Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Effects Of A Self-Forgiveness Intervention On Recovery From Substance Use Disorders, Michael Saltzman

Dissertations

Previous research has highlighted the relationship between shame, guilt, and problematic substance use (Gueta, 2013; Luoma et al., 2019; McGaffin et al., 2013; Rahim & Patton, 2015). Self-forgiveness has been associated with positive outcomes for individuals in recovery with substance use disorders (SUDs), though only one prior study has explored the effects of a selfforgiveness intervention for individuals in treatment (Scherer et al., 2011). This study examines the effects of a self-forgiveness intervention on state shame and guilt, state self-forgiveness, and drug avoidance self-efficacy, and it is the first intervention study to focus on self-forgiveness for individuals with SUDs receiving …

Side-Stepping God: How The Nonreligious Find Success In Alcoholics Anonymous, Caitlin Trombley

Dissertations

This dissertation utilized mixed methods research to examine how nonreligious individuals with substance use disorders navigate recovery within—or in spite of—Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). Both the 12-step program itself and Alcoholics Anonymous have long been criticized for being religious and/or spiritual in nature, and some studies have shown that this is particularly challenging for nonreligious individuals seeking recovery. The purpose of this research was to (a) identify differences in recovery resources (recovery capital) between the religious, the nonreligious, those in AA, and those who have adopted alternative forms of recovery; (b) identify barriers that the nonreligious face as they navigate recovery …

Evidence-Based Practices And Self-Efficacy: A Quantitative Study Of Mental Health Counselors Treating Clients With Substance Use Disorder, Carl Bastien

Dissertations

Substance use disorder affects a substantial number of individuals in the United States. The specific problem of this research is that it was not known to what extent their use of evidence-based practices is driven by their sense of self-efficacy. The purpose of this quantitative correlational research was to examine to what extent the use of evidence-based practices covary with a sense of self-efficacy for mental health counselors treating individuals diagnosed with a substance use disorder. The study population was 121 mental health counselors who specialized in substance use disorder treatment who completed a digital survey. The study findings did …

Effect Of Fandom On Sports Gambling, Drake Deitch

Dissertations

The goal in this study was to investigate the relationship between fandom and betting. The hypothesis was that sports fans who gambled on their favorite teams would be more likely to make irrational decisions based more closely on emotional attachment than logical thinking. A total of 191 fans of the Chicago Bears (n = 80), Green Bay Packers (n = 57), and Minnesota Vikings (n = 54) were recruited for the study. Participants completed a survey that assessed their knowledge of and love for the three teams. Results indicated fans were far more likely to bet on their team regardless …

Evaluating Sbirt In A Behavioral Health Urgent Care, Christina L. Williams

Dissertations

Background: Adolescent substance use (SU) is a major health concern. Most youth who engage in alcohol and other SU do not meet criteria for SU disorder (SUD). Nonetheless, evidence shows SU during adolescence impacts cognitive, social, and emotional development, increases risk of physical injury, and may progress to SUD in adulthood. Only half of clinicians properly screen adolescents for SU; those identified with SUD often receive no intervention. Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) is an evidence-based intervention to address this problem. The purpose of this project was to evaluate implementation of SBIRT using CRAFFT 2.1+N, a SU …

Private And Federated Deep Learning: System, Theory, And Applications For Social Good, Han Hu

Dissertations

During the past decade, drug abuse continues to accelerate towards becoming the most severe public health problem in the United States. The ability to detect drug­abuse risk behavior at a population scale, such as among the population of Twitter users, can help to monitor the trend of drug­abuse incidents. However, traditional methods do not effectively detect drug­abuse risk behavior in tweets, mainly due to the sparsity of such tweets and the noisy nature of tweets. In the first part of this dissertation work, the task of classifying tweets as containing drug­abuse risk behavior or not, is studied. Millions of public …

Benzodiazepine Reduction Program In A Psychiatric Mental Health Setting, Tracy Pacini

Dissertations

Benzodiazepine Reduction Program in a Psychiatric Mental Health Setting

The purpose of this pilot project was to reduce side effects and adverse effects of long-term benzodiazepines (BZDs) use in a non-profit community health center. This was a quality improvement project. The evidence-based practice (EBP) framework identified for the project was from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) framework to decrease BZD use in a non-profit community health center. This model is focused on four stages: 1) gathering a proactive healthcare team to examine and identify solutions to reduce BZD usage, 2) testing the pilot program that the team …

Clinicians' Use Of Mhealth Applications In Interventions For Substance Use Disorders, James Daniel Bender

Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to examine how clinicians are identifying, evaluating, and utilizing mHealth apps as treatment adjuncts with their clients who have a substance use disorder. A sample of 93 participants (20 males, 72 females, and 1 not listed) completed measures of demographics and inquiries about their use and evaluation of mHealth apps in their practices. Clinicians who work at mental health centers and private practicing clinicians were recruited. The majority of the sample (71%) reported that they had not utilized mHealth apps with their clients who have a substance use disorder diagnosis. Participants who have attended …

Acculturation, Psychological Well-Being And Substance Use Behaviors In Asian Indian Americans, Sonia Y. Amin

Dissertations

The American population is becoming more diversified with increases in the number of immigrants and refugees entering the country. These new Americans bring distinct cultural values, traditions, and worldviews. With this diversity, an important need has arisen to better understand the interplay of culture, physical, and mental health concerns that affect specific racial and ethnic populations. This increase in knowledge and awareness will aid in the development and provision of culturally-sensitive mental health services. The stress of immigration and the multifaceted sociocultural and psychological adaptations involved in adjusting to living in a new country with a Eurocentric dominant culture can …

Barriers And Facilitators To Opioid Use Treatment And Recovery Services During Pregnancy, Loralie Woods

Dissertations

Purpose: To identify barriers and facilitators to opioid use treatment and recovery services among pregnant and nonpregnant women who misuse opioids.

Background: Over 130 Americans die daily after overdosing on opioids. Women have not been immune from opioid use disorders (OUDs), with a 4-fold increase from 1999-2010. The prevalence of opioid use among pregnant women increased from 1.5 per 1,000 hospital deliveries to 6.5. Although the annual National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) has provided information on risk factors for OUD related to socioeconomic and demographic factors, no studies using this data have identified barriers to opioid use …

Evaluation Of A Youth Emergency Room Enhancement Program For Behavioral Health, Anne Thatcher

Dissertations

Problem. Pediatric mental health complaints and subsequent hospitalizations have been steadily increasing. The Behavioral Health Network (BHN) developed an intensive outreach case management program aimed at reducing youth mental health emergency department (ED) visits and inpatient psychiatric admissions. The Youth Emergency Room Enhancement (YERE) program was a process improvement initiative to provide immediate case management to youth and caregivers for mental health care.

Methods. A Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) method utilizing a retrospective case record review occurred over a six-month period. A convenience sample of youth aged 6-20 years presenting to one of eight healthcare facilities for either ED or inpatient hospitalization …

The Prospective Influence Of Religiousness On Alcohol Use: What Role Do Perceived Norms Play?, Corey Todd Brawner

Dissertations

Alcohol misuse is recognized as one of the most pressing health hazards for college students. Previous research has supported a protective relationship between religiousness and problematic alcohol use, but it is less clear what aspects of religiousness are protective and through what mechanisms its effect is exerted. The current study utilized a prospective design to accomplish three primary goals: (1) Delineate the protective effects of religious motivation and public participation on alcohol use and alcohol-related problems in a sample of undergraduates at a large public university in the southeastern United States, (2) determine whether effects were maintained long-term, and (3) …

The Predictors Of Juvenile Recidivism: Testimonies Of Adult Students 18 Years And Older Exiting From Alternative Education, La Toshia Palmer

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this descriptive, qualitative study was to identify and describe the importance of the predictors of juvenile recidivism and the effectiveness of efforts to prevent/avoid juvenile recidivism as perceived by previously detained, arrested, convicted, and/or incarcerated adult students 18 years of age and older exiting from alternative education in Northern California. A second purpose was to explore the types of support provided by alternative schools and the perceived importance of the support to avoid recidivism according to adult students 18 years of age and older exiting from alternative education.

Methodology: This qualitative, descriptive research design identified …

From War To Home: The Systematic Issues Operation Enduring And Iraqi Freedom Veterans Face Transitioning With Ptsd, Tiffany D. Ware

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the perceptions of Operation Enduring and Iraqi Freedom veterans with PTSD, who are transitioning from active duty to civilian life, regarding their participation in the Disabled Transition Assistance Program.

Methodology: The methodology for this research study will be qualitative from a phenomenological perspective. When thinking of research as it pertains to qualitative methods, it is appropriate to use when a researcher is trying to study the lived experiences of individuals (Flipp, 2014; Patton, 2015). This method will describe perceptions of Operation Enduring and Iraqi Freedom veterans with PTSD, who are …

Discriminative And Reinforcing Effects Of Cocaine-Levamisole Combinations, Zachary J. Zimmermann

Dissertations

The behavioral and neurochemical effects of cocaine are well established, and it is one of the most widely abused illicit drugs. Illicit cocaine is often adulterated with levamisole, which is an anthelmintic that was withdrawn from the U. S. market in 2000. It has been hypothesized that levamisole, unlike other common adulterants which are added as simple bulking agents, has effects of its own which may be responsible for its use as an adulterant. Although these effects are speculative, the addition of levamisole to cocaine has become an increasing public health concern, as serious adverse effects (e.g., vasculitis, neutropenia) of …

The Effects Of Schedule Density Of Reinforcement For Alternative Behavior On Resurgence, Kathryn M. Kestner

Dissertations

Resurgence is the reemergence of a previously extinguished response when an alternative response no longer produces reinforcement. Although returning to previously successful methods for obtaining reinforcement is likely advantageous, resurgence also occurs in the form of treatment relapse. An individual may return to problematic behavior (e.g., aggression, self-injury, drug use) when an alternative behavior (e.g., communication response, coping skill, social behavior, etc.) is no longer successful at producing a reinforcer. Behavior analysts rely on treatments based on differential reinforcement of alternative behavior, and resurgence has been demonstrated following changes to reinforcement schedules due to errors in treatment integrity or intentional …

Functional Analysis Of Gambling, Mack S. Costello

Dissertations

Given high rates of gambling and the growing population of disordered gamblers, there is a need to develop assessment strategies with improved treatment validity. More specifically, assessment strategies are needed that identify the controlling variables for disordered gambling and, thus, provide guidance in the selection of treatment and prevention strategies. This study sought to develop a functional analysis for gambling by utilizing a simulated gambling environment in which contextual variables hypothesized to be causally linked to disordered gambling could be systematically manipulated. Seven experienced gamblers participated in the multi-element, single-subject experimental study. Participants who endorsed at least some problems from …

An Evaluation Of The Primary Care Providers’ Perspective Of The Effects Of Moderate Alcohol Consumption On Health, Gisele Tchamba

Dissertations

The complexity of health benefits of moderate alcohol consumption (MAC) is well documented. From the World Health Organization recent report, impact of harm from alcohol consumption was 3.3 million deaths or 5.9 percent of all global deaths (WHO, 2014).

Yet, the benefits of MAC for better health and longer life expectancy compared with abstinence are advocated in numerous studies (Nova, Baccan, Zapatera and Marcos, 2012). However, the nature of alcohol, its role on human sufferings has generated disagreements in the scientific community. Analysis of the results of early studies advocating better health for moderate drinkers, reveal discrepancies regarding the influence …

An Evaluation Of Social Capital's Effect On Depression Among Adolescents, Ezechukwu Awgu

Dissertations

Mental illness has been described as a “global burden of disease,” and depression accounts for a large part of the burden (Aslund, Starrin, Nilsson, 2010). In 2009, 35.7 percent of the adolescent population in the United States who reported past-year symptoms of a major depressive episode, for example, feelings of sadness, discouragement, loss of feelings of self-worth, and loss of interest in social activities, also used illicit drugs including marijuana, inhalants, hallucinogens, cocaine, heroin, and prescription-type psychotherapeutics for non-medical purposes (SAMHSA, 2009, APA, 1994). Additionally, substance abuse due to alcoholism was among the major causes of death for adolescents aged …

Implementation Of The 2009 Cacrep Standards Addiction Competencies, Tiffany K. Lee

Dissertations

Addiction issues have been and continue to be significant problems affecting the United States. Over the past few decades, substantial scholarly attention has been paid to the lack of addictions training in the counseling profession. The purposes of this mixed-method study were to examine the current status of addiction training among institutions that offer counselor education programs accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) and determine how institutions plan to integrate the addiction-related competencies outlined in the 2009 CACREP standards.

The quantitative data were obtained from a 15-item online survey completed by 74 CACREP …

Exploring The Well-Being Of Foster Children Of Parents With Substance Abuse Problems In Family Dependency Treatment Courts, Barbara M. Howes

Dissertations

The aim of this three-paper format dissertation is to explore how the well-being of foster children of parents with substance abuse problems is defined and promoted through Family Dependency Treatment Courts (FDTC) within the context of the Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA). The benefit to the author of the three-paper method is the task of submitting the findings of the study for publication is eased as the dissertation contains three stand-alone articles. A drawback for the reader of the three paper method is that there is redundancy in reading the same sections in each paper. The reader is encouraged …

Effectiveness Of A Motivational Enhancement Group Treatment In A Community Treatment Program With A Substance Abusing Population, Matthew S. Willerick

Dissertations

Motivational interviewing (MI) is a directive, client-centered intervention to elicit behavior change by assisting clients in the exploration and resolution of ambivalence toward change. MI-inspired approaches have been used in an attempt to facilitate change in a wide variety of domains including alcohol and drug abuse, safe water handling practices, dual diagnoses, gambling, spousal abuse, health related areas, mood and anxiety disorders, and parental engagement. MI seeks to resolve ambivalence in the direction of change by increasing the client's self-efficacy. This is accomplished by combining clientcentered (e.g., reflective listening) and directive strategies (e.g., attending selectively to change statements). The origins …

Experimental Analysis Of Gambling Using A Concurrent-Schedules Procedure, Andrew Ellis Brandt

Dissertations

Gambling has been experimentally investigated using various types of gambling simulations designed to mimic the contingencies found in real-world games of chance. Findings from past risky choice research suggest that certain procedures used in existing gambling simulations may systematically increase levels of gambling. Two of these characteristics, the use of a participant stake and the type of options available during gambling, were tested in four experiments in which participants had the opportunity to gamble using tokens exchangeable for entries into a $50 lottery. Experiments 1 and 2 tested persistence on a gamble option when either a single-option or a concurrent …

Treatment Of Co-Morbid Methamphetamine Substance Abuse And Borderline Personality Disorder Features Using Modified Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Jessica R. Schultz Fischer

Dissertations

The study investigated the effectiveness of a time-limited, skills-based treatment in a population of female substance abusers. This project implemented a pilot clinical trial to evaluate the effectiveness of a 12-session modified Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) protocol among a small sample of women, with co-morbid borderline personality disorder features, receiving concurrent outpatient treatment for methamphetamine abuse. A non-concurrent multiple baseline design was used. In addition to on-going assessment conducted during baseline and weekly over the course of treatment, a comprehensive assessment battery was administered pre-, and post-treatment as well as at 1 and 3 months following treatment. Findings suggest that …

Validating The Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory For Identifying Substance Abuse Among Adolescents In A Residential Treatment Center, Ann Carol Singler

Dissertations

Purpose. This study examines the construct validity of the Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory for Adolescents (SASSI-A) as a substance-abuse screening instrument for dual-diagnosed adolescents in a residential treatment center.

Method. Using archival records of 336 subjects from a long-term residential treatment center, this study applied a two-group comparison method to examine the construct validity of the SASSI-A for screening substance abuse among adolescents in a residential treatment center. Residents were initially clinically assessed by a state certified counselor as either substance abuser/chemically dependent or non-substance abuser/chemically dependent. At this residential treatment center, the clinical assessment included a full review …

An Evaluation Of Methylphenidate Preference In Adults Diagnosed With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Emily Kathleen Macdonald

Dissertations

Methylphenidate (MPH) is widely used in the treatment of ADHD, and is associated with positive effects across a wide range of domains. In spite of the clinical effectiveness of MPH, concern has arisen with respect to its abuse potential. The present study examined the reinforcing effects and participant-rated effects of MPH in adults diagnosed with ADHD. Participants included 10 volunteers (ages 18-22) diagnosed with ADHD who were receiving MPH treatment. The reinforcing effects were assessed using a double-blind choice procedure with 4 sampling and 8 choice sessions. During sampling sessions, participants completed a self-report questionnaire before receiving either placebo or …

Co-Occurring Disorders And Selective Substance Use In Females Ages 10 To 25 Diagnosed With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Nancy A. Clinton

Dissertations

The paucity o f research on females diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) precipitated this exploratory investigation into co-occurring disorders and selective substance use in females (n = 70), ranging in age between 10 and 25, diagnosed with ADHD and substance use disorder (SUD). Data extracted from archived substance abuse treatment center records were tested via chi-square analyses to determine proportional differences between frequencies in predetermined co-occurring disorder groups (disruptive behavior disorders, moodanxiety disorders, and learning disorders) and predetermined substance groups (stimulant, depressant, and cannabis) for the total ADHD cohort and for specific diagnoses (inattentive, hyperactive-impulsive, combined, and with …

Substance Abuse Treatment: Substance Abuse Counselors' Belief Systems And How These Beliefs Impact Treatment, Ann Crabb

Dissertations

The treatment of substance abuse is an anomaly within the mental health field. Historically, the treatment of addicted people has relied more on the personal experiences of those who have recovered than empirical findings (Shaffer, 1987). The founding of Alcoholics Anonymous sparked the creation of a belief system regarding substance abuse and recovery that, despite contradictory research findings, remains strong today (McElrath, 1997). This study was conducted to explore the belief systems of both recovering and nonrecovering substance abuse counselors today to determine what their beliefs are, how these beliefs were formed, and whether their belief system has changed over …

State Regulations Of Smoking In Public Places: Determinants And Implications On The Demand For Smoking And Consumers' Behavior, Ioana Raluca Mazare

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Quality Of Life Factors Among Recovering Alcoholics, George Edwin Compton Jr.

Dissertations

The inspiration for undertaking the current research came from the Student Investigator’s own experience of 19 years in recovery from alcoholism. During his early years in graduate school, the Student Investigator witnessed occasional misunderstandings among some academics and helping professionals regarding the nature of alcoholism, and, specifically, the tasks involved in sustaining enduring recovery from alcoholism. Thus, this dissertation research, which has sought to examine, through qualitative research methodology, the factors involved in achieving and sustaining quality of life in extended recovery from alcoholism was undertaken.

Several authors have noted the need for research which focuses on long-term recovery from …