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A Qualitative Exploration Of The Attitudes And Perceptions Of Female Immigrants Of Chinese Descent Regarding Access To Mental Health Services, Ming Wai Myra Kan

Doctoral Dissertations

This qualitative study used Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to explore the lived experiences and meaning-making of Chinese immigrants’ attitudes and perceptions of mental disorders and mental health-seeking behaviors in the US. This study also explored the cultural and structural barriers to mental health services in the US. A total of six participants were interviewed in this study, and the interviews were conducted in English and Cantonese. Eligible participants identified as being of Chinese descent who immigrated to the US from Hong Kong or Mainland China and were over the age of 18. IPA analysis revealed seven themes: Cultural Identity, Post-Migration Adjustment …

Associations Between Sexual And Gender Minority Stress Exposure And Schizophrenia-Like Experiences In The South, Lillian A. Hammer

Dissertations

Background: Negative experiences related to one’s minority identity serve as stressors contributing to mental health concerns for those identifying as a sexual and/or gender minority (SGM). SGM groups have greater severity of some mental health symptoms than non-SGM individuals, yet it is poorly understood whether these findings extend to schizophrenia-like experiences (SLEs). SLEs are associated with significant distress and may indicate risk for the development of schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. Associations between exposure to minority stress and SLEs are underexplored. This study aimed to fill this gap by assessing whether exposure to SGM-related minority stress was related to SLEs using ecological …

Association Between Anxiety And Rrbs In Autistic Youth: Role Of Ethnicity, Catherine Rita Callaci

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Autistic youth are at elevated risk for developing co-occurring anxiety symptoms (Zaboski & Storch, 2018), which are shown to be related to restricted, repetitive behaviors (RRBs; Rogers et al., 2012). Despite similar rates of autism in Latinx as in non-Latinx White youth, limited research has been conducted in the Latinx population. Participants were autistic youth and youth with developmental delays (DD; N = 199, Mage = 4.98 years, Latinx = 66.3%, Male = 66.3%) from two larger randomized controlled trials investigating parenting stress. Child anxiety was measured via the Spence Anxiety Scales total anxiety T-scores. RRBs were measured via Repetitive …

The Association Between The Number Of Languages Spoken, Working Memory, And Emotional Regulation In Monolingual English Speakers And Fluent Multilingual English And Non-English Speakers, Eun-Sung Chang

Doctoral Dissertations

Despite the growing linguistic diversity of the population in the United States, multilingual individuals remain underrepresented in psychological research and often experience disparities in access to culturally and linguistically appropriate mental health care. Using a cross-sectional design and quantitative methods, the present study examined the relationships among the number of languages spoken, working memory, and emotional regulation. A total of 94 participants (30 monolingual English speakers and 64 multilingual speakers who spoke English and at least one other language fluently) completed the Working Memory Index (WMI) of the WAIS-IV and the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS). Results revealed no …

Familismo: Exploring A Culturally Sensitive Correlation Between Parentification And Relationship Satisfaction Amongst First Generation Mexican-American Adults Through An Attachment Theory Lens, Ana K. Perez

Dissertations

Parentification refers to the role reversal of children who take on adult responsibility to care for family members. This role is often filled by Mexican-American children as a result of immigration and assimilation. This study explored the relationship between parentification and adult romantic relationship satisfaction among first-generation Mexican-American adults, with particular attention to the moderating roles of attachment styles and perceived unfairness. While earlier research has linked parentification to mental health challenges, few studies have examined its long-term impact on intimate relationships, including relationship satisfaction and experiences of intimate partner violence. A total of 132 participants completed an online survey …

High School Career And Technical Education (Cte) Programming And Post-Secondary Career Pathways: A Correlational Study, Richard P. Jorgenson

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative correlational research project was to examine the association between the 6 CTE components (i.e., curriculum, work-based learning, mentorship/industry connections, student organizations/competitions, non-degree credentials, and experiential learning) and a students’ choice of a career pathway. The current literature stated the benefits of CTE but left a void as to which CTE component had the most impact on a student’s choice of a career pathway. With a theoretical framework based on the Career Self-Management Model, the author analyzed data from a sample consisting of current high school students, former high school students, and current CTE teachers to …

The Long Tail: Business Viability After The Crisis, Emma M. Woo-Ming

Economics Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis examines the barriers to business growth and youth development in Dangriga, Belize, within the broader context of post-crisis economic recovery. Despite Belize’s record-breaking tourism arrivals in 2024, Dangriga has not experienced parallel growth, hindered by limited government support, insufficient infrastructure, and gaps in workforce readiness. Through field research, stakeholder interviews, and the development of tailored business strategies, this project identified critical needs in risk assessment, collaboration, and youth engagement. The findings underscore the interconnectedness of politics, culture, and economics in shaping local business ecosystems, and highlight the importance of adaptable, context-specific solutions over the direct application of models …

The Effect Of Resilience: Exploring The Link Between Depression And Cognitive Performance In A Memory Disorder Clinic Population, Amanda Capriglione

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Research has consistently shown that depressive symptoms are associated with cognitive impairments, namely in memory, attention, and executive functioning (for a review, see Rock et al., 2014), particularly in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). As MCI is often a precursor to dementia, understanding and addressing modifiable factors that influence this trajectory is essential for prevention and intervention efforts. Resilience, defined as the capacity to adapt positively to adversity, has been identified as a potential protective factor against age-related cognitive decline. Prior studies (e.g., Laird et al., 2019b; Miller et al., 2023) suggest that resilience buffers against the cognitive …

Childhood Emotional Maltreatment And Its Associations With Internalizing And Externalizing Symptoms In Emerging Adults, Amira C. Wallace

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

This study examines how childhood emotional maltreatment influences mental health symptoms among college students aged 18 to 25, specifically exploring its association with increased prevalence and severity of depression, anxiety, hyperactivity, and aggression symptoms in emerging adulthood. The relationship between childhood emotional maltreatment and internalizing and/or externalizing mental health symptoms will be assessed using questionnaires. This study aims to provide recommendations for the development of supportive and inclusive academic environments that facilitate informed conversations and interventions regarding childhood maltreatment. Findings could provide valuable information about students with histories of childhood maltreatment to academic institutions, which could in turn be used …

Artificial Intelligence And Translation: Exploring Current Applications, Limitations And Future Potential Of Language Models Through Japanese-English Translation, Loklin Elias Nord

Undergraduate Theses, Capstones, and Recitals

This thesis highlights the recent improvements and capabilities of Large Language Models (LLMs), specifically their ability to produce translations between different languages. The continued up-scaling of model sizes has led to breakthroughs in the level of their observed intelligence, allowing them to produce translations that are similar in quality to highly skilled human translators. However, to facilitate the reasoning processes that LLMs now possess, their demand for computational power and the supporting hardware and resources has increased proportionally. Considering the impacts of this technology on the environment, energy resources, and its accessibility, my research explores the possibilities of smaller, highly …

Undefined By Design: The Fragmented Public Understanding Of Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion (Dei) By Americans, Caroline Umphlet

Theses and Dissertations

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies have become a contentious issue in contemporary United States public discourse, yet a critical question remains as to whether the public shares a common foundational understanding of these terms. While DEI as a concept has developed and evolved significantly since the 1960s, public understanding remains ardently fragmented.

This thesis aims to answer the research questions: how does the 60+ age group in the US define and understand diversity, equity, and inclusion and DEI policies? The 60+ age group was specifically chosen because their definitions give insight into the publics’ understanding of policy topics when …

Sufism At The Service Of Ḥadīth Commentary: Re-Framing Al-Kalābādhī'S Baḥr Al-FawāʾId In Fourth-Tenth Century Transoxiana, Fadhil Yunus Alsagoff

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines Abū Bakr al-Kalābādhī’s (d. 380/990) understudied ḥadīth commentary, the Baḥr al-fawāʾid al-mashhūr bi-maʿānī al-akhbār. The first Anglophone study of the text as a whole, this thesis situates itself within the emergent literature on ḥadīth commentaries and challenges the prevailing scholarly tendency to reduce Sufi-authored commentarial texts to the ishārī method of interpretation and to treat them solely as repositories of Sufi themes. This thesis argues that, contrary to current perceptions of the text as primarily a work of Sufism, the Baḥr al-fawaʾid is first and foremost a work of ḥadīth commentary, its main intent being to …

Technology, Power, And Colonial Modernity: The Making Of The Egyptian Railways, Ahmed Mohamed Rahmy

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines Egyptian railways as a technology of power through which modern temporal order was gradually formed, reorganized, and contested. Focusing on the period from 1850 to 1920, it argues that railway infrastructure did more than facilitate mobility, economic exchange, and imperial administration: it reorganized the temporal relations through which social life was governed and experienced. Timetables, standardized schedules, fares, penalties, stations, and administrative procedures made punctuality, regularity, and measurable time appear as neutral requirements of life, while positioning existing ecological, agricultural, religious, and communal rhythms as signs of backwardness.

The thesis draws on British official correspondence, parliamentary debates, …

Between The Lens And The Gaze: Reflections Of Femininity In Film, Noureen Sakr

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the male gaze’s construction of femininity through the use of glass and reflective surfaces, particularly mirrors, windows, glasses, and cameras in film. Reflections and depictions of women are recurring motifs in cinema, often symbolizing dynamics of perception and power. This thesis mobilizes related psychoanalytic and feminist conceptions to examine and compare the recurring visual motifs in the following films: Alfred Hitchcock’s Strangers on a Train (1951) and Rear Window (1954), Paul Verhoeven’s Basic Instinct (1992), & Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan (2010). This thesis employs a qualitative, interdisciplinary methodology that integrates psychoanalytic theory, feminist film theory, literary criticism …

Hell Reimagined: Dante’S Inferno And The Secular Afterlives Of Divine Punishment, Yara Mohamed El Hashimi

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines contrapasso and how it changes across different media and different sources of moral authority. In Chapter One, I examine four different cantos of Dante’s Inferno and rely on Teodolinda Barolini’s work to examine textual contrapasso. Chapter One also discusses how Dante’s work shows the sinner’s moral condition and makes it visible through the punishment inflicted. Additionally, Dante’s Inferno presents punishment as part of a divinely authorized moral order, which becomes important in Chapter Two when I examine how William Blake visually interprets and questions that system. In Chapter Two, I examine the works of Blake that correspond …

“The Light Of Certain Belief” – Orthodoxy Versus Innovation According To Abū Ḥāmid Al-Ghazālī’S Al-Risāla Al-Qudsiyyah, Thomas Robinson

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the question of Islamic orthodoxy in the thought of Abū Ḥāmid al-Ghazālī, with particular attention to his Risāla al-Qudsiyya and its place within his wider intellectual and reformative project. It begins by exploring concepts of orthodoxy and heterodoxy across the Christian and Islamic traditions, arguing that orthodoxy emerges through processes of interpretation, doctrinal conflict, boundary formation, and communal consensus. Islamic orthodoxy is understood as the historically consolidated mainstream of belief rooted in the Qurʾān, the Sunnah, the authority of the early community, and the scholarly tradition.

The central argument of the thesis is that al-Ghazālī conceives of …

The Presence Of Orthorexic Eating Behaviors In Students Studying Health Sciences, Sophia Weiner

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

Orthorexia nervosa is a novel type of disordered eating characterized by a hyper fixation on the consumption of clean, healthy, and morally pure foods as delineated by the individual (Dunn & Bratman, 2016). Previous studies have suggested that individuals studying physical health-related subjects such as nutrition and exercise science endorse more orthorexia nervosa symptoms than those in non-physical health-related areas (Malmborg et al., 2017; Plichta & Jezewska-Zychowicz, 2019). The present study sought to explore the relationship between college major, gender, and levels of body appreciation in the frequency of orthorexia nervosa symptomatology. It also aimed to assess orthorexia nervosa's relationship …

Threaded Belonging: Strengthening Cultural Identity Through Armenian Embroidery In The Diaspora, Krysten A. Lee

Art Therapy | Master's Theses

The current study examined the impact of an Armenian textile arts workshop on cultural identity among members of the Armenian diaspora in the Bay Area of California (n = 25). Grounded in relational-cultural theory, it explored how culturally grounded, community-based, traditional art practices may strengthen cultural identity and reduce cultural disconnection resulting from forced displacement following the Armenian Genocide of 1915. A mixed-methods, arts-based design was implemented where participants engaged in an embroidery workshop centered on traditional Armenian textile practices. Data was collected through pre- and post-intervention Inclusion of Other in the Self (IOS) scale (Aron, Aron, & Smollan, 1992) …

Art As Activism: Emotional Expression And Collective Empowerment Among Muslim Participants Creating Protest Posters, Menhal Sheikh

Art Therapy | Master's Theses

Muslim Americans are among the most underserved populations in mental health care in the United States. In the wake of the ongoing genocide in Gaza, many Muslim Americans have experienced intensified psychological distress, including anxiety, grief, and a heightened sense of helplessness, while continuing to show up in the streets in protest. This mixed-methods study examined whether the collective process of protest poster-making leads to emotional expression among Muslim American participants. Eleven Muslim American participants across two groups in the San Francisco Bay Area completed a pre and post Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) to measure changes in affect, …

Spiritual-Soul Care: Art Sacralization, Active Imagination, And Eco Therapy, Andrea N. Miller

Art Therapy | Master's Theses

This thesis reasons that spiritual-soul care is, at times, an ethically necessary dimension of mental health care for many individuals yet remains underdeveloped within the field. In response, this research aims to articulate a foundational, non-dogmatic “baseline” language that is simple and accessible, while remaining nuanced enough to capture the depth and essence of spiritual-soul care. This study proposes a culturally flexible approach for individuals who identify outside of traditional religious frameworks. This multidimensional model includes three domains—the self, spirit-soul, and the transpersonal levels—each contributing to wellbeing through developmental themes.

Using a qualitative design, 9 participants engaged in contemplation, Jungian …

Loneliness And Social Isolation: Finding Connection Through Art, Elijah K. Wong

Art Therapy | Master's Theses

This study explored whether creativity might help alleviate feelings of loneliness and social isolation. The COVID-19 pandemic was an extraordinary event that significantly impacted people's emotional, physical, psychological, and social health globally. To gain insight into these impacts, the research focused on participants’ creative activities and their experiences of loneliness during and after the pandemic. The aim was to find possible links between making and viewing art and reducing feelings of loneliness and loneliness-related experiences. Ten participants were surveyed and asked about their artistry, their time during the COVID-19 pandemic, and their sense of belonging to a community. This investigation …

Evaluating Suicidal Ideation Measures: A Comparative Review Of Characteristics And Accessibility, Eliza Hope Laves

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

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Measures of suicidal ideation have been included within both research and clinical settings to help medical and mental health professionals alike address and prevent suicide related deaths, especially since the rise of suicide as one of the leading causes of death in the United States. However, many people across different …

Shadow Garments: Costume Creation For Integrating Alienated Parts Of The Self, Mega M. Galvin

Art Therapy | Master's Theses

This study explores costume creation as a narrative-based intervention for integrating "shadow" parts, or aspects of the self that are repressed or alienated due to shame, trauma, or social pressure. Grounded in Jungian analytic psychology, narrative therapy, and expressive arts theory, the research addresses the limitations of traditional talk therapy in accessing somatic memory and proposes costume making as a pathway for externalization and re-authorship. Using a qualitative, participatory study inspired by Pat B. Allen’s Open Studio Process, four adult participants engaged in a three-session workshop to design, construct, and wear costumes representing their identified shadow aspects. Data was collected …

Restorative Environments And Therapeutic Artmaking: A Strengths-Based Art Gallery Workshop To Enhance Well-Being In Emerging Adults, Jeannine Case

Art Therapy | Master's Theses

Emerging adults aged 18 to 29 face increased mental health risks yet encounter considerable barriers to traditional care, which highlights the need for accessible, preventive alternatives. This mixed-methods pilot study investigated whether an art gallery environment could serve as a supportive setting for a strengths-based, positive art therapy-informed wellness workshop aimed at promoting well-being for this population. Six participants between the ages of 20 and 27, all enrolled in post-secondary education, took part in this study. Five identified as female and one as male. Three participants (50%) identified as Hispanic/Latino, one as Asian, one as White, and one as Hispanic/Latino …

The Impact Of Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention In Rolling-Admission Format On Mental Health Outcomes Of Adults In Residential Treatment For Opioid Use Disorder, Alice Laughlin

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

Opioid use disorder is associated with serious psychological, social, and public health consequences. Co-occurring mental health difficulties further complicate recovery, underscoring the need for interventions that address psychological well-being alongside substance use. This study examined the impact of Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention adapted for rolling admission (MBRP-RA) on trait mindfulness, global mental health, and abstinence self-efficacy among adults in residential treatment for opioid use disorder. Participants were randomly assigned to adjunctive MBRP-RA plus treatment as usual (MBRP+TAU) or treatment as usual (TAU) only. Two-way mixed analyses of variance indicated significant treatment condition × time point interactions for trait mindfulness and global …

Artificial Intelligence Ratings Of Facial Feature Similarity As Predictors Of Eyewitness Performance, Agata K. Bugajczyk

Student Theses

Eyewitness identification plays an important role in the criminal justice system, yet it is often prone to error. Diagnostic Feature Theory (DFD) suggests that lineup fillers should match the eyewitness’s description of the suspect but be different in other ways (Wixted & Mickes, 2014). According to this theory, people remember faces using multiple features (e.g., age, race, face shape), some of which are useful for recognition and some that are not. This approach has been shown to improve the ability to tell the difference between guilty and innocent suspects (e.g., Colloff et al., 2021), but it also increases identification rates …

The Benefits Of Mindfulness And Nondual Awareness In Tibetan Mind-Body Practices, Michael E. Szczechowski

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

There is abundant research on the various benefits of different mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) in both clinical and non-clinical populations, but research investigating variables related to the beneficial effects on wellness often linked to mindfulness has been limited to investigating a select few MBIs such as Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). Additionally, little research exists currently on non-dual awareness (NDA) (Hanley et al., 2018). In many traditions from which mindfulness practices are derived, NDA is conceptualized as an experience in which one achieves a transient state of profound awareness, often through meditation practice. Although NDA is often seen as a powerful and …

Breaking The Silence: Investigating The Impact Of Stigma On Help-Seeking Behaviors Among Adults With A History Of Adverse Childhood Experiences In Ghana, Deborah Amoako-Atta

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

In Ghana, cultural beliefs often silence open discussion about mental health. Many view emotional struggles as spiritual weakness, leading to stigma and avoidance of care. For adults who experienced Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), this silence can worsen the long-term impact of trauma. While Western research links stigma to reduced help-seeking and shows that trauma knowledge can promote openness, little is known about how these relationships function within Ghana’s cultural context. This cross-sectional study examined how stigma and trauma knowledge influence help-seeking behaviors among 103 Ghanaian adults (ages 19-62, M = 30.0; 49% women) with childhood adversity histories. Participants completed anonymous …

The Moderating Role Of Perceived Resource Abundance In The Links Between Self-Compassion, Self-Coldness, Coping Strategies, And Mental Health, Evan E. Ozmat

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Undergraduate students increasingly present to college counseling centers with pre-existing mental health concerns, including depression and suicidal ideation, emphasizing the urgent need for effective interventions and a deeper understanding of contributing factors. Self-compassion—responding kindly to oneself amid suffering—and its theorized counterpart, self-coldness—characterized by self-judgment and isolation—have emerged as key constructs influencing mental health. The two-factor model of self-compassion, grounded in Gilbert’s (2005a) Theory of Social Mentalities (TSM), posits that self-compassion and self-coldness are distinct unipolar continua shaped by evolved safeness and threat-defense systems that regulate social behaviors and mental health outcomes. The present study examines the mediating role of prosocial …

Evaluating Measurement Models Of Problematization: Connections With Identity Empowerment And Community Connectedness, Angel Long

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Consistent with Liberation theory, problematization is the process of creating critical reflection, a means by which critical consciousness occurs. It is a method for understanding issues faced by oppressed populations, while centering the perspective of these populations. Within Liberation spaces, problematization is critical for fostering critical consciousness, disrupting oppression, and promoting strength. However, problematization is a theoretical concept frame from narrative responses and lived experiences of marginalized individuals. There are few resources highlighting depictions of problematizing/critical consciousness and cultural strengths captured by measures of BIPOC community functioning. Therefore, there is a need to empirically evaluate major tenets of the concept …