Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

An Exploration Of Home-Based Therapists’ Supervisory Experiences: A Phenomenological Inquiry, Cherre Camper

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

In-home family therapy has become one of the most common options of treatment for providing services to families who do not typically utilize a private clinic (Lawson, 2005; Reiter, 2000; Yorgason, McWey, & Felts, 2005). Researchers have given some attention to the topic of home-based therapy and to general supervision, but little attention has focused on the actual supervision experiences of home-based therapy providers. This phenomenological study explored the supervision experiences of seven past and current in-home therapists: marriage and family therapists (MFTs) and social workers (MSWs). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the participants, and data was analyzed to develop …

The Art Of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy: Experiential Training For Novice Therapists In Creative Collaborative Language, Lori Ann Pantaleao

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

Novice solution-focused brief therapists often have difficulty delivering scaling questions within the languaging of their clients. To help beginning Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) trainees, this researcher has created the metaphorically enhanced scaling question (MESQ) training program. By incorporating a meaning making system such as the metaphor, the scaling question becomes expressive and symbolic to the client and his or her own story. The MESQ objective is to assist novice therapists in facilitating the SFBT scaling question creatively through the use of metaphor. A metaphor is a created meaning isomorphic to its original meaning or experience. The metaphor will be co-constructed …

Social Grief: A Grounded Theory Of Utilizing Status Updates On Facebook As A Contemporary Ritual, Celese Catania-Opris

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

The popular Social Networking Site, Facebook, offers its users the ability tocommunicate with others from all over the globe. Individuals can create a virtual identity for themselves enabling members to call, message, and locate others in a matter of seconds. The number of Facebook users appears to increase; yet, the number of members who die daily is not normally accounted. Facebook now permits the memorialization ofthe deceased’s profile. This allows members to continue commenting, sharing photos and videos, and visiting the deceased’s Facebook page. This trend led to the central question of this study, “What benefits, if any, are individuals …

Enhancing The Couple Alliance And Developing A Dyadic Orientation In Discursive Couples Therapy: A Conversation Analysis Of Therapists', Samira Y. Garcia

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

The purpose of this study is to develop an interpretative understanding of how discursive therapists’ linguistic actions enhance the couple alliance. Additionally, this study includes an exploration of whether these models hold up to a common factors conversation in the practice of couples therapy. The couple alliance is the central relationship in couples therapy. Previous research suggests that therapists’ actions might have an effect on enhancing this alliance by creating a dyadic orientation. In postmodern/discursive models of practice, therapists’ actions have gone mostly unexplored, leaving therapists with little understanding of what is done in the process of couples therapy that …

What Works For Successful In-Home Family Therapists Working At Community-Based Agencies, Aleyah R. Yasin

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

Resiliency is an important characteristic of successful therapists (Aponte, 1991; Aponte & Carlsen, 2009; Aponte & Winter, 2000; Clark, 2009; Hamel & Laraway, 2004; Kuiper, 2012; Protinsky & Coward, 2001; Rosenburg & Pace, 2006; Wolgien & Coady, 1997), especially those in entry-level positions that tend to involve high stress and turnover (Acker, 2004; Clark, 2009; Davis, 2013; Greenson, Guo, Barth, Harley, & Sission, 2009; Grosch & Olsen, 1994; Gupta, Peterson, Lysaght, & Zweck, 2012; Horan, 2002; Maslach & Leiter, 1997; Negash & Sahin, 2011; Rosenburg &Pace, 2006; Skovolt &Trotter Mathison, 2011). This study explored the perspectives of six therapists providing …

My Dance With Cancer: An Autoethnographic Exploration Of The Journey, Vardine K. Simeus

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

Sometimes when a person who has been diagnosed with cancer finds out that his or her cancer returned and continuously has to go for surgeries, treatments, regular follow-ups, and continued overtime to deal with the same life-threatening illness, he or she can actually feel frozen due to feeling depressed and anxious in not knowing how to move forward with life. Dance is a metaphor used in this study to move forward. Psychotherapy can offer major benefits to help cancer patients cope with the depression, anxiety, stress, and other emotional reactions that often accompany a cancer diagnosis (Stuyck, 2008). Many studies …

Depression Outcomes In Care Coordination, Primary Care And Psychiatry Patients After Pharmacogenetic Testing, Julie Kittelsrud

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objective. The purpose of the study is to compare the outcomes of patient activation before and after pharmacogenetic care in a coordinated care population. The process of pharmacogenetic care includes the patient’s acknowledgment of medication changes which are based on their genetic profile. This study will be framed by Dorothea Orem’s Self-Care Theory and Davies and Conley’s framework of genetic influences in prescribing anti psychotropic therapy.

Background. Understanding patient’s behavioral reactions to pharmacogenetic care in terms of patient activation is important to understanding patient’s health outcomes. No published studies were identified in literature reviews conducted by this author which …

A Latent Profile Analysis Of Drinking Patterns Among Nonstudent Emerging Adults, Cathy Lau-Barraco, Abby L. Braitman, Amy L. Stamates, Ashley N. Linden-Carmichael

Psychology Faculty Publications

Research indicates that nonstudent emerging adults, as compared to their college-attending peers, are at higher risk for experiencing alcohol-related problems, including alcohol use disorders. The present study sought to extend the limited research on nonstudent drinking by (1) identifying sub-groups of nonstudent drinkers based on their drinking patterns and (2) determining the extent to which social-cognitive between-person factors related to drinking (i.e., social expectancies, perceived drinking norms, social drinking motivations) distinguish these sub-groups. Participants were 195 (65.1% men) nonstudent emerging adult heavy episodic drinkers recruited from the community. Mean age was 21.88 (SD = 2.08) years and 45.4% were unemployed. …

Health Care Agency: Statewide Awareness Of Patient-Centered Care In Maine’S Mental Health Care Facilities, Holly Hogan A

Honors Theses

This research project focuses on patient-centered care (PCC) in the context of inpatient acute psychiatric units. Hospitals have been claiming their renewed outlooks on health-care via PCC. It has become an increasingly popular term to use on hospital websites and in presidential statements. The technologies and practices surrounding psychiatric care have evolved in such a way that patients are more welcomed to have an input in their care. This project discusses the discourse around PCC at Mental Health Care Facilities in Maine. There is no consensus on the definition; the meanings ascribed to it are derived from the individual institutions. …

Family Aided Community Treatment For The Treatment Of Early Psychosis: A Proof Of Concept Study, Ryan P. Melton, Cass Dykeman

Regional Research Institute for Human Services

Major psychotic disorders are one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. If these conditions are identified early and treatment promptly implemented, the prognosis is improved. This study examined the impact of a yearlong family aided community treatment (FACT) intervention upon psychiatric symptoms. Psychiatric symptom scores improved with the FACT intervention. Improved training on early recognition for mental health clinicians, implementation of a specific treatment model in community settings and policy around treatment funding allocation are implications of this study.

Understanding The Roles And Uses Of Art Making In Art Therapy, Mary Ellen Hluska

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

This study looked at the role of art making in art therapy, specifically how art therapists value, understand, use, and make decisions regarding art in personal practice and in professional practice. The art-making aspect of art therapy is understudied considering it is art that differentiates art therapists from other helping professions that use art in practice. Additionally, the study sought to illuminate how art making informs both the artist and art therapist identities of professional clinicians. A mixed-methods design was employed to gather data based on inductive and deductive study methods. Constructivist philosophy provided a process for generating ideas and …

Touch Painting: An Art Therapy Intervention On Anxiety In Older Adults, Carrie May Ezell

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

This study investigated the use of two art therapy painting interventions with anxious older adults in long-term care or assisted living facilities in the Southeast. The control group used ‘traditional painting’ as defined by using a paintbrush and the intervention group used ‘touch painting’ as defined by using a foam core board with tissue paper. All participants in the study (n=44) were identified as having symptoms of anxiety as determined by their facility staff. Participants completed the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI) as a pre-test and post-test assessment. Both groups attended four art therapy sessions with the following themes: (1) Free …

Family-Based Music Therapy: Family Therapists' Perspectives, Beth Nemesh

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

ABSTRACT The purpose of this mixed methods study was to explore the use of musical interventions borrowed from music therapy in a family therapy context. Furthermore, the study aimed to move beyond current application of family-music therapy that focuses on a child, a member with special needs, or families with additional diagnoses to non-clinical families seeking therapy, focusing on the family as an entity. This research was based on the premise that engaging in musical activities is a natural, common endeavor that does not require special musical skills. This does not replace the immense body of knowledge needed for conventional …

The Art Museum As A Therapeutic Space, Sarah Hamil

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

This study explores the essential qualities of the multiple perspectives informing the practice of art therapy in the museum context. Museum-based art therapy is defined as art therapy provided in partnership with museums as part of strategic efforts to engage in community practice. The study focuses on obtaining in-depth information through audio-recorded interviews with seven expert practitioners with direct knowledge and experience in the therapeutic use of art in museums that welcome community engagement. The interview contents were interpreted by identifying salient passages and important points emphasized in participant responses as an exploration into new perspectives regarding the use of …

Art Therapy And Cancer Care: A Qualitative Analysis Of Visual Oncology Narratives, Jill Mcnutt

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

This document reviews the artworks created in the form of visual narratives of cancer survivors. The work sought to explore the subjective experience of cancer and explore potential functions of art therapy in oncology care. Previous research found stages of the cancer trajectory and psychosocial benefits of art therapy. Fifteen adult cancer survivors created visual narratives and participated in this qualitative inquiry. The research was action-based and used arts based and qualitative methodologies. Eight themes emerged and reflected stages of the cancer experience and corresponding functions of art therapy participation. The themes included: diagnosis and the onset of the cancer …

An Evaluation Of A Developmental Individualized Relationship (Dir®) And Creative Arts Therapies Program For Children With Autism, Faith Thayer

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

This study evaluated a Developmental Individual Differences Relationship-based (DIR®) creative arts therapy (CAT) program for children with ASD. The study was intended to assess whether the program met its stated goals to stimulate individualized social-emotional growth for children with ASD. The study was motivated by a central research question: Do DIR®-based creative arts therapies promote the social-emotional growth of children with ASD? A summative, longitudinal program evaluation research design was used to examine the program’s fidelity and outcomes. The evaluation included assessments for pre- and post-test quantitative standardized measures for data collection and analysis. The study also collected data from …

A Systematic Review On The Use Of Psychosocial Interventions In Conjunction With Medications For The Treatment Of Opioid Addiction, K Dugosh, A. Abraham, B. Seymour, K. Mcloyd, M. Chalk, David Festinger

PCOM Scholarly Works

Opioid use and overdose rates have risen to epidemic levels in the United States during the past decade. Fortunately, there are effective medications (ie, methadone, buprenorphine, and oral and injectable naltrexone) available for the treatment of opioid addiction. Each of these medications is approved for use in conjunction with psychosocial treatment; however, there is a dearth of empirical research on the optimal psychosocial interventions to use with these medications. In this systematic review, we outline and discuss the findings of 3 prominent prior reviews and 27 recent publications of empirical studies on this topic. The most widely studied psychosocial interventions …

Body Satisfaction And Ability To Identify Weight Status Of Preschool-Aged Children By Their Caregivers, Andrea Brown

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Rates of childhood obesity have been rising consistently across the nation and internationally. As a result, interventionists have been working to develop ways to combat this and have focused on interventions involving caregivers. Previous research indicates caregivers experience challenges in identifying obesity among their own children, which leads to barriers in addressing and reducing rates of obesity as caregivers remain unaware of any problems. The current study explored caregivers’ ability to correctly assign their child to the appropriate weight category and whether their ability was impacted by caregivers’ own weight status. Further, it also explored caregivers’ level of body satisfaction …

Contemplating Mindfulness At Work: An Integrative Review, Darren J. Good, Christopher Lyddy, Theresa M. Glomb, Joyce E. Bono, Kirk W. Brown, Michelle K. Duffy, Ruth A. Baer, Judson A. Brewer, Sara W. Lazar

School of Business Faculty Publications

Mindfulness research activity is surging within organizational science. Emerging evidence across multiple fields suggests that mindfulness is fundamentally connected to many aspects of workplace functioning, but this knowledge base has not been systematically integrated to date. This review coalesces the burgeoning body of mindfulness scholarship into a framework to guide mainstream management research investigating a broad range of constructs. The framework identifies how mindfulness influences attention, with downstream effects on functional domains of cognition, emotion, behavior, and physiology. Ultimately, these domains impact key workplace outcomes, including performance, relationships, and well-being. Consideration of the evidence on mindfulness at work stimulates important …

Through My Eyes: The Effect On Family Life Of Having Siblings With Autism Spectrum Disorder As Experienced By A Typically Developing Adolescent, Samantha L. Brand

Honors Theses and Capstones

As the prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) continues to increase, research efforts have begun to focus on the effects a person with ASD has on family life. The dominant voice in the extant literature is that of parents and caregivers, but only a small body of research explores the experiences of siblings. Using a phenomenological approach, a qualitative study was conducted to understand how a typically developing (TD) adolescent experiences the effects of having siblings with ASD on family routines and activities. Findings indicate that the family’s performance context—including routines, relationships, and activities—acts as the mediator of the bidirectional …

School Counselors' Experiences Working With Digital Natives: A Qualitative Study, Laura L. Gallo, Meredith Rausch, Carol Klose Smith, Susannah Wood

Counselor Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

To better understand school counselors' experiences related to students' use of social media, the authors conducted a qualitative study, utilizing a phenomenological approach, with eight practicing high school counselors. Three major themes emerged from the study: “the digital cultural divide,” “frustration and fear,” and “embracing change.” This article presents implications for school counseling practice and research.

The Association Of Internalized Stigmas, Culture-Specific Coping, And Depression In Gay And Bisexual Black Men, Duane Glen Khan

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Gay and bisexual Black men experience higher lifetime depression rates than both White and Black heterosexual men. Some social stress researchers argued that this rate may be due to having two stigmatized minority identities and therefore being at greater risk. However, gay and bisexual Black men also experience lifetime depression rates significantly below White LGB people, suggesting resilience to depression for those with these intersecting identities, race and sexuality. This study attempted to address the debate between greater risk versus resilience in gay and bisexual Black men.

Exploring The Association Between Maternal Mental Health And Housing Conditions During Early Childhood And Anxiety And Depression At Age 15, Diane Marie Butrym

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Abstract

A Qualitative Analysis Of Clinician Attitudes And Experiences Learning And Implementing Transdiagnostic Evidence-Based Practices For Eating Disorders, Jennifer Marie Oswald

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Clinician experiences with the implementation of new practices are important factors in facilitating the use of new treatment models and evidence-based practices (EBPs). As such, they provide crucial information to behavioral health dissemination and implementation research. Qualitative interviewing allows researchers to learn from clinician experiences with greater depth and nuance. The present study qualitatively analyzed 8 clinicians’ experiences with the implementation of a new transdiagnostic treatment model for eating disorders (ED) at an intensive residential treatment center. Participating clinicians completed a semi-structured interview based on constructs from the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR), an organizing framework with demonstrated utility …

Exploring The Association Between Perceived Safety Of Household Children In The Neigborhood And Levels Of Depressive Symptoms Among Spanish Speaking Latina Adults Living In A High Crime, Low Income Neigbhorhood, Randall Stetson

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Previous research has confirmed that neighborhood level social factors (e.g. crime, safety) present chronic stressors that increase risk for depression in residents of economically disadvantaged neighborhoods. U.S. Latinos experience higher levels of poverty and thus are more likely to live in poor neighborhoods. In this study it was hypothesized that adult Latina women who reported (1) higher levels of worry regarding the general safety of their household children in the neighborhood, (2) higher levels of worry regarding influence of bad friends on their household children, and (3) higher levels of worry regarding their household children being exposed to drugs and …

Adolescent Attitudes Toward And Perceptions Of Suicide, Stigma, And Help-Seeking Behavior, Julia M. Hollinger

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Suicide is a leading cause of death for adolescents and represents a major national health concern (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, [AFSP], 2015; (Centers for Disease Control [CDC], 2013). Because adolescents spend the majority of their day at school (Erbacher, Singer, & Poland, 2015), the effectiveness of school-based suicide prevention programs may be improved through better understanding of adolescents’ views on the subject of suicide and the factors that may influence participation in prevention efforts. The present study explored the attitudes and perceptions of seventh grade students from a suburban middle school in Pennsylvania, using archival survey data. Variables that …

Experiences Of Victimization And Health Care Access Among Non-Metropolitan Lgbtq+ Individuals, Ashley-Ann Marcotte

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer (LGBTQ+) individuals report substantial rates of violence, discrimination, and negative life events due to homophobia and transphobia and these experiences impact access to health care services and programs (Bauer et al, 2009; Grant, Mottet, Tanis, Harrison, & Keisling, 2010) These experiences result in LGBTQ+ communities needing services, programs, and social supports to provide safer spaces. Although it is well recognized that health care services are not a major determinant of health outcomes and yet use more than 60% of health spending (Canadian Institute for Health Information, 2014; Muzyka, Hodgson, & Prada, 2012). As such, …

Tiers 1, 2 & 3 Intervention: Bullying Prevention & Intervention, Paige T. Lembeck, Ann O'Connor, Scott Fluke, Reece L. Peterson

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Conclusion

Given the detrimental impact bullying has on students who are involved in these interactions, regardless of whether they are a bully, victim, bully-victim, or bystander, it is reassuring that many school policies and school-wide intervention programs which are evidence-based have surfaced to address this issue. However, schools must not endorse a “one size fits all” approach. Instead, the best intervention efforts are guided by local data that can best inform schools of specific factors (e.g., settings, forms of bullying) that warrant intervention and are realistically aligned with the resources that are available to the school.

Alcohol Use As A Precipitant And Comorbidity In Primary Headache, Rachel Davis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Migraine and tension-type headache (tth) are two of the most prevalent pain conditions diagnosed throughout the world and can be extremely disabling with many economic, social, physical and psychological health costs. A plethora of research indicates a strong, positive association between co-occurring psychiatric disorders (e.g., major depressive disorder, anxiety, panic) and migraine and tth, however co-occurring alcohol-use disorders are relatively unexplored. The limited studies that have explored alcohol-use disorders have produced mixed findings, potentially as a result of differing methodology, sample source, and the debated precipitating nature of alcohol use on headache. An abundance of research suggests that many environmental …

Probing The Functional Relevance Of Reactive Hippocampal Neurogenesis In A Model Of An Alcohol Use Disorder, Chelsea Rhea Geil Nickell

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

Alcoholism, or alcohol use disorders (AUDs), represent a major public health concern both locally and globally. Critically, excessive alcohol consumption results in neurodegeneration in brain regions such as the hippocampus which is known for its role in learning and memory. Recovery of hippocampal volume loss has been observed after prolonged abstinence, but the mechanisms underlying this process are not well understood. Adult neurogenesis is thought to contribute to this recovery since after alcohol exposure a reactive increase in adult neurogenesis is observed. This reactive neurogenesis (the process by which brain insult results in a compensatory increase in neurogenesis) may represent …