Psychiatry and Psychology Commons^™

Monosexual And Nonmonosexual Women In Same-Sex Couples’ Relationship Quality During The First Five Years Of Parenthood, Abbie E. Goldberg, Randi L. Garcia, Melissa H. Manley

Psychology: Faculty Publications

Research on relationship quality in same-sex couples has rarely focused on (1) couples who are parents, or (2) couples in which partners differ in sexual identity. Insomuch as nonmonosexual women (i.e., women with non-exclusive sexual orientations) experience unique challenges due to monosexism, relationship quality may be influenced by whether partners share a monosexual or nonmonosexual identity. The current study is a longitudinal, dyadic analysis of 118 female parents within 63 same-sex couples whose relationship quality (relationship maintenance, conflict, love, ambivalence) was assessed at five time points across the first 5 years of adoptive parenthood. Monosexual women were those who identified …

Neurofeedback With Fmri: A Critical Systematic Review, Robert T. Thibault, Amanda Macpherson, Michael Lifshitz, Raquel R. Roth, Amir Raz

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Neurofeedback relying on functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI-nf) heralds new prospects for self-regulating brain and behavior. Here we provide the first comprehensive review of the fMRI-nf literature and the first systematic database of fMRI-nf findings. We synthesize information from 99 fMRI-nf experiments—the bulk of currently available data. The vast majority of fMRI-nf findings suggest that self-regulation of specific brain signatures seems viable; however, replication of concomitant behavioral outcomes remains sparse. To disentangle placebo influences and establish the specific effects of neurofeedback, we highlight the need for double-blind placebo-controlled studies alongside rigorous and standardized statistical analyses. Before fMRI-nf can join the …

Stasi Brainwashing In The Gdr 1957 - 1990, Jacob H. Solbrig, Jacob Hagen Solbrig

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the methods used by the Ministerium für Staatssicherheit (MfS), more commonly known as the Stasi, or East German secret police, for extraction of information from citizens of the German Democratic Republic for the purpose of espionage and covert operations inside East Germany, as it pertains to the deliberate brainwashing of East German citizens. As one of the most efficient intelligence agencies to ever exist, the Stasi’s main purpose was to monitor the population, gather intelligence, and collect or turn informants. They used brainwashing techniques to control the people of the GDR, keeping the populace paralyzed with fear …

Virtual Reality As A Training Tool To Treat Physical Inactivity In Children, Adam W. Kiefer, David Pincus, Michael J. Richardson, Gregory D. Myer

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Lack of adequate physical activity in children is an epidemic that can result in obesity and other poor health outcomes across the lifespan. Physical activity interventions focused on motor skill competence continue to be developed, but some interventions, such as neuromuscular training (NMT), may be limited in how early they can be implemented due to dependence on the child’s level of cognitive and perceptual-motor development. Early implementation of motor-rich activities that support motor skill development in children is critical for the development of healthy levels of physical activity that carry through into adulthood. Virtual reality (VR) training may be beneficial …

Cultural Differences In Group Therapy: A Phenomenological Study Of The Lived Embodied Experience Of The Cultural Bump, Natalie R. Breitmeyer

Creative Arts Therapies Theses

Utilizing transcendental phenomenology, this study sought to better understand dance/movement therapists’ experiences of the culture bump phenomenon in the group therapy setting. Culture bumps are defined as moments in which two or more people enter a situation with different culturally-based expectations about customs, behavior, beliefs, communication styles, and other norms (Archer & Nickson, 2012). Data were collected using individual inperson semi-structured interviews with five Chicagoland dance/movement therapists who self identified as having experienced the phenomenon of the culture bump while in the group therapy setting. Data analysis was completed using Moustakas’ (1994) adaptation of the Stevick-Colaizzi-Keen method and resulted in …

The Intersection Of Anger Management Counseling And Embodiment In Dance/Movement Therapy, Maria Parise

Creative Arts Therapies Theses

The purpose of this research study was to explore how the embodiment of aspects of anger may integrate within anger management counseling. Through this research, the first step was taken in exploring the physical expression of anger as an intervention tool in anger management counseling. A personal understanding of anger expression and management was established which may be utilized in future dance/movement therapy (DMT) sessions. This study was guided by multiple research questions: How might the embodiment of anger integrate with anger management counseling? How might the sensations, images, feelings, and thoughts experienced in anger management sessions lead to an …

A Heuristic Inquiry Into The Subjective Lived Experience And Expression Of Authenticity As A Developing Dance/Movement Therapist, Elyssa M. Yeh

Creative Arts Therapies Theses

The purpose of this self-study was to explore and understand my subjective lived experience and expression of the phenomenon of authenticity, which included identifying the components of my professional identity; discerning the challenges, barriers, and limitations to my full experience and expression of authenticity; establishing awareness of when I am and when I am not engaging fully with my authenticity; and developing a sense of authenticity within myself that is adaptable to a variety of situations and relationships. Moustakas (1990) six-steps of a heuristic investigation were implemented in this qualitative inquiry. Data was collected using art-making methods and analyzed using …

Moving Myths: A Heuristic Inquiry Into The Role Of Jungian Concepts In The Theoretical Framework Of A Dance/Movement Therapy Student, Maura Reagan

Creative Arts Therapies Theses

The purpose of this heuristic study was to develop a personal dance/movement therapy approach and interventions that utilize the Jungian concepts of myth and archetypes. The researcher, a 24-year-old graduate student, is grounded in a humanistic-existential therapy approach and is interested in bringing additional symbolism and metaphor to my theoretical lens by examining how these specific elements of Carl Jung’s psychoanalytic theory can enhance my current framework. Data collection and analysis took place over five Authentic Movement Skype sessions with the researcher and research collaborator participating from private rooms in their respective homes in Chicago, IL and Seattle, WA. The …

Embodied Nonverbal Microaggressions From The Perspective Of Dance/Movement Therapists: Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Rebecca A. Schultz

Creative Arts Therapies Theses

This interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) study explored dance/movement therapist’s embodied experiences of nonverbal microaggressions and how they experience nonverbal microaggressions in the clinical relationship. Data were collected via hour-long, video recorded, in-person interviews of four (N = 4) current practicing dance/movement therapists in the Chicago area. Data analysis was conducted using IPA of verbal and movement data where five key themes emerged (a) personal offense, (b) anger, and (c) curiosity towards experiences of nonverbal microaggressions; and microaggressions have the potential to both (d) strengthen and (e) harm the clinical relationship. Their experiences implicate the vital role the body plays in …

Safety First: Fostering The Neurological Experience Of Safety In Dance/Movement Therapy Sessions For Survivors Of Sexual Trauma, Chelsea Joy Davis

Creative Arts Therapies Theses

The purpose of this clinical case study was to explore and describe how a neurological experience of safety was fostered for survivors of sexual trauma in dance/movement therapy sessions at a community-based rape-crisis counseling center. This study focused on how the theories of trauma-informed therapy and dance/movement therapy were applied to clinical practice with survivors of sexual trauma in order to shift them out of trauma-related responses. Reflections on this process were captured via structured and narrative journaling, which was then synthesized by highlighting and interpreting common themes that emerged. Findings indicated that externalizing trauma-related responses using symbolic imagery and …

Beyond The End Line - Putting The Mental Health Of Female Athletes First, Katherine Scholten

Honors Projects

Currently one in five adults are affected by mental illness. Student-athletes are a population that is under diagnosed for mental illness. In the world of college athletics, mental pain is as regular as physical pain. Coaches often push their athletes to suffer in silence for the betterment of the team. The NCAA has recognized the importance of mental health in college athletics, yet there is still much work to be done among universities across the country. This document is to serve as a resource and a guide on the effects of mental health among female student athletes and the best …

Engaging Collective Embodied Resilience, Enacting Ritual Movement Practice In A Social Change Process, Lauren Rose Milburn

Creative Arts Therapies Theses

Twenty-first century American society requires individual and collective bodies to navigate large and often invisible systems of oppression despite the felt-influence of inequality, injustice, and affective control. Drawing from convergent theories of social movements and dance/movement therapy, collective embodied resilience emerges as a dually activating and healing resource for change making. This qualitative research study utilized a participatory/action embodied artistic inquiry methodology to investigate how arts-activist co-researchers experience collective embodied resilience during participation in collective action. Employing arts-based methods of data collection and analysis, coresearchers explored collective embodied resilience to generate and share an accessible ritual movement practice within a …

The Climate Of Neurofeedback: Scientific Rigour And The Perils Of Ideology, Robert T. Thibault, Michael Lifshitz, Amir Raz

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Over the last six decades, an in-group with ideological and financial stakes has been conducting sub-par research to develop an ostensibly effective clinical intervention: EEG-neurofeedback. More recently, however, a string of independent studies featuring increased scientific rigour and tighter experimental controls has challenged the foundation on which EEG-neurofeedback stands. Earlier this year, Brain published one of the most robust EEG-neurofeedback experiments to date (Schabus et al., 2017), which sparked a flurry of correspondence concerning the therapeutic value of neurofeedback (Fovet et al., 2017; Schabus, 2017); notably, a parallel discussion continues in Lancet Psychiatry …

Frankenstein's Fixations: A Psychoanalytic Approach To Childhood, Sexuality, And Outsiders, Kaitlin Harris

Ursidae: The Undergraduate Research Journal at the University of Northern Colorado

By using Frankenstein by Mary Shelley as a case study, my project explores readers’ and characters’ experiences with others that might appear as a threat. Furthermore, I intend to deconstruct the ambiguity of relations with others and the self based on the concepts of the sublime and uncanny affect. My argument displays how isolating a living being from society recapitulates a cycle of unconscious abuse. Due to the different critical approaches in relation to the unconscious and the unreachable double, it is difficult to find research in literature that approaches familial and sexual relationships that incorporate the two simultaneously. I …

Modifiable Lifestyle Risk Factors For Stroke Among A High Risk Hypertensive Population In Greater Kampala, Uganda; A Cross-Sectional Study, Carol Blixen, Elisabeth Welter, Martha Sajatovic

Faculty Scholarship

Objective: To describe the modifiable lifestyle risk factors for stroke among a high risk population for stroke. Africa suffers from rapid population growth, adoption of harmful western diets, and increased prevalence of hypertension and obesity. Results: A total of 440 study participants were screened and 87 individuals with hypertension plus at least one other known stroke risk factor were enrolled. The prevalence of hypertension and diabetes mellitus in the screened population was 19.7 and 1.8%, respectively. Among those with hypertension only 2.3% (2/87) had ever had serum lipid assessment. Seventy-two percent (68/87) had very high serum LDL-cholesterol, while 33.3% (29/87) …

Severe Recurrent Hypothermia In An Elderly Patient With Refractory Mania Associated With Atypical Antipsychotic, Valproic Acid And Oxcarbazepine Therapy, Oluwadamilare O. Ajayi, Suzanne Holroyd

Psychiatry

Hypothermia is a rare but serious condition that has been associated with various psychiatric medications. We present a 76-year-old woman with refractory mania who developed multiple episodes of severe hypothermia associated with several psychiatric medications including olanzapine, quetiapine, valproic acid and oxcarbazepine. These episodes resolved following discontinuation of the agents. The patient had never experienced hypothermia before, despite having been on these or similar agents for many years. With traditional treatments for mania not feasible, other medications were used to treat her including lithium, clonazepam, gabapentin and the novel protein kinase c inhibitor tamoxifen. The regimen resulted in some success …

Physical Aggressiveness And Gray Matter Deficits In Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex, David S. Chester, Donald R. Lynam, Richard Milich, C. Nathan Dewall

Psychology Faculty Publications

What causes individuals to hurt others? Since the famous case of Phineas Gage, lesions of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC) have been reliably linked to physically aggressive behavior. However, it is unclear whether naturally-occurring deficits in VMPFC, among normal individuals, might have widespread consequences for aggression. Using voxel based morphometry, we regressed gray matter density from the brains of 138 normal female and male adults onto their dispositional levels of physical aggression, verbal aggression, and sex, simultaneously. Physical, but not verbal, aggression was associated with reduced gray matter volume in the VMPFC and to a lesser extent, frontopolar cortex. Participants …

Perceived Self-To-Other Similarity As A Mediator Of The Effects Of Gender And Racial Composition On Identification In Small Groups, Randi L. Garcia

Psychology: Faculty Publications

Two group studies tested the mediating role of perceived diversity in the link between actual demographic composition and an individual’s identification with a small group. In these studies, a new type of dyadic perceived diversity—self-to-other perceived similarity—is introduced and measured. Further, a group actor partner interdependence model (GAPIM) approach was used to test mediation of the link between actual demographic composition and identification by perceived self-to-other similarity. In Study 1, 4- and 5-person small groups varying in gender composition interacted face-to-face. Results showed mediation of the effect of similarity in gender on group identification by self-to-other similarity. In Study 2, …

Buspirone Maintenance Does Not Alter The Reinforcing, Subjective, And Cardiovascular Effects Of Intranasal Methamphetamine, Anna R. Reynolds, Justin Charles Strickland, William W. Stoops, Joshua A. Lile, Craig R. Rush

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Background—Medications development efforts for methamphetamine-use disorder have targeted central monoamines because these systems are directly involved in the effects of methamphetamine. Buspirone is a dopamine autoreceptor and D3 receptor antagonist and partial agonist at serotonin 1A receptors, making it a logical candidate medication for methamphetamine-use disorder. Buspirone effects on abuse-related behaviors of methamphetamine have been mixed in clinical and preclinical studies. Experimental research using maintenance dosing, which models therapeutic use, is limited. This study evaluated the influence of buspirone maintenance on the reinforcing effects of methamphetamine using a self-administration procedure, which has predictive validity for clinical efficacy. The impact …

Assessing The Long-Term Effects Of Brief Behavioral Health Treatment In Primary Care Patients, Debbie Gomez

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Although increasingly studies show brief behavioral health services are effective for primary care patients (Bridges et al., 2013; Bryan, Morrow, & Appolonio, 2009; Corso et al., 2012; Gomez et al., 2014), there is a paucity of research exploring the long-term effects of these interventions (e.g., Ray-Sannerud, 2012). The primary aim of the current study was to explore long-term effectiveness. Specifically, the current study 1) examined whether reductions in patient global distress following brief behavioral health care services were maintained long-term, 2) evaluated whether improvements were reliable and not due to regression to the mean effects, and 3) explored medical cost …

Liking, Craving, And Attentional Bias In Non-Dependent Drinkers, David Lovett

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to better understand alcohol use problems by examining the effect of alcohol liking on alcohol attentional bias among non-dependent drinkers. An adapted model of Robinson and Berridge’s (1993) incentive-sensitization theory of addiction was proposed which theorized that manipulation of alcohol liking would produce alcohol attentional bias (assessed via visual probe task) among non-dependent drinkers. To test this adapted model, alcohol liking was manipulated and the effect on alcohol attentional bias was examined. Participants were 53 legal-age, college drinkers (Mage = 23.49; 32.1% female; 67.9% White Non-Hispanic). Participants completed measures of alcohol drink preference, …

A Cluster Analysis Of Challenging Behaviors In Autism Spectrum Disorder, Elizabeth Stevens, Abigail Atchison, Laura Stevens, Esther Hong, Doreen Granpeesheh, Dennis Dixon, Erik J. Linstead

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

We apply cluster analysis to a sample of 2,116 children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in order to identify patterns of challenging behaviors observed in home and centerbased clinical settings. The largest study of this type to date, and the first to employ machine learning, our results indicate that while the presence of multiple challenging behaviors is common, in most cases a dominant behavior emerges. Furthermore, the trend is also observed when we train our cluster models on the male and female samples separately. This work provides a basis for future studies to understand the relationship of challenging behavior profiles to …

Physical Aggressiveness And Gray Matter Deficits In Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex, David S. Chester, Donald R. Lynam, Richard Milich, C. Nathan Dewall

Department of Psychological Sciences Faculty Publications

What causes individuals to hurt others? Since the famous case of Phineas Gage, lesions of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC) have been reliably linked to physically aggressive behavior. However, it is unclear whether naturally-occurring deficits in VMPFC, among normal individuals, might have widespread consequences for aggression. Using voxel based morphometry, we regressed gray matter density from the brains of 138 normal female and male adults onto their dispositional levels of physical aggression, verbal aggression, and sex, simultaneously. Physical, but not verbal, aggression was associated with reduced gray matter volume in the VMPFC and to a lesser extent, frontopolar cortex. Participants …

Prevalence Of Psychiatric Morbidity In A Community Sample In Western Kenya, Edith Kwobah, Steve Epstein, Ann Mwangi, Debra Litzelman, Lukoye Atwoli

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Background:About 25% of the worldwide population suffers from mental, neurological and substance use disorders but unfortunately, up to 75% of affected persons do not have access to the treatment they need. Data on the magnitude of the mental health problem in Kenya is scarce.

The objectives of this study were to establish the prevalence and the socio-demographic factors associated with mental and substance use disorders in Kosirai division, Nandi County, Western Kenya.

Methods:This was a cross sectional descriptive study in which participants were selected by simple random sampling. The sampling frame was obtained from a data base of …

Self-Inflicted Injuries: Designation For Risk Assessment Or Cost Avoidance, Brianna M. Robertson, Ralph E. Mckinney Jr., Lawrence P. Shao

Psychiatry

This paper considers the denial of health insurance benefits based on a participant's high-risk behaviors such as self-inflicted injuries. In many instances, healthcare benefits can be denied if patients are injured while engaging in criminal activities, from a self-infliction, and from injuries relating to the consumption of alcohol. With increases in healthcare expenditures and government regulation, the necessity for benefit reductions is directed at individuals engaging in high-risk behaviors. The belief is that high-risk behaviors can be modified by individuals. Unfortunately, modification of behaviors may not be available to everyone.

Differences In Mental Health Education Across Baby Boomers, Generation X, And Millennials, Ashlyn M. Avera

Honors College Theses

There is no denying that mental illness has gained a strong prevalence in the United States. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, approximately one in five adults in the United States experiences a mental illness in any given year. Although mental health stigmas have played a role in the past, it does not mean they must continue to play the same role in the future. Research is now looking toward ways to decrease mental health stigma through increasing mental health knowledge. This study examines the starting point for which a society becomes literate in mental health. Using a …

Honors Seminar In Civic Engagement And Social And Behavioral Science: Citizen Science: Self-Experiments Hpr 392, Julia Lovett

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

Supporting Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder In Understanding And Coping With Complex Social Emotional Issues, Kaitlyn P. Ahlers, Terisa P. Gabrielsen, Danielle Lewis, Anna M. Brady, April Litchford

Faculty Publications

Core deficits in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) center around social communication and behavior. For those with ASD, these deficits complicate the task of learning how to cope with and manage complex social emotional issues. Although individuals with ASD may receive sufficient academic and basic behavioral support in school settings, supports for dealing with complex social emotional issues are more difficult to access, even though these issues significantly impact student learning. When addressing these challenging social- and emotional-based issues, school and professional personnel need more specific instructional skill sets and resources to effectively and compassionately support students with ASD. In this …

The Therapeutic Relationship As A Context For Reformation, Kristine Lund

Consensus

No abstract provided.

Why Roma Children Need Language Assessments In Romani, Hristo Kyuchukov, Jill De Villiers, Andrea Takahesu Tabori

Psychology: Faculty Publications

In this paper we make one major point: that Roma children in Europe need to be tested in their mother tongue before school placement. Roma children are in a particularly perilous position with respect to their education. We describe the problematic linguistic situation of Roma children, who are bilingual and often bidialectal, but are frequently evaluated in the language of the state for educational placement, a process that has been shown to significantly compromise their chance of success. We then review the considerable empirical evidence that bilingual children must be evaluated in both languages to give a fair assessment of …