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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Identifying Maltreated Youths At Heightened Risk For Posttraumatic Symptoms, Emma H. Ross
Identifying Maltreated Youths At Heightened Risk For Posttraumatic Symptoms, Emma H. Ross
UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones
Childhood maltreatment is associated with increased risk for lifetime and current PTSD (Davis & Siegel, 2000; Widom, 1999). This study examined a model of PTSD in which dissociation, depression, and posttraumatic cognitions related to heightened PTSD symptoms for maltreated youths. This study then evaluated the model's fit across variations in intelligence, gender, age, ethnicity, and maltreatment type. Participants (n=360) included youths from Department of Family Services-related sites in Las Vegas. The first hypothesis was that the model would display goodness-of-fit across various indices. The second hypothesis was that the model would better fit youths with below average intelligence (FSIQ = …
Development And Testing Of The Home Safety And Beautification Checklist With Mothers Referred For Child Neglect And Substance Abuse, Michelle Pitts
Development And Testing Of The Home Safety And Beautification Checklist With Mothers Referred For Child Neglect And Substance Abuse, Michelle Pitts
UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones
Unintentional injury is the leading cause of death among children in the United States accounting for nearly 40 percent of deaths in this age group. Approximately 50 percent of nonfatal injuries, and 40 percent of fatalities, occur in and around the home. Elevated rates of child injury in the home environment are associated with parental substance abuse and neglectful behaviors. Childhood injuries are preventable, yet practical and cost-effective measures to identify child home safety risks are limited. This study involved a retrospective preliminary examination of the Home Safety and Beautification Checklist (HSBC) in a sample of drug-abusing mothers referred by …
Relationship Between Child Behavior Problems, Parental Stress, Child Abuse Potential, And Substance Use Among Mothers In The Child Welfare System, Kendra Tracy
UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones
Substance abuse, elevated levels of child behavior problems, and high stress are common among mothers who maltreat their children. However, there is a dearth of research that investigates variables associated with specific types of maltreatment, such as child neglect. Complicating matters, contradictory results between studies have been found among the available research. The present study extends research in this area by investigating the relationships between substance abuse, child behavior problems, parental stress, and child abuse potential in a sample of neglectful mothers with co-occurring substance use disorders. A model is proposed in which parental stress mediates the relationship between child …
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder In Maltreated Multiracial Youth, Harpreet Kaur
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder In Maltreated Multiracial Youth, Harpreet Kaur
UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones
Lemos-Miller and Kearney (2006) first identified depression as a meditator of (1) dissociation and posttraumatic cognitions and (2) PTSD in maltreated children. In addition, they found that African American status weakened the mediating relationship, whereas multiracial status strengthened the mediating relationship. Multiracial youth in Lemos-Miller and Kearney's study experienced a stronger relationship between depression and PTSD than other ethnic groups.
The present study evaluated the Lemos-Miller and Kearney (2006) model of PTSD among a larger sample of multiracial youth. The present study sought to identify whether the Lemos-Miller and Kearney (2006) finding regarding multiracial youth could be replicated. The presented …
Early Life Stress, Drug Abuse, Exercise Effects On Bdnf And Sex-Influenced Excercise Differences, Karissa Dold
Early Life Stress, Drug Abuse, Exercise Effects On Bdnf And Sex-Influenced Excercise Differences, Karissa Dold
Honors College Theses
In 2011, the U.S. reported 3 million child maltreatment cases, an uncomfortably high but recurring figure each year. Research shows exposure to early life stress (ELS) increases an individual’s susceptibility to substance abuse, specifically of nicotine, alcohol, and cocaine. Increased susceptibility may result from dysregulation of the HPA axis sustaining activation into adulthood after ELS. Hyperactivation of the HPA axis significantly reduces hippocampal BDNF, a neurotrophin involved in neuronal growth and plasticity. Reduced hippocampal BDNF may be a factor in substance abuse vulnerability. Additionally, research shows exercise protects hippocampal BDNF from stress induced down-regulation. To explore these relationships, this study …
Resilience And Trauma In Maltreated Youth, Timothy Day
Resilience And Trauma In Maltreated Youth, Timothy Day
UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones
Research into resilience represents a theoretical shift from the medical model in contemporary psychology to a focus on adaptation (Poulou, 2007). The relationship however between resilience and the development and PTSD in children remains unclear. The purpose of this present study is to expand on this research by investigating resilience and adaptability with respect to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms across maltreated youth of different ethnicities at risk for PTSD. Participants will be recruited from a Department of Family Services (DFS)-affiliated clinic in the Las Vegas area and administered the Children's PTSD Inventory (CPTSD-I), Behavior Assessment System for Children-2 Parent …
An Empirically-Supported Model Of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder In Maltreated Youth, Adrianna Wechsler
An Empirically-Supported Model Of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder In Maltreated Youth, Adrianna Wechsler
UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones
Posttraumatic stress disorder in maltreated youth is a young and burgeoning field. Lemos-Miller and Kearney (2006) were among the first to propose and test a theoretically and empirically-based model of PTSD in maltreated youth. The present study replicated and evaluated the Lemos-Miller and Kearney model within a larger and more diverse sample of maltreated adolescents. First, the Lemos-Miller and Kearney model was tested via structural equation modeling (SEM). Second, the model was evaluated across age, gender, and ethnicity. Third, trauma history, family environment (i.e., cohesion and conflict), dissociation, and trauma-related cognitions were evaluated as potential mediating variables within the model. …
Early Life Stress, Drug Abuse, Exercise Effects On Bdnf And Sex-Influenced Exercise Differences, Karissa Dold
Early Life Stress, Drug Abuse, Exercise Effects On Bdnf And Sex-Influenced Exercise Differences, Karissa Dold
Calvert Undergraduate Research Awards
In 2011, the U.S. reported 3 million child maltreatment cases, an uncomfortably high but recurring figure each year. Research shows exposure to early life stress (ELS) increases an individual’s susceptibility to substance abuse, specifically of nicotine, alcohol, and cocaine. Increased susceptibility may result from dysregulation of the HPA axis sustaining activation into adulthood after ELS. Hyperactivation of the HPA axis significantly reduces hippocampal BDNF, a neurotrophin involved in neuronal growth and plasticity. Reduced hippocampal BDNF may be a factor in substance abuse vulnerability. Additionally, research shows exercise protects hippocampal BDNF from stress induced down-regulation. To explore these relationships, this study …
The Influence Of Ethnic Identity And Family Support On Posttraumatic Symptoms In Maltreated Youth, Harpreet Kaur
The Influence Of Ethnic Identity And Family Support On Posttraumatic Symptoms In Maltreated Youth, Harpreet Kaur
UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones
Maltreated children are at greater risk of developing PTSD than nonmaltreated children (Ackerman et al., 1998; Epstein et al., 1997; Famularo et al., 1996; Kilpatrick et al., 2003; Widom, 1999). This study sought to assess the role of ethnicity, ethnic identity, and family support on the effects of maltreatment and trauma in adolescents. Participants (n=145) included adolescents from Child Haven, a Department of Family Services (DFS)-related site in Las Vegas, and youths in foster care assessed at the offices of Dr. Stephanie Holland. The first hypothesis was that non-Caucasian youth would have higher levels of PTSD-related symptoms than Caucasian youth. …
Child Neglect And Trauma: The Additive Traumatic Effects Of Neglect On Maltreated Adolescents, Adrianna Rachel Wechsler
Child Neglect And Trauma: The Additive Traumatic Effects Of Neglect On Maltreated Adolescents, Adrianna Rachel Wechsler
UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones
Child maltreatment affects thousands of youths in the United States and poses numerous detrimental effects to individuals, families, and the community. Neglect is the most commonly reported and least studied form of child maltreatment. All types of child maltreatment may result in negative outcomes, but the chronic and pervasive nature of child neglect poses a significant threat to child development. No studies have been published evaluating the role of child neglect in the development of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and PTSD-related symptoms. This study examined whether neglect has an additive traumatic effect on maltreated youth. The first hypothesis was that …