Mental and Social Health Commons^™

Predictive Effects Of Good Self-Control And Poor Regulation On Alcohol-Related Outcomes: Do Protective Behavioral Strategies Mediate?, Matthew R. Pearson, Benjamin A. Kite, James M. Henson

Psychology Faculty Publications

In the present study, we examined whether use of protective behavioral strategies mediated the relationship between self-control constructs and alcohol-related outcomes. According to the two-mode model of self-control, good self-control (planfulness; measured with Future Time Perspective, Problem Solving, and Self-Reinforcement) and poor regulation (impulsivity; measured with Present Time Perspective, Poor Delay of Gratification, Distractibility) are theorized to be relatively independent constructs rather than opposite ends of a single continuum. The analytic sample consisted of 278 college student drinkers (68% women) who responded to a battery of surveys at a single time point. Using a structural equation model based on the …

Perceptions Of Mental Illness And Mental Health Policy, Kristen Mcaleenan

Psychology Honors Papers

The present study examined people’s implicit and explicit perceptions of mental illness and compared those attitudes to ratings of fairness for psychiatric hospital policies. The sample consisted of 88 participants, from both Connecticut College and Amazon Mechanical Turk. Data were derived from a Hospital Policy Questionnaire created by the researcher, the Perceptions of Dangerousness of Mental Patients (PDMP) scale, as well as 2 Implicit Association Tests assessing General Attitudes and perceptions of Dangerousness. Results showed no significant association between implicit attitudes and judgments of hospital policies, nor between implicit perceptions of dangerousness and judgments of hospital policies. However, explicit perceptions …

The Role Of Acquired Capability As A Differentially-Specific Risk Factor For Disordered Eating And Problematic Alcohol Use In Female College Students: A Measure Development And Validation Study, Christa D. Labouliere

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Traditional college students are members of an age bracket noted for high levels of risky behavior, and research has shown that certain risky behaviors, such as disordered eating and problematic alcohol use, are particularly common among undergraduates. It is well established that certain events in the learning history predispose vulnerable persons to engage in maladaptive risky behaviors. What is less clear is why some persons facing these events go on to develop maladaptive behavior while others do not, or why people facing similar events develop different varieties of maladaptive behaviors. Current research has focused extensively on risk factors that are …

Expression Of Borderline Personality Disorder Symptoms Across The Ovulatory Cycle: A Multilevel Investigation, Tory A. Eisenlohr-Moul

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a disabling condition characterized by chronic emotion dysregulation and behavioral impulsivity. Prospective studies that test proposed mechanisms of within-person change in BPD hold the key to improving symptom predictability and control in this disorder. A small body of evidence suggests that fluctuations in estradiol such as those occurring naturally at ovulation during the monthly female reproductive cycle may increase symptoms in women with BPD (DeSoto et al., 2003). Furthermore, there is preliminary evidence that both self-esteem and feelings of social rejection are highest at ovulation, when estradiol peaks (Durante and Hill, 2009; Eisenlohr-Moul et al., …

Unplanned Drinking And Alcohol-Related Problems: A Preliminary Test Of The Model Of Unplanned Drinking Behavior, Matthew R. Pearson, James M. Henson

Psychology Faculty Publications

Much research links impulsivity with alcohol use and problems. In 2 studies, unplanned (or impulsive) drinking is assessed directly to determine whether it has direct effects on alcohol use and alcohol-related problems. In Study 1, we examined whether unplanned drinking serves as a proximal mediator of the effects of impulsivity-like traits on alcohol-related outcomes. With a sample of 211 college student drinkers, we found that the Unplanned Drinking Scale was significantly related to alcohol use, and perhaps more important, had a direct effect on alcohol-related problems even after controlling for frequency and quantity of alcohol use. Furthermore, unplanned drinking partially …

The Ticking Of The “Biological Clock”: Worry About Future Fertility In Nulliparous Women, Karen E. Kersting

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Title: The Ticking of the “Biological Clock”: Worry about Future Fertility in Nulliparous Women

By: Karen Kersting, M.A., M.S.

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Virginia Commonwealth University, 2013.

Major Director: Kathleen M. Ingram, J.D., Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Psychology

Department of Psychology

Modern women are waiting until later in their lives to have children than women of previous generations, a trend influenced by a number of factors including financial stability, dating norms, and career goals and responsibilities. As women age, their fertility may decline …

Counselor Discomfort With Sexual Issues And Supervisory Role, Barbara Lofrisco

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Sexual issues are common among the general population; therefore it is likely that clients suffer with them whether or not they are presenting issues. Because unresolved sexual issues may contribute to harm, counselors have an ethical obligation to ensure these issues are addressed during therapy. Yet, many fail to do so for a variety of reasons. Because clinical supervisors are in a unique position to nurture and mentor novice counselors, their influence is salient to this issue.

Although some research has been done to address this issue, results are inconclusive and somewhat contradictory. This study attempts to fill in …

Personality And Substance Abuse, Juliana Gonzalez

Masters Theses

The Big Five have shown to be distinct personality traits that do not overlap and have universal applicability, so this study examined whether there are specific personality trait differences in users of Marijuana, Pain Medication, Sedative/Hypnotics, and Stimulants.

Study was placed in the 50 most visited Craigslist pages in the United States. Anonymous web users (N = 547) were recruited through Craigslist. High Neuroticism was associated with Marijuana and Stimulant use. Low Conscientiousness was associated with Marijuana and Stimulant use. High Extraversion was associated with Pain Medication use only. Implications, limitations, and suggestions for future research were discussed.

An Analysis Of Treatment Retention And Attrition In An Australian Therapeutic Community For Substance Abuse Treatment, Mark Robert Porter

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Research undertaken in the last three decades has consistently reported that the length of time spent in inpatient and outpatient alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment programs predicts treatment success (De Leon, Melnick, Kressel, & Jainchill, 1994; Hubbard, Craddock, & Anderson, 2003; Simpson, Joe, Fletcher, Hubbard, & Anglin, 1999). However, treatment attrition rates are high and present a major problem for improving treatment outcomes. Various factors that have been reportedly associated with increased AOD treatment attrition rates include being female, younger clients, clients using methamphetamines, and clients with elevated psychopathology scores. The aim of this thesis is to improve understanding …

The Sisters' Experience Of Having A Sibling With An Autism Spectrum Disorder, Melissa L. Mcvicker

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This dissertation consists of two articles. This first article is a literature review identifying studies of autism spectrum disorders and sibling relationships published in the past 10 years. This search strategy identified 16 articles for inclusion in this review and conveyed the following main outcomes: a) parental factors influence sibling relationship and typically developing child, b) behavioral interactions/problems affect the quality of the sibling relationship, c) genetic factors have varying impact on diagnosis, and d) effects/outcomes for typically developing sibling are both positive and negative. This review supported the call for a better understanding of the family factors on the …

My Journey From Physician To Psychologist: Relational Touch In Psychotherapy, Brita S. Reed

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

A physician's armamentarium includes the presence of the tool of touch which is used not only to diagnose and to heal, but also to reassure patients that they are safe and well cared for in the hands of the physician. The use of touch in the practice of psychology, however, is relatively proscribed. In this essay, I examine how we, as psychologists, can best "hold" our clients without the use of touch. In the first part of this essay, I explore some theoretical considerations on relational touch in psychotherapy. I define relational touch as touch that occurs between people and …

Placental Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone Mediates The Association Between Prenatal Social Support And Postpartum Depression, Jennifer Hahn-Holbrook, Christine Dunkel Schetter, Chander Arora, Calvin J. Hobel

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Three decades of research point to both biological and psychological risk factors for postpartum depression, but very little research integrates the two. This study bridged this gap by testing whether prenatal social support predicted depressive symptoms at 8 weeks postpartum in a multiethnic sample of 210 women and whether the stress hormone placental corticotropinreleasing hormone (pCRH), measured at 19, 29, and 37 weeks’ gestation, mediated this relationship. We found that prenatal family support predicted significantly fewer depressive symptoms postpartum and more gradual increases in pCRH from 29 to 37 weeks’ gestation. Furthermore, steeper increases in pCRH during this same period …

Identification Of Effective Play Techniques For Use With Children In A Outpatient Mental Health Clinic, Jan Schwarzrock

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this research project was to identify which play techniques are the most effective and produce good outcomes for children. Children enter therapy for a number of reasons to improve their emotional and cognitive wellbeing, however engaging them can be challenging. During a therapeutic session, children use play to share experiences through the toys they choose, whereas adults verbally express themselves. The Allina Health/NUMC Outpatient Therapy Department was interested in the identification of play techniques that they could be used to enhance their work with children with the intent to explore the impact of using play techniques on …

Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment: Does Family Systems Therapy Improve Family Functioning And Decrease Drug Use?, Darin J. Wallis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Family systems therapy is a way of working with individuals, couples, families, or a group of people that emphasizes relationships and a person's/family's greater "system" as important factors in establishing change and health (Haley, 1976; Minuchin, 1974). Treating adolescent substance abuse with family systems therapy has been demonstrated in the literature as being an effective method of intervention (Coatsworth, Santisteban, McBride, & Szapocznik, 2001; Kumfer & Alvarado, 2003; Leichtling, Gabriel, Lewis & Vander Ley, 2006; Liddle, 2002; Liddle et al., 2001; Rowe & Liddle, 2003), as the various ecological and epidemiological factors associated with adolescent substance abuse can be addressed …

Couples' Process Of Healing From Infidelity While In Therapy, Jordan Mark Staples

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Infidelity is one of the most common presenting problems for couples and marriage therapists. It is widely acknowledged to be a destructive phenomenon for a couple's relationship and is one of the most difficult presenting problems to treat. Treatment models for infidelity vary and have little empirical testing. The purpose of the proposed study was to investigate the client's perspective of the process for healing from infidelity. Additionally, the proposed study looked to qualitatively assess and amalgamate participants' experience of the healing process for infidelity. Themes and relationships among these themes were identified using open, axial, and selective coding processes. …

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 …

Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy: A Descriptive Study, Erica Jex Gergely

Dissertations

The current study seeks to examine the program operations and treatment practices of individuals and organizations providing equine-assisted therapy services nationwide. Currently, there are several hundred programs across the United States that utilize equine-assisted therapy to treat common mental health problems in children, adolescents, and adults. Not all equine therapy programs function under the same theoretical model and therefore do not deliver treatment services using equivalent principles or techniques. In addition, program policies, procedures, and ethical guidelines of each provider vary. To date, there exists a paucity of research regarding equine-assisted therapy including both qualitative and quantitative data.

The present …

The Initial Development Of Child-Focused Interventions In The Treatment Of Maternal Substance Abuse And Child Neglect, Kendra Tracy

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This single case study focuses on the development and evaluation of child focused interventions for the treatment of child neglect and concurrent maternal substance abuse that were incorporated into Family Behavior Therapy (FBT). The participants were a mother referred by the Department of Family Services and her child. The child participated in three child focused interventions that were developed to decrease child behavior problems, increase support and communication, and prevent future neglect by strengthening the mother & child relationship. Although not a focus in this study, the mother participated in traditional FBT adult focused intervention components. The chief aim of …

Csa Survivors: What Heals And What Hurts In A Couple Relationship, Laura S. Smedley

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is a significant trauma that affects a person's self-concept and the ability to form healthy intimate relationships later in adulthood. Approximately 20% of adults who experience childhood sexual abuse go on to evidence serious psychopathology in adulthood (Harway & Faulk, 2005). Besides individual disturbances, CSA survivors struggle with many relational difficulties. These difficulties are usually most pronounced among their intimate partners (Reid, et al., 1995). According to attachment theory, attachment injuries are best healed in the context of a healthy, intimate relationship (Kochka & Carolan, 2002) (MacIntosh & Johnson, 2008). Conversely, the couple relationship may be …

Racism And Illicit Drug Use Among African American Women: The Protective Effects Of Ethnic Identity, Affirmation, And Behavior, Danelle Stevens-Watkins, Brea Perry, Kathi L. Harp, Carrie B. Oser

Sociology Faculty Publications

Though recent evidence indicates that rates of illicit drug use among African American women are now higher than the national average, little is known about the etiology of substance use in this population. In addition, the effects of racism and other cultural factors are understudied and may be unique amongst African American women. This cross-sectional study explores risk and protective factors for drug use among 204 African American women. More specifically, associations between racism experiences and drug use are investigated in the context of potential moderating influences (i.e., psychosocial resources, social safety net variables, and cultural identity and practices). Findings …

Research Brief: "Impact Of The Seeking Safety Program On Clinical Outcomes Among Homeless Female Veterans With Psychiatric Disorders", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This brief is about the effect of the Seeking Safety program's services on improvement in PTSD, psychiatric symptoms, and social support among homeless female veterans. In policy and practice, clinicians should be trained on how to use the program to better serve homeless female veterans, and policymakers should push for clinician training for those who work with homeless veterans. Suggestions for future research include applying this study and the Seeking Safety program to non-VA healthcare systems, assessing substance use within the program, and assessing the long-term effects of the Seeking Safety program.

Treating The Spirit: An Ethnographic Portrait Of Senegalese Animist Mental Health Practices And Practitioners In Dakar And The Surrounding Area, Caitlin Mckinley

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Animist beliefs and practices are deeply ingrained in Senegalese society, even in the metropolitan area of Dakar and have prevailed in Senegal despite the many influences of Islam and colonization. Animist mental health practices are especially interesting because of the influx of Western mental health practices in the wake of modernization. Merging traditional and Western mental health practices challenges the completely different worldviews from which each school of thought stems. For those seeking treatment, this duality makes it tricky to receive the help that they need. The purpose of this study is to explore animist Senegalese mental health treatments, traditional …

Does Psychopathy Predict Future Risky Sexual Behavior?, Jessica Jade Fulton

Dissertations

Risky sexual behavior (RSB), such as having sex with an unknown partner, is associated with a variety of negative consequences including sexually transmitted diseases and unplanned pregnancy. Previous research (e.g., Fulton, Marcus, & Payne, 2010) suggests that psychopathic personality traits as assessed by the Psychopathic Personality Inventory (Lilienfeld & Andrews, 1996) are associated with RSB. Self-Centered Impulsivity (SCI), which is characterized by impulsivity, irresponsibility, and reckless behavior, was positively associated with RSB among men and women. In contrast, Fearless Dominance (FD), which is characterized by fearlessness, manipulativeness, and social dominance, was positively associated with RSB among men but not women. …

Cyberspace And Real-World Behavioral Relationships: Towards The Application Of Internet Search Queries To Identify Individuals At-Risk For Suicide, Casey C. Miller

Theses and Dissertations

The Internet has become an integral and pervasive aspect of society. Not surprisingly, the growth of ecommerce has led to focused research on identifying relationships between user behavior in cyberspace and the real world - retailers are tracking items customers are viewing and purchasing in order to recommend additional products and to better direct advertising. As the relationship between online search patterns and real-world behavior becomes more understood, the practice is likely to expand to other applications. Indeed, Google Flu Trends has implemented an algorithm that accurately charts the relationship between the number of people searching for flu-related topics on …

Lesbian/Queer/Same-Gender-Loving Women Graduate Students In Mental Health Related Fields: A Grounded Theory Of Attitudes Toward Transgender Individuals, Bonnie M. Benson

Dissertations

Transgender (trans) issues are an emerging area of research within counseling psychology. As such, little is known about how individuals form their attitudes toward trans people. Despite evidence that lesbian women are one group that has held biased views of the trans population, the literature has not addressed the perceptions that lesbian women have of trans individuals. Furthermore, the campus climate literature has attended to how LGBT students experience campus discrimination, but this literature has not addressed within-group differences, that is, attitudes and interactions among LGBT members of a university community, such as those between lesbians and trans people. The …

Expressed Emotion And Attitudes Toward Body Image And Food, Toni Marie Maraldo

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

In numerous studies over the years, body image and dysfunctional attitudes toward food have shown to be related to the genesis of eating disorders. Recent research has particularly focused on the influence that families have on both the development of eating disorders as well as their impact on their child's body image and eating attitudes. In general, higher levels of expressed emotion are often found in families with children who have either anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa. However, there is a lack of research on sub-clinical populations. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to analyze the influence that expressed …

A Study Of The Reasons And Functions Of Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (Nssi) Among Students In Hong Kong And United Kingdom, Sze Yiu, Cindy Wong

Bachelor of Social Sciences – Senior Theses

This study examines non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in a community sample of adolescents and young adults in Hong Kong and United Kingdom. Non-suicidal self‐injury (NSSI) refers to direct, deliberate destruction of one’s own body tissue in the absence of intent to die. Apart from investigating the reasons and functions of non-suicidal self‐injury (NSSI), this study also examined the gender as well as cultural differences in self‐injurious behaviors. Functional Assessment of Self‐Mutilation (FASM) was used to examine non‐suicidal self-injury (NSSI).

Overall, 17.1% (n=46) out of 269 participants (n=269) endorsed engaging in non-suicidal self‐injury (NSSI) in the past 12 months, with more females …

Suicide Rates Among Young, Married Women In Nepal, Kirra L. Hughes

Capstone Collection

In 2009, a Maternal Mortality and Morbidity (MMM) report carried out in Nepal by the Family Health Division of the Department of Health Services accidently stumbled upon a surprising leading cause of death in Nepali women of reproductive age (15 - 49). The result: suicide. And the numbers are still on the rise. There have since been no comprehensive follow-up studies and none, to my knowledge, that are currently ongoing. This leaves an urgent need for research to be done on the causes of these suicides (Benson and Shakya, 2011; Bertolote et al, 2005; Pradhan et al, 2009).

Globally, there …

Individualism And Collectivism As Moderators Of Affect And Attributional Style In Predicting Life Satisfaction, Jo M. Holmquest

Graduate Theses

The present study examined the effect of person-level individualism and collectivism on attributional style and frequencies of positive and negative emotions as predictors of life satisfaction. Participants were 224 individuals (age range 18 to 78, M= 39.63, SD = 13.78; 73% women; 56% Filipinos) who answered an online survey. Results from regression analyses showed that attributional style is not a statistically significant predictor of life satisfaction. The analyses also showed that across all participants, and among those who did not score high in individualism and low in collectivism, the frequency of positive emotions, as compared to the frequency of negative …

Multiple Peer Group Self-Identification And Adolescent Tobacco Use, C. Anderson Johnson, Juliana L. Fuqua, Peggy E. Gallaher, Jennifer B. Unger, Dennis R. Trinidad, Steve Sussman, Enrique Ortega

CGU Faculty Publications and Research

Associations between peer group self-identification and smoking were examined among 2,698 ethnically diverse middle school students in Los Angeles who self-identified with groups such as Rockers, Skaters, and Gamers. The sample was 47.1% male, 54.7% Latino, 25.4% Asian, 10.8% White, 9.1% Other ethnicity, and 59.3% children of immigrant parents. Multiple group self identification was common: 84% identified with two or more groups and 65% identified with three or more groups. Logistic regression analyses indicated that as students endorsed more high risk groups, the greater their risk of tobacco use. A classification tree analysis identified risk groups based on interactions among …