Clinical Psychology Commons^™

The Role And Effect Of Mindfulness In Intimate Relationships, Mazyar Karandish

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Mindfulness practice, a present-centered approach to experience, has been shown to effectively enhance various dimensions of the human experience. Recent literature has explored how the practice of mindfulness meditation has provided benefits to practitioners seeking to enhance relationship dynamics. There are multiple examples of mindfulness-based relationship enhancement programs aiming to enhance the quality of intimate relationships in adults. This study utilizes a repeated-measures design to address whether a neutral mindfulness-based program, not geared at enhancing relationships, can significantly alter the quality of intimate relationships. The research will further examine the central mechanisms of action through which mindfulness can enhance relationships. …

Investigating The Feasibility Of Advanced Law Enforcement Resilience Training (A.L.E.R.T.): An Innovated And Practical Intervention To Enhance Police Mindfulness And Resilience, Stephanie B. Stern

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Policing is thought to be one of the most stressful occupations. Without effective strategies to cope with chronic work-related stress, police are vulnerable to developing mental and physical health problems. The police literature and research highlights the need for proactive, evidence-based interventions to help police maintain their resilience throughout their careers. The current study sought to bridge a gap between police literature, research and practice by developing and testing the feasibility of using the Advanced Law Enforcement Resilience Training (A.L.E.R.T.) mobile app to help police learn and practice mindfulness skills after engaging in a brief in-person training. Using a pre-test, …

Mindfulness And Blood Pressure Across Demographics: Analyses From The Serenity Study, Gabrielle R. Chin

Theses and Dissertations

Mindfulness, as a state, trait, and training, is linked with myriad positive mental and physical health outcomes. Understanding the individual characteristics potentially influencing links between mindful traits, mindfulness training, and physical health, is therefore important, yet remains under-addressed. Utilizing data from the ongoing Serenity Study (NCT02371317), the current project examines if (1) at baseline, higher trait mindfulness relates to lower BP consistently as a function of demographics, (2) Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) training lowers BP consistently across demographic subgroups and initial levels of trait mindfulness, and (3) if change in trait mindfulness following MBSR training correlates with change in BP …

Pilot Rct Of Mbrp In Outpatient Methadone Clinic: A Neuropsychologically-Informed Approach, Jessica Pommy

Psychology ETDs

Introduction: The primary study goal was to assess the feasibility of implementing a Randomized Clinical Trial (RCT) of Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention (MBRP) in a substance use and methadone clinic using a neuropsychological framework. Methods: Participation interest, retention rates, and feasibility of study design were examined. 13 participants were randomized to waitlist (n = 6) or MBRP (n =7). Associations between baseline variables and retention were examined. Executive function (EF) performance and topological properties of fNIRS resting-state networks were assessed. Results: Power was limited, but quantity of outside treatment was associated with retention. EF was variable, but within the average range. …

The Relationship Between Frequency Of Yoga And Meditation On Ptsd Symptoms In Individuals Who Have Experienced Intimate Partner Violence, Kimberly Polignani

Dissertations

Intimate partner violence (IPV) has become a growing phenomenon in the United States,

affecting nearly 13% of the population. The adverse mental health outcomes from people who experience IPV are prevalent and more than half have a diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Therefore, therapeutic techniques for PTSD appear to be feasible for IPV survivors and their mental health issues. Complementary and alternative medicine has become a widely accepted approach for PTSD. Being two complementary and alternative medicine techniques, yoga and meditation are effective forms of therapy in many diagnoses, including PTSD. This study utilized a not-for-profit organization called the …

Use Of Mindfulness To Treat Mental Health Symptoms Of Individuals Subjected To Human Sex Trafficking And Prostitution, Amanda Mccaw

Dissertations

Human sex trafficking and prostitution is a global phenomenon that has been occurring for centuries. Millions of people are subjected to the cruelties that occur within sex trafficking and prostitution. The distinction between sex trafficking and prostitution is minute. Large economic profits serve as an incentive to sustain the sex work industry, despite the harm it causes to the people that are employed as sex workers. Numerous mental health problems can arise for individuals subjected to sex trafficking and prostitution including posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, dissociation, terror, anxiety, guilt, anger, and substance abuse (Dalla, 2002; Farley, Baral, Kiremire, & Sezgin, …

Effect Of Mindfulness On Gratitude And Psychological Wellbeing, David Schultz

Dissertations

Gratitude is a unique emotion characterized by the propensity to be thankful and appreciative for the positive aspects of one’s life as it stands in the present moment. It has been associated with higher levels of perceived belongingness and perceived social support, as well as psychological wellbeing. Similarly, mindfulness refers to nonjudgmental awareness and acceptance of the reality of the present moment. Mindfulness has also been shown to increase one’s connectivity and sense of cohesion with others. The present study examined whether increasing mindfulness in individuals yielded increased gratitude as well as the mediating effect of gratitude on the relation …

Mindfulness-Integrated Art Therapy & The Cultivation Of Self-Compassion: Development Of A Method, Mollie German

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This capstone thesis explored the links between the research on self-compassion and a mindful art therapy approach in treatment for mental health. Through a critical review of the literature on mindfulness, art therapy, and self-compassion the author extracted the overlapping themes that support well-being theory. It was identified that mindful art therapy approaches that focus on the development of emotional regulation, identity development, resiliency, and wellbeing overlap with those same themes in the self-compassionate approach to treatment for mental health. Many of the approaches were found to not only reduce pathology but also increase wellbeing simultaneously through a positive psychology …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Peer Engagement And Knowledge (Peak): A Community-Based Group Intervention For Youth In Hawai‘I, Jennifer T. T. Ho

Doctoral Dissertations

This study is a program evaluation with a mixed methods design that evaluated the effectiveness of Peer Engagement and Knowledge (PEAK), a six-week community-based group intervention that incorporates mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) to address multiple health behaviors for multiracial youth in Hilo, Hawai‘i. A total of 51 youth, ages 12-23 years old, participated in this study which included pre-/posttest analyses of health risk factors such as substance use and depression and health promoting factors such as resilience, self-esteem, and mindfulness. Responses from two subsets of participants, who engaged in a focus group (n = 11) and composed gratitude letters ( …

Mindfulness In Medicine: Modified Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (Mbsr) Program Among Future Doctors, Virtue Sankoh

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Medical trainees are at particular risk for stress-related illness, including mental health problems such as suicidal ideation, substance abuse, and mood disorders. A vast literature on mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), consisting of mindfulness education and structured meditative practices, has consistently demonstrated that MBSR and related mindfulness-based interventions improve mental and physical health, as well as one’s overall sense of well-being. Moreover, theorists and researchers have begun to suggest further that mindfulness plays a particular role in social cognition, or social-emotional learning. Medical schools have long been interested in ways to improve the “soft skills” related to interpersonal connectedness that are …

Integration Of Mindfulness-Based Approaches In The Treatment Of Eating Disorders: A Review Of The Literature, Kimberly Hubinger

Dissertations

In this literature review, mindfulness-based approaches and the effects mindfulness-based approaches have on the treatment of eating disorders was discussed. Professionals are continually seeking ways to enhance the treatment and improve outcomes when working with individuals suffering from eating disorders, and this literature review could help enhance the understanding of incorporating mindfulness techniques. The findings of this paper are meant to benefit clinicians working with patients diagnosed or struggling with an eating disorder.

Emotion Regulation And The Experience Of Racial Microaggressions., Broderick Sawyer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Racial microaggressions are defined as subtle racial insults or slights that racial minorities may encounter daily, communicating negative messages to victims. Perceiving discrimination has been associated with negative outcomes in racial minorities such as symptoms of depression, anxiety, trauma, and low self-esteem. Previous research has suggested emotion regulation and psychological symptoms as playing significant roles in the experience of discrimination. Research has yet to identify specific emotion regulation tactics that might offset the harm of racial microaggressions. Mindfulness and self-compassion have been found to buffer the negative emotional impact of chronic stressors that are similar to racial microaggressions. The current …

Working Memory And Mindfulness In An Rct Of Abbt And Ar, Anna M. Hall

Graduate Masters Theses

Working memory capacity (WMC) can be degraded by anxiety, stress, and worry, but can also be protected by mindfulness interventions (Jha et al., 2010). The current study was the first to investigate the relations between WMC, anxiety, and mindfulness within two interventions for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) that promote mindfulness: Acceptance Based Behavioral Therapy (ABBT) and Applied Relaxation (AR). In this exploratory study, we analyzed a subset of participants from a RCT of ABBT and AR who had completed the Operation Span Task (OSPAN; n = 21). First, we found that pre- to post-treatment measures of WMC (e.g., OSPAN scores) …

Acceptability And Feasibility Of A Multicomponent Group Intervention To Initiate Health Behavior Change: The Kickstart Health Program, Shannon Marie Clark

Wayne State University Dissertations

There is a growing need to address the difficulties that people face trying to engage in a healthier lifestyle and the integration of behavioral health into primary care settings may offer an opportunity to address this need. Health behavior change groups may be an effective style of intervention in medical settings; however, the experiences patients have attending these groups as well as how health behavior change groups best fit into integrated care settings is largely unknown. The purpose of the current study was to offer a preliminary test of feasibility and acceptability for a group intervention, conducted in a primary …

Exploring The Relationship Between Facets Of Mindfulness And Emotion Regulatory Flexibility, Anthony Nicholas Reffi

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Emotion dysregulation can often be attributed to an inability to employ a range of regulatory strategies across varying stressful situations (i.e., regulatory flexibility). Therefore, it remains clinically relevant to determine the mechanisms that facilitate regulatory flexibility. Although mindfulness and regulatory flexibility have been linked, relations between mindfulness facets and regulatory flexibility have not yet been considered. This study aimed to determine which facets of self-reported trait mindfulness are related to regulatory choice flexibility. Using a previously validated performance-based emotion regulation choice paradigm, undergraduates (N = 78; 62.8% female; Mage = 19.82, SD = 2.03) chose to use either reappraisal or …

The Moderating Role Of Mindfulness Skills In The Relationship Between Borderline Personality Features And Associated Problematic Behaviors, Carolina A. Caldera

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD) experience intense affect and emotional dyscontrol that may lead them to engage in maladaptive coping strategies and behaviors such as substance use, alcohol use, risky sexual behavior, aggression, and emotional eating. Theory posits that mindfulness, a mental state in which one is attentive, aware, and accepting of the present moment, may lead to increased tolerance of emotional distress. The present study sought to investigate the role of dispositional mindfulness as a moderating factor in the relationship between BPD features and related problematic behaviors using structural equation modeling and regression analyses in cross-sectional and longitudinal …

An Investigation Of The Relation Between Mindfulness And Self-Esteem Stability, Cameron Grant Ford

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Self-esteem stability is the magnitude of the short-term fluctuations in one’s immediate feelings of self-worth (Kernis, 2005). Stable self-esteem is associated with several psychological benefits, such as lower depression (Kernis et al., 1998). However, it is unknown what factors lead to self-esteem stability. Because mindfulness promotes a nonjudgmental orientation whereby thoughts, feelings, and reactions are viewed as transient events that do not necessarily represent objective reality, mindfulness might be associated with more stable self-esteem. Thus, the present research examined the relation between mindfulness and self-esteem stability. Undergraduates (N = 190) were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: mindfulness …

Ayahuasca's Antidepressant Effects Covary With Behavioral Activation As Well As Mindfulness, Maha N. Mian

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Ayahuasca, a plant-based hallucinogen that serves as a spiritual medicine in South America, has improved depression in at least one placebo-controlled clinical trial. Case studies suggest that dramatic behavioral changes often follow the Ayahuasca ceremony, but most explanations of antidepressant effects focus on observed changes in mindfulness. The present study investigated if both mindfulness and behavioral activation might also contribute to these anti-depressant effects. We surveyed individuals (N = 152) about their changes in depressive symptoms, Behavioral Activation, and mindfulness after an Ayahuasca experience. Mindfulness was strongly associated with reduced depression severity (r = -.670, p < .001), while behavioral activation was moderately linked (r = -.474, p < .001). Changes in depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiological Sciences Depression Short Form [CES-D-10]) covaried with subscales from the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire [FFMQ] and Experiences Questionnaire [EQ], confirming previous findings (beta = -.57, [95% CI (- 5.70) - (- 3.25)], p < .001). In addition, a modification of the Behavioral Activation for Depression Scale-Short Form [BADS-SF] accounted for significant unique variance in the improvements in depression (beta = -.16, [95% CI (-6.32) - (-0.08)], p < .05). These results suggest that changes in behavioral activation likely serve as an important mechanism underlying Ayahuasca’s antidepressant effects. Future clinical trials could benefit from tracking behavioral activation. In addition, a concerted focus on increasing valued, positive activities might enhance Ayahuasca’s anti-depressant effects.