Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

An Examination Of The Big Five, Mental Illness Stigma, And Crisis Intervention Training, Trista Wolfgram

Theses and Graduate Projects

The number of individuals incarcerated with mental illness continues to grow, and correctional officers may play a critical role in rehabilitation. A correlation analysis was conducted between Big Five personality traits and mental illness stigma to determine whether there is a significant relationship in a sample of state correctional officers who participated in Crisis Intervention Training. A mixed model ANOVA was also conducted to assess whether personality traits impacted levels of mental illness stigma following completion of the training. A moderate negative correlation was found between agreeableness and mental illness stigma. All other findings were not clinically significant, potentially due …

Power And Control Wheel Tactics: Assessing Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (Ptsd) Epistemology Among Domestic Violence Survivors, Lisa Hady

Theses and Graduate Projects

Domestic violence affects more than 10 million adults in the United States annually (National Network to End Domestic Violence, 2020). The Power and Control Wheel (PCW) places power and control at the center of physical and sexual violence, with eight surrounding tactics representing the abusive behaviors perpetrators use to retain power and control over survivors. Although the PCW has been extended to understand various abusive relationships, and the PCW tactics have been examined in both Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) and Non-Intimate Partner Violence (NPV; Basile et al., 2004; Scott, 2018), limited research compares tactics used based on the perpetrator’s relationship …

Traumatic Brain Injury Severity In Older Adults: Impact On Anxiety And Depression Symptoms And Community Engagement, Ashley Tomford

Theses and Graduate Projects

Background: Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is one of the leading causes of physical and cognitive disability worldwide. TBI can negatively impact cognitive, physical, social, and psychological functioning.

Objective: This study investigated interactions between TBI severity, mental health symptom severity, and community engagement among older adults. Specific aims included investigating 1) the relationship between TBI severity at the time of injury and psychiatric symptom severity at one-year post-TBI; 2) the relationship between TBI severity and community engagement at one-year post-TBI; and 3) whether mental health symptom severity moderated the relationship between TBI and post-injury community engagement.

Methods: Archival data was analyzed …

Underlying Mechanisms Of Generalized Anxiety Disorder In An Experimental Fear-Conditioning Paradigm, Melissa Hartnell

Theses and Graduate Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine the potential underlying mechanisms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) including fear generalization, maladaptive avoidance, and intolerance of uncertainty (IU) in a sample of adults with GAD, as compared to healthy controls in the context of a lab-based fear conditioning paradigm. The current study utilized data from the University of Minnesota ANGST Laboratory’s Danger Zone – Research Domain Criteria (DZ-RDoC) neuroimaging study. Participants consisted of 40 individuals ranging from ages 18-60, with 19 meeting criteria for GAD (M age = 30.57, SD = 11.70) and 21 healthy controls (M age = …

The Combined Effects Of Discrimination And Holding Multiple Intersecting Marginalized Identities On Substance Use Among Adolescents, Ashley Thomas

Theses and Graduate Projects

Individuals with multiple intersecting marginalized identities may be at greater risk for negative outcomes and exposure to discrimination during development. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of discrimination and having multiple marginalized identities on substance use among Minnesota youth. Using data gathered from the 2019 administration of the Minnesota Student Survey, a large statewide survey of 80,456 9th and 11th grade students, this study aimed to identify how holding multiple intersecting identities related to experiences of discrimination and substance use in Minnesota youth. Findings revealed that participants with more marginalized identity statuses experienced higher rates of …

Sports, Family, And Leadership In Youth: Impacts Of Family Environments And Sport Participation On Youth Leadership Development, Michael Stout

Theses and Graduate Projects

This study investigated the effects of family relationships/environment and sport participation on youth leadership development using the 2016 Minnesota Student Survey (MSS) questionnaire. Responses from 9^th and 11^th graders were used, resulting in 81,885 total participants between the ages of 13 and 19 for this archival, cross-sectional study. This study had two aims: One, to investigate the relationship between family relationships/environment and sport participation, and their impact on youth leadership skills and development; and two, to investigate whether participation in youth sports provides enough scaffolding to foster the development of youth leadership skills despite poor family relationships/environments. Scales …

The Effectiveness Of Laser Acupuncture In Pain Management: A Systematic Review, June Park

Theses and Graduate Projects

Background: Pain is a common symptom across many medical conditions that patients experience. Pain management is complex and may need a combination of several management techniques. Laser acupuncture(LA) has been previously used as an adjunct to conventional pain treatments.

Objective: This systematic review aims to evaluate the effectiveness of laser acupuncture in various fields of medical situations such as chronic pain, low back pain, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, postoperative pain and dental procedures.

Methods: A computer based literature search of databases through GoogleScholar and PubMed was used to identify randomized controlled trials(RCTs) published after 2018 that studied the effect of LA in …

The Efficacy Of Limbic System Retraining And Neuroplasticity In The Management Of Chronic Pain And Disease: A Systematic Review, Julia Carr

Theses and Graduate Projects

Background: Chronic pain and disease are prevalent, affecting 51.6 million people in 2023. Therefore, due to the high complexity of chronic disease, many providers try different interventions to alleviate pain and improve their patient's quality of life. The limbic system is a critical component of the brain involved in pain perception and emotional regulation. With an overactive limbic system, the perception of pain is enhanced and continues to cause discomfort for the patient. By retraining the limbic system to alter the fight or flight response, a significant reduction in pain can be achieved, which results in better emotion regulation. The …

Moderating Factors In The Relationship Between Bully Victimization And Psychosomatic Symptoms, Tonya Paulson

Theses and Graduate Projects

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between bully victimization and psychosomatic symptoms, and to examine the protective influence of perceived parent and peer support across developmental age groups. Bully victimization frequency, somatic symptom severity, perceived parent support, and perceived peer support were assessed using archival data from 7,304 youth who participated in the 2009-2010 Health Behavior in School-Aged Children (HBSC) U.S. survey, excluding perpetrators of bullying. Bully victimization and somatic symptoms were significantly positively correlated. Older adolescents consistently reported more severe somatic symptoms, but age did not moderate the relationship between bullying and somatic symptoms. Higher …

Pediatric Seizures: Access And Utilization Of Specialty Care And Mental Health Care, Samantha Delos Santos

Theses and Graduate Projects

Epilepsy is the leading neurological disorder among children, and requires specialized health care (Zack & Kobau, 2015). However, many patients with seizures do not receive appropriate specialized care (Begley et al., 2009; Burneo et al., 2009). This study examined the impact of health insurance type on access to and use of specialty care and mental health care among pediatric patients, ages 3-17, whose parents reported that they had experienced at least one seizure in the last year. This study was a secondary analysis of data collected in the 2011 (n = 77) and 2016 (n = 87) National Health Survey …

The Impact Of Conventional And Expanded Adverse Childhood Experiences (Aces) On Juvenile Offending Outcomes, Jesma C. Revering

Theses and Graduate Projects

Previous research has established a correlation between conventional adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and juvenile offending. However, the possible moderating effect expanded ACEs has on this relationship remains unclear. Using the 2019 Minnesota Student Survey (MSS), the study included 278 youth from juvenile correctional facilities in Minnesota to examine the impact of conventional ACEs on juvenile offending, the impact of expanded ACEs on juvenile offending, and the impact of conventional ACEs on juvenile offending, moderated by expanded ACEs. Findings revealed a statistically significant positive effect of conventional ACEs on juvenile offending. Expanded ACEs had a significant negative relationship with juvenile offending. …

Vicarious Traumatization In Therapists Who Treat Sexual Offenders And Have A Personal History Of Sexual Abuse, Darci J. Wikelius

Theses and Graduate Projects

There is limited research on vicarious trauma among therapists who treat sexual offenders and who have a personal history of sexual abuse (Cunningham, 2003). The purpose of this study is to identify how a personal history of sexual abuse, and specific characteristics of the sexual abuse therapists have experienced, may influence the experience of vicarious trauma among therapists who work with sex offenders. The study surveyed clinicians who work with sex offenders in order to examine the relationship between their experiences of sexual abuse and vicarious trauma. The survey included a demographic questionnaire, the Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale (STSS), and …

Assessing The Adolescent Perceptions Of The Role Nonparent Adult Relationships Have On Character Development, Colin Thomas

Theses and Graduate Projects

Every day adolescents interact with nonparent adults. These adolescent and nonparent adult interactions have the potential to develop into unique relationships. Since the adolescent is at an impressionable stage in life, nonparent adult and adolescent relationships possess the unique potential to influence an adolescent's character development. For this study, I conducted my research utilizing an action research format. Utilizing in-depth interviewing this study strove to examine the adolescents' perceptions of the role nonparent adult and adolescent relationships had on their character development. Interview data was organized under three headings that developed from the interview responses. Themes that emerged from the …