Digital Commons Network^™

Identity-Focused Therapist Self-Disclosure In Matched Sexual/Gender Minority Dyads: A Longitudinal Therapy Process-Outcome Study, Brian Thomas Neff

Dissertations and Theses

Therapist self-disclosure (TSD) is a controversial clinical intervention whose benefits and drawbacks remain contested. Notably, no prior research has differentiated explicitly between self-disclosures related to the therapist’s core identities and those peripheral to identity, and qualitative studies suggest that identity-focused therapist self-disclosure (TSD-I) may be beneficial when therapist and patient share at least one marginalized identity. LGBTQ+ people, who experience significant health disparities and utilize psychotherapy more than their heterosexual and cisgender counterparts, could benefit particularly from TSD-I. The mental and physical health challenges facing LGBTQ+ individuals are predominantly explained through minority stress theory, which suggests that societal prejudice and …

The Mental Health Of Southeast Asian American Lgbtqia+ Adults, Phetsamone P. Phoummavong

Dissertations and Theses

The current study examines the prevalence of and relationship between mental health outcomes (depressive symptoms, anxiety) and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) among a sample of Southeast Asian Americans (age: M = 26.6, SD = 4.0) who self-identified as sexual and gender minorities (e.g., gay, lesbian, bisexual, nonbinary, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, asexual and plus [LGBTQIA+]) (n = 41). Our national online survey was co-developed with a partnering community-based organization (CBO), Mekong NYC, and was disseminated through Southeast Asian American and/or LGBTQIA+ serving CBOs, university-affiliated organizations, and relevant affinity groups.

Results indicate that participants in our sample who identified as female, …

Character Strengths In Applied Behavior Analysis And The Treatment Of Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Pilot Study, Michael G. Johansen

Dissertations and Theses

Diagnoses of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have continued to rise. Individuals diagnosed with ASD may display a range of deficits in social communication, behaviors, and symptoms that limit everyday functioning. Among the treatments for ASD, Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is typically the earliest and longest intervention individuals with ASD are exposed to. Concerns have been raised over ABA being a compliance-based therapy which potentially produces prompt reliance, reinforcement dependency, and a lack of intrinsic motivation. In an attempt to address these concerns, this study aimed to assess the potential benefits of including the concept of character strengths from the field …

Comparing Perceptions Of Continued Presence Of The Deceased And Unidentified Sensed Presence Experiences In A Non-Clinical Sample Of Paranormal Experients, Scarlet Sidwell

Dissertations and Theses

Research on individuals' paranormal experiences, particularly sensed presence experiences, has predominantly focused on bereavement contexts (Kamp et al., 2020; Evrard et al., 2021). However, less is understood about the similarities and distinctions between perceived presence of the deceased and unfamiliar sensory perceptions of presence. The present study employs both quantitative and qualitative methods to explore the phenomenology of individuals' sensory experiences of presence within two distinct domains: perceptions of the continued presence of the deceased (PCPDs) and unidentified sensed presence experiences (USPEs). The current study utilized data from a sample of paranormal believers and experients to test the hypotheses that …

Policing With A Double-Edged Sword: The Associations Between Neighborhood Deprivation, Coping & Substance Use Among Black & Latiné Families, Neil M. Allicock

Dissertations and Theses

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated systemic racial inequities among Black and Latiné communities, increasing daily stressors such as exposure to violence, racial discrimination, and negative perceptions of the police. Social constraints from quarantining and social distancing have weakened community relationships that previously provided relief from these stressors. Persistent poverty and racial discrimination further strain community ties and challenge the well-being of marginalized communities. Negative experiences with the police are unique stressors for Black and Latiné youth, potentially increasing their risk for substance use. The erosion of community ties may heighten psychological stress and lead to less adaptive coping methods, such …

Mentalized Affectivity And Its Role In Acculturative Adjustment And Well-Being, Bassem Barada

Dissertations and Theses

Immigration is a phenomenon that occurs on a global scale and continues to grow in prevalence to our present day. Therefore, acculturation remains an essential area of interest for the mental health field. Specifically, assessment of identification with either one’s ethnic culture or the dominant culture remains a robust way to capture acculturative adjustment (Chance, 2015). More recently, emotion regulation has emerged as an important construct in understanding wellbeing. Mentalized affectivity (MA) is an insight-based regulatory process that highlights the importance of understanding current emotional distress in the context of one’s past history (Jurist, 2005). The three dimensions of emotion …

Adult Play And Its Relations To The Working Alliance And Psychosocial Dysfunction In Short-Term Psychotherapy, Charlotte B. Gendron

Dissertations and Theses

The importance of play in child development is well-documented: the capacity to play is associated with psychological health, and the cognitive and affective processes involved in play, such as fantasy, symbolism, narrative organization, divergent thinking, and affective expression, relate to areas of adaptive functioning. Research also illustrates that the inability to play is associated with adverse experiences in children, and that play therapy can facilitate the development of play and subsequent psychological health. In addition to its relation to psychological health, the capacity to play in childhood is inextricably linked to the infant-caregiver relationship. There is less literature on what …

Belonging In The Psychic Nowhere: Racial Trauma, Racial Melancholia And Related Mental Health Outcomes Amongst South Asian Immigrants In The Us, Anusha M. Kumar

Dissertations and Theses

South Asian immigrants have experienced a nuanced immigration history in the US while straddling the Black-White racial binary. Despite their growing presence, research on South Asian mental health is relatively limited and often subsumed under the broader category of "Asian Americans," which obscures unique experiences due to the model minority myth and leads to a paucity of targeted studies, particularly in the U.S. Mental health outcomes, specifically depression, self-harm and disordered eating behaviors are prevalent within this community, and are exacerbated after large-scale sociopolitical events due to increased discrimination. Limited studies examine the intersection of racism and mental health outcomes …

Mentalized Affectivity Among Adolescents In Wilderness Therapy: An Initial Exploration, William Holland

Dissertations and Theses

Mentalized affectivity (MA) blends emotion regulation and mentalization in a single construct that underlies psychopathology and is a target of psychotherapeutic intervention as a mechanism of change. Little research has investigated MA’s role in psychopathology and treatment for adolescents. Change in MA has yet to be investigated. Wilderness therapy is a non-traditional treatment model for “hard-to-reach” adolescents; its mechanisms of change have not been robustly researched. This study aims to investigate change in adolescents’ MA capacities over the course of wilderness therapy, in order to explore the role of MA components (Identifying, Processing, Expressing) in adolescent psychopathology; the relation between …

Making Sense Of The Space Between: A Qualitative Study Of Therapist’S Experience And Use Of Therapeutic Enactments, Paul Ballantyne Lafreniere

Dissertations and Theses

This study sought to examine a particular category of technical challenge in therapy: enactments. Enactments, broadly defined, are moments or stretches of time in therapy where both the patient and therapist cannot put their conflicts into words, and instead act them out within the therapeutic milieu. These phenomena frequently elicit shame and guilt on the part of the therapist, and can prove detrimental to treatment. Equally, however, investigation of these moments within treatment can be of considerable clinical utility. In this qualitative phenomenological study, 6 therapists were interviewed about their experiences working with enactments in clinical practice. The strategies which …

Dostoyevsky And Wright On Becoming The Underground Man, Zain Alam

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis explores the parallels between Fyodor Dostoyevsky's Notes from Underground and Richard Wright's The Man Who Lived Underground, focusing on their shared use of the "Underground Man" archetype to critique philosophical and societal structures. Dostoyevsky's Underground Man embodies the contradictions of Determinism and Rational Egoism in 19th-century Russia, exposing the flaws of these ideologies through satire. In contrast, Wright recontextualizes this character to address racial injustice in mid-20th-century America, using Fred Daniels' descent into a literal underground to highlight systemic oppression. By comparing these works, the thesis demonstrates how both authors utilize the underground as a metaphorical space …

Author And Authorship In Arthur Miller’S Death Of A Salesman: Willy Loman's Attempts To Author A Nostalgic, Fictitious Past Lead To His Downfall, While Linda Loman’S Miller-Authored Warnings Fall On Willy’S Ever-Deaf Ears, Allison Stein-Jackter

Dissertations and Theses

Throughout the 20th century, the American male protagonist’s obsession with and longing for a past that never existed brings about his own downfall. In Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller, Willy Loman nostalgically fantasizes about a bygone era, the pre-war days of glory and greatness, but as he attempts to recreate his presumed former prestige in a post-war world, the fantasy unravels, with not only death and destruction in his dream’s widening, illusory wake, but the unraveling also presents itself in the recognition that Willy’s carefully crafted memories are works of fiction. Decades of literary research focus on Willy’s …

From Bushwick To Portland: Bori Girls Of The Diaspora Revolutionizing The Puerto Rican Coming-Of-Age Narrative, Lily V. Alvarado

Dissertations and Theses

Trailblazing Puerto Rican women in the diaspora have challenged dominant imagery and fought against patriarchy, U.S. imperialism, and white supremacy through their writing. Writers like Esmeralda Santiago and Nicholasa Mohr have transformed the literary canon via the bildungsroman, highlighting the unique struggles of Boricua girlhood and proving that our stories matter. Two prominent female Boricua writers today, Elisabet Velasquez and Gabby Rivera, have raised the baton that has been passed down to them and revolutionized the Diasporican literary canon. In their respective texts, When We Make It: A Nuyorican Novel and Juliet Takes a Breath, Velasquez and Rivera highlight the …

An Uncanny Perspective: Sculptures By Martin Puryear, Jake B. Demartini

Dissertations and Theses

An Uncanny Perspective: Sculptures by Martin Puryear will demonstrate how Puryear (b.1941) both aesthetically and conceptually evokes narratives found in Sigmund Freud’s (1856-1939) theories of the uncanny, specifically signifiers of darkness, unfamiliarity and secrecy. This employment of the uncanny in sculpture aids Puryear’s ability to address a range of aesthetics and provides a striking lens through which he addresses the collective history of violence and servitude within the African American experience. In applying Freud’s theories to several works by Puryear, this thesis will reveal how elements of the uncanny activate a questioning of narratives around terror and fear. Using methods …

Resilience And Resistance: Culture, Conversion, And Survival Among The Stockbridge Mohicans, Mariah N. Ramdeen

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis investigates the history of conversion among the Mohican band in Stockbridge, Massachusetts from the 1730s to the 1740s. Focusing on the praying town under the ministry of Reverend John Sergeant at Stockbridge in 1736, I seek to reconstruct the resistance and survivance at the heart of the Stockbridge Mohicans’ experience. My research will explore why the Mohicans chose to establish the Stockbridge praying town and why they chose to convert to Christianity, the religion of the Puritan colonizers. I will also explore how they used their conversion to promote their own community goals. While praying towns were designed …

An Optical Aptamer-Based Carbon Nanosensor For Cortisol Detection, Jessica Kretli Zanetti

Dissertations and Theses

Cortisol is a hormone related to numerous biological functions. This hormone is primarily associated with regulating the body’s stress response, including its effects on metabolism, immune function, and energy balance. Additionally, it plays a critical role in maintaining physiological homeostasis during periods of physical or psychological stress. Consequently, it is critical to monitor levels of this hormone to understand different vital processes it can impact. This work presents the development of an optical aptamer-based carbon nanosensor for the detection of cortisol. The sensor utilizes single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) functionalized with a specific DNA aptamer to achieve high specificity and sensitivity. …

A Multidimensional Look Into Covid-19’S Reverberating Psychological Consequences, Talia Schulder

Dissertations and Theses

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated preexisting inequities in depression and anxiety symptoms, particularly for marginalized populations. Post-disaster mental health has often been investigated in both public health and clinical psychological literature, and the present dissertation integrates both disciplinary frameworks to understand the reverberating psychological consequences of the pandemic. Methods: Data were collected Winter 2022-2023, and the present analyses used descriptive statistics, correlations, and structural equation models to measure associations between variables of interest. Two separate SEMs were conducted with variables often used in public health literature. Specifically, these models assessed the indirect relationship between COVID-19-related financial and social stress …

Systems Check: A Qualitative Case Study Of Educators And Parent-Educators Supporting Adolescent Readers From An Ecological Systems Perspective, Kristi Nicole Grooms

Theses and Dissertations

In spite of decades of research and an abundance of well-intentioned intervention efforts, supporting adolescent readers, particularly at the middle level, remains a significant area of concern for educators in the United States. The struggles are present for educators working to help underperforming readers reach grade-level and keep advanced readers motivated and engaged. At home, parents and guardians experience similar challenges. Data on adolescent comprehension performance continues to be frustrating in terms of producing consistent positive results. This qualitative action research study investigated the ongoing challenge of supporting adolescent readers, specifically within the context of 7th grade, through a systems …

Burnout In Forensic Psychology Related To Personal Traits And Vicarious Trauma, Olivia Shae Bruno

Theses and Dissertations

Burnout is described as having three components: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and feelings of ineffectiveness (Maslach et al., 1997). Burnout is considered a major occupational hazard due to the consequences for the afflicted and the population they work with (Leka & Jain, 2012) including low quality care, job dissatisfaction, absenteeism, and high turnover rates (Maslach et al., 2001). Previous research has identified some occupations and settings which are linked to high rates of burnout, including psychologists (Rodriguez & Carlotta, 2017) and those working in a high stress field, such as police officers (Vazquez et al., 2021), corrections officers (Herlickson, 2010) or …

Bouguereau’S Vampires: Navigating Transgressive Desire In Dante Et Virgile, Angelina Diamante

MA Theses

This thesis investigates William Bouguereau’s Dante et Virgile (1850) in the context of nineteenth century vampire literature, emerging as the seminal text on the matter. Through a cross-discipline examination of Dante’s Divina Commedia (ca. 1308–1321), and two canonical works of Gothic vampire fiction — John Polidori’s The Vampyre (1819) and Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu’s Carmilla (1872), respectively — prominent affinities are articulated. Comprising a broad scope, this text propounds a panoptic argument that such consonance is demonstrative of a reconciliation between the classical and Gothic, forged by nuances of the composition’s own nineteenth century — the Byronic hero, homoeroticism, Neoclassicism, …

Investigating The Effect Of Streaming Based On Gender On Mathematics Learning In Mixed Secondary School: A Case Study Of A Selected Secondary School In Sheema District, Uganda, Naome Katumwebaze

Master of Education

Gender-based streaming, the practice of separating students into single-sex classes according to gender, is commonly implemented in some mixed secondary schools in Uganda. However, limited research exists on its impact on students' mathematics learning. This research study investigated the effect of gender-based streaming on mathematics learning in secondary schools in Uganda. The research is grounded in the context of Uganda's education system, which has a historical background of segregating education based on gender. It explores the expansion of formal education and the emergence of streaming as a practice in Ugandan secondary schools. The study recognizes the persistent gender gap in …

Becoming Mindful Teachers: A Pilot Study, Dusty Columbia Embury, Laura S. Clarke, Michael Embury, Kim Puckett

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

In this pilot action research study, one university professor, two public schooladministrators, and one classroom teacher worked together to teach mindfulness to teachers andpre-service teachers (university students studying to become teachers). The researchers used anaction and reflection process to design and deploy an online, asynchronous mindfulness courseover six weeks to meet the needs of participants. This paper discusses the pilot's progress,challenges, results, and lessons learned.

Improving School Climate: The Impact Of A Perma-Based Intervention On Educators' Well-Being And Emotional Intelligence, Jennifer Andrews Kenney

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

Research has demonstrated that the condition of a school’s climate substantially influences student outcomes. This study investigated the factors influencing a sub-optimal school climate in a rural school. Results indicated that educators’ unmet social and emotional needs and an absence of well-being support influenced the quality of the school climate. To address this problem, this study examined the impact of an eight-week PERMA-based multicomponent positive psychology intervention (MPPI) on rural educators’ well-being, emotional intelligence (EI), and professional practice. The participants consisted of 13 rural educators. Using a convergent mixed methods research design, the researcher merged quantitative data comprising pre-test and …

Impact Of Pharmacist-Led Medication Reconciliation On Healthcare Utilization In Heart Failure: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Olivia Soares, Alexander Vose, Jeremy Farias, Nicole J. Asal, Tracey H. Taveira

Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Poster presented at the 2024 American Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists Midyear Clinical Meeting by Olivia Soares, PharmD Candidate 2025, Alexander Vose, PharmD Candidate 2025, Jeremy Farias, PharmD Candidate 2025.

Hippocampal Subfield Volumes And Memory Development From Middle Childhood To Late Adulthood: 2-Year Longitudinal Change And Modifiers Of Age Effects, Roya Homayouni

Wayne State University Dissertations

Introduction: The hippocampus (Hc) is crucial for memory function across all ages and is comprised of distinct subfields: dentate gyrus (DG), cornu ammonis sectors (CA1-3), and subiculum. Hc subfields support different aspects of memory function across the lifespan and are differentially vulnerable to late-life pathology. Increased knowledge of normative lifespan developmental trajectories of Hc subfield volumes will illuminate their cognitive and health correlates across different ages. Yet, the evidence on change and variability of Hc subfield volumes across the lifespan is sparse. Methods: Here, I conducted a meta-analysis of cross-sectional findings of subfield volumes across ages (n = 48,278 participants, …

“Share The Fear”: Communication Concerns Of Parents With Cancer With Dependents And Coparents: A Qualitative Needs Assessment Study, Cinzia Caparso, Zoe Bowen, Sung Won Choi

Nursing Faculty Research Publications

Background: The estimated 1.6 million adults in the United States with cancer who also have dependents face unique challenges given the profound impact of cancer on their families, such as increased psychological distress, decreased quality of life, and altered family functioning. Unfortunately, little is known about the mutual cancer-related communication concerns for the perspectives of the parents with cancer or the coparents. Coparents care for the patient and dependents until they reach adulthood (e.g., unmarried, divorced, stepparent, and/or same-sex partnerships).

Objective: To understand the mutual cancer-related communication concerns from the perspectives of parents with cancer and the coparents and intervention …

Clark Magazine, Winter 2024, Clark University

Clark Magazine

The Winter 2024 edition of Clark Magazine. Clark Magazine is a twice-yearly publication primarily geared towards Clark University Alumni.

The cover story is 'The Mushroom Moment: In a bust of popularity, the once-humble fungus has captured the kitchen and conquered our culture. Clark mycologist David Hibbett believes he knows why'.

Gettysburg College Journal Of The Civil War Era 2024

The Gettysburg College Journal of the Civil War Era

No abstract provided.

Beyond Boundaries: Women In Border States During The American Civil War, Carly A. Jensen

The Gettysburg College Journal of the Civil War Era

From 1861-1865, the previously United States was torn apart by the Civil War. While many Southern states succeeded and joined the Confederate cause, five slave-holding states remained part of the Union. Women across the nation found their lives upended by the conflict, but those living in border states faced particular strife as neighbors turned against each other because of political ideology. Soldiers of both armies invaded towns in border states and used their positions to steal and take advantage of the women residing there. However, these women remained strong, demonstrating their enduring morale. This paper examines personal correspondence from women …

The Unseen War: Struggles Of Andersonville Survivors, Rj Lehal

The Gettysburg College Journal of the Civil War Era

The American Civil War lasted from 1861-1865, in that period many lives were lost and many more lives were forever transformed. Families had lost loved ones and those who returned home were not themselves anymore. This paper will examine the post-war mental health of Andersonville survivors. Focus will also be placed on the difficulties of survivors trying to return to their post-war lives; along with the difficulties survivors faced in receiving a pension. And how Andersonville in recent American memory has been transformed into a place of remembrance, for all American POWs in all American wars. Different sources will be …