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Aligning Perspectives: Exploring Parent-Youth Agreement On Well-Being And The Impact Of Positive Psychology On Communication & Relationship Habits, Daijah N. Hines

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As research calls for best practices in assessment of psychological constructs from multiple informants, more information is needed for secondary reports of subjective experiences such as perceptions of life satisfaction. Adolescence is a vital period for intervention and assessment supports to promote well-being, yet there is a gap in the research on how to interpret multi-informant data for mental health constructs such as subjective well-being especially within this population. Research has shown support for and validated the use of parents/caregivers as secondary informants (Dew & Huebner, 1994; Hines et al., 2023; Shoshani & Slone, 2017) yet there is still vague …

In Search Of Protective Factors Against Gun-Carrying For Black Male Youth: A Dissertation- Sectional And Longitudinal Analysis Of Secondary Data, Kevin Edward Antwi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the relationship between risk and protective factors and gun carrying among Black male youth using both individual-level and population-averaged effects. Grounded in the risk and protective factors framework and the ecological systems model, the study explores how protective factors at the individual, peer, school, and community levels influence gun carrying at a single point in time and over time. This research aligns with the Grand Challenges of Social Work by preventing gun violence and informing prevention efforts. Using the baseline and 11 waves of data from the Pathways to Desistance Study, the analysis identifies factors that reduce …

The Role Of Teacher-Student Identity-Matching In Multi-Informant Universal Screening For Social, Academic, And Emotional Behavior Risk Among Middle School Students, Melissa L. Brown

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Multi-informant universal screening tools leverage insights from multiple perspectives to paint a comprehensive picture of student risk across a variety of domains. However, many barriers exist to the appropriate and effective implementation of multi-informant universal screening within the school. When such screening tools are utilized without intentional consideration of students’ unique backgrounds and lived experiences, harmful outcomes may disproportionally impact marginalized and minoritized students. To address this, context-sensitive, identity-conscious approaches may improve the accuracy and equity of identifying students in need of support. This study investigated the role of identity concordance (i.e., alignment of teacher and student gender and race/ethnicity) …

An Autoethnographic And Relational Exploration Of Identity Negotiation Within Romantic Relationships Between Nonbinary Partners And Cisgender Women, Maddison L. Russell

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores how trans and cisgender partners negotiate gender identity, care, and relational well-being through an autoethnographic examination of everyday communication. The study draws from eighteen personal narratives across family, academic, and romantic contexts to trace how gender-based microaggressions and cisnormative expectations become embedded in ordinary talk, gestures, and silences, shaping identity development and relational stability. At its core, this work argues that relationality emerges as a pervasive and constitutive condition that shapes how affirmation, misrecognition, and belonging are experienced within trans/cis relationships and across time. Through examining moments of misunderstanding, minimization, and avoidance, the study reveals how microaggressions …

He’S The Kid That No One Wanted: An Autoethnographic Examination Of Preschool Suspensions And Expulsions From A Mother’S Lens, Lisa M. Smith

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This autoethnographic research examines the personal and professional journey of advocating against preschool suspensions and expulsions through the lens of a Black mother. Titled He’s The Kid That No One Wanted: An Autoethnographic Examination of Preschool Suspensions and Expulsions from a Mother’s Lens, " it dives into the complicated challenges faced while confronting exclusionary disciplinary practices in early childhood education. This research aims to illuminate the societal and institutional roadblocks encountered when navigating systems of power and to explore the impact of these challenges on both personal identity and professional advocacy. Using a blend of social media artifacts and memory …

Which Adolescents Benefit Most From Positive Psychology Interventions: Examining The Common Factors Of Therapeutic Change, Nicolette Bauermeister

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The literature has found positive psychology interventions to be effective at improving the subjective well-being of youth (Tejada-Gallardo et al., 2020). Further research is needed to identify variables such as common factors of change that could be contributing to whether youth report improved outcomes after participating in a positive psychology intervention. This study examined common factors of therapeutic change as predictors for outcomes such as positive affect, negative affect, and life satisfaction, which are components of subjective well-being. This dissertation aimed to fill the gap in the literature regarding common factors of change as predictors of outcomes in school-based positive …

Feminist Narrative Inquiry: Stories Of Five Young Adults Who Aged Out Of Florida Foster Care, Amy E. Nourie

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There are approximately 400,000 children in foster care in the United States and, each year, more than 20,000 reach the age of majority without achieving permanency, also known as aging out (Annie E. Casey Foundation, 2022a). Research has consistently called attention to the negative effects of foster care on youth including issues relating to substance use, housing instability, educational obstacles, and mental health concerns (Forkey & Szilagyi, 2014; Sarri et al., 2016). These negative outcomes are often even more pronounced for young adults aging out of foster care and transitioning into adulthood (Haggman-Laitila et al., 2019). Despite the decades of …

A Critical Analysis Of Latine School Psychology Graduate Students’ Socialization Experiences, Chelsea Salvatore

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to uplift and critically analyze the experiences and perspectives of Latine school psychology graduate students regarding their programs' socialization process. I sought to call out oppressive structures and to identify anti-racist practices described by participants. I intended for this to inform school psychology programs on oppressive structures they must dismantle and anti-racist practices that disrupt the status quo to support the well-being and success of Latine graduate students. Seven Latine school psychology graduate students participated in one or two semi-structured interviews. I employed thematic analysis to discover themes from participant interviews. Once themes were identified, I utilized …

Learning And Using Positive Psychology As An Intervention For Clients: Examining Changes In Mental Health Clinician’S Complete Mental Health, Frances Coolman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Traditionally, mental health was viewed as the absence of illness or disorders, but over time it has increasingly become viewed as also holding the presence of positive factors (Keyes, 2003; Ryff & Singer, 1998; Suldo & Shaffer, 2008). The switch from only focusing on negative factors to incorporating positive factors as well brought more traction to the growing field of positive psychology, defined as “the scientific study of positive experiences and positive individual traits, and the institutions that facilitate their development” (Duckworth, Steen, & Seligman, 2005, p. 630). Inclusion of both positive indicators of wellness combined with negative indicators of …

De La Escuela Al Hogar: Centering Latine And Hispanic Student Perspectives On Caregiver Involvement In The Well-Being Promotion Program, Nicole G. Pacateque Rodriguez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Latine students often face systemic barriers to accessing appropriate mental health support, highlighting the importance of culturally responsive school-based interventions to address mental health disparities (Gonzalez et al., 2022; Jackson, 2021). Although many interventions incorporate caregiver involvement, limited research has explored how Latine youth experience and make meaning of caregiver engagement in school-based mental health programs (Hansen et al., 2021; Wildmon et al., 2024). This mixed-methods study centers Latine student voices by examining how Latine students experienced and interpreted caregiver engagement in the Well-Being Promotion Program (WBPP), a school-based positive psychology intervention implemented during the 2023–2024 school year across six …

Rate Of Latine Caregiver Involvement In The Well-Being Promotion Program Using Culturally And Linguistically Responsive Communication Practices, Nicole G. Pacateque Rodriguez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Latine and Hispanic youth tend to have higher rates of mental health disturbances in school compared to non-Latine youth, yet they are less likely to receive support (Alegría et al., 2008). Additionally, Latine families are more likely to terminate treatment for youth early due to negative stigma, lack of culturally appropriate mental health care, racial and ethnic discrimination, and linguistic and cultural barriers involving care (Kapke & Gerdes, 2016). Best practices in school-based mental health services often involve including caregivers in care (Hoover et al., 2019) as it can benefit outcomes of treatment for the child (Richards et al., 2007). …

Effectiveness Of Contact-Based Strategies On Improving Mental Illness Stigma And Help-Seeking Behaviors Within Families, B. Michelle Wilks

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Adolescence is a developmental period that often involves extreme physical, psychological, and emotional changes and sometimes the experience of significant personal and social challenges. In addition to these challenges, youth are trying to find their place in the world and developing their identities, which depend heavily on their relationships with others. Adolescents who struggle with their mental health and also fail to develop meaningful connections with others, tend to have poor self-esteem, self-isolate, are ostracized by others, and have a poor social self-concept, all of which are associated with poor mental health and increased risk for suicidal ideation. The impact …

Parents As Reporters Of Middle School Students’ Subjective Well-Being, Daijah N. Hines

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Historically, self-report has been the predominant method for assessing the subjective well-being of adolescents (SWB). Regarding the use of secondary reporters, especially parental/caregiver reports, in assessing adolescent SWB, there is a gap in the literature. Gaining a better understanding of how to best evaluate adolescent SWB can assist in the identification of adolescents who may be at risk for mental health concerns or who could benefit from increased well-being. It may also assist in the development of future interventions in positive psychology for adolescents. This validity study explored (1) What is the reliability of a newly developed parent report measure …

An Analysis Of Therapeutic Alliance And Group Cohesion In A Group Positive Psychology Intervention Serving Middle School Students Reporting Low Life Satisfaction, Alexis Taylor

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

While previous research has focused on how positive psychology treatments relate to outcomes, it is also essential to evaluate the therapeutic process of these treatments. The therapeutic process consists of elements like the therapeutic alliance and the efforts the clinicians and the client put into the process (Bordin, 1979). Positive psychology intervention therapeutic processes differ from traditional treatments, as they have a skills-building perspective rather than a problem-focused perspective (Cunha et al., 2019; Datu & Bernardo, 2020; Kwok et al., 2016). Thus, the therapeutic relationship may take on a different form. Furthermore, as therapy approaches differ, so do the modalities …

An Analysis Of State Sex Education Policies To Explore The Inclusiveness Of School Based Sex Education, Amarah Scott

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to analyze state policies related to sex education proposed between 2018 and 2022 to determine the extent to which sex education needs of LGBTQ youth were being addressed. Previous research has shown that, on average, both abstinence-only and comprehensive sex education curricula do not include information that is relevant to LGBTQ youth. Much of the information included in sex education curricula such as pregnancy prevention and the benefits and disadvantages of condoms are most relevant to youth who identify as heterosexual. Not receiving relevant and accurate sex education puts LGBTQ youth at risk for …

Standardization Of Care For Transition-Age Youth At Emancipation: An Analysis Of Service Provision, Sarah K. Sheffield

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Florida Department of Children and Families notes community-based care (CBC) agencies are competent entities who present with their own method of service delivery and design. Recent evaluations show concerns in service selection to include a tendency to choose programming based on face validity, a lack of capacity and availability of services by geographical location, and a failure to systematically encompass stakeholder voice. The purpose of this study was to gain insight on how agencies make decisions regarding the selection of services for transition-age youth at emancipation.

A set of direct care providers from CBC and non-profit agencies participated in …

Examining Evidence Of Reliability And Validity In Florida’S Human Trafficking Screening Tool, Monica Landers

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Commercial sexual exploitation (CSE) involving children is understood to be a pervasive public health problem that negatively impacts individuals, families, and communities (Greenbaum, 2020). Combined efforts of the United States government, federal agencies, organizations such as the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, researchers, and practitioners work toward understanding risk factors associated with CSE in an effort to prevent victimization (Fong & Cardoso, 2010). Given the amount of public and political attention to trafficking over the past two decades, it is concerning that prevalence estimates widely vary and may be unreliable. Further, there is not currently a validated screening …

Mobile Response Teams And The Youth Emergency Behavioral Health System, Paige J. Alitz

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: This dissertation includes three separate manuscripts that coalesce under the shared topic of mobile crisis response and the emergency behavioral health system. Method: The first manuscript includes a synthesis of the research on mobile crisis response from the 1960s to present day to assess whether mobile crisis services can improve mental health care access in the U.S. for youth and adults. The second manuscript includes bivariate and multivariate analyses of MRT participant data to characterize participants who receive an involuntary psychiatric evaluation versus those who do not, and to assess factors associated with involuntary psychiatric evaluation or referral to …

Aspiring To “Make It Work”: Defining Resilience And Agency Amongst Hispanic Youth Living In Low-Income Neighborhoods, Sara Arias-Steele

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study explored how Hispanic youth (ages 13-21 years) living in low-income neighborhoods of Florida defined resiliency and expressed agency navigating personal challenges and neighborhood adversity in pursuit of success. From the standpoint of the participants, this study focused on how youths: 1) judge the quality of life in their neighborhoods and the opportunities available for them, 2) identify personal aspirations for themselves and 3) identify what resilient factors allowed them to face the challenges and barriers of their daily lives to pursue this aspiration. This study takes into account the structural barriers that create inequities to examine how personal …

Innovating Green Stormwater Infrastructure For Nutrient Management: Long-Term Field And Modeling Studies Of Conventional And Modified Denitrifying Bioretention Systems, Emma V. Lopez-Ponnada

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Urban stormwater and nutrient management are increasingly important topics to address globally, as coastal urbanization increases, disturbing the natural landscape, hydrology, and water quality. Untreated urban stormwater runoff carries pollutants that enter our waterways, such as rivers and marine environments, which serve as drinking water sources, recreational sites, and locations for economic livelihood. One pollutant and nutrient of concern for water quality is reactive nitrogen (N). Since pre-industrial time, reactive nitrogen has doubled from human activity. When found in excess in waterways, nitrogen causes an overabundant growth of algae, which can result in eutrophic and hypoxic conditions, impacting ecosystems, human …

Demographic Predictors And Reasons For Chronic Absenteeism Amongst Secondary Students With Disabilities, Cashea Holyfield

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Many students in secondary schools are increasingly impacted by chronic absenteeism. Researchers have consistently concluded that students who are chronically absent are likely to experience negative outcomes such as difficulties in academic achievement, learning, sociability, and mental health (London, Sanchez, & Castrechini, 2016). However, despite the implications of chronic absenteeism, research studies that primarily focus on assessing students with disabilities’ (SWDs) reasons for chronic absenteeism are relatively limited. Although there is some existing research that suggests that SWDs are frequently absent due to health-related reasons, transportation issues, and their perceptions of poor school climate (Erbstein, 2014; Humm-Brundage, Castillo, & Batsche, …

Early Identification Of Students In Accelerated Curricula With Signs Of Academic And Emotional Risk: Working With Teachers To Identify At-Risk Students, Elizabeth D. Storey

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As part of a comprehensive, multi-tiered system of support for students’ emotional, academic, and behavioral success, effective universal screenings are essential to identify students who may benefit from early intervention and targeted prevention services (Strein, Kuhn-McKearin, & Finney, 2014). Although many screening procedures and methods have been developed and evaluated for general education populations, more research is needed on screening procedures designed for one traditionally underserved population in school-based mental health services—students in accelerated curricula (namely, students in Advanced Placement classes or in the International Baccalaureate program; AP/IB). When teachers are involved in universal screening procedures, regardless of student population …

Latino Mothers’ Responsiveness And Bilingual Language Development In Young Children From 24 Months To 36 Months, Rica Ramirez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This longitudinal study examined the role maternal responsiveness had on shaping Spanish and English language development in bilingual two year-old children. Because children who are bilingual language learners are oftentimes coming from low socioeconomic families it is essential that we investigate the ways in which they develop language in order to better serve this population. Maternal responsiveness is one source in which we can examine early language development of young bilingual children. Eight Latino mother-child dyads were observed and assessed at three time points. Each observation was coded for maternal responsive behaviors. Regression and multilevel modeling was used in order …

Understanding The Experience Of Early-Onset Bipolar Disorder: A Phenomenological Study Of Emerging Adults, Kristin M. Smyth

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

While early-onset bipolar disorder (EOBD) has increased in prevalence, much remains to be understood about its phenomenology. Research and treatment models remain rooted in neurobiological conceptualizations of the illness that borrow heavily from models for the traditional adult-onset form of bipolar disorder. This study utilized a transcendental phenomenological design as a first step in obtaining an understanding of the lived experience of EOBD. A purposive sample of eight participants ages 18-25 participated in semi-structured interviews that elicited information on experiences of EOBD symptomatology and course of illness, stigma, experience with healthcare and treatment, and impact on identity, interpersonal relationships, and …

Poverty In The Land Of Plenty? Deconstructing Role Of Community-Based Organizations In A Small Community, John Kevin Trainor

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Using the lens of a community-based childhood obesity intervention, it is possible to examine the role of non-profit organizations in community development and to deconstruct the “community” in community-based research and identify the many competing interests within a community. This contextual understanding includes how the community is formed, how a community’s agenda is set, and who will complete the tasks outlined in that agenda. In applied anthropological settings and public health interventions that are community-based, it is essential to understand the context of community and which community (or communities) the researcher is working with to ensure that the data you …

The Effect Of The Antecedent Dry Conditions On Nitrogen Removal For A Modified Bioretention System, Mackenzie Peterson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Eutrophication is defined as the ‘over enrichment’ of a water body from nutrients, resulting in uncontrolled growth of primary producers, leading to periods of oxygen depletion from decomposition of the algal organic matter. According to the 2010 Water Infrastructure Needs and Investment (a U.S. Congressional Report), 40% of U.S. water bodies are contaminated with pollutants, including nutrients. Non-point sources of nutrient pollution are a major cause of this reduction in water quality. One way to decrease eutrophication is to manage nutrients found in stormwater runoff, before they reach a receiving water body.

Bioretention cells containing an internal water storage zone …

Adaptive Styles And Coping Strategies Of Youth Diagnosed With Cancer: Relationship To Well-Being, Psychosocial And Educational Adjustment, And Parents’ Adaptive Styles, Renee Corbett

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Although almost 16,000 children and adolescents are diagnosed with cancer each year, the incident rates have remained stable over recent years, and mortality has decreased consistently since 1975 (American Cancer Society, 2016). With increased survivorship, research and practice in pediatric oncology has focused more on the psychosocial well-being of patients during and after treatment. With research repeatedly indicating that patients and families appear to exhibit great resilience and adjustment, and low incidences of psychosocial difficulties (e.g., Kazak, 1994, Eiser et al. 2000), some researchers have examined adaptive style as a possible construct that may help explain the predominantly positive outcomes …

Making A Place For People At A Wildlife Corridor On Chicago's South Side, Alexis Winter

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

What role do environmental conservation projects play in the transformation of American cities? How do these projects affect city residents? In this study, I ask these questions at the Burnham Wildlife Corridor, where the Chicago Park District worked with institutional and community-based partner organizations to engage city residents in the creation of a lakefront wildlife habitat and public nature area. Through ethnographic interviews and participant observation I explored how actors at various levels understand this changing landscape and their roles in shaping it. I situate the Burnham Wildlife Corridor project in the broader context of a state-level plan, the Millennium …

An Examination Of Perspectives On Community Poverty: A Case Study Of A Junior Civic Association, Monica Heimos Heimos

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nonprofit organizations have become a necessary staple in the lives of people and communities experiencing poverty. Many of these organizations provide services that they think their communities need. The solutions and services these organizations provide are incumbent on what the organizations think causes poverty. Although the motivations behind these organizations have good intentions, their approach to poverty could further jeopardize people and communities by not providing proper or necessary services that have the ability to help people get out of poverty. To explore how organizational values and perspectives on poverty are operationalized, I examined one nonprofit grassroots organization in Tampa …

Myths And Miracles In Mexico City: Treatment Seeking, Language Socialization, And Identity Among Deaf Youth And Their Families, Anne Elaine Pfister

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation research investigates the experience of deafness among deaf youth, adults, and their families in Mexico City, Mexico. Deaf children cannot fully access the spoken languages of their hearing families and mainstream society. Hence, participating families embarked upon extensive treatment-seeking pilgrimages, encountering myths about deaf lifeways and the promise of miracle cures that formed Mexico City's cultural system for coping with childhood deafness. This ethnography uncovers persistent misconceptions in medical and mainstream discourse, including strong recommendations against exposure to sign language, which directly impacted participants' access to relevant communities of practice, the social networks that proved most significant to …