Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Trauma Therapy And The Need For Cross Cultural Competence, Marijke Sommer

Honors Projects

This project addresses the relevance of cross cultural competence for work in trauma therapy. I begin with a review of the literature on approaches to trauma therapy, identifying similarities and differences in key approaches, and comparing outcomes where that information is available. I then review a variety of cross cultural variations in mental health conditions and symptoms, attempting to roughly position each within the ethnic group or groups in which the variation is mostly likely to be found. Finally, I review the very small existing literature examining the impact of culturally sensitive approaches to trauma therapy in several non-Western ethnic …

Alcohol Expectancies Among Students In The City Of Pokhara, Nepal, Niran Tamrakar

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Alcohol plays a vital role in various aspects of Nepalese society. It also presents public health risks. Though adolescents in Nepal are at high risk for negative consequences from alcohol use, there is limited information available on their alcohol behaviors and beliefs. The present study aims to describe alcohol expectancies among a sample of secondary students in Nepal to identify and understand motivations underlying their alcohol-related behaviors. A self-report survey was administered to 591 students from different Englishmedium schools in the city of Pokhara. This study began with the Chinese Adolescent Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire (CAAEQ), then used qualitative methods to …

Parenting In Low-Income Context: Assessment Of A Psychosocial Group Intervention In Brazil, Mariana Juras, L. Costa

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

This article aims to evaluate the methodology of a psychosocial group intervention with low-income separated parents with small children in Brazil, which focused on the differentiation of marital and parental roles after the separation. This pilot study based on the research-action epistemology included mixed-methods of qualitative and quantitative instruments to collect data while providing the interventions to the participants.The intervention consisted in individual interviews followed by seven biweekly group sessions to address separation related issues. Besides these data, pre- and post-group questionnaires were also compared. Seven separated parents participated in the individual interviews, but only three participated on the group …

"I Imagine The Male Isn't In The Video And It Is Me:" A Mixed Methods Study Of Internet Pornography, Masculinity, And Sexual Aggression In Emerging Adulthood, Christina Richardson

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Research on Internet pornography has consistently found that men are more likely to view mainstream porn than women and that most men view pornography. Additionally, mainstream porn content has been found to portray highly stereotyped views of gender with men in positions of dominance over women and men engaging in aggression toward women. Despite the consistent finding that pornography is a gendered phenomenon, there is little research exploring the connection between masculinity and pornography use. Furthermore, research on the effects of pornography use on sexual aggression has been mixed, with some findings indicating that men who view porn are more …

The Self-Perception Of Flexible Coping With Stress: A New Measure And Relations With Emotional Adjustment, Melanie J. Zimmer-Gembeck, Ellen A. Skinner, Katheryn L. Modecki, Haley J. Webb, Alex A. Gardner, Tanya Hawes, Ronald M. Rapee

Psychology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Objective: To develop a theoretically grounded measure of self-perceived ability to cope with stress in a flexible (i.e. non-rigid) manner and test associations with well-being. Method: Participants in Study 1 (N = 395, 17–56 years) completed surveys to report flexible coping with stress and well-being. In Studies 2 (N = 645, 17–27 years) and 3 (N = 558, 12–19 years), youth completed surveys with the 18-item Self-Perception of Flexible Coping with Stress (SFCS), and coping and well-being measures. Results: Three SFCS factors were supported, which aligned to the conceptualization including multiple coping strategy use (multiple CSU), coping …

Supporting Newcomer Students: A Chicago-Specific Exploration Of Social And Emotional Learning Initiatives, Lincoln Hill

Center for the Human Rights of Children

Due to the large number of immigrant children and families within its borders as well as its sanctuary jurisdiction, the city of Chicago serves as an ideal case study towards investigating specialized services for one of its most vulnerable subpopulations of children, primarily the development needs of its immigrant children. The desired outcome for this non-exhaustive research brief is to provide empirical evidence and best practices for Chicago community and school specialists seeking to support the social and emotional needs of their newcomer student population.

Building Strong Family–School Partnerships: Transitioning From Basic Findings To Possible Practices, Susan M. Sheridan, Lorey Wheeler

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Faculty Publications

In the present article, we describe the translational process undergirding a particular aspect of family science: families working in partnership with schools to achieve mutual goals for children’s optimal functioning. In doing so, we illustrate a translational cycle that began with identifying problems of practice and led to the development of a family–school intervention (i.e., conjoint behavioral consultation) in a way that embraced families as partners in goal-setting and problem-solving. We discuss the evolution of the intervention from development to efficacy trials and practice guidelines. Key decision points borne out of practical relevance, empirical investigations, tests of mechanisms and conditions, …

It's Not Just A Dog: The Role Of Companion Animals In The Family's Emotional System, Cassandra Leow

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Past studies have looked into the role of companion animals in families. This study intended to explore the role of companion animals in the family’s emotional system through the lens of Bowen Family Systems Theory. Data from a study on companion animal loss and grief were used. A qualitative phenomenological approach was adopted to analyze the data from interviews. Three primary themes emerged from the data: balanced family emotional system, response to relational anxiety and role of the absence companion animal. The first theme suggested that human family members and companion animals developed a balanced family emotional system through companion …

Exploring The Moderating Effects Of Racial/Ethnic Socialization, Academic Motivation And African American Racial Identity On The Relation Between Microaggressions And Mattering Of African American Students At Predominantly White Institutions, Lawrence Chatters

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

African Americans remain underrepresented in higher education (Thompson, Gorin, & Chen, 2006) and experience subtle forms of racism called microaggressions (Sue et. al, 2007). The impact of microaggressions in post-secondary institutions may manifest in the achievement gaps that exist between African American and White people; moreover, they may influence the inequitable treatment of African American students by staff, teaching assistants and faculty (Ancis, Sedlacek, & Mohr, 2000; Becker & Luther, 2002). 108 African American undergraduate students at three Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs) participated. The current study employed an online survey to explore relationships of microaggressions, racial/ethnic socialization, African American racial …

The Effects Of Family Factors On Treatment Outcomes For Pediatric Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Accommodation And Expressed Emotion, Natalia Desouza

Clinical Counseling Psychology Capstone Projects – Psychology

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Self-Care As It Pertains To Compassion Satisfaction, Burnout, And Secondary Traumatic Stress Among Suicide Prevention Crisis Hotline Staff, Crystal T. Henson

Dissertations

The present study was designed to explore the role of an agency/supervisor to increase self-care participation among suicide prevention crisis hotline staff. The impact self-care participation was found to increase compassion satisfaction while decreasing both burnout and secondary traumatic stress in this population of helpers. Self-care is meant to be a preventative measure to help increase an individual’s overall well-being and can also impact job satisfaction. As helpers, self-care is often recommended to those individuals with whom they are working; however, helpers have historically not followed their own recommendations. Research has shown that those helpers with higher levels of compassion …

Client Perceptions Of The Utilization Of Mindfulness Activities In Therapy, Anissa S. Pugh

Dissertations

The aim of the current study was to examine client perceptions of the use of mindfulness activities in the therapeutic process. For this current study, 21 participants completed a seven-item demographic questionnaire, a 39-item Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), and a 10-item Mindfulness Experience Questionnaire. The present study investigated three research questions. Research Question 1 looked at how clients perceived the effectiveness of the use of mindfulness activities in therapy. The next research question examined how clients viewed the addition of mindfulness activities to be an acceptable treatment approach based on personal values and beliefs. The third research question for this …

The Tragedy Zone: Ableism In Entertainment, Linnea Sumner

Honors College Theses

Ableism, or discrimination towards individuals with disabilities, is pervasive in our society. The entertainment world and the media are largely responsible for shaping the way the general public views minority groups. The topic of disability is incredibly popular on screen and stage, but very few actors and writers with disabilities are being hired in comparison to the amount of work that is being produced on the topic. A startling percentage of best actor/actress Oscar winners have won for portraying a character with a disability of some kind, but only two actors with the same disabilities as their characters have been …

Using A Model To Design Activity-Based Educational Experiences To Improve Cultural Competency Among Graduate Students, Yeon Bai, Kathleen D. Bauer

Department of Nutrition and Food Studies Scholarship and Creative Works

To improve the cultural competency of 34 students participating in graduate nutrition counseling classes, the Campinha-Bacote Model of Cultural Competence in the Delivery of Health Care Services was used to design, implement, and evaluate counseling classes. Each assignment and activity addressed one or more of the five constructs of the model, i.e., knowledge, skill, desire, encounters, and awareness. A repeated measure ANOVA evaluated pre- and post-test cultural competence scores (Inventory for Assessing the Process of Cultural Competence among Healthcare Professionals). The overall cultural competence score significantly improved (p < 0.001) from “culturally aware” (68.7 at pre-test) to “culturally competent” (78.7 at post-test). Students significantly improved (p < 0.001) in four constructs of the model including awareness, knowledge, skill, and encounter. Factor analysis indicated that course activities accounted for 83.2% and course assignments accounted for 74.6% of the total variance of cultural competence. An activity-based counseling course encouraging self-evaluation and reflection and addressing Model constructs significantly improved the cultural competence of students. As class activities and assignments aligned well with the Campinha-Bacote Model constructs, the findings of this study can help guide health educators to design effective cultural competence training and education programs.

Examining The Effect Of Parental Attachment, Emotional Maturity, Spiritual Maturity, And View Of Suffering On Sense Of Coherence, Alyssa M. Gavulic

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Suffering and loss are inevitable parts of the human experience. Nonetheless, the ability to find meaning in various forms of suffering has been shown to impact individual responses to diverse experiences of pain, distress, and loss. Despite the ubiquitous nature of human suffering, perceptions of the cause, purpose, impact, and outcome of experiences of suffering can vary greatly among individuals. Consequently, this inquiry-oriented, descriptive dissertation research examines how emotional maturity, spiritual maturity, and views of suffering mediate the relationship between parental attachment and sense of coherence. This study employs a correlational research design that examines the scores on a variety …

Posttraumatic Growth Moderates The Effect Of Posttraumatic Stress On Quality Of Life In U.S. Military Veterans With Life-Threatening Illness Or Injury, Erin Martz, Hanoch Livneh, Steven M. Southwick, Robert H. Pietrzak

Counselor Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

• Facilitating PTG among U.S. Veterans who experienced life-threatening illness or injury can help to bolster quality of life of those individuals.

• It is particularly important to facilitate PTG for those Veterans who, in addition to experiencing life-threatening illness or injury, have experienced PTSD during their service.

• It should not be expected that PTG will eliminate co-occurring distress, such as posttraumatic symptoms.

• This study indicated that across the five interactions that were studied, the participants who reported higher levels of PTG actually experienced higher QoL under increased levels of PTSD.

Validation Of The Professional Quality Of Life Model Among Correctional Officers, Tiffany Arrows

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Stress has significant effects on correctional officers’ physical and mental health. Given the risks involved in a career in corrections, development and implementation of preventive programs to address work-related stress has become a recognized need, and subsequently a call for increased research using standardized, established, and theoretically-driven models and instruments. This study sought to establish the Professional Quality of Life model as a valid and reliable measure among correctional officers, linking the population to the greater literature base of first responders and health care workers along the constructs of compassion fatigue, burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and compassion satisfaction. Research questions …

In Covenant: A Grounded Theory Exploration Of What Helps Evangelical Marriages Recover After Sexual Infidelity By The Husband, Theresa C. Allen

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Infidelity is a commonly identified reason for the dissolution of marriages, including Christian evangelical marriages. Although there is empirical research investigating factors that contribute to infidelity, there is little research on how couples recover from such a breach to the marriage commitment. This study sought to answer the question: What helps evangelical marriages recover after sexual infidelity by the husband? The qualitative research was built on a semi-structured interview framework that collected the personal narratives of three couples that were a minimum of two years post disclosure of an infidelity in the marriage relationship. Infidelity, for the purposes of this …

Social Work Trauma Interventions: Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Kassie Baumann

Senior Honors Theses

According to Lynne Weilart (2013), in her article on the reasons why people seek out therapy, trauma is the number one reason people attend counseling. Many different trauma-informed approaches are designed specifically to address the consequences of trauma and to facilitate healing. Some of these approaches are as follows: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT); Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT);Mentalization Based Therapy (MBT); Trauma Systems Therapy (TST); Trauma Assessment Pathway (TAP); and Attachment, Self-Regulation, and Competency (ARC) (de Arellano, Danielson, Ko, & Sprauge, 2008). The effectiveness of each trauma intervention will be examined. DBT is one of these trauma interventions that is growing …

Utilization Of Telehealth Technology In Addiction Treatment In Colorado, J. Michael Faragher, Ying Shan Doris Zhang, Virginia Low, Demi Folds, Mita Johnson

Counseling Psychology: Faculty Scholarship

The growing presence of electronic technology in the health service professions is redefining the boundaries of counseling services. Commonly referred to as telehealth, utilization of electronic communication strategies to expand connectedness has opened new frontiers in behavioral health through applications ranging from digital phones, interactive video sessions, to virtual supervision. Substantial research suggests that telehealth is generally equal in effectiveness to traditional forms of treatment, especially for those individuals struggling with substance abuse problems. Unfortunately, research also suggests that telehealth is often underutilized when it comes to providing addiction treatment services. Telehealth trends in Colorado were examined using a Telehealth …

The Influence Of Religion On The Criminal Behavior Of Emerging Adults, Christopher Salvatore, Gabriel Rubin

Department of Justice Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Recent generations of young adults are experiencing a new life course stage: emerging adulthood. During this ‘new’ stage of the life course, traditional social bonds and turning points may not be present, may be delayed, or may not operate in the same manner as they have for prior generations. One such bond, religion, is examined here. Focusing on the United States, emerging adulthood is investigated as a distinct stage of the life course. The criminality of emerging adults is presented, a theoretical examination of the relationship between religion and crime is provided, the role of religion in emerging adults’ lives …

Relationship Between Male Athletic Identity And Romantic Relationship Satisfaction, Mark Alan Logan

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study is to determine if male athletic identity plays a role on romantic relationship satisfaction, so that it can be implemented into couples counseling and work to decrease the divorce rate. Participants completed two measures, the Relationship Assessment Scale (RAS; Hendrick, 1988) and the Athlete Identity Measurement Scale (AIMS; Brewer & Cornelius, 2001), administered via a Qualtrics survey. The survey was accessed by Amazon Mechanical Turk participants and it took approximately 10 minutes to administer. Results indicate that there was not a significant difference in relationship satisfaction ratings between low, medium, and high groupings of athletic …

The Effect Of The Type Of Mental Disorder On Mental Health Stigma, Kristina Conkright Peterson

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Mental health stigma is an important topic as it has an influence on the care clients receive, as well as resources allocated by society. Previous research has primarily investigated the topic of stigma associated with schizophrenia and various factors that may influence the endorsement of stigmatizing beliefs. Few studies have investigated whether the type of mental disorder has an influence on the level of stigma. The current study evaluated the difference in the level of stereotypes endorsed across three conditions: schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, and a typical person. Additionally, this study evaluated the reliability of using a global stereotype score …

Self-Compassion In Pornography Users: A Moderation Analysis, Lucy Phillips

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Pornography use appears to be associated with many psychosocial problems for a subset of pornography users. Previous research indicates constructs such as experiential avoidance and shame-proneness may be related to pornography use. Research also suggests that self-compassion may be helpful in decreasing experiential avoidance, shame, and other predictors of problematic pornography use. To date, no research has been done examining self-compassion in pornography users. This may be an important construct to study in this population because the way people treat themselves during difficult times may be associated with the development of problematic pornography viewing patterns and negative outcomes related to …

The Cost Of Comforting: Phenomenological Study On Burnout Among Marriage And Family Therapists In Community Settings, Steven Razo

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Burnout is best defined as a condition consisting of symptoms of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment (Maslach, 1982). It has been characterized as a process that develops through a variety of work and individual factors. Furthermore, it has been shown to impact one’s career, physical health, and mental well-being. Much of the literature on burnout has been studied on psychologists, psychiatrists, and social workers, with a paucity of studies focused on marriage and family therapist (MFTs). The lack of burnout literature on MFTs is in spite of their employment in many diverse clinical settings. The purpose of this …

From 'Health Home' To 'Health Neighborhood': A Behavioral Health Care Summit In Marin County, Carlos Molina

Counseling Psychology | Faculty Professional Presentations

A presentation on behavioral healthcare resources in Marin County, California.

Is Counseling For You?, Edward Neukrug

Counseling & Human Services Faculty Publications

(First paragraph) Have you been in counseling or therapy? If not, have you ever hesitated in seeing a counselor, or wondered why you felt so wary? Studies show about 20 to 35% of Americans having attended some form of counseling and psychotherapy compared to approximately 80% of mental health professionals.

Mexican-Origin Parents’ Stress And Satisfaction: The Role Of Emotional Support, Tierney K. Popp, Melissa Y. Delgado, Lorey Wheeler

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Faculty Publications

Guided by a process model of parenting and the integrative model, this study examined sources of emotional support (i.e., partner, maternal, paternal) as related to stress and satisfaction resulting from the parenting role in a sample of Mexican-origin young adult parents who participated in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) during Wave IV. Participants were male and female parents (26–35 years of age; 59% female; N = 737) who had children and a partner. Results from structural equation modeling revealed support from mothers as salient; high levels of maternal support were associated with high levels …

Concordance Of Illness Representations: The Key To Improving Care Of Medically Unexplained Symptoms, Lisa M. Mcandrew, Myrna L. Friedlander, L. Alison Phillips, Susan L. Santos, Drew A. Helmer

Educational & Counseling Psychology Faculty Scholarship

How can effective patient-provider relationships be developed when the underlying cause of the health condition is not well understood and becomes a point of controversy between patient and provider? This problem underlies the difficulty in treating medically unexplained symptoms and syndromes (MUS; e.g., fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome), which primary care providers consider to be among the most difficult conditions to treat.¹ This difficulty extends to the patient-provider relationship which is characterized by discord over MUS.¹ In this article, we argue that the key to improving the patient provider relationship is for the patient and provider to develop congruent …

Longitudinal Relationship Between Onset Of Physical Symptoms And Functional Impairment, Lisa M. Mcandrew, Drew A. Helmer, Shou-En Lu, Helena K. Chandler, Sarah Slotkin, Karen S. Quigley

Educational & Counseling Psychology Faculty Scholarship

Patients with chronic physical symptoms (e.g., chronic pain) often have significant functional impairment (i.e., disability). The fear avoidance model is the dominant theoretical model of how the relationship between chronic physical symptoms and functional impairment develops and proposes a cyclical/bidirectional relationship. There has never been a definitive test of the proposed bi-directional relationship. The current study followed 767 Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom soldiers from pre-deployment, when they were relatively healthy, to one year after deployment, when it was anticipated that symptoms would increase or develop. Over the four assessment time points, physical symptom severity consistently predicted worse functional impairment …