Clinical Psychology Commons^™

Identifying Risk Factors For Ptsd Symptom Clusters In Maltreated, Multiracial Youth Using Nonparametric Modeling, Mallory Constantine

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Multiracial youth are one of the most at-risk racial groups for child maltreatment. Multiracial individuals are also more likely to report mental health concerns than other racial or ethnic groups. This study aimed to identify demographic and psychological risk factors that are unique to multiracial, maltreated youth with respect to PTSD symptoms (i.e., re-experiencing, hyperarousal, avoidance) through classification and regression tree (CART) analyses. Participants included 99 multiracial, maltreated youth directly following their placement in an emergency group shelter due to substantiated maltreatment. The first hypothesis was that female gender, English first language, questions related to guilt and self-blame, and depressive …

Feasibility And Efficacy Of Virtual Darkness In Reducing Intra-Individual Sleep Variability Among Young Adults With Insomnia, Samantha Nicole Sherwood

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

BackgroundInsomnia impacts 30% of people and is associated with increased risk for medical and psychiatric illness. However, pharmacological treatments for sleep yield mixed results and often result in undesirable side effects indicating a need for novel insomnia interventions. Sleep patterns also demonstrate high intra-individual variability which may be associated with greater daytime impairment, and sleep-wake cycles are strongly affected by the timing of exposure to blue-green wavelength light. Virtual darkness, a novel intervention, blocks blue wavelength light from reaching the eye to simulate actual darkness on retinal cells sensitive to light. Therefore, the purpose of the current study is to …

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 …

The Optimum Performance Program In Sports - Youth: A Case Study, Karolyne Bastos Stucki

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Ethnically and racially diverse youth athletes underutilize mental health services, resulting in social and economic costs to society (Gudiño et al., 2008; Snowden & Yamada, 2005). Almost half of all children and adolescents participate in sport, and sport participation is especially common in youth from ethnically and racially diverse neighborhoods (Holt, 2008; NSCH, 2017). Therefore, sport may be an effective strategy to permit diverse youth to receive mental health services. The current case study examines The Optimum Performance Program in Sports (TOPPS; a sport-specific family behavior therapy) in an Asian American youth athlete evidencing Social Anxiety Disorder (DSM-5). A within …

Language Analysis In Solution-Focused Therapy Training: Comparing Trainees With Their Trainer, Alberto Zamanillo, Alberto Rodríguez-Morejón

Journal of Solution Focused Practices

No abstract provided.

Measures And Conceptualizations Of Symptoms In Schizophrenia, Nina B. Paul

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Schizophrenia presents as a heterogenous disorder characterized by diverse expression of symptoms between individuals. Thus, clinicians and researchers rely on comprehensive symptom measures for diagnosis and treatment. This dissertation investigated two symptom measures, the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS; Kay, Fiszbein, & Opler, 1987), a commonly used scale that assesses a broad range of symptoms of schizophrenia, as well as the Brief Negative Symptom Scale (BNSS; Kirkpatrick et al., 2011; Strauss et al., 2012), a novel scale that focuses on the assessment of five negative symptom domains (i.e., anhedonia, asociality, avolition, blunted affect, and alogia). The first study of …

It’S Not You, It’S Me: Measuring Erotic Self–Focus, Evan Fertel

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Research suggests the presence of a non-relational aspect of women’s sexuality wherein a focus on oneself may be linked to elevations in sexual desire/arousal. Some theorists have even asserted that women may be, in some ways, their own sexual objects. Building on a previous exploration of what is now termed Erotic Self-Focus (ESF; Fertel, 2015), the present study developed a refined measure of ESF to further assess the validity and nature of this new construct. An exploratory factor analysis revealed four factors: Arousal to Own Body, Self/Own-Gender Focus vs. Partner/Other-Gender Focus, Self-Focused Arousal – Physical, Self-Focused Arousal – Mental. Although …

Defining Problematic School Absenteeism: Identifying Youth At Risk, Mirae J. Fornander

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Study 1: School attendance is an important foundational competency for children and adolescents, and school absenteeism has been linked to myriad short- and long-term negative consequences, even into adulthood. Many efforts have been made to conceptualize and address this population across various categories and dimensions of functioning and across multiple disciplines, resulting in both a rich literature base and a splintered view regarding this population. This article (Part 1 of 2) reviews and critiques key categorical and dimensional approaches to conceptualizing school attendance and school absenteeism, with an eye toward reconciling these approaches (Part 2 of 2) to develop a …

Attention Bias In Irritability: A Social Information Processing Perspective, Breanna Garcia

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Social information processing (SIP) theory suggests a framework for understanding how individuals make sense of their world—from the cognitive tasks of perception and problem solving to the emotional tasks of integrating this information with one’s goals, motivational state, and arousal regulation. This framework has been integral for better understanding the etiology behind certain psychopathologies (such as depression or disruptive behavior disorders) as it is thought that bias early in attentional processes may have trickle down effects on later processing and decision making (Dodge, 1993). It is known that the attention biases early in the SIP model (e.g., encoding biases) differ …

Social Injustice And Pediatric Health: Pediatric Covid-19 Guidelines Are Exacerbating Health Disparities, Sneha Thamotharan

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Fewer cases of COVID-19 and hospitalizations have been reported in children. This has impacted the prioritization of pediatrics in understanding the infection, transmission, and treatment of SARS-CoV-2 in children. Unfortunately, COVID-19 rates are higher among racial and ethnic minoritized children. Simultaneously unfolding during this pandemic is a national outcry to address systemic injustice, including institutional racism in healthcare which are driving these disparities. Aligned with social justice, this paper reflects on how Pediatric COVID-19 guidelines may be exacerbating existing health disparities among racial and ethnic minoritized youth, as well as urges for and provides possible ways to culturally tailor current …

The Heterogeneity Of Selective Mutism: A Primer For A More Refined Approach, Christopher A. Kearney, Melanie Rede

Psychology Faculty Research

Selective mutism is a persistent and debilitating psychiatric disorder in which a child fails to speak in situations where speaking is expected. Although listed as an anxiety disorder, the multifaceted and heterogeneous nature of selective mutism indicates that a more accurate conceptualization may be as a neurodevelopmental disorder. This article serves as a primer of historical and clinical presentations, empirical clinical profiles, clinical distinctions, assessment, and treatment related to the complexity of selective mutism. The article includes a brief discussion of selective mutism within a developmental psychopathology perspective with an eye toward reformed efforts for prevention, assessment, and treatment regarding …

The Aftermath Of Sexual Assault: Creating The "I Am More Than My Experience" Workbook, Isabella Chung

Calvert Undergraduate Research Awards

The following thesis includes a literature review of the immediate and long-term effects of sexual assault on victims in regards to their physical, mental, and emotional health and romantic relationships, followed by a proposed workbook for sexual assault victims/survivors. Being that typical responses immediately after an assault are fear, disbelief, and activation of the sympathetic nervous system, it is to no surprise that long term issues of depression, anxiety, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) often arise as well. Thus, a workbook was created with the intention of educating readers about sexual assault and helping victims/survivors to heal from the trauma …

Controlled Evaluation Of A Family-Based Optimization Intervention Implemented Through Video-Conferencing To Address Adhd And Oppositional Defiant Disorder In An Adolescent Athlete, Dereck Davy Phrathep

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Adolescent athletes with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) experience unique challenges that impact their sport performance, such as making errors due to poor concentration and adverse relationships with referees due to poor anger management. Pharmacological treatments have shown to be successful in treating ADHD comorbid with ODD. However, there are negative consequences for pharmacological treatments for adolescent athletes (e.g., banned by sports organizations). Well-established behavioral interventions for ADHD and ODD in non-athlete populations have included family-based, cognitive-behavioral approaches. However, none of these interventions have been evaluated in competitive adolescent athletes. The current case trial involved …

Validity And Diagnostic Accuracy Of An Adhd Symptom Rating Scale For Identifying Adults With Adhd, Stacy Jean Graves

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Specific rating scales of ADHD symptomatology are often included in neuropsychological assessments evaluating adults diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The Barkley Adult ADHD Rating Scale-IV (BAARS-IV) is a widely used symptom rating scale that includes four questionnaires: self-report current, self-report childhood, other-report current, and other-report childhood. In addition to ADHD symptoms, each of the forms include items that assess functional impact and developmental history of symptomatology. While similar symptom rating scales have been found to have high validity and diagnostic utility in children, it is unclear the extent to which the BAARS-IV shares substantial common variance with other …

Identifying School Climate Predictors Of School Absenteeism, Victoria Bacon

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Attendance is a crucial component of the education system and may be addressed utilizing Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) models. To effectively utilize such models, clear demarcations between tiers must exist to classify students appropriately. Additionally, relevant risk and protective factors must be identified as targets for intervention and prevention efforts at each tier. Little research exists that identifies school climate factors, and other student-based contextual factors such as academic mindset and social emotional learning, that impact absenteeism. The present study aimed to identify suitable tier demarcations as well as school climate and student-based contextual factors relevant at each tier. …

Examination Of The Relationship Between Sport-Specific Thoughts And Emotions And Anxiety And Depression In College Athletes, Marina Elizabeth Harris

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Depression and anxiety are prevalent mental health difficulties affecting student athletes, who notoriously reject mental health interventions that are not sport-relevant. This study will assist in understanding the extent to which sport-relevant thoughts and emotions impact depression and anxiety in collegiate athletes. Two-hundred and twenty-five NCAA athletes competing at the Division, I, II, or III level were administered the Sport Interference Checklist (SIC), Test of Performance Strategies (TOPS), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Results of correlational analyses revealed a significant relationship between SIC Dysfunctional Thinking (in training and competition) and anxiety (GAD-7) and depressive (PHQ-9) symptoms, …

Examination Of Factors Reported By Athletes To Interfere With Their Lives Outside Of Sports, Jesse Scott

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The original Sport Interference Checklist (SIC) is a mental-health screening instrument designed to assess the extent to which mental health factors interfere with athletes’ performance during sport training or competition. In addition, the SIC appraises whether athletes are interested in pursuing psychological treatment for the aforementioned factors. Although validated, the SIC does not assess how the aforementioned factors affect athletes’ performance outside of sports. Doing so would permit professionals to examine the influence of these factors across sport training, sport competition, and life outside of sports.

The purpose of this study was to determine the psychometric properties and clinical utility …

Examination Of The Influence Of Consumer Preferences For Cognitive Behavioral Treatment Components And Consumer Effort During Treatment Sessions On Child Welfare Outcomes, Christopher Philip Plant

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Introduction: The current study is a secondary analysis of one arm of a controlled trial evaluating the efficacy of FBT-CW for mothers identified for concurrent child neglect and substance abuse (see Donohue et al., 2014). FBT-CW is comprised of multiple cognitive behavioral intervention components targeting skill sets that are hypothesized to influence child neglect and/or substance abuse. The primary areas of focus for these interventions include: (a) management of antecedents to substance abuse and/or child neglect, (b) parenting skills training, (c) communication skills training, and (d) job getting and financial management skills. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to …

Menstrual Cycle Changes In Dysregulated Eating Symptoms, Kimberly S. Stevens

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Objective: Animal and human data indicate that fluctuations in ovarian hormones (e.g., estrogen and progesterone) across the estrus/menstrual cycle drive changes in eating behavior. Post-ovulatory phases (i.e., mid-luteal and pre-menstrual in women) correspond to distinct ovarian hormone profiles (i.e., low estradiol or high estradiol coupled with high progesterone) that are known to have stimulatory effects on eating behavior and have been associated with increased risk for emotional eating and binge eating. Nonetheless, other specific components of dysregulated eating (e.g., preoccupation with food, loss of control over eating) that are related to and/or prospectively predict the development of clinical binge eating …

Examining The Factor Structures Of The A-Des And Ptci To Identify Unique Predictors Of Ptsd Symptom Clusters In Maltreated Youth, Amanda Howard

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Research on childhood posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has increased over the past decade. Youth who experience maltreatment are more likely to exhibit symptoms of PTSD. At present, the literature largely focuses on youth who have experienced general trauma or PTSD symptoms, while maltreated youth are understudied. To date, no studies have examined the psychometric properties of the Adolescent Dissociative Experiences Scale (A-DES) or the Posttraumatic Cognitions Inventory (PTCI) in a sample of maltreated youth. Predictors of childhood PTSD for maltreated youth remain unknown. The present study was the first research study to date to examine the factor structures of the …

Coping On The Fly: School Psychologists' Perceptions Of Cultural Competence, Jennifer Wynn

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The goal of this qualitative ethnographic study is to explore how school psychologists demonstrate multicultural competence (MC) when testing students for K-12 special education. As the population of the United States (US) becomes increasingly diverse, mental health professionals are encouraged to become culturally competent. Cultural competence is the ability to work with culturally and linguistically diverse populations; and being aware of stereotypes, biases and microaggressions. Cultural competence is taught within some psychology preparation programs; however, courses are often limited. Although cross-cultural competencies have been explored in clinical and counseling psychology, they have yet to be explored in the field of …

Empirical Justification For Supportive Other Involvement In Collegiate Athletes’ Mental Health Intervention, Elena Gavrilova

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Student-athletes have been identified to evidence similar or higher rates of mental health difficulties and lower levels of mental health engagement as compared with non-athlete peers. Along these lines, sport-specific mental health intervention has been justified by researchers, yet only one randomized clinical trial has been conducted in collegiate student-athletes who have been formally assessed for mental health disorders (i.e., a family behavior therapy as compared with traditional campus counseling as usual; Donohue et al., 2018a). Results of this outcome study demonstrated greater improvements for participants who received the family-based intervention up to 8-months post-randomization. In this clinical trial, the …

A Controlled Examination Of Motivational Strategies: Reviewing Positive Consequences For Goal Achievement, Negative Consequences For Undesired Behavior, And A Relaxation Exercise, Yulia Gavrilova

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Introduction: Motivation is an integral part of human life and one of the most fundamental aspects of behavior change. Of interest to the present study are two motivational approaches, Negative Consequences Review (NCR) and Positive Consequences Review (PCR). NCR is an intervention component originally designed as part of Family Behavior Therapy (FBT) to motivate individuals with their goals through a discussion of negative consequences associated with undesired behaviors. PCR was developed as an auxiliary component of FBT to inspire individuals’ motivation to achieve their goals through a discussion about positive consequences of reaching goals. Purpose: The purpose of this study …

Validating Empathy As Captured By The Meanness In Psychopathy-Self Report, Stephanie Marie Molina

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Psychopathy is a distinctive personality disorder with an array of interpersonal and affective deficits. In particular, deficits in affective and cognitive empathy skills are noted to be a central feature of psychopathy. Specifically, the construct of psychopathic meanness, which is conceptualized as a tendency to act aggressively without regard for others, is preferentially related to deficient empathy. To elucidate the relationship between psychopathic meanness and empathy, three studies were conducted utilizing the Meanness in Psychopathy-Self Report (MiP- SR). The MiP-SR is a new measure that parses apart the construct of psychopathic meanness into three factors: Malice, Coldness, and Imperviousness. MiP-SR …

Multimethod Investigation Of Pristine Inner Experience, Leiszle Rae Lapping-Carr

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Introspection can be defined as any effort to observe and report on internal experiences. As such, introspection continues to be a commonly used research method, including self-report questionnaires, experience sampling, and qualitative interviews. However, in these modern applications of introspection, the challenges of such endeavors are often not readily acknowledged or addressed. This study compared three introspective methods using a pre-test, post-test design: descriptive experience sampling (DES), the experience sampling method (ESM), and daily questionnaires (DR). Those who participated in DES, a beeper-based method designed to produce high fidelity understandings of random moments of inner experience, had lower average frequencies …

Implementing Autism Screening For Latino Children In Primary Care: Perspectives From Parents And Providers, Mary Troxel, Keri Linas, Diane Jacobstein, Matthew Biel, Sandra H. Soto, Isabella Lorenzo-Hubert, Soraya Dos-Santos, Rocio Mendez, Bruno J. Anthony

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

While Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other developmental disabilities are being diagnosed at increasing rates, there is strong evidence of disparities in rates of identification and utilization of services by Latino children as compared to non-Latino children. Attempts to reduce these disparities include culturally-informed early screening for ASD risk. In preparation for initiation of a screening program in a primary care setting serving primarily Latino children, focus groups and interviews were conducted with Latino parents (N=31), medical staff (N=15), health care providers (N=4) to better understand the barriers and facilitators to engagement around developmental concerns that contribute to the low …

What Symptoms Of Disordered Gambling, Disordered Eating, Anxiety, And Depression Co-Occur? The Explanatory Power Of Network Analysis, Nassim Tabri, Melissa Salmon, Samantha Hollingshead, Michael Wohl

International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking

An abstract (not to exceed 200 words)

Disordered gamblers often exhibit comorbid psychiatric disorders, however, little is known about how or why these disorders co-occur. We posit that comorbidity is likely the result of one or more symptoms of disordered gambling being strongly associated with one or more symptoms of other disorders. To test this idea, we conducted a network analysis to identify relations between individual symptoms of disordered gambling, disordered eating, anxiety, and depression in a representative sample of Canadians from the Bay of Quinte region of Ontario (N=4121). Results indicated that chasing one’s losses was a central symptom …

The Risk For Developing Disordered Gambling: Equal For Every Player? Implications For Research, Policy And Consumer Protection, Gerhard Buehringer

International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking

Aims: (1) To introduce the concept of individual vulnerability for developing a gambling disorder (GD), (2) to question gambling supply reduction and access limitations as effective GD prevention strategies and (3) to derive short- and long-term implications for research, gambling regulation and consumer protection of vulnerable gamblers. Background: Gambling regulation is currently based on the assumption that participants have similar risks for the development of GD based on individual, social and predominantly gambling-related risk factors. Consequently, GD prevention mainly relies on supply and access limitations and “rational” consumer information and warnings within the Responsible Gambling concept. However, it remains …

Binge Eating And Gambling Are Prospectively Associated With Common And Distinct Deficits In Emotion Regulation Among Community Women, Sarah M. Farstad, Kristin M. Von Ranson

International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking

This study compared facets of emotion regulation associated prospectively with binge eating and problem gambling to elucidate similarities and differences between eating pathology and a behavioral addiction. Women from the community (N = 202) who engaged in at-risk binge eating (n = 79), at-risk gambling (n = 36), or both behaviors (n = 87) completed four online assessments over six months. Baseline and six-month surveys assessed self-reported emotion dysregulation (including negative urgency and positive urgency), binge eating, and gambling; the abbreviated two- and four-month surveys assessed binge eating and gambling only. Binge eating and problem gambling were …

Improving Diagnostic Accuracy: Text Comprehension And Detection Of Gambling Disorder, Samuel C. Peter, James P. Whelan, Rory A. Pfund, Andrew W. Meyers

International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking

No abstract provided.