Psychology Commons^™

Examining Attitudes Toward And Utilization Of Mental Health App(Lication)S For Mental Health Service Delivery Among Black, Indigenous, And People Of Color (Bipoc), Kalani A. Gates

Dissertations

The prevalence of mental health conditions among Americans has increased since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 has been found to disproportionately affect communities of color and has contributed to elevated rates of mortality, morbidity, and mental illness. Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) are less likely to utilize or have access to conventional mental health services due to several access-related barriers including inadequate resources, cultural factors, lack of awareness and knowledge about mental health, mistrust of the health and mental health field and providers, and provider biases. Mental health applications (MHAs; software apps that delivery mental health …

The Impact Of Gendered Racial And Bisexual Microaggressions On The Access To Decent Work For Black Bisexual Women: An Examination Of The Moderation And Mediation Effects Of Work Volition And Proactive Personality, Angela Chloe Lewis

Dissertations

This purpose of this research was to examine the impact on gendered racial microaggressions and bisexual microaggressions on the ability to access decent work for Black bisexual women. The mediation effect of proactive personality on the relationship between gendered racial microaggressions and bisexual microaggressions with decent work was explored in this study. The moderation effect of proactive personality on the relationship between gendered racial microaggressions and bisexual microaggressions with decent work was explored in this study as well. Gendered racial microaggressions was measured using the Gendered Racial Microaggression Scale (GRMS; Lewis & Neville, 2015). Bisexual microaggressions was measured by the …

Evaluation Of A Brief Act Intervention For Reducing Depression And Anxiety Symptoms In Sexual And Gender Minority Adults, Allie Mann

Dissertations

Sexual and gender minority individuals (SGM) are at increased risk for psychological disorders compared to the general population. Despite this well-documented disparity in mental health outcomes, there is a stark lack of treatment studies examining SGM mental health. An accumulation of research has demonstrated that the source of this disparity is increased exposure of SGM individuals to stigma-related minority stress. It is necessary to examine psychological pathways that are impacted by stigma and the treatments that can reduce psychological distress in this population. Currently, we do not have the research evidence to answer the questions of if current evidence-based treatments …

Risk And Resilience Factors For Black Individuals Who Face Racial Discrimination, Tabitha M. Mpamira

Dissertations

African Americans report extensive experiences of discrimination across a range of individual, institutional, cultural situations, and more than any other marginalized group (RWJF, 2017). The pervasiveness of discrimination keeps Black individuals at risk of severe physiological ills and heightened risk of psychopathology, including onset of depression and racial trauma symptoms (Williams & Mohammed, 2009). This study investigated risk and resilience factors for Black individuals who face racial discrimination in the United States of America by examining whether encounters of discrimination correlated with psychological distress (depression, anxiety) and racial trauma symptoms. Additionally, the study investigated factors (social support, psychological flexibility, and …

Effects Of A Self-Forgiveness Intervention On Recovery From Substance Use Disorders, Michael Saltzman

Dissertations

Previous research has highlighted the relationship between shame, guilt, and problematic substance use (Gueta, 2013; Luoma et al., 2019; McGaffin et al., 2013; Rahim & Patton, 2015). Self-forgiveness has been associated with positive outcomes for individuals in recovery with substance use disorders (SUDs), though only one prior study has explored the effects of a selfforgiveness intervention for individuals in treatment (Scherer et al., 2011). This study examines the effects of a self-forgiveness intervention on state shame and guilt, state self-forgiveness, and drug avoidance self-efficacy, and it is the first intervention study to focus on self-forgiveness for individuals with SUDs receiving …

Promoting Equal Interactions In Early Childhood Settings, Daphne Snyder

Dissertations

In the United States, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) students are more likely to face disciplinary action (e.g., exclusion, suspension, and expulsion from the classroom) for engaging in the same challenging behaviors as their white peers (Badger et al., 2018; Little & Tolbert, 2018; Noguera, 2003). Due to the discrepancy in disciplinary practices, students are at risk of continued negative interactions with their teachers (Decker et al., 2007; Wymer et al., 2020). One way to improve teacher interactions toward BIPOC students is through equity-focused performance feedback regarding praise and reprimand rates (Knochel et al., 2022). The purpose of …

Sleep Health Of Young Adults In Western Australia And Associations With Physical And Mental Health: A Population-Level Cross-Sectional Study, Alexandra P. Metse, Peter Eastwood, Melissa Ree, Adrian Lopresti, Joseph J. Scott, Jenny Bowman

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

OBJECTIVES: This article aims to report on the sleep health characteristics of a population-level sample of young Australian adults and examine associations with measures of physical and mental health. METHODS: A cross-sectional study using data from the Raine Study. Data from participants (n = 1234) born into the study (Generation 2) at the 22-year follow-up were used, including data from a self-report questionnaire and polysomnography. RESULTS: The highest prevalence of suboptimal sleep health was seen on measures of sleep duration (30%), onset latency (18%), satisfaction (25%) and regularity (60%). Dissatisfaction with sleep (physical health: =0.08; mental health: =0.34) and impaired …

Exploring Gastrointestinal Health In Mecp2 Duplication Syndrome, Davut Pehlivan, Muharrem Ak, Daniel G Glaze, Bernhard Suter, Kathleen J Motil

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: MECP2 duplication syndrome (MDS) is a rare neurogenetic syndrome caused by duplications of MECP2 at the Xq28 region. Although constipation and gastrointestinal reflux are reported in MDS, a comprehensive characterization of gastrointestinal health has not been fully explored.

METHODS: We conducted a parent survey to explore the characteristics of gastrointestinal health in individuals with MDS using a secure online registry and compared differences in gastrointestinal symptoms between individuals with MDS and those with Rett syndrome (RTT).

KEY RESULTS: One hundred six surveys were analyzed. Symptoms commonly associated with constipation occurred in 72% to 89% of MDS individuals. Eleven percent …

Cultural Mechanism Of Mothers' Perceptions Of Youth Psychopathology, Yen-Ling Chen

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Cross-cultural research systematically identifies variations in cultural practices, meanings, and responses across different cultural groups. For example, psychiatric symptoms vary in their salience and degree to which they are reported across cultures. Cultural differences in causal attributions likely lead to differences in an individual’s help-seeking intention. However, there are limitations in previous cross-cultural studies about perceptions of psychopathology, including not measuring impairment level and parental distress, as well as the problematic use of categorical variables as predictors. To overcome limitations in previous work, the current project examined the cultural mechanism of mothers’ perceptions of externalizing and internalizing psychopathology in youth. …

The Relationship Between Psychopathy And Sexism Across Self-Report, Vignette, And Novel Dialogue Tree Tasks, Arianne Fisher

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Psychopathy is a personality construct consisting of a number of traits often associated with what many consider to be the “dark side” of personality. Multiple models and associated measurement tools have been created in an attempt to conceptualize psychopathy, but the field has not reached a consensus in its definition of this construct at this time. Across models, psychopathy is associated with a number of negative attitudes and behaviors, including various forms of prejudice. The relationship between psychopathy and one form of prejudice has not been examined, constituting a serious gap in the literature. This form of prejudice is ambivalent …

Examination Of Performance Validity And The Relationship To Cognition And Symptoms In Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders, Erick A. Rogers

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Approximately one-in-five individuals with psychotic disorders (i.e., schizophrenia spectrum disorders [SSD]) fail performance validity indicators (PVIs) during neurocognitive testing. Ensuring the validity of neurocognitive test results is necessary if the test scores are to be of use for diagnostic consideration, intervention selection and planning, predicting outcomes, and following changes in cognition over time in response to intervention, spontaneous recovery, or disease progression. PVIs are designed to require only a minimum level of engagement with the evaluation, which means nearly everyone is expected to “pass,” even those with moderate to severe brain damage. Traditional interpretations of PVI failure suggest a noncredible …

Temporally Weighted Averaging: The Effects Of Test Delay On Spontaneous Recovery Of Choice, Jack Van Allsburg

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Foraging animals in natural environments must track the value of different behavioral options in order to make decisions that maximize their food intake. The process by which they track this value is poorly understood, but holds relevance for our understanding of how animals make choices in general. In a series of experiments conducted in operant chambers, we put rat subjects in a choice scenario where they could press two levers, one of which would intermittently produce the delivery of food pellets on a rich (more frequent) schedule, while the other would do the same on a lean (less frequent) schedule. …

Exploring Body Image Related Cognitive Fusion As A Maintenance Mechanism Of Eating Disorder Pathology, Jennifer L. Barney

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Eating disorders are serious mental health conditions that can have serious negative effects on a person’s physical and mental well-being. These disorders are typically complex, and individuals are often struggling with one or more comorbid mental health problems, making them difficult to treat. To address this complexity and hopefully improve treatment outcomes for those with eating disorders, psychology research examining individual differences that appear to be related to differential treatment responses is needed. Better understanding how these factors relate to each other can help treatment providers identify the treatment methods most likely to work best for a specific individual based …

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

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

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

Executive Functioning In Children With Autism And Co-Occurring Neurodevelopmental Disorders: A Systematic Review And Quantitative Analysis, Kandice Benallie

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Children with autism and other NDDs experience some level of executive dysfunction including challenges with problem-solving, judgement, working memory, and flexibility. Considering autism and other NDDs including ADHD and ID have overlapping symptoms, it can be difficult to differentially diagnose the disorders. This dissertation sought to explore how co-occurring ADHD and ID impact the EF of autistic children. The first study systematically reviewed the current research examining EF of autistic children with co-occurring ADHD and ID. Findings suggest that co-occurring ADHD and ID result in increased executive dysfunction as compared to children with autism only. The systematic review also revealed …

The Mental Health Correlates Of Microaggressions Towards Transgender And Gender Diverse People Of Color: Moderating Effects Of Identity Affirmation And Lgbtq+ Community Connectedness, Kevin Chi

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or other meaningful self-labeled sexual and gender identities) individuals experience daily stressors (e.g., discrimination, violence, hypervigilance, negative expectations) that contribute to poorer mental health outcomes (e.g., depression, anxiety, posttraumatic symptoms, substance). For LGBTQ+ people of color (POC), identifying with multiple intersecting marginalized identities creates unique experiences of inequality that expose them to additional stressors, contributing to poorer mental health outcomes. Perceiving microaggressions, daily brief, everyday assaults on marginalized individuals, about one’s identity has been found to have negative mental health effects. TGD (transgender and gender diverse) POC face exposure to multiple types of microaggressions …

Act And Veterans: A Multiple Baseline Study Using Act To Treat Anxiety Disorders In U.S. Military Veterans, Jeremiah E. Fruge

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

There are 18 million Americans, roughly 7% of the population, who are Veterans. In contrast with the general population, Veterans have a high likelihood of exposure to psychological harm during their military service. For example, studies indicate Veterans are diagnosed with anxiety disorders in some cases four times higher than in the general population, though few studies examine treatment. Military culture is an additional factor which is important to account for when treating Veterans. For example, within the military an emphasis is placed on values and committed action which may mean this population will benefit more from certain therapies than …

Adverse Childhood Experiences, Discrimination, & Adulthood Health Outcomes: Impacts Of Protective And Compensatory Experiences In Childhood, Sallie A. Mack

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Adversity encompasses a wide range of stress-inducing experiences that are often prolonged and/or recurring in nature. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) capture adversity experienced before the age of 18, including abuse, neglect, and general household dysfunction. ACEs are widely linked to physical and mental health outcomes across the lifespan. Racial/ethnic discrimination, a form of adversity that can occur across the lifespan, has also been linked to many negative health outcomes. Protective and compensatory experiences in childhood (PACEs) are a relatively newer conceptualization of early-life resiliency factors. Early life resiliency is linked to positive health outcomes later in life. Our studies investigated …

The Longitudinal Effects Of Adverse Childhood Experiences On Internalizing And Externalizing Problems: In Search Of Demographic Disparities, Cynthia M. Navarro Flores

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Children experience high rates of emotional problems (e.g., anxiety, depression) and behavioral problems (e.g., defiance, aggression) that can have long-lasting detrimental effects. Emotional/behavioral problems have been found to relate to exposure to adversity during childhood (i.e., adverse childhood experiences [ACEs]). Studies have found that rates of exposure to ACEs and emotional/behavioral problems may vary depending on one’s race/ethnicity, sex, and income. Research has not yet looked at how emotional/behavioral problems develop throughout childhood in conjunction to exposure to ACEs. The current two-paper dissertation focused on examining the individual and conjointly developing trajectories of ACEs, and emotional (i.e., internalizing problems) and …

App-Based Academic Interventions For Children With Autism, Cassity R. Haverkamp

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Technology, such as tablet/phone apps, robots, video games, and virtual reality, can be used to teach skills to autistic children. Research on technology supports for autistic youth often focus on social skills, a main part of an autism diagnosis. However, autistic children may also have academic challenges, and fewer studies have looked at how technology can teach academic skills to children with autism. We created three studies to look at how academic apps may benefit autistic children. In the first study, we reviewed studies that looked at how academic apps can increase the academic skills of children with autism. We …

A Longitudinal Investigation Of Positive Biases And Psychological Functioning During Thecoronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic, Tricia Gower

Psychology Theses and Dissertations

Since the onset of COVID-19, many individuals have experienced a multitude of pervasive, chronic stressors and diminished psychological functioning. The current study examined whether cognitive biases towards positive social media or autobiographical memories augmented psychological functioning during COVID-19. Participants were 797 adults (Mage = 47.73; 58% female) recruited from CloudResearch/Turk Prime. Participants reported on their positively biased social media consumption and autobiographical recall, positive and negative affect, and dysphoria symptoms. Results indicated racial group differences in relations between positively biased social media consumption and negative affect and dysphoria symptoms and between positively biased autobiographical recall and positive affect. Positively biased …

Leader Humility And Employee Accountability: Psychological Safety As Mediator And Formalization As Moderator, Deri Natria, Eikla Luwlu Yasmina, Corina Riantoputra

Makara Human Behavior Studies in Asia

Employee accountability is significant for every organization. Even though leaders are regarded as essential to increasing employee accountability, the mechanism by which leaders influence employee accountability has not yet been researched comprehensively. Employing the social information processing theory, this study argues that leader humility influences employee accountability through psychological safety, and moderated by formalization. Data collection was carried out by convenience sampling using the time-lagged data collection method from 279 employees in a state-owned company in Indonesia. Accountability, leader humility, psychological safety, and formalization scales were used to measure the variables in this study.This model predicted 38% of the variance …

Factor Analysis And Reliability Of The Pro-Lockdown Compliance Scale, Lijo Kochakadan Joy, Manu Ramachandran, Jessy Fenn, Chee-Seng Tan

Makara Human Behavior Studies in Asia

A multilevel lockdown was introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide. This new experience, however, received mixed responses from the public in different countries including India. A quantitative self-report, the Pro-Lockdown Compliance Scale (Pro-LCS), was developed to help 1) the Government and enforcing agents understand the compliance level of the public and 2) researchers investigate the antecedent factors of the compliance of the lockdown measures. The initial 10 items were administered to 309 male residents in Kerala via an online survey. The responses were randomly divided and submitted to exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Both analyses consistently support that the scale …

The Effects Of Stepped Care On Burnout For University Counseling Center Clinicians, Madison Estrada

Dissertations

The ability of university counseling centers (UCCs) to meet the increased demand for service by students is becoming an increasing concern. While UCCs are seeing more students than ever, this increased demand has not been met with an increase in resources. As such, UCC clinicians are at a greater risk for developing burnout. However, according to the Demand – Control – Support Model, this risk could be reduced if UCC staff were afforded higher degrees of control over the resources they do have and received adequate support and acknowledgement for the work they accomplish. Through surveying 339 UCC clinicians in …

Designing Movement-Based Interventions To Promote Self-Regulation In Early Childhood, Gayatri Sardana

Dissertations, 2020-current

Self-regulation skills are an important predictor of academic achievement, mental health, and positive behavior in the classroom (Blair & Diamond, 2008; Cameron et al., 2016; Skibbe et al., 2019). In early childhood, self-regulation is intrinsically connected with motor development. The neuropsychological overlap between the brain regions involved in cognitive and motor development can be leveraged through interventions. In bridging research and practice, this study proposes that movement-based interventions are a developmentally appropriate pathway to strengthen self-regulation skills in early childhood. Derived from research on neurocognitive processes involved in self-regulation (i.e., response inhibition, executive attention, and working memory), guidelines to design …

Giving Voices To Jamaican Canadian Immigrant Women: A Heuristic Inquiry Study, Sandra P. Dixon, Dania Amin, Nancy M. Arthur

The Qualitative Report

The Heuristic Inquiry (HI) qualitative method applied in this study explored the role of Pentecostal faith in the post-migration lived experiences of Jamaican Canadian immigrant women (JCIW). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven JCIW whose Pentecostal faith helped them to reconstruct their cultural identity post-migration. The creative flexibility of HI allowed for the integration of the primary researcher’s (i.e., first author's) voice into the study alongside those of the co-researchers. Positioning the study within a postmodern social constructionism theoretical framework created space for multiple realities to emerge that were constructed through social interaction and language. These realities were evident in …

Norm-Referenced Effects Of A Campus-Based Therapeutic Mentoring Program, Gary Rempe, Michelle Saltis, David Matheson, Sydney Cople

Journal of Youth Development

The purpose of this study was to explore potential effects of a 12-week therapeutic mentoring program targeting social, emotional, and behavioral concerns in 52 children and adolescents between 11 and 17 years of age. Self-reported scores on a norm-referenced behavioral questionnaire were tracked across the span of a mentoring program, and then analyzed using multilevel modeling. Results showed that participant scores changed in a healthy direction across all domains measured (i.e., conduct, negative affect, cognitive/attention, and academic functioning). Predictors in the multilevel model included caregiver-reported sex assigned at birth, the semester that the intervention took place, and whether a participant …

Volume 18, Issue 2 Table Of Contents

Journal of Youth Development

No abstract provided.

Making Summer Camp Inclusive: Staff Perspectives From Two National Youth-Serving Organizations, Bryn Spielvogel, Meagan Ricks, Michael Froehly, Jim Sibthorp, Tellisia Williams, Wendy Friedman, Tara Hetz

Journal of Youth Development

Organized out-of-school time (OST) activities can provide youth with developmentally enriching experiences. Summer camp is one such activity, offering opportunities for positive youth development and, in some cases, promoting socioemotional learning, character development, resilience, and academic and career-related outcomes (Garst et al., 2011; Henderson et al., 2007; Merryman et al., 2012; Whittington & Garst, 2018; Wilson & Sibthorp, 2018). Not all youth, however, have access to high-quality summer programs (Browne et al., 2019; National Academies of Science, Engineering, & Medicine, 2019). Furthermore, summer camps designed around the needs and interests of relatively privileged youth can create exclusive dynamics within camp …

Life Skills Improvement In A Cultural Arts, After-School Program For Youth, Lisa Rapp-Mccall, Chris Stewart, Christopher Horn

Journal of Youth Development

Low family socioeconomic status (SES) has been noted to impact children and youths’ development, specifically in cognitive skills and risky behaviors (Brieant et al., 2021). Low SES often increases stressors for parents, may hinder monitoring of youth if parents must work multiple jobs, and may impact child-parent quality time and bonding (Conger & Conger, 2002). It also presents barriers to cognitively stimulating resources and social activities. Children from lower SES families are less likely to visit the zoo, go to museums, or attend cultural arts performances, which are important for positive, healthy development (Bradley & Corwyn, 2002). Youth from low-income …