A One-Session, Brief Acceptance And Commitment Therapy Workshop For Chronic Pain Patients: A One-Sample Pretest-Posttest Prospective Exploratory Study, Kelly Anne Thomas Ms

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Chronic pain affects one in every four persons (NIH, 2010). For individuals residing in rural communities where chronic pain treatment is often not accessible (Artnak et al., 2011), a one-session brief mental health intervention is a critical healthcare need. More specifically, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for chronic pain is a novel treatment approach in need of more research (Society of Clinical Psychology, 2016). This current study contributes to the gap in the literature by implementing an ACT workshop in a rural healthcare setting for individuals with chronic pain. It was hypothesized that the workshop would increase adaptive coping mechanisms …

Handicraft Art Leisure Activities And Cognitive Reserve, Genna Mashinchi

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

With increasing age, older individuals face a higher likelihood of developing dementia. The rate of cognitive decline resulting from dementia is not equivalent for all, as some patients with dementia are able to function independently longer than others, despite having similar disease burden. The cognitive reserve (CR) theory provides one explanation for the differing rate of decline. CR suggests that there are factors — most notably, educational and occupational attainment — that can protect against the cognitive decline that is a hallmark of dementia. Although the beneficial effects of these notable CR factors are clear, they may not be modifiable. …

Perceptions Of Integrated Mental And Behavioral Health In Pediatric Specialty Care Settings: A Mixed-Methods Study, Desireé Nicole Williford

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Pediatric patients are at an increased risk of experiencing mental and behavioral health concerns, which have direct associations with HRQOL, physiological health, and likelihood that youth will engage in health promoting behavior. Researchers and practitioners have increased their awareness of these concerns and identified strategies for improving the mental and behavioral health of these youth, specifically via implementing organizational efforts (i.e., task forces) and guidelines around integrating psychosocial screening and other services into routine practice. Despite this, there are several identified barriers to families receiving mental/behavioral health care in these settings. These barriers exist at all levels, including at the …

Decision-Making Involvement, Social Support For Healthy Behaviors, And Nutritional Adherence In Adolescents With Cystic Fibrosis, Jennifer Kelleher

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background: Adolescents with cystic fibrosis (awCF) exhibit suboptimal adherence to dietary and enzyme recommendations despite the fact that eating a high calorie diet with enzymes significantly improves lung functioning. Furthermore, during adolescence teens and their caregivers begin to negotiate treatment responsibility, shifting treatment tasks to the youth. As such, it is important to understand which aspects of the complex decision-making process (e.g., expressing an opinion, asking for information from parents/adults, making joint decisions with parents) relate to better dietary adherence in adolescents with CF and how parents can best support these healthy behaviors. Thus, this study aimed to identify how …

Is Burnout A Depressive Condition? A 14-Sample Meta-Analytic And Bifactor Analytic Study, Renzo Bianchi, Jay Verkuilen, Irvin S. Schonfeld, Jari J. Hakanen, Markus Jansson-Fröjmark, Guadalupe Manzano-García, Eric Laurent, Laurenz L. Meier

Publications and Research

There is no consensus on whether burnout constitutes a depressive condition or an original entity requiring specific medical and legal recognition. In this study, we examined burnout–depression overlap using 14 samples of individuals from various countries and occupational domains (N = 12,417). Meta-analytically pooled disattenuated correlations indicated (a) that exhaustion—burnout’s core—is more closely associated with depressive symptoms than with the other putative dimensions of burnout (detachment and efficacy) and (b) that the exhaustion–depression association is problematically strong from a discriminant validity standpoint (r = .80). The overlap of burnout’s core dimension with depression was further illuminated in 14 exploratory structural …

The Harm In Seeking Care: Assessing The Relationship Between Healthcare Discrimination And Healthcare Avoidance Behaviors In The Past Year And Since The Start Of The Coronavirus Pandemic In A Transgender And Gender Independent Sample, Kyle L. Mason

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Gender minorities encounter a myriad of barriers to accessing general and gender affirming healthcare. Financial disparities impacting affordability of healthcare costs and insurance-based denials for gender-affirming care are among prominent barriers discussed. Considerations of the prevalence of stigma, discrimination, and erasure of gender minority identities must not be neglected when seeking to understand healthcare accessibility and utilization in this population. Previous researchers have examined gender minority patients’ experiences of discrimination in healthcare settings and delaying care due to fear of discrimination. There is a dearth of knowledge about the relationship between lifetime exposure to varied forms of healthcare discrimination …

The Effects Of Adding Motivational Interviewing To A Behavioral Coaching Intervention To Increase Physical Activity, Ryley Acrea

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Most people do not meet the physical activity guidelines set forth by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO). Sufficient physical activity plays an important role in preventing chronic illnesses, such as Type 2 diabetes, which are a burden on the health care system. Health coaching (a client-centered approach to improve health outcomes) holds promise as a preventive strategy to change health behavior and limit office visits, thereby reducing the burden of illnesses caused by physical inactivity. One component of health coaching that warrants more research is motivational interviewing. The current study used a multiple baseline …

Nonsuicidal Self-Injury, Suicide Planning, And Suicide Attempt Among High-Risk Adolescents Prior To Psychiatric Hospitalization, Christina M. Sellers, Antonia Díaz-Valdés, Andrew C. Porter, Catherine R. Glenn, Adam Bryant Miller, Adeline Wyman Battalen, Kimberly H. Mcmanama O'Brien

Psychology Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to understand the trajectories of nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicide plans (SP) in the 90 days prior to inpatient hospitalization, understand the role of NSSI and SP in predicting suicide attempts (SA) on a given day, and to test the interaction between NSSI and SP in predicting same-day SA. Participants included 69 adolescents (77% female, 65% white, 77% Non-Hispanic/Latinx, Mage = 15.77 SDage = 1.00) from an inpatient psychiatric unit. Past 90 day NSSI, SP, and SA were measured using the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale and Timeline Follow Back. First, mixed effect models …

A Test Of The “Teachable Moment” Heuristic’S Relevance For Understanding Cancer Survivors’ Health Behavior Motivation And Performance: A Cross-Sectional Study, Gabriella Puleo

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Cancer diagnosis has potential to motivate health behavior changes to promote better health outcomes. The Teachable Moment Heuristic is a parsimonious, transtheoretical framework for understanding the conditions under which behavior change might occur, with constructs that include affective, cognitive, and social factors. This exploratory study aimed to measure the three primary constructs of the Teachable Moment, evaluate the extent to which they are associated with cancer survivors’ motivation to adopt favorable health behaviors, and explore their potential as a model for health behavior performance. Participants (n = 93) in this cross-sectional study were adult breast, prostate, colorectal, lung, and …

E-Cigarette Use And Perceptions Among Adolescents With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: The Role Of Parental Messages About Tobacco, Mayra S. Ramos

Theses and Dissertations

Adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at increased risk of using e-cigarettes compared to their neurotypical peers. Parent-adolescent communication about tobacco use and number of ADHD symptoms can influence adolescents’ perceptions of e-cigarettes and their e-cigarette use. Adolescents with ADHD (n = 80) completed questionnaires assessing parental messages about tobacco use; e-cigarette harm perceptions; susceptibility to use e-cigarettes; and e-cigarette use. Parents reported on messages about tobacco use, adolescent’s ADHD symptomatology, and completed demographic questionnaires. Twenty-percent of adolescents reported e-cigarette ever use. Adolescent girls were significantly more likely to report higher e-cigarette harm perceptions than boys. Parents reported providing messages …

Evaluating The Effects Of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems On Smoking Reduction, Negative Mood, And Stress Among Smokers With Mental Illness, Cosima Hoetger

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Smokers with mental illness (MI) are disproportionately affected by negative health outcomes. Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) may represent a harm reduction tool for those who reduce and/or replace their cigarettes with ENDS. Little previous research has examined how smokers with MI respond to ENDS. This analysis aimed to address this research gap using secondary data from a randomized controlled trial of ENDS varying in nicotine delivery among smokers with and without current MI. The aims were to test 1) the effects of MI status, condition, and time on changes in smoking behavior and negative mood and stress measures, …

Physiological And Subjective Effects Of Protonated Nicotine Liquids In Tobacco Users, Alisha Eversole

Theses and Dissertations

Electronic cigarettes (ECIGs) produce an aerosol by heating a liquid that often contains nicotine. The nicotine can be protonated, potentially making the aerosol easier to inhale than freebase nicotine. This study’s purpose was to determine, in inhaled tobacco product users, the effects of three concentrations of protonated nicotine aerosolized at two different power settings (in watts).

Twenty-two participants completed six sessions that varied by liquid nicotine concentration (10, 15, or 30 mg/ml protonated nicotine) and device power (15 or 30 W). Participants took 10 puffs from each product and then used each product for 60 minutes ad libitum. Plasma …

The Impact Of Healthcare Professional Students' Racial, Hiv-Related, And Abortion-Related Biases On Recommendations For Prenatal Care, Alison J. Patev

Theses and Dissertations

Black women and HIV-positive women have increased maternal mortality rates and other negative pregnancy outcomes, in part due to disparate prenatal care. Although women who seek abortions do not have the same negative outcomes, abortion stigma exists and is normalized in healthcare. Limited work has examined prenatal care provision for women in these groups, and even less work has explored the prenatal care provision by healthcare trainees (i.e., medical, nurse practitioner, and physician assistant students). Examining the role of bias on the prioritization of prenatal care items by healthcare trainees is imperative. Healthcare education sets the stage for future practice, …

Functional Limitations And Well-Being Throughout The Adult Lifespan: The Moderating Role Of Sleep, Claire M. Williams

Theses and Dissertations

Functional limitations represent individuals’ difficulty with completing essential activities of daily living, such as sitting, stooping, and walking. Though functional limitations have been linked to lower well-being outcomes, less is known about potential protective factors for well-being in the experience of functional limitations. The present study used archival data from the MIDUS Refresher study to evaluate how sleep and salient aspects of identity may alter the association between the experience of functional limitations and well-being. In particular, this study had two central aims: to examine the associations between functional limitations, life satisfaction, and affect and detect how aspects of identity …

Understanding Predictors Of Telemedicine Adoption Before, During, And After The Covid-19 Pandemic, Bradford S. Pierce

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined change in physicians’ use of telemedicine before, during, and expectations after the COVID-19 pandemic. It also examined the ability of personal and environmental variables to predict telemedicine adoption, and applied the theory of reasoned action and technology acceptance model to physicians’ adoption of telemedicine during the pandemic. A total of 230 licensed physicians currently practicing in the United States were recruited. Telemedicine accounted for 3.72% of physicians’ clinical work prior to the pandemic, 46.03% during the pandemic, and predicted 25.44% after the pandemic ends. Physicians within hospitals reported less telemedicine use during the pandemic (M = …

Self-Concept, Healthcare, And Leadership: Understanding The Lived Experiences Of Physician Leaders In Urban Community Healthcare Centers, Eric James Charlton

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Reducing disparities in health services delivery and outcomes is a continued challenge. The consistence of healthcare disparities, despite advances in medical technology and increased awareness of the problem, poses an ongoing test to the nation. There is a growing body of work that demonstrates providing access to good primary care may be the most effective intervention at hand. For over 40 years, community health centers have been providing quality, comprehensive primary care focusing on reducing health outcome disparities. Increased awareness is now emphasizing primary care elimination of health disparities within disadvantaged, underserved populations. A major failing of the system that …

Resilience In Cancer Patients, Lori A. Gardner

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

The phenomenon of resilience has long been identified as a key talking point within the realm of overall mental health, but the concept’s specific meaning, qualities, and sources remain somewhat elusive. For those with chronic health conditions, resilience is often identified as essential to coping effectively with significant disruptions to daily activities. The purpose of this study was to better understand the concept of resilience and to determine themes that underlie resilience, specifically within a cancer patient population. This goal was addressed by using a qualitative approach to elicit commonalities among the experiences of cancer patients representing varying types and …

Invisible Wounds: Assessing The Awareness Of Moral Injury Among Toronto Police, Daniel Saugh

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Moral injury is believed to exist within the Canadian Police Services though it is difficult to recognize and is usually ignored. The research data emerging from military and first responders (i.e., police, firefighters, and EMS personnel) reveal the effects of moral injury and its implications for mental and spiritual health as it persists throughout the life and career of those affected.

This study investigates how moral injury may emerge from a potentially traumatic event(s) and/or psychological trauma and/or independent from such trauma and how moral injury may come to exist in members of the Toronto Police Service, as well as …

The Risks For Eating Disorders/Disordered Eating In Refugee & Immigrant Experiences And The Imperative Of Culturally Alert Screening, Chantal A. Bushelle

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Eating Disorders (ED)/Disordered Eating (DE) largely remain outside of global mental health agendas. There are limited data on the epidemiology EDs/DE in refugee and immigrant populations, and there is a paucity of research on refugee and immigrant experiences of EDs/DE. Study of acculturation issues in refugee and immigrant populations have historically missed investigating what role and impact experiences of stress and trauma (e.g., historical, chronic) along with cultural change and transition may have on their food attitudes and eating behaviors. While there has been some study of eating habits within refugee and immigrant populations, the focus is typically on food …

How Did We Learn About Sex? —— Sex Education And Sexual Health In Chinese Youth, Yujuan Liu

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Attitudes toward sexuality among Chinese youth have become more liberal in recent generations, but sex education remains controversial and limited. Due to the lack of awareness of sexual risks, many Chinese youth engage in unprotected sexual activities resulting in unintended pregnancy, abortions, and STIs. Therefore, understanding successful pathways and unique challenges are crucial to develop adequate sex education for youth’s sexual health in China. The current study used semi-structured in-depth interviews and investigated 28 Chinese youths’ experiences of sex education and sexual health. The results mapped out youth’s sex education experiences by age and sources and demonstrated the impacts of …

For Better Or For Worse? Cross Sectional Comparison Of University Student Stress, Coping, And Somatic Complaints Before And During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Sarah Cline

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The current study investigated influences of the COVID-19 pandemic on university student stress, coping, and somatic health through exploratory analyses as cross sectionally compared to university student samples collected prior to and during the pandemic. 483 emerging adult participants were collected total, 262 surveyed via Health Psychology and Physiology courses prior to the pandemic and 221 were surveyed via UNF’s SONA system. Consenting participants completed the Perceived Stress Scale -14 (PSS-14), Ways of Coping Scale, and Physical Symptoms Checklist Questionnaire. Referencing literature based on student stress, coping, and somatic health as outcomes of non-normative events, it was predicted that pandemic …

Investigating Body Dissatisfaction, Obesity, & Eating Pathology: African American Adolescent Girls & Mothers, Samantha Ronderos

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Body dissatisfaction is a globally prevalent issue among adolescents, particularly for those living in industrialized societies (Griffith et al., 2017). Body dissatisfaction is considered a central component of obesity intervention (Huh et at., 2011; Mitola et al., 2007) and eating disorder etiology (Kelly et al., 2005; Saunders & Frazier, 2016). It predominantly effects females and is commonly found among those with eating disorders and those who struggle with obesity or have higher BMI (Kelly et al., 2005; Saunders & Frazier, 2016). However this is contradicted in African American females, the majority of research has found low levels of body dissatisfaction, …

Psychometric Evaluation Of Genetic Literacy Instruments In A National Sample, Jamey T. Brumbaugh

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The concept of genetic literacy continues to grow in clinical and social significance. Whether transforming current healthcare practices or raising questions about genetically-modified foods, genetic information and technologies are primed to further influence people’s lives. There is a growing need to understand how genetic literacy is currently assessed in order to inform and improve future test development. This study aimed to investigate the assessment of genetic literacy by psychometrically examining three contemporary genetic literacy instruments (i.e., Genetic Knowledge Survey, International Genetic Literacy and Attitudes Survey (iGLAS-GK), and University of North Carolina Genomic Knowledge Scale (UNC-GKS). Psychometric properties, including internal consistency …

Second Generation Christian Korean Canadians: Exploring Their Lived Experiences Of Mental Health Issues And Services, Kyoung Jung Kim

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Abstract

This study explores the lived experiences of second-generation Christian Korean Canadian young adults with mental health issues (MHI) and their use of health services (MHS). In addition, this study asked this cohort to discuss their beliefs about the views their parents held about MHI and MHS. All research participants were born and raised in Canada by Korean born immigrant parents. This study was descriptive, phenomenological, and qualitative in nature; it consisted of in-depth interviews with six male and six female participants. In their experience with MHI, seven participants experienced fear and sadness (depression and anxiety) and three of them …

And The Stars Look Very Different Today, Amy Rogin

The Transdisciplinary STEAM+ Journal

A personal reflection about synesthesia

Examining The Association Between Trait Mindfulness And How Positively An Exercise Bout Is Remembered, Bree Geary

Psychology Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Remembered affect is associated with future exercise behavior. Research suggests that trait mindfulness is associated with better emotion regulation, more positive affective memory of negative stimuli, and less rumination. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the relation between trait mindfulness and remembered affect of an exercise bout. Methods: Undergraduate students from Southern Methodist University (N=94) completed baseline measures of trait mindfulness and physical activity, a 15-minute vigorous-intensity exercise bout, and post-exercise measure (remembered affect at 15 minutes post exercise session, 1-2 days post, and 1-week post). Multilevel modeling was used to test the association with remembered …

Outdoor Air Pollution Exposure And Inter-Relation Of Global Cognitive Performance And Emotional Distress In Older Women, Andrew J. Petkus, Xinhui Wang, Daniel P. Beavers, Helena C. Chui, Mark A. Espeland, Margaret Gatz, Tara Gruenewald, Joel D. Kaufman, Joann E. Manson, Susan M. Resnick, James D. Stewart, Gregory A. Wellenius, Eric A. Whitsel, Keith Widaman, Diana Younan, Jiu-Chiuan Chen

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

The interrelationships among long-term ambient air pollution exposure, emotional distress and cognitive decline in older adulthood remain unclear. Long-term exposure may impact cognitive performance and subsequently impact emotional health. Conversely, exposure may initially be associated with emotional distress followed by declines in cognitive performance. Here we tested the inter-relationship between global cognitive ability, emotional distress, and exposure to PM2.5 (particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter 2 (nitrogen dioxide) in 6118 older women (aged 70.6 ± 3.8 years) from the Women’s Health Initiative Memory Study. Annual exposure to PM_2.5 (interquartile range [IQR] = 3.37 μg/m³) and NO₂ (IQR …

Maturity And Well-Being: Consistent Associations Across Samples And Measures, Stephen Reysen, Courtney N. Plante, Truong Quang Lam, Shanmukh V. Kamble, Iva Katzarska-Miller, Natalia Assis, Grace Packard, Eduardo Gregolin Moretti

Journal of Wellness

Introduction: Researchers have noted an association between maturity and well-being. However, this body of research uses different measures and conceptualizations of maturity (e.g., ego development, psychosocial maturity) and often only a few indicators of well-being. In the present research, we examined associations between a single self-rated measure of maturity and a variety of different indicators of well-being. Furthermore, we examined this association across a variety of samples. We hypothesized that maturity will show a positive relationship with measures related to well-being.

Methods: Samples of college students (Studies 1, 3, 4), Star Wars fans (Study 2), and individuals in the U.S., …

Keep Calm Or Get Excited? Examining The Effects Of Different Types Of Positive Affect On Responses To Acute Pain, Amanda M. Acevedo, Kate A. Leger, Brooke N. Jenkins, Sarah D. Pressman

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Researchers typically assume that all forms of positive affect (PA) are equally beneficial for attenuating the physiological stress response. We tested whether this association is more nuanced by examining the role of arousal level of PA on physiological responses to acute pain. Participants (N = 283, 75.6% female, M_age = 20.6) were randomized to a low, mid, or high arousal (calm, happy, and excited, respectively) induction condition or to a neutral control and then completed an acute pain-inducing cold pressor task. Sympathetic and parasympathetic responses along with self-reported pain and distress were assessed. Results indicated that the calm condition …

Pediatric Asthma And Psychological Resilience: Examining Whether Family Functioning And Social Support Relate To Asthma Symptoms And Lung Function, Dalia Jaafar, Natasha H. Hikita, Pornchai Tirakitsoontorn, Azucena Talamantes, Anchalee Yuengsrigul, Eric Sternlicht, Brooke N. Jenkins

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Upwards of 6 million children in the United States are afflicted with pediatric asthma. While previous research has linked asthma to multiple contributing biological and environmental factors, recent research suggests that psychological and social factors may have an impact on physiological outcomes of asthma like lung function and lung inflammation. Therefore, we suggest the need to study the impact of positive psychological factors such as a well-functioning family environment and beneficial social support on symptoms and lung function of children diagnosed with asthma. In the present pilot study, we recruited a total of 15 children with a confirmed asthma diagnosis …