Mental and Social Health Commons^™

The Caregiver–Child Relationship, Youth Mental Health, And Placement Stability In A Child Welfare Sample, Laura A. Rindlaub

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objective: Healthy relationships between adolescents and their caregivers have been robustly associated with better youth outcomes in a variety of domains. Youth in contact with the child welfare system are at higher risk for worse outcomes including mental health problems and home placement instability. A growing body of literature points to youth mental health problems as both a predictor and a consequence of home placement instability in this population; the present study aimed to expand our understanding of these phenomena by examining the interplay among the caregiver-child relationship, youth mental health symptoms, and placement change over time. Method: The sample …

The Perceived Effects Of Dance For Individuals With Parkinson’S Disease And Healthy Amateurs, Taylor Marie Mastin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of the present study was to compare the effects of dance participation on physical and psychological functioning as perceived by two distinct groups of dancers: dancers with Parkinson's disease (PD) and healthy amateur (HA) dancers. Dancers in the Parkinson's sample group were gathered from participants in the Dance for PD® program, while healthy amateur dancers were recruited from university dance departments and through social media. Both groups were administered measures related to affect, self-efficacy, quality of life, and which aspects of dance classes were most helpful and/or challenging. Several open-ended questions for both groups were included, along with …

Photovoice: Engaging School Communities In Wellness Efforts, Hilary J. Overby

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Currently there are no interactive tools that allow school communities to assess their school wellness needs and foster interest in wellness efforts. PhotoVoice is a participatory action research methodology commonly used in public health that utilizes photography to document and showcase community strengths and weaknesses in order to promote change. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to gather perceptions of a school community after using PhotoVoice to document school wellness efforts 1. Participants: High school students (n=103) and school community members (i.e., residents of community, school faculty) (n=188) were recruited across three school districts. Methods: High school students …

Social Support And Affectionate Communication In Animal-Assisted Interventions: Toward A Typology And Rating Scheme Of Handler/Dog Messages, Amy Mccullough

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Animal-assisted interventions (AAIs) are a treatment modality that incorporates a trained animal into a person's healing and learning process in order to benefit the person physically, emotionally and/or socially (Delta Society, 1996). From an interactional perspective, two mechanisms that may contribute to these health benefits are social support and affection exchange. Although there is growing evidence of the health and well-being benefits of AAIs, there remains a need for scientific research to understand more precisely the communicative and behavioral components that constitute a therapeutic intervention involving an animal (Kazdin, 2010). Additionally, there is a need to develop a means of …

Substance Use And Drug Distribution At The Individual Level: A Grounded Theory Approach, Evan Thomas Stanforth

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Substance use regularly occurs among individuals that distribute drugs and there is a limited amount of research that has examined both use and distribution. A grounded theory approach was used to develop a framework for analyzing relationships between use and distribution behaviors. 15 participants (five female, 10 male) that had experience selling drugs and using drugs were recruited from a residential substance abuse treatment center. Each participant was interviewed for one hour with an interview protocol aligning with the stage of analysis. A model was developed to explain Involvement and Integration in a Drug World with the codes Substance Use, …

Exploring Jungian Archetypes As Potential Predictors Of Infidelity In Committed Relationships, Kattrina Miller Roach

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Transgenerational Transmission Of Trauma In Second Generation Latino Children And Adolescents, Ricardo Phipps

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the impact that immigration-related trauma has upon families, particularly second-generation immigrant children in the Latino-American community in the United States, and the possibility that second-generation immigrant Latinos are vulnerable to transgenerational trauma. Transgenerational trauma involves the exhibition of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in subsequent generations in families with histories of trauma exposure. Multiple linear regression was conducted to explore the existence of a correlation between PTSD and depression in second-generation Latino immigrant children and adolescents with a myriad of potentially predicting factors. Enhanced understanding of how trauma can affect the children of traumatized immigrants will add …

Determining Physician And Patient Characteristics That Predict The Use Of Atypical Antipsychotics In Children With Mental Health Disorders, Sujith Ramachandran

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Exercise Participation During Weight Loss On A High Protein – Low Carbohydrate Diet Plan In Females Aged 15-25 Years, Margaret Mobley-Meulman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Weight gain due to poor diet and lack of exercise is responsible for over 300,000 deaths each year (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2010). Obese adults have an increased risk for serious health conditions including high blood pressure and cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, respiratory problems, and certain cancers (National Cancer Institute, 2012). Participation in exercise can help control weight, strengthen muscles and bones, and reduce the incidence of cardiac events, stroke, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, colon and breast cancers, osteoporotic fractures, gallbladder disease, obesity, depression, anxiety, and delay mortality …

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 …

Mental Health Literacy Of Latina Women In The United States For Their School-Aged Children, Annarheen S. Pineda

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite known mental health (MH) disparities faced by Latino children relative to children from other minority groups of similar socioeconomic status (SES), little is known about how Latina mothers make MH decisions for their children. The present study examined links between Latina mothers' mental health literacy (MHL), including the recognition of and response to child psychiatric symptoms, and maternal acculturation factors as well as interpersonal violence (IPV) related symptomatology. Participants were 80 Latina mothers from Denver, Colorado and Modesto, California with at least one child between the ages of 8-12 years. Mothers were presented vignettes depicting child internalizing and externalizing …

Effects Of A Brief, Three-Day Mindfulness Meditation Protocol, Andrew James Kurz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Traditional Story As A Tool In Substance Abuse Prevention And Treatment., Claiborne Beth Ohlsson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study examined the viability of traditional stories in substance abuse treatment. The subjects for this study were young women ages 18-30 who were in substance abuse treatment in a small, rural, health department. During the 4-week study, 4 traditional stories were used in group sessions that gave the women a common reference point and a common language to frame discussions. Using story in the IOP sessions helped to create a safe, supportive environment as well as creating an opening for discussions about trauma and abuse, and other significant issues. Principles of 12 Step Recovery were woven into the …

Narcissism And Binge Drinking: Exploring The Role Of Overconfidence And Confidence-Based Risk-Taking., Alicia M. Wood

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Binge drinking (BD) entails excessive alcohol intake in a short time period. Despite numerous negative outcomes associated with BD and efforts to curtail it, rates remain steady. Thus, it is important to identify "who" binge drinks and "why" it occurs. Drawing from past research, I sought to replicate the link between trait narcissism and BD; moreover, I examined if overconfidence and confidence-based risk-taking assessed via the Georgia Gambling Task (GGT), explained why they did so. The results generally supported my hypotheses. As expected, narcissism related to poor GGT performance and high levels of BD; likewise, poor GGT performance related to …

Introversion And Autism: A Conceptual Exploration Of The Placement Of Introversion On The Autism Spectrum, Jennifer Grimes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The conceptualization of the personality construct of introversion has been problematic since the term's inception due to the complexity and seemingly self-contradictory nature of the collection of attributes of which it is comprised. To advance the understanding of introversion, I propose that it is a continuous segment of the non-clinical part of the autism spectrum, and that it is not the same as the inverse of extraversion. When introversion and autism are placed on the same continuum, the nature of the relationship of the traits becomes more apparent, and new possibilities are available for exploration of both autism and introversion. …

A Longitudinal Study Of Fetal Tissue Transplantation Surgery: The Effects On Quality Of Life And Personality For Individuals With Parkinson's Disease, Cynthia C. Cole

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronic and progressive condition that affects the physical, emotional, and social functioning of individuals. Freed et al. (2001) conducted a double-blind sham-controlled trial to investigate the effectiveness of fetal tissue transplantation of those with PD. The authors investigated the effects of the surgery across the dimensions of physical and neurological functioning. A quality of life (QoL) study was conducted to determine if there were differences in QoL when comparing those who received the fetal tissue transplantation to those who received the sham surgery (McRae et al., 2004).

While there is little research on the effectiveness …

Reliability Generalization Of The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test., Chandni Patel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) is a brief screening instrument for assessing alcohol use problems among adults. This instrument is widely used and continued evaluation of its psychometric performance is needed. Reliability and validity are the primary psychometric characteristics of interest when evaluating psychological instruments. The focus of the present study is on reliability, which reflects the consistency or repeatability of the scores produced by a given instrument. Using meta-analytic methods, results showed that approximately 65% of previously published studies using the AUDIT did not appropriately report reliability estimates. Among the remaining studies, weighted reliability estimate centered on …

Assessing The Reliability Of Scores Produced By The Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory (Sassi)., Joshua A. Woodson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The fundamental principle that reliability is a property of scores and not of instruments provides the foundation of a meta-analytic technique called reliability generalization (RG). RG studies characterize the reliability of scores generated by a given instrument and identify methodological and sample characteristics that contribute to the variability in the reliability of those scores. The present study is an RG of the Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory (SASSI). Reliability estimates were obtained from 19.8% of studies using the SASSI. Bivariate correlations revealed strong, positive correlations between SASSI score reliability and score variability of the Subtle Attributes (r = .877, …

Adolescents And Marijuana Use: The Affects Of Peer And Parent Relationships And Substance Abuse Education., Samuel Joseph Cosimano

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to analyze gender, race, substance abuse programs such as Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.), parents, and peers and their ability to influence or predict adolescents and their decisions to use marijuana. All of the variables used for this study came from secondhand data collected by Esbensen and Osgood (1999), Gang Resistance Education and Training (G.R.E.A.T.). The analysis revealed that males are more likely to have ever used marijuana, that mixed race adolescents have a higher rate than other races to have ever used marijuana, that when adolescents complete the substance abuse program, D.A.R.E. have …

Post Traumatic Stress Symptoms And Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (Cisd) In Emergency Medical Services (Ems) Personnel., Ginger Lee Woods

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

EMS personnel were examined for Post Traumatic Stress symptoms and the usefulness of Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) using the Los Angeles Symptom Checklist (LASC) and a demographics questionnaire. This study revealed that women in this group show higher PTSD symptoms than male coworkers. Level of Training (LOT) of the EMS provider did not demonstrate a significant difference in whether a provider developed PTSD. EMS personnel receiving debriefing actually suffered greater levels of PTSD than those that did not receive debriefing. And 16% of EMS providers in this study suffered from PTSD, while approximately 20% suffered from partial PTSD or …

The Relationship Between Tobacco, Alcohol, And Marijuana Use Among Teenagers., John Donald Rose

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use among teenagers. This study examined three research questions: (1) Is there a relationship between demographic characteristics (i.e., sex and race), the attitudinal variable (attachment to family), and the admitted use of marijuana, alcohol, and tobacco among teenagers? (2) Is there a relationship between the use of marijuana by teenagers and the use of tobacco by teenagers? (3) Is there a relationship between the use of marijuana by teenagers and the use of alcohol by teenagers?

The data used for this paper were from the …

Reasons For Living And Suicidal Ideation Among College Students With Varying Levels Of Risk For Alcohol Related Problems., Dorian A. Lamis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Every year in the United States approximately 30,000 people commit suicide including approximately 1,100 college students. Furthermore, heavy alcohol consumption is prevalent on many college campuses and has been linked to suicidal behavior. The present study was conducted to examine suicidal ideation and reasons for living in college students with varying levels of risk for alcohol related problems. Undergraduate students (n = 161) were administered a survey to assess demographics, suicide ideation status, reasons for living, and the participant's level of risk for alcohol related problems. Results indicated that suicide ideators are significantly more likely than non-ideators to be at …

Samuel Taylor Coleridge And Opium., Donald John Marotta

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Coleridge's usual use of opium was through laudanum, a mixture of opium and alcohol. This thesis presents the history of and criticism regarding the poet's use of laudanum and the physical and emotional consequences the drug held for him and his writing career.

Alcoholism, A.A., And The Challenge Of Authenticity, Patricia Madden

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the possibilities of living an authentic life for an alcoholic, both in and out of Alcoholics Anonymous. Authenticity is explored using the existential models put forth by Jean-Paul Sartre and Soren Kierkegaard. Alcoholics Anonymous figures prominently in this analysis. It is suggested that A.A. acts inauthentically in its claims that it is not a religious organization. A.A. creates special problems for female alcoholics because of the sexist and masculinist nature of its primary literature. While A.A. claims that its message is the only way by which an alcoholic can recover, other treatment methods exist. Suggestions are made …