Clinical Psychology Commons^™

Intimate Partner Violence, Perception Of Safety, And Faith Among Female College Students Attending Faith-Based Institutions, Liliya Anatolyevna Rudneva

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Many women experience intimate partner violence (IPV), and research shows this violence significantly impacts their mental health, physical health, and substance abuse. The experience of IPV may also impact other areas of life. This study aims to explore the relationship between the experiences of IPV, perception of safety, and perception of faith, among female college students attending Christian universities. Archival data from the National College Health Assessment (NCHA) was used to explore this relationship among female students who experienced physical, sexual, or psychological IPV in the past twelve months. Results indicate students who experienced IPV endorsed lower perceptions of safety …

Cognitive Functioning During Conflict In Intimate Partner Relationships Between Traumatized And Non-Traumatized Samples, Kylie N. Coleman

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Significant differences have been found in neural connectivity of the brain in frontal, central, temporal, and parietal areas of individuals who experienced childhood trauma compared to those who had not (Cook, Ciorciari, Varker, & Devilly, 2009). This study investigated the relationship between the number of distressing and traumatic life experiences and participants’ neural responses to observing simulated conflict in intimate relationship. Graduate students (n = 11) answered conflict resolution and emotional activation questions while watching a simulated, escalating marital conflict. The participants’ neural responses were recorded via EEG mean power data from frontal and temporal brain regions. Heart rate (bpm) …

Being, Doing, And Play: A Theoretical And Clinical Exploration, Nathan A. Haskell

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

This paper explores the metonymy of the following aphorism, delivered by Winnicott in a 1967 lecture: “From being comes doing, but there can be no do before be.” (1970, p. 25, emphasis in original). This aphorism has been little discussed or explored in the literature, but Winnicott articulated similar ideas in his more academic papers (e.g., 1965, 1970). These similar communications about being and doing will be examined alongside more contemporary thinking about the ideas to which Winnicott alludes in this aphorism; works by Benjamin (1988) and Akhtar (2000) in particular will be brought to bear on the subject. Two …

Human Sex Trafficking: How Sex Trafficking Victims And Survivors Experience Hope And Resilience, Adrian Egger

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Few studies have examined the experiences of sexually trafficked victims and survivors in the United States.

As the population increases it is important to understand how sexually trafficked victims and survivors cope with trauma, experience recovery, and respond to therapy. Research indicates that factors of hope and resilience play a vital role in the way individuals cope with trauma and experience recovery (Masten & Narayan, 2012).

This study examined factors of hope and resilience of 12 sexually trafficked victims and survivors, ages 14 to 21. Interviews were conducted and a mixed-methods design was employed to establish common themes related to …

Predicting Modification And Revocation Of Insanity Acquittees On Conditional Release Using The Short-Term Assessment Of Risk And Treatability, Heidi Oliver

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Violence risk assessment has evolved significantly over the past 50 years. The newest generation of risk assessment tools is intended not only to assess risk but also to inform treatment. The Short-Term Assessment of Risk and Treatability, i.e., the START, is an example of a 4thgeneration tool that identifies risk and protective factors, highlighting the dynamic variables that may decrease risk. As treatment for mentally ill offenders shifts from inpatient hospital environments to community-based treatment settings, a focus on dynamic risk factors is crucial for maintaining safety for patients and the community. This study aimed to identify the predictive validity …

The Relationship Between Gratitude And Health Behaviors, Jacob Lowen

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Gratitude interventions lead to significant increases in subjective, psychological, spiritual, and physical well-being. These benefits may be because grateful individuals are better able to form social bonds, better able to utilize coping skills to defer stress, better able to maintain positive affect, and are more creative in problem solving. It remains unclear what mechanism(s) are responsible for the positive benefits associated with gratitude and whether the link between gratitude and health enhancement is bidirectional. The current study seeks to explore the link between gratitude and health behaviors by measuring the increase or maintenance of gratitude over time in response to …

Norming The Young Schema Questionnaire In The U.S., Elizabeth Di Francisco

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Since publication in 2005, the Young Schema Questionnaire Short-­‐version 3rd Edition (YSQ-­‐S3) has increased in popularity over the years among psychologists in Europe and the U.S.; yet to date it has not been normed within a U.S. sample. A sample of 148 participants completed eight demographic questions, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder -­‐7 (GAD-­‐7), Patient Health Questionnaire -­‐9 (PHQ-­‐9), and YSQ-­‐S3 via Survey Monkey. Participants were classified into clinical and non-­‐clinical groups depending on responses to the GAD-­‐7, PHQ-­‐9, and demographic questions. YSQ-­‐S3 results were analyzed via SPSS 23.0 to conduct descriptive statistics, one-­‐way ANOVA, and exploratory analyses to test the …

Assessing Adult Attachment Using The Dynamic Maturational Model: Exploring A Novel Measure, Albert Pace

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

The Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) is perhaps the most widely used and best-known assessment tool for assessing adult attachment. Several methods for scoring and coding the AAI exist; the Dynamic Maturational Model of Attachment and Adaptation (DMM) offers one theoretical perspective that accounts for the dynamic nature of attachment in high-risk populations, and incorporates contemporary information processing theory (Crittenden, 2015a). Despite the AAI’s empirical and clinical power, its utilization in both clinical and research practice is time consuming and costly. Conversely, most self-report questionnaires are readily accessible, cost effective, and time efficient. Nevertheless, there has been concern regarding the psychometric …

Embedded Performance Measures Within The Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System, Daniel Olsen

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

It has become increasingly clear many patients do not manifest sufficient effort over the course of a neuropsychological evaluation (Horner, VanKirk, Dismuke, Turner, & Muzzy, 2014). While tests of memory and learning are considered to be the gold-standard in effort measurement, they are vulnerable to coaching (Bianchini, Greve, & Love, 2003). Fortunately, interest in assessing effort through other cognitive domains has grown over the last few years. In the current study, participants were divided into two groups, simulators and controls. All participants completed the Medical Symptom Validity Test (MSVT, Green, 2004), the Trail Making Test (TMT), the Verbal Fluency Test …

Factors That Affect Recidivism For Psychiatric Patients In Emergency Departments, Meghan Polits

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Hospital recidivism for suicimicidal, and psychiatric patients is a burden on the medical system due to the high cost associated with each visit. Factors affecting psychiatric patients in the Emergency Department (ED) in two rural hospitals in the Pacific Northwest were assessed using data routinely collected at intake in an effort to determine patient risk factors for repeat visits. Additionally, patients identified as repeat visitors were assessed for any significant differences in how quickly they were readmitted. Logistic regression results indicate having a diagnosis of a psychotic disorder or bipolar disorder, being uninsured or on Oregon Health Plan insurance (i.e., …

From Patient To Student Activation: Development Of The Student Activation Measure, Clinton J. Smith

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

The Patient Activation Measure (PAM) was constructed to measure a person’s knowledge, skill, and confidence for self-managing one’s healthcare, or “activation” (Hibbard, Stockard, Mahoney, & Tusler, 2004). The Student Activation Measure (SAM) extends this definition to secondary education. The SAM is a short, positively worded measure that is intended to guide intervention planning. Six hundred three students from two disparate high schools located in the Pacific Northwest completed the measure and an accompanying demographic questionnaire. The respective schools provided the students’ GPAs and attendance records. Using Rasch modeling, the SAM evidenced excellent reliability and construct validity. One-way ANOVAs with post …

Life After Bariatric Surgery: A Mixed-Method Analysis On Social Support And Quality Of Life, Caitlin M. Speck

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Obesity is often described as a national epidemic; bariatric surgery is one form of treatment that has become increasingly popular. Bariatric surgery is successful and many patients experience significant weight loss; however, many patients struggle to maintain their new weight. In an attempt to respond to the problem of weight loss maintenance, bariatric surgery programs are incorporating behavioral management-strategies in addition to typical program support. Support groups are often offered by bariatric surgery programs and are commonly focused around psychoeducation, behavioral strategies, and community support. This study provides a mixedmethod quantitative and qualitative analysis on life after bariatric surgery, primarily …

The Ontario Domestic Assault Risk Assessment (Odara): A Validation And Comparison Study For An Oregonian Law Enforcement Agency, Jennifer C. Ulmer

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

The predictive validity of intimate partner violence (IPV) risk measures continues to be a newer, but significant, area of research within the domain of violence risk assessment. This study describes local (Oregon) normative data for the ODARA (IPV risk measure) as well as investigate, for a specific law enforcement agency, which tool is a superior predictor for the agency, a general violence risk assessment tool, i.e., the LS-CMI (part one), or an !PY-specific risk tool, i.e., the ODARA. Archival data was obtained through a law enforcement agency's research department. Descriptive and comparative analysis was done for the ODARA and LS/CMI …

Narrative Identity Development For Novice Psychotherapists In Clinical Training, Dana Michelle Satterlee

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Abstract Narrative identity is “the internalized, evolving story of the self that each person crafts to provide his or her life with a sense of purpose and unity” (Adler, 2012, p. 367). This identity is distinct from the broad dispositional traits and the characteristic adaptations for contextualized behaviors. It provides the self with a sense of purpose, meaning, and unity across time and situations (McAdams & Olson, 2010). Researchers have developed ways of measuring innovative moments (IMs), or shifts in narrative identity that occur in psychotherapy. Researchers have also explored narrative identity processing as it seems to occur across the …

Moral Injury: Repair Through Self-Forgiveness, Joel J. Snider

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Prolonged and numerous deployments have caused military personnel to encounter a variety of stressors associated with combat. As a result, returning soldiers are commonly being identified as having posttraumatic stress disorder, which does not seem to fully account for the shame, guilt, negative self-cognitions, feelings of worthlessness, and sense of being unforgivable that veterans experience. The complexity of these issues is forcing health professionals to investigate alternative explanations. One explanation that has gained significant interest is the shame that is associated with the concept of moral injury. This study sought to investigate if a self-forgiveness intervention could moderate shame and …

Impact Of A Cognitive Behavioral Pain Management Group On Depression, Anxiety, Pain Severity, And Opioid Use In An Inpatient Population, Breanna Bocciolatt

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Chronic pain has significant, multifaceted effects on both the health care system and the individual. The total cost of pain to the U.S. healthcare system is estimated to be over $600 billion annually (Skinner, Wilson, & Turk, 2012). People with chronic pain may frequent multiple providers, often dominating the time and resources of healthcare professionals (Skinner et al., 2012). The approximately 100 million people with chronic pain miss work, experience financial distress, and strained relationships, which leads to comorbid psychological diagnoses (Birnie, McGrath, & Chambers, 2012). Pain treatment strategies have largely followed a biomedical framework, seeking to identify the source …

Effects Of Mindfulness Training On First Year Doctoral Students’ Therapeutic Relationships, Joel Simons

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

The quality of the relationship established between client and clinician during psychotherapy has been found to be a robust, common, and curative factor regardless of clinician theoretical orientation. The positive impact of therapeutic relationships remains distinct from technique and accounts for the greatest amount of therapeutic change that is within clinicians’ control. The growth of effective mindfulness-based treatments has led some to postulate that mindfulness may improve clinicians’ ability to establish positive therapeutic relationships. If that is true, then mindfulness practice may be particularly relevant to early clinical training when students are learning basic relational skills. This study examined the …

Faculty Attitudes About Multiculturalism Issues: A Longitudinal Analysis, Daniel T. Lemnen

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

The demographics of the United States continue to change, and the ethnical and cultural landscape changes along with it. The American Psychological Association (APA) has begun to address these issues within the field of psychology. These efforts are being made to bring understanding to ethnic identity formation, explore the dangers of ignoring ethnic differences (i.e., Sue, 2004; "invisibility of Whiteness"), and to highlight the necessity to develop views with diverse perspectives. This in part due to the recognition that there remain facets of our nation that remain generally ethnically homogenous (i.e., White). The university is one such place, and George …

The Relationship Among Identity Development, Sociocultural Ideals Of Beauty, And Self-Objectification Among Females In Early Adulthood, Hillary Lambert

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

The sexualization of women and girls in Western society has been widely studied and has been shown to contribute to a number of different negative outcomes for women, including eating disorders, depression, anxiety disorders, and low self-esteem. Two prominent theories have emerged to explain how sexualization leads to pathology. Sociocultural theory states that women internalize unrealistic ideals of beauty obtained through media outlets and interpersonal interactions. Likewise, self-objectification theory states that women are socialized to view themselves as objects to be evaluated and looked at by others and incorporate these ideals into their view of self. Because identity achievement is …

Implications For Sin And Psychology: An Investigative Study Of The Sin Awareness Scale, Keith A. Louwerse

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Though scientific psychology once attempted to distance itself from religious constructs, times have changed. It now seems clear that the clinical practice of psychology involves metaphysics as well as science (O'donohue, 1989, Jones, 1994). Recent research also shows significant relationships between religion, spirituality and health (Hill and Pargament, 2003, Richards and Bergin, 2005). Yet the body of psycho logy and scholarship largely overlooks the study of sin. As a result, there is a shocking absence of measurement tools for research on perceptions of sin. What are the psychological implications of a Christian view of sin? Before studying the religious notion …

You Say You're Happy, But You Look So Sad: A Study Of Incongruent Emotional Expressions, Jennifer K. Brogan

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Since the 1930s, various versions of the Stroop interference task have been used to illuminate how the mind processes information. Over the past 10 years it has been applied to emotion recognition processing in increasingly complex, competing expressions. Koch (2006) used competing emotion words and faces and found the words produced interference in identifying the facial emotion, particularly when they were incongruent and the eyes were removed. Continuing the research studying how emotions are processed toward more natural situations, an emotion recognition Stroop test of simultaneous emotional facial pictures and spoken emotional words was presented in 600 randomized congruent, incongruent, …

Screening For Mental Health Issues: Past Training And Current Practice Ofphysical Therapists, Amy E. K. Aadland

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Given the prevalence of mental health issues in the United States, increased screening measures are necessary to identify and treat individuals affected by mental health disorders. Literature indicates comorbidity between chronic pain, making those who experience chronic pain good candidates for focused screening efforts. Physical therapists are potential screeners since they frequently treat individuals with chronic pain. A survey sent to physical therapists to assess their previous training and attitudes towards mental health issues in the physical therapy environment indicated that the mental health of a patient played a role in the success of physical therapy. Previous training also played …

The Persistence Of Sleep Disturbance In Children Evaluated For Autism Spectrum Disorders: Predictive Factors And The Impact Of Co-Occurring Diagnoses, Celeste Elana Flachsbart

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Mounting research suggests that children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and other clinical diagnoses demonstrate a higher prevalence of sleep problems than typically-developing children. Additionally, sleep problems are related to a number of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral concerns in pediatric populations. Limited research exists comparing sleep problems in children with ASDs with sleep problems in other clinical populations, or exploring the length of these sleep problems.

The current study sought to explore the development and improvement of sleep problems over one year, as well as predictors to help identify children at high risk for persistent sleep problem. Impact of age, …

Investigation Of Motivations And Supports For Continued Foster Parenting, Rebekah Cline

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Recent research notes that foster parents, particularly in Oregon, are difficult to retain past a period of eight months. Further, the average stay in the foster care system for a child in Oregon is fourteen months, necessitating an average of two moves during that time for the majority of foster children. Despite this concern, there remains a limited body of literature addressing the problem of increasing foster parents' tenure. The literature that is available notes that the more frequently a child has to move foster homes the greater the likelihood that they will develop mental illnesses such as PTSD. In …

An Exploration Of The Differences In Psychology Faculty And Graduate Students' Participation In Mental Health Legislation And Barriers To Advocacy, Jennifer Marie Gronholt

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

There has been limited investigation into the reasons why, despite positive attitudes toward the concept of activism, psychologists do not frequently participate in advocacy of professional issues. The purpose of this study is to explore the differences between faculty and graduate student participation in legislative advocacy and to identify the barriers to participation in advocacy in general for both faculty and graduate students. Graduate students and faculty members from psychology graduate programs affiliated with the National Council of Schools of Professional Psychology (NCSPP) were asked to participate in an email survey. Faculty members were found to participate more frequently than …

Adolescent Values And Exercise Behaviors, Kameron C. Dill

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

In recent decades, there has been a significant increase in adolescent obesity in America (Mayo Clinic, 2006). Given this, there is a corresponding need to develop targeted adolescent obesity interventions. The current study examined how a psychosocially based intervention impacted adolescents' perceived value, frequency, and amount of exercise. Participants included 55 adolescents, (28 male, 26 female) ranging in age from 15-18. Separated by class, the three groups included one control group and two separate intervention groups. All groups completed an Exercise Checklist (Anshel, 2006), measuring the value, :frequency, and amount of exercise prior to any intervention. Classes then received different …

Attitudes And Practices Of Clergy Members In Rural And Urban Areas, Susan Dutcher

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

As mental health professionals become increasingly aware of the importance of religious values to clients there should be attempts not only to incorporate religion therapeutically but also to develop effective alliances with religious experts, in particular, members of the clergy. Since clergy are often on the frontlines of mental health issues, further research regarding referral patterns and collaboration is necessary. Clergy may be especially important in mental health care for rural communities where there is often a lack of adequate mental health resources and limited education surrounding mental health problems. The purpose of this study encompassed several different objectives. First, …

Bullying Cognitions Through Identification With Fictional Characters, Joe Dunham Wood Iii

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

There has been a wealth of research in the past decade on workplace bullying. Issues such as how to define workplace bullying, the prevalence of bullying behaviors cross-culturally, the process of bullying and the impact of bullying on individuals and organizations have been studied and debated. The majority of the focus has been from the point of view of the victim. In contrast, little research exists documenting the phenomenon of workplace bullying from the viewpoint of the perpetrator. This study offers insight into bullying cognition and motivation through inferences given by subjects after watching a series of video clips containing …

Stanford-Binet Profile Differences Between Normative Children And Those With Learning Disabilities Or Adhd, Seth Michael Tippin

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

The prevalence oflearning disorders (LD) and attention-deficit disorders (ADHD) in school-aged children has received a great deal of interest for decades. The history, defining characteristics and methods of assessment remain relevant as many school-aged children continue to receive these diagnoses. The assessment of LD and ADHD can be a difficult and time-consuming process which involves numerous testing instruments and clinical interviews. Both diagnoses typically require intelligence testing, achievement testing, personality assessment and behavioral or syndrome specific testing. The current study sought to develop subtest profiles for the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale, Fifth Edition that would serve to streamline the assessment battery …

Influencing Adaptive Functioning In School-Age Children: Implementation And Program Evaluation Of The Coping Power Program, Aaron Russell

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Up to 20% of children have a diagnosable mental disorder, but only a small percentage of them actually receive treatment. The developmental trajectory of psychopathology suggests that children who show early signs of behavioral or emotional problems are likely to experience a continual increase in those problems as they grow. Caregivers, attempting to seek assistance for their children, must often navigate a complex mental health maze, obtain funding for treatment and negotiate additional treatment barriers. School-based interventions can remove many of these potential treatment barriers. Coping Power (CP), a school-based Empirically Supported Treatment (EST) intervention created by Lochman, Wells, and …