Mental Disorders Commons^™

Research Brief: "Suicide Risk Among 1.3 Million Veterans Who Were On Active Duty During The Iraq And Afghanistan Wars", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This brief is about a comparison between the post-service suicide risk of recent wartime veterans versus the suicide risk of the general population in the US. In policy and practice, veterans at risk for suicide should seek counseling, counselors should be aware of military service-specific stressors, and family members should support veterans through readjustment periods; the DoD and VA should continue offering medical screening and counseling services to recent veterans and veterans who were deployed. Suggestions for future research include examining the reasons for lower rates of suicide within certain military branches, determining the reasons for an excess suicide rate …

Research Brief: "Prevalence Of Suicidality Among Hispanic And African American Veterans Following Surgery", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This brief is about the likelihood of suicidal behavior and ideation among African Americans and Hispanic Americans after surgery. In policy and practice, pain medications should be prescribed after major surgery, health professionals should evaluate for both physical and psychological suffering several months after surgery, and also provide more services to the patient if necessary; the VHA should expand its suicide prevention program and tailor interventions toward cultural subgroups. Suggestions for future research include looking at prescriber and patient characteristics when prescribing pain medication, looking at the differences in post-surgery coping by race, and relying on data from veterans about …

Apples And Oranges: An Argument For Psychopathy As A Formal Diagnosis, Katherine K. Mcmann

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

When one thinks of the psychopath, an image of one of the notorious serial killers of the 1980s generally pops in their head- Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, or the Green River Killer. While still rare, psychopaths encompass much more than just serial killers, and they have a unique presentation that lies outside the confines of any current diagnosis. Characteristics such as lack of empathy, impulsivity, grandiosity, and poor behavioral controls are included in various personality disorders. The Narcissist will show lack of empathy and grandiosity while the Borderline will have poor behavioral controls and impulsivity, for example. However, the construct …

Research Brief: "Coping, Family Social Support, And Psychological Symptoms Among Student Veterans", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This study is about coping styles among student veterans and what is related to various coping styles. For policy and practice, universities should understand veterans' stigmatization of mental health services and should improve cultural competence; the Department of Veterans Affairs should work with universities to ensure student veteran success. Suggestions for future research include using a larger, more representative sample and looking at the effects of actual versus perceived social support.

Four Lessons Learned From Treatingcatholic Priest Sex Offenders, Thomas G. Plante

Psychology

Perhaps there is no one in our society more despised and vilified than sex offenders, especially those who sexually violate young children. And during the past decade perhaps no particular subgroup of sex offender has been more despised than those who are Roman Catholic priests. We need to be attentive to the state-of-the-art facts, best practices, and create policies and procedures to keep those who might harm children away from children. To do otherwise is foolish and harmful. Yet strong opinions, advocacy, and hysteria sometimes gets more attention than actual evidence-based quality research and practice which is not ultimately in …

Research Brief: "Alcohol Use And Craving Among Veterans With Mental Health Disorders And Mild Traumatic Brain Injury", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This brief is about the relation between alcohol craving and mental health disorders among veterans, and how mental health disorders impact alcohol cravings. For policy and practices, the research shows that alcohol cravings and mental health disorders among veterans could be a sign for risk of alcohol use disorder. It also shows that the VA should assess veterans for alcohol use disorder, and also research more ties between mental health disorders and alcohol use. Suggestions for future research include conducting the study in a larger, more representative population, as well as involving families in measuring alcohol use/cravings to ensure less …

Research Brief: "Suicidality Among Military-Connected Adolescents In California Schools", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This study examines the prevalence of suicidal ideations among military-connected youth in California, and found that twenty-four percent of military-connected youth reported seriously considering suicide. Given these findings, school personnel and mental health providers should teach coping techniques for anxiety, depression, and stress; they would also benefit from implementing a policy that forbids service members from bringing firearms home during extended leaves and weekends. Future studies should sample military children of all grade levels, including college/university.

Guilty By Reason Of Insanity: Unforeseen Consequences Of California's Deinstitutionalization Policy, Jen Rushforth

Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science

Beginning with the passage of the Lanterman-Petris- Short Act in 1969, deinstitutionalization in California has had a devastating effect on the mentally ill. Instead of affording the mentally ill with more rights and protections, the process of shutting down state psychiatric hospitals and impeding psychiatric care for those in need caused a cascade effect leading to an increase of homelessness and incarceration. Over the past four decades, prisons and jails in California have become the de facto state mental hospitals, with severely mentally ill individuals having nearly a four-to-one chance of ending up in jail or prison over a psychiatric …

Distinguishing Originality From Creativity In Adhd: An Assessment Of Creative Personality, Self-Perception, And Cognitive Style Among Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Adults, Jean-Pierre J. Issa

Creative Studies Graduate Student Master's Theses

Debates over whether Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) relates to high levels of creativity have been hampered by a lack of rigor when defining creativity. The purpose of the present study was to go beyond the rhetoric by empirically investigating creative personality, creative self-perception, and cognitive style among 49 ADHD adults. Comparative analysis to studies of non-ADHD samples revealed distinctive tendencies: A mean group score of 115.71 (SD=18.02) on the Kirton Adaption-Innovation Inventory (KAI) indicated preferences for originality, nonconformity, paradigm-breaking, and low efficiency that was over one standard deviation higher than average non-ADHD population scores. Combined inattentive/hyperactiveimpulsive subtypes (n …

2nd Place Contest Entry: Treatment Of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder In A Veteran Population: Efficacy Of Complementary And Alternative Medicine Therapies, Brooke D. Snelgrove

Kevin and Tam Ross Undergraduate Research Prize

This is Brooke Snelgrove's submission for the 2014-2015 Kevin and Tam Ross Undergraduate Research Prize, which won second place. She wrote about the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among veterans with Complementary and Alternative Medicine therapies. You can read the final essay that came out of her research here.

Learning Language In Autism: Maternal Linguistic Input Contributes To Later Vocabulary, Janet Bang, Aparna Nadig

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

It is well established that children with typical development (TYP) exposed to more maternal linguistic input develop larger vocabularies. We know relatively little about the linguistic environment available to children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and whether input contributes to their later vocabulary. Children with ASD or TYP and their mothers from English and French-speaking families engaged in a 10 min free-play interaction. To compare input, children were matched on language ability, sex, and maternal education (ASD n = 20, TYP n = 20). Input was transcribed, and the number of word tokens and types, lexical diversity (D), mean length …

Developing A Neuroplasticity-Based Treatment Program For Psychopathy: Treatment Foci And Options, Mariah Villanueva

UROP Posters

Psychopathy is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is commonly misunderstood as the condition of criminals, and many people believe the best cure is simple confinement for those who ignore society’s laws. Psychopathy, though, is a genuine condition with a genetic basis that manifests itself through neurotransmitter system disruption and hormone imbalances. Psychopathy has a serious neurological impact on an individual, with impairments largely focused in the prefrontal cortex and amygdala, as well as overall negatively affecting the limbic system of the brain. Together, the total impact causes issues with that individual’s ability to empathize, to experience emotions normally, to develop a …

An Analysis Of Cognitive Factors In School-Aged Children With Emotional Disturbance And Adhd Using The Wisc-Iv, Maria Fragnito Maddalo

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Children with Emotional Disturbance and ADHD demonstrate social, emotional, and behavioral symptoms that present many challenges for School Psychologists because of differences between each student’s individual needs. A high level of comorbidity exists for these children with internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Little is known about neurocognitive factors as they relate to ED versus ADHD. The current study examined the cognitive profiles of a total of 58 children with ED versus ADHD, using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fourth Edition (WISC-IV). Index scores that were examined included Verbal Comprehension, Perceptual Reasoning, Working Memory, and Processing Speed. The groups were compared …

Adhd Versus Ptsd In Preschool-Aged Children: Implications For Misdiagnosis, Klaudette D. Stewart

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has been one of the most diagnosed disorders in children since it was included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders−III (DSM−III) in 1980. The number of children who have been diagnosed since that time has grown significantly, raising concerns about the overwhelming number of young children being diagnosed and prescribed medication. According to the literature, young children are diagnosed at a higher rate by pediatric primary care physicians (PCPs) than clinical child psychologists (CCPs) because they are taken to a PCP’s office by a parent, rather than referred from a school environment, …

The Relationship Between Adhd And Trait Facets Of The Five-Factor Model, Todd William Bennett

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Facets of the Five-Factor Model (FFM) were examined in order to understand its interaction with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)-symptoms. By utilizing archival data, in a correlational design, adults between the ages of 18-66 were tested for the presence of ADHD, which was then compared with data gathered from the NEO-PI-R. Comorbid psychiatric conditions often associated with ADHD were accounted for in the design. Results partially supported the hypotheses, specifically, that altruism was inversely related to Impulsivity, as predicted. However, other findings largely did not support a relationship between other specific NEO-PI-R facets and ADHD. Other significant relationships that were …

Impacts Of Objective And Subjective Social Inclusion On The Quality Of Life Of Individuals With Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders And Major Depressive Disorder, Katie A. Johanning-Gray

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Increased social inclusion and enhanced quality of life for individuals with severe mental illnesses (SMIs) are goals of the recovery movement. The present study examined the differences in reported subjective social inclusion (SubSI) and objective social inclusion (ObjSI) between individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSDs) and those diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Furthermore, the amount of variance in quality of life (QOL) which can be predicted by type of diagnosis, SSDs or MDD, symptom severity, and SubSI and ObjSi was determined. An archival data set was used. Participants were 337 individuals whose primary diagnosis was an SSD or …

Trauma In Patients With Serious Mental Illness: The Acceptability And Impact Of A Brief Psychoeducational Intervention For Trauma In The General Acute Inpatient Psychiatric Setting, Kevin E. A. Giangrasso

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Prevalence rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for individuals with serious mental illnesses (SMIs) are high, with an estimated 49% to 100% being exposed to potentially traumatic events. The consequences of these disorders are serious and lasting, with PTSD being the costliest of mental health disorders. At the same time, established evidence-based treatments for PTSD are often not feasible in treatment settings utilized by individuals with SMIs, namely the general acute inpatient psychiatric hospital. Psychoeducational approaches have been incorporated as a component of evidence-based interventions for trauma and have been feasibly implemented in the general acute inpatient psychiatric hospital. The …

The Effectiveness Of A Computer-Assisted, Cognitive-Behavior Program For Treating Anxiety Symptoms In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Jennifer A. Zabel

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex and multifaceted, neurodevelopmental disorder that severely impacts children and families across a variety of settings. Prevalence rates of ASD are continuing to increase rapidly, with sizeable intervention and treatment costs placed on families and society. Further complicating the matter, many individuals with ASD also evidence co-occurring anxiety symptoms or disorders and tend to be at a higher risk for developing such problems when compared to other clinical populations or typically developing children. This study investigated the effectiveness of a computer-assisted CBT program, Camp Cope-A-Lot (CCAL), in regards to reducing anxiety symptoms in four …

Life Balance – A Mindfulness-Based Mental Health Promotion Program: Conceptualization, Implementation, Compliance And User Satisfaction In A Field Setting, Lisa Lyssenko, Gerhard Müller, Nikolaus Kleindienst, Christian Schmal, Mathias Berger, Georg Eifert, Alexander Kölle, Siegmar Nesch, Jutta Ommer-Hohl, Michael Wenner, Martin Bohus

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Background

Mental health disorders account for a large percentage of the total burden of illness and constitute a major economic challenge in industrialized countries. Several prevention programs targeted at high-risk or sub-clinical populations have been shown to decrease risk, to increase quality of life, and to be cost-efficient. However, there is a paucity of primary preventive programs aimed at the general adult population. “Life Balance” is a program that employs strategies borrowed from well-established psychotherapeutic approaches, and has been made available to the public in one federal German state by a large health care insurance company. The data presented here …

Journal Cover And Front Matter

Journal of Clinical Art Therapy

No abstract provided.

Percepciones De La Salud Mental En Cochabamba / Femicide In Bolivia After Perceptions Of Mental Health In Cochabamba, Phoebe House

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

El propósito de este proyecto es examinar las actitudes que existen en Cochabamba, Bolivia hacia la salud mental y los trastornos mentales. Usé principalmente las entrevistas para descubrir las opiniones de profesionales de la salud mental, estudiantes de psicología y las trabajadoras de un hogar de niños que se llama la Casa de Amor para Niños, donde hice un voluntariado. Aunque los resultados de este proyecto no son generalizables a la población entera de Cochabamba, hay evidencia de opiniones generalmente negativas hacia la salud mental y los trastornos mentales. Sin embargo, también hay evidencia que estas opiniones se pueden mejorar …

The Epidemic Of Mental And Neurological Health, Mohsyn I. Malik

Psychology Publications

This paper composes an image of modern mental and neurological health issues and looks to draw links to the current epidemic based on research and studies found online the internet and off-line. The goal is to examine what may be the underlying problem for a lot of these increases in mental health issues and neurodegenerative diseases and what are some promising clinical and sociocultural advances that may help. It explores problems such as the negative impact of the pharmaceutical giants, the increase in apathy in the work place and the general stigma towards mental disease. Through current research, the use …

The Impact Of Technology On Adolescent Identity Development, Christina Frederick, Amy Bradshaw Hoppock, Devin Liskey, Daniel Brown

Publications

This paper explores how technology use in adolescence facilitates adult identity achievement and presents evidence that technological objects, such as smartphones have become adolescent transitional objects. Early and late adolescents were surveyed about technology use and feelings associated with technology. Among older adolescents, anxiety level was related to smart phone use, such that higher anxiety was associated with greater smart phone use. The feelings and behaviors associated with use of the preferred device are consistent with feelings and behaviors associated with use of a transitional object. In contrast, younger adolescents did not appear to use technology as a transitional object. …

Asperger's Disorder In Older Adulthood: The Unique Treatment Concerns And Implications For Applying Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Brian Beaumund

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

This article provides a theoretical consideration for the problems faced by older adults diagnosed with Asperger’s Disorder as well as implications for applying Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with this distinct population. The author presents the relevant literature concerning the unique presentation and common problems of each, traditionally distinct population: (a) older adults and (b) Asperger’s Disorder. The author then extrapolates this data into a theoretical conceptualization of the unique clinical presentation and treatment considerations for the underrepresented population of older adults with Asperger’s Disorder. The author then presents a review of the relevant literature concerning the application of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy …

Cluster B Personality Disorders Separated By Gender Expectations, Brianna Kloss

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

Criticisms of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed., text rev.; DSM-IV-TR; American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2000), the most widely recognized system for classification of psychological disorders in the U.S., including gender discriminating disorders and diagnoses, have existed for all editions of the DSM. Arguably, gender construction has a profound influence on the standards and evaluation of normal and abnormal behaviors. Concern for the presence of gender bias of personality disorders has been raised within the DSM, in part, by the frequent diagnoses made according to gender stereotypes. The DSM-IV-TR characterizes personality disorders as marked distress and …

Mental Health Referral In Primary Care: Influence Of A Screening Instrument And A Brief Educational Intervention, Michael T. Miesner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although less than half of all patients with mental disorders seek mental health treatment per se, approximately 80% of all people will visit their primary care physician (PCPs) within a year (Strosahl, 1998). However, it is not well understood how to best handle patients presenting with mental health issues in primary care practices. The purpose of this project was to implement an intervention involving a screening measure for anxiety and mood disorders in a primary care setting to increase the volume of anxiety and mood disorder screening, to increase the accuracy of disorder detection, and to also enhance PCPs patterns …

Discovering Behavioral Intervention: A Parent’S Interactive Guide To Aba, Richard Fleming, Carol Curtin, Cheryl A. Gray, Charles D. Hamad

Current Issues in Emerging eLearning

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) affect one in 110 children in the U.S. Parents of children with ASD need clear and accurate information to communicate with professionals as they seek appropriate services, including applied behavior analysis (ABA) based intervention. Behavioral professionals can assist parents in this endeavor by recommending resources, including online courses. This paper describes the development and evaluation of an online course on ABA for parents of children with ASD. Parents completing a summative field test (N=21) made significant gains in knowledge and reported high levels of satisfaction. Implications include the potential for enhanced parent-professional collaboration in treatment decision-making.

Narco-Trauma: The Phenomenology Of The Mexican Drug War Among Binational Students At The Border, Kathleen A. O'Connor

Nursing Faculty Publications

In this article, I present research conducted among 242 university students living in the binational metropolitan area encompassing El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, that has been affected by drug violence. The particular focus is on narratives of social suffering and lived experience in the context of drug violence.

Impulsive Choice In Unmedicated And Medicated Children Diagnosed With Adhd: Examining The Variables Of Reward Type And Adhd Subtype, Nicole Henriksen

Dissertations

Developmentally inappropriate and impairing impulsive behaviors are often seen in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). One method for objectively assessing impulsivity is the Choice-Delay Task (C-DT) which presents repeated opportunities to choose between a smaller, sooner (SS) or larger, later (LL) reward. A preference for the SS reward that results in less total reward is considered impulsive. Many studies have found that participants diagnosed with ADHD choose the SS reward more than typical controls. However, less is known about the effects of different types of rewards, or the comparative performance of certain subgroups, such as children diagnosed with ADHD Predominantly Inattentive Type …

Swing Dancing Along The Spectrum: A Proposed Unique Adjunctive Treatment Approach For Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Alia Mulder-Rosi

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a class of developmental disorders typically diagnosed during childhood. ASD is characterized by social deficits and repetitive behavioral patterns, which cause clinically significant impairment and are not better explained by intellectual disability (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). This doctoral paper proposes swing dancing as an adjunctive treatment option for high functioning adults with ASD. Swing dance is a category of social, partner dance initially set to swing style jazz music. This category most notably includes Lindy Hop, Charleston, Jitterbug and Balboa. Swing dance is an activity which grants social structure, is typically surrounded by an accepting …