Psychology Commons^™

Vital Exhaustion, Burnout, And Other Avatars Of Depression, Bianchi Renzo, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Eric Laurent

Publications and Research

In our view, there is a worrying tendency in psychology and medicine to let proliferate “depression-like” constructs—a transgression of the scientific canon of parsimony. The problem is not limited to vital exhaustion (VE). Burnout, a condition akin to VE, has been shown to problematically overlap with depression. Compassion fatigue, a condition that shows particularly blurred definitional contours, is also uncomfortably close to depressive symptomatology. The construct of neurasthenia may be part of this confusing trend as well, although neurasthenia has been elevated to the status of nosological category in the ICD. Construct proliferation jeopardizes knowledge growth by undermining theory building …

Social Support, Parent Stress, And Child Aggression: A Longitudinal Model Of Family Ecology, Jill B. Lubansky

Theses and Dissertations

In the last few decades, treatment of problem behaviors in children and adolescents has targeted the entire family rather than more traditional methods that targeted the individual child. This approach is rooted in family systems and other ecological research and theory. The social sciences have maintained a long history of inquiry into the relations among social support, stress, and psychopathology. However, few of these inquiries include child outcomes, such as behavior problems, as the psychopathological outcome. Even fewer studies have utilized longitudinal models that have the capacity to accurately reflect the developmental process of stress and psychopathology. In the current …

Youth In Transition: Culturally Sensitive Treatment Modules That Enhance Trauma Psychotherapy For Immigrant Latinx Youth, Valentina Nikulina

Open Educational Resources

This manual was developed as a modification to efficacy-based trauma-treatment for immigrant Latinx youth, ages 13 to 25 years old. The goal of the modification is to add to the effectiveness of existing efficacy-based treatments (Trauma-Focused CBT, specifically) to better serve this population of youth. In addition to the sections on the general cultural considerations and engagement strategies, there are three modules (i.e., Building a Network of Support; Effective Communication and Assertiveness, & Empowerment and Resilience/Strengths Building).

Predictors Of Obesity, Acculturation, And Perceived Stress In Meskhetian Turk (Ahiska) Immigrants In The United States, Zekeriya Temircan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obesity is a risk factor for chronic diseases among the ethnic minorities for adult immigrants in the United States. There have been many research studies conducted to examine the relationship between the predictors and obesity in minority groups in the United States, that relationship was unknown in Meskhetian Turk (Ahiska) immigrant populations. Guided by social ecological model and acculturation theory, this study examined the predictors of obesity in the Meskhetian Turk (Ahiska) immigrant population in the western United States. Data were collected from 109 participants using CDC's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, Stephenson Multigroup Acculturation Scale, and Perceived Stress Scale. …

Divorcing Couples' Experience With Child Custody Mediation And Litigation, Jessica Leonard Anderson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Couples who divorce are likely to experience increased levels of psychological distress, decreased levels of happiness, and increased levels of depression. To reduce these negative effects, litigators use mediation to resolve disagreements including child custody disputes. The purpose of this quantitative study was to compare divorcing parents' depression and satisfaction with the process after the use of mediation or litigation. Wexler's theory of therapeutic jurisprudence provided the theoretical framework. Data was collected from 170 participants who were recruited using convenience sampling through Facebook. Participants voluntarily completed a survey which included a researcher developed questionnaire, the Acrimony Scale, the Nonacceptance of …

Recidivism Rates Among Juveniles With Mental Illness, Kia Chevon Russell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Treating mental illness is imperative to help reduce criminal justice involvement within the juvenile population. Receiving mental health care will help decrease the likelihood for youth to reoffend, ultimately reducing recidivism rates. Past studies showed there are risk factors associated with juveniles and recidivism; however, very few studies have examined what factors are prevalent after services have been received. The purpose of this study was to identify factors that increase the risk of recidivism among juveniles who have received psychiatric stabilization in Harris County, Texas. Risk factors that were assessed included age, gender, ethnicity, and criminal offense. The psychodynamic perspective …

Predictors Of Attitudes Towards Mental Health Treatment In The Orthodox Jewish Population, Shlomo Bineth

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Within the Orthodox Jewish (OJ) community, there is a hesitation among those in need of mental health services to seek treatment, primarily due to stigmatized views toward mental illness. The theory grounding this study was Goffman's theory of social stigma, which defines social stigma as the result of an attribute, behavior, or reputation being discredited by others in a way that puts a person or group of people in an undesirable light. The purpose of this study was to examine the reasons underlying negative attitudes toward mental health treatment in the OJ community by examining variables that might explain those …

On Parsimony And Tautology In The Study Of Acute Coronary Syndrome, Bianchi Renzo, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Eric Laurent

Publications and Research

In a recent study, Zhang et al. concluded that burnout was associated with poor physical function and low quality of life after acute coronary syndrome (ACS). In our estimation, the authors' study has at least two unnoticed, though major, methodological limitations: not controlling for depression and using a burnout scale that is a questionable choice.

On The Depressive Nature Of The “Burnout Syndrome”: A Clarification, Renzo Bianchi, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Pierre Vandel, Eric Laurent

Publications and Research

Key theoretical arguments and empirical findings converge to suggest that the burnout construct captures a depressive phenomenon. The reluctance to consider burnout a depressive condition may be due to (a) a neglect of the stress–depression relationship and (b) a difficulty coordinating dimensional and categorical approaches to psychopathology in burnout research. The dimensions and categories constitute two ways of describing (psychopathological) phenomena. Thus, dimensions and categories should be heuristically combined rather than opposed: burnout and depression can be studied both as ‘‘processes’’ or ‘‘end-states’’. Clarifying what burnout actually is matters in terms of conceptual parsimony, theoretical integration, nosological consistency, interventional effectiveness, …

Health Behaviors Contributing To Overall Perceived Health, Mental And Physical Health Status, And Functional Impairment In Psychologists And Trainees, Natasha J. Brown

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the health behaviors and overall perceived health among psychologists and psychology trainees. Results revealed significant correlations between overall perceived health and physical activity, BMI, fruit and vegetable intake. Additionally, results revealed significant correlations between days of poor mental health and physical activity, fruit intake and vegetable intake. Lastly, results revealed correlations between days of functional impairment and physical activity. The results of this study expand upon the growing literature related to health professionals’ personal health behaviors and how they impact one’s perceived health. Further research is required to identify and expand investigation of factors impacting psychologists and …

Relationship Of Initial Symptoms And Differential Dementia Diagnosis In A Memory Disorder Clinic Sample, Eugenia Milroy Boozer

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: The present study examines the consistency of differential dementia diagnoses based on neuropsychological testing. The accuracy rate of clinical diagnoses of various types of dementias, including Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies, frontotemporal dementia, mixed dementia, and others, were identified. In addition, other common diagnoses made through neuropsychological testing such as mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and mood disorder were examined as part of the overall analysis. Additionally, initial reported symptoms of dementia were examined to analyze how these first complaints might ultimately relate to a clinical diagnosis. Method: The neuropsychological testing data were catalogued from participants who …

Female Student Veterans: A Survey Of Current Transition Challenges And Issues From Active Duty To Collegiate Life, Nicole Starr Biondoletti

Theses and Dissertations

Research on the student veteran population is extremely limited. The literature does tell us, however, that mental health difficulties in veterans has been present for thousands of years, and that recent warfare has led to a steady increased in posttraumatic stress and suicidality. In addition, there has been an exponential increase in veterans enrolling in post-secondary institutions due to the appealing benefits of the post-9/11 GI Bill. The result of these two facts are a relatively new population with unique challenges and needs. The present study utilized the PTSD Checklist, Military version (PCL-M), the Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R), the Combat …

The Knowledge And Beliefs Of Childhood Sexual Abuse (Csa) Professionals On The Use Of Animal-Assisted Activities (Aaa) And Animal Assisted Therapy (Aat) In Forensic Interviews, Alyssa Mari Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

The present study aimed at exploring the current level of knowledge of professionals in the field on Childhood Sexual Abuse (CSA), childhood memory development, and the legal aspects of CSA cases, as well as surveying attitudes and beliefs regarding the practice of using therapy animals during forensic interviews. Forty-five participants, who worked with maltreated children in the mental health profession completed the survey. Based on prior research, I hypothesized that those with higher educational attainment would rate themselves higher on knowledge of childhood memory development, which was not supported by the data. I also hypothesized that those with experience with …

Male Student Veterans: A Survey Of Current Transition Challenges And Issues From Active Duty To Collegiate Life, Mara Alyce Rowcliffe

Theses and Dissertations

The present study evaluated the challenges associated with transitioning from active duty to collegiate life. This included examining if psychological factors and demographic variables influence a male veteran’s ability to succeed in an academic institution. Success was defined by how well they performed in school measured by their self-reported grade point average. Other measures included the Combat Exposure Scale (CES), PTSD Checklist- Military Version (PCL-M), and Suicidal Behavior Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R). This study aimed to contribute to the limited research among student veterans, as well as inform academic institutions of how to approach improving retention rates among prior military members. Results …

Biological, Cognitive And Psychosocial Variables Associated With Female Students’ Pursuit Of Stem Or Non-Stem Major In College, Anna Brenner Shuman

Theses and Dissertations

In the United States a disproportionately small number of women entering the field of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). This results in women missing out on job opportunities with better earning potential, and influence over the products they use. The current study examined variables involved in female college students’ choice of STEM or non-STEM majors in college. The predictive variables of interest included biological factors (i.e. the relative length of finger digits 2 and 4, and maturation rate as indicated by puberty onset, menarche), cognitive abilities (i.e. mental rotation and quantitative performance scores on college entrance exams), and psychosocial …

Sentence Recall In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Brett Wallace

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There is an age-shift in neurotypical children: younger children tend to remember information in a verbatim manner so they store item-specific surface characteristics; between nine and ten children engage in gist recall where they store meanings of presented information. The aim of the present study was to explore false memory in children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), as some research suggests that they develop gist recall at a later age than neurotypical children. We are also interested in the role of working memory.

One approach to understanding false memory creation is activation-monitoring (AM) theory. Working memory can play a role …

Associated Factors Of Posttraumatic Growth: A Meta-Analysis, Rong Xia

Masters Theses

During the past 20 years, posttraumatic growth has been recognized and emphasized to promote physical and psychological health after life-threatening events. There has also been an increasing number of individual studies on posttraumatic growth and its associated factors. However, it still remains unclear whether and how these relationships are facilitated. Therefore, the current meta-analysis aimed to provide a comprehensive understanding on the important associated factors of posttraumatic growth. Posttraumatic stress, event centrality, emotion regulation, and religious or spiritual coping and their actual relationships with posttraumatic growth were examined along with some potential moderators. Results from 56 studies (N = 20,132) …

Applied Problem Solving In Children With Adhd: The Mediating Roles Of Working Memory And Mathematical Calculation, Lauren Friedman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The difficulties children with ADHD experience solving applied math problems (i.e., word problems) are well documented; however, the independent and/or interactive contribution of cognitive processes underlying these difficulties is not fully understood and warrant scrutiny. The current study examines two primary cognitive processes integral to children's ability to solve applied math problems: working memory (WM) and math calculation ability (i.e., the ability to utilize specific facts, skills, or processes related to basic math operations stored in long-term memory). Thirty-six boys with ADHD-combined presentation and 33 typically developing (TD) boys aged 8-12 years old were administered multiple counterbalanced tasks to assess …

Childhood Maltreatment And Mother-Child Attachment: Examining Interactions Among Attachment, Depression, Reflective Functioning, Parenting Behaviors, And Young Children's Outcomes In Mothers With Histories Of Childhood Maltreatment, Maria Khan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although previous research identified mothers who experienced childhood maltreatment as exhibiting an especially heightened risk for attachment difficulties with their own young children, evidence regarding the mechanisms of action driving this relationship have been lacking. Thus, the current study introduced mothers' depressive symptoms and the novel construct of reflective functioning as potential mediators to help explain the relationship between mothers' childhood maltreatment experiences and patterns of insecure (i.e., anxious, avoidant, and disorganized) mother-young child attachment. The current study included a community sample of 146 mothers with children who ranged in age from 1 1/2-to 5-years. Mothers provided ratings of their …

Health Behaviors In Military Veterans With And Without Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Emily Kitsmiller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A link between posttraumatic stress disorder and health behaviors, such as exercise, alcohol, smoking, and caffeine has been suggested. However, it is unknown whether veterans with combat-related PTSD differ from combat veterans without PTSD and whether health behaviors change over the course of exposure therapy for PTSD or differ based on PTSD severity. This study examined the relationship between health behaviors and PTSD. More specifically, combat veterans with and without PTSD were compared across self-reported levels of alcohol use, smoking, exercise, and caffeine. Health behaviors of combat veterans with PTSD were compared before and after a 17-week treatment for PTSD. …

Using Exposure Therapy To Treat People Who Stutter: A Multiple Baseline Design, Jennifer Scheurich

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a debilitating condition, and it is estimated that approximately half of adults who stutter have SAD. Thus, there is a need for the assessment and treatment of SAD in this population. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has shown promise in decreasing anxiety symptoms among adults who stutter and have SAD, but exposure, the key ingredient for successful CBT for SAD, has been understudied and underemphasized. The aims of this study were to develop an exposure therapy protocol specifically for people who stutter and have SAD and to evaluate its efficacy for reducing anxiety and stuttering severity. Utilizing …

Defining Physician Burnout, And Differentiating Between Burnout And Depression—I, Bianchi Renzo, Irvin Sam Schonfeld

Publications and Research

A redefinition of burnout as a depressive condition is called for so that the harmful effects of unresolvable job stress can be more accurately and comprehensively assessed. As research compellingly suggests, reducing the harmful effects of unresolvable job stress to the experience of burnout's dimensions of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment is mistaken in that it denies the depressive core of the syndrome referred to as “burnout.” Replacing the notion of burnout by the concept of job-induced depression would help us be more effective in the management of occupational adversity.

Burnout And The Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Thyroid Axis: A Methodological Comment, Renzo Bianchi, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Eric Laurent

Publications and Research

Because (a) burnout overlaps with depression and (b) depression has been associated with altered functioning of the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis changes in the activity of the HPT axis can be expected in burnout. Most probably, Guo et al.’s (2017) results are flawed by a severe form of the “healthy worker effect.”

Consequences Of Job Stress For The Psychological Well-Being Of Teachers, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Renzo Bianchi, Peter Luehring-Jones

Publications and Research

This chapter examines research on the relationship between job stressors and mental health (depressive symptoms, burnout, and mental disorders such as depression) in teachers. Teachers are exposed daily to job stressors (e.g., student disruptiveness) that have been linked to adverse mental health effects. Epidemiologic research indicates that when compared to members of other groups, teachers experience higher rates of mental disorder, although some studies question that conclusion. Large-scale studies indicate when compared to members of other occupational groups, teachers are at higher risk for exposure to workplace violence, with its adverse mental health consequences. Longitudinal research has linked teaching-related stressors …

Mechanisms Of Motivational Interviewing In A Parent-Focused Pediatric Obesity Intervention, Nadia Islam

Theses and Dissertations

Pediatric obesity is a major public health epidemic with serious physical and psychological consequences. Difficulty engaging families in treatment is a significant obstacle in addressing pediatric obesity, especially among underserved populations. Motivational interviewing (MI) is a collaborative, person-centered communication style that has been shown to reduce attrition, increase attendance, and improve patient treatment adherence; however, little is known about the process of MI and how it improves treatment engagement. This study examined clinician and parent language in a pre-treatment MI session that increased initial engagement in a parent- focused pediatric obesity intervention (N= 81). Results showed that increased parent change …

The Development Of The Treatment Integrity - Efficient Scale For Cognitive Behavioral Treatment For Youth Anxiety (Ties-Cbt-Ya), Meghan Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Brief, easy to use, psychometrically strong (i.e., pragmatic) instruments are needed to support implementation research; the current study assessed whether it was possible to develop a pragmatic observational treatment integrity instrument and reduce the amount of time coders spend making treatment integrity ratings (while maintaining score validity) of therapists delivering two protocols of individual cognitive-behavioral treatment (ICBT) for youth anxiety in research and practice settings. The 12-item instrument was derived from four observational treatment integrity instruments with promising score reliability and validity that assess adherence, competence, differentiation, and alliance. A sample of 106 youths (M age = 10.12, SD …

Coping With Acculturative Stress: Mdma Usage Among Asian American Young Adults In The Electronic Dance Music Scene, Michelle Stephanie Chan

Pomona Senior Theses

The intersection of Asian American identity and illicit substance use is greatly understudied in psychological literature, especially with matters of mental health and drug use being stigmatized by Asian cultural norms. However, with an increasingly alarming number of fatal drug overdoses by Asian Americans at electronic dance music (EDM) events, attention must be drawn to the needs of this unique population. The present study characterizes this community by drawing from data of 1,290 Asian American young adults who participate in the EDM scene. This study also hypothesizes the impact of acculturative stress and feelings of social belonging on MDMA usage …

Identification Of Areas Of Patient Need Using The Cancer Support Source Program, Emily Ross

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Understanding, screening, and providing resources for quality of life factors and psychosocial distress have become an important area of focus in cancer care. Negative consequences of poor quality of life and psychosocial distress have been widely studied in oncological research. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network, or NCCN, defines "psychosocial distress" as extending on a continuum, "ranging from common normal feelings of vulnerability, sadness, and fears to problems that can become disabling, such as depression, anxiety, panic, social isolation, and existential and spiritual crisis" ("National Comprehensive Cancer Network," n.d.). Findings have indicated the significant impact of poor quality of life and …

The Big Five As Predictors Of Behavioral Health Professional Burnout, Alicia Mae Greene

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

While the majority of studies appeared to focus on health service workers and job satisfaction, there was a substantial lack of literature that explored the relationship of personality traits and burnout specific to behavioral health professionals. Research has indicated that behavioral health professional burnout is a mediating factor in early job exodus primarily due to highly interactive work with people. The purpose of this study was to consider the relationship between behavioral health professional burnout, as measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory for Health and Human Service workers, and the big five personality traits, as measured by the NEO Five …

Inclusion In Jamaican Primary Schools: Teachers' Self-Efficacy, Attitudes, And Concerns, Jillian Samms

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Inclusive education has become an international phenomenon; however, many developing countries struggle with its implementation. At last assessment of the Jamaican educational system in 2004, findings revealed exclusionary practices which are in contrast to international standards on education. Many children with special needs may not be receiving adequate support for education. Using Bandura's social learning theory as a foundation, this study examined whether there is a predictive relationship between grade level, type of school, location of school, access to support resources, perceived school climate, pedagogical beliefs, extent of inclusion training, attitudes to inclusion, and teachers' ratings of self-efficacy for inclusive …