Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Music, Healing, And Conflict: Balancing Science And Intuition, Marisa K. Massery

Capstone Collection

Music move us personally and with more meaning than any other medium in the world. In the past few decades, modern advances in neuroscience have proved via neuroimaging that musical processing involves almost every region of the brain, a task that no other stimulus can achieve. Science can show what is happening in our brain, but humans have intuitively known and utilized music for healing purposes since the beginning of humanity. This research examines the dynamics of continued scientific advancement in light of Non-Western ways of knowing. The study is an attempt to shorten the distance between music, healing and …

Exploring The Multidimensional Structure Of The Wasi-Ii: Further Insights From Schmid-Leiman Higher-Order And Exploratory Bifactor Solutions, Brittany Mcgeehan, Nadine Ndip, Ryan J. Mcgill

Archives of Assessment Psychology

The Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence-Second Edition (WASI-II; Wechsler, 2011a) is a versatile and widely utilized brief intelligence measure by assessment psychologists in a variety of clinical settings. Despite the fact that a hierarchical measurement model is implied in the WASI-II Manual (Wechsler, 2011b) and the scores provided by the instrument, a hierarchical measurement model was not specified in the structural validation studies conducted by the test publisher. Due to this shortcoming, two exploratory factor analytic methods (Schmid-Leiman [SL] and exploratory bifactor analysis [EBFA]) were utilized to disclose the higher-order structuring of WASI-II variables. Results from both solutions indicated that …

Predicting Patients' Trust In Physicians From Personality Variables, Ethnicity, And Gender, Zoreed A. Mukhtar

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study examined variables related to the doctor-patient interaction that can predict college students’ trust in their physicians. Specifically, I examined if five personality variables, ethnicity, and gender were associated with attitudes toward physicians. A second aim of the study was to determine if there was a difference in the level of trust in physicians between pre-medical and non-pre-medical students. Surveys were administered to UCF students containing a series of questions compiled from the Interpersonal Physician Trust Scale, Interpersonal Trust Scale, Illness Attitude Scale, Big Five Inventory, Martin-Larsen Approval Motivation Scale-Short Form, Almost Perfect Scale-Revised and Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale-Short …

The Implications Of Attachment Orientation And Personality Pathology For Detecting Deception, Madeline Luedke

Global Tides

This study investigated the implications of attachment orientations and personality dimensions for accuracy in detecting deception from emotionally-based statements. Thirty individuals (M age = 25.33, range = 18-52) completed a survey that included the Personality Inventory for DSM-V-Brief Form and the Relationship Styles Questionnaire to measure the individual differences in question. To measure deceit, 7 mental health counselors volunteered to participate in a video-recorded mock interview concerning their current romantic partner—3 individuals provided false responses, and the remaining 4 offered true answers. The audio-visual vignettes were imbedded in the survey and subjects viewed each, then responded a question asking …

A Theory Of Veteran Identity, Travis L. Martin

Theses and Dissertations--English

More than 2.6 million troops have deployed in support of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Still, surveys reveal that more than half feel “disconnected” from their civilian counterparts, and this feeling persists despite ongoing efforts, in the academy and elsewhere, to help returning veterans overcome physical and mental wounds, seek an education, and find meaningful ways to contribute to society after taking off the uniform. This dissertation argues that Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans struggle with reassimilation because they lack healthy, complete models of veteran identity to draw upon in their postwar lives, a problem they’re working through collectively …

Narratives Of Men Living With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Kimberly Vandermark Lynch

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

While systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has been traditionally viewed as a woman's disease, SLE impacts men as well. Although most research on SLE has concentrated on how it affected women, little is known about how it impacts men. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine how men who live with SLE perceive its psychological impact. Using the lens of the biopsychological theory, common themes were examined pertaining to how men with SLE perceive the impact that SLE has on their cognitive and emotional functioning. Data were collected via interviews with 9 men with SLE, and the data were …

Experiences Of Parents Of Self-Harming Adolescent Children, Sheila Nicole Russell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Adolescent self-harm is a growing epidemic in the United States with thousands of adolescent children being treated in hospitals every year. Despite awareness that self-harm impacts the family unit, little attention has been given to the full impact that self-harm has on parents. Due to this lack of knowledge, counselor educators and supervisors are not equipped to train counselors to work with parents of self-harming adolescent children leaving counselors feeling unprepared to work with parents. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of parents who have self-harming adolescent children. Family systems theory was used to …

The Effect Of Two Modes Of Aerobic Assessment On Fifth Grade Students' Self Efficacy, Debra Roth

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Declining youth physical activity levels and lack of aerobic fitness have been well documented with a corresponding rise in obesity levels and health issues. Based on Bandura's social cognitive theory, healthy physical activity levels and aerobic fitness are strongly connected to positive physical activity self-efficacy beliefs. This study examined whether student physical activity self-efficacy, motivation, and effort were different for the FitnessGram-® (FG) 1-Mile Run when compared to the 15-minute Aerobic Assessment Based on Improvement (AABI). A concurrent mixed method quasi-experimental approach measured 5th grade students' physical activity self-efficacy beliefs through a pretest and posttest survey while aerobic assessment scores …

"You're Doing Fine, Right?": Adolescent Siblings Of Substance Abusers, Cynthia E. Clarfield

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

There has been a rising interest in addiction medicine and addiction treatment in both the medical and behavioral health science fields. Research suggests having a family member with a substance abuse problem has negative impacts on both physical and mental health (Orford, Copello, Velleman, & Templeton, 2010a). Despite advances toward understanding the experiences of family members affected by a loved one's addiction, the siblings of substance abusers have been largely excluded from scientific research and literature. As a result, little is known about how siblings experience the impacts of a brother or sister's addiction; even less is known about the …

Self-Reported Pain In Male And Female Iraq/Afghanistan-Era Veterans: Associations With Psychiatric Symptoms And Functioning, Jennifer C. Naylor, H. Ryan Wagner, Mira Brancu, Megan Shepherd-Banigan, Eric Elbogen, Michelle Kelley, Teresa Fecteau, Karen Goldstein, Nathan A. Kimbrel, Christine E. Marx

Psychology Faculty Publications

Objective. To examine pain symptoms and co-occurring psychiatric and functional indices in male and female Iraq/Afghanistan-era veterans.

Design. Self-reported data collection and interviews of Iraq/Afghanistan-era veterans who participated in a multisite study of postdeployment mental health.

Setting. Veterans were enrolled at one of four participating VA sites.

Subjects. Two thousand five hundred eighty-seven male and 662 female Iraq/Afghanistan-era veterans.

Methods. Nonparametric Wilcoxon rank tests examined differences in pain scores between male and female veterans. Chi-square tests assessed differences between male and female veterans in the proportion of respondents endorsing moderate to high levels of pain vs no pain. Multilevel …

The Relationship Between Physical Exercise And Cognition In Children With Typical Development And Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Beron Wei Zhong Tan

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This research project sought to investigate the relationship between physical exercise and cognition in children with and without a neurodevelopmental condition. To achieve this aim, three approaches were undertaken to explore the exercise and cognition relationship. The first approach sought to understand the efficacy of exercise interventions on cognition in individuals with a neurodevelopmental disorder. The second approach was to understand the effectiveness of an exercise activity when compared to a cognitively-engaging tablet game activity on measures of implicit learning and attention in children with and without a neurodevelopmental condition. The third approach was to investigate if psychophysiological measures could …

Canine Emotions As Seen Through Human Social Cognition, Miiamaaria V. Kujala

Animal Sentience

It is not possible to demonstrate that dogs (Canis familiaris) feel emotions, but the same is true for all other species, including our own. The issue must therefore be approached indirectly, using premises similar to those used with humans. Recent methodological advances in canine research reveal what dogs experience and what they derive from the emotions perceptible in others. Dogs attend to social cues, they respond appropriately to the valence of human and dog facial expressions and vocalizations of emotion, and their limbic reward regions respond to the odor of their caretakers. They behave differently according to the …

The Effect Of Parenting Styles On Academic Self-Efficacy, Resilience, And Help Seeking, Ana Gonzalez

All Master's Theses

Parenting is a balance of behaviors that can influence a child’s outcome. Twenty-eight undergraduate college students completed ratings of parenting styles, resilience, and help-seeking behaviors, as well as academic self-efficacy. None of these variables were significant predictors of academic self-efficacy, although significant positive correlations were found between an authoritative parenting style and the variables of help-seeking and resilience. Help-seeking and academic self-efficacy were negatively correlated, suggesting that students with lower academic self-efficacy reported a higher willingness to seek help. Implications of these findings for both mental health counselors and university student support staff are discussed.

Exploring Job Satisfaction And Preceptorship Capacity Among Applied Epidemiologists, Jessica C. Arrazola

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Job satisfaction is important to consider when developing strategies for recruitment and retention. The Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey (PH WINS) conducted in 2014 was the first nationally representative assessment of the state public health workforce. Prior to this assessment, the job satisfaction of state agency public health workers and preceptor capacity had not been measured. This study fills the current research gaps by studying the job satisfaction among the applied epidemiology workforce, identifying factors influencing job satisfaction, and the describing the preceptorship capacity among epidemiologists. This research is based on the 2014 PH WINS data. The analysis …

Examining Preference Of Home-Based Telemental Health Among Rural Veterans, Paige Dixon

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Rural veterans face significant disparities to health care that have resulted in lower physical and mental health related quality of life when compared to their urban counterparts (Weeks et al., 2006). Such disparities are further complicated by the six-fold increase in prevalence of mental health diagnoses among Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans (Seal et al., 2009). These rising rates are particularly relevant to rural veterans as they represent 41% of the overall Veteran Health Administration enrollees, but only 19% of the general population (U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs, 2012; U.S. Census Bureau, 2014). Rural veterans face three …

Effects Of Screen Light Filtering Software On Sleep And Morning Alertness, Hengyu Chi

All Master's Theses

Research has shown that blue light can impact the circadian rhythm. Research has also suggested that use of electronic devices, such as computers and televisions that emit blue light before sleep, can negatively impact sleep quality. This research has led to the creation of computer software which lowers the levels of blue light in the evening to help with sleep. This study looked at the impact of wavelength filtering software on sleep onset, sleep duration and subjective alertness after morning waking of four college students. The college students were randomized into two groups and had the wavelength filtering software f.lux …

Urine Cotinine In Children And Parental Behavior Modification: A Pilot Study, Teresa Lachance

Muskie School Capstones and Dissertations

“Urine Cotinine in Children and Parental Behavior Modification” was designed by Dr. Deirdre Burns, a pediatrician at the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital (BBCH). It was implemented as a pilot study to determine whether urine cotinine testing in children who are admitted to the hospital for respiratory illness and tracking parental smoking behaviors over time was feasible. Parents were given a brief survey to assess their current smoking behaviors and to understand their readiness to quit smoking. They received smoking cessation materials provided by the Breathe Easy Coalition of Maine. These materials outline information about second-hand and third-hand smoke, and encourage …

Breast Cancer, Mana'olana/Hope, And The Experience Of Native Hawaiian Women, Karla Marie Calumet

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality among women. A diagnosis of cancer is a stressful event that requires an individual to adapt to new stressors. The purpose of this qualitative study was to better understand the perceptions of mana'olana/hope and living with breast cancer among Native Hawaiian women. The conceptual framework of this phenomenological study was positive psychology. Data collection included in-depth interviews with 5 Native Hawaiian women who had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Data coding and analysis resulted in identification of 8 themes.

The themes included: (a) mana'olana /hope is the essence …

Non Medical Prescription Drug Use In Rural Communities And Social Work, Izetta Mounice Briggs-Bolling

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study explored the roles and responsibilities of social workers providing services to nonmedical prescription drug users (NMPDU). Researchers have indicated NMPDU disproportionately affects people living in rural communities. The overarching research question sought to explore the concerns of social workers when providing services to patients coping with NMPDU in the rural community of Ulster County, New York. The intention was to examine systemic challenges facing rural social workers when attempting to decrease morbidity risks and increase the health of Ulster County residents. A total of 7 social workers participated in 3 focus groups to explore their ideas for defining, …

Sexual Harassment Experience, Psychological Climate, And Sex Effect On Perception Of Safety, Kenneth C. Barker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sexual harassment has significant adverse psychological and physical effects on employees and can negatively impact the workplace, and overall business operations. A gap in current research was identified concerning whether the employee's sex affects employee's perceived workplace sexual harassment climate, sexual harassment experience, and perceived safety from sexual harassment. This study examined the effects of employee workplace sexual harassment experience and perception of workplace sexual harassment psychological climate on employee's perceived safety from sexual harassment moderated by sex. Results showed that perceived workplace sexual harassment climate and employee workplace sexual harassment experience were both significant predictors of perceived safety from …

Vicarious Trauma Coping And Self-Care Practices Among Trauma Therapists., Annette Zaccari

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Therapists who specialize in trauma therapy are indirectly exposed traumatic events presented by clients within the therapeutic relationship. The potential consequences for trauma therapists may be the risk of vicarious trauma. Effective coping and self-care are essential in the practice of trauma work. The research question for this study is: Do coping skills and self-care practices in trauma therapists moderate the disruptive effect of vicarious trauma on the fulfillment of their psychological needs (trust/dependence and control)? The purpose of this research study was to examine quantitatively, the role of trauma therapists' beliefs in the effectiveness of coping skills and time …

Predictors And Moderators Of Sexual Distress In Women With Persistent Genital Arousal Disorder, Lisa Squibb

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Persistent Genital Arousal Disorder (PGAD) is a complex, poorly understood condition characterized by unremitting, unwanted, distressing genital arousal which occurs frequently and for extended periods of time, often in the absence of sexual stimuli. The pathophysiology is unknown. Researchers have hypothesized underlying disorders of neurological, vascular, pharmacological and psychological origins. Possible causalities have been suggested including anxiety disorder, SSRI use, and pudendal nerve neuropathies among others. Despite the uncertainty of etiology, other aspects of the disorder are clearer, including distress and poor quality of life for many. In this study, I used a biopsychosocial model to examine three potential psychological …

Mindfulness Meditation Practice By Individuals With Substance Dependent Behavior, Quyen Ho

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many people in the United States suffer from substance dependence, which leads to depression, anxiety, work impairment, difficulties in interpersonal relationships, crime, and health care problems. Mindfulness meditation has been applied in many aspects of mental health treatment and all belief systems. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore substance dependents' experiences related to their mindfulness meditation practice of at least 6 months and up to 3 years. A constructivist conceptual framework, which states that human beings create systems for understanding reality based on their individual beliefs, emotions, and interpretations, was used for this study. Research questions focused …

A Phenomenological Study Of Correctional Officers' Perceived Emotions On The Job, Heather Susan Grammatico

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Correctional officers work in a stressful environment and are regularly exposed to dangerous and emotionally charged situations. Researchers have detailed the potential negative outcomes of this occupation, yet little research has examined the extent to which correctional officers experience emotion while on their shifts, and how those emotions may translate into stress, divorce, substance abuse issues, domestic violence, and high mortality rates upon retirement. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to learn how correctional officers experience their felt and expressed emotions while at work. Data collection was done using a 15-item open ended questionnaire designed by the researcher and …

The Soldier 360°Orgram: Strengthening Combat-Exposed, Noncommisioned U.S. Army Officers' Interpersonal Sensitivity, Anne Harper

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Interpersonal sensitivity is a foundational component of interpersonal relationships. It encompasses an individual's self-concept and self-identity, which are formed as the individual develops. An individual's self-concept develops from the norms and mores of his or her society. Soldiers in the U.S. Army have been trained to form a repurposed self to engage in combat and work in combat-focused jobs. The consequence of this training in many cases has been diminished interpersonal sensitivity that has been detrimental to their interpersonal relationships. The Soldier 360° course is a comprehensive treatment program that takes a holistic approach to providing soldiers with self-empowering tools …

Adolescents' Experiences Returning To School After A Mental Health Hospitalization, Pamela Iverson

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This qualitative study explores how adolescents experience transition when they return to school after an acute mental health hospitalization. For this study, the term transition is used to describe the process of adjusting to the return from an acute mental health hospital to school. Eight adolescents from southern Minnesota, ages 15-17, were interviewed about their transition experience for this study. Each participant had experienced an acute hospitalization within 12 months of their interview. Each participant interview was recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using phenomenological research methods. For each participant, an individual textural description, structural description, and textural/structural description was provided through …

Cross-Validation Of The Validity-10 Subscale Of The Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory, Jordan P. Harp

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

The present study is a cross-validation of the Validity-10 embedded symptom validity indicator from the Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory (NSI) for the detection of questionable response validity during evaluation for mild traumatic brain injury (TBI).

The sample and data derived from a three-site Veterans Affairs (VA) parent study to validate the TBI Clinical Reminder, a routine set of questions asked of all recently returned veterans at VA facilities to screen for history of TBI. In the parent study, veterans recently returned from Iraq and Afghanistan underwent an evaluation for TBI with a physician and completed an assessment battery including neuropsychological tests …

Analyzing Songs Used For Lyric Analysis With Mental Health Consumers Using Linguistic Inquiry And Word Count (Liwc) Software, Ashley M. Miller

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Lyric analysis is one of the most commonly used music therapy interventions with the mental health population, yet there is a gap in the research literature regarding song selection. The primary purpose of this study was to determine distinguishing linguistic characteristics of song lyrics most commonly used for lyric analysis with mental health consumers, as measured by LIWC2015 software. A secondary purpose was to provide an updated song list resource for music therapists and music therapy students working with the mental health population. The researcher emailed a survey to 6,757 board-certified music therapists, 316 of whom completed the survey. Respondents …

Online Versus In-Person Therapy: Effect Of Client Demographics And Personality Characteristics, Joel Joseph Kofmehl

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Traditionally, mental health professionals have provided psychotherapeutic services through face-to-face sessions. As the Internet has become an increasingly important part of individuals' personal and professional lives, psychologists and clients have used this medium to expand access to psychotherapy. The purpose of this quantitative correlational design was to investigate whether demographic variables and the personality traits of extroversion/introversion (E/I), as assessed by the Big Five Inventory, predicted clients' preferences for a specific method of administered psychotherapy. The theoretical framework for this study was social information processing through computer-mediated communication. An online survey site was used to assist in survey design and …

A Quantitative Study On The Association Between Stress Tolerance And Exercise Habits Among Students Enrolled In A College Of Health Professions Program, Megan Brophy

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to gain further knowledge on the effects of stress on students studying health professions by discovering common causes of stress, coping mechanisms utilized for stress of students, and how regular exercise relates to stress tolerance. METHODS: This study was a quantitative, cross-sectional design through a survey distributed via email to undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in a Midwestern university’s College of Health Professions. Embedded in the email was an anonymous link to a survey, which was constructed through the Qualtrics survey platform. The survey included questions relating to stress about major life events …