Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Telehealth Acceptance And Commitment Therapy For Adolescents With Transdiagnostic Health-Related Anxiety: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Julie M. Petersen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Health-related anxiety is a growing issue to understand how to treat, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic. Some studies show that a specific type of therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), may be beneficial for health anxiety in adults, but this has not yet been tested with adolescents. The present study is a randomized, waitlist-controlled trial of ACT delivered via Zoom for adolescents struggling with health-related anxiety. A total of 30 adolescents (ages 12-17), plus one caretaker each (N = 60), living in Utah and currently struggling with health-related anxiety were enrolled. The majority of caretakers and adolescents were White, non- …

Proactive, Perceptive, And Positive Parenting Of Adolescents: A Proposed Workshop, Marbella Oseguera

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

During adolescence, teenagers develop new needs for autonomy, respect, and privacy, but parents can be unaware of adolescents’ developmental changes or struggle with adapting their parenting practices. Unawareness of teens’ needs or unwillingness to restructure the parent-adolescent relationship can lead to misunderstandings, pushback from teens, and increased parent-teen conflict. If parents are unable to resolve conflict appropriately through positive guidance, they are likely to engage in psychological control. Psychological control is a harmful practice that is used to manage adolescents’ behaviors and maintain authority within the parent-teen relationship. Extensive research has demonstrated the negative effects of psychological control on adolescents’ …

Feasibility Of A Parent-Focused, Stress Management Intervention To Decrease Adolescent Bmi, Reduce Stress, And Increase Well-Being Among African American Families, Colby J. Kipp

Theses and Dissertations

African American adolescents in the United States experience a higher prevalence of obesity as compared to their White counterparts. This health inequity presents a public health concern as consequences of weight-related chronic diseases often persist into adulthood and are increasingly problematic. As chronic stress has been found to be higher among African American youth compared to White adolescents, it presents as a potential barrier to participation for African American families in health promotion interventions. Additionally, it may be beneficial to target stress in health promotion programs as a modifiable factor in conjunction with health behaviors that may improve outcomes related …

The Interplay Between Parental Psychological Control And Parental Emotional Overinvolvement On Depressive Symptoms Among Early Adolescents, Taylor Breanna Ullrich

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Parenting and parental behaviors are critical to the emotional well-being of youth. Emotional overinvolvement is one part of a broader construct known as Expressed Emotion. Emotional overinvolvement is known as intrusive, overprotective, excessively self-sacrificing, or devoted behavior or exaggerated emotional response to the child (Leff & Vaughn, 1985). It is not known how Emotional Overinvolvement relates to other dimensions of parenting. Psychological control parenting behavior that involves the use of tactics such as love withdrawal, guilt induction, invalidation, and conditional approval (Barber, 1996). The current study is the first study to investigate the association between psychological control, emotional overinvolvement and …

Identity And Body Image: How Bicultural Influences Affect The Development Of Negative Body Image And Disordered Eating In Korean American Adolescents, Abigail G. Brown

Honors Projects

The objective of this research project is to examine the existing literature related to culture, body image, and disordered eating in Korea and the United States as they are related to the identity and body image formation of Korean American adolescents in the United States. Because there is not much existing literature specifically investigating the experience of Korean American adolescents, this paper aims to synthesize the current research regarding Korean and United States culture to create a summary of factors that contribute to the development of negative body image and/or disordered eating in this population. In addition, these factors will …

A Rudimentary Framework Of The Emergence Of Naturally-Occurring Mentorships, Aaron S. Baker Cervantes

Dissertations

Cross-age relationships between youth and adults that develop organically outside the construct of youth programs are examples of natural mentoring relationships. In the United States, research has demonstrated the positive impact of these mentorships. Scholars have begun applying concepts learned from natural mentoring to formal mentoring schema; however, much work is yet to be done in examining how these relationships emerge and the factors that impact their development. Designed in partnership with a private secondary school in rural México, this study aimed to unpack these questions using a grounded theory approach. Current students, alumni, and teachers participated in the study …

Parenting And Students' Gpa In The Latino Population: An Exploratory Study, Carolina Arboleda

Dissertations

The present study experimentally investigated Latino high school students’ grade point averages (GPA) and the parenting styles used by their parents based on Baumrind’s (1968, 1971, 1989, 1991) theory of parenting behaviors. Participants (N=52) were asked to take a survey of 62 questions total addressing three parenting dimensions as measured by the Escala Parental Breve to categorize their parents’ behaviors into parenting styles. Participants also responded to demographic questions such as English proficiency, household income, parents’ education level, and other relevant factors impacting parenting and GPA. Results from the study were limited as there was a limited number of participants; …

Using Expressive Arts Therapy To Develop Coping Mechanisms To Manage Substance Use, Zayna Mcdonald

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This paper examines past and current usages of expressive arts therapy in developing coping mechanisms for substance use recovery and explores possibilities for further integration in the adolescent and young adult population around the world. Abundant information is available on the effects of drugs and other substances on mental health, but more research is needed on how the integration of expressive arts therapy can enhance substance abuse programs for these populations. According to the CDC, elevated adverse effects on mental health occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic in the US with young adults reporting increased substance use (Czeisler et al., 2020). …

Covid, Creativity, And Connecting Through Change: Reviewing The Literature On How Art Therapy Can Help Children And Adolescents Cope With Pandemic-Related Grief, Lydia Speicher

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The COVID-19 pandemic has been one of the most significant global events in the past century, both resulting in massive casualties and significant mental health outcomes across the world. Some of the most impacted populations are children and adolescents whose lives have been interrupted during their formative years. The purpose of this literature review is to explore how art therapy has been used during the COVID-19 pandemic to address the grief experienced by children and adolescents through their losses of stability and peer support surrounded by uncertainty. This literature review seeks to understand exactly how the pandemic has affected the …

Comprehensive Literature Review: Assessing The Impact Of Covid-19 Policies, School Closures And Social Distancing, On The Mental Health Of School Age Children, Fatuma A. Hassan

Capstone Experience

Mental health is vital to the well-being of all individuals, especially children. COVID-19 unveiled a significant public health issue with poor mental health during the pandemic. There is limited literature about the mental health implications of COVID-19 policies for children and adolescents and preventive strategies for future pandemics. This comprehensive literature review seeks to further investigate the mental health impacts of school shutdowns and social distancing, which were nonpharmaceutical strategies, on school-aged children, 5-18 years old, and propose recommendations for public health officials to mitigate the mental health impacts for future pandemics. Additionally, the review aims to highlight the potential …

Parents’ Adverse Childhood Experiences In Relation To Parent-Child Emotion Socialization, Emily Thompson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Parents’ adverse childhood experiences in relation to parent-child emotion socialization

Objective: Parents have an integral role in a child’s development of important emotional and psychosocial processes through emotion socialization. The goal of this paper is to examine the presence of adverse childhood experiences during the parents’ childhood and adolescence alongside the parents’ responses to their child’s emotional expression. The impact of adverse childhood experiences on a parent’s ability to socialize their child’s emotions is a key factor in the continued objective of cultivating positive parent-child interaction and improving adolescent mental health.

Methods: Participants were 165 adolescents and their parents. Adolescent …

Increasing Anxiety Awareness In High School Students, Kiley Arellano

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Many high school students may experience excessive anxiety. According to the National Institute of Health, nearly 1 in 3 of all adolescents ages 13 to 18 will experience an anxiety disorder. Persistent anxiety can lead to future health problems such as heart disease, respiratory disorders, and substance use disorders. If adolescents learn how to identify symptoms of anxiety and utilize effective coping mechanisms, they are likely to have positive academic outcomes, success in the workplace, and better quality of life. To address this, I have developed a one-day interactive lesson for junior and senior students at San Luis Obispo High …

Art Therapy And Internal Family Systems For Adolescents At A Therapeutic School: A Qualitative, Arts-Based Study, Emma Pici-D'Ottavio

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Adolescence is an important developmental period marked by a search for identity and an increase in impulsive behaviors and intense emotions. The current study explored how a combined art therapy and Internal Family Systems (IFS) model is beneficial and appropriate for adolescents in a school setting. A brief art therapy group was facilitated with students at a therapeutic high school. The intervention integrated IFS approaches, including externalization and guided visualizations, with the goal of understanding parts and increasing self-compassion. Three main themes emerged based on observations of the sessions: 1) the concept of parts encouraged self-understanding and reduced shame; 2) …

Working With Students From Low Socioeconomic Families: What Can School Counselors Do?, Rachel S. Bluhm

Counselor Education Capstones

Poverty and low socioeconomic status (SES) in America negatively affect students in elementary, middle, and high school as they are still developing. It is crucial that school counselors and other helping professionals are aware of how to best support these students so they can achieve their highest as social support has been shown to be a protective factor for low SES in school. It is essential that school counselors and other staff in schools have effective training surrounding poverty and that they recognize how their social class affects their views and beliefs surrounding poverty and analyze those beliefs and practices. …

Race As A Predictor Of Co-Rumination In Friendship Among Adolescents, Jendayi A. Stafford

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Co-rumination refers to the excessive and extensive discussion and revisiting of problems and negative feelings within dyadic relationships. Differences in friendships concerning co-rumination have found that girls co-ruminate more than boys, however, researchers have not examined the relations between the racial composition of friend dyads and co-rumination in the friendships of adolescents. Theoretical frameworks included response styles theory and fictive kin theory. The study involved secondary analyses of an archival data set in which adolescents responded to surveys about co-rumination and their same-sex friendships. The population used for the study consisted of 265 adolescent friend dyads from a town in …

Race As A Predictor Of Co-Rumination In Friendship Among Adolescents, Jendayi A. Stafford

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Co-rumination refers to the excessive and extensive discussion and revisiting of problems and negative feelings within dyadic relationships. Differences in friendships concerning co-rumination have found that girls co-ruminate more than boys, however, researchers have not examined the relations between the racial composition of friend dyads and co-rumination in the friendships of adolescents. Theoretical frameworks included response styles theory and fictive kin theory. The study involved secondary analyses of an archival data set in which adolescents responded to surveys about co-rumination and their same-sex friendships. The population used for the study consisted of 265 adolescent friend dyads from a town in …

Adolescent Rejection Sensitivity And Anxiety: The Moderating Effects Of Problem-Solving Skills And Gender, Kathleen Naumann

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractRejection sensitivity is the ongoing anxious or angry expectation of interpersonal rejection. Anxiety can potentially have a significant detrimental impact on the mental health of adolescents who are characterized as having rejection sensitivity. Although negative consequences of anxiety on mental health have been studied, there is a limited understanding regarding how rejection sensitive adolescents are at risk for anxiety. This study involved examining relations between adolescent rejection sensitivity and anxiety and whether they were moderated by problem-solving skills, an indicator of resiliency, as well as gender. Theoretical frameworks in this study were the rejection sensitivity model and resilience theory. This …

The Lived Experiences Of Minority Widowers With Dependent Children, Cathy-Ann L. King

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Spousal death is a traumatic event well documented amongst clinical professionals because of its impact on a man’s physical and mental health. However, prior research on widowers has focused predominantly on white middle-class males. Little is known about the black indigenous people of color (BIPOC) male experience with spousal death, especially from those who are raising their dependent children. This qualitative phenomenological study aimed to understand the lived experiences of BIPOC male widowers and their children. BIPOC widowers experiencing the trauma of this life-changing event without professional assistance are at higher risk of emotional, physical, and mental distress. Attachment theory …

Predictors Of Bullying Behaviors Among Adolescents In Saudi Arabia: The Role Of Self-Esteem, Emotional Intelligence And Moral Disengagement, Ayat Hamzah

Dissertations

Problem

Bullying issues are increasing among school-age children worldwide. Children and adolescents involved in bullying as victims, perpetrators, or both are likely to experience negative consequences on their emotional, social, and academic levels (Espelage & Holt, 2001). In spite of the increasing research on bullying in Saudi Arabia, there exists gaps in the literature, especially in the role of individual traits (self-esteem, emotional intelligence) and cognitive processes (moral disengagement) on bullying behavior. Additionally, using modeling analysis to understand the predictive factors affecting bullying involvement processes also filled in some of the gaps in the literature. The current study investigated the …

Stressors And Depression Among Adolescents With Co-Rumination As A Moderator, Angela Grosso-Burke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Stress, depression, and co-rumination have been a focus of scholars in recent years. Although studies have considered the relationship among stressors, depression, and co-rumination, little is known about the moderating effects of co-rumination. This study aimed to address the gap in the literature by examining moderating effects of co-rumination on relations between stressors and depression, along with further moderating effects of sex, race, and grade. The current study examined mean-level race, sex, and grade differences in the relation among stressors (total, family, peer, physical appearance, sport/physical activity, school) and depressive symptoms in adolescents. Analyses were conducted to determine the relationship …

Stressors And Depression Among Adolescents With Co-Rumination As A Moderator, Angela Grosso-Burke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Stress, depression, and co-rumination have been a focus of scholars in recent years. Although studies have considered the relationship among stressors, depression, and co-rumination, little is known about the moderating effects of co-rumination. This study aimed to address the gap in the literature by examining moderating effects of co-rumination on relations between stressors and depression, along with further moderating effects of sex, race, and grade. The current study examined mean-level race, sex, and grade differences in the relation among stressors (total, family, peer, physical appearance, sport/physical activity, school) and depressive symptoms in adolescents. Analyses were conducted to determine the relationship …

Young Adolescents’ And Parents’ Attitudes And Perspective Taking About Appropriate Mobile Phone Use, Stephanie Jean Cleary

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This study explored whether young adolescents and their parents have similar attitudes about appropriate mobile phone use, and whether those attitudes vary depending upon adolescent or parent phone user, the mobile phone use context (i.e., family dinner table, party, or homework/ work), and their self-perspective or other’s perspective. Fifty-two adolescents in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade (age range 11 years to 14 years and 5 months; 26 males, 23 females, 3 non-binaries) and their parent or guardian participated. Adolescents identified as white/European American (82.7%), multiple races (5.8%), Asian (5.8%), black/African American (1.9%), and Hispanic/Latinx/Spanish (1.9%), or did not respond (1.9%). …

The Association Of Blood Glucose With The Daily Self-Regulation Of Everyday Life Stress In Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes, Laura Bethany Cohen

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Adolescents with type 1 diabetes must learn to balance the complexities of managing a chronic disease with managing non-disease-related experiences in their daily life that also contribute to stress. For example, in addition to diabetes management, these adolescents must also balance ongoing demands from everyday life stressors including school, social interactions, and home and family life. However, it remains unclear if daily diabetes management might contribute to experiences of everyday life stress. The present study assessed the association between daily everyday life stress and blood glucose regulation in adolescents with type 1 diabetes using both linear and nonlinear models. Thirty-nine …

The Lived Experiences Of Minority Widowers With Dependent Children, Cathy-Ann L. King

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Spousal death is a traumatic event well documented amongst clinical professionals because of its impact on a man’s physical and mental health. However, prior research on widowers has focused predominantly on white middle-class males. Little is known about the black indigenous people of color (BIPOC) male experience with spousal death, especially from those who are raising their dependent children. This qualitative phenomenological study aimed to understand the lived experiences of BIPOC male widowers and their children. BIPOC widowers experiencing the trauma of this life-changing event without professional assistance are at higher risk of emotional, physical, and mental distress. Attachment theory …

Hiv/Aids Policy In Nigeria And Ghana: How Socio-Cultural Norms Prejudice Sexual Minorities And Adolescents, Jibril Richter

Masters Theses

Policy researchers tend to focus on policy change and policy actors. Rarely is attention given to the influence of dominant socio-cultural values on domestic policies. This research aims to draw a connection between HIV policy discourse and strategies, and the mainstream beliefs and norms of the society where they are developed. The significance of the study is to highlight the challenge that these dominant values could pose to the development of comprehensive and effective policies. The research uses Critical Discourse Analysis to draw a linkage between HIV policies developed in Ghana and Nigeria. The study finds that while mainstream norms …

The Role Of Maladaptive Emotion Socialization In Risk For Urgency And Problem Drinking In Adolescents, Emily Atkinson

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Negative urgency (NU; the tendency to act rashly when experiencing negative emotions) is a robust risk factor for a number of problem behaviors, including early adolescent drinking. Little is known about the factors that precede the development of NU, and hence the full etiology of this component of risk. The current study aimed to investigate the possibility that childhood maladaptive emotion socialization (MES; the tendency for children’s expressions of emotions to be met with punishment, minimized, or invoke a reaction of distress from their parents/caretakers) increases risk for the development of NU. Secondarily, the study tested whether MES predicts increased …

Effective Treatment Modalities, Recommendations, And Desired Outcomes For Adolescents With Co-Occurring Disorders, Madelynn J. Revord

Counselor Education Capstones

This Capstone Project analyzes and assesses recent research of different modalities of treatment for adolescents with co-occurring disorders. While conducting research on this topic, the common goal of effective treatment for adolescents with co-occurring disorders includes eliminating continued substance abuse, resolving conduct concerns, developing appropriate coping skills, correcting negative thoughts and/or behaviors, decreasing delinquency, and addressing reoccurring mental health symptoms. Multidimensional family therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, group therapy, and individual therapy are compared to formulate effective clinical approaches for adolescents with co-occurring disorders. Adverse childhood experiences, risk and protective factors, suicidality, community involvement, parental education and early intervention, …

The Effects Of Social Media On Internalizing Disorders In Adolescents, Deziree Wiegmann

Counselor Education Capstones

This platforms capstone project paper is about the effects that social media or advanced technology platforms has on young individuals. Many articles were reviewed, which included research studies on the prevalence of social media usage by adolescents, along with its negative and positive effects on their development. This topic is important for counselors to review in order to treat young clients that struggle with depression, anxiety, self-esteem issues, etc. For counselors and other professionals who work with adolescents, it would be important to look at the data, which has helped derive what treatment approaches may be the most effective and …

Gratitude Buffers The Effects Of Stressful Life Events On Early Adolescents’ Life Satisfaction And Externalizing Behaviors But Not Internalizing Behaviors, Mimi Scott Webb

Theses and Dissertations

Identifying psychological strengths that foster healthy development in youth has become a topic of exploration in the field of positive psychology (e.g., Suldo & Huebner, 2004; Valle et al., 2006). Gratitude is a promising trait-like characteristic with qualities indicative of a potential psychological strength that may serve as a protective factor for early adolescents in the face of stressful life events. This study utilized data from a sample of 1,880 middle school students from the Southeastern United States. Hierarchical regression analyses investigated gratitude’s role as a moderator in the relationship between stressful life events and adolescent well-being. Specifically, gratitude’s ability …

Emergency Care For Youth Who Experience Suicidality And Identify As Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer/Questioning (Lgbtq+): An Interpretive Phenomenology, Theresa Schultz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: Suicide is a leading cause of death in children; youth who identify as LGBTQ+ are at an exponentially higher risk of suicide. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of young adults who identify as LGBTQ+ and sought emergency care for suicidality when they were adolescents.

Methods: Heideggerian hermeneutics phenomenology is the research method used in this study. Youth, ages 18-25 years, who identify as LGBTQ+ and sought emergency treatment for suicidality when they were adolescents (13-17 years) were recruited to participate;fifteen youth enrolled. Individuals ranged in age from 20 to 25 years. Participants described …