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Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons™
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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Efficacy And Possible Mechanisms Of Change In Written Exposure Therapy In Undergraduates With Ptss: A Randomized Trial Of Wet Compared To Trauma-Focused Expressive Writing, Robyn Alyssa Ellis
Efficacy And Possible Mechanisms Of Change In Written Exposure Therapy In Undergraduates With Ptss: A Randomized Trial Of Wet Compared To Trauma-Focused Expressive Writing, Robyn Alyssa Ellis
Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations
Trauma exposure is common, with a 90% lifetime endorsement rate in adults in the United States and a majority of first year students reporting exposure to trauma prior to college. A minority of individuals go on to develop PTSD, with higher rates on college campuses (9-12.4%) than lifetime estimates (7%). Existing evidence-based practices for PTSD have demonstrated efficacy in reducing PTSD symptoms (PTSS), but critiques of evidence-based psychotherapies (EBPs) for PTSD include high levels of drop-out and barriers to access. Written exposure therapy (WET) is a brief promising intervention for PTSS with a growing literature of evidence suggesting efficacy with …
The Impact Of Self-Compassion On Engagement During A Writing Exposure Session For Posttraumatic Stress, Jessica Rose Ellem
The Impact Of Self-Compassion On Engagement During A Writing Exposure Session For Posttraumatic Stress, Jessica Rose Ellem
Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects 6-17% of college students in the United States, which can negatively impact academic achievement and is associated with other emotional difficulties. Exposure therapy, including written exposure therapy as been found to be efficacious for treating. However, concerns of treatment dropout and low symptom improvement are barriers to treatment success. Experiential avoidance in treatment has been problematic and may influence outcomes. The current study sought to reduce the use of experiential avoidance in exposure sessions through the promotion of self-compassion, an extension of kindness, humanity and mindfulness to the self. Furthermore, the current study also examined …
Adverse Childhood Experiences, Depressive Symptoms, And Binge Drinking: A Mediation Analysis, Nicole June Smalley
Adverse Childhood Experiences, Depressive Symptoms, And Binge Drinking: A Mediation Analysis, Nicole June Smalley
Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations
Sixty-one percent of adults in a national CDC study reported experiencing at least one AdverseChildhood Experience (ACE), and 1 in 6 reported 4 or more ACEs. The purpose of this hierarchical regression analysis is to target gaps in research specific to examining the relationships between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), depressive symptoms experienced in adolescence, and binge drinking behaviors in emerging adulthood using Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory. Longitudinal, secondary data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health dataset (Add Health) (Harris et al., 2009) was used in this study. Data was collected in four waves of surveys and …
The Role Of Affect In The Relationship Between Social Stress And Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptomology, Alyssa S. Mielock
The Role Of Affect In The Relationship Between Social Stress And Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptomology, Alyssa S. Mielock
Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychological disorder that may develop following a traumatic event. Many factors have been shown to contribute to maintaining the distressing and impairing symptoms in response to the event. Internal factors, such as increased negative affect (NA), is positively associated with PTSD symptom severity (PTSS). External factors like social support have a negative relationship with PTSS; increased levels of social support are associated with decreased PTSS. Another external factor that may contribute to PTSS is increased stress. There are mixed findings as to how a psychosocial stressor impacts trauma-exposed samples physiologically. The current study addressed …
Writing And Well-Being: Comparing Varied Expressive Writing Tasks On Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms And Life Satisfaction, Zena Dadouch
Writing And Well-Being: Comparing Varied Expressive Writing Tasks On Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms And Life Satisfaction, Zena Dadouch
Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations
Frontline treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have been extensively researched, and there is significant support for their efficacy in decreasing PTSD symptomatology and improving life quality. However, the treatments seem to be burdensome, as a significant minority does not improve or drops out before the continuation of treatment. This pattern could be explained partially by the time commitment, cost of and access to treatment, and the resulting emotional overload. Therefore, it is useful to explore other avenues that could lead to improvements in symptomatology and well-being and that are more accessible and manageable. One possible direction is expressive writing …
Assessment Of “Meaning Made”: An Empirical Examination Of Factorial Structure And Measure Validity, Andrea M. Despotes
Assessment Of “Meaning Made”: An Empirical Examination Of Factorial Structure And Measure Validity, Andrea M. Despotes
Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations
Meaning-making theory posits that appraisal of a stressful event leads to distress if it is discrepant with one’s sense of “global meaning,” and such distress stimulates meaning-making processes aimed at eliminating the discrepancy. If meaning making leads to new meaning (i.e., “meaning made”), the stress-induced discrepancy is reduced, which generally is expected to result in positive adjustment. This study investigated the factorial structure of the meaning made construct using a sample (N = 372) of Amazon Mechanical Turk workers in the United States having “Masters” status and a minimum approval rating of 95%. Participants reported an average age of about …
Examining The Utility Of A Brief Self-Compassion Intervention For Emotion Regulation In Individuals With Exposure To Trauma, Sara Jean Himmerich
Examining The Utility Of A Brief Self-Compassion Intervention For Emotion Regulation In Individuals With Exposure To Trauma, Sara Jean Himmerich
Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations
Research suggests that abilities to moderate and process trauma-related emotions may predict symptoms of posttraumatic stress, with the overuse of maladaptive emotion regulation strategies presenting a potential vulnerability to experiencing difficulties following trauma exposure. Self-compassion has been associated with the acceptance of negative emotions, with research finding evidence for positive associations between self-compassion and adaptive emotion regulation. Additionally, research suggests an inverse relationship between self-compassion and symptoms of posttraumatic stress. Self-compassion has been conceptualized and studied as a skill that can be learned, with studies finding support for improved abilities following targeted interventions. However, more research is needed to establish …
Impact Of Social Support During A Social Interaction On Post-Trauma Cognitions And Outcomes During A Trauma Analogue Design, Christy Elizabeth Allen
Impact Of Social Support During A Social Interaction On Post-Trauma Cognitions And Outcomes During A Trauma Analogue Design, Christy Elizabeth Allen
Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations
This study utilized the trauma film paradigm to explore interpersonal processes in post-trauma social interactions and their relation to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms within the framework of social-cognitive theory. Social support following a traumatic experience has been consistently linked with posttraumatic outcomes and PTSD symptoms, yet the exact mechanisms underlying this relationship remain unconfirmed. One theory is that when trauma survivors emotionally and cognitively process the traumatic experience within positive supportive conversations, these conversations can result in fewer negative posttraumatic cognitions, beliefs, and appraisals that have been linked to symptoms of PTSD. Likewise, negative support can create and reinforce …
Trauma Memory: The Role Of Alexithymia And Emotion Regulation, Jennifer Milliken
Trauma Memory: The Role Of Alexithymia And Emotion Regulation, Jennifer Milliken
Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations
Alexithymia is a clinical term used to describe individuals who struggle to connect to their emotional experiences. Alexithymia is observed among individuals with a variety of mental health problems (Taylor, 2000; Taylor, Bagby, & Parker, 1997), and may characterize more severe clinical presentations (e.g., Frewen, Dozois, Neufeld, & Lanius, 2008). In addition, alexithymia seems to be related to adverse treatment outcomes (Kosten, Krystal, Giller, Frank, & Dan, 1992; Ogrodniczuk, Piper, & Joyce, 2011). This study adds to the current literature by examining the effect of alexithymia and emotion regulation (i.e., emotion suppression; emotion acceptance) on variables associated with trauma memory …
Adult Syrian Refugees Resettled In The United States: Social Support, Personality, Somatic Complaints, And Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Zena Dadouch
Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations
This study examined the relationships between perceived social support, personality traits, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in adult Syrian refugees resettled in the United States. Participants (N = 19) were recruited from resettlement organizations across the United States. To be eligible, participants had to be at least 18 years old, and had to have been resettled in the United States after 1/1/2015. After being screened for eligibility, participants completed a series of self-report questionnaires online, and were able to enroll in a drawing for 5 $50 Visa gift cards for their participation. The findings failed to lend support to …