Clinical Psychology Commons^™

Quality Of Life In The Chronically Mentally Ill: Impact Of Demographics, Symptomatology, And Coping Styles, Dawn Castner

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder are often persistent and disabling conditions that require a wide range ofbiopsychosocial treatments. In recent decades, treatment has largely focused on assisting persons to maintain community tenure, while little attention has been devoted to quality of life. For many, these illnesses have a negative impact on life satisfaction due to their chronic and variable nature, lack of completely efficacious treatments, and social stigma. Some have speculated that various demographic, symptom, or treatment variables influence quality of life, but the nature and amount of influence is uncertain. 111 The purpose of this study was to investigate the …

Antisocial Personality Disorder And Psychopathy: Characterological And Behavioral Criteria, Megan Kay Null

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current diagnostic criteria for Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD) have been criticized for being too behavioral and not sufficiently tied to the historical concept of a psychopathic character. Research suggests that clinicians may not find the current diagnostic criteria useful and that a different set of criteria may be more descriptive of the way they conceptualize ASPD. In addition, questions remain as to the relationship between ASPD and psychopathy (PP). The current study examined clinicians' prototypes of ASPD and PP to determine which criteria are most consistent with how clinicians conceptualize these constructs and to determine whether ASPD and PP …

Predictors Of Participation In Premarital Prevention Programs: The Health Belief Model And Social Norms, Kieran T. Sullivan, Lauri A. Pasch, Tara Cornelius, Ellen Cirigliano

Psychology

The development of effective programs to prevent marital dysfunction has been a recent focus for marital researchers, but the effective dissemination of these programs to engaged couples has received relatively little attention. The purpose of this study is to determine which factors predict couples' participation in premarital counseling. Predictive factors were derived from the health prevention literature, with a particular focus on the health belief model (HBM). Couples' beliefs and attitudes about premarital counseling were assessed at least six months before their wedding, and participation was assessed after their wedding. Results indicate that the strongest predictors of couples' participation were …

Adaptation To Changing Marketplace Conditions By Psychologists In Independent Practice, Keith James Monroe

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recent surveys have provided support to the frequently asserted opinion that managed care has negatively impacted psychologists in independent practice. Many recommendations have been made by professional organizations to address the negative impact and most have been directed at guiding practitioners to adapt to changes in health care delivery. However, there is little data on how private practitioners evaluate these recommendations or if they are using these strategies to adapt to the changing practice environment. The focus of this dissertation was to assess the extent that psychologists in independent practice have adopted the recommended strategies. By establishing a representative sample …

Hiv Risk Behaviors In Adults With Serious Mental Illness: Testing The Imb Theory Of Hiv Risk Reduction, Leslie D. Bjork

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) has proliferated substantially since its initial identification in 1981. Studies ofHIV seroprevalence indicate a recent statistical surge in rural AIDS cases relative to urban locales (McKinney, 1998; Stephenson, 2000). Data also suggest adults with severe and persistent mental illness (SPMI) evidence higher behavioral risk for HIV infection than individuals in the general population (Carey, Carey, & Kalichman, 1997; McKinnon, Carey & Cournos, 1997). This study examined HIV risk behaviors in rural adults with SPMI, including analyses of sexual behaviors, psychiatric severity, and substance problems. In addition, Fisher and Fisher's (1992) Information-Motivation-Behavior (1MB) theory ofHIV risk …

The Relationship Between Health Status And Hope In Individuals With Hiv Disease, Celine Meera Chohan

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the relationship between hope and health status over a two-year period in individuals who were HIV -infected. One hundred and three individuals completed the surveys at entry into the study, at 12 months, and at 24 months. The Health Status Questionnaire (Wu et.al., 1991) measured Cognitive Functioning, Emotional Functioning, and Physical Functioning. Additionally, the Hope Scale (Snyder, 1991) and the Client Information Form were used to collect data. Results suggested hope at entry into the study was a significant predictor of physical functioning initially, at 12 months, and at 24 months. This finding suggests a link between …

How Individuals Understand Depression: Attributions, Stigma, And Treatment Recommendations, Erin A. Pladsen

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This study examined participants' beliefs/attributions about depression, their help seeking recommendations for depressed individuals, and the stigma associated with depression. Participants were asked to read a vignette that described a target person who is suffering from depression, and they were asked to complete various questionnaires based upon the vignette. Overall, the results indicated that individuals did not possess negative attitudes toward mental illness, that individuals more strongly recommended professional mental health assistance, and that individuals did not tend to stigmatize depressed individuals. Results did indicate that the label of depression and the gender of the target person affected provider type …

Alex Bradley, Carl Milofsky

Northern Ireland Archive

Bradley is a psychotherapist based in a religious NGO. His talk primarily involves general comments and observations about the events of Bloody Sunday, sectarian conflicts in general, and values statements from Bradley offered in response to student questions about the conflict in Northern Ireland. He continues to talk about the White Oak Center in Donegal, which is a residential treatment center that in this account it heavily concerned with treating alcohol abuse. The tape shifts to talk about Bradley's work treating trauma experiences related to the Troubles. He began working in the Catholic community but then was asked to work …

An Evaluation Of Methylphenidate Preference In Adults Diagnosed With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Emily Kathleen Macdonald

Dissertations

Methylphenidate (MPH) is widely used in the treatment of ADHD, and is associated with positive effects across a wide range of domains. In spite of the clinical effectiveness of MPH, concern has arisen with respect to its abuse potential. The present study examined the reinforcing effects and participant-rated effects of MPH in adults diagnosed with ADHD. Participants included 10 volunteers (ages 18-22) diagnosed with ADHD who were receiving MPH treatment. The reinforcing effects were assessed using a double-blind choice procedure with 4 sampling and 8 choice sessions. During sampling sessions, participants completed a self-report questionnaire before receiving either placebo or …

Factors Influencing Substance Abuse/Dependence And Treatment Outcome Of Adolescents In A Residential Substance Abuse Program: An Exploratory Study, Melissa L. Moody

Masters Theses

Previous research examining the risk factors associated with alcohol and other drug use has primarily focused on the adult population. Few studies have investigated the factors which influence adolescent substance abuse and the respective effects on treatment outcome. This in spite of the considerable decline in the age-of-onset for problematic substance use that could, if gone untreated, escalate into dependence and a variety of other interpersonal problems which extend across the lifespan. Effective interventions targeting the adolescent population would therefore seem to be of utmost importance to both researchers and clinicians. It has been suggested that individualized treatment programs focusing …

The Contribution Of Enactments To Structural Family Therapy: A Process Study, Stephanie Fellenberg

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

In an era where the effectiveness of many forms of psychotherapy has been thoroughly examined, the focus of many researchers has shifted from investigating outcome to exploring therapeutic processes. Process studies serve to identify the active ingredients of therapy—that is, those interventions that bring about in-session changes. This process study examines the relationship between the use of enactments, a structural family therapy intervention, and in-session change as observed over the course of the session. Change was measured by the amount of change that occurred in the core problem dynamic, that is, the most prominent pattern of dysfunctional family …

Recruitment Of Engaged Couples For Premarital Counseling: An Empirical Examination Of The Importance Of Program Characteristics And Topics To Potential Participants, Kieran T. Sullivan, Carmen Anderson

Psychology

The recent emphasis on prevention in helping couples to avoid marital distress may be limited by lack of participation in prevention programs by engaged couples. The purpose of this study is to understand what potential participants perceive are attractive characteristics in premarital prevention approaches. Eighty-six engaged couples completed questionnaires assessing demographics, personality and the relative importance of premarital program characteristics. The results indicate that leader characteristics, content, and topics such as communication, finances, and problem-solving are the most important elements of premarital counseling to couples. Differences based on gender and risk level are reported. Suggestions are made for more effective …

Perceived Paternal Style And Its Relationship To The Child's Explanatory Style And Depression, Janice E. Halecki

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Seligman' (1974) theory of learned helplessness and the reformulated hopelessness depression model (Abramson, Metalsky, & Alloy, 1989) suggest that a learned sense of lack of control can lead to a pessimistic explanatory style and subsequently depression. The current study used a retrospective cross-sectional design to investigate whether issues of parental control and affection in the early family environment are associated with the individual's explanatory style and history of depression in adulthood.

The participants,158 undergraduate students, completed self-report measures to assess their level of depressive symptoms, perception of their parents' behavior, and negative stressful events.

Perception of a high level of …

Temporal, Perspectives, Dispositional Styles, And Subjective Well-Being, Mary Naeger

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study investigated the relationship between time perspective (TP) and the personality dispositions of optimism, pessimism, and realism with regard to their proposed influence on three measures that collectively assessed subjective well-being (SWB). The Depression-Happiness Scale (McGreal & Joseph, 1993) assessed happiness or the presence of positive affect and the absence of negative affect, the cognitiveaffective components of SWB. The Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) (Diener, Emmons, Larsen, & Griffin, 1985) provided the measurement of subjective life satisfaction, the essential final cognitive-judgmental component of SWB. The Life Orientation Scale-Revised (LOT-R) (Scheier, Carver, and Bridges, 1994) and a Reality Scale, composed …

Thinness In Women: The Impact Of Female Body Weight On Relationship Satisfaction And Commitment, Wendy Walter Campbell

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current study represents an investigation of the impact of weight change on romantic relationships, and the hypothesized gender difference in the importance assigned to a partner's weight. Participants were 221 undergraduate students (148 women and 73 men) from a medium sized Midwestern University. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions in which their weight in a photo image was increased, decreased or left unchanged. Upon inspecting the image, participants were asked to complete measures of relationship satisfaction and commitment (including among others, items from the Dyadic Adjustment Scale [DAS]), the Kansas Marital Satisfaction Scale [KMSS], as well …

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 …

A Neuropsychological Perspective On The Efficacy Of Typical And Atypical Medication Treatment For Chronic Schizophrenia Regarding Executive Functioning, Eric Hart

Masters Theses

This study investigated the efficacy of current medication treatment procedures for chronic schizophrenics on neuropsychological measures. A total of twenty participants from the Coles County Mental Health Center, who met DSM-IV criteria for chronic schizophrenia, volunteered to be administered the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST)-64 card version as a means of assessing neuropsychological executive functioning. A total of twenty participants free of any diagnosable psychological disorder also volunteered to be administered the WSCT-64, which served as a control group. The staff psychiatrist at the Coles County Mental Health Center completed the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) in order to …

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.

Job Satisfaction Among Psychologists In A Managed-Care Environment, Walter R. Vyhmeister

Dissertations

The problem. The efforts of managed care to balance resources, cost, and quality of services have created new issues among mental health professionals, affecting their careers and having the potential to affect their job satisfaction. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to investigate how managed care has impacted career satisfaction among professional psychologists.

The method. The present investigation examined 21 factors in the prediction of job satisfaction among licensed psychologists. A sample of 1,000 licensed psychologists located in California, Oregon, and Washington was randomly selected from the National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology. Three hundred seventeen participants …

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 …

A Study Of Attempted Suicide Among Female Youths, Aini Omar

Student Works (2000-2009)

Worldwide, suicide is among the top five causes of mortality in the 15 to 19 year age group while majority of suicide attempts is among females (WHO, 2000). The purpose of this study is to identify youth that are likely to be suicidal, their feelings and thoughts and determine the underlying factors that instigate the intention so that remedial actions can be taken before the actual attempt. The questions arise for the research would include a) Who are the female youth that are inclined to suicidal acts? b) What are the causes, feelings and thoughts that prompt them to contemplate …

Perceived Parenting Style, Adolescent Family Life Satisfaction, And Self-Esteem As Predictors Of Adolescent Substance Use, Megan Cox

Masters Theses

This study was conducted to identify predictors of adolescent substance use. Eighty-seven junior high school students completed the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Adolescent Family Life Satisfaction Index, Parental Authority Questionnaire, and the Michigan Alcohol and Other Drug School Survey. When examining self-esteem, adolescent family life satisfaction, and perceived parenting style, it was found that the authoritarian father parenting style was the best predictor of total adolescent substance use and, more specifically, tobacco use. Self-esteem and the authoritarian father parenting style were found to be the best predictors of adolescent alcohol use. Furthermore, the authoritarian father parenting style was significantly correlated with …

Peer Support As A Protective Factor In The Impact Of War On Adolescents In Lebanon, Nadine S. Fakhran

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Children exposed to situations of war have been shown to develop behavioral as well as psychological difficulties. Researchers have observed, however, that not all children manifest these difficulties in reaction to war situations. Therefore, scientists have attempted to look at resilient children, investigating protective and vulnerability factors in the child's environment. One such protective factor is social support. Although there have been several studies on social support, those studies have tended to focus on family support. There seems to be a void in the literature on the effects of peer support on post-traumatic stress reactions in children. The present study …

Increasing Readiness To Change Among Smokers In A Primary Care Setting, Sheila F. Collicott

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This study compared the effectiveness of two brief interventions, direct advice and motivational interviewing, for increasing motivation to quit among male smokers in the pre-contemplation and contemplation stages of change who were primary care patients at an Eastern urban VA medical center. Contrary to expectations, participants receiving motivational interviews did not increase more in readiness to change, motivation, and actions to quit, than those receiving direct advice or a control conversation, nor did they smoke fewer cigarettes per day. As expected, contemplators reported more cutting down and quit attempts than pre-contemplators. Factors that may have limited the effectiveness of interventions …

Narrative Cohesiveness And The Resolution Of Trauma, Susan G. Middleton

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This review examines the literature on narrative and trauma in order to summarize and integrate findings on the role of narrative in adaptation to trauma. First, an introduction to the trauma literature, narrative theory, and how narratives have been studied in the context of psychotherapy is presented. Then, studies examining the characteristics of trauma narratives and their relationship to the resolution of trauma are presented and critiqued. Then, important methodological issues and the various measures used to study narratives in therapy and trauma and its sequelae are discussed. Factors that have been identified as affecting the construction of narratives in …

Psychopathology Of Incarcerated Males And Severity Of Nicotine Withdrawal Symptoms, Karen L. Cropsey

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has demonstrated the link between depression and severity of nicotine withdrawal symptoms. This study investigated depression and other psychopathology as predictors of severity of nicotine withdrawal symptoms among incarcerated males forced to quit smoking due to prison policy. Four hundred and ninety current Smokers, Ex-Smokers, and Non-Smokers completed a baseline questionnaire one week prior to smoking cessation. Three hundred and sixty-nine participants completed the second follow-up questionnaire four days after cessation, an attrition rate of 24. 7%. Two hundred and fifty-six participants completed the final follow-up assessment one month after implementation of the smoking ban, an overall attrition …

Marital Decision Making Scale: Psychometric Properties, Kathy Szynklewski Babel

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The psychometric properties of a revised version of the Marital Decision Making Scale (MDMS) were evaluated in this investigation. Sixty-eight couples served as participants. Distressed couples (n=34) were recruited from a community-based outpatient mental health clinic where they were seeking conjoint therapy for relationship problems; demographically matched nondistressed couples (n=34) were recruited from the community through a local survey research firm. The MDMS showed high internal consistency, test-retest reliability, interjudge agreement, and convergent and discriminant validity. A second independent sample of 60 couples (30 distressed couples and 30 nondistressed couples) was also recruited to cross-validate the results found with the …

The Effects Of Group Counseling On The Self-Esteem, Anxiety, And Behavior Of Children With Deployed Parents, Nancy Taylor Mitchum

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a six-session group counseling intervention for children who had a parent experiencing military-induced deployment. Participants were 65 children (30 boys, 35 girls) of enlisted military personnel attending elementary schools near the Norfolk Naval Base. Elementary school counselors facilitated the counseling groups.

An experimental/control group pretest-posttest design was employed. Independent variables were the child's participation in the Children of Deployed Parents-Group/control group, child gender and age. Dependent variables were self-esteem, anxiety, and behavior as measured by the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory (SEI), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAIC), the Child …

African American Community Mental Health Center Service Utilization: A Test Of The Cultural Compatibility Hypothesis, Alicia Michelle Marsh

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This exploratory study examined whether community mental health centers (CMHCs) in Virginia that had services evaluated as being more compatible with the cultural needs of African Americans attracted a higher percentage of adult African American service users from their catchment areas than CMHCs which were evaluated as being less culturally compatible. The cultural compatibility of 36 CMHCs was assessed via a telephone interview with their clinical directors using a modified version of the Cultural Competence Self-Assessment Questionnaire: Administrative Version (Mason, J., 1995). This study did not find a correlation between CMHCs' cultural compatibility and their success at attracting African American …