At 20 Days Of Age, Isabel B. Walpole, Alyssa A. Smith, Kaylyn G. Rudy, Dayeon Jeon, Sarah M. Innis, Brian T. Richert, J. Scott Radcliffe, J. Alex Pasternak

Animal and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

Transportation at weaning is an integral component of the American swine industry. However, the long-term effects on growth performance have not been well characterized. Previous research suggests transportation causes weight loss immediately following weaning, but few studies have followed this effect further than 7 d post-weaning, with transport causing decreased body weight in those that have. In experiment 1, average weight pigs at 20 ± 1.3 d of age were weaned and either 1) transported for 9 hour without feed and water (TR), 2) had their feed and water restricted for 9 hour (FR), or 3) were weaned and provided …

Impact Of Feeding Different Fat Sources And Levels Of Vitamin E Isoforms To Heavy Slaughter Weight (150 Kg) Pigs: I. Carcass Characteristics And Fresh Pork Quality, Marlee Kelley, Ding Wang, Gregg Rentfrow, Merlin D. Lindemann, Ana Paula A.A. Salim, Surendranath P. Suman

Animal and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of supplementing α-tocopheryl-acetate (ATA) and γ-tocopherol (GT) vitamin E isoforms with corn oil (CO) and tallow (TW) on carcass characteristics and meat quality characteristics of pigs grown to heavy weights (150 kg). Individually fed pigs (n = 72; 36 barrows, 36 gilts) were randomly assigned to 12 dietary treatments in a 2 × 6 factorial arrangement. Fat treatments were 5% TW and 5% CO. The vitamin E treatments included 4 levels of ATA (11, 40, 100, and 200 ppm) and 2 levels of mixed tocopherols (primarily GT; 40 and 100 …

A Comparison Of Fecal Output Determined By Total Fecal Collection Or Titanium Dioxide In Horses, Ashley L. Fowler, Morgan B. Pyles, Susan H. Hayes, Andrea D. Crum, Laurie M. Lawrence

Animal and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

Total fecal collection studies to determine digestibility of nutrients are costly and laborious. The use of externally dosed indigestible markers, such as titanium dioxide (TiO₂), to estimate digestibility using spot samples could be advantageous, but studies validating their use in horses are inadequate. Two experiments were conducted to determine if TiO₂ in fecal spot samples effectively estimated fecal output in horses. In Exp. 1, four mature horses were fed a forage-based diet (85:15 forage: concentrate) split into two equal meals with 1.75±0.03g TiO₂/kg DM (10g TiO₂) per day top-dressed on their daily ration. …

Artificial Raising On Milk Replacer And Finishing Diet Did Not Affect Color And Oxidative Stability Of Longissimus Lumborum Muscles From Polypay Ram Lambs, Koushik Mondal, Surendranath P. Suman, Katherine G. Purvis, Gregg Rentfrow, Donald G. Ely, Brittany E. Davis, Jennifer Weinert-Nelson, Yifei Wang, Ana Paula A.A. Salim

Animal and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

Lamb production traits are affected by pre-weaning management (such as artificial raising on milk replacer) and finishing (forage vs. concentrate) strategies. The objective of the current study was to examine the effects of pre-weaning management and finishing systems on the color and oxidative stability of longissimus lumborum (LL) muscles from ram lambs. Polypay ram lambs were raised conventionally with ewes (CR; n = 10) or artificially on milk replacer (AR; n = 10). After weaning at 60 d, ram lambs in AR and CR were equally divided and randomly allocated to finishing on a high-forage (50:50 forage:concentrate; HF) or a …

Effects Of Feeding Varying Levels Of Mycotoxin-Containing Corn Fines On Diet Choice And Growth Performance Of Nursery Pigs, Duncan B. Paczosa, Tyler B. Chevalier, Sunday A. Adedokun, Lan Zheng, Merlin D. Lindemann

Animal and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

Mycotoxins in feed are known to negatively affect growth and other physiological processes in pigs. Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of feeding diets with varying levels of mycotoxins and boron (a nutrient reported to mitigate some aspects of mycotoxicosis). Screenings from the 2020 crop year corn contained mycotoxin levels of 23,038 ppb total fumonisins (FUM), 1,446 ppb zearalenone (ZEA), and 5,032 ppb total deoxynivalenol (DON). The corn fines were added to a corn-soybean meal diet formulated to meet or exceed NRC (National Research Council. 2012. Nutrient requirements of swine. 11th Revised Edition. Washington, DC: The National Academies …

Evaluation Of Increasing Levels Of Mycotoxin-Containing Corn Fines And Mitigants On Nursery Pig Growth Performance, Duncan B. Paczosa, Tyler B. Chevalier, Sunday A. Adedokun, Lan Zheng, Merlin D. Lindemann

Animal and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

The effects of feeding corn fines (screenings) containing mycotoxin levels greater than the FDA guidance (fumonisins) and advisory (deoxynivalenol) levels were evaluated using 150 crossbred pigs (initial BW: 6.42 ± 0.06 kg; 90 barrows and 60 gilts) in an 8-wk study by adding contaminated corn fines to create six diets. The corn fines used contained prestudy analyzed mycotoxin levels of 20,334 ppb total fumonisin, 1,499 ppb zearalenone, and 5,075 ppb total deoxynivalenol. The corn fines were added into a corn-soybean meal basal diet at 0%, 20%, 40%, and 60% corn fines (Diets 1 to 4, respectively). Diet 5 was created …

Factors Of Willingness To Pay For Equine Veterinary Services, Olivia Gibson, Shuoli Zhao, C. Jill Stowe

Animal and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

This study estimates correlates of willingness-to-pay (WTP) for routine, elective, and urgent equine veterinary services in the United States. Through a nationwide online survey of US horse owners aged 18 and older, a payment card approach was utilized to elicit WTP for annual vaccinations, a lameness exam, and emergency colic surgery. Based on the results from an interval regression model, we found that financial capacity, income level, and the number of horses owned were significant predictors of WTP across all three service types. These findings have implications for equine veterinary practice management and client communication regarding treatment costs.

Resilience After Prenatal Substance Exposure: Exploring The Role Of Cumulative And Specific Protective Factors In Predicting Toddlerhood Temperament Profiles, Anjeli Elkins

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Objective

Prenatal exposure to common substances, including nicotine, marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, opiates, and alcohol, has been linked to a wide range of psychiatric disorders and neurodevelopmental impairments. Identifying protective factors that may improve temperament profiles in toddlers who have experienced prenatal substance exposure may protect against these adverse outcomes and is crucial for developing targeted early interventions.

Methods

Participants (n=92; Mage = 28.7 years; 47.0% White) were biological mothers of toddlers (Mage = 22.6 months) with prenatal substance exposure. Mothers responded to an online survey that gathered information on substance use during pregnancy, proposed perinatal protective factors, and child temperament. …

Responses To Tobacco Use Screening And Tobacco Cessation Assistance Offers Among Rural And Ubran Cancer Survivors At An Nci-Designated Comprehensive Cancer, Abigayle Feather

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Smoking after cancer diagnosis is associated with poor outcomes while smoking cessation can improve quality of life and promote survival. Although there are calls for equitable tobacco treatment delivery in cancer and other healthcare settings, disparities in tobacco-related disease burden persist. In the context of an outpatient cancer center’s population-based tobacco treatment program, this study examines the association between cancer survivors’ rural and Appalachian residence and 1) current tobacco use status, 2) decision to decline cessation assistance, and 3) reason for declining assistance. A cross-sectional, retrospective analysis was conducted using electronic health record data from 16,839 adults (64.04% female, 88.49% …

Multidimensional Health Outcomes In Lgbtq+ Older Adults In The United States: Individual And Community-Level Protective Factors, Emily P. Lapidus

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Despite a lifetime of systematic barriers, LGBTQ+ individuals age into late adulthood, likely due to various protective factors. Guided by the Iridescent Life Course Framework (ILCF; Fredriksen-Goldsen & Muraco, 2019), I analyzed unique protective factors at two levels: (1) individual psychological factors (i.e., resilience, identity management) and (2) community-level factors (i.e., LGBTQ+ community connectedness, social support). Health was operationalized as mental health, physical health, and health-promoting behaviors. The present study accounted for covariates (i.e., financial barriers to healthcare, felt subjective age discrepancy, lifetime discrimination). I hypothesized that both stronger individual and community factors would be associated with better physical and …

"We Talk About It At The Dinner Table": Parent Discussions Of Identity And Politics In Diverse Adoptive Families In The United States, Abigail L. Moore

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Parents discussing identity and politics with their diverse adolescents can be protective against experiences of political stress and negative outcomes (Anderson, 2023). Identity discrepancies between parents and adolescents may complicate these conversations (McCrimmon et al., 2024). However, this research often only focuses on only one identity (e.g., race or gender; Mendez, 2022). Because negative political climates affect multiple identities simultaneously (Kassing et al., 2021), the current study explores political conversations in diverse, adoptive family contexts with varying (un)shared identities. Through reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2021), 7 major themes were developed. Results suggest that identity discrepancies may underlie a …

Living With Flying Colors: Associations Among Lgbtq+ Identity, Religiosity, Spirituality, Community, And Overall Well-Being Among Lgbtq+ Older Adults, Madison T. Diomede

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Experiences of discrimination and prejudice place LGBTQ+ individuals in older adulthood (i.e., 55 years old and older) at risk for poor overall well-being. This risk can be especially salient in the Southern and Midwestern U.S., where LGBTQ+ individuals enjoy fewer legal protections than in the Northeast and Western regions of the U.S. In defiance of these odds, LGBTQ+ individuals in older adulthood cultivate overall well-being through psychological-level constructs, like LGBTQ+ identity affirmation, and community-level constructs, LGBTQ+ community connection. Yet, little research has examined these avenues of strength among LGBTQ+ individuals in older adulthood. Guided by Iridescent Life Course Theory and …

Weighted Family History Density Of Substance Use: Influence On Participant Substance Use Onset, Escalation, And Duration, Carleigh A. Litteral

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Substance use disorders impose a staggering toll on the United States (U.S.), straining healthcare systems, destabilizing communities, and profoundly impacting both individuals and families. Approximately one in six Americans aged 12 and older had a past-year substance use disorder in 2022 (Key Substance Use, 2022), and nearly one-third of adults experience a substance use disorder in their lifetime (Wu, 2010), contributing to an economic burden exceeding $400 billion annually (National Drug Threat Assessment, 2011). Family history of substance use disorders is a key predictor of vulnerability, with individuals who have affected relatives being 2–8 times more …

Putative Mechanisms Of Personality Change In Treatment, Hannah Croom

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

BPD Compass was designed to engage the BPD-relevant traits from the Alternative Model of Personality Disorders in the DSM-5 by targeting putative mechanisms associated with these personality domains: aversive reactivity to engage negative affectivity, attachment insecurity to engage antagonism, and self-efficacy to engage disinhibition. The goal of the present study was to test the associations between putative mechanisms and respective personality traits. We used multilevel structural equation modeling to test if personality domains and putative mechanisms changed in treatment, if changes in putative mechanism were associated with changes in respective personality domain, and if within-person changes in putative mechanisms predicted …

Why Are Women Tired? Examining Sex-Dependent Effects Of Behavioral Rhythms On Perceived Sleepiness, Maricel Schuler

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Sleep complaints in women emerge at menarche and coincide with reproductive hormonal fluctuations throughout the monthly menstrual cycle. To our knowledge, we are the first study (N = 44) to utilize a validated algorithm that uses actigraphy-derived light and activity data in a novel approach to estimate circadian phase, referred here as the photobehavioral phase. We hypothesize that women will have earlier photobehavioral phases, larger phase angles, poorer perceived sleep quality, and greater sleepiness compared to men. In addition, we hypothesize that the perimenstrual phase will be associated with poorer sleep within a subsample of women (N = 15). Contrary …

The Effects Of Plx 3397 On Fentanyl Escalation In Male And Female Sprague-Dawley Rats, Jakob Shaykin

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Purpose: A hallmark characteristic of opioid use disorder (OUD) is a persons’ ‘loss of control’, which leads to the compulsion to seek and obtain opioids, resulting in increased consumption. This phenomenon is known as ‘escalation of drug intake’. Chronic opioid use causes microglial reactivity and subsequent release of proinflammatory cytokines leading to neuroinflammation, weakening one’s executive control over drug taking and ultimately leading to greater use. Previous research in our laboratory has explored heterogeneity of fentanyl intake in extended access (6-hr) sessions and identified distinct endophenotypes of fentanyl intake. Moreover, we have observed a positive correlation between Treml1 expression …

Examining Values In The Treatment Of Borderline Personality Disorder: A Single-Case Experimental Design, Nicole Stumpp

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Borderline personality disorder impacts roughly 1.6% of the general population yet only a quarter of people with BPD are able to access treatment. Understanding the mechanisms that promote behavior change in treatment is crucial for improving care for this population. Experiential avoidance has been linked to risky behaviors, a prevalent and debilitating symptom observed in BPD. Values identification may be a fruitful avenue for engaging experiential avoidance in treatment. The goal of the present study is to understand the unique and combined effects of values identification and behavior change skills (i.e., opposite actions, exposure) on experiential avoidance (target), maladaptive behavior …

Randomized Controlled Trial Of A Single-Session Mechanism-Focused Intervention For Suicidal Thoughts And Behaviors, Martina Fruhbauerova

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Suicide remains a critical public health concern, with increasing rates and millions experiencing suicidal ideation annually. Although evidence-based treatments exist, many are time-intensive, underutilized, and often inaccessible to high-risk individuals, especially those recently discharged from inpatient psychiatric care. Brief, scalable interventions targeting core psychological mechanisms implicated in suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs) are needed. This study evaluated a novel Single Session Mechanism-Focused Intervention (SSMFI) designed to reduce hopelessness and negative perceptions of social relatedness among adults hospitalized for STBs. In a randomized controlled trial (N = 38) conducted on two inpatient psychiatric units, participants were assigned to either the SSMFI …