Clinical Psychology Commons^™

Effectiveness Of Psychotherapy For Youth In Poverty: A Benchmarking Study Of A Public Behavioral Health Agency Using A Client Feedback System, Jonathan Kodet

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a public behavioral health (PBH) agency that had implemented continuous outcome feedback as a quality improvement strategy.

Method: I investigated the pre-post treatment outcomes of 4,389 ethnically diverse youths (6 to 17 years old) at or under the poverty line participating in treatment (from January 2008 to March 2014) for a broad range of primary diagnoses including depression and anxiety disorders (23%); adjustment disorders (27%); Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (13%), various V-codes (18%); bipolar disorders (3%); and substance use disorders (2%). I also investigated the treatment outcomes …

Assessment Of Phonological And Orthographic Differences In Adults With Reading Disabilities, Christina P. Hyers Mrs.

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

There is debate surrounding how to effectively identify and distinguish reading disabilities from other deficits in college populations. Although several theories have proposed a positive relationship between nonword decoding weaknesses and higher intelligence levels, currently there is no conclusive evidence supporting these claims. The primary purpose of the current study was to determine if individuals of diverging levels of verbal intellectual functioning display profile differences with regard to accuracy for spelling and single word reading of regular words and nonwords. Identifying the specific deficits displayed in populations with reading disabilities assists in formulating interventions targeted at areas of weakness and …

Naturalistic Clinical Decision Making By Emergency Department Staff And The Assignment Of Categorical Suicide Risk Ratings Within An Urban Veteran Population, Gerd R. Naydock

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The ability to comprehensively and effectively identify those individuals who are at greatest risk to engage in self-directed violence (SDV) forms the cornerstone for all professional suicide prevention activities. To that end, mental health professionals have come to rely on the use of risk stratification to identify at-risk individuals as a way to inform and guide risk management and treatment, without having the benefit of empirical evidence to support such practices. The current program evaluation examined archival data comprised of suicide risk assessments conducted by mental health professionals on suicidal veterans (N = 1,560) in the emergency department of a …

A Study On The Personality Characteristics Of Dreamers, Joshua Lambert

Masters Theses

Nightmares are frightening dreams that cause the dreamer to wake, with the events that occur within the nightmare well remembered after awakening. There are those who experience nightmares frequently (at least one nightmare a week). While studying nightmares, Hartmann (1989, 1991) theorized a distinct personality trait he referred to as boundaries of the mind, and conceptualized a boundary continuum ranging from thin boundaries to thick boundaries. Those with thin boundaries were hypothesized to express permeability between cognitive processes, whereas those with thick boundaries are thought to better separate cognitive processes. Those who experience frequent nightmares are typically shown to report …

Cyber-Victimization, Depression, And Social Anxiety Among College Students, Kenna L. Mager

Masters Theses

Cyber-victimization, a new form of bullying, emerged with the development and evolution of technology. Recent research shows discrepancies in cyber-victimization definitions and there are inconsistencies of methods used to measure cyber-victimization. This paper reviewed the literature on cyber-victimization and developed a new scale to measure cyber-victimization with the intention of making cyber-victimization research more consistent. The current study examined known correlates of cyber-victimization (e.g., depression and social anxiety) in a sample of college students using the newly developed measure. The current study also explored the moderating role of social support in the relationship between cyber-victimization and depression, as well as …

Moral Judgments Of Differing Transgressions & The Influence Of Willingness To Seek Counseling & Religiosity, Marni Naleway

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine how moral judgments differ towards substance abusers and unfaithful spouses. Furthermore, the study compared judgments regarding the gender of the transgressor, the transgressor's willingness to go to counseling, and the participant's level of religiosity. Participants in the study were provided with a scenario describing a substance abuse transgression or an infidelity transgression followed by a survey of questions inquiring about their judgments towards the transgressor. Results indicated individuals judge a transgressor more harshly in an infidelity transgression compared to a substance abuse transgression. Results also indicated a gender bias between transgressions as …

Behavioral Health Among Asian American And Pacific Islanders: The Impact Of Acculturation And Receipt Of Behavioral Health Services On Depression And Anxiety, Mari E. Yamamoto

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

Behavioral health models improve access to mental health care by integrating psychology and medicine. While integrated care is supported among the general population, less research focuses on the model with Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs). AAPIs are low treatment-seeking due to various barriers (e.g., limited English proficiency, stigma, insurance) and acculturation stressors. Using hierarchical linear modeling, this study examined longitudinal depression (PHQ-9) and anxiety (GAD-7) growth trajectories among AAPIs within a behavioral health model and the moderating impact of acculturation and frequency of behavioral health visits. The best fitting model was from a sample who (N = 354; …

Adaptive Functioning Deficits And Internalizing Problems In Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Hayley A. Dauterman

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

The current study assessed whether deficits in adaptive functioning skills mediated the association between diagnostic status and internalizing symptoms in young children with and without an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis. Participants included 70 children, 26 with ASD and 44 who were typically developing (TD), between the ages of 3:0 and 6:11 years. Parent reports of children’s adaptive functioning skills were collected for the following constructs: functional communication, social skills, self-help skills, and independence. Additionally, parent and teacher reports of children’s internalizing symptoms were obtained. Results indicated that diagnostic status significantly predicted parent reported internalizing symptoms such that the ASD …

Differential Parenting And Parents' Perceptions Of Their Children: Can Attachment Help Explain This Relationship?, Meagan Mcswiggan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research has suggested that the differential experiences of children in the same family were often greater than those of children across different families. Although studies identified potential moderators (e.g., age, gender) associated with differential parenting, there has been less investigation of mediators. The current study examined attachment as a mediator in the relationship between differential parenting and parents' perceptions of their children. As part of this study, 132 culturally diverse mothers with children who ranged in age from 2- to 10-years rated how differently they treat their own children, their children's attachment, their parenting characteristics, and their children's functioning (i.e., …

Temperament, Emotion Regulation, And Distress Tolerance As Related Correlates Of Psychological Symptoms, Catherine Pearte

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Researchers have postulated that those with difficult temperament are at risk for difficulties with regulating emotions, are less tolerant of distressing stimuli, have characteristic difficulty coping with distress, and are (at some periods of development) more apt to experience clinically significant psychological symptoms. This study used exploratory factor analyses and structural equation modeling to compose and test a model that explained how emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and coping skills interact to explain how certain temperament features translate into psychological symptoms. Because those with difficult temperament were thought to be at a unique risk for psychological maladjustment, mean-based criterion were used …

Using Technology In The Treatment Of Selective Mutism: The Incorporation Of Mobile Applications, Brian Bunnell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Selective mutism (SM) is a diagnosis marked by withdrawal of speech in certain social situations. The treatment of SM is often a difficult and lengthy process and there are many barriers to successful intervention. Behavioral therapy is most effective in the treatment of SM and the addition of therapeutic activities such as games and mobile devices may provide distinct advantages to this treatment (i.e., decreased patient anxiety levels and more active engagement). The current investigation examined the utility of mobile applications during the behavioral treatment of SM as well as the effect of using mobile applications on child-reported and physiological …

Stand-Alone Personalized Normative Feedback For College Student Drinkers: A Meta-Analytic Review, 2004 To 2014, Keri Dotson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Personalized normative feedback (PNF) has shown promise as a stand-alone intervention for reducing alcohol use among college students. PNF uses norms clarification to correct drinking norms misperceptions by highlighting discrepancies between personal alcohol use, perceived peer alcohol use, and actual peer alcohol use. Previous reviews of personalized feedback interventions have identified norms clarification as key a component, prompting researchers to study PNF as a single-component intervention for college drinking. As the number of publications focused on PNF effectiveness has increased in recent years, an empirical review of these studies is warranted to assess the potential impact of PNF as a …

Undergraduate Catholic Lesbians: The Intersection Of Religious And Sexual Aspects Of Identity, Christina Marie Chestna

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The following is a qualitative study designed to shed light on the experiences of undergraduate Catholic lesbians. The study focused on the unique ways in which these women negotiate the intersection of the religious and sexual aspects of their identities. Research shows that religious and sexual aspects of identity often conflict. In-depth research aimed specifically at the negotiation of religious and sexual identity dimensions is needed. In this study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with undergraduate Catholic lesbians who had the opportunity to speak about the ways in which they negotiate the potentially conflicting religious and sexual aspects of their identities. …

Personhood & Parenthood: An Experiential Account Of Balance & Well-Being, Venice Bruno

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Parents are constantly engaging in a balancing act, weighing their own needs with those of their children and family. Helping parents navigate the role of parenthood can promote optimal development in the child, parent, couple and family. Parents engage in various roles and responsibilities essential for family and individual well-being that require balance in order to be effective. Past research on balance has indicated that people are more satisfied with life when they are active in multiple life domains rather than in a single one. This study is interested in two specific life domains: personhood and parenthood, and how parents …

Therapeutic Horseback Riding With Military Veterans: Perspectives Of Riders, Instructors, And Volunteers, Leslie Lafleur

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Statistics reveal that over 353,000 military members have been diagnosed with PTSD and/or TBI resulting from war-related activities. With the rising number of war stress injuries, there have not been enough psychotherapeutic services to meet the current demand for the care of returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan. Although some intervention strategies have been deemed successful, the current standards of care (e.g., exposure therapy, cognitive therapy) are limited by training inadequacies, accessibility, and outcomes (e.g., retention, early drop out, resistance, non-responsiveness). Furthermore, it is unclear whether these treatments are efficacious in addressing the unique symptom presentations of this population. The …

A Model For A Haitian Comprehensive Community Mental Health Center: An Accounting, Corey Gifford

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Haiti is the poorest country in the Western hemisphere. Mental health resources are minimal and in need of further development. The goal of this dissertation project was to develop a model for a comprehensive outpatient Community Mental Health Center (CMHC) in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. It was both critical and essential that the development of a CMHC be considered within the sociopolitical and economic context of Haiti. As such, this project first examined relevant information regarding Haitian geography, poverty, government, and culture. Within this context, the impact of the 2010 earthquake was considered. This context was then used to consider relevant literature, …

Loneliness And Perceived Stigmatization Among Older Adults Enrolled In Opiate Substitution Treatment Programs And The Utilization Of Mental Health Services, Jennifer B. Armstrong

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Little research has examined the role that loneliness and perceived stigmatization play in the decision to seek mental health services among older adults enrolled in opiate substitution treatment. Researchers studying this at-risk population have called for more studies to examine services that can be implemented within current opiate substitution treatment settings. This study advances research in the field by utilizing standardized self-report measures to examine the relationship between loneliness, perceived stigmatization, and the impact of said variables on the utilization of available mental health services among older adults enrolled in opiate substitution treatment programs. Ninety-four 50-71-year-old adults from an opiate …

Fostering Connections: Group Therapy For Young Women Aging Out Of Foster Care, Meaghan Elizabeth Pilling

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The following dissertation outlines a group intervention designed to improve the relational and mental health of female emerging adults who have aged out of foster care. It is argued through review of the literature that emerging adulthood is a unique developmental phase in which relational connections are vital to successful transition to adulthood. Female emerging adults who have aged out of foster care frequently lack these social supports; their isolation renders them particularly vulnerable to psychological and interpersonal problems. Therefore, a mentoring component might be valuable to this population and is included in the current intervention. Included in the following …

Women Between The Ages Of 65 And 75: What Is Their Subjective Experience Of How Their Sexuality Is Portrayed In American Society?, Rebecca E. Gilda

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This dissertation focused on capturing and describing the experience of sexuality for women between the ages of 65 and 75 as they live in American society. The main research question asks how these women gain awareness, perceive, and react to the stereotypes, assumptions, expectations, and negative images associated with their sexuality. The participants completed a questionnaire and a semi-structured interview with the principal researcher. Information was gathered about age, relationships, family history, employment, and sexuality. In the interview general and specific questions were asked relating to sexuality in order to answer the research questions. The data from these was analyzed …

Evaluating An Organization's Response To Vicarious Trauma In Staff And Multidisciplinary Team Members, Molly O'Neil

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Program evaluation method was utilized to examine the relationship between vicarious rauma (VT) and organizational policies and practices. VT and secondary traumatic stress (STS) refer to the impact of hearing explicit accounts of people being directly traumatized. Indirect exposure to a traumatic events can cause traumatic stress and changes in the person's way of experiencing the self and the world. The focus of this evaluation was developed collaboratively with the Clinical Director of Monarch Children's Justice and Advocacy Center (MCJAC), the site of the program evaluation. The question of study was How effectively is MCJAC addressing vicarious trauma in staff, …

The Importance Of Restraint In Gauging The Effects Of Ego Depletion On Alcohol Motivation, Danielle B. Allen

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Despite increased awareness of complications, the use and abuse of alcohol remains a problem in the United States. With regard to drinking, individuals encounter situations in which they must maintain a balance between temptation to drink and the need to regulate alcohol intake. Maintaining this balance requires the use of self-control. For this reason, lack of self-control has been implicated a potential influence on excessive alcohol consumption. The Strength Model of Self-Control (Baumeister, Vohs, & Tice, 2007) posits that self-control draws on a limited resource that becomes depleted following repeated use. The term “ego depletion” is used to refer to …

Self-Compassion As A Moderator Of The Relationship Between Emotion Dysregulation And Borderline Personality Disorder Symptoms, Priya Loess

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

A core feature of borderline personality disorder (BPD) is emotion dysregulation (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Such dysregulation leads to emotions spiraling out of control, hindering reason, and leading to out-of-control maladaptive behaviors (Conklin, Bradley, Westen, 2006). Invalidating environments, coupled with biologically based emotional vulnerability, are thought to account for the development of BPD (Linehan, 1993). Self-compassion (SC) is in contrast to some common symptoms related to BPD, such as self-hatred, intense shame, and negative self-schemas. SC was tested as a potential moderating mechanism in the relationship between emotion dysregulation and BPD symptoms among a sample of college students. SC consists …

Risk Factors Associated With Depression And Anxiety In Older Adults Of Mexican Origin, Raquel Estrada Gonzalez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Older adults of Mexican origin are often underserved, especially those residing in nursing homes. Their number has increased in the past 4 years. There is a gap in the research literature on Hispanic elders, specifically those of Mexican origin, residing in nursing homes along the Texas-Mexico border. Because Texas has one of the fastest growing populations of Mexican elders, it is important to better understand this population. This nonexperimental study evaluated the relationship among risk factors' such as gender, marital status, family support, activities of daily living (ADLs) and participation in nursing home activities. These relationships were evaluated with a …

The Effects Of Buddhist Psychological Practices On The Mental Health And Social Attitudes Of Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual People, Jessica Lynn Fritzges

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This non-experimental, quantitative study explored the effects of the Buddhist-derived practices of mindfulness and loving-kindness meditations on the wellness of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people. LGB people are at higher risk of mental illness and increased social isolation due to minority stress; Buddhist-derived mindfulness practices mediate these effects in other groups. Lazarus and Folkman's transactional model of stress and coping was the theoretical model explaining how positive cognitive appraisal induced by meditation can mediate effects of stress. This study examined whether mental health scores on the Emotional Symptoms Checklist (ESC), social attitudes measured on the Unjust World Views Scale, …

Impact Of Pretreatment Self-Perceived Quality Of Life On Chronic Pain Patients, Michelle Laird

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers and practitioners have developed new treatment options for chronic pain management based on biopsychosocial models of pain known as interdisciplinary pain management programs (IPMP), which involve interdisciplinary care that integrates physical treatment with emotional, environmental, behavioral, and cognitive interventions. Despite literature documenting the effectiveness of IPMPs, patients find it difficult to obtain authorization for these programs from third party insurance payers. The purpose of this quantitative causal comparative study was to explore whether a patient's perceived quality of life after injury but prior to treatment will affect his or her success in an IPMP. This study was based in …

Excessive Tanning As A Presentation Of Body Dsymorphic Disorder, Jennifer Headrick

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) involves a potentially debilitating preoccupation with an imagined or minor flaw in one’s appearance (American Psychiatric Association, 2013; Phillips, 2005). Common body areas of preoccupation include the skin, face, hair, and muscles (Castle, Ross, & Kyrios, 2006; Mosley, 2009; Phillips, 2005; Veale, 2003). With the publication of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders—5th edition (APA, 2013), BDD was moved from the Somatoform Disorder classification to the new diagnostic category of Obsessive-Compulsive and related disorders. A new example of preoccupation with skin tone and an associated behavior of excessive tanning were added to the BDD …

Survey Of Compassion Fatigue Education In Apa-Accredited Clinical And Counseling Psychology Programs, Marissa Joy Scroggins

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the present state of compassion fatigue (CF) education in APA-accredited clinical and counseling doctoral level training programs. It also sought to identify the number of training programs that require CF training or offer it as optional, attempted to discern the type of setting in which it is taught (class, supervision, etc.), as well as identified some of the reasons why it may not have been included (cost, time, interest, etc.) in programs without CF training. A researcher-developed survey was designed and consisted of a mixture of yes/no and multiple choice questions. Program …

The Experience Of Sibling Death In Childhood: A Qualitative Analysis Of Memoirs, Katrin Neubacher

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This qualitative study explored the experience of the death of a sibling in childhood. Seven memoirs written by individuals who lost a sibling in childhood were analyzed using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis. Themes focused on the child’s lived experience of sibling loss, parental and familial function, and factors identified as supporting the child’s grieving and functioning. Where relevant, an in-depth review of the existing literature of relevant psychological research and theories supported and expanded on the themes identified in the narratives. As the purpose of this research was to inform a model for understanding the life and grief of a bereaved …

Asperger's Syndrome/Autism Spectrum Disorder And Marital Satisfaction: A Quantitative Study, Kim L. Bolling

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Few empirical studies exist that examine adult Asperger-affected relationships. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the marital satisfaction of individuals in relationships in which at least one partner has Asperger’s Syndrome (AS) or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), differs in some significant way from the marital satisfaction of individuals in relationships in which neither partner has AS/ASD. Participants were 126 adults in relationships in which at least one partner had a diagnosis of AS or ASD, recruited from Asperger- and autism-related websites, social media, and organizations from English-speaking countries. Couples consisted of heterosexual and same-sex couples, couples with …

Clinical Supervision And Trainees' Perceptions Of Their Ability To Force Therapeutic Alliance, Julia Taddonio

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Countertransference is a construct that originated in psychoanalysis that has been acknowledged in most forms of therapy. The management of countertransference is important for preventing it from adversely affecting treatment, especially for clinicians in training. While all therapists experience countertransference, training therapists may be more vulnerable to it impeding the development of a strong working alliance with clients. Outcome research has found a moderate relationship between the working alliance and treatment outcome. Only a small amount of writing has focused on the relationship between content and process of supervision and the trainee’s ability to form strong working alliances with clients. …