Psychology Commons^™

A Multifactorial Intervention To Reduce Weight Bias In Healthcare Providers, Rose M. Flinchum

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

No abstract provided.

Stigma And Disclosure Of Chronic Pain In Higher Education: A Qualitative Study, Jennifer K. Davenport

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Students with chronic pain represent an overlooked population in higher education institutions, due to the barriers their conditions present and the stigma associated with chronic pain. There is existing research examines treatment of elderly populations and best practices for university students with disabilities, facing discrimination. This study sheds light on a gap in the existing research, where a niche population of students in chronic pain navigated disclosure issues and stigma in the academic environment. The purpose of the qualitative research study was to examine how anticipated or experienced stigma associated with chronic pain conditions influenced disclosure of chronic pain for …

Emotional, Social, And Behavioral Factors Affecting Wellbeing And Academic Performance In University Students With Chronic Diseases: Proposed Longitudinal Study, Kevin R. Criswell, Wren Whitman, Madelynn Smith, Polly Denison, Kyle Anderson

2020 Symposium Posters

Background: Chronic diseases (CDs) affect about half (45%) of individuals in the U.S., and this population is expected to grow. Despite the high prevalence and psychosocial burden of CDs, less is known about the effects of CDs on university students’ academic performance and psychosocial wellbeing. Research on how CDs might affect pursuit of valued activities (e.g., higher education), psychosocial wellbeing, and internalized stigma is lacking in university students with CDs.

Aims: The first aim is to characterize the effects of chronic diseases on academic performance and psychosocial wellbeing in university students. The second aim is to examine the …

Dissociative Identity Disorder: Etiology, Media, And Stigma, Leah N. Millard

Student Publications

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) is often portrayed incorrectly in the media, causing the public to know little about the disorder other than the stigmatizing information from the media. Because of this, individuals with the disorder often face more stigmatizing behaviors than the "normal" amount of stigma those with mental disorders often face. The newest revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) contributes the etiology of the disorder to underlying trauma, however many psychologists consider a "sociocognitive" or "fantasy" model. Current research provides more support for the trauma/posttraumatic model of the disorder and further supports the harm …

A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial Of Acceptance And Commitment Therapy Guided Self-Help For Overweight And Obese Adults High In Weight Self-Stigma, Sarah Ann Potts, Jennifer Krafft, Michael E. Levin

Psychology Student Research

Weight self-stigma, in which individuals internalize stigmatizing messages about weight, is a prevalent problem that contributes to poor quality of life and health. This pilot randomized controlled trial evaluated acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) guided self-help using The Diet Trap (Lillis, Dahl, & Weineland, 2014) for 55 overweight/obese adults high in weight self-stigma. Participants were randomized to the ACT self-help book plus phone coaching (GSH-P; n=17), self-help book plus email prompts only (GSH-E; n=20), or a waitlist condition (n=18), with online self-report assessments at baseline and posttreatment (8 weeks later). Participants reported high satisfaction ratings and engagement with the ACT …

Coercive And Compulsive Treatment Of Eating Disorders: Surveying Treatment Providers’ Attitudes And Behavior., Jessica Cowan

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Stigma toward individuals with eating disorders is common and well-documented. Individuals with eating disorders regularly report experiencing stigma associated with perceptions that they are to blame for their illness, that their illness is trivial compared to other conditions, or that they are engaging in disordered behavior to gain attention. These stigmatizing attitudes toward eating disorders are also reported by the general public and healthcare professionals, including those who treat eating disorders. Treatment of these illnesses at all levels of care often include paternalistic approaches such as coercion and compulsion that can have both adverse and advantageous consequences. While there are …

"It's All In Your Head": Diagnostic Overshadowing And Mental Illness, Katya Monarski

Capstone Showcase

Diagnostic overshadowing in mentally ill patients is the misattribution of physical illness to a preexisting mental health condition. This phenomenon contributes to the fact that patients with mental illness to receive diagnoses later, receive less treatment, and live with untreated chronic conditions. The societal attitudes on mental illness associate sufferers with negativity, danger, fear, and strangeness. This stigma could affect the formation of a realistic schema for mentally ill patients, even in a medical context. Doctors who view mental illness with the misinformed stereotypes may only see the patient for that stereotype and not as a whole. A detriment to …

Problems With Adherence And Social Stigma In Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes, Lauralee Davis

Master’s Theses

For adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes the clinical importance of both adherence to disease management and social support from family and friends is apparent. However, the role that family support or peer support plays on adherence to diabetes management or how stigma impacts adherence is still unclear. This study aims to determine differences between the type of support provided by family compared to peers, to examine how possible differences in the type of support impact adherence, to examine how social anxiety and stigma may be related to adherence, and to examine the types of barriers adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes …

An Exploration Of Attitudes Among Veterans And Military Personnel Regarding Care And Reintegration, Mavis Jean Christopher

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Reintegration is a complicated process and becomes more difficult due to stigma toward care seeking. Stigma can act as an influence to avoid treatment or terminate treatment early. The problem is that the attitudes of veterans and military personnel toward care seeking prior to discharge are unknown, particularly with respect to the lack of anonymity or privacy. Also unknown is what these populations desire to be included in reintegration treatment/training. The purpose of this study was to discover and interpret the attitudes of this population toward care seeking. The conceptual framework included military culture, masculine ideology, and stigma. The research …

Relationships Among Parkinson’S Disease Symptoms, Stigma, And Mental Health: A Strengths-Based Perspective, Richard S. Henry

Theses and Dissertations

As rates of Parkinson’s disease (PD) increase, so does the need to examine some of the negative social consequences experienced by people with PD. Symptoms of PD have been linked to greater experiences of stigma, and the more visible symptoms of PD increase an individual’s likelihood for experiencing stigmatization and social rejection. Individuals who experience high levels of stigma generally have poorer mental health outcomes. While these relationships are well documented, little is known about whether stigma mediates the relationship between PD symptoms and mental health outcomes. Additionally, some past research suggests that the personal strengths of social support and …

Understanding Behavioral Health Stigma Within The Healthcare Workforce, Jason Robert Martin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Individuals who seek mental health treatment in the United States face significant barriers. One such barrier is the belief that those seeking mental health treatment are subpar people with some moral failure. One area where this phenomenon exists is the behavioral healthcare workforce. This study was conducted to understand the phenomenon of stigma that behavioral healthcare leaders exhibit toward behavioral healthcare patients using the Baldrige framework as its conceptual framework. Using a qualitative approach and case study design, interviews were conducted with 6 leaders within a large healthcare system in the suburbs of a major metropolitan area to evaluate their …

Workplace Dynamics: Exploring Views, Impressions, And Preferences Of Colleagues With Diverse Backgrounds And Attributes, Emily Harris Broadhurst

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The general purpose of this study is to better understand stigmatized views of mental health conditions in the current social climate. In order to assess changes in current stigma levels, valid measurement tools are needed to make more accurate assessments. Many existing tools used to assess stigma levels present validity issues due to reporting bias, specifically social desirability bias. Researchers suggest that purposefully omitting diagnostic labeling helps to eliminate biased answers. In order to measure stigmatizing beliefs while minimizing the threat of social desirability, this study utilized an experimental design that compared mental health conditions with medical conditions. The Adjusted …

A Randomized Controlled Trial Of Online Acceptance And Commitment Therapy To Improve Diet And Physical Activity Among Adults Who Are Overweight/Obese, Michael E. Levin, Julie M. Petersen, Carrie Durward, Brittany Bingeman, Elizabeth Davis, Cindy Nelson, Shannon Cromwell

Psychology Student Research

Background: Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) has shown benefit for improving diet, physical activity, and weight among adults who are overweight and obese. However, research to date in this area has primarily evaluated ACT delivered through in-person interventions, which has more limited access relative to online formats. Purpose: The present study evaluated an online guided self-help program that integrated ACT with nutrition education to improve healthy eating and physical activity. Methods: A sample of 79 adults who were overweight/obese were randomized to receive the 8-week ACT on Health program plus weekly phone coaching or to a waitlist. Results: Participants completed …

Community-Based Responses To Negative Health Impacts Of Sexual Humanitarian Anti-Trafficking Policies And The Criminalization Of Sex Work And Migration In The Us, Heidi Hoefinger, Jennifer Musto, P.G. Macioti, Anne E. Fehrenbacher, Nicola Mai, Calum Bennachie, Calogero Giametta

Publications and Research

System-involvement resulting from anti-trafficking interventions and the criminalization of sex work and migration results in negative health impacts on sex workers, migrants, and people with trafficking experiences. Due to their stigmatized status, sex workers and people with trafficking experiences often struggle to access affordable, unbiased, and supportive health care. This paper will use thematic analysis of qualitative data from in-depth interviews and ethnographic fieldwork with 50 migrant sex workers and trafficked persons, as well as 20 key informants from legal and social services, in New York and Los Angeles. It will highlight the work of trans-specific and sex worker-led initiatives …

To Look Or Not To Look: Acknowledging Facial Stigmas In The Interview To Reduce Discrimination, Juan M. Madera, Mikki Hebl

Personnel Assessment and Decisions

As the use of technology-mediated interviews (e.g., Skype) is becoming a standard method to interview applicants, it is important to understand how discrimination can still manifest in these types of interviews. Because technology-mediated interviews focus on applicants’ faces, discrimination based on facial stigmas can be particularly inevitable. Thus, the purpose of the current study is to examine how a facial stigma affects visual attention during a technology-mediated interview and acknowledgment as a remediation strategy that individuals might use to reduce the amount of visual attention on a facial stigma. We used a 2 (acknowledge: yes or no) x 2 (target …

Marker Of Difference: Historical Construction Of Stigmatization Toward Zainichi Koreans, Hyomin Lee

Scholarly Undergraduate Research Journal at Clark (SURJ)

Abstract

This paper explores the historical construction of stigmatization toward Zainichi Koreans in Japan, as well as the consequences of such stigmatization. Zainichi Koreans are a minority group of ethnic Koreans living in Japan as special permanent residents, a unique identity formed as a result of the history of Japanese war imperialism and post-war nationalism. Zainichi Koreans have been residing in Japan for many generations now, and are no different from Japanese except for their ethnicity, or lack of Japanese blood. The homogeneity of Japan that boasts of pure Japanese blood is constantly conflicted by the long-term presence of Zainichi …

Resilience Among Survivors Of Adverse Childhood Experiences In Appalachia, Bridget Jeter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The empirical investigation of adverse childhood events (ACEs) and their relationship with health and well-being outcomes in later life is increasing. Less is known about factors that may promote resilience for those who have survived such challenges, such as how resilience may be facilitated for those with ACEs residing in a marginalized region such as South Central Appalachia. Multidimensional spirituality, social support, stigma related to ACEs, and Appalachian acculturation may serve as both valid cultural factors and potential indicators of resilience. Cross-sectional, simultaneous multiple regression analysis was performed on data collected from 272 adult patients of a South Central Appalachian …

The Use Of Celebrity And Non-Celebrity Examples To Reduce Stigma In University Students, Tyrus Mccartney

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Although effective treatments have been developed for various mental illnesses, many individuals who need psychological help do not seek it because of stigma. Interventions have been developed to reduce stigma, with the hope of increasing access to mental healthcare. Vicarious contact with individuals who have mental illness can reduce both public and internal stigma. Furthermore, celebrity examples have been used to reduce stigma. The present study compared celebrity examples and non-celebrity examples across a stigma-reduction intervention, as well as a control group, to determine the most effective ways to present first-person narrative vignettes for reducing both public and internal stigma. …

Late Adolescent Evaluating Responsibility Attributions And Social Distance Preferences Toward Peers With Mental Illnesses, Hannah Jo Turner

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

No abstract provided.

College Students' Disenfranchised Grief Following A Breakup: The Effect Of Relationship Closeness And Perceived Stigma On Grief, Jennifer E. Reimer

Master's Theses

Grief is a universal reaction to loss. Losses are often associated to the death of a loved one, however, they may also originate from the end of an intimate partner relationship. Whereas studies have focused on grief after a divorce or on symptomology students endure after a death, this article attends to the understudied college student experience of grief following a breakup. Within emerging adulthood, the loss of a close romantic relationship may be challenging to navigate alongside the daily stressors of college. Stigmatization by means of social cues convey sentiments, such as the need to get over an ex-partner, …

Examining Latino Family Participation In Treatment For Childhood Adhd: The Role Of Parental Cultural Factors And Perceptions, Theresa Lauer Kapke, Margaret A. Grace, Al Castro, Alyson C. Gerdes

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common mental health disorder in childhood. Unfortunately, Latino youth and their families are at increased risk of demonstrating poor treatment outcomes. The current study examined the impact of parental cultural factors and perceptions on Latino family participation in a psychosocial intervention for childhood ADHD. Sixty-one Latino youth and at least one of their primary parents and teachers participated in the current study. Results indicated that parental acculturation, attitudes regarding treatment, and baseline severity of child symptomatology and functional impairment were related to treatment participation outcomes. Implications and future directions are discussed.

Best Predictive Factor For Knowledge Of How To Appropriately Respond To Suicidal Individuals, Sadie Elizabeth Flood

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Suicide is a major health crisis affecting all parts of the world. Although extensive research has been conducted on suicide and numerous suicide prevention programs are in place, there still exists a gap in our knowledge as to how to encourage the public to reach out to individuals who may be suicidal. The aim of the current study is to examine methods of responding when confronted by an individual with suicidal tendencies. Participants completed four scales measuring their knowledge of suicide, personality characteristics, level of suicide stigma, and knowledge of how best to respond to an individual with suicidal tendencies. …

Impact Of Opioid Overdose Photos On Addiction Stigma, Explicit Bias, Willingness To Help, And Support For Policy Items, Anne C. Parent

USC Aiken Psychology Theses

Objective: Opioids, commonly used in hospitals and pain management centers for treating pain, are becoming increasingly abused. Prescription opioids and synthetic opioids are found frequently on the streets, highlighting the rampant spread of these drugs in the black market. Rates of opioid overdose have also dramatically increased in the past few years. Police departments have publicly posted photos of individuals who have overdosed on drugs in order to generate awareness of the issue to the community. Current research has not scientifically measured the impact of these social media campaigns designed to combat the opioid crisis. The present study used …

Changing The Age-Old Stigmatization Of Mental Health, Ashley E. Fontana

Senior Honors Projects

For years, the importance of mental health has been overlooked. In the past, individuals possessing unstable mental health were not only neglected, but were highly stigmatized. In the 20th century, these individuals were thought to have demonic roots—they were feared. The mentally ill have been institutionalized, deinstitutionalized, and institutionalized yet again. Some progress has been made in changing society’s perceptions and fierce stigmatization of mental health. There are many organizations in place today aimed at increasing awareness and reducing stigmatization, and they have helped, but not nearly enough. Mental health stigmatization has detrimental effects on those that fall victim to …

Mental Health Stigma In College Students By Academic Major, Kristen Miller

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Stigma is best defined as the disapproval and shame felt by people who display characteristics not widely accepted in society. Although mental illness has become more prevalent in society through advocacy and awareness campaigns, it fails to be accepted and often individuals may feel shame that prevents them from seeking help (Dyrbye, Eacker, Durning, Brazeau, Moutier, Massie, S., et al, 2015; Givens & Tjia, 2002). Physicians in particular have been shown to have decreased help-seeking behaviors for psychological issues due to fear of professional repercussions (Dyrbye et al., 2015). Physicians also show increased levels of stress, anxiety, depression, and elevated …

Unmet Expectations In Healthcare Settings: Experiences Of Transgender And Gender Diverse Adults In The Central Great Plains, Heather Meyer

Trans Collaborations Academic Papers

Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) individuals face a long-term, multi-faceted process if they choose to begin a gender affirmation journey. Decisions to go on hormone therapy and/or have a surgical procedure necessitate the TGD individual to set up an appointment with a healthcare provider. However, when TGD patients interact with healthcare practitioners, problems can arise. This article documents and categorizes the types of unmet expectations that are common in the TGD patient-healthcare provider social dynamic in the Central Great Plains of the United States. Utilizing a community-based participatory research model, qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with 27 TGD individuals about …

Attribution Theory And Increasing Social Support For Women With Postpartum Depression: An Exploration Of Perceived Stability, Onset Controllability, And Effort, Andrea L. Ruybal

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Women with postpartum depression (PPD) deal with the negative impact of depression, as well as the burden of stigma (i.e., negative stereotypes). Guided by the attribution-emotion-action model (Weiner, 1980a), the current studies seek to assess whether emphasizing the temporary nature of PPD (i.e., stability), the uncontrollable development of the ailment (i.e., onset controllability), and whether it appears someone is making an effort to overcome PPD will indirectly result in greater social support, through anger, sympathy, and social support outcome expectations. This approach, utilizing combinations of three different attributions, along with social support outcome expectations as a mediator has not been …

Flexibility In The Brain And Muscles: Examining Psychological Flexibility, Athletic Identity, And Stigma Within Sport Culture, Brighton Claire Hollingsworth

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Interventions designed to increase psychological flexibility have been shown to reduce mental health stigma, and such interventions have shown to be effective in athletic populations. The current study assessed the relationship between athletic identity and mental health stigma while also observing the moderating effects of psychological flexibility within that relationship. An exploratory analysis was also conducted to observe the moderating effect of psychological flexibility on the relationship between athletic identity and barriers to care. Participants (N = 176) from online sport-themed communities completed measures to assess mental health stigma, barriers to care, athletic identity, current symptoms of distress, …

Suicide Attitudes And Terror Management Theory, Athena Kheibari

Theses and Dissertations--Social Work

Virtually every mental health problem carries stigma, but suicide appears to run so counter to our accumulative, achievement-oriented society, that it poses even greater threat of stigma. While suicide is inherently troubling in that it opposes the fundamental human instinct for self-preservation, the tendency to stigmatize and reject individuals affected by suicide appears to be counterproductive and excessive. Hence, the purpose of this three-manuscript dissertation is to gain a more nuanced understanding of suicide attitudes from an exploratory and terror management theory perspective. More specifically, this dissertation attempts to answer three general questions: (1) how do suicide attitudes differ from …

The Effects And Experiences Of Stigma In The Minneapolis Strip Club Industry, Machensey Shelgren

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Utilizing participatory action research with dancers in the Minneapolis strip club industry, the present study examined current dancers’ experiences with stigma, its effects on their quality of life, and stigma management techniques. The present multi-methods study involved an initial survey and follow-up interviews with approximately 60 current dancers within Minneapolis strip clubs. Participants reported experiencing stigma in personal relationships and in the workplace, discrimination by landlords and future employers. Through thematic analysis, seven key themes were identified: dancer identity, assumptions made, loss of social support, profession weaponized against them, housing discrimination, lack of employment mobility, and identity concealment as stigma …