Psychology Commons^™

Is Hypochondria Really A Mental Disorder?, T'Aire Wallace

McCabe Thesis Collection

According to Webster's Dictionary, hypochondria means, a morbid condition characterized by the simulation of the symptoms of any several diseases. Convinced of a grave illness, the hypochondrians may suffer acutely, not only from the symptoms of the presumed disease but also from anxiety." Hypochondria is a mental disorder in which the affected person becomes obsessive about sickness and his health (or supposed lack of it). The person often becomes fearful of illnesses despite proof that he or she does not. Many times small symptoms of a common disease might be mistaken or exaggerated into something more severe (such as someone …

The Effect Of Individual Counseling On Hope And Its Impact On The Utilization Of Services By Individuals With Hiv Disease, Barry Michael Vesciglio

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The interrelationships of participation in counseling, level of hope, and care service utilization in a sample of individuals with HIV disease was the focus of this study. It was hypothesized that individual counseling would improve an HIV-positive person's level of hope, and would increase participation in additional care services. It was also hypothesized that individuals with more hope would seek a greater number of care services. The Health Status Questionnaire, which contains the Hope Scale, and the Social Support Questionnaire were used to collect data. Participation in individual counseling was not related to level of hope. Additionally, stage of illness …

Determinants Of Teachers' Intentions To Teach Physically Active Physical Education Classes, Jeffrey J. Martin, Pamela Hodges Kulinna, Robert C. Eklund, Brett Reed

Kinesiology, Health and Sport Studies

The purpose of the present investigation was to examine determinants of teachers' intentions to teach physically active physical education classes (i.e., spend at least 50% of class time with the students engaged in moderate to vigorous physical activity). Based on the theories of reasoned action, planned behavior, and self-efficacy, a model was examined hypothesizing that teachers' intentions were determined by subjective norm, attitude, perceived behavioral control, and self-efficacy. Using hierarchical regression analyses, the theories of reasoned action and planned behavior were supported by accounting for 65% of the variance in intention due to the main effects of attitude and subjective …

Promoting Healthy Behavior Change In Skin Cancer Risk Reduction Using The Transtheoretical Stages Of Change Model, Sherry L. Pagoto

Dissertations

Skin cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the United States with 20% of people developing some form of skin cancer in their lifetime (American Cancer Society, 1999). In spite of the high incidence of skin cancer, it is highly preventable. Approximately 90% of the cases are caused by exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun (Skin Cancer Foundation, 1992). The effect of an intervention aimed at reducing skin cancer risk was compared to a survey only control group in 99 Chicago beach-goers. The intervention was based on the Transtheoretical Stages of Change Model (TTM) and included sun sensitivity …

Anorexia Nervosa : A Psychological Perspective Of Etiology And Current Treatment Procedures, Arlene Lagary

Graduate Research Papers

Anorexia nervosa is a chronic and sometimes fatal illness characterized by physical and psychological complications. Although no etiology for this illness has been determined, this paper presents a psychological etiology based on a synthesis of both traditional and current literature. The influence of culture, the therapeutic alliance, and client resistance are also considered. Relapse is common and the illness may last for many years. The health care community has addressed the complexity and chronicity of this illness by using a multi-component approach that includes psychoeducation, cognitive-behavioral therapy, psychodynamic interventions, family therapy, and psychopharmacology.

What Is The Relationship Between Activity, Social Support And Health-Related Quality Of Life In People Who Are Sixty Years Of Age And Older?, Jaqueline Ebbott

Theses : Honours

Over one third of individuals aged sixty years and older have health conditions which limit their ability to live an independent and active life. With the older Australian population increasing, the prevention of functional decline and preservation of wellbeing in this age group has become a major clinical focus in gerontology research. Therefore an important goal of health professionals is to identify behavioural factors which encourage wellbeing and quality of life in this age group. The purpose of the present study was to explore the importance of physical activity passive activity (activities such as craft, reading and board games) and …

Research On Faith And Health: New Appoaches To Old Questions, Thomas G. Plante, Allen C. Sherman

Psychology

Does religious faith influence health? Are religious practices associated with altered risks for morbidity or mortality? Do religious or spiritual individuals tend to enjoy better well-being or mental health across the lifespan? Does spiritual or religious involvement change the way individuals adapt to the demands of chronic illness? This volume brings together some of the leading investigators who have explored these intriguing questions. Though research is in its early phases, the chapters that follow review some of what we have learned and begin to trace the outlines of the many mysteries that remain.

Living With Hepatitis C : A Literature Review, & The Physical, Psychological And Social Impacts Of Hepatitis C And The Effects On Quality Of Life, Narelle Cockman

Theses : Honours

Hepatitis C (HCV) is a blood borne virus that affects the liver. It has become one of the most widespread blood borne viruses in Australia, now reaching epidemic proportions within the population. Given that HCV is a chronic long-term illness, with long term effects, a positive diagnosis potentially impacts on various aspects of' a person's life. The aim of this paper was to review HCV related research to examine what it is like for people living with the virus and the possible personal and social impacts of a positive diagnosis. The nature of HCV, including current incidence and prevalence rates, …

Religious Faith And Mental Health Outcomes, Thomas G. Plante, Naveen K. Sharma

Psychology

In this chapter we review recent research regarding the relationship between religious faith/spirituality and mental health outcomes, as well as provide directions for future research and discussion. The specific aspects of mental health and illness that we focus on include well-being, depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and schizophrenia. We also briefly discuss research pertaining to religious faith and personality disorders, eating disorders, somatoform disorders, and bipolar disorder.

The Effectiveness Of Positive Behavior Support With Children Diagnosed Adhd, Lisa K. Smell

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Much controversy is centered on treatment options for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Problems finding an appropriate treatment involve the lack of understanding of ADHD, the failure to teach alternative skills, and the lack of parental compliance and consistency with the behavior procedures. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of Positive Behavior Support (PBS), with children diagnosed with ADHD, when parents are consistent and compliant with PBS procedures. Two children participated in this study. Three assessment instruments were used as predictor variables, the PBS and ADHD Pre-test/Post-test Questionnaire, the Observation Rating Checklist of Compliance, and the …

Stress In 1st-Year Women Teachers: The Context Of Social Support And Coping, Irvin Sam Schonfeld

Publications and Research

The effects of adverse work environments were examined in the context of other risk/protective factors in this extension of a short-term longitudinal study involving 184 newly appointed women teachers. Regression analyses revealed that, adjusting for preemployment levels of the outcomes and negative affectivity, social support and adversity in the fall work environment were among the factors that affected spring depressive symptoms, self-esteem, job satisfaction, and motivation to teach. Support from nonwork sources was directly related to future improved symptom levels and self-esteem; supervisor and colleague support were directly related to future job satisfaction. Effects of occupational coping, professional …

Pengalaman Persaraan Atlet Elit Malaysia Dari Perspektif Psikologi, Annathurai Ranganathan

Student Works (2000-2009)

There has been lots of issues raised about athletes retirement in Malaysia but no research has been conducted on this matter yet. The aim of the study was to explore, determine and describe the experiences of retired Malaysian elite athletes as they faced the twilight of their sport careers and moved to a new and different stage in life. Terry Orlick's EARIS- Questionnaire was used to conduct in-depth interviews with 51 Malaysian elite athletes ( 34 males and 17 females) who had retired from competitive sports. They had all been medal winners or had competed in several international competitions such …

A Four Week Intervention Program At Albert Lea Medical Center: An Investigative Study Of Employee Lifestyle Practices, Theresa Thorland

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of the study was to determine the effects of a four-week intervention program on the development of healthy lifestyle practices among employees at Albert Lea Medical Center. Specifically, the study was designed to investigate changes in subjects' predicted health risk age after participation in a four-week worksite health promotion program at ALMC. The intervention program consisted of the following wellness components: physical, emotional, occupational, intellectual, spiritual, and social. The study was designed to answer the question of how the "July Challenge" would effect the risk age of each participant.

Health risk appraisals were sent to randomly selected individuals …

Perceived Control, Voluntariness And Emotional Reactions In Relocated Areas Of Russia, Ukraine And Belarus, Carol Jeniffer Figueiredo, Britt-Marie Drottz-Sjöberg

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

[Excerpt] "The Chernobyl accident occurred at a time of considerable social and economic changes in the former Soviet Union. The contamination due to the accident still covers parts of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. Some areas were considered too contaminated to suit long-term human settlement and a considerable number of people were therefore moved from their homes and resettled in other areas. Resettlement policies often differed between the states. Some variations in state policy included the duration before implementation of the decision to resettle people from certain areas, the swiftness of the transition, and the acceptance of personal initiatives in the …

Workshop To Identify Critical Windows Of Exposure For Children's Health: Neurobehavioral Work Group Summary, Jane Adams, Stan Barone Jr., Anthony Lamantia, Rossanne Philen, D. C. Rice, Linda Spear, Ezra Susser

Psychology Faculty Scholarship

Summarizes the deliberations of a work group charged with addressing specific questions relevant to risk estimation in developmental neurotoxicology. Importance of multiple factors addressing critical windows of exposure on neurological function; Role that compensatory mechanisms play in the manifestation of the effects of developmental exposures.

Women's Attitudes Toward Genetic Testing For Breast Cancer Susceptibility As A Function Of Breast Cancer Screening Practices, Perceived Risk Of Contracting Breast Cancer, Health Locus Of Control And Genetic Knowledge, Constance Faye Welebir

Theses Digitization Project

Genetic susceptibility testing for breast and ovarian cancer is an important new tool for assessing cancer risk, one that may facilitate early detection and reduction of cancer risk. Interest in testing among high risk women has been sizeable; however potetial demand for testing may be greatest among women for who testing is least appropriate.

The Effects Of An Educational Intervention On Calcium Intake And Bone Mineral Content In Young Women With Low Calcium Intake., B. Peterson, R. Klesges, E. Kaufman, Theodore Cooper, C. Vukadonovich

Selected Works Temporary Series

No abstract provided.

Drug Of Choice As A Predictor Of Program Completion In A 12-Week Intensive Outpatient Program And Continuing Care Program, James R. Myers

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study consisted of a one year examination of a twelve week Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), followed by continuing care treatment, coupled with required attendance to a Twelve Step AA/NA Program. This study detailed the treatment plan available at a local Intensive Outpatient Program in Southern West Virginia. A sample, separating alcoholics from other substance abusers to obtain an estimated completion rate was used.

Tills thesis comprised a one-year history of subjects (6/30/98 -07/01/99). A total of 84 subjects entered into the Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) within the above time frame. Determination of completion rates was based on a categorical …

The Grooved Pegboard Test With Ld And Non-Ld Children, Aimee H. Earley

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study evaluated the effectiveness of the Grooved Pegboard Test (GPT) at identifying learning disabled (LD) children between the ages of 9 and 16. Fifty-six children were involved in the study: 27 in the LD group and 29 in the non-LD group. All subjects had a full scale IQ that fell in the 80 to 120 range. A battery of neurological tests was administered to all subjects and the data gleaned from each test was individually analyzed. Findings showed that the administration of the Grooved Pegboard Test produced statistically significant results in determining LD when subjects used their dominant hand …

The Effects Of An Educational Intervention On Calcium Intake And Bone Mineral Content In Young Women With Low Calcium Intake., B. Peterson, R. Klesges, E. Kaufman, Theodore Cooper, C. Vukadonovich

Departmental Papers (Psych)

No abstract provided.

Coping With Health-Related Problems And Psychological Distress Amongst Older Adult Hospital Patients, Fotini Katerina Zachariades

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study addresses the extent to which coping strategies can predict emotional status amongst a sample of older adult hospital patients in Perth, Western Australia. Older people are frequently in hospitals because of the large number of serious health problems that are more common in this age group. Older people vary in how well they deal with illness, and negative emotional reactions can complicate medical care. The emotional states of depression, anxiety and somatic complaints were assessed in a group of 120 older adults from two Perth hospitals. Two questionnaires were administered: the Depression, Anxiety and Somatic Complaints subscales from …

Psychosocial Adaptation To Spinal Cord Injury: The Role Of Coping Strategies, Hanoch Livneh

Counselor Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

Reviews the literature on the role played by coping efforts in fostering psychosocial adaptation to spinal cord injury. Following an introductory discussion of coping in general, and coping with chronic illnesses and disabilities more specifically, the review focuses on the research literature (1980?1999) regarding coping with spinal cord injuries. The paper continues with a summary of findings based on over 30 empirical studies focusing on coping with this disability. Among the prominent findings are the following: (1) More successful psychosocial adaptation is generally associated with higher levels of ego strength and internal locus of control and (2) better adaptation is …

Tekanan Pekerjaan Dan Mekanisma Penanganan Di Kalangan Guru-Guru Di Kedah, Mohammad Sabri Mustafa

Student Works (2000-2009)

Tujuan kajian ini adalah untuk mengenalpasti punca utama dari faktor-faktor yang disenaraikan yang menyebabkan tekanan pekerjaan di kalangan guru sekolah kerajaan dan mengenalpasti mekanisma utama digunakan dalam menangani. lanya mengkaji samada ciri demografi responden mempunyai perbezaan yang signifikan dengan punca tekanan dan mekanisma yang digunakan. Sejumleh 200 soal selidik telah diedarkan kepada 20 buah sekolah di Daerah Kata Satar dan Padang Terap/Pendang. Daripada jumlah itu, 185 dikembalikan. Sebanyak 20 item dlgunakan untuk mengukur punca tekanan dan 22 Item untuk mengukur mekanisma menangani tekanan. Dapatan menunjukkan faktor lebihan kerja menjadi punca utama tekanan pekerjaan. Manakala faktor kurang bebanan kerja adalah faktor …

The Lived Experience Of People Receiving Assertive Community Treatment: A Phenomenological Study, Salinda A. Horgon

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In recent years the Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) model of service delivery, which has held considerable influence in policy and decision making in the mental health field over the past 30 years, has recently been promoted at the provincial policy level in Ontario. Previous studies on ACT have been primarily quantitative in nature and have contributed greatly to the body of knowledge that we now possess regarding the clinical outcomes produced by the ACT model. However, with the Ontario government’s financial plan to significantly increase the number of ACT programs in this province, the mental health field would benefit from …

Patient Preference For The Management Of Mildly Abnormal Papanicolau Smears, Marta Meana, Donna E. Stewart, Gordon M. Lickrish, Joan Murphy, Barry Rosen

Psychology Faculty Research

The article provides information on a study that investigated management preference and desire for decision-making involvement in women who have received a first mildly abnormal Papanicolaou smear. The majority of women in this highly educated sample preferred active management of their mildly abnormal Pap smears, although a substantial minority either opted for the surveillance strategy or reported no strong preference. Furthermore, management preference in this sample was not related to knowledge but rather to level of state anxiety. This indicates that these decisions may be guided more by emotions than by facts. Research has shown repeatedly that abnormal Pap smears …

Health Behavior, Quality Of Work Life, And Organizational Effectiveness In The Lumber Industry, Stewart I. Donaldson, Steve Sussman, Clyde W. Dent, Herbert H. Severson, Jacqueline L. Stoddard

CGU Faculty Publications and Research

A major incentive for work-site health promotion activities has been the promise of increased company profitability. Some critics have challenged the economic argument based on distal outcomes such as increased employee longevity and less morbidity later in life. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between employee health behavior, quality of work life, and proximal organizationally valued outcomes. Data were collected from a stratified random sample of employees working at Pacific Lumber Company (N = 146), the largest single-site lumber mill in California. Although employee sleep patterns predicted health care utilization and psychological well-being, for the …

Coping Strategy And Social Support Differences Among Copd Patients: Effects On Psychological Well Being, Functional Status, And Health Care Utilization, Terri Belville-Robertson

Dissertations

This descriptive study examined coping strategies and social support among thirty-three patients with moderate to severe Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) to assess relationships to psychological and functional status, and health care utilization. More specifically, the qualitative and quantitative differences in coping strategies and social support were examined in relation to anxiety, depression, activity level, and use of emergency and inpatient medical services. Subjects participated in a one-session screening that included a brief clinical interview, battery of questionnaires and exercise tolerance test. Health care utilization data were obtained from subjects’ medical records. Subjects' primary support persons also provided collateral data …

Nonmigrainous Pediatric Headache Management: Thermal Biofeedback And Parent Guidelines, Richard E. Arndorfer

Dissertations

This study explored the utility of the combination of thermal biofeedback and parent-mediated pain behavior management guidelines as a treatment for children experiencing nonmigrainous headache. Five children, ages 8 to 14, were assigned to baselines of varying lengths prior to receiving treatment. Four of the five children demonstrated significant reductions in one or more headache parameters (frequency, duration, average peak intensity) following treatment. The utility of thermal biofeedback and parent-mediated guidelines are supported as a treatment for children suffering from nonmigrainous headache.

Dynamics Of Hiv Risk Behavior In Hiv-Infected Injection, Jeffrey D. Fisher, Stephen Misovich, Diane L. Kimble, Beth Weinstein

CHIP Documents

Forty-six HIV-positive individuals with a history of injection drug use participated in a questionnaire and interview study assessing their HIV risk behaviors, and their HIV risk and prevention information, motivation, and behavioral skills related to injection drug use and sexual behavior. High levels of past and current risky injection drug use and sexual behavior were reported. HIV risk reduction information was generally high, and many participants reported proprevention attitudes and supportive perceived norms toward HIV risk reduction behaviors. However, many did not intend to engage in these preventive behaviors, and some reported deficits in prevcntion behavioral skills. Interview data revealed …

Predictors Of Social Physique Anxiety In Adolescent Swimmers With Physical Disabilities, Jeffrey J. Martin

Kinesiology, Health and Sport Studies

The purpose was to examine predictors of social physique anxiety (SPA) in adolescent swimmers with physical disabilities. Participants were 57 swimmers (27 females, 30 males, ages 16-19, M = 16.2) with various physical disabilities. A three-way ANOVA revealed significant differences in SPA between countries and among disabilities but not gender. Stepwise multiple regression results indicated that self-esteem and the self-identity subscale of the Athletic Identity Measurement Scale (AIMS) were the best predictors of SPA but that gender, country, and type of disability were not significant.