Clinical Psychology Commons^™

Predictors Of Outpatient Follow-Up Attendance And Subsequent Psychiatric Readmission, Sandra J. Beltran

Theses and Dissertations

Psychiatric readmissions remain a persistent challenge in mental health care, often reflecting gaps in continuity of treatment following discharge. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (2019) indicated that a key component in preventing inpatient readmission is adequate outpatient care following discharge. Moreover, early attendance in outpatient follow-up visits is associated with improved patient outcomes (Boston Medical Center, 2022). Various predictors are associated with engagement in outpatient services, such as age, medication compliance, and socioeconomic variables (Carson et al., 2014; Li et al., 2005; Marino et al., 2016; Stubbs et al., 2024).

The present study sought to determine whether psychiatric …

Parent Perspectives On Contemporary Adolescent Concerns, Allyson Worthy

Theses and Dissertations

Adolescence is a critical developmental period that marks the transition between childhood and adulthood. Psychopathology is known to emerge during this time, in which many internalizing and externalizing disorders have their onset. The assessment of adolescent psychopathology involves use of questionnaire measures to obtain perspectives from the adolescent themselves, their parents, and their teachers. Parents have been found to be especially important informants of adolescent functioning. With new challenges that arise for present-day adolescents (e.g., social media use), parents can provide insight into the different areas that need to be evaluated when assessing domains of contemporary adolescents’ development and psychopathology. …

Eeg And Media Multitasking: Adhd As A Moderating Factor, Xiaoying Guo

Theses and Dissertations

Media use has become an integral part of everyday life. It has risen dramatically over the past century with the advent of television, computers, and digital platforms, and more recently, it has been characterized by individuals using multiple devices simultaneously (Bushman & Anderson, 2001; Nielsen Media Research, 1998; Rideout & Robb, 2019, 2021). Media multitasking (MMT) has been linked to cognitive control challenges and attentional difficulties. This study examined EEG workload (Fz theta/Pz alpha ratio), survey accuracy, and ADHD traits (ASRS v1.1) in 33 adult participants across baseline and single-versus dual-media conditions. Results indicated that mental workload was significantly higher …

Depression-Related Impairment During The Transition To College: Informing Prevention Efforts Using A Prospective Cohort Study, Nicole A. Kelso

Theses and Dissertations

Depression is a major public health concern in higher education. With college mental health counseling centers struggling to meet the high demand for services, there is a critical need to refine and expand prevention efforts. The first semester as a new postsecondary institution may be an important window for prevention efforts as students are adjusting to new academic and social challenges. This dissertation has three primary aims. Study 1 aims to improve identification of students in greatest need of preventive care and allocation of limited prevention resources. Study 2 seeks to refine understanding of etiological processes contributing to depression during …

The Relationship Between Cognitive Status And Personality In Persons With And Without Dementia: Age And Gender Influences, Molly Berg

Theses and Dissertations

Within the aging population, dementia, a neurodegenerative disease that greatly impairs cognition and daily functioning, has become more prevalent and a worldwide concern. An important aspect of detection of dementia is assessment of cognition, including use of cognitive screening instruments. Assessing factors that influence cognition and dementia, such as age and gender differences, is an important line of research. Personality has also demonstrated a relationship to dementia risk and performance across several cognitive domains. This study examined the influences of age and gender on the association between cognition and personality in individuals with and without dementia. Data was collected from …

Registered Nurses' Autism Knowledge And Preparedness To Care For Autistic Patients, Bronte Elisa Weissman

Theses and Dissertations

Autistic individuals frequently report negative experiences during healthcare interactions and numerous provider-level barriers to accessing quality care, including stereotyping, perceived lack of autism knowledge, challenges with communication, and insufficient accommodations. Reports of healthcare providers’ experiences caring for autistic patients in the U.S. have largely come from physicians, who endorse inadequate training, resources, and practical guidelines. Although patients spend far more time with nurses than other healthcare providers, registered nurses (RNs)’ perspectives on caring for autistic patients in the U.S. are largely unknown and autism-focused trainings for nurses are minimal. In the current study, a survey was nationally disseminated to a …

Older Adult Men’S Well-Being: The Impact Of Masculinity And Negative Perceptions Of Aging, Darby D. Mackenstadt

Theses and Dissertations

Stereotype embodiment theory states that individuals who hold negative aging stereotypes may internalize them, and thus view their own aging process as negative. This study aimed to evaluate how older adult men may be influenced by their adherence to masculinity standards, such as men are expected to be strong and independent, in older adulthood. A sample of 438 men aged 55 and older living in the southern United States was analyzed, finding that beliefs of masculinity moderated the relationship between negative perceptions of aging and depression. Participants who reported a high adherence to masculinity beliefs and a negative perception of …

“It Just Builds Character”: Building The Bullying Myths Scale, Jessica Weiss Utley

Theses and Dissertations

Approximately 20% of American children and adolescents report being victims of bullying each year (Irwin et al., 2022). Bullying victimization is linked to serious behavioral and psychological outcomes, like depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicide (e.g., Chou et al., 2020; John et al., 2018; Mulder et al., 2017; Schoeler et al., 2018). Despite these sobering data, misconceptions continue to portray bullying as a normal part of growing up, that it is trivial in nature, and that some kids deserve to be bullied (Dawes et al., 2022; Kulig et al., 2008). This study tested the validity and efficacy of the Bullying Myths …

Measuring Emotional Biases In Attention And Memory In Individuals Who Fear Happiness, Michael R. Gallagher

Theses and Dissertations

A central goal in contemporary clinical science is to measure emotionally driven factors of psychopathology through cognitive experimental methods. However, limitations in previous experimental paradigms have led to a lack of sensitivity and reliability in measuring the biased processing of positive and negative information. Additionally, these biases have not been investigated in individuals who fear happiness. Therefore, this study examined the unique relations between attention and memory biases of emotional stimuli and fear of happiness scores. A more sensitive experimental paradigm tracked eye positions while participants viewed faces over time to measure tendencies to attend to emotional content. A memory …

My Grandparents Raised Me: The Role Of Formative Individual And Family Experiences In Predicting Emerging Adult Substance Use, Attachment, And Mental Health Outcomes, Acacia Lopez

Theses and Dissertations

Individuals raised in a grandfamily, or family structure in which a grandparent raises their grandchildren, experience higher rates of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), insecure attachment, and negative mental health outcomes during childhood. Literature on outcomes of these individuals across the lifespan is extremely limited, however, and it is unclear how formative individual and family experiences of being raised by grandparents carry into emerging adulthood (e.g., 18 to 25-years-old). Emerging adulthood is a developmental stage marked by significant instability and unpredictability that is linked with increased vulnerability to mental health concerns and substance use. It has been identified as an important …

In Good Times & Bad: Measuring Ambivalence In Custodial Grandparents, Marin Gail Olson

Theses and Dissertations

Like other forms of caregivers, custodial grandparents experience both the joys and trials of raising their grandchildren. This culmination of positive and negative feelings is called “caregiver ambivalence." It has only recently been studied in relation to caregiver burden and wellness in the form of caregiver ambivalence theory (CAT). By collecting data from approximately 395 custodial grandparents via an online survey, the current study aimed to test if custodial grandparents’ feelings of burden influence their perceived well-being and if feelings of ambivalence mediate this relation. Implications of this research include identifying areas of strength and growth within custodial grandparents and …

Autism Care Continuum: Exploring Specialty Services Across The Lifespan Within U.S. Academic Medical Centers, Alexis Khuu

Theses and Dissertations

Autistic people—particularly adults—experience high rates of co-occurring mental health problems and often report unmet service needs. Although several barriers to accessing quality care are well-documented, the broader landscape of autism-specific services across the lifespan remains under-researched. This two-part thesis aimed to address this gap by examining the availability of autism-specific services, as well as patterns in service utilization and associated costs, among autistic children and adults. The first study employed a systematic web-scraping protocol and data extraction procedure to identify and characterize autism specialty services offered by U.S. academic medical centers. This work revealed a general lack of autism specialty …

Investigating The Ecology Of The Homeless Court: The Promise Of Quasi-Experimental And Statistical Learning Methods, Dylan Wong

Theses and Dissertations

Interactions with the legal system are a crucial factor in maintaining homelessness. Difficulties in addressing legal issues are barriers to accessing services and finding employment and housing. Across the United States, the homeless court is an emerging legal program that has been developed to break this cycle, but they appear to face numerous capacity and coordination problems. Few empirical and systematic investigations have been conducted on homeless court programs. Further, previous studies of homeless courts focus their process and outcome measures on the priorities of the legal system. An investigation into the ecology, or environmental context, of homeless persons would …

Investigating Individual Variability In Autistic Identity And Its Moderating Effects On Mental Health And Quality Of Life, Sydney Richelle Terroso

Theses and Dissertations

The autistic community has long voiced the mental health of autistic adults as a key clinical and research priority. Autistic identity, or the recognition and embrace of core autistic traits as integral to an individual's identity as a whole, may be a potential target for therapeutic approaches aimed at supporting well-being and quality of life. The current study investigates individual differences in self-reported autistic identity scores by demographic factors and by features of autism and health history using online survey data from N=225 autistic adults. Additionally, with a subset of the participants who completed an interconnected study of current mental …

Social Comparison Target Selections As Health Information Preferences: Exploring Contextual Influences Among Women In Midlife With Elevated Risk For Cardiovascular Disease, Emmanuel Lapitan

Theses and Dissertations

Insufficient physical activity (PA) heightens the risk of chronic illnesses including cardiovascular disease (CVD), particularly among women in midlife with conditions such as hypertension. Behavioral interventions often use psychoeducation and skills training to increase PA, but how individuals interact with health-relevant information and how this relates to daily PA behavior is unclear. Health information preferences vary between individuals, but whether they vary for the same individual across contexts has been understudied. In particular, the role of contextual factors in predicting social comparison (i.e., evaluating oneself relative to others to obtain information about oneself) are not well understood. The purpose of …

Adapting A Personalized Normative Feedback Intervention For Graduate Student Drinkers, Faith Shank

Theses and Dissertations

On average, graduate students consume eight drinks per week, meeting criteria for heavy drinking and highlighting the need for a cost-effective intervention. The current study examined the efficacy of personalized normative feedback (PNF) for reducing heavy drinking in graduate students. Study 1 examined the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention content to inform a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of the intervention. Results from qualitative interviews with 13 graduate students who interacted with the intervention content preferred to receive feedback about peers enrolled in the same type of degree program. Study 2 was an RCT using PNF from peers with the …

Relations Among Racism-Related Stress, Anxiety, Spirituality And Mindfulness In Black Sexual Minority Men, Kainaat Anwar

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract Kainaat Anwar RELATIONS AMONG RACISM-RELATED STRESS, ANXIETY, SPIRITUALITY AND MINDFULNESS IN BLACK SEXUAL MINORITY MEN 2021-2022 Jonathan Mathias Lassiter, Ph.D. Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology Black sexual minority men’s experiences of racism and anxiety have not been documented extensively in the literature. There is also a paucity of research exploring protective factors that can mitigate the effects of racial stress on anxiety in BSMM. Therefore, this study looked at the potential moderating effects of spirituality and mindfulness on the relationship between racism-related stress and anxiety in BSMM. Participants completed measures regarding socio-demographics, racism-related stress, anxiety symptoms, mindfulness and …

Exploring Virtual Group Acceptance And Commitment Therapy Format On Participation Of Parents Of Children With Autism, Abigail Owen

Theses and Dissertations

Parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and co-occurring challenging behavior (e.g., aggression, self-injury, property destruction) experience higher rates of anxiety, depression, and poor overall well-being. Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), which encourages psychological flexibility, is an effective intervention for addressing well-being in this population when presented in various formats. Despite its potential to increase accessibility and improve social connectedness for parents, time commitment may impact parents’ willingness to participate in virtual ACT group interventions. The current study examined parents’ participation in and perceived acceptability of 6 hrs of virtual ACT groups in three different formats: a 6-hr workshop, …

Examining Components Of The Interpersonal Psychological Theory Of Suicide In A Clinical Sample Of Children With Suicidal Thoughts And Behaviors, Alana Brixner Nunes

Theses and Dissertations

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among 10- to 14-year-olds. Despite a need to identify risk factors for suicide among children, there is limited research on suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs) in childhood. The interpersonal psychological theory of suicide (IPTS) suggests that the desire for suicide emerges from perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness and that the transition from suicide ideation (SI) to a suicide attempt (SA) results from an acquired capability for suicide. However, no research has examined whether the IPTS applies to suicidal thoughts and behaviors among children. The present research examined components of the IPTS in …

The Benefits Of Fantasy Book When Used As A Coping Measure Against Interpersonal Conflict In Hispanic College Women, Ruby Kaitlynn Tijerina

Theses and Dissertations

High mental health disparities among Hispanic individuals have been well-documented. One potential contributing factor to mental health challenges is interpersonal conflict, which is prevalent among Hispanic young adults. Effective interventions are needed to treat psychological symptoms associated with interpersonal conflict, and one possible approach is bibliotherapy via fantasy fiction reading. This study examined the therapeutic benefits of fantasy fiction reading compared to self-help and scholarly reading materials among 109 Hispanic college women. Participants attended two lab sessions scheduled one week apart. In Session 1, self-report measures and a reading assignment were administered to participants, while in Session …

Exploring The Relationship Between Suicidal Behavior And Obesity Among Young Hispanic Adults In The United States, Nadeen Salhadar

Theses and Dissertations

The rates of obesity and suicidal behavior have continued to increase over the years among young adults in the United States. Previous research has indicated a relationship between obesity and suicidal behavior, primarily among women, yet minimal research has been done to examine factors that explain this relationship (i.e., mediators). This study investigated the role of depression, body dissatisfaction, body shame and guilt, insomnia, physical health, and social anxiety on obesity and suicidal ideation among 209 college-aged Latina women. The researcher hypothesized that there would be an indirect relationship between obesity and suicidal behavior through multiple variables. Mediation analyses via …

The Impact Of Sibling Sexual Abuse On Parenting Stress, Giuliana Berry

Theses and Dissertations

Sibling sexual abuse is the most common yet least reported, treated, and studied manifestation of child sexual abuse (Bertele & Talmon, 2023; Caffaro & Conn-Caffaro, 2005; Krienert & Walsh, 2011; O’Brien, 1991). It is a particularly challenging form of intrafamilial sexual abuse for parents and caregivers because their children are both the victim and the perpetrator of the abuse. They struggle to balance the needs of both children (Duane et al., 2002; Tener et al., 2020) and may experience heightened stress and associated psychological difficulties. Parenting stress is linked to child and adolescent posttraumatic stress and internalizing and externalizing problem …

Contingency Management For Opioid Use Disorder Buprenorphine Treatment Engagement: 3-Month Outcomes, Shelby Renee Goodwin

Theses and Dissertations

Individuals with opioid use disorder exhibit difficulty sustaining prolonged buprenorphine treatment engagement. Contingency management (CM; incentives) may serve to increase the reinforcing value of treatment itself, but most buprenorphine CM studies delivered incentives more frequently than in typical outpatient practice. This study sought to compare CM with treatment as usual (TAU; regular clinic procedures) in visit attendance and adherence (defined as urine samples positive for buprenorphine and negative for other opioids) in new outpatients at a hospital opioid treatment clinic. Participants (46 per group) were randomized to either CM or TAU and monitored by medical record for 12 weeks; for …

Daily Pain Experiences And Coping Approaches Among Women In Midlife With Elevated Risk For Cardiovascular Disease, Laura Travers

Theses and Dissertations

Millions of adults experience significant pain each year, costing individuals and our economy millions of dollars in lost productivity and negatively impacting quality of life. Pain is more common among women than men and is a known barrier to women’s physical activity (PA) engagement. Yet, PA helps manage pain and buffer against conditions such as cardiovascular disease (CVD). For women in midlife with CVD risk factors (e.g., hypertension), little is known about daily pain fluctuation and the coping skills employed to manage pain. The current study examined daily pain and pain coping experiences among women ages 40-60 with one or …

Examining Risk Factors For Comorbidity Between Posttraumatic Stress Disorder And Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder In A Sample Of Trauma-Exposed Transgender Adults, Dylan Seeley

Theses and Dissertations

Comorbid PTSD-OCD post trauma exposure is understudied. Little research examines specific risk factors and marginalized populations. This study examined gender-based victimization, emotional avoidance, and executive functioning as risk factors. Findings suggest gender-based victimization is a unique gender minority stressor that may pose significant risk for transgender populations.

Emotional Flooding: Examining Associations With Family Of Origin Violence And The Mediating Role Of Attentional Bias To Threat, Rachel Zukerman

Theses and Dissertations

Emotional flooding, or the experience of partner negative affect as intensely disorganizing and overwhelming, has recently emerged as an important variable in predicting maladaptive relationship behaviors, including intimate partner violence (IPV). However, not much is known about risk factors for flooding beyond qualities of the interpersonal interaction. While flooding depends on the experience of intense partner negative emotion, some individuals may vary regarding their propensities to feel flooded in a relatively stable way, and therefore may be more likely to engage in destructive relationship behaviors. Theory and research suggest that family violence negatively impacts emotional processing by increasing emotional arousal …

Predicting Dysfunctional Anger Through Irrational Beliefs And Maladaptive Schemas: A Mixed Methods Analysis, Katharine Downing Romero

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the complex relationship between irrational beliefs, maladaptive schemas, and anger using validated quantitative methods and a novel Articulated Thoughts in Simulated Situations (ATSS) paradigm. An investigation involving 170 participants from student and general populations used text-based scenarios to induce anger, revealing significant associations between expressed irrational beliefs, early maladaptive schemas, trait anger, and general anger dysfunction. While irrational beliefs were not significantly linked to induced anger levels in this non-clinical population, state anger increased the strength of the relationship between anger outcomes and early maladaptive schemas, suggesting that heightened emotional states may amplify schema impact on anger …

The Moderating Effect Of Age Group On Patterns Of Change In Ptsd Symptom Clusters During Trauma-Focused Cognitivebehavioral Therapy, Alyssa Nicole Williamson

Theses and Dissertations

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders—5th Edition (DSM-V) includes four symptom clusters that compose Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)-- Re-Experiencing, Avoidance, Negative Alterations in Cognitions and Mood ("Cognitive Mood"), and Hyperarousal (American Psychological Association, 2013). In response to findings that PTSD often presents differently in children and adolescents than in adults, the DSM-V now includes developmental considerations for diagnosis (e.g., Cohen et al., 2010; Scheeringa et al., 2012). As research on pediatric PTSD has grown, Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT; Cohen et al., 2016) has emerged as the most empirically supported intervention for reducing PTSD symptoms, anxiety, depression, and behavioral …

Role Of Self-Forgiveness, Self-Compassion, And Self-Acceptance On Psychological Well-Being And Adjustment In Divorced People, Augustine Ifeanyi Umeatuegbu

Theses and Dissertations

Divorce is becoming a new normal, yet individuals may question their self-worth. Existing research reveals that divorce and separation are associated with negative psychological and physical consequences. This study investigated the relationship between self-constructs (self-forgiveness, self-acceptance/self-condemnation, self-compassion) and Psychological well-being among divorced people. Each of these aspects of the self is thought to lead to disturbance. However, the relationship of these concepts to each other, which has a unique influence on psychopathology and well-being, was tested. The current study sampled 270 adults from social media/online and prolific platforms, who completed scales measuring each of the self-constructs and depression, anger at …

Examining The Impact Of Clinicians’ Traditional Beliefs Onend-Of-Life Care Communication, Alexandra Spinelli

Theses and Dissertations

Effective end-of-life communication is essential to patient-centered care, shaping treatment decisions, family well-being, and overall care quality. While patients’ traditional beliefs are often cited as barriers to quality end-of-life care, less is known about how clinicians’ own beliefs affect their communication efficacy and distress tolerance. This study examined how traditional beliefs—specifically those about death and dying (e.g., avoidance of direct discussion due to taboos), emotional expression (e.g., viewing emotion as dangerous or controllable), and filial piety (e.g., respect and deference to elders)—relate to clinicians’ distress intolerance during end-of-life communication. It also tested whether self-efficacy mediates or moderates these relationships. A …