Mental and Social Health Commons^™

A Task Analysis Of Metacommunication In Time-Limited Dynamic Psychotherapy, Theodore Matthew Austin

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

This study examined how successful metacommunication unfolded in time-limited dynamic psychotherapy (TLDP) using the task-analytic paradigm developed by Greenberg (2007). Specifically, the purpose of the study was to discern the elements, themes, and temporal sequences that were common to effective metacommunication. In accordance with the paradigm, this was accomplished by the creation of a rational model, which combined existing theoretical literature on metacommunication and anecdotal clinical evidence. Next, the distilled components of metacommunication in six high-quality (HQ) sequences were contrasted to the distilled components of six low-quality (LQ) sequences in order to generate an empirical model. These sequences were selected …

Rational Understanding In Competency To Stand Trial: A Qualitative Study And Development Of An Assessment Instrument, Kenneth C. Cole Jr.

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

Mental competency as a prerequisite for due process was established by the United States Supreme Court‟s Dusky decision (1960). The Court mandated that a defendant must possess reasonable levels of factual and rational understanding in order to competently participate in the adjudication process. The precise definitions of competence were not included in any of the Court‟s decisions regarding the concept of Competency to Stand Trial (CST). The original purpose of this research was to contribute knowledge regarding the psychological dimensions of CST and to suggest definitions of the psychological dimensions of CST and the standardization of the CST evaluation process. …

Levels Of Acculturation And Resilience Among Southeast Asian Adolescents Who Have And Have Not Witnessed Domestic Violence, Skultip (Jill) Sirikantraporn

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

The central purpose of this research study was to elucidate the relationship between the levels of acculturation and resilience among Southeast Asian adolescents in the U.S. who have and have not witnessed domestic violence. There is a voluminous amount of research on resilience, acculturation, and domestic violence and their impacts on adolescents. However, there is virtually no research that investigates the relationship among these three major social constructs. Previous research on acculturation, resilience, and coping abilities showed that immigrant children and adolescents who were bicultural were found to be highly adaptive in the midst of stress. No previous studies were …

The Influence Of Treatment Team Cohesion In The Success Of In-Home Mental Health Treatment For Children And Adolescents With Emotional And Behavioral Disorders, Jaimie C. Orndorff

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

Background: The author pursued this area of interest due to having had a positive experience working as a therapist within a high cohesion treatment team in an in-home setting. This experience with a high cohesion team seemed to lead to more successful results than other teams that were deemed low cohesion, in the same format. This experience led to a general curiosity about why the team this author was on was more effective. Additional research allowed this author to determine the possible link between cohesion, success of treatment and reduced risk for burnout, defined as a response to chronic job …

An Analysis Of The Current United States And State Of Washington's Mental Health Policies Serving Children And Families, Maile M. Bay

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

Due to continued fragmentation and gaps in mental health services and the increase in the prevalence of mental health problems for children, youth, and their families, these populations remain underserved. In 2003, the federal New Freedom Commission (Commission) responded by publishing policies to address these concerns. As directed in 2005, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) funded planning incentive grants to states to transform their delivery of care.

The study reviewed the federal policy, specifically the recommendations of the Commission’s Subcommittee on Children and Families, and Washington State’s policy and implementation actions of its five-year SAMHSA incentive …

Childhood Nature Contact And Its Effect On Adult Coping Skills, Mary-Jeanne Raleigh

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

Reported anxiety levels continue to rise, in conjunction with a decrease in the depth and breath of coping strategies reported in college populations throughout the United States (Arthur, 1998; Twenge, 2000). Emotional management skills begin development in middle childhood (8-12yrs) and transition into adult coping skills in early adulthood (18-24yrs) (Seifert, 2000). The uses of natural restorative environments for coping may be reinforced during developmental phases in which coping skills are being learned. The development of coping strategies incorporating the use of natural restorative environments maybe contingent on early exposure to the qualities of natural restorative space found in routine …

A Meta-Analytical Study Of Pediatric Bipolar Disorder: Symptomology And Comorbidity, April Walter

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

A meta-analysis approach was employed to research the symptomatology andcomorbidity of pediatric bipolar disorder (PBD). This approach was chosen due to the wide range of previously published research results and the limited size of the populations investigated. Database searches of peer-reviewed empirical research identified 861 journal articles published on the topic of pediatric bipolar disorder over the last 49 years. Fifty-four articles, with a total subject pool of 10,318, met specific inclusion criteria, which included being a quantitative study using standardized mean difference, correlation coefficient, or odds-ratio statistics. Fifteen separate meta-analyses were used to determine specificity regarding: differences reported in …

The Prevalence Of Delinquency In Depressed And Substance Abusing Adolescent Girls, Susan C. Hunt

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

Research conducted on the role of depression in delinquency among adolescent girls has found that depression can predict delinquency. It has been indicated that research should be conducted on how substance use and abuse play a role in depression and delinquency. Several studies have been conducted on adolescent girls in juvenile delinquent centres and institutions. Few studies have sampled subjects from community-based resources, i.e., street youth clinics, youth programs, or alternative schools. The central goal of the study was to explore delinquency in a group of depressed and substance-abusing adolescent girls in community-based settings including street clinics, youth programs, and …

Sexual Revictimization, Janyce Vick

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

Based on interviews with six women, this study describes each participant’s personal experience of childhood sexual victimization, and revictimization while serving in the military. These traumatic experiences in childhood may have increased their risk of developing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder when exposed to sexual trauma in adulthood. Using a grounded theory approach, the interviewer identified common themes among the stories: early sexual abuse, and subsequent revictimization, poor family support, and poor choice of intimate partners as adults. Moreover, they experienced lessened ability to protect self and low self-esteem and denial. The subjects described a personal culture that included abuse as …

Living Past Your Expiration Date: A Phenomenological Study Of Living With Stage Iv Cancer Longer Than Expected, Cynthia Levine

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

More treatment options exist today for persons diagnosed with terminal cancerextending lives longer than expected though there is little known about the psychosocial needs or resources for these individuals. This study describes the experience of living past the expiration date and still living with Stage IV cancer. A transcendental phenomenological approach was used to elucidate vivid expressions of this experience in a sample population of five Caucasian women. The women survived beyond their prognoses of an earlier expiration are not close to imminent death and are still living with incurable breast cancer metastases. The aim of this phenomenological inquiry is …

Psychotherapists Working With Homeless Clients: The Experience Of Stress, Burnout Symptoms, And Coping, Sharon D. Young

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

Stress, secondary trauma, and burnout symptoms are significant problems within the field of human services. Homeless clients present many challenges, frequently are highly traumatized, and often require many services. Psychotherapist working with homeless clients experience negative effects of exposure to the stress and trauma of homeless clients, and as a result must develop strategies for coping in order to continue in the work. This study used a mixed method design to investigate psychotherapists' experience working with homeless clients through Healthcare for the Homeless grantee projects, and their strategies for coping with the stress of their work. A survey, which included …