Clinical Psychology Commons^™

Impact Of Moral Injury For Ethnic/Racial Minority Male Veterans, Kristopher Kern

Doctoral Dissertations

Trends in demographics of post-9/11 veterans (deployments to the Middle East after 2001) describe this group as having higher survival rates, increased service-connected disabilities, and more racially diverse (NCVAS, 2018; Schnurr et al., 2009; Tanelian & Jaycox, 2008). Additionally, their deployment experiences include combat-related experiences that contradict personal moral beliefs, later named “moral injury” (MI) (Litz et al., 2009). Currier, Holland, and Mallot (2015) describe MI as intense emotions of shame, guilt, and anger alongside maladaptive behaviors emerging after “witnessing and/or participating in warzone events that challenge one’s basic sense of humanity” (p. 231).

The research on MI continues to …

Incorporating Religion Into Therapy To Better Treat Depression, Jacob Tubbs

Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology

Depression is one of the most prevalent mental disorders. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a common treatment option for depression. Often, CBT is only effective at masking the symptoms of depression without helping the person overcome depression altogether; thus, it may benefit CBT patients if alternative therapies are combined with CBT. Incorporating the patient’s religion into therapy is an alternative that may help many people. A large percentage of Americans are still religious or spiritual. This literature review discusses methods of building a personalized version of CBT that incorporates the patient’s religion, or religiously integrated CBT (RCBT), and the effects …

The Effects Stress Has On Coping Strategies In Populations Uniquely Impacted By Both Developmental Disabilities And Covid-19, Chloe Quinnett, Kaitlyn Drafton, Feller Miles, Taylor Demotta, Beverly J. Wilson

School of Psychology, Family, and Community Research Conference

Populations with developmental disabilities (DD) are at heightened risk of becoming infected with COVID-19, which may lead to high levels of stress challenging their ability to cope effectively. This study was part of a larger web-based survey focused on those uniquely impacted by DD and their coping mechanisms. Participants were 106 individuals and families uniquely impacted by DD. Results indicated perceived stress predicted maladaptive coping mechanisms, however it did not predict adaptive coping mechanisms. These findings highlight the need for more support for these populations, with an emphasis on utilizing adaptive coping strategies when under greater levels of perceived stress.

Call 911: Suicidal Individuals’ Help-Seeking Means As Associated With Their Outcomes, Katherine Oconnell, Molly Hassler, Keyne Law

School of Psychology, Family, and Community Research Conference

Public suicide prevention efforts have done little to dismantle suicide as the tenth leading cause of death in the United States in 2018. The 911 emergency call system is an essential part of these public health efforts; 20% of crisis calls to police originate from individuals battling a mental health crisis or illness. This study examined over 1,071 Washington State Police 911 calls to determine if help-seeking means could help predict the fate of the suicidal individual. The referral means by family and friends, self-referral, or bystanders more likely predicted monitoring by public authorities, safety intervention, or adverse outcome, respectively.

Chronic Mild Stress And Deficits In The Rodent Brain: A Preliminary Examination Of Neuroinflammation-Induced Cognitive And Behavioral Changes In Rats, Hoda Abou Eich, Lizzy Daugherty, Rocky Marks, Keyne Law, Phillip Baker

School of Psychology, Family, and Community Research Conference

This pilot study investigated the effects of chronic mild stress on a variety of cognitive and behavioral tasks in Sprague-Dawley rats. Our study consisted of two cohorts, one housed individually and one housed in dyad pairs, stressed over six weeks. We then examined the rat’s weight, sucrose preference, forced swim behaviors, and performance on maze-based cognitive tasks. Tests were conducted to examine whether chronic stress was sufficient to induce inflammation in the brain that would result in significant deficits. Results will be compared with analysis of the brains post-mortem to examine potential neurobiological correlates in regions of the rodent brain.

Investigating Gender Differences, Loneliness, And The Coping Skills Of Individuals With Developmental Disabilities During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Taylor Demotta, Kaitlyn Drafton, Chloe Quinnett, Miles Feller, Jessica Peterson, Beverly Wilson

School of Psychology, Family, and Community Research Conference

Studies have indicated that the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in widespread isolation, which has increased the risk of psychological harm on individuals with developmental disabilities (DD). Previous research posits that adaptive coping is a protective factor against loneliness with females being more likely to engage in active coping than males, but more research is needed on individuals identifying as non-binary. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine adaptive coping, loneliness, and gender differences of individuals impacted by DD. Results indicated that higher adaptive coping scores predicted lower loneliness scores and females displayed higher adaptive coping than non-binary individuals.

Group Differences In Active Coping Abilities Among Individuals And Families Impacted By Developmental Disabilities, Kaitlyn Drafton, Chloe Quinnett, Miles Feller, Taylor Demotta, Beverly Wilson

School of Psychology, Family, and Community Research Conference

Individuals with developmental disabilities (DD) are disproportionately impacted by the negative outcomes associated with COVID-19, potentially impacting their coping abilities (Abedi et al., 2020). This study examined the coping strategies utilized by 106 individuals and caregivers impacted by DD. Results indicated that parents of children with DD who also have a DD themselves engage in greater levels of active coping compared to parents of children with DD and adults with DD. These findings suggest parents with DD may develop strengths in problem-focused coping by learning to manage challenges associated with their experience of having a DD.

#Maskmadness: The Contributions Of Perceived Stigma, Context, And Mask-Wearing On Mental Health, Clara O'Brien, Ashley Righetti, Jaylee York, Lynette Bikos

School of Psychology, Family, and Community Research Conference

Although ample evidence has supported its preventative role in reducing the spread of COVID-19, mask-wearing during the pandemic has been politicized such that noncompliance with mask-wearing recommendations has increased. Our poster will present data collected during the early weeks of the pandemic. In this poster we report the results of a moderated mediation that analyzes the mediating role of mask-wearing in the relationship between perceived stigma about mask-wearing and mental health. We further expect that the proportion of other people who are wearing masks will moderate the relationship between perceived stigma and mask-wearing.

God Perfectionism As A Mediator Of Intrinsic Religiosity And Life Satisfaction, Cory Duffield, Elizabeth Mateer, Madison Foster

School of Psychology, Family, and Community Research Conference

Intrinsic religiosity is a focus on religion for its own sake versus extrinsic religiosity, which focuses on religion for is perceived benefits (Cohen et al., 2017). God perfectionism is an external source of perfectionism that is perceived to come from a higher power, or God (Wang et al., 2018). God perfectionism includes both adaptive (perceived standards from God) and maladaptive (perceived discrepancy from God) components. Maladaptive God perfectionism has been used as a mediator between intrinsic religiosity and negative mood, with higher levels of intrinsic religiosity predicting lower levels of negative mood. Due to this correlation, we hypothesized that God …

Influence Of Past Non-Suicidal Self-Injury On The Relationship Between Pain Tolerance And Acquired Capability For Suicide, Janelle Wee, Jingyan Gu, Keyne Law

School of Psychology, Family, and Community Research Conference

In our ongoing study, we are examining the mental health of individuals who identify as Asian immigrants, Asian Americans, and Asian international students. Participants are being recruited through social media, listservs, and posters. Participants are asked to complete an online questionnaire which contained measures of pain attitudes (PAQ-R; Yong et al., 2003), acquired capability for suicide (ACSS; Van Orden et al., 2008), and past NSSI (SITBI-SF; Nock et al., 2007). A multiple linear regression will then be used to test if past NSSI will moderate the relationship between subjective pain tolerance and acquired capability.

Examining The Potential Interactions Of Expectancies And Disordered Eating Behavior, Cody B. Staples

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Expectancy models (i.e., cognitions regarding perceived consequences of behavior) have been applied to eating behaviors to understand the development and maintenance of disordered eating. The two primary categories of expectancies, thinness/restriction expectancies (i.e., perceived rewards from being thin or restricting one’s diet) and negative affect reduction expectancies (i.e., the belief that eating will reduce negative emotions) have largely been studied in isolation, despite evidence that individuals can endorse both sets of expectancies simultaneously. To address this, the current study proposed an interactive model of thinness/restriction and eating to manage negative affect expectancies and disordered eating behavior. Specifically, it was hypothesized …

Divining Structural Factors Related To Intervention Success Or Failure: Cultural Sexism Versus Other Macro-Level Factors, Blair T. Johnson, Christine M. Curley

CHIP Documents

This article provides commentary on a spatial meta-analysis published by Price and colleagues (2021); it provides valuable preliminary evidence that a dimension of cultural sexism can countervail efforts for psychotherapy to succeed in samples that focus on girls aged four to 18. Our own study reveals cultural sexism to be markedly associated with at least three macro-level factors: cultural tightness, historical slaveholding (and by implication racism), and sex education inclusiveness. The fact that cultural sexism can be so well predicted by these factors is additional evidence that cultural sexism is real, yet it also suggests caution in interpreting these effects …

Posttraumatic Cognitions As A Pathway From Resilience To Sleep In First Responders, Emily Peterman Cabano

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

Abstract

First responders experience repeated trauma exposure within a unique environment that subjects them to multiple personal and professional stressors, discourages vulnerability, and disrupts sleep (Chamberlin & Green, 2010; Vargas de Barros et al., 2013). First responders have been shown to have higher rates of posttraumatic stress disorder, as well as more frequent negative effects of their symptoms including adverse effects on their personal and professional functioning (Cheng et al., 2018; Gayton & Lovell, 2012). While first responders face significant risks to their mental health in the line of duty, there is insufficient population-specific research focused on these unique risks, …

Solitary Alcohol And Cannabis Use Among College Students During The Covid-19 Epidemic: Concurrent Social And Affective Correlates And Substance-Related Consequences, Amelia Victoria Wedel

Theses - ALL

Alcohol and cannabis use are remarkably prevalent among college students, with 60% reporting past-month alcohol use and 25% reporting past-month cannabis use. Emerging evidence suggests that a considerable portion of college students use alcohol or cannabis alone, and that rates of solitary use may be higher for cannabis than for alcohol. However, despite substantial evidence connecting solitary alcohol use with a number of affective and substance-related correlates, research on similar associations for solitary cannabis use remains lacking. Furthermore, no college studies to date have assessed solitary use of both alcohol and cannabis and consequently little is known about differences between …

The Association Between Experiences Of Relational Injustice And Psychological Distress In People With Marginalized Sexual Orientation And Gender Identities, Khoi Nguyen Anh Le

Theses - ALL

The current study explored correlations between experiences of relational injustice with psychological distress in people with marginalized sexual orientation and gender identity (MSOGI). Based on the Contextual Therapy theory, it was hypothesized that experiences of relational injustice are associated with psychological distress of people with MSOGI. Also, people with both marginalized identities were assumed to have greater distress than people with only one marginalized identity. Data were collected from clients self-identifying as MSOGI at the Syracuse University Couple and Family Therapy Center. Both self-reported and standardized instruments, including the Everyday Discrimination Scale (EDS) and Brief Symptoms Inventory (BSI-18), were used …

Influencing Motivation For Alcohol Through Social Bonding, Bryan Benitez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Human survival depends upon the ability to cooperate by forming affiliative social bonds. Social bonding should therefore be a powerful motivating force in practically all human decision making. Past research demonstrates that social bonding and motivation for alcohol consumption share similar psychological and neurobiological pathways. In this study, we attempted to reduce alcohol motivation by enhancing perceptions of social bonding prior to and during the hours and days when alcohol consumption was most likely. In a predominantly female college student sample, we found mixed support for our hypotheses that a novel social bonding manipulation delivered through mobile technology would satiate …

Solitary Alcohol And Cannabis Use Among College Students During The Covid-19 Epidemic: Concurrent Social And Affective Correlates And Substance-Related Consequences, Amelia Victoria Wedel

Theses - ALL

Alcohol and cannabis use are remarkably prevalent among college students, with 60% reporting past-month alcohol use and 25% reporting past-month cannabis use. Emerging evidence suggests that a considerable portion of college students use alcohol or cannabis alone, and that rates of solitary use may be higher for cannabis than for alcohol. However, despite substantial evidence connecting solitary alcohol use with a number of affective and substance-related correlates, research on similar associations for solitary cannabis use remains lacking. Furthermore, no college studies to date have assessed solitary use of both alcohol and cannabis and consequently little is known about differences between …

The Effectiveness Of Art Therapy As A Treatment Modality In Improving Quality Of Life For Adults With Chronic Pain, Kayley Nelson

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The efficacy of art therapy is explored in the context of improving the quality of life and mental health of individuals experiencing chronic pain. The exploration and examination of previous research on chronic pain and art therapy have led to various interconnected themes that tie together the needs of this population with the healing aspects of this treatment method. Through gathering data on both the negative impact of chronic pain and the healing aspects of art therapy and exploring research on chronic pain art therapy groups already in action, it can be deduced that future research may further illuminate the …

Language As The Medium: A Literature Review. Harnessing The Prolific Power Of Dramatic Language As A Therapeutic Tool In Drama Therapy, Edward Freeman

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Language in and of the theatre, with its palate of variegated writing styles and playwrights from throughout time, has the potential to be harnessed, focused, and systematized for use as a therapeutic tool within drama therapy – the field’s artistic medium. Drama therapy could benefit from having a specific medium germane to its artform which has the potential to provide practitioners with a common resource and means of communication, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment planning, as well as align the field with other creative arts therapies. Language encompasses all forms of human communication – speaking, writing, signing, gesturing, expressing facially – …

Bringing The Body Into Art Therapy: The Use Of Touch And Body Awareness In Creative Healing, Janna Corsetti

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The focus on the use of healing touch and body awareness in art therapy is critically lacking. Despite the research supporting the use of body-oriented techniques in clinical therapy, there is little research related to this use specifically in art therapy. Research reveals that healing touch and body awareness can be instrumental in healing trauma, if done with the proper training and boundaries in place. The first form of attachment and comfort for children is that of touch. Therefore, it is imperative to acknowledge the power of touch and body awareness when healing from traumatic experiences. The purpose of this …

Studio Expressive Arts Therapy: Towards A Classroom Method That Incorporates Art And Music, Michael Greenberg

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This thesis explored the ways in which expressive arts therapy (ExAT) could be incorporated into a small therapeutic high school’s visual arts program. Through the development and implementation of a method, intermodal exchange between visual art and music was integrated into both the school’s art program and its group counseling offerings. Informed by a literature review of studio art therapy (SAT) as related to ExAT, three different interventions were used to fit within the frameworks of the high school’s offerings. The first intervention focused on making music with a few students within art classes while the rest of the class …

Exploring Tactile Art-Making With Deafblind Students And Their Families: An Opportunity For Creative Play, Alice Rodgers

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The impact of a deafblind diagnosis on an individual’s mental health and the well-being of the family involved can be profound. However, current research and available literature for the mental health treatment and therapy practices of deafblind persons and their families is limited (Kyzar et al., 2016; “WFDB Global Report 2018,” n.d.). This thesis used the Leeds Family Psychology and Therapy Service principles (Leeds FPTS) and the Expressive Therapies Continuum with established deafblind teaching strategies to facilitate an original arts-based community project entitled: “Things We Like.” This project provided an opportunity for deafblind students (ages three to 22) and their …

Fostering Attachment In Romantic Relationships Through Creative Art Therapies, Mary Hachey

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Attachment theory examines the infant/caregiver’s relationship by the attachment style they develop in the first years of life. Over time, these same attachment styles affect adult romantic relationships. Bowlby defines four infant/children attachment styles as securely attached, anxious-ambivalent-insecurely attached, avoidant-insecurely attached, and disorganized-disoriented-insecurely attached. These four styles transferred into three main types for adults: secure, anxious-ambivalent, and avoidant. A couple’s relationship can become affected by personal values, behaviors, environmental situations, attachment styles, and beyond. This literature review discusses how couples behave, relate, and interact with one another based on their attachment styles and it also gives critical details on how …

How The Expressive Therapies Continuum Informs Intermodal Transfers, Erin M.L. Little

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Expressive arts therapy (ExAT) is a therapeutic approach that incorporates visual art, music, drama, and dance/movement into the counseling environment. An essential element in ExAT practice is the intermodal transfer, an intentional shift between arts modalities to enhance clients’ understanding and realization. Currently, no theoretical guidelines for intermodal transfers exist in the field of ExAT. In search of a theoretical structure, the author of this Capstone Thesis proposed that the Expressive Therapies Continuum (ETC) informed intermodal transfers. Predominantly presented as an art therapy approach, the ETC originally intended to include all expressive therapies. Yet, there is minimal recent literature that …

The Association Between Experiences Of Relational Injustice And Psychological Distress In People With Marginalized Sexual Orientation And Gender Identities, Khoi Nguyen Anh Le

Theses - ALL

The current study explored correlations between experiences of relational injustice with psychological distress in people with marginalized sexual orientation and gender identity (MSOGI). Based on the Contextual Therapy theory, it was hypothesized that experiences of relational injustice are associated with psychological distress of people with MSOGI. Also, people with both marginalized identities were assumed to have greater distress than people with only one marginalized identity. Data were collected from clients self-identifying as MSOGI at the Syracuse University Couple and Family Therapy Center. Both self-reported and standardized instruments, including the Everyday Discrimination Scale (EDS) and Brief Symptoms Inventory (BSI-18), were used …

Knowing What We Know: Leveraging Community Knowledge Through Automated Text-Mining, Justin Gardner, Jonathan Tory Toole, Hemant Kalia, Garry Spink Jr., Gordon Broderick

Advances in Clinical Medical Research and Healthcare Delivery

No abstract provided.

Understanding The Healthcare Experiences Of Lgbtq+ People: An Adaptation Of The Daily Heterosexist Experiences Questionnaire, Conor Smith

Doctoral Dissertations

LGBTQ+ people's experiences of heterosexism, which are common in the healthcare system, are linked to poor health outcomes. There are no measures of LGBTQ+ people’s experiences in healthcare settings which could be used by healthcare systems and providers to improve the quality of their care for this vulnerable population. The Daily Heterosexist Experiences Questionnaire (DHEQ), developed using the minority stress model, measures the general stressful life experiences of LGBTQ+ people. This project aimed to adapt the DHEQ for use in healthcare settings.

A mixed-methods study was conducted to create the Daily Heterosexist Experiences Questionnaire-Healthcare (DHEQ-H). Semi-structured interviews focused on the …

Reiki For Recovery: Incorporating Japanese Health Practices To Increase Contemporary Resiliency In American Health, Leif Peterson

Master's Projects and Capstones

The Japanese health practice of Reiki attempts to maximize the latent ability of the human system to heal itself. The Reiki system, established over a century ago, combines multiple Asian health traditions, experimenting with practices that maximize the natural processes of the body to perform its own repairs. Reiki encourages healthy behaviors that balance the mind and body, return the human system to a lowered stress level, and allow for an optimal recovery state for the patient. This paper illustrates how this Japanese health-affirming method can be integrated and utilized within existing health and medical practices. An area that is …

The Relation Of Therapist Behaviors To Treatment Engagement And Outcomes In Pcit, Kristine Gese Ba

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) has proven to be a very effective treatment for child behavioral problems, however, PCIT does not benefit all families equally, presumably at least partly because therapists may not be equally effective in coaching their clients. Although researchers have proposed several dimensions of therapist coaching behaviors that are considered desirable, few of these have been empirically examined in relation to family engagement or child outcomes. Data from two clinical trials examining the effectiveness of culturally modified versions of PCIT (GANA and PersIn), were used to investigate which of several therapist coaching behaviors (brevity, positivity, consistency, accuracy, …

The Relationship Between Type Of Parental First Concerns And Severity Of Developmental Delays In Toddlers With Autism Or Developmental Delay, Joshua J. Montrenes

LSU Master's Theses

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by impairments in social communication and the presence of restricted, repetitive behaviors. The impairments which are commonly associated with ASD manifest during early development as delayed speech or impaired social skills, for example. These early indicators are often noticed by parents who convey concern to medical professionals. Research has found associations between these early parental concerns and a later diagnosis of autism, noting their predictive validity. Research has yet to address the relationship between types of parental concerns and developmental functioning. This study examined whether certain parent reported concerns are more predictive of impaired …