Psychology Commons^™

The Experience Of Providing Direct Care To Children Victims Of Boko Haram Insurgencies In Nigeria, Felicia Etuke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The insurgency of terrorism leaves lasting economic, social, academics, spiritual, religious, and psychological effects, but often children’s psychological welfare is neglected in the aftermath of terrorist attacks. Boko Haram’s presence in Nigeria has left many children orphaned, displaced, and impoverished. Thus, there is a need to highlight the importance of the role that care providers play in securing the psychological health of the child victims of Boko Haram insurgency. This qualitative, phenomenological study explored the experiences of care providers to the child victims of Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria. Compassion fatigue theory was used as a theoretical framework for the …

Effects Of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder For U.S. Women Veterans, Bobbi N. L. Mount, Phd

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived postdeployment experiences of U.S. women veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and their perception of the impact their diagnosis had on their immediate families. The theoretical framework was Heider’s causal attribution theory. The first two research questions directly addressed the purpose of the study, and the third research question addressed each participant’s experience with accessing mental healthcare services. NVivo was used to transcribe, code, and analyze data derived from semistructured interviews with six U.S. women veterans who were diagnosed with PTSD by a licensed mental health professional postdeployment. …

Can Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Be A Viable Treatment Option For Law Enforcement Officers With Ptsd?, Megan Rinderer

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Law enforcement officers (LEO) are more likely to experience symptoms of PTSD when compared to the general population yet are less likely to seek mental health treatment (Jetelina et al., 2020). Given that LEO face unique occupational stressors and repeated exposure to traumatic events, treatment for PTSD among law enforcement populations poses unique challenges for clinicians. The combination of these variables precludes officers from seeking and receiving mental health services. Research regarding the efficacy of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) as a psychotherapeutic intervention is limited. To date, no studies have examined the use of BJJ to mitigate symptoms of PTSD …

A Cluster Analytic Approach To Examining The Role Of Cortisol In The Development Of Post-Traumatic Stress And Dysphoria In Adult Traumatic Injury Survivors, Devi Jayan, Terri A Deroon-Cassini, Garrett Sauber, Cecilia J. Hillard, Jacklynn M. Fitzgerald

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Identification of specific risk factors for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) versus depression after trauma has been challenging, in part due to the high comorbidity of these disorders. As exposure to trauma triggers activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis, examining atypical stress responses via HPA-axis hormones, namely cortisol, may help in the delineation of these disorders. Indeed, extant research demonstrates that, following stress, individuals with chronic PTSD exhibit hypocortisolism (e.g., lower cortisol response than controls), while those with chronic depression exhibit hypercortisolism (e.g., higher response than controls). Less is known about the role of cortisol and these seemingly disparate profiles immediately following …

Racial/Ethnic Disparities In Mental Health Diagnosis Of Maltreated Youth, Shadie Burke

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Racial/ethnic marginalized youth are more likely to receive a misdiagnosis of a mental health disorder than their White peers. Misdiagnosis contributes to existing disparities for racial/ethnic marginalized groups by leading to longer durations of untreated and worsening mental health symptoms. For maltreated youth, receiving a misdiagnosis can lead to a failure to connect with appropriate mental health services, medication regimens, therapeutic foster homes, and academic and developmental resources. To date, very few empirical studies have identified disparities in mental health diagnosis among racial/ethnic marginalized maltreated youth. The present study examined two key research questions: (1) what racial/ethnic disparities in diagnoses …

A Preliminary Evaluation Of The Unified Protocol Among Trauma-Exposed Adults With And Without Ptsd, Caitlyn O. Hood, Matthew W. Southward, Christian Bugher, Shannon Sauer-Zavala

Psychology Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the Unified Protocol (UP)—a mechanistically transdiagnostic psychological treatment—provides benefit to individuals with a range of trauma histories, psychological difficulties, and diagnostic comorbidity. Using data from a sequential multiple-assignment randomized trial (SMART), this exploratory analysis included a sample of 69 community-recruited adults seeking outpatient mental health treatment. We examined reductions in anxiety and depressive symptoms and changes in aversive and avoidant reactions to intense emotions—the UP’s putative mechanism—first by comparing individuals with and without trauma histories and then specifically among participants with PTSD. Findings suggest that the UP may lead to similar …

Secondary Traumatic Stress (Sts) – Its Impact On The Child Welfare Workforce And Strategies For Agencies To Address It, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

Other QIC-WD Products

Secondary traumatic stress (STS) can mimic symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Bride, 2007). These symptoms include having dreams and flashbacks of the traumatic event, avoiding activities or places that might remind someone of the traumatic event, having sleep issues, being irritable, difficulty concentrating, or being hypervigilant. In this video, child welfare staff share how the trauma they experience as part of their job affects them, including physical and emotional reactions and the desire to leave the field. Unfortunately, experiencing STS is very common among the child welfare workforce. Although child welfare is not the only profession that is exposed …

A Phenomenological Replication Study On The Unique Challenges Experienced By Veterans Diagnosed With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (Ptsd) While Attending A California State University (Csu) In Riverside, San Diego, San Bernardino, Or Orange County, Ralph Martinez

Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological replication study was to understand the unique challenges experienced by veterans diagnosed with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) while attending a California State University (CSU) in Riverside, San Diego, San Bernardino, or Orange County. Furthermore, it was the intent of this study to explore the current and prospective services veteran students believe were helpful or would be helpful in promoting positive academic outcomes.

A phenomenological approach was utilized in the development of this qualitative research study to explore the lived experiences of veteran students diagnosed with PTSD attending a California State University (CSU) in Riverside, …

Role Of Cortisol In The Development Of Post-Traumatic Stress And Dysphoria, Devi Jayan

Dissertations (1934 -)

Exposure to a traumatic event is a significant predictor for the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. Identification of specific risk factors for PTSD and depression after trauma exposure has been challenging due to comorbid and heterogeneous presentations of these conditions. Pre-existing research demonstrates reduced cortisol response (hypocortisolism) in chronic PTSD and an exaggerated cortisol response (hypercortisolism) in depression. The current longitudinal study examined cortisol response following a traumatic injury as a potential biomarker for deciphering specific risk for PTSD, depression, and PTSD depression comorbidity. Saliva samples for cortisol assay (post-injury cortisol) were collected from 172 trauma survivors …

The Road Home Program: An Efficient Model Of Ptsd Treatment In Veterans, Alexandra J. Fischer, Brian J. Klassen, Rhea A. Merck

Senior Theses

This thesis details my experiences at Rush University’s Road Home Program during the summer of 2021. The Road Home Program is an intensive treatment program for veterans suffering from PTSD. It is unique from conventional PTSD treatments in that it provides the equivalent of six months of treatment in just two weeks. The Road Home Program approaches PTSD in a comprehensive way by implementing a variety of therapies and supplemental treatments to veterans. These therapies include Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Mindfulness Based Resiliency Training (MBRT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), and Art Therapy. The supplemental treatments include cognitive seminars, acupuncture, and …

Posttraumatic Stress Symptom Clusters Differentially Predict Late Positive Potential To Cocaine Imagery Cues In Trauma-Exposed Adults With Cocaine Use Disorder, Heather E Webber, Danielle A Kessler, Emma C Lathan, Margaret C Wardle, Charles E Green, Joy M Schmitz, Scott D Lane, Anka A Vujanovic

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: While studies have investigated the effects of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms on substance use, information on these associations in the context of drug cue reactivity is lacking, which can provide meaningful information about risk for relapse. The current study assessed the associations between PTSD symptom clusters and reactivity to cues in trauma-exposed adults with cocaine use disorder.

METHODS: We recorded electroencephalogram on 52 trauma-exposed participants (M

RESULTS: Linear mixed modeling indicated that higher NACM symptomatology was associated with higher LPPs to cocaine cues and higher arousal/reactivity was associated with lower LPPs to cocaine cues.

CONCLUSIONS: These results highlight …

Secondary Traumatic Stress In Intimate Partners And Children Of Service Members, Amber Foreman

Dissertations

This literature review addresses secondary traumatic stress (STS) in intimate partners and children of service members. More specifically, this literature review aims to explore if intimate partners and children of military service members are at risk for developing secondary traumatic stress. Secondly, this review aims to explore if there are specific risk factors associated with the development of secondary traumatic stress in intimate partners and children of service members. Finally, this review examines if there are other stressors and outcomes for intimate partners and children of service members. A systematic review of peer-reviewed research was explored to accomplish addressing the …

Acute White Matter Integrity Post-Trauma And Prospective Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms, Carissa N. Weis, Ashley A. Huggins, Tara A. Miskovich, Jacklynn M. Fitzgerald, Kenneth P. Bennett, Jessica L. Krukowski, E. Kate Webb, Terri A Deroon-Cassini, Christine L. Larson

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Background: Little is known about what distinguishes those who are resilient after trauma from those at risk for developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Previous work indicates white matter integrity may be a useful biomarker in predicting PTSD. Research has shown changes in the integrity of three white matter tracts—the cingulum bundle, corpus callosum (CC), and uncinate fasciculus (UNC)—in the aftermath of trauma relate to PTSD symptoms. However, few have examined the predictive utility of white matter integrity in the acute aftermath of trauma to predict prospective PTSD symptom severity in a mixed traumatic injury sample.

Method: Thus, the current study …

Internal Entrapment And Fearlessness About Death As Precipitants Of Suicidal Thoughts And Planning In The Context Of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (Ptsd), D Nicolas Oakey-Frost

LSU Master's Theses

The post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STB) relationship has been extensively studied but potential explanatory mechanisms remain inconclusive. Entrapment is one variable that evinces a theoretical and empirical mechanistic relationship with PTSD and STB. Further, entrapment and fearlessness about death (FAD) have not been linked but are hypothesized to interact in a way that facilitates vulnerability for intense suicidal thinking and potentially suicidal behavior. The current study examined the indirect effect PTSD symptoms have on suicidal ideation, planning, and likelihood of future suicide attempt through both internal (IE) and external entrapment (EE), moderated by levels of …

“My Bruises Are Inward:” A Study Of Mental Trauma In The American Civil War, Cody Turnbaugh

Master's Theses

War is traumatic. Since the American Psychiatric Association first recognized post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in 1980, living veterans of combat have been diagnosed at an alarmingly high rate. However, mental trauma related diagnoses have existed for centuries, including several that were identified around the time of the American Civil War. This thesis argues that Civil War soldiers experienced mental trauma related to their military service. It does so through three lenses. Focused on the mental trauma among Northern veterans, this study investigates in particular the relationship between mental trauma and socioeconomic status. It analyzes the experiences of both white and …

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Comparing Short-Term, Intensive Therapy To Traditional, Long-Term Therapy, Laura Gonzalez, Sean Kruckenberg

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health diagnosis that occurs following a traumatic event, and military veterans are at higher risk of exposure to hazardous or life-threatening situations that may result in psychological trauma. PTSD sufferers experience symptoms such as distressing memories, nightmares, flashbacks, hypervigilance, and heightened arousal. Individuals with PTSD also experience higher rates of depressive and substance use disorders, involvement with the justice system, and self-harm and suicide. Many agencies, such as the Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA) provide treatment PTSD, however most programs experience dropout rates as high as 36%. Recent studies have shown that …

Stability Of Hippocampal Subfield Volumes After Trauma And Relationship To Development Of Ptsd Symptoms, C. N. Weis, E. Kate Webb, Ashley A. Huggins, Maddy Kallenbach, Tara A. Miskovich, Jacklynn M. Fitzgerald, Kenneth P. Bennett, Jessica L. Krukowski, Terri A Deroon-Cassini, Christine L. Larson

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Background

The hippocampus plays a central role in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) pathogenesis, and the majority of neuroimaging research on PTSD has studied the hippocampus in its entirety. Although extensive literature demonstrates changes in hippocampal volume are associated with PTSD, fewer studies have probed the relationship between symptoms and the hippocampus’ functionally and structurally distinct subfields. We utilized data from a longitudinal study examining post-trauma outcomes to determine whether hippocampal subfield volumes change post-trauma and whether specific subfields are significantly associated with, or prospectively related to, PTSD symptom severity. As a secondary aim, we leveraged our unique study design sample …

The Trauma, Substance Use, And Crime Connection: Characteristics And Recidivism Outcomes Of Adult Offenders, Kathryn F. Fokas

Psychology ETDs

Despite exceptionally high rates of trauma and substance use among incarcerated offenders, treatments remain limited in scope and availability within the criminal justice system. Identifying shared underlying mechanisms and potential gender differences could facilitate the development of interventions to target the vicious cycle of trauma, substance use, and crime. This study aimed to test a novel conceptualization of trauma, substance use, and criminal history as a composite risk factor for recidivism, including posttraumatic world assumptions as a hypothesized mediator and gender as a potential moderator. Participants were adult offenders from a community corrections program. Due to many institutional barriers and …

Relations Between Ptsd Symptoms And Pain Interference Among Older Adults, Laura E. Travers

Theses and Dissertations

Both the older adult population and the frequency of natural disasters (e.g., hurricanes) increase in the U.S. each year. Consequently, understanding the health experiences that affect older adults specifically following a natural disaster is important for providing effective healthcare and promoting health expectancy. For example, the extent to which PTSD symptoms following a natural disaster contribute to pain severity (beyond the contributions of other psychosocial experiences such as depression) among older adults is not yet clear, and whether this contribution differs by gender or age has yet to be established. The aims of this study were (1) to determine whether …

Efficacy Of Narrative Exposure Therapy Among Refugees With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Jarom J. R. Hickenlooper

Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is prevalent among refugee and asylum-seeker populations. Narrative exposure therapy (NET) has been effective in reducing PTSD symptoms in multiple trials. The present review analyzed 19 studies from the PsychInfo database, in which NET was utilized for exclusively refugee or asylum-seeker populations in locations of resettlement. Studies demonstrated effectiveness in reducing PTSD symptoms. In most studies, NET was more effective than other mental health treatments. Results indicated moderate to insignificant symptom reduction in other measures as well, including measures of depression. Discussions in each of the studies were examined for common themes regarding efficacy. Implications for …

Effects Of Sleep On Intrusive Symptoms And Emotional Reactivity In A Laboratory-Based Film Analog Study, Anna Marie Thi Thanh Nguyen

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is characterized by four symptom clusters. Recently, research highlights the need to focus on the impact of intrusive symptoms as a possible risk factor for the development and maintenance of PTSD. Cognitive and sleep models contribute to further understanding of intrusive symptoms. Recent work also highlights disgust as an emotion closely associated with the emergence of posttraumatic stress symptomology following traumatic events. This study used a film eliciting disgust in order to examine the effects of sleep on the intensity of intrusion symptoms and emotion reactivity. The sample consisted of 49 college students randomly assigned to …

"Living In The After": Examining How "Grey's Anatomy" Portrays Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Emily A. Grant

Pell Scholars and Senior Theses

Over seventeen seasons, Grey's Anatomy (2005) has tackled rare physical conditions, medical miracles, and mental illness, including PTSD. Previous research on mental illness representation in television suggests that oftentimes, through pejorative or romanticized stereotypes, portrayals enhance stigma and have detrimental effects on viewers. Using inductive research, focused on PTSD-centric episodes regarding two main characters, this study revealed that Grey's Anatomy emphasizes a mostly empowering portrayal of PTSD. These findings suggest that future representations of mental illness like those in Grey's can eradicate stereotypes and stigmas as the norm and replace them with representations that encourage acceptance, openness, and communication.

Does God Condone Assault? How Religious Commitment Impacts Trauma Following Sexual Abuse, Madison Snider

Honors College Theses

Sexual assault has been defined as crimes that include attacks or attempted attacks generally involving unwanted sexual contact between victim and offender. After experiencing assault, survivors look for support and belief often turning to their religious communities. It has been found through prior research that the confession of assault has been received on an inconsistent reaction basis. Prior research has also found that religion is often used as a protective shield for perpetrators to hide behind and a roadblock for survivors. Prior research has also primarily focused on investigating reactions to assault in religious communities for either male female victims …

The Association Between Social Support And Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms Among Survivors Of Betrayal Trauma: A Meta-Analysis, Vanessa Tirone, Daria Orlowska, Ashton M. Lofgreen, Rebecca K. Blais, Natalie R. Stevens, Brian Klassen, Philip Held, Alyson K. Zalta

University Libraries Faculty & Staff Publications

Background: Betrayal traumas have a particularly deleterious effect on mental health. Although social support is a robust predictor of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity, it is not clear what factors may impact this relationship among betrayal trauma survivors.

Objective: This study sought to describe the association between social support and PTSD symptom severity among survivors of betrayal trauma and examine whether methodological, sample, trauma, and social support characteristics moderated this association.

Method: A comprehensive search identified 29 studies that assessed the cross-sectional association between PTSD symptom severity and social support among 6,510 adult betrayal trauma survivors.

Results: The average …

Development And Validation Of A Measure Of Birth-Related Ptsd For Fathers And Birth Partners: The City Birth Trauma Scale (Partner Version), Rebecca Webb, Ann M. Smith, Susan Ayers, Daniel B. Wright, Alexandra Thornton

Educational Psychology, Leadership, and Higher Education Faculty Research

Research suggests that some fathers and birth partners can experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after witnessing a traumatic birth. Birth-related PTSD may impact on many aspects of fathers’ and birth partners’ life, including relationship breakdown, self-blame and reducing plans for future children. Despite the potential impact on birth partners’ lives there is currently no measure of birth-related PTSD validated for use with birth partners. The current study therefore adapted the City Birth Trauma Scale for use with birth partners. The City Birth Trauma Scale (Partner version) is a 29-item questionnaire developed to measure birth-related PTSD according to DSM-5 criteria: stressor …

The Effects Of Familial Support, Social Support, And On-Campus Involvement On Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms On Academic Achievement, Kelsey G. Coulthard

LSU Master's Theses

Research demonstrates that students with higher levels of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTS) exhibit lower grades in college (Pereira, et al., 2018). Further, higher levels of PTS during the first semester of college leads to higher rates of withdrawing from school (Boyraz, Horne, Owens, & Armstrong, 2013). Although there is ample evidence that the association between traumatic experiences are negatively correlated with academic performance, little is known about factors that may moderate or influence the relationship. Research has determined that higher levels of social support may facilitate recovery from trauma exposure and may lessen PTS symptoms in college students (Grasso, 2011). …

Exploring Attentional And Emotional Biases As A Function Of Trauma And Dissociation Symptomology, Claudia Clinchard

Department of Psychology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

There is evidence that threatening facial expressions (e.g., angry faces) direct attention toward the target, and that for facial expressions that are less threatening but still convey negative valence (e.g., fear faces) direct attention outward and to one’s environment, therefore causing a shift in memory performance and attentional bias depending on the level of threat in emotional facial expressions presented. Extant literature provides evidence for attentional biases both towards and away from threat in those with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomology. The current study aimed to replicate the previous findings of the effects stimulus and emotion have on memory performance …

Childhood Trauma And Ptsd Symptoms: Disentangling The Roles Of Emotion Regulation And Distress Tolerance, Jenna E. Russo, Deepali M. Dhruve, Arazais D. Oliveros

CAS Publications

Background: Research documents that individuals with a history of childhood trauma experience greater emotion regulation difficulties (ED), as well as lower distress tolerance (DT), two constructs that independent lines of research implicate as transdiagnostic factors in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). To help elucidate how such mechanisms may influence the etiology, maintenance, and treatment of PTSD, the current study investigates the distinct mediating roles of ED and DT and explores which accounts for more unique variance.

Methods: Participants (N = 385, aged 18-48) with a childhood trauma history provided self-ratings of cumulative trauma exposure, and endorsed current ED, DT, and …

Incorporating Psychological Trauma Into Adhd Differentials: A Pilot Study Of Primary Care Providers' Perspectives, Amber Nipper

PsyD Program in Clinical Psychology Doctoral Dissertations (Seattle)

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP, n.d.), 40% to 50% of individuals seeking mental health services terminate prematurely due to lack of access, lack of transportation, financial constraints, child mental health professional shortages, and stigma related to mental health. These barriers contribute to primary care providers assessing and managing mental health concerns at increasing rates, particularly symptoms consistent with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). ADHD is a neurobiological disorder beginning in childhood that is defined as “a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development” (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013, p. 59). Current literature shows …

A Conceptual Proposal For The Epigenetically Causal Relationship Between Parental Ptsd And Inflammatory Disease In Post Hoc Offspring., Emma Griffith

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Could a combat veteran's horrific experiences in early-2000s Afghanistan have a direct, biological impact his now-adult daughter's risk of a heart attack later in her life? This concept would have been unapologetically mocked a mere twenty years ago, and it has only been in the past decade that the new field of epigenetics has revealed a distinct possibility for this event to actually take place—for parents' experiences to profoundly influence the biology of their children. The major objective of this research project is to argue for the legitimacy of this theoretical phenomenon by discussing the latest data regarding PTSD's interaction …