Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Officer Involved Shooting: The Emotional Impact And The Effective Coping Strategies, Patrick P. Charoen

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The emotional impact of a shooting incident on the individual police officer has been recognized and detailed by both police and mental health professionals (Lippert & Ferrara, 1984). The human cost and financial costs to Police Departments as a result of "post shooting" trauma has sensitized many departments to the need for professional support for officers involved in shootings. Recent survey research has provided information about the percentage of officers who experienced great, moderate, or no emotional impact after being involved in shootings (Stratton, 1982). However, information about the degree to which police departments have responded to this need has …

Comparing Outcome O F Residential And Intensive Outpatient Treatment Services For Substance Dependence, Shawn E. Channell

Dissertations

The past 20 years have witnessed a significant increase in the number of published studies comparing inpatient with outpatient substance dependence treatment The majority of these studies have reported no benefit for those recipients receiving more intensive treatment However, the outpatient treatment investigated in these studies has typically been day treatment often involving 27 hours a week of participation, and not intensive outpatient treatment (IOP), which involves 12 or fewer hours of participation per week. Additionally, few published studies have compared alcohol and cocaine dependent populations. This study was designed to compare effectiveness of the residential and intensive outpatient levels …

The Validity Of The Adhd Section Of The Diagnostic Interview Schedule For Children, Ann M. Mcgrath

Dissertations

The purpose o f this study was to learn more about the validity o f the ADHD portion of the NIMH-DISCIV. In order to accomplish this goal, 58 youth participants were divided into three groups: (1) subjects who met criteria for ADHD based upon both the youth and the caretaker versions of the DISC; (2) subjects who met criteria for ADHD based upon the caretaker DISC, but not according to the youth DISC; and (3) subjects who did not meet criteria for ADHD according to either the youth or the caretaker DISC. Subjects in these groups were compared across parent …

Family And Child Psychosocial Functioning Of Infant Heart Transplant Recipients, Kimberly R. Freeman

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

With the advancement of medical procedures, heart transplantation has become a viable alternative for infants born with congenital or acquired heart disease. Although these children are thought to experience much improvement in their overall physical functioning post-transplantation, the long-term psychological functioning of these children and their families is currently unknown. This study examines the long-term family functioning and psychosocial development of infant heart transplant recipients in comparison to children with congenital heart disease (CHD) and non-clinical control children. Results indicate that infant heart transplant recipients and their families experience fewer overall problems as compared to the CHD group, and more …

Coping Strategy And Social Support Differences Among Copd Patients: Effects On Psychological Well Being, Functional Status, And Health Care Utilization, Terri Belville-Robertson

Dissertations

This descriptive study examined coping strategies and social support among thirty-three patients with moderate to severe Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) to assess relationships to psychological and functional status, and health care utilization. More specifically, the qualitative and quantitative differences in coping strategies and social support were examined in relation to anxiety, depression, activity level, and use of emergency and inpatient medical services. Subjects participated in a one-session screening that included a brief clinical interview, battery of questionnaires and exercise tolerance test. Health care utilization data were obtained from subjects’ medical records. Subjects' primary support persons also provided collateral data …

Evaluating The Social Acceptability Of Persons With Habit Disorders: The Effects Of Topography, Frequency, And Gender Manipulation, Douglas W. Woods

Dissertations

Literature suggests that children who exhibit habit disorders are less socially acceptable than children who do not exhibit such disorders. This series of studies investigated the social acceptability of adults who exhibit habit disorders. In Studies 1 and 2, undergraduate students rated the social acceptability of individuals who exhibited motor tics, vocal tics, hairpulling, and no habit. Results showed that the individuals with no habit were more socially acceptable than the individuals who exhibited either motor tics, vocal tics, or hairpulling.

In Study 3, videotapes were created in which actors simulated motor tics, vocal tics, Tourette’s Syndrome, and Trichotillomania. The …

An Exploratory Study Of The Correlates Of Drug Use Among Juveniles: Analysis Of Regional Variations In The United States, Denise D. Nation

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

Research on substance use and abuse has increased exponentially over the past twenty-five years. However, research focusing on regional differences in drug use seems to be very limited. The purpose of this study is to examine the correlates of drug use among juveniles in the four major geographic regions of the United States: the Northeast, the North Central, the South and the West. Here, drug use is defined in terms of alcohol and marijuana use for the age group 12-19. Four research hypotheses are proposed. The 1996 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse data was used to assess and analyze …

Home Health Nurses: Are They Satisfied With Their Work Environment, Said Abu Salem

Nursing Theses & Dissertations

Objectives. This study addressed the questions, (1) To what degree are home health nurses satisfied in their job? (2) What variable ranks as the most important for home health nurses' satisfaction? and, (3) Is there a difference between job satisfaction of full time employment, part time, and per diem home health nurses?

Methods. The data were collected from six home health agencies in the Hampton Roads Area resulting in a sample of (N = 72). The McCloskey and Mueller Satisfaction Scale developed in 1990 (MMSS) was used to measure home health nurses' satisfaction.

Results. The home health …

African American Community Mental Health Center Service Utilization: A Test Of The Cultural Compatibility Hypothesis, Alicia Michelle Marsh

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This exploratory study examined whether community mental health centers (CMHCs) in Virginia that had services evaluated as being more compatible with the cultural needs of African Americans attracted a higher percentage of adult African American service users from their catchment areas than CMHCs which were evaluated as being less culturally compatible. The cultural compatibility of 36 CMHCs was assessed via a telephone interview with their clinical directors using a modified version of the Cultural Competence Self-Assessment Questionnaire: Administrative Version (Mason, J., 1995). This study did not find a correlation between CMHCs' cultural compatibility and their success at attracting African American …

The Effects Of Group Counseling On The Self-Esteem, Anxiety, And Behavior Of Children With Deployed Parents, Nancy Taylor Mitchum

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a six-session group counseling intervention for children who had a parent experiencing military-induced deployment. Participants were 65 children (30 boys, 35 girls) of enlisted military personnel attending elementary schools near the Norfolk Naval Base. Elementary school counselors facilitated the counseling groups.

An experimental/control group pretest-posttest design was employed. Independent variables were the child's participation in the Children of Deployed Parents-Group/control group, child gender and age. Dependent variables were self-esteem, anxiety, and behavior as measured by the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory (SEI), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAIC), the Child …

Diagnosis And Treatment Of Swallowing Dysfunctions : Semg Cognitive Training As An Adjunct To Conventional Therapy, Vicky T. Nguyen

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This study compared surface electromyography (sEMG) cognitive training to conventional myofunctional therapy in controlling a swallowing dysfunction, commonly referred to as "tongue thrust". Nasal airway resistance (NAR) was assessed on every subject, to rule out mechanical obstruction that would prevent proper function. The scope of this investigation composed of evaluating baseline activity and dry swallowing patterns. Subjects were distributed to one of three treatment groups: sEMG cognitive training, conventional myofunctional therapy, and control, based on the degree of NAR (normal, mild, or moderate). Initial sEMG recordings were then taken on subjects that clinically demonstrated a tongue thrust habit to confirm …

Acculturation Level And Performance Of Mexican Americans On A Test Of Malingering, Sonya Rosa Flores

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The detection of malingered neuropsychological impairments is an essential issue for mental health professionals. Acculturation level and performance of Mexican Americans on the Computerized Assessment of Response Bias, (CARB), was investigated in the present study. The CARB was administered to 89 subjects comprised of 51 student volunteers and 38 community volunteers. There were 41 males and 48 females, with ages ranging from 18 to 46 years of age. All subjects were instructed to try their best to "fake" a memory deficit. Subjects were grouped into four acculturative typologies according to their performance on the Acculturation Rating Scale for Mexican Americans-II, …

Silent Messages In Negotiation: A Descriptive Study Of Negotiators' Perceptions Of The Role Of Nonverbal Communication In Multi-National Business Negotiations, Yun Chu

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This study specifically explored the perceived importance of the following nonverbal factors in the negotiation process: proxemics (location and negotiation site), physical arrangement (seating and furniture arrangement), and kinesics (eye contact, facial expressions and gestures). The findings show that the negotiators' perception about the three categories and their role in negotiation are consistent with nonverbal communication theory.

Determining Cutoff Scores For The Mmpi-2 Substance Abuse Scales For An Inmate Population, Barbara A. Johnston

Dissertations

The current research project examined the psychometric properties of the substance abuse scales of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, Second Edition (MMPI-2) with an inmate population. The scales of interest included the MacAndrews Alcoholism Scale Revised (MAC-R), the Addiction Potential Scale (APS) and the Addiction Acknowledgement Scale (AAS).

A total of 80 subjects were administered the MMPI-2 which resulted in 73 valid profiles. Of the valid profiles, 54 were chemically dependent and 19 were nonchemically dependent inmates. There were no differences between groups in regard to sociodemographic variables.

The data analyses indicated that the AAS and APS are efficient and …

A Study Of The Knowledge And Attitudes Of Physicians Toward Victims Of Spouse Abuse, Ramani N. Garimella

Health Services Research Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to measure the knowledge and attitudes of physicians toward victims of spouse abuse. All 150 practitioners in the specialities of emergency medicine, family medicine, obstetrics-gynecology and psychiatry, in a large area general hospital are included in the sampling frame; 76 responded (RR = 51%). Knowledge and attitudes were measured using the Physician Survey on Spouse Abuse. Rosenberg's Tripartite Model of Attitude formed the theoretical basis for this study. Participants were 72% male, 90% white, 88% currently married, with a mean age of 44 years (SD = 7.99). Mean years in practice was 14.61 (SD …

A Research Model Of Care-Givers And/Or Socializing Agents Explored In Terms Of Grandparenthood, Susanna Imelda Guadalupe Stephens

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

A collection of secondary (literature) information which revealed the relevant elements and conditions that surround the psychosocial aspects of family kinships were integrated to form the Kin-Psychosocial-Systems Model (KPSS). The KPSS Model is an investigative model (that includes a set of inter-related concepts, definitions, and propositions) which presents a systematic view of family kinships by specifying relationships among culture and family social systems, care-giving and socialization, and psychosocial development for the purpose of providing researchers with a means for explaining and predicting psychological and social phenomena related to the expression and enactment of family kinships.

Transgenerational Attachment, Life Stress, And The Development Of Disruptive Behavior In Preschool Children, Mary Jane Call

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

While a great deal of research focuses on representations of attachment, behavioral disorders, and life stress separately, research integrating these concepts has just recently begun (DeKlyen, 1996). The current study focuses on the links between transgenerational attachment, life stress, maternal psychopathology, and the development of behavior problems in preschool boys. Participants included 52 mothers of preschool boys (Mean Age = 56 months) who attended private preschool (N = 23) or a Head Start Program (N = 29). Participants completed a battery of assessment instruments including the Attachment Style Inventory (ASI) (Sperling & Berman, 1991), the Q-Set (Waters & Deane, 1985), …

Medicaid Fraud: Medical Students' And Physicians' Attitudes And Perceptions, Kristin M. Byars

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to determine the attitudes and perceptions of medical students and physicians concerning Medicaid fraud. The primary tool was an anonymous survey distributed to both medical students and physicians in the Hampton Roads area. Previous research suggests that physicians would be more likely to view Medicaid fraud as less serious and less justifiable than medical students would. Since little research looks specifically at the attitudes and perceptions of medical students and physicians two theories, Differential Association and the Theory of Organizational Misconduct, were used because they best fit the research already out there. The analyses …

Eating Disorders And Early Attachment Difficulties, Jennifer Ann Dinicola, Tamara Ann Pine

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

Cognitively Impaired Elderly Individuals And Durable Powers Of Attorney For Healthcare, Nicole Rae Newman

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

Reducing Depression In Homeless Parents: The Effectiveness Of Short-Term Shelters, Andrea Durant Heitz

Theses Digitization Project

This study supported the hypothesis that short-term shelter programs can help reduce depression in homeless parents.

Examination Of A Stress Process Model In People Living With Aids/Hiv, Bret Morgan Sawyer

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

This survey research examined a stress process model (A-B-C) in People Living With AIDS and/or HIV (PLWAs) with point "A" representing stressful life events, point "B" the PLWAs' psychological make-up, and point "C" the emotional consequences. Point "A" was assessed by the HIV-stressor scale which yielded two results: (1) number of stressors experienced, and (2) the PLWAs' perception of how stressful each event was for them. Point "B" was assessed by measuring two constructs: (1) Sense of Coherence (SOC) which measured the PLWAs' ability to find meaning in their illness, and (2) Perceived Health Competence (PHC) which measured the PLWAs' …

The Relationship Among Registered Nurse's Years Of Experience, Credentials, Work Location, Completed Non-Required Continuing Education Hours, Moral Development And Conceptual Level, Agatha Custodio Dado Parks

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Limited research has been done regarding the relationship among registered nurses years of experience, credentials, work location, completed non-required continuing education hours, moral development, and conceptual level. This study's theoretical framework is based on the cognitive-developmental theory domains of moral and conceptual development. A descriptive and correlational research design was used to discover the relationship between variables. One hundred registered nurses were selected from a hospital in southeastern Virginia. Participants completed a general questionnaire, Defining Issues Test-2 and the Paragraph Completion Method. Findings resulted in failing to reject the null hypotheses. There was no statistically significant correlation among the variables. …

A Quantitative Study Of Parental Drug Use And Its Effects On Attachment, Kathern Ruth Lowe

Theses Digitization Project

This research project will examine, from the social worker's perspective, parental substance abuse and its effects on attachment.

The Effects Of A Token Economy On Group Attendance In A Locked Psychiatric Facility, Kathleen Joanne Murphy

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

Struggle, Aspiration, And Obsession: The Discourse Of Diet, Emily K. L. Jahn

Masters Theses

Research has shown that members of society are generally dissatisfied with their current weight. This study examines how individuals socially construct meanings of the word diet and the dieting process. Participants (n=443) were males and females who ranged in age from 7 to 68. Each were given a diet questionnaire to complete. The older groups were given the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control (MHLC) Scale in addition to the survey. The text for analysis was obtained by the surveys and four focus groups. The resulting data indicated that both males and females perceive the word diet means "to lose weight." …

Treatment Outcomes Of The Augmented Board And Care System For The Mentally Ill: Focus On Post-Placement And Diagnosis, Brian Stewart Cunningham

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

Rehabilitation For Deafened Adults: A Puzzle With Missing Pieces, Miguel Oswald Aguayo

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This study explored the psychological and social impact of adventitious deafness, and the rehabilitation services that were offered to individuals who acquired this condition in adulthood. Qualitative interviews were conducted with a sample of eight deafened adults, who were recruited from across Ontario. The results show that medical interventions (e. g., audiometric testing, hearing aid provision, and cochlear implantation) were relied on exclusively as a rehabilitation approach in providing care to deafened people. None of the study participants were offered individual, family, or group counselling by their hearing health service providers. This lack of attention to the socio-emotional needs of …

Effectiveness Of The "Baby Think It Over" Program On Adolescents' Contraceptive And Child-Rearing Attitudes, Stephanie Ann Johnson

Masters Theses

An increasing number of high schools in the United States have begun to use the "Baby Think It Over" doll as part of their curriculum in certain classes. This study examined the effectiveness of this doll on influencing 46 male and female adolescents' attitudes and behaviors regarding pregnancy, sexual activity, and contraceptives. Five specific subscales were developed to measure the teens' contraceptive attitudes and behaviors before and after using the doll regarding their feelings about becoming pregnant, understanding/comprehension of the responsibilities of child-rearing, appreciation of the impact of child-bearing on their lives/future, and attitudes toward premarital sex. Also, a qualitative …

Vulnerability To Disability Following Traumatic Brain Injury, Pamela Jo Macmillan

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.