Psychiatry and Psychology Commons^™

Schizophrenia And Its Effects On An American Family: A Call To Action For The 21st Century, Cynthia Newton Captain

Senior Theses

Our country’s healthcare system is at a moral crossroads. The way we treat those whom we call “the homeless” is deplorable. The majority of the homeless are mentally ill and need treatment. Our country needs to treat those with the severe brain diseases of schizophrenia, schizo-affective disorder, and bi-polar disorder just as we would Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Those with severe mental illness, who have no insight into their illness, should not be allowed to dictate their own treatment. If a homeless person is brought to San Francisco General Hospital and is found to be a schizophrenic in psychiatric …

The Experience Of Generalized Anxiety Disorder Through The Lens Of Abraham Lincoln: The Effects Of Mental Health Stigma, Daryl Claude Medina

Senior Theses

Living with generalized anxiety disorder, also known as GAD, in the United States of America is difficult not only for the individual, but also for the people around him or her. Lifestyle changes have to be made, family dynamics need to be adjusted, and last but not least, all relationships must become flexible. In fact, these major life changes are never fixed and must continually adapt to the needs of the individual with generalized anxiety disorder since it is a lifelong medical condition. As with any other mental illness, dealing with generalized anxiety disorder takes great sacrifice in terms of …

Dying For A Diagnosis: The Impact Of Racial Discrimination In Healthcare, Danielle Owusu

Senior Theses

Previous studies have found that healthcare providers are affected by unconscious racial bias, reducing the quality of care and outcomes for African American patients (Yearby, 2010). This undergraduate study hypothesized when healthcare providers show more empathy, they provide higher quality care to their patients. Since African Americans face more discrimination on average, their chances for quality care is lower. Results reveal a positive correlation between empathy from healthcare providers and care administered to patients; furthermore, they reveal no significance found in discrimination of African American patients compared to other races. The study consisted of 93% female participants, which affects the …

The Development Of Theory Of Mind And Inhibitory Processing Among 7-11 Year Old Mexican And Mexican American Children, Daniela Kuri

Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined the relationships among demographic factors and aspects of social and cognitive development in 130 predominantly bilingual Mexican and Mexican-American 7-to-11-year-old children residing in Mexico and the United States. Measures assessed children’s WMLS-R Picture Vocabulary, inhibitory processing, visual-spatial problem solving, and theory of mind development. Demographic information was obtained from parents. Intercorrelations among age, WMLS-R Picture Vocabulary , inhibitory processing, visual-spatial problem solving, and theory of mind (ToM) revealed that ToM related to inhibitory processing, but not with visual-spatial problem solving skills, after controlling for age. Findings suggest that cultural and other individual factors might play an …

Substance Use, Treatment, And Demographic Characteristics Of Pregnant Women Entering Treatment For Opioid Use Disorder Differ By United States Census Region., Dennis J Hand, Vanessa L Short, Diane J Abatemarco

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Faculty Papers

Opioid use disorder (OUD) among pregnant women increased substantially between 1992 and 2012 across the United States, with the greatest increases occurring in the southern states. We analyzed the 2013 Treatment Episodes Database-Admissions to determine how substances used, characteristics of treatment, and demographics of pregnant women entering treatment for opioid use disorder vary between geographical regions. Analyses were restricted to cases where women reported being pregnant at the time of admission and reported opioids as the primary substance problem leading to the treatment admission. Characteristics were compared between U.S. census regions using Chi-square tests and logistic regression with the South …

Decreasing Sedentary Behavior: Effects On Academic Performance, Meta-Cognition, And Sleep, June J. Pilcher, Drew M. Morris, Stewart A. Bryant, Paul A. Merritt, Hayley B. Feigl

Publications

There is growing interest in using activity workstations as a method of increasing light physical activity in normally sedentary environments. The current study (N = 117) compared the effects of studying in college students while slowly pedaling a stationary bike with a desktop with studying at traditional desks across 10 weeks in an academic semester. The students were assigned to study either on the stationary bike or at a traditional desk located in the campus library for a minimum of 2 h a week. During the 10 weeks, the students studied for tests or worked on other required academic …

Predictors Of Attitudes Towards Law Enforcement Among Hispanics Living In The U.S.-Mexico Border Region, Ivan Avila

Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has shown that minorities hold negative attitudes towards members of law enforcement. Contact with law enforcement has been shown as a major predictor of attitudes towards law enforcement among minorities. Research on this subject has primarily focused on Blacks’ attitudes towards police. Hispanics have been the focus of only a small amount of research on police contact and attitudes towards law enforcement. This study examined contact and attitudes towards several law enforcement entities: local police, state troopers, and border patrol agents. The current study took place along the U.S.-Mexico border, an area with a high population of Hispanics, …

Temperament And Behavior Factors In A Community Sample Of Youth With Selective Mutism, Rachele Alexandra Diliberto

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Children with selective mutism often present as a very diverse population, with both oppositional (APA, 2013; Cohan et al., 2008; Steinhausen & Juzi, 1996), and anxious symptoms (APA, 2013; Kristensen, 2000; Vecchio & Kearney, 2009) most commonly reported. The first aim of the current study was to validate the presence of previously identified anxious and oppositional behavior factors in a community sample of youth with selective mutism. These factors were previously identified in a clinic sample of youth with selective mutism (Diliberto & Kearney, 2016). The second aim was to examine the association of anxious and oppositional behavior factors with …

Sleep-Wake Disorders And A Look At Insomnia Through Biological And Behavioral Perspectives, Mia Fontanarosa

The Review: A Journal of Undergraduate Student Research

Insomnia is defined by difficulties in falling asleep, maintaining sleep, and problems with early morning awakenings. Unfortunately, due to these symptoms daytime fatigue often follows. Daytime fatigue may have a severe impact on an individual’s day. Insomnia symptoms may not exist alone, however. Individuals who are diagnosed with insomnia have another disorder present as well. Often insomnia is paired with anxiety and mood disorders. Therefore, insomnia can be viewed through the biological and behavioral perspectives. Insomnia is a disorder that can be treated. The most common treatment would be cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, but treatment is not limited to …

Motivation For And Use Of Social Networking Sites: Comparisons Among College Students With And Without Histories Of Non-Suicidal Self-Injury, Stephanie Jarvi Steele, Lance P. Swenson, Kristen L. Batejan

Psychology: Faculty Publications

Objective: This research examines potential differences in social network use and motivation for social network use by non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) status. Participants: 367 (73% women; Mage = 20.60) college students were recruited in November–December 2011.

Methods: A random sample of 2,500 students was accessed through a university registrar to recruit students interested in an online survey assessing NSSI and various health-related behaviors.

Results: Social network use and motivations for social networks did not differ by NSSI status.

Conclusions: Results suggest that it is not patterns of use or motivation to use social networks that could lead to concern about online …

Reconnecting The Mind And Body: A Pilot Study Of Developing Compassion For Persistent Pain, Sarah L. Parry Dr, Zoey Malpus Dr

Patient Experience Journal

As an alternative to the more typical cognitive behavioural approach to pain management, a novel pain management group based on the principles of compassionate mind training was developed for a particular sub-group of patients. Participants were patients of a community pain clinic, who were invited to participate in this alternative approach to pain management. The eight-week Compassion in Pain Groups included psychoeducation around persistent pain, the underlying principles of compassionate mind training, practical exercises such as diaphragmatic breathing, followed by a series of compassionate imagery exercises and group discussions. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses were undertaken to gain further insights …

Examination Of Neurocorrelates Of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury In Young Adults, Rachel J. Raucci

Neuroscience Honors Papers

In recent years, there has been an upswing in the number of concussion diagnoses per year in the United States, particularly in young athletes with still-developing brains. Accompanying this recent trend is an increased amount of research on concussions and their long-term impacts. This ongoing research project collects and compares data from concussed and non-concussed individuals using various neuropsychological batteries, self-report surveys and participants’ EEG readings. Data analysis of the results from 51 participants indicates that previously concussed individuals differ from their non-concussed counterparts. Specifically, individuals who have suffered a concussion exhibit specific and occasionally idiosyncratic deficits in executive control …

Functional Human Grin2b Promoter Polymorphism And Variation Of Mental Processing Speed In Older Adults, Yang Jiang, Ming Kuan Lin, Gregory A. Jicha, Xiuhua Ding, Sabrina L. Mcilwrath, David W. Fardo, Lucas S. Broster, Frederick A. Schmitt, Richard J. Kryscio, Robert H. Lipsky

Behavioral Science Faculty Publications

We investigated the role of a single nucleotide polymorphism rs3764030 (G > A) within the human GRIN2B promoter in mental processing speed in healthy, cognitively intact, older adults. In vitro DNA-binding and reporter gene assays of different allele combinations in transfected cells showed that the A allele was a gain-of-function variant associated with increasing GRIN2B mRNA levels. We tested the hypothesis that individuals with A allele will have better memory performance (i.e. faster reaction times) in older age. Twenty-eight older adults (ages 65-86) from a well-characterized longitudinal cohort were recruited and performed a modified delayed match-to-sample task. The rs3764030 polymorphism was …

Psychotherapy Is Chaotic— (Not Only) In A Computational World, Günter K. Schlepek, Kathrin Vol, Wolfgang Aichhorn, Marc-Thorsten Hütt, Katharina Sungler, David Pincus, Helmut J. Schöller

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Objective: The aim of this article is to outline the role of chaotic dynamics in psychotherapy. Besides some empirical findings of chaos at different time scales, the focus is on theoretical modeling of change processes explaining and simulating chaotic dynamics. It will be illustrated how some common factors of psychotherapeutic change and psychological hypotheses on motivation, emotion regulation, and information processing of the client’s functioning can be integrated into a comprehensive nonlinear model of human change processes.

Methods: The model combines 5 variables (intensity of emotions, problem intensity, motivation to change, insight and new perspectives, therapeutic success) and …

The Effect Of Routine Adult Phq-2 Depression Screen And Scheduled Follow-Up Protocol In The Primary Care Setting, Alex F. Bikowski

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Healthy People has projected depression to be the primary cause of disability by 2020; therefore routine depression screening has been prioritized as a national healthcare initiative. The purpose of this Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) project is to demonstrate that routine implementation of the 2-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2) depression screener, along with a scheduled follow-up protocol for adults in the primary care setting, can improve current mental health practices regarding the identification of depression by clinicians. The evidence supports use of the PHQ-2 for routine adult depression screening, as long as a scheduled follow-up protocol is available for positive screens. This …

The Phenomenon Of Teacher Burnout: Mitigating Its Influence On New Teachers, Kaila Sanford

Scholarly and Creative Works Conference (2015 - 2021)

Burnout is a psychological condition with physical, emotional, and mental dimensions. Burnout often includes feelings of exhaustion, long-term fatigue, negative self-concept, despair or hopelessness, frustration, and a lack of productivity at work.

Teacher burnout is a well-known and researched field. It has been documented in the literature that teachers experience high levels of stress and emotional exhaustion, which leads to high levels of burnout and professional attrition. This study examined the incidence of burnout in new elementary school teachers and makes recommendations for changes to organizational structure that may reduce professional burnout.

For the purpose of this study five new …

Psycheducational Manual For Families Of People With Schizophrenia, Shiva Fatemifiroozabadi

Scholarly and Creative Works Conference (2015 - 2021)

Although schizophrenia is a relatively rare mental dysfunction, it causes significant discomforts for the patients and their family. As this mental illness usually starts at the young ages and lingers virtually forever, it affects almost every aspect of patients and their family’s life. Schizophrenia deteriorates the individual’s ability to normally interact with others in multiple settings be it family, workplace, and society.

Moreover, the negative and mainly false perceptions towards this illness among the general public intensifies the problems of schizophrenic patients and their families. This prejudice, combined with the inherent problems of the illness, forms a recipe for disaster …

The Relationship Between Promoting Self-Efficacy And Informed Decision-Making In Pregnant Nulliparous Women And Method Of Delivery, Crystal Hunter

Scholarly and Creative Works Conference (2015 - 2021)

This presentation will cover the relationship between the concepts of decreased self-efficacy in pregnant women’s abilities to deliver their babies vaginally, fear of the pain and duration of labor process, and the acceptance of medical intervention without sufficient intrapartum education surrounding delivery methods. These interrelated variables impede the concept of informed choice. The current state of the problem surrounds women with low self-efficacy who are predicted to have negative childbirth experiences such as, consenting to an astronomically high rate of cesarean sections. The focus for nursing is that low-risk, healthy women who elect cesarean sections without the knowledge that permanent …

Chronic Neuropsychological Sequelae In A Patient With Nontumorous Anti-Nmda-Receptor Encephalitis, Dong Y. Han, Lisa M. Mason, Aarti Patel, Zhengqiu Zhou, Sarah Phillips, Siddharth Kapoor

Neurology Faculty Publications

Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis is a neurological, autoimmune disorder tightly conceptualized only as recently as the mid-2000s. It presents itself in a combination of psychiatric, neurological, and autonomic features. We observe a unique case with probable earlier episode (prior to the mid-2000s conceptualization of the disease) and a later relapse, accompanying a comprehensive neuropsychological profile tracked after the relapse and subsequent improvement. Neurocognitive findings revealed residual frontal deficits with mood changes even in the state after plasmapheresis. This case is the first to describe posttreatment cognition in anti-NMDAR encephalitis after probable serial autoimmune episodes.

Benefits Of Having A Pet At College: Perception Of Today’S College Students, Morgan Jenkins

Georgia College Student Research Events

The present literature review examined data from 10 studies that examined the benefits of pet therapy and well-being. Florence Nightingale, a pioneer of nursing, recognized these benefits in the early 1800s when she used animals to provide support to mentally ill patients. Since then, pets, but mainly dogs, have been used across various populations and in numerous settings such as with geriatrics in nursing homes, in disaster relief, with war veterans suffering from PTSD, with inmates in correctional facilities, with terminal patients in hospice care, and with pediatric patients in the hospital setting. In all of these scenarios, findings suggest …

Lack Of Preventive Health Behaviors In The Early Forties: The Role Of Earlier Trajectories Of Cigarette Smoking From Adolescence To Adulthood, Chenshu Zhang, Judith S. Brook, Carl G. Leukefeld, Mario De La Rosa, David W. Brook

Behavioral Science Faculty Publications

Objective: To study the degree to which individuals in different trajectories of cigarette smoking from adolescence to the early forties are similar or different in terms of lack of preventive health behaviors (e.g., underuse of preventive health services, unhealthy eating habits) in early midlife. Methods: Participants came from a community-based random sample of residents in two upstate New York counties (N = 548). Data were collected from adolescence to early midlife (mean age = 43 years, standard deviation [SD] = 2.8) at seven time points. Using growth mixture modeling, we statistically identified the number of smoking trajectories. …

Psychosocial Factors Related To The Intergenerational Transmission Of Externalizing Behaviors In Early Midlife, Chenshu Zhang, Judith S. Brook, Neo K. Morojele, Mario De La Rosa, Carl G. Leukefeld, David W. Brook

Behavioral Science Faculty Publications

Background: To study the intergenerational transmission of externalizing behaviors. Methods: Participants came from a community-based random sample of residents in two upstate New York counties (N = 548). Data were collected from mothers at mean age 40 and from their children from adolescence (mean age = 14, SD = 2.8) to early midlife (mean age = 43, SD = 2.8) at seven time points. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to study the psychosocial factors as related to externalizing behaviors in early midlife. Results: First, maternal externalizing behaviors were indirectly associated with the offspring's externalizing behaviors …

Right Hemisphere Capacities For Word-Finding: Bilateral Modulation Of Event-Related Potentials In Healthy Adults And Adults With Aphasia, Amanda C. Alton

Dissertations

Language tasks are typically lateralized to the language dominant left hemisphere in healthy right-handed adults. Additionally, lesions in left frontotemporal areas typically result in a variety of language impairments called aphasia. Interestingly, increased activation in right cerebral regions homologous to left side lesions has been observed in patients with aphasia during word-finding tasks. The neural mechanism and the impact on word-finding remain unclear. There are two competing theories concerning compensatory right hemisphere activation. One view is that the right hemisphere plays a supportive role, taking over functions of the damaged left hemisphere. The other perspective is that rightward laterality is …

Eco-Anxiety At University: Student Experiences And Academic Perspectives On Cultivating Healthy Emotional Responses To The Climate Crisis, Anna Kelly

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This research looks at the overall question of how planetary health impacts mental health and psychological welling. The central focus is eco-anxiety—mental distress caused by climate change and environmental degradation—and how it manifests in university students. In order to gather data for this research I collected 114 student survey responses, interviewed seven young adults (ages 20-25), and interviewed seven experts in the fields of psychology and environmental studies.

They survey results show high levels of general stress and anxiety, high levels of stress and anxiety related to climate change and the state of the world, and a very high level …

An Analysis Of Positive Coping Mechanisms Utilized To Overcome Trauma In Post-Genocidal Rwanda, Danielle Marvin

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

From April 7th to July 1st of 1994, one million Rwandan people were brutally murdered by their friends and neighbors in the meticulously planned and government-sponsored Genocide against the Tutsi. Survivors witnessed killings and sexual assault, had their lives threatened, lost multiple family members, and hid under dead bodies to evade the killers. To make matters worse, trust within communities and even within families was destroyed as Hutu perpetrators turned against Tutsis they had, days earlier, been inviting to family events. After the genocide, PTSD rates among adults in Rwanda were estimated at 20.5% for men and 30% for women …

Water, Sanitation And Hygiene In Rwamwanja Refugee Settlement, Katelyn Bergl

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

No abstract provided.

Western Diet Affects The Murine Circadian System Possibly Through The Gastrointestinal Microbiota, Roberto Refinetti

Psychological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Consumption of a high-fat diet characteristic of human Western diet has been shown to affect the circadian system of laboratory rodents. The present study confirms an effect of Western diet on the circadian system of mice, specifically a shortening of the free-running circadian period of running-wheel activity, in addition to increased weight gain. Decimation of the gut microbiota by broad spectrum antibiotic treatment reversed the effect of Western-diet feeding on the free-running period, which suggests that the effect of Western-diet feeding on the circadian system is mediated by the gastrointestinal microbiota. This finding is particularly relevant in view of recent …

A Program Aimed Toward Inclusive Excellence For Underrepresented Undergraduate Women In The Sciences, Laura A. Katz, Kathryn M. Aloisio, Nicholas J. Horton, Minh Ly, Sara B. Pruss, Kate Queeney, Cate Rowen, Patricia Marten Dibartolo

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Created to foster inclusive excellence, Smith College’s Achieving Excellence in Mathematics, Engineering, and Science (AEMES) Scholars program provides early faculty-mentored research opportunities and other programming as a way to foster success in academic outcomes for underrepresented women in science. Using academic record data, we compared Scholars’ outcomes over time with those of underrepresented students before program launch and to relevant peer comparison groups. Since its launch, AEMES Scholars have achieved significantly higher gateway life sciences course grade point averages (GPAs), rates of persistence in life and natural sciences, and participation in natural sciences advanced research relative to baseline. Gains for …

Evaluating Parents' Self-Efficacy For Diabetes Management In Pediatric Type 1 Diabetes., Amy E. Noser, Susana R. Patton, Jason Van Allen, Michael B. Nelson, Mark A. Clements

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Objective: To examine the factor structure and construct validity of the Maternal Self-Efficacy for Diabetes Management Scale (MSED) in 135 youth ( Mage  = 13.50  ±  1.83 years), with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Method: The study used exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to examine the factor structure and correlations to examine relationships among MSED factors and select parent and child diabetes-related health behaviors and outcomes.

Results: EFA identified an 11-item three-factor solution (χ 2 (25, n  = 133)  = 40.22, p  < .03, RMSEA = 0.07, CFI = 0.98, TLI = 0.97), with factors corresponding to parents' perceived ability to manage their child's diabetes (MSED-M), problem-solve issues surrounding glycemic control (MSED-P), and teach their child about diabetes care (MSED-T). Correlational analyses revealed significant associations between the MSED-M and MSED-T and parent-reported optimism and youth's diabetes-specific self-efficacy. The MSED-T was also associated with glycated hemoglobin and self-monitoring blood glucose.

Conclusions: Results provide preliminary evidence for the reliability and validity of a three-factor solution of the MSED.

Buprenorphine Physician Supply: Relationship With State-Level Prescription Opioid Mortality, Hannah K. Knudsen, Jennifer R. Havens, Michelle R. Lofwall, Jamie L. Studts, Sharon L. Walsh

Behavioral Science Faculty Publications

Background: Buprenorphine is an effective treatment for opioid use disorder but the supply of buprenorphine physicians is currently inadequate to address the nation’s prescription opioid crisis. Perception of need due to rising opioid overdose rates is one possible reason for physicians to adopt buprenorphine. This study examined associations between rates of growth in buprenorphine physicians and prescription opioid overdose mortality rates in US states.

Methods: The total buprenorphine physician supply and number of physicians approved to treat 100 patients (per 100,000 population) were measured from June 2013 to January 2016. States were divided into two groups: those with rates of …