Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Experiences Of Counselors Who Assist Women In Midlife Who Display Depressive Symptoms: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Carla Pestana

Theses & Dissertations

In this dissertation, I present a transcendental phenomenological study conducted with 12 counselors who worked with women in midlife who displayed depressive symptoms. The purpose of this study was to understand the lived experiences, clinical and personal, of licensed professional counselors (LPCs) who worked with women in midlife who displayed depressive symptoms. Through the study, I sought to recognize the essence and themes that emerged from these LPCs who worked with this population. Moreover, this study was designed to obtain a better understanding of how these LPCs managed their feelings and thoughts, how they helped when working with these women, …

The Relationship Among Emotional Intelligence, Coping Strategies, And Occupational Burnout For Child Protective Service Workers, Yvette Longoria

Theses & Dissertations

There are low retention rates of child protective service caseworkers and this impacts the quality of care of the families served. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between emotional intelligence, coping strategies and occupational burnout for CPS caseworkers. In addition, examining the relationship between education type, education level, and caseload size as it relates to emotional intelligence, coping strategies, and occupational burnout among child protective caseworkers. The theoretical framework utilized was the Transactional Theory of Stress and Coping. A convenience sampling was used to collect participants employed as FBSS or CVS caseworkers at Texas Department of …

Inviting The Outside In: Nature's Contribution To Counselor Wellness, Naomi Medina

Theses & Dissertations

The positive influence of nature on client wellness and psychological health (BonhamCorcoran et al., 2022) is well reflected in the emergence of nature-based counseling interventions such as wilderness therapy, walk talk therapy, and horticulture therapy, among other counseling modalities that involve aspects of the natural world (Lewis et al., 2022). This suggests that the inclusion of nature within the counseling session could also contribute to the wellness of the counselor. The purpose of this research was to determine the extent to which presence of nature contributes to counselor wellness and which of the five senses may play a greater role …

The Influence Of Attachment Styles And Mental Health Symptoms On Marital Satisfaction Among Deployed Us Army Soldiers, Leo Mora

Theses & Dissertations

Since 2002, changes in the frequency, duration, and nature of military campaigns overseas have piqued efforts to understand the effects of deployment on the mental health of DoD service members, especially married Army soldiers. However, few studies have examined the influence of attachment styles on the emotional health of combat veterans and the wartime impact they have also imparted to their spouses. Thus, in the context of military deployments, this study examines how secure/insecure attachment styles, posttraumatic stress (PTS), and depressive symptoms significantly influence married soldiers and their perceptions of marital satisfaction. In addition, this study also examines pre-existent, internalized, …

What Covid-19 Tweets Reveal About Risk Perception And Safety Preventative Measures And Behaviors Two Years Into A Pandemic, Elizabeth Vargas

Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine individuals Covid-19 risk perceptions two years into a long running pandemic. Data was collected analyzing risk perception and safety preventative measures to understand how individuals communicated risk in a health crisis that lasts more than two years. 116,401 tweets were collected from March 7-18, 2022, and analyzed utilizing a qualitative content analysis design. Four main classes were identified from the data which looked at how individuals perceived risk, how individuals determined risk from information that was shared, what preventative measures individuals were utilizing, and how individuals were living after the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic …

Lived Experiences Of School Counselors Working In Conjoint Roles In A Multisystem Framework To Address The Mental Health Needs Of Students, Angela Sampson

Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to explore the lived experiences of school counselors working in conjoint roles as social–emotional leaders and mental health professionals (MHPs) to address the mental health needs of students through multisystem collaboratives (MSCs) and school-based systems of mental health care (SBSMHC).

The role of the school counselor has expanded into becoming a social–emotional leader and school MHP advocating for comprehensive social–emotional learning and the “school-linked” movement that coalesced their exclusive professional proficiency with both school-based and community resources working to enhance initiatives for student psychosocial development in ways that would increase student assets …

Internet Pornography Use, Loneliness, And Adult Attachment Patterns Among Asian Indian Young Adults: An Explanatory Sequential Mixed Methods Design, Anish Baby

Theses & Dissertations

Internet pornography consumption among Asian Indian Americans, an ethnic minority group, is largely underrepresented in current scholarly literature despite their growing population in the United States. The purpose of this research was threefold: (a) to measure the prevalence of internet pornography use among Asian Indian American young adults and adults; (b) to explore the relationship between internet pornography use, loneliness, and attachment patterns; and (c) to describe the lived experience of problematic porn consumers. Using an explanatory sequential mixed methods design, I conducted this study in two distinct phases: quantitative followed by qualitative. In the quantitative phase, I employed an …

Seminarians In The Person-Of-The-Therapist (Pott) Training : A Phenomenological Study, Tomichan Moonnanappillil

Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation presented a transcendental phenomenological study conducted among eight seminarians in one of the theological schools in Southern Texas, who attended the personof-the- therapist (POTT) training program during the fall semester of 2019. This study aimed to examine seminarian participants' experiences in POTT training, their influence on their selfawareness, and their impact on their emotional maturity and the ability to make responsible life choices. The study was guided by an existential-humanistic philosophical orientation as an overarching theoretical orientation with the subjective epistemological worldview and socialconstructionism paradigm. Findings indicated POTT training positively impacted seminarian participants' human formation, which was foundational …

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Acculturation, Islamic Religious Practice, And Academic Performance Among Saudi Arabian Students In The United States, Marzook A. Aldhafeeri

Theses & Dissertations

Recent data have indicated that universities in the United States (U.S.) host as many as 21,933 students from Saudi Arabia, making Saudi Arabia one of the top four countries for international students attending U.S. universities. Several research studies have indicated that religiosity and acculturation influence student’s performance. However, there is a scarcity of studies that assessed the relationships among acculturation, religious practices, and the academic performances among Saudi Arabian students in the U.S. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship among acculturation, religiosity, and academic performance among Saudi Arabian students in the United States. This study was …

A Constructivist Grounded Theory Of Spiritual Competencies Development Incounseling Supervision, Emmanuel Javert Nnadozie

Theses & Dissertations

Developing religious and spiritual competencies is paramount in the training of counselors to become effective in addressing clients’ religious and spiritual issues in counseling. Clinical supervision in practicum and internship courses is key to the development of these competencies, but questions as to how best they might be infused in counselor training remained. The purpose of the study was to create an explanatory theory of the process of the development of religious and spiritual competencies in clinical supervision. Utilizing grounded theory, experts in the field of supervision and spirituality were interviewed. The ways paradigm was used as a sensitizing concept …

Latina's Experiences Of Shared Parenting In The Context Of Intimate Partner Violence: A Phenomenological Study, Pisinee Dangwung

Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation presented a hermeneutic phenomenological study conducted with 12 Latina mothers who were survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) considering or in a process of shared parenting with their former abusive partner. The purpose of this study was to explore the essence of shared parenting experiences among participants in the IPV context and examine how attachment style, adverse childhood experiences, and cultural values impacted their shared parenting decisions and processes. The study was guided by the theoretical frameworks of symbolic interactionism, intersectional feminism, and attachment. Findings indicated adverse childhood experiences and cultural values affected participants’ shared parenting decisions and …

The Alexander House Apostolate Marital Relationship Education Results: A Quantitative Study, Angel Estrada

Theses & Dissertations

According to existing literature, 27 components contribute to the concept of couple’s relationship satisfaction. Some of these components are included in non-religious and religious marital relationship education (MRE) programs. Research on nonreligious MREs spans decades; however, research on Catholic MRE programs is limited and not widely published. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of one Catholic, faith-based, couples’ MRE on impacting relationship satisfaction, and determine if specific religious and behavioral practices contributed to relationship satisfaction. The study was conducted with archival data collected from a population of mostly Catholic Latino and White couples in south central …

How Domestic Violence Counselors With Personal Histories Of Trauma Experience Their Clients Who Were Victims Of Domestic Violence: A Heuristic Study, Janis Edralin

Theses & Dissertations

The heuristic inquiry-based phenomenological approach values focusing on a question or problem that has been a personal challenge in one’s quest to understand oneself and the phenomenon. Previous research has shown that counselors with a personal history of trauma who provide services to victims with a similar history report a range of negative consequences. The researcher utilized a heuristic research design to answer the following question: How do domestic violence counselors who have personal histories of trauma experience their clients who were victims of domestic violence? The methodology involved interviewing eight counselors, from whom four themes were identified: awareness of …

Impact Of Counselor Wellness On Positive And Negative Consequences Of Covid-19 Shared Trauma, Monique Rahman

Theses & Dissertations

This study sought to explore how the shared trauma of the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted Texan counselors both positively and negatively, as well as the mediating or moderating effect of counselor wellness. Negative consequences of stress such as secondary traumatic stress, burnout and compassion fatigue were explored, but also positive consequences such as compassion satisfaction and post-traumatic growth. Measures such as the Five Factor Wellness Inventory (FFWEL), the Shared traumatic and Professional Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (STPPGI), and the Professional Quality of Life Measure (ProQOL) will be utilized in addition to demographic questions and COVID-19 stress related questions mirroring Park et …

Telework Intensity, Work-Family Conflict, And Work-Family Balance, During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Timir Jayesh Bharucha

Theses & Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to increased popularity, application, and utilization of telework. To vastly reduce the spread of COVID-19, governmental agencies worldwide have implemented lockdowns and emphasized businesses and corporations should implement telework wherever possible (Anderson & Kelliher, 2020; Belzunegui- Eraso & Erro-Garces, 2020; Buomprisco et al., 2021; Chong et al., 2020; Contreras et al., 2020; Mouratidis & Papagiannakis, 2021; Nguyen, 2021; Oz & Crooks, 2020; Raišienė et al., 2020; Tavares et al., 2020). States of emergency can disturb employees’ workflow and lead to financial difficulties; thus, telework presents an option to reduce that disruption. In such unprecedented times, …

Veteran Social Network: Peer Support Impact On Mental Health Service Utilization, Stacy A. Harris

Theses & Dissertations

Of the 20 million US Veterans, approximately 30% receive health care benefits from the Veterans Affairs system. Research confirms that these Veterans are less likely to seek professional mental health services as a result of a belief that mental illness equates with weakness. Research on peer support with Veterans suggests that Veteran social networks reduce stigma and facilitate help seeking behavior. Most studies on Veteran help seeking for mental health services use subjects who receive health care from the Veterans Health Administration or Department of Defense. The purpose of the current study is to gain an understanding of Veterans who …

A Quantitative Assessment Of Marital Quality Among Couples In Kerala, India, Grace Kochuparambil

Theses & Dissertations

The increasing number of divorces and domestic violence in Kerala, India points out the need to assess marital quality among couples in Kerala. The lack of assessment tools in the native language prevents evaluating Malayali couples' marital relationships. The purpose of the proposed study was to examine couples' marital quality in Kerala and validate the translated Marital Adjustment Questionnaire (MAQ) and Marital Quality Scale (MQS), the M-MAQ and the M-MQS, respectively. The instruments were translated into Malayalam through a forward and backward translation. A quantitative survey research design collected data from a criterion[1]based sample of 260 couples in Kerala using …

Predictors Of Positive Outcomes In Treating Individuals Diagnosed With Idd And Comorbid Psychiatric Disorders, Jacob Omondi Wasonga

Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the use of a new treatment protocol, the systemic treatment plan (STP) by identifying the predictors of positive treatment outcomes for individuals diagnosed with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and comorbid mental health conditions. This study examined the relationship between challenging behaviors, psychiatric conditions, and positive treatment outcomes for individuals with IDD and co-occurring disorders, particularly those individuals whose treatment was driven by the STP. A linear regression analysis was conducted to determine which challenging behaviors and psychiatric disorders best predict positive outcomes in systemically engaged treatment. The results from this study …

First-Time Practicum Students' Lived Experiences Of Case Presentations In Group Supervision: A Phenomenological Study, Jason Blakely Fischer

Theses & Dissertations

Although best practices of group supervision advise that supervisory methods match the developmental level of supervisees, research has shown that novices typically receive group supervision in the same manner as more experienced trainees. The prevalent use of case presentations in group supervision regardless of learners' level of clinical experience suggests contemporary practicum courses may be overlooking beginning students' unique, developmental characteristics and needs. Fifteen counseling students enrolled in CACREP-accredited master's degree programs across the United States were interviewed for a phenomenological study exploring their experiences of case presentations in practicum. Synchronous interviews conducted over video conferencing examined participants' emotional experiences …

Donor Families’ Experiences From Initial Loss Forward: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Linda Meeker

Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the lives of those who have consented to organ donation at the time of an unexpected death of a loved one. The qualitative data illuminated participants’ experiences as members of donor families as they shared their observations and experiences from the initial loss forward. The participants in this study included eight women and one man who were the primary next-of-kin and the individual who provided consent to donate the organs. The results indicated that there are steps in the care of these families that could be improved, allowing for better care of …

Relationships Between Professional Development And Attitudes, Knowledge, And Skills In Play Therapy Among Counselors, Cynthia Ann Anderson

Theses & Dissertations

Most counselors receive inadequate training in play therapy, through university counselor education programs, to counsel children using the method, which leaves novice counselors searching for workshops, institutes, conferences, or self-training to effectively meet the mental health needs of children with play therapy. In this first-of-its-kind study, the researcher investigated relationships between professional development and play therapy among working counselors and measured attitudes, knowledge and skills, and types of training in play therapy. A nonrandom sample of counselors were recruited from relevant online sources in this quantitative study. Attitudes, knowledge, and skills were measured by the self-reported Revised Play Therapy Attitude-Knowledge-Skills …

Building A Resilient Workforce: Programming For Commercial Content Moderation Staff, Miriah Steiger

Theses & Dissertations

Commercial content moderators (CCM) review and remove controversial content from social media platforms, leading to potentially adverse mental health effects through secondary trauma exposure. Due to the problematic nature of their work, a U.S. based company hired mental health clinicians to design and instruct a resiliency program, developed based upon the psychological resilience literature. Regrettably, there is scarce peer-reviewed literature providing guidelines for best practices in program development or evaluations specific to this population to evaluate the program’s effectiveness. Therefore, this study investigated whether the resiliency program provided to CCM workers predicted resilience and well-being outcomes by use of the …

The Effects Of Using Expressive Intervention In Group Counseling On Acculturative Stress And Depressive Symptoms Among Korean Immigrant Women In South And Central Texas :A N Experimental Study, Sun-Kyung Chung

Theses & Dissertations

This study evaluated the relationship between acculturative stress and depressive symptoms in Korean immigrant women and evaluated the use of expressive group counseling interventions for these women's acculturative stress and depressive symptoms. Participants were randomly assigned to the intervention or control group. The intervention group received a total of four sessions of expressive group counseling interventions while the control group was asked to color pictures at home. Pearson correlations found statically significant relationships between acculturative stress and depressive symptoms in Korean immigrant women. The results of a one-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) indicated no statistically significant difference in the effect …

The Impact Of Faculty Academic Mentoring On First-Generation Undergraduate Students : A Mixed Method Design, Gustavo Salazar Ii

Theses & Dissertations

The quality of the relationship between mentors and mentees has gained considerable research interest in business-related fields but little ground in the academic sphere. This study examined the effectiveness of an existing faculty mentoring program that had been underway for several years at a small, private, religiously affiliated university. A convergent, parallel, mixed methods design was used to collect quantitative and qualitative data. Current and former undergraduate participants of the mentoring program were invited to volunteer for online surveys assessing the quality of their mentoring relationship in the program. That same pool was also invited to volunteer for group interviews. …