Psychology Commons^™

Exploring The Role Of Motivational Interviewing In Adolescent Patient-Provider Communication About Type 1 Diabetes, Laura J. Caccavale

Theses and Dissertations

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is one of the most common pediatric chronic illnesses. Glycemic control among patients with T1D often deteriorates during adolescence; yet little is known about the most effective way for providers to communicate with adolescents to prevent this decline. Given the importance of effective communication, examination of effective patient-provider communication strategies is needed. The current investigation used Motivational Interviewing (MI) as a framework to help characterize naturally-occurring adolescent patient-provider communication in medical encounters and examined the relations between provider communication and T1D self-management and control.

Participants were five pediatric endocrine providers and 55 adolescents with T1D (49% …

Differences In Orgasm Frequency Between Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, And Heterosexual Men And Women In A U.S. National Sample, David Frederick, H. Kate St. John, Justin R. Garcia, Elisabeth A. Lloyd

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

There is a notable gap between heterosexual men and women in frequency of orgasm during sex. Little is known, however, about sexual orientation differences in orgasm frequency. We examined how over 30 different traits or behaviors were associated with frequency of orgasm when sexually intimate during the past month. We analyzed a large US sample of adults (N = 52,588) who identified as heterosexual men (n = 26,032), gay men (n = 452), bisexual men (n = 550), lesbian women (n = 340), bisexual women (n = 1112), and heterosexual women (n = …

The Association Between Neighborhood Factors And Mexican Americans’ Mental Health Outcomes: A Systematic Review, Kai Wei, Jaime Booth

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This systematic review seeks to elucidate the association between neighborhood factors and Mexican American mental health outcomes. We searched PsycINFO and Academic Search Premier for studies related to neighborhood factors and mental health. Google Scholar was used to identify additional studies, followed by a manual inspection of the related work. Eleven studies were identified. Nine studies found that neighborhood factors had a significant impact on mental health among this group. Neighborhood compositional factors influenced mental health directly, among which minority concentration was found to be protective for Mexican American mental health. Neighborhood contextual factors influenced mental health directly and indirectly …

Social Connectedness And Social Support In A Military And Civilian College Population: Associations With Psychological, Physical And Stress-Related Health Outcomes, Mikaela J. Raley

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates social connectedness and social support in a military and civilian college population, and their associations with psychological, physical and stress-related health. There were 301 total participants, 51 of which were military personnel. The participant’s ages ranged from 18-59 (M = 23.48, SD = 7.24), with majority of the participants being female (71.8%), Caucasian (66.1%) and in a relationship (50.8%). The study was administered online via SONA. The following measures were administered in this study: the Social Connectedness Scale, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, the Physical Health Questionnaire, MOS Short Form Survey Instrument, UCLA Loneliness …

Maintenance Of Positive Affect Following Pain In Younger And Older Adults, Ian Andres Boggero

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Socioemotional selectivity theory posits that as people age, they become motivated and successful at maximizing positive emotions and minimizing negative ones. Yet, 70% of older adults report physical pain, which is associated with negative affect. The strategies and resources that older adults use to maintain positive affect in the face of pain remain largely unknown. Specific positivity-enhancing strategies include recalling, recognizing, and responding to positive stimuli and prioritizing close over knowledgeable social partners. Executive functions (EF, i.e., task-switching, working memory, and inhibition) and heart rate variability (HRV) may be important resources for coping with pain. The current project used two …

Optimism And Pain Interference In Aging Women, Stephanie T. Judge

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Pain interferes with people's daily lives and often limits the extent to which they can pursue goals and engages in activities that promote well-being. The present study test how optimism affects and is affected by pain interference and activity among older women. Every three months for two years, middle- and older-age women (N = 199) complete daily diaries at home for a seven-day period, reporting their daily pain, pain interference, and activity. Optimism was measured at baseline and end-of-study. Multilevel models test the between- and within-person relationships among pain, optimism, pain interference and activity. Pain best predicted pain interference …

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 …

Implementing Integrated Care In Family Medicine: Description And Outcomes In An Underserved Population, Zach Radcliff

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Family physicians provide access to medical and behavioral healthcare for many underserved populations. Integrating behavioral health clinicians into primary care practices has been proposed as one of the most effective ways to increase access to necessary behavioral health services for many Americans. Integrated behavioral healthcare (IBHC) has begun to be implemented in family medicine practices but there is limited research examining the impact for patients and clinic staff. This study begins to fill this gap in the literature by examining the effects of implementing integrated behavioral healthcare in an urban family medicine clinic in a medically underserved area.

Objective: …

The Role Of Afrocentric Features In Mental Healthcare Utilization And Counselor Preferences In Black College Students, Randl B. Dent

Theses and Dissertations

Though mental health issues are prevalent in Black young adults, they underutilize mental healthcare services. This research examined the role of feature-based discrimination in mental healthcare (under)utilization. Study 1, a secondary analysis of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, provided no evidence supporting a link between skin tone and mental healthcare utilization, when controlling for depression diagnosis. However, when controlling for depression symptoms, there was a trend such that Black young adults with darker, as opposed to lighter, skin tone utilized healthcare less. Study 2, an experimental study with 33 Black college students, showed 73% of the …

Non-Medical Use Of Prescription Drugs, Stress, Cultural Orientation, Utilization Of Healthcare, And Protective Factors Among College Students In China, Cheuk Chi Tam

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Non-medical use of prescription drugs (NMUPD) refers to the use of prescription drugs which are traditionally utilized to manage pain or treat psychiatric problems but without a doctor’s prescription. In 2010, an investigation by the Substance Use and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) revealed that 5.3% of young adults (18 to 25-year-olds) in the United States reported past-month NMUPD. NMUPD has become a growing concern owing to associations with consequences such as college dropout, poor academic achievement, and health jeopardizing behaviors. College students' NMUPD has been well documented in the United States. Limited studies, however, have been conducted among …

Examining Health Behaviors In College Students With And Without Chronic Conditions, Duc-Thi J. Barsell

Theses and Dissertations

Many college students are in a developmental period in which they are transitioning from pediatric to adult health care. This time period can be challenging for all college students and especially for students with a chronic condition. The current study investigated the association between various health-related factors (health locus of control [HLOC], health literacy, health self-efficacy, and health-related quality of life [HRQOL]) and health behaviors in college students, as well as the moderating effect of having a chronic condition on those associations. These health behaviors were further operationalized as healthy lifestyle behaviors (preventative and wellness behaviors, dietary behaviors, physical activity) …

An Integrated Behavioral Model Of Healthcare Utilization Among Transgender And Gender-Nonconforming Adults, Megan Elizabeth Sutter

Theses and Dissertations

Transgender and gender-nonconforming (TGNC) individuals in the United States experience significant marginalization due to stigma enacted at the structural, interpersonal, and individual levels. As a result, this population has reported increased behavioral and physical health needs, as well as unique barriers to healthcare. Moreover, TGNC individuals have reported greater experiences of childhood abuse compared to cisgender individuals. The cumulative experiences of stigma-related stressors and adverse childhood experiences put this population at risk for the development of mental and physical health problems, increasing need for health services. However, TGNC individuals have reported being denied medical care and postponing seeking care due …

Sustainable Adapted Treatments For Eating Disorders: The Role Of Cultural Adaptation In Prevention, Sarah J. Javier

Theses and Dissertations

Despite demonstrating eating disorder rates equivalent to White women, African American and Asian American women are less likely to seek treatment and are more likely to terminate treatment prematurely. One of the most successful programs for eating disorder prevention has only focused on surface-level cultural adaptations. Prevention literature maintains that deep-structure cultural adaptation (e.g., integrating cultural values and beliefs) can enhance outcomes for ethnic minorities. This dissertation examined the feasibility of Sustainable Adapted Treatments for Eating Disorders (SATED), a pilot intervention that included a culturally- targeted pre-treatment to an eating disorder dissonance-based intervention. A sample of 72 women (ages 18-30) …

Protective Factors In The Association Between Child Sexual Abuse And Telomere Length In Adults, David Sosnowski

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to examine if childhood sexual abuse (CSA) was associated with decreases in mean telomere length (TL), and if social support and/or optimism moderated this association. The study included 99 Caucasian female monozygotic twins, ranging in age from 19-48 (M_age = 30.5, SD = 7.8) at Time 1. Linear mixed effects models were employed to test study hypotheses. Analyses with all participants did not detect an effect of CSA exposure or severity on mean TL, nor were there effects with optimism. However, in analyses that only included women exposed to abuse, increases …

Do Negative Expectations Affect Self-Reported Cognitive Functioning And Treatment Satisfaction After Chemotherapy Treatment For Cancer?, Brook Elizabeth Clark

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This study investigated the effect of negative expectations on self-reports of cognitive functioning, treatment satisfaction, and endorsement of a common, negative chemotherapy-related stereotype in 56 adults who had completed systemic chemotherapy for cancer treatment. Participants were assigned to either a negative expectation group or a control group. The negative expectation group had the relationship between chemotherapy and cognitive deficits overtly brought to their attention, while the control group did not. Both groups completed self-report measures of cognitive functioning and treatment satisfaction, and then rated their degree of identification with a chemotherapy-related stereotype. It was hypothesized that the experimental group would …

Predictors Of Substance Use, Relationship Arrangements And Intimacy Expectancies Among Gay Couples And Associations To Erikson Intimacy Development, Jonathan Lopez Matos

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored relationship arrangements, intimacy expectancies of substance use and the potential role of Eriksonian intimacy development on drug use among gay and bisexual men. Data were collected from 339 partnered gay/bisexual men across the United States. Measures addressed arrangement type, intimacy expectancies, Eriksonian intimacy and drug use.

Tobacco Use, Cessation, And Locus Of Control Among College Students, Bernard Ambe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to (a) determine the locus of control among American college students (b) determine if tobacco use or cessation correlate with any demographic variables to better understand the efficacy of tobacco interventions and help design an intervention most effective in the prominent LOC of college students.

The Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) was modified for the purposes of this study and used to determine demographic factors and tobacco usage status. The modified GATS survey also included the LOC questionnaire which yielded the data. Seventy-four responses were recorded. The mean locus of control scores were …

Examining Illness Invalidation And Illness Perception In Relation To Physical Functioning In The Context Of Cardiovascular Disease, Jaclyn Ciera Turner

USC Aiken Psychology Theses

Invalidation is defined as the perception of cognitive, affective, and behavioral responses of others that are experienced as denying, lecturing, overprotecting, not supporting, and not acknowledging with the respect to the condition of the patient (Kool, 2012). Invalidation has also been suggested to negatively impact patients’ physical health (Kool, 2012). One specific type of invalidation is illness invalidation (II), defined as attitudes of distrust, suspicion, lack of support for, or acknowledgement that a patient is suffering from an illness (Blom et al., 2011). In addition to II, illness perception (IP) is another construct that has been linked to negative physical …

The Link Between Greek Involvement And Alcohol Consumption: A Utilization Of The Theory Of Planned Behavior To Examine Fundamental Influences, Alex Knoll

USC Aiken Psychology Theses

Elevated levels of alcohol consumption among college students associated with Greek life are a well-documented occurrence in the United States (Baer, 1994; Capone et al., 2007). Many studies have sought to understand the precise influence(s) responsible for facilitating such inflated amounts of alcohol consumption behaviors. This study utilized the theory of planned behavior in an attempt to ascertain the most salient influences that may be contributing to Greek and non-Greek collegiate alcohol consumption. Specifically, one’s attitudes, perception of acceptable norms, and their perceived level of control over their behaviors were examined in relation to alcohol consumption.

An undergraduate collegiate sample …

Distress, Circadian Rhythms, Immunity, And Survival In Presurgical Breast Cancer Patients., Whitney Nicole Rebholz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Women with breast cancer experience significant stress related to diagnosis and treatment, which may negatively affect physiology (e.g., circadian, endocrine, and immune) and contribute to cancer progression. Demographic (e.g., ethnic minority) and neighborhood factors can contribute to cancer-related stress. African American women with breast cancer experience more adverse disease pathology and earlier mortality; however, factors that explain these disparities rarely have been explored. It is hypothesized that psychosocial stressors (i.e., ethnicity, neighborhood stress, and cancerrelated stress) will be related to one another. Associations of psychosocial stress with physiological disruption are posited with regard to circadian, endocrine, and immune function. It …

The Relationship Between Religiosity And Health-Promoting Behaviors In Pregnant Women, Natalie A. Cyphers, Andrea D. Clements, Glenda Lindseth

ETSU Faculty Works

Pender’s health promotion model guided this descriptive/correlational study exploring the relationship between religiosity and health-promoting behaviors of pregnant women at Pregnancy Resource Centers (PRCs). A consecutive sample included women who knew they were pregnant at least 2 months, could read/write English, and visited PRCs in eastern Pennsylvania. Participants completed self-report surveys that examined religiosity, demographics, pregnancy-related variables, services received at PRCs, and health-promoting behaviors. Women reported they “sometimes” or “often” engaged in health-promoting behaviors, Hispanic women reported fewer health-promoting behaviors than non-Hispanic women, and women who attended classes at the centers reported more frequent health-promoting behaviors than those who did …

Exploring Shame And Guilt In Hiv-Positive Women In Southern India, Mitra L. Lebastchi

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Limited research exists examining shame and guilt among HIV positive populations and across cultural contexts. This study addresses this gap in the literature by considering shame and guilt, and potential associations with mental health symptoms, among a sample of 20 HIV positive women in Southern India. Results indicate that most women experienced high levels of shame and guilt, based on responses to items from an adapted version of the State Shame and Guilt Scale (Marschall, Saftner, & Tangney, 1994). Although correlations were not significant between shame and PTSD or depression, guilt was significantly correlated with both. Future research should focus …

Students’ Perceptions And Stigma Toward Those With Intellectual And Physical Disabilities, Brighton C. Hollingsworth

Scholars Week

Students’ Perceptions and Stigma Toward Those with Intellectual and Physical Disabilities

BACKGROUND: Previous research has shown that there is a negative impact on those who are labeled as having an intellectual or physical disability (Green, Davis, Karshmer, Marsh, & Straight, 2005). The purpose of this research was to learn more about the stigma against those with disabilities and how one can cope with this stigma.

METHODS: The subjects of this study were 80 General Psychology students. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four conditions, which differed in which vignette received. The four vignettes described individuals with the disabilities of …

Motor Development And Skill Acquisition In Elementary Aged Students, Joanna M. Guerrant Ms.

Posters-at-the-Capitol

Mastering physical movement occurs through motor learning and experience. Motor development is needed for successful acquisition of sport and other physical skills. A lack of motor skills has been associated with decreased physical activity later in life, which has been linked to a variety of hypokinetic diseases. This study examined motor learning and skill acquisition in elementary age children. Twenty 2^nd-5^th grade students were recruited through the local school system. Subjects did not have any injuries that would preclude them from performing three basic skills (modified squat, tree, and arm and leg raises). IRB approval, parental consent, …

Creating A Common Trajectory: Shared Decision Making And Distributed Cognition In Medical Consultations, Katherine D. Lippa, Valerie L. Shalin

Patient Experience Journal

The growing literature on shared decision making and patient centered care emphasizes the patient’s role in clinical care, but research on clinical reasoning almost exclusively addresses physician cognition. In this article, we suggest clinical cognition is distributed between physicians and patients and assess how distributed clinical cognition functions during interactions between medical professionals and patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). A combination of cognitive task analysis and discourse analysis reveals the distribution of clinical reasoning between 24 patients and 3 medical professionals engaged in MS management. Findings suggest that cognition was distributed between patients and physicians in all major tasks except …

Singled In Later Life: Interaction Effects On Family Relations And Health, Hyunsook Kang Ph.D.

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

This study examines the interaction effects on health and family relations of singled and non-singled older adults. In this study, family relations comprised family criticism and family demands. Data from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP) survey were used (57-85 years of age (n=3005). This current study reflects a secondary analysis of the NSHAP data and hypothesized that life-long singled older adults’ health differentially influenced family relation such as family criticism and demands. This study, built on the Convoy Model to account for how singled older adults’ health, is differentially associated with their family criticism …

Death Anxiety, Depression, And Coping In Family Caregivers, Veronica Semenova, Leann Stadtlander

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Along with the increase in elderly patients with chronic and disabling conditions, the number of family caregivers continues to rise. Caregiving has been associated with negative physical and psychological impact on the caregivers’ health, as well as, with higher prevalence rates of depression, anxiety, and a higher risk of mortality. The purpose of this study was to examine if death anxiety would be a significant predictor of depression and coping in the sample of adult family caregivers of adult patients. Participants were 46 family caregivers recruited through caregiver websites. Participants completed the Revised Collett–Lester Fear of Death and Dying Scale, …

Healthcare Providers’ Perceptions Of Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Patients With Chronic Pain: A Qualitative Investigation, Nicole A. Hollingshead, Marianne S. Matthias, Matthew Bair, Adam T. Hirsh

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Socioeconomically disadvantaged individuals are at-risk for chronic pain and disparate care. In this qualitative study, we explored providers’ experiences with socioeconomically disadvantaged patients, with a particular focus on providers’: (1) perceptions of socioeconomically disadvantaged patients’ barriers to pain care, (2) attitudes towards this patient population, and (3) chronic pain decisions for these patients. Individual interviews were conducted with twenty-four healthcare providers. Providers discussed several patient-level access barriers, such as not having health insurance, financial constraints, and scheduling difficulties. Providers believed socioeconomically disadvantaged patients were at-risk to misuse prescription opioids and were less comfortable prescribing opioids to these patients. This investigation …

Syrian Refugee Women In Jordan: Family Planning Preferences And Barriers In A Host Community, Hilary Smith

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The aims of this pilot study were to research and analyze the availability of birth control and family planning resources among Syrian refugee women at a reproductive age. This study took place in the host community of Karak, Jordan. Syrian women are a vulnerable population based solely on their gender. But being refugee women makes them more vulnerable and sometimes, their needs do not get met. This study is important because it will look into reproductive health aspects for this vulnerable population to ensure that there is satisfaction among women about their own health. This cross-sectional study sought to answer …

New Measures To Capture End Of Life Concerns In Huntington Disease: Meaning And Purpose And Concern With Death And Dying From Hdqlife (A Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement System)., N E Carlozzi, N R Downing, M K Mccormack, S G Schilling, J S Perlmutter, E A Hahn, J S Lai, S Frank, K A Quaid, J S Paulsen, D Cella, S M Goodnight, J A Miner, M A Nance

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

PURPOSE: Huntington disease (HD) is an incurable terminal disease. Thus, end of life (EOL) concerns are common in these individuals. A quantitative measure of EOL concerns in HD would enable a better understanding of how these concerns impact health-related quality of life. Therefore, we developed new measures of EOL for use in HD.

METHODS: An EOL item pool of 45 items was field tested in 507 individuals with prodromal or manifest HD. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (EFA and CFA, respectively) were conducted to establish unidimensional item pools. Item response theory (IRT) and differential item functioning analyses were applied to …