Psychiatry and Psychology Commons^™

Childhood Aggression: A New Conceptualization, Hannah G. Harrison

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Childhood aggression is a frequently observed behavioral phenomenon, yet lacks a precise
definition in both the DSM-5-TR and current research literature. Definitional ambiguity and
construct enmeshment continue to create construct confusion for researchers, clinicians, and
informants. This empirical review of the current literature and diagnostic criteria examines how
childhood aggression has been historically conceptualized, defined, and described. The primary
aim was to identify and clarify inconsistencies in current definitions and to address knowledge
gaps to improve diagnostic clarity. Through a thematic synthesis of recent literature, several key
issues emerged: the absence of a precise definition of childhood aggression; reliance on …

The Emotional Landscape Of Aviation Pilots: Analysis Of Online Professional Forums Using Natural Language Processing, Adrienne S. Renwick, Leo Gonzalez, Charles L. Silber, Alyson Mullen, Cass Dykeman, Adam Stewart, Jennifer C. Ross, James Geisler

Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research

This study investigated burnout related to emotions in three categories of pilots: commercial passenger, commercial cargo, and military. While pilot burnout has been previously studied, challenges in self-reporting limit understanding. This study extends previous research by analyzing pilots' anonymous online forum posts to gain insight into burnout-related emotions. Natural Language Processing was conducted with the RoBERTa-base-go_emotions model, which analyzed 1,130,530 online forum posts from commercial passengers, commercial cargo, and military pilots for 27 emotion categories and one absence of emotion category (i.e., neutral). An exploratory composite score reflecting burnout-related emotional expression omnibus burnout score was calculated using seven burnout-related emotions …

Frequency And Perceived Influence Of Menopausal Symptoms On Training And Performance In Female Endurance Athletes, Heather M. Hamilton, Natalie M. Yarish, Kristin E. Heron

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Menopause is associated with several negative health concerns and common menopausal symptoms. Physical activity is essential to mitigate these negative effects, but menopausal symptoms may interfere with participation in physical activity. The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency and the perceived negative effect of menopausal symptoms among female endurance athletes. Female runners, cyclists, swimmers, and triathletes 40–60 years of age were recruited (N = 187). Participants completed an online, anonymous survey that included self-reported menopausal status; the Menopausal Rating Scale (MRS), a validated measure for assessing menopausal symptoms; and the perceived effect of menopausal symptoms on …

Predictors Of General Education Teachers' Self-Efficacy For Educating Autistic Students: Enactive Mastery Experiences, Vicarious Experiences, Verbal/Social Persuasions, And Physiological And Affective States, Renette Portecop-Prentice

Dissertations

Problem

Autism is a complex neurodevelopmental condition that presents challenges not only for autistic individuals, but also for their families, healthcare providers and school professionals. A significant number of children with autism spend most of their school day in general education classrooms with teachers who may lack autism-specific training and are unfamiliar with evidence-based practices for supporting autistic students. This lack of training or relevant resources specific to autism may impact teacher self-efficacy for educating autistic students, which in turn may affect instructional decisions and student outcomes. Guided by Bandura’s theoretical framework, this study examined the relationships among autism-specific training …

'I Did Not Know We Could Exercise This Small Premature Baby': Challenges Experienced By Parents While Implementing Early Intervention For Their Preterm Infants-A Qualitative Perspective, Manasa Kolibylu Raghupathy, Selim Jahangir, Sonia Khurana, Leslie Edward S. Lewis, Bhamini Krishna Rao

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Background

Preterm birth is a highly stressful experience for both parents and infants. Parental participation in care enhances developmental outcomes, fosters parent-infant interactions and builds parental confidence. However, low parental adherence has always been a challenge in the successful implementation of intervention programs both in the NICU and at home. It is imperative to understand parents' perspectives and view the challenges that they experience through their lens while providing early intervention to their infants born preterm. This study is aimed at identifying new parents' challenges when implementing early intervention programs for their infants during the transition from hospital to home. …

Residual Next-Day Effects Of Alprazolam On Psychomotor Performance And Simulated Driving In Healthy Normal Adults, Stevie C. Roszkowski, Shanna Babalonis, Marion A. Coe, Paul Nuzzo, Michelle R. Lofwall, Laura C. Fanucchi, Sharon L. Walsh

Center on Drug and Alcohol Research Faculty Publications

The prevalence of drugged driving has increased in the United States. Some drugged driving may be unintentional as prescription medications used as sleeping aids, like zolpidem, cause impairment after the predicted duration of therapeutic action has elapsed. The aim of this study was to determine if nighttime administration of alprazolam, a drug commonly prescribed off-label as a sleeping aid, impacts driving performance the following day. Participants were healthy adults (n = 15) who completed a double-blind, double-dummy, within-subjects inpatient study examining the effects of nighttime administration of alprazolam (0.5, 1, and 2 mg), zolpidem (10 mg), and placebo on driving …

A Longitudinal Study Of The Association Between The Teachable Moment Heuristic And Smoking Of Head And Neck Cancer Patients, Tia Borger, Matthew W. Southward, Jessica Maras, Abigayle Feather, Jessica L. Burris

Psychiatry Faculty Publications

Background: The Teachable Moment Heuristic (TMH) posits that change in its three components (ie, affective response, risk perception, and social role/self-concept) could increase motivation and confidence for health promotion, such as smoking cessation. For patients with cancer, smoking cessation can extend survival, while persistent smoking causes numerous problems (eg, cancer recurrence).

Purpose: This intensive longitudinal study with cancer patients aimed to evaluate the link between TMH constructs and smoking outcomes.

Methods: Participants included 42 newly diagnosed head/neck cancer patients who reported smoking in the past month. Participants completed a baseline questionnaire before a 30-day daily assessment. Single-item measures were used …

Adverse Childhood Experiences, Depression And Subjective Cognitive Decline By Gender: A Moderated Mediation Analysis, Monique J. Brown, Darlingtina K. Esiaka, Jaya Viswanathan

Behavioral Science Faculty Publications

Studies assessing depression as a mediating factor between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and subjective cognitive decline (SCD) are lacking. Therefore, the aims of this study were to: (1) determine the mediating role of depression in the association between ACEs and SCD; and (2) assess the moderating role of gender. Data were obtained from the 2023 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Study (BRFSS) survey (N = 38,600). Crude and adjusted path analyses were used to determine the mediating role of depression between ACEs and SCD. Adjusted analyses controlled for sociodemographic confounders. ACEs were positively associated with depression (B = 0.129, p …

Commercial Tobacco Retail Marketing In Rural Communities In Appalachian Kentucky, 2024, Saber Feizy, Judy Van De Venne, Melissa Abadi, W. Jay Christian, Jayani Jayawardhana, Bethany Shorey Fennell, Delvon T. Mattingly, Shyanika W. Rose

Behavioral Science Faculty Publications

Objective: To investigate heterogeneous commercial tobacco marketing patterns across rurality gradient.

Methods: We conducted audits in all retail stores (n = 279) selling at least one commercial tobacco/nicotine product in eight U.S. Appalachian Kentucky counties in 2024, comprising rural and peri-urban catchments. Trained auditors assessed product availability, discounts, and advertising. Stores were linked to census tract demographics and Index of Relative Rurality (IRR) quartiles. Poisson models assessed prevalence rates of exterior and interior ads and discounts for cigarettes, nicotine vapes, and nicotine pouches (ONP) by IRR quartiles.

Results: Most stores carried cigarettes, cigarillos, and smokeless products, and over 50 % …

Differential Speed And Accuracy Trade-Off In Working Memory Retrieval And Bilateral Precuneus Between Older Men And Women, Darlingtina K. Esiaka, Stephanie Strothkamp, Aghayeeabianeh Banafsheh, Lucas S. Broster, David K. Powell, Gregory Jicha, Yang Jiang

Behavioral Science Faculty Publications

Background

Despite various hypotheses, including differences in longevity, hormones, genetics, and neuroanatomy, the reasons for the higher prevalence of Alzheimer's disease in older women compared to men remain unclear. Emerging evidence suggests that the precuneus, a key region of the default mode network, is linked to internally focused processes like memory retrieval. We examined the relationship between precuneus volumes and task performance (accuracy and reaction time) during working memory retrievals in cognitively normal older adults.

Method

A cohort of older participants (N = 45; 25 women; M_age = 77) from the University of Kentucky Alzheimer's Disease Research Center …

Disparities In Discrimination Distress Among U.S. Youth, Delvon T. Mattingly, Meman Diaby, Osayande Agbonlahor, Shyanika W. Rose, Carrie B. Oser, Nancy L. Fleischer, Adam M. Leventhal, Joy L. Hart

Behavioral Science Faculty Publications

Introduction

Racial and ethnic discrimination differentially affects youth in the U.S. However, evidence of U.S. youth discriminatory experiences at the national level is scant.

Methods

Using data from the 2023 National Youth Tobacco Survey on youth aged ≥9 years (N=22,069), the authors used the 15-item Adolescent Discrimination Distress Index to create a binary indicator of any discrimination and mean summary scale (i.e., overall) and subscales (i.e., educational, institutional, and peer) representing frequencies of distress. The authors estimated the distribution of each discrimination measure overall and examined differences by the intersection of gender, race, and ethnicity.

Results

More than half the …

Disparities In Use Modalities Among Adults Who Currently Use Cannabis, 2022–2023, Meman Diaby, Osayande Agbonlahor, Bethany Shorey Fennell, Joy L. Hart, Delvon T. Mattingly

Behavioral Science Faculty Publications

Purpose

Following the legalization of cannabis in several U.S. states, the cannabis market has expanded, leading to a wider range of products including smoked, edible, and vape products which have variable health effects. This proliferation highlights the need for more research on patterns of current cannabis use among U.S. adults.

Methods

We used combined data on adults who currently use (i.e., past 30-day use) cannabis (n = 16,999) from the 2022 and 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. We analyzed whether seven cannabis use modalities including smoking, vaping, dabbing, consuming edibles, taking pills, applying topicals, and absorbing …

Examining The Relationship Between Racial, Ethnic, And Economic Residential Segregation And Cigarette Smoking Among A Nationally Representative Sample Of Young Adults, Shyanika W. Rose, Mary Kay Rayens, Mona Azadi, Elexis C. Kierstead, Amanda Y. Kong, Kimberly Horn

Behavioral Science Faculty Publications

Introduction

Predominantly Black, Hispanic or Latino, and lower-income communities are overexposed to tobacco. This study investigated the relationship between cigarette smoking and racial/ethnic and economic segregation using the Index of Concentration at the Extremes (ICE). Aims and Methods

A nationally representative sample of 4091 (aged 18–34 years) was surveyed between September and October 2016. We calculated census-tract population estimates to form ICE measures for ethnicity, race, income, ethnicity and income, and race and income. Quintiles were determined, with Quintile 1 (Q1) representing the most Hispanic/Latino, Black, and lowest-income neighborhoods and Q5 representing the most non-Hispanic/Latino, White, and highest-income neighborhoods. State …

Blood Biomarkers In Down Syndrome: Facilitating Alzheimer’S Disease Detection And Monitoring, Melissa E. Petersen, Lisi Flores-Aguilar, Elizabeth Head, Laia Montoliu-Gaya, Andre Strydom, Sarah E. Pape, Juan Fortea, Nicholas J. Ashton, Chinedu Udeh-Momoh, Sid E. O’Bryant, Dwight German, Florin Despa, Mark Mapstone, Henrik Zetterberg

Neurology Faculty Publications

Blood-based biomarkers continue to be explored for disease detection, monitoring of progression, and therapeutic outcomes as the diagnostic determination of Alzheimer’s Disease in Down Syndrome (DS-AD) remains challenging in clinical settings. This perspective highlights the current status of this effort. Overall, amyloid (A), tau (T), and neurodegeneration (AT[N]) blood-based biomarkers have been shown to increase with disease pathology for individuals with DS. Phosphorylated tau biomarkers (p-tau217, p-tau181) have been consistently shown to track disease progression for DS-AD and are likely good candidates for use in clinical settings. Biomarkers of inflammation (glial fibrillary acidic protein) also show promise; however, additional work …

Effects Of High-Frequency Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation On Impulse Control Disorders In Patients With Parkinson’S Disease On Dopamine Replacement Therapy, Katherine Muksuris

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a debilitating neurodegenerative disorder that causes motor deficits, cognitive impairment, and depression. The mainstay treatment for motor symptoms is dopamine replacement therapy (DRT). DRT takes the form of levodopa or dopamine receptor agonists (DAs) and can be associated with impulse control disorders (ICDs). Currently, the approach to mitigating these side effects is to decrease or stop DRT, which may cause motor symptoms to return, making the management of the disorder more difficult. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a noninvasive neuromodulation treatment for multiple disorders, including its approved use for smoking cessation. It has also shown …

Exploration Of Coping And Mental Health In West Virginia Farmers, Jodi Meadows Richmond

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Compared nationally, West Virginia currently ranks lowest for life expectancy, highest for drug related deaths and 35^th for access to adequate health (WV DHHR Organization Assessment & Strategic Plan, 2022). The state also ranks first in the nation for depression with one in four adults experiencing some form of depressive condition each year (CDC, 2020). The rurality of the state may limit social interaction and availability of medical treatment facilities (Brew et al., 2016).

The situation is even more dire for those in farming-related occupations. Farmers often struggle with management stress, utilizing appropriate coping strategies, and accessing mental health …

Psychophysiological Tools & Techniques To Predict Perceptual Motor Task Outcomes, Bobby Gerald Rawls Iii

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The process of perceiving environmental information, analyzing it, formulating a plan of action, and carrying out said plan is vital to our day to day lives. This loop occurs for every motor task we perform, from actions as simple as elbow flexion to as complex as performing surgery. As such, it is imperative to understand what physiological, psychological, and neurocognitive factors most dictate success or failure in the motor performance loop.

Prior research has shown that measures from each of these facets have strong relationships with motor performance outcomes, though these findings tended to rely on artificially produced stress in …

Evaluation Of The Stigmatizing Attitude Towards Mental Illness Among A Group Of Egyptian Nonpsychiatric Physicians, Mohamed Elhasanein Elshehedy, Mahmoud Ahmed Elwasify, Ibtihal Mohamed Aly Ibrahim, Roshdy Mohamed El Gamal

Mansoura Medical Journal

Background Stigmatizing attitudes toward persons had mental illness remain a major barrier to effective mental healthcare. While psychiatrists’ perspectives have been studied extensively, less attention has been paid to non-psychiatric physicians, whose attitudes significantly influence early detection and referral. Objective To evaluate stigmatizing attitudes toward mental illness among Egyptian nonpsychiatric physicians. Methods This cross-sectional research has been performed on a sample of non-psychiatric physicians in various Egyptian events and occasions, including the Mansoura University conference, the Ain Shams University conference, and the Alexandria University conference over the year 2023. Participants completed a socio-demographic questionnaire and the Mental Illness Clinicians’ Attitudes …

Feasibility Testing Of A Web-Based Phq-9 Test For Student Depression, Israel Oluwagbenga Odugboye

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Feasibility Testing of a Web-Based PHQ-9 Test for Student Depression

Israel Odugboye

Student depression stands as a critical public health issue because it affects numerous young adults who experience academic decline, disability, absenteeism, productivity reduction, and suicidal thoughts. The general population shows a 10% to 15% lifetime risk of developing depression which leads to a twentyfold elevation in suicide risk for depressed individuals [3]. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) serves as a popular tool for detecting depressive symptoms and determining severity levels among students from different cultural backgrounds. The assessment contains 27 possible scores which follow DSM depressive symptom criteria …

Integrated Multi-Omics Analyses Of Synaptosomes Revealed Synapse-Associated Novel Targets In Alzheimer’S Disease, Subodh Kumar, Enrique Ramos, Axel Hidalgo, Daniela Rodarte, Bhupender Sharma, Melissa M. Torres, Davin Devara, Shrikanth Gadad

School of Medicine Publications

Synapse dysfunction is an early event in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) caused by various factors, including amyloid beta, p-tau, inflammation, and aging. However, the precise molecular mechanism underlying synapse dysfunction in AD remains largely unknown. To understand this, we comprehensively analyzed the synaptosomes fraction in post-mortem brain samples from AD patients and cognitively normal individuals. We conducted high-throughput transcriptomic analyses to identify changes in microRNA (miRNA) and mRNA levels in synaptosomes extracted from the brains of unaffected individuals and those with AD. Additionally, we performed mass spectrometry analysis of synaptosomal proteins in the same sample group. These analyses revealed significant differences …

Ketamine Infusion Treatment For Depression, Isabella Schwing

Capstone Showcase

Depression remains a significant public health challenge in the U.S., affecting millions of adults and contributing to both psychological and financial burdens. Major depressive disorder impacts approximately 14.5 million U.S. adults, with about 30% of cases classified as treatment-resistant depression. Traditional antidepressant therapies, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, often have delayed onset and limited efficacy, leaving a substantial portion of patients without adequate relief. Given these limitations, there is an urgent need for alternative treatment options.

Recent research has highlighted ketamine as a promising intervention for Major Depressive Disorder and Treatment Resistant Depression. Initially identified as …

Combining Internal Family Systems Therapy And Dance Movement Therapy To Treat Survivors Of Sexual Assault, Tierney O'Keefe

Scripps Senior Theses

The mammalian nervous system is primed to connect with loved ones, flee from danger, and shut down when overwhelmed. The nervous system frequently enters a state of chronic dysregulation after a traumatic event, such as a sexual assault. In order to properly heal from such trauma, treatment must address both the body and the mind. Internal family systems therapy and dance movement therapy provide two frameworks to address nervous system dysregulation and restore balance to the system as a whole. This study combines both therapies into a hybrid therapy treatment as an attempt to address the somatic nature of stored …

Parental Monitoring, Latine Emerging Adult Marijuana And Alcohol Initiation, And The Relationship It Has With Marianismo And Machismo, Paola F. Ojeda

Scripps Senior Theses

The study aimed to expand the research on Latine adolescent alcohol and marijuana initiation in regard to their parent’s monitoring habits. The study investigated if parental monitoring affects the initiation of alcohol and marijuana for their adolescents. It also investigated if traditional gender roles in Latine households such as marianismo and machismo moderated the relationship. This study examined parental monitoring through asking participants about their parents monitoring habits and parents control habits during their adolescence. It also investigated Latine young adults’ substance use initiation. This study was conducted through a Qualtrics survey administered through Prolific with multiple subsections that pertain …

Weighted Family History Density Of Substance Use: Influence On Participant Substance Use Onset, Escalation, And Duration, Carleigh A. Litteral

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Substance use disorders impose a staggering toll on the United States (U.S.), straining healthcare systems, destabilizing communities, and profoundly impacting both individuals and families. Approximately one in six Americans aged 12 and older had a past-year substance use disorder in 2022 (Key Substance Use, 2022), and nearly one-third of adults experience a substance use disorder in their lifetime (Wu, 2010), contributing to an economic burden exceeding $400 billion annually (National Drug Threat Assessment, 2011). Family history of substance use disorders is a key predictor of vulnerability, with individuals who have affected relatives being 2–8 times more …

Evaluating The Acceptability Of Ptsd Treatment Among Justice-Involved Women In Kentucky With Histories Of Opioid Use, Jesse P. Mccann

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Rates of trauma and PTSD as well as histories of opioid use are high among justice-involved women, particularly in Kentucky. However, there are many barriers to receiving treatment. There is a pressing need for brief, trauma-focused interventions that can be more feasibly delivered in jail or prison settings as well as by community clinicians serving women on probation or parole. This study explores the acceptability of treatment for PTSD, particularly Written Exposure Therapy (WET), among justice-involved women on probation or parole with a history of illicit or nonmedical prescription opioid use. The research aims to deepen our understanding of factors …

The Effects Of Plx 3397 On Fentanyl Escalation In Male And Female Sprague-Dawley Rats, Jakob Shaykin

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Purpose: A hallmark characteristic of opioid use disorder (OUD) is a persons’ ‘loss of control’, which leads to the compulsion to seek and obtain opioids, resulting in increased consumption. This phenomenon is known as ‘escalation of drug intake’. Chronic opioid use causes microglial reactivity and subsequent release of proinflammatory cytokines leading to neuroinflammation, weakening one’s executive control over drug taking and ultimately leading to greater use. Previous research in our laboratory has explored heterogeneity of fentanyl intake in extended access (6-hr) sessions and identified distinct endophenotypes of fentanyl intake. Moreover, we have observed a positive correlation between Treml1 expression …

Assessing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder In The Addiction Assessing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder In The Addiction Population, Yagmur Beaman, Paula Suarez, Srinidhi Manchiraju, Sanket Patel, Corey Hopkins, Pooja Paunikar

South Atlantic Division GME Research Day 2025

No abstract provided.

Seizure In The Setting Of Metoprolol Overdose, Shilpa Amin, Justin H. Le, Hannah Sodergren

South Atlantic Division GME Research Day 2025

No abstract provided.

Salicylate Overdose Protocols For Family Medicine Physicians, Christine Tamayo, Denae Kappers, Patricia Gilford

South Atlantic Division GME Research Day 2025

No abstract provided.

Video Games In The Management Of Adhd: A Novel Approach To Adjunct Traditional Treatment, Lekhya Kintada, France Leandre

North Florida Division GME Research Day 2025

No abstract provided.