Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Effects Of Trauma On Brain Development In Infancy, Sasha Kellogg

Honors Theses

This thesis explains how trauma, which can be defined for this study as traumatic experiences, affects brain development in infants. For the purpose of this report, infants are defined as being fifteen months or younger. As gathered from the book and articles researched, typical infant brain development, including the eight processes of neurodevelopment and the four main parts of the brain, will be explained in this report, along with how the brain grows and matures. This thesis shows how maturation of the brain in infancy is dependent upon the bonds and connections infants form with others and explains how trauma …

The Use Of Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy With Children Who Have Experienced Trauma To Improve Social Functioning, Danielle Hernandez

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Children who have experienced trauma are often affected socially, relationally and personally. Some children will require therapeutic interventions to improve these symptoms and functioning, while others will recover with no therapeutic intervention at all. One evidence based intervention to treat trauma in children is Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TFCBT), however current research on TFCBT primarily focuses on how it improves PTSD symptoms, not necessarily its effect on improving a child’s social or relational functioning. Therefore, the present study focuses on the clinician’s perspective of how the use of TFCBT improves social functioning. The findings indicate that the use of …

Contributing Factors In Maintaining Gang Affiliation Among Adolescent Females Exposed To Trauma, Bridget Kingsley

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Female gang affiliation has often gone overlooked, however, recent research indicates a need to examine this issue due to the increase in adolescent females becoming gang affiliated. A national survey collecting data on gang affiliation indicated that females account for nearly a third of the gang member population. Not only are females joining gangs at an increased rate but they are maintaining their affiliation despite maltreatment and abuse. The purpose of this project was to explore the factors that contribute and encourage adolescent females to maintain their gang affiliation even though it is likely that they will endure continued trauma. …

Play Therapy: Practitioners' Perspectives On Implementation And Effectiveness, Jade E. Wageman

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

The purpose of the present research was to explore practitioners’ perspectives on play therapy as an intervention when working with a child who has experienced trauma, has present PTSD symptoms and has a co-morbid mental health diagnosis. Play therapy has been accepted as an effective intervention to utilize with children who have been exposed to trauma (Schaefer, 1994). However, there is currently limited research evaluating play therapy as an intervention with children who have been traumatized and have developed PTSD or other mental health symptoms/disorders. The current study aimed to supplement the gap in existing research. Two agencies that serve …

In Their Own Words: Healing From Traumatic Childbirth, Jennifer L. Brammer

Masters Theses

Trauma related to childbirth is seldom addressed despite the incidence of women who experience traumatic births. Birth trauma, like other traumatic events, can have a lasting impact on women and can effect their attachment to their infants. This study gives voice to women's birth trauma and describes what women find helpful in their healing processes from traumatic birth. This study is based on the narratives of 14 women who graciously shared their birth stories and healing journeys in semi-structured qualitative interviews. Their traumatic birth experiences occurred 3 ½ to 26 years ago.

A post-positivist approach and narrative theory informed this …

Trauma Exposure, Posttraumatic Stress, And Depression In A Community Sample Of First-Time Mothers, Mickey Sperlich

Wayne State University Dissertations

The adverse effects of posttraumatic stress and depression have separately been well-documented in the perinatal mental health literature. However, few studies have considered the comorbidity between trauma, posttraumatic stress and depression. This dissertation study brings attention to this comorbidity and explores implications of recent changes to diagnostic criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder related to the ability to predict postpartum depression and impairments in mother/infant bonding. Following a conceptual framework which outlines the effects of violence and trauma on adverse childbearing outcomes, hypotheses were that many women with depression in pregnancy would endorse trauma and would be at risk for subthreshold …

Exploring Clinicians' Use Of Evidence-Based Interventions That Treat Attachment Problems Between Children, Five Years Of Age And Under, And Their Primary Caregivers, Jean Faucher

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This exploratory quantitative study was an attempt to address the dearth of research regarding the use of attachment-focused evidence-based treatments (AF EBT) in the clinical setting. Thirty-eight Master’s level or higher licensed mental health clinicians who work with children that are five years old and under, as well as with their primary caregivers, were surveyed via an anonymous web based questionnaire. The survey explored clinicians’ level of awareness, training, use, adaptation, and perceived effectiveness regarding four AF EBTs, as well as potential barriers that may have impeded their use. The AF EBTs were Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP), Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-UP …

The Association Between Attachment And Posttraumatic Growth In A Sample Of U.S. College Students, Keith Alan Morgan

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of this study is to examine the association between attachment and posttraumatic growth. Previous literature has suggested that securely attached individuals show more positive methods of coping with stress by activating their attachment system and facing the distress of a traumatic event. On the other hand, insecurely attached individuals display more negative methods of dealing with stress. Those with insecure attachment may avoid the distress of a traumatic event or not successfully activate the attachment system. Thus, it is expected that securely attached individuals will demonstrate higher levels of posttraumatic growth, or positive reactions to the experience of …