Digital Commons Network^™

Mental Health Stigma In Latin American Youth With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Ryan J. Mccarty, Matias Jensen, Elissa Paz Jensen Santa Cruz, Melisa N. Sagarnaga, Pamela Claisse Quiroz, Isabella A. Cruz, Laura D. Seligman, Joseph D. Hovey, Monica E. Ochoa, Nadeen Salhadar

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is an impairing mental health condition that affects individuals across the lifespan. Some literature has evaluated mental health stigma in adults with OCD but limited attention has been given to youth, as well as those of Latino ancestry. The present study reported the extent of stigma experiences among Latin American youth with OCD, as well as examined sociodemographic, clinical and psychological correlates. 235 youth with clinician confirmed diagnoses of OCD from 10 North and South American countries completed questionnaires assessing stigma experiences, symptomatology, and functioning. Sociodemographic and clinical variables were also collected. The average OCD stigma response …

The Accidental Entrepreneur: How Military Spouses Take Their Careers Into Their Own Hands, Jennifer Barnhill, Rosalinda Maury, Jeanette Harvie

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

The Accidental Entrepreneur is the second narrative profile in the Reimagining Military Spouse Employment series, a companion to the initiative's data briefs. Through the story of a mid-career military spouse who builds a business after repeated career disruptions, it examines why many spouses turn to entrepreneurship and what stands in their way. The profile covers the barriers spouses face when starting a business, including access to funding, certifications, and grants, along with the reality that self-employment does not eliminate the military spouse earnings penalty. It offers guidance for military spouses considering entrepreneurship and for the community leaders positioned to support …

The Anchored: Issue 4, Summer 2026, Writer's Club Of The Hope-Western Prison Education Program

The Anchored

The Anchored is a quarterly publication of the Writer’s Club of the Hope-Western Prison Education Program.

When Neighborhoods Change, So Do Schools: Gentrification’S Influence On Public Education, Diego Ramirez

Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

Neighborhood change is a common feature in urban life; however, gentrification is a distinct form of urban transformation characterized by rising property values, reinvestment, and shifts in neighborhood socioeconomic makeup. This literature review investigates the mechanisms through which gentrification reshapes public education and argues that gentrification has a direct impact on public schools, as these institutions reflect the socioeconomic communities around them. As neighborhoods gentrify and class demographics shift, education systems struggle to meet the demands of changing student populations, leading to unequal educational experiences. Specifically, this literature review demonstrates how gentrification reshapes public education through changes in school enrollment, …

An Exploratory Analysis Of Neurocognitive Performance And Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (Ptsd) Among Latinx Asylum Seekers, Elsie A. Arias

Doctoral Dissertations

Asylum seekers are exposed to violence and traumatic events in their home countries at high rates, leading to mental health challenges such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD symptoms and comorbidities such as depression and alcohol misuse are associated with impacts to multiple domains of cognitive functioning among populations such as Veterans. However, the neurocognitive performance of Latinx asylum seekers who experience PTSD symptoms are under-documented in the current literature despite its meaningful impact on clinical care engagement and navigation of the legal process. This study utilized an exploratory, quantitative, cross-sectional design to examine whether higher levels of self-reported PTSD, …

Identity Development For Queer East Asian Americans During The Coming Out Process To Family, Mei E. Tam

Doctoral Dissertations

There has been a growing number of Asian Americans who openly identify as queer, with over half a million residing in the United States (UCLA, 2021). Despite this, psychological research has paid limited attention to how queer and Asian American identities intersect and are integrated, often framing them as conflicting while overlooking culturally embedded meaning-making processes. The present study explored identity formation among cisgender queer East Asian Americans during the critical period of coming out to family, focusing on how their understanding of and relationship to their queer and ethnic identities shifted following disclosure.

Using a qualitative approach, semi-structured interviews …

Towards Understanding Users' Theory Of Recommender Systems, Mohammed Muheeb Faizan Ghori

Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

Recommender systems have become deeply embedded in digital platforms such as streaming services, social media, and e-commerce applications, shaping how users discover information, consume content, and interact with online environments. Despite their widespread adoption, these systems are frequently perceived as opaque ‘black boxes’, leaving users uncertain about how recommendations are generated, why certain content is prioritized, and whether their interactions meaningfully influence recommendation outcomes. Existing research at the intersection of recommender systems and human–computer interaction has largely focused on improving transparency, explainability, and recommendation quality from a system-centered perspective. However, limited research has examined how users conceptualize recommender systems and …

Nietzsche’S Greek Soul: Traces Of Aristotle’S Psuchē In The Early Nietzsche, Laura G. Campos

Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

This dissertation proposes an examination of the concept of the soul (Seele) as it appears in the works of Friedrich Nietzsche, in conversation with the concept of the soul in Aristotle. I propose bringing these two historically and theoretically disparate thinkers into dialogue insofar as they each represent a pivotal moment in the history of Western subjectivity, drawing on Martin Heidegger’s positioning of Aristotle and Nietzsche as the inaugural and final thinkers of Western metaphysics, respectively. Yet, following recent Continental interpretations of both thinkers, I read both Aristotle and Nietzsche as proto-phenomenologists concerned with the problem of how to thematize …

Meridian, Rachel Seaton

Theses

Meridian is an ambient tabletop object that translates physiological data into a continuously evolving visual landscape. Rather than presenting emotional information through charts or notifications, it exists as a quiet environmental presence that can be understood through peripheral awareness. A simulated biometric system drives a particle field whose movement reflects physiological variation, producing eight distinct visual signatures. The visual system is governed by four parameters: field density, field disturbance, signal trace, and signal duration, which together shape the behavior and persistence of the particle field. The teardrop form was selected for its ability to convey both the passage of time …

What’S Kept, Caitlin Smith

Theses

This thesis examines the collective psychological aftermath of de-industrialization in a rust belt city, processed through perspectives of nostalgia and betrayal. By reframing childhood memories of instability and inherited narratives, a framework is established for investigating the modalities through which love and attachment may obscure entangled harm, and how grief operates across both collective and personal registers. Found objects are situated as sites of projection where memories are abstracted and reconstituted. The processes of decay and weathering serve as analogues for psychological trauma, reframing deterioration as an inevitable and generative condition. Natural elements act as metaphors for neutrality, challenging imposed …

Rooted Worlds, Eli Groborchik

Theses

Plant Awareness Disparity (PAD) describes a widespread cognitive bias where plant life is systematically overlooked in favor of its animal counterparts. This disconnect is acutely visible in natural history museums where plant life is notoriously difficult to display. Rooted Worlds is an interactive, physical-digital installation designed to combat this bias by bridging the emotional and educational gap between audiences and Earth’s diverse ecosystems. Rejecting traditional flat screens and passive dioramas, the exhibit utilizes a fourteen-foot, 270-degree cylindrical projection screen to immerse visitors in six distinct, digitally rendered global biomes, creating a restorative and engaging space that leverages Attention Restoration Theory …

Symposium Introduction: Artificial Intelligence, Real Attorneys, And The Art Of Lawyering: Utilizing The Tools Of Ai To Enhance, Not Inhibit, Our Humanity, Carli N. Conklin

Journal of Dispute Resolution

In recent years, legal academia has seen a proliferation of symposia and conferences focused on the interrelationship between the increasing prevalence and sophistication of artificial intelligence, and the opportunities and challenges AI provides for our work in legal teaching, legal research and writing, and the practice of law. Here at the University of Missouri Center for the Study of Dispute Resolution and Journal of Dispute Resolution, we could not help but think about the rise of artificial intelligence in the practice of law through a dispute resolution lens. More specifically, we became increasingly curious about the unfolding interplay between artificial …

A Decade Of Change: Technology’S Impact On Negotiation Deepens In The Age Of Ai, Noam Ebner

Journal of Dispute Resolution

When people consider the notion of negotiation changing, they tend to look first toward that magnificent negotiation construct, “the table.” Here are some immediately apparent areas of table-novelty: • There is often a screen on our table, rather than another person sitting across from us. • The table we “go” to negotiate at is not in our office or that of our counterpart; rather, it is a communications system such as email or an online platform developed by a third-party provider. • The table, in its online-platform form, sometimes structures process and facilitates communication in ways that our trusty old …

Using Ai Centaur Systems To Strengthen Professional Judgment, John Lande

Journal of Dispute Resolution

This article encourages dispute resolution practitioners to use artificial intelligence (AI) “centaur” systems, which may perform better than either humans or AI tools operating independently. Centaur systems combine human and AI capabilities so that each contributes complementary strengths in decision-making. This is particularly important in managing legal disputes, where practitioners should integrate analysis of legal issues, tangible and intangible costs, strategic judgment, and ethical considerations.

Reports Of Legal Writing’S Death Are Greatly Exaggerated: Why Generative Ai Will Not Kill The Craft, Jayne T. Woods

Journal of Dispute Resolution

In preparing for this essay, I typed the phrase “legal writing is” into Google to see how common searches finished the thought. The only completed thought to appear was “legal writing is hard.” Amen. Legal writing is an amalgamation of logical reasoning, cognitive psychology, classical rhetoric, legal terminology, legal citation, and proper grammar and style, all of which must result in a product accessible to readers of all education levels. When generative AI arrived, producing cogent, plausible legal prose in seconds, it led many to believe that writing, generally, and legal writing, specifically, had reached the end of days.

Mirror, Mirror On My Screen, Can You Feel Like A Human Being?, Lauren A. Newell

Journal of Dispute Resolution

We cannot go anywhere without encountering artificial intelligence (AI) these days. AI has infiltrated our phones, our cars, and our washing machines. It is with us in doctors’ offices, at the drive-through, and at sporting events. It has taken over our calendars and our inboxes and our videoconferences, and it would like to help us brush our teeth, too.

Justice After Atrocity: Lessons From Rwanda And Cambodia For Contemporary International Law And Conflict, Jennie Hubbard

Journal of Dispute Resolution

In the aftermath of mass atrocity, the question facing survivors and policymakers is not whether societies will rebuild but how rebuilding will address truth, justice, and memory. Modern transitional justice systems trace institutional and normative roots to the post—World War II order, most famously embodied by the Nuremberg Trials, which first established that individuals could be held accountable for crimes against humanity. Nuremberg did more than punish Nazi officials; it articulated a legal and moral principle that the international community could, and sometimes must, assert jurisdiction to address mass crimes when domestic systems fail. Despite that precedent, global reactions to …

Reforming Mediation: The Hidden Inequities Shaped By Race, Gender, And Power, Victoria Seever

Journal of Dispute Resolution

Courts and policymakers often promote family dispute resolution as a faster, less adversarial alternative to traditional litigation. Yet for many women of color, the mediation table often replicates the same racial and gender power imbalances that the legal system claims to mitigate. Family Dispute Resolution (“FDR”) often fails women of color by reinforcing racialized and gendered power imbalances. Alternative dispute resolution (“ADR”), especially mediation, presents both an opportunity and a risk in divorce, custody, and intimate partner violence (“IPV”) cases. IPV cases become especially difficult with the various laws in different states that govern how mediation should be used and …

Evolution, Structuration Theory, And New Research On Free Will, James Lull

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Classic structuration theory explains how social actors use their personal and collective agency to contend with the structural forces they encounter in everyday life. The antonimous interface between structure and agency is analyzed from an evolutionary communication perspective as it applies to structuration theory generally and to media audiences specifically. The explanatory power of structuration theory is then reconsidered in light of new research on an eternally profound question: Is the power of human agency restricted, if not entirely eliminated, by a lack of free will that can be exercised in human endeavors? Although the nature of structural influence is …

Mapping Dna Methylation Signatures To Identify Epigenetic Variation Across Subcortical Regions Of The Human Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Brain, Hongyu Li, Yujing Liu, Yiming Shi, Jiawei Wang, Tuan P Nguyen, Yuhan Xie, Wangjie Zheng, Youshu Cheng, Dianne A Cruz, Jennifer L Modliszewski, Rosemarie Terwilliger, Alexa-Nicole Sliby, José Jaime Martínez-Magaña, Janitza L Montalvo-Ortiz, John D Roache, Lynnette A Averill, Stacey Young-Mccaughan, Paulo R Shiroma, Bertrand R Huber, David A Lewis, Jill Glausier, Paul Holtzheimer, Matthew J Friedman, Jing Zhang, Alan L Peterson, Chadi G Abdallah, Amir Valizadeh, Xinyu Zhang, Ke Xu, John H Krystal, Ronald S Duman, Hongyu Zhao, David L Corcoran, Douglas E Williamson, Matthew J Girgenti

Staff and Researcher Publications

Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental disorder that may occur in the aftermath of severe psychological trauma. Epigenetic changes in the brain may play a critical role in understanding the neurobiology of PTSD by linking environmental traumatic stress exposure to lasting alterations in gene expression that shape neuronal function.

Methods: We examined 1,065,750 DNA methylation (DNAm) sites from 171 donors including neurotypical controls and PTSD and major depressive disorder (MDD) cases across 6 regions implicated in the fear circuitry of the brain. We performed RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to examine changes in gene expression and linked these changes to …

An Integrated Cardiometabolic Genetic Testing Program In A Predominantly Hispanic Population Within A Community Setting, Bo Yuan, Layla A Abushamat, Stacey Pereira, Surya Narayan Mulukutla, Grace E Tietz, Eric Venner, Sara E Kalla, Breanna Lee, Donna Muzny, Ginger Metcalf, Mullai Murugan, Sarah H Elsea, Senkottuvelan Kadirvel, Lele Li, Joshi Stephen, Shengfeng Xu, Victoria Yi, Monica Sulit, Christie L Kovar, Kimberly Walker, Marie-Claude Gingras, Jianhong Hu, Fei Yan, Taeko Gerber, Viktoriya Korchina, C Michael Fordis, Ruchi Gaba, Mahesh Changlani, Herschl Silberman, Hadley Stevens Smith, Christine M Eng, Jennifer E Posey, Clarisa Medina, Lisa R Treviño, Christie M Ballantyne, Richard A Gibbs, Ashok Balasubramanyam

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Purpose: This study aimed to apply cardiometabolic genetic testing in a community setting with a predominantly Hispanic population and assess feasibility and perspectives toward genetic testing.

Methods: A genome-sequencing-based genetic panel for cardiometabolic disorders (177 genes related to monogenic conditions, 2 LPA risk alleles, 2 pharmacogenomic loci, and ancestry-adjusted polygenic risk scores for type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease) was deployed in community cardiology and endocrinology clinics in South Texas. A survey on perceptions toward genetic testing was administered after return of results.

Results: Testing was completed for 776 patients (18-92 years old, 92% Hispanic). 26 patients (3.4%) were …

Patient Perspectives On Psychiatric Polygenic Risk Scores In Reproductive Decision-Making And Polygenic Embryo Screening., Lauren A Ginn, Amanda R Merner, Page M Trotter, Kaitlynn P Craig, Abigail C Martinez, Ana Lucía Battaglino, Dorit Barlevy, Daphne M Ayton, Takahiro Soda, Eric A Storch, Gabriel Lázaro-Muñoz, Stacey Pereira

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Polygenic risk scores (PRS) estimate individuals' genetic risk for developing multifactorial conditions. Recent genome-wide association studies have enabled development of psychiatric PRS, which hold potential to streamline diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric conditions. As individuals with mental illness often identify concern about passing on psychiatric conditions as a key factor in family planning, some may also seek to use psychiatric PRS in reproductive decisions like childbearing or embryo selection for in vitro fertilization. Despite calls for increased regulation, there remains no clinical consensus on the utility of psychiatric PRS in reproductive contexts. Therefore, we conducted semi-structured interviews of adults with …

Adlm Guidance Document On Incorporating Gender Diversity In Pathology And Laboratory Medicine, Tiffany A Thomas, Gabrielle N Winston-Mcpherson, Ina Amarillo, Alisha D Berry, Caroline J Davidge-Pitts, Sridevi Devaraj, Zil Goldstein, Brad S Karon, Brooke M Katzman, Mahmoud A Khalifa, Hung S Luu, James H Nichols, Tracy L Stockley, Michelle R Stoffel, Dina N Greene, Matthew D Krasowski

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: The first international clinical standards of care for the gender-diverse population were formulated in the late 1970s. In the last 15 years, multiple subspecialty societies within the United States have developed clinical care guidelines for those with gender dysphoria, including gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) and surgical treatments. To date, there are no pathology- and laboratory medicine-specific recommendations in the United States for the gender-diverse population.

Content: This document outlines pathology- and laboratory medicine-specific recommendations for providing optimal care to the gender-diverse population, with a predominant focus on the adult population. The scope of this document focuses on the following …

Quality Domains In Home-Based Pediatric Hospice And Palliative Care: Adolescent And Young Adult Perspectives, Daniel H Grossoehme, Claire A Crawford, Jhansi Chandra Ellakula, Toluwalase Ajayi, Justin N Baker, Sarah Friebert, Lisa Humphrey, Jillann Jarrell, Rachel Thienprayoon, Pamela S Hinds

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Current United States palliative care practice guidelines are intended to cover care across all age groups. Previous research with pediatric providers and caregivers concluded that pediatric hospice and palliative care have unique attributes. Not known is how adolescent hospice and palliative care patients understand quality palliative care. The purpose of this study was to characterize and define quality of care domains as described by adolescent and young adult patients receiving home-based hospice and palliative care.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews with 10-26 year-olds who received home-based hospice and/or palliative care visits in the prior three years at six diverse sites in …

Mental Health Stigma In Latin American Youth With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Ryan J Mccarty, Matias Jensen, Elissa Paz Jensen Santa Cruz, Melisa N Sagarnaga, Pamela Claisse Quiroz, Tomás Miño, Paola Giusti-Rodriguez, Mayra C Martinez Mallen, Maria B Moyano, Dayan Berrones, Jacey L Anderberg, Renee M Frederick, Hannah C Moore, Josselyn S Muñoz, Vanessa Zavala Cruz, Latin American Trans-Ancestry Initiative For Ocd Genomics (Latino), Brazilian Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Working Group (Gttoc), Ogechi C Onyeka, Andrew D Wiese, James J Crowley, Eric A Storch

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is an impairing mental health condition that affects individuals across the lifespan. Some literature has evaluated mental health stigma in adults with OCD but limited attention has been given to youth, as well as those of Latino ancestry. The present study reported the extent of stigma experiences among Latin American youth with OCD, as well as examined sociodemographic, clinical and psychological correlates. 235 youth with clinician confirmed diagnoses of OCD from 10 North and South American countries completed questionnaires assessing stigma experiences, symptomatology, and functioning. Sociodemographic and clinical variables were also collected. The average OCD stigma response …

Homework Adherence In Exposure-Based Cbt For Youth With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Clinical Outcomes And Predictors Across Treatment, Abigail E Pine, Qimin Liu, Eric A Storch, Daniel A Geller, Brent J Small, Sabine Wilhelm, Joseph F Mcguire

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Exposure-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the frontline treatment for pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), but not all youth fully respond to this treatment. While multiple factors may influence CBT response, homework adherence in CBT is a modifiable target that can improve treatment outcomes. This report examines the relationship between homework adherence and clinical outcomes in a large sample of youth with OCD who received exposure-based CBT. Here, 137 youth with OCD between 7 and 17 years old (M = 12.42, SD = 2.88) participated in a randomized controlled trial of exposure-based CBT. Homework adherence was monitored weekly, and OCD severity …

The Impact Of Alexithymia On Body Image: The Mediating Role Of Rumination Among Students At Sultan Qaboos University, Fatima Alrahbi, Mai Helmy, Amal Alhadabi

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

The study aimed to examine the mediating role of rumination in the relationship between the dimensions of alexithymia and body image among first-year students at Sultan Qaboos University in the Sultanate of Oman. The descriptive method was employed, and the sample consisted of 310 male and female first-year students at Sultan Qaboos University, who were selected using a convenience sampling method. The study instruments included three scales: the Body Image Scale, the Toronto Alexithymia Scale, and the Rumination Scale. The results indicated the presence of statistically significant direct effects of the dimensions of alexithymia on rumination. The findings showed that …

Mindfulness And Its Relationship To Cognitive Flexibility Among University Students, Nafez Ahmad Abed Bukaiei, Adnan Mahmoud Hassan Odeh

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

This study aims to examine the relation between mindfulness and cognitive flexibility among university students. It also aimed to identify the level of mindfulness and the level of cognitive flexibility based the variables of gender, grade point average, and school year level. To achieve the aims of this study, the descriptive correlational approach was adopted through the use of the mindfulness scale of Bear & Others (2006) which was translated into Arabic by Al-Buhairi et al. (2014) and the cognitive flexibility scale of Dennis & Vander Wal (2010) which was translated by the researchers. The sample group consisted of 185 …

The Effectiveness Of A Digital Game-Based Learning Environment In Developing Problem- Solving Skills Among Primary School Students, Ayda Abdulkareem Aleidan

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

The study aimed to examine the effectiveness of a digital learning environment based on educational games in developing problem-solving skills among female elementary school students. The digital environment was designed using educational game tools (ClassCraft, Kahoot!, Scratch) within interactive activities that consider learners’ characteristics and the requirements for developing problem-solving skills. The sample consisted of 64 fifth-grade students, divided into two groups: an experimental group (n = 31) that learned through the game-based digital environment, and a control group (n = 33) that learned through traditional instruction. An electronic game-based training program was implemented, along with an observation checklist to …

Typicality Of Inferences Resulting From Limited Psychometric Models And Statistical Techniques Used: A Review Of Education Studies Published In Arab Journals (2016–2024), Mohammed A. A. Abulela, Mustafa Ali Khalaf

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

The study assessed the typicality of inferences in educational research published in Arab journals between 2016 and 2024 by determining the prevalence of psychometric models, the statistical techniques utilized, and the extent to which their assumptions were checked. Reviewed studies included 410 articles from eleven journals. The findings indicated that most studies relied on Cronbach’s alpha for estimating score reliability (60%) without checking its assumptions, while the use of confirmatory factor analysis and item response theory was limited. Additionally, researchers predominantly relied on face validity (expert judgment) at a rate of 55.3%, reflecting limited validation efforts for achieving the quality …