Clinical Psychology Commons^™

Mediation Of Intergenerational Trauma Transmission By Family Variables In Children Of Rwandan Survivors Of The 1994 Genocide Against The Tutsi, Jessica L. Bonumwezi

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Twenty-eight years after the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, children of survivors are being increasingly documented to show increased risk for adverse mental health outcomes. However, no studies in Rwanda have empirically explored psychosocial factors underlying this intergenerational transmission of trauma. We investigated family factors that could underlie this transmission in 285 adult Rwandan children of survivors (mean age = 23.31; 50.2% female) who completed an online survey. We found that 42.2% of participants had clinically significant secondary PTSD symptoms and 37.8% had clinically significant symptoms of depression or anxiety. For participants with survivor mothers (n = 187), …

The Relationship Between Racial Microaggressions, Mental Health, And Academic Self- Efficacy In Black College Students : Is A Supportive Mentor Protective?, Devanté J. Cunningham

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Racial microaggressions are daily, often subtle, verbal, environmental, and behavioral slights and insults targeted at a person or their race. Racial microaggressions can have deleterious effects on the mental health and academic outcomes of Black college students. As research on this relationship increases, it is essential to assess factors that may moderate, or lessen, the impact of racial microaggressions. There is evidence that mentoring, a form of social support, may attune the adverse effects of racial microaggressions on mental health and academic outcomes. The current study explored the relationship between racial microaggressions and mental health and academic outcomes (social anxiety, …

Multiple Risk Factors For Schizotypy In A Non-Clinical Population : Exploring The Continuum Of Psychosis Two Years Later, Jill Del Pozzo

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Schizotypy is a multidimensional construct that refers to a collection of cognitive and personality traits, impairments, and experiences thought to lie on a continuum for psychosis, which place an individual at increased risk for developing schizophrenia spectrum disorders. The expression of schizotypy varies along this continuum of psychosis (i.e., from healthy, to subclinical and prodromal symptomatology, to clinical and severe psychosis) and is dependent on several biopsychosocial factors and their interactions. Accordingly, it is important identify factors that correlate with higher levels of schizotypy over time, toward ascertaining knowledge about developmental pathways of risk and resilience for psychotic disorders. To …

Therapist Facilitative Interpersonal Skills In Simulated Text-Based Telepsychotherapy With Cultural Minority Clients, Carly Max Schwartzman

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Objective: The prevalence of mental health difficulties has increased, yet the availability and use of mental health services remains low, particularly in traditionally underserved groups. Telepsychotherapy via videoconferencing has been advertised as a means of mitigating barriers to accessing mental healthcare for these populations, though less attention has focused on text-based approaches. Indeed, although text-based telepsychotherapy is currently widely available, its efficacy in treating folx from cultural minority identities is unknown. Additionally, no research to date has studied the adaptation of multiculturally competent psychotherapy practice to a text-based platform. Thus, this project aimed to examine therapist facilitative interpersonal skills via …

Examining The Influence Of A Negative Affect Induction Task On Self-Reported Cannabis Use, Expectancies, And Problems, Brianna Rose Altman

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Substance use disorders and affective disturbances often covary. One commonly endorsed expectancy for substance use is stress relief, and using substances to cope with negative affect (NA) often covaries with greater use and problems. While strong evidence of these relations exists, NA might bias reporting of substance use due to hindered recall processes. This hypothesis warrants further research, as accurate reporting of substance-related variables is crucial in both research and treatment settings. The present study examined the influence of NA on reporting of cannabis variables using an affect-induction paradigm. Over 1,000 individuals recruited from Amazon’s MTurk participated. After reporting demographics …

The Association Between Adolescent Dating Violence And Internalizing Symptoms: Insecure Attachment As A Moderator, Jasmine Blake

Psychological Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study examines whether insecure attachment styles moderate the relationship between adolescent dating violence (ADV) victimization and internalizing symptoms. It was hypothesized that an insecure attachment style would strengthen the existing relation between ADV victimization and internalizing symptoms. It was also hypothesized that this association would be stronger for girls than boys. One hundred and fifty-two adolescents participated in this study (M age = 15.61 years, SD = 1.086, 74.3% girls) and were asked to complete a survey that assessed ADV victimization, internalizing symptoms, and attachment style. Bivariate correlations did not reveal a significant associations between ADV victimization and …

Associations Between Trauma History And Dimensions Of Self-Concept In College Students, Francisco Carrillo-Alvarez

Honors Scholar Theses

Past research in the literature of the self has considered the influence of potentially traumatic or adverse events. In this study, we aim to explore this relationship among undergraduate students utilizing various measures of self-concept including global self-worth, self-concept clarity and domain specific measures of self-perception. Various measures were administered to 308 participants that aimed to determine the instances of potentially traumatic events experienced and the subjective level of distress, in addition to the self-concept measures of global self-worth, self-concept clarity and the domain specific measures of self-perception including self-fulfillment, autonomy, and emotional self-adjustment. The results reveal that global self-worth …

Examining Body Trust And Body Listening In Sexual And Gender Minorities., Emma G. Roberts

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

Introduction: Minority stress theory posits that sexual and gender minority individuals (SGM) may be at higher risk for poor mental health outcomes due to unique social experiences of stigma and discrimination. Interoception (i.e., awareness of one’s body and bodily sensations; Mehling et al., 2012) is a factor that has been linked to mental health broadly, however, SGM individuals may experience interoceptive awareness differently than cisgender and heterosexual individuals given experiences of stigma. In this paper, we aim to examine how two specific facets of interoceptive awareness (body listening and body trusting) relate to differences in mental health outcomes among SGM …

Vicarious Trauma And Doctoral-Level Trainees: Self-Care Practices, Elisabeth B. Gibson

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Research reflects correlations between trauma history and motivation to pursue a career in clinical psychology and mental health professions. Professional longevity is a concern for clinicians in general, especially for clinicians with a trauma history who work with people suffering with trauma conditions. Trauma histories measured by adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), are likely to be present within students of doctor of psychology training programs, and may influence doctoral trainee readiness and ability to engage clients in clinical work. Self-care is thought to not only support overall well-being, but to also mitigate the negative consequences of stress associated with clinical work. …

“All Skinfolk Ain’T Kinfolk”: Attributions Of Race-Based Discrimination When An Ingroup Member Is The Perpetrator, Christin Alexandra Mujica

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Most research addressing racial/ethnic discrimination is focused on instances perpetrated by White people or someone not of the same race or ethnic background as the target (i.e., outgroup discrimination). However, based on theories of ethnic identity development and internalized racism, it is possible for people of color to discriminate against people in their own racial or ethnic group. The current study used a qualitative approach to 1) understand what people of color believe about racism and discrimination broadly and based on the race of the perpetrator, 2) describe under what situations (e.g., race of perpetrator or overtness/subtlety of the act) …

Coping Flexibility And Academic Resilience Among Low-Ses College Students., Benjamin J. Calebs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

College students coming from a background of poverty may experience academic impairment due to their experiences of chronic economic adversity. However, despite the stressors associated with poverty and the potential deleterious consequences of this form of adversity, many low-socioeconomic status (low-SES) college students show high academic achievement. One predictor of resilient outcomes that has been studied outside of academic contexts is coping flexibility, the ability to use a range of different coping behaviors to meet the demands of different stressful situations. Coping flexibility has been found to be positively associated with psychological adjustment in a variety of populations, yet it …

The Protective Influence Of Mindfulness Facets On The Relationship Between Negative Core Beliefs And Social Media Addiction Among Latinx College Students, Mariany Gainza Perez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Social media use has continued to rise over the last decade. This behavioral addiction shares essential components with substance addictions (e.g., mood modification, withdrawal). Dysfunctional core beliefs have recently been investigated in relation to Internet addiction and problematic Facebook use, but not with social media addiction specifically. Similarly, mindfulness-based interventions have been developed for various types of technology-related behavioral addictions, yet the relationship between dispositional mindfulness and social media addiction remains unexplored. This study investigated the relationships between these constructs among Latinx undergraduates within the context of social cognitive theory. Participants (n=386; 80.3% female) completed an online survey that assessed …

The Effect Of Brief Exposures To Fitspiration Images On Motivation To Exercise And Body Image Concerns In Latinx College Students, Roberto Sagaribay

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Social media is used by three quarters of the population; however, the literature has suggested its potential adverse impact on mental health. Social media behaviors are associated with body image dissatisfaction and disordered eating behaviors. Fitspiration is an extension of social media that consists of photos and messaging aimed toward motivating users to exercise. Studies have demonstrated how these posts impact body image concerns and unhealthy weight management behaviors to achieve the thin and toned body ideal. Thus, the aim of this study was to experimentally assess motivations to exercise, body image concerns, and negative mood after brief exposures to …

Predictors Of Depression In Different Subgroups Of Parkinson's Disease: A Neuroimaging Study, Yenny Gabriela Valenzuela

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is one of the most debilitating neurodegenerative diseases in the world. PD is typically characterized by its motor symptoms which commonly include tremors, rigidity, postural instability, and repetitive or involuntary muscle movements. Some of the most common non-motor symptoms include cognitive impairment, personality changes, depression, and anxiety. Depression has shown to be a prominent symptom in individuals with PD which affects them at any point during disease progression. However, it has been suggested that depression is more common among individuals with early-onset PD compared to individuals with later onsets. Our first aim investigated depression rates among individuals …

Inter-Agency Collaborations Among Mental Health And Law Enforcement Professionals In San Bernardino County During Covid-19: A Qualitative Study, Sonya Mcisaac

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

As first responders, law enforcement officers and mental health professionals are constantly sought after regarding the delivery of critical services to people in need. However, the COVID-19 pandemic brought almost everything to a halt. It is therefore important to understand how social services were delivered during the crisis. It has been assumed in the literature that interprofessional collaboration is an important service delivery framework. However, because COVID-19 is a relatively recent public health phenomenon, relevant studies on interprofessional collaboration between law enforcement officers and mental health professionals are scant, if not non-existent. This qualitative study addresses this gap by exploring …

Changes In Cognitive Networks As A Result Of Sport-Related Concussion, Grace J. Goodwin

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Given the high prevalence of concussion in sports, assessment of cognition has become a standard part of athletics, and results are used to inform return to play decisions. Neurocognitive measures (e.g., ImPACT) generate cognitive composite scores from individual subtests, and these scores are compared at baseline and post-concussion. Declines in scores provide evidence for concussive injury, and athletes undergo repeated assessments until their scores and symptoms improve. Recent research suggests that changes in the associations between test scores may provide important information about cognitive recovery. A network framework may help identify post-concussive cognitive changes that may not be apparent when …

The Self-Invalidation Due To Emotion Scale (Sides): Development And Psychometric Properties, Regina E. Schreiber

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Self-stigma involves internalized negative evaluation in people with a societally prescribed label (i.e., mental health diagnosis). Thus, measures of self-stigma due to mental illness exclude people without a diagnosis who may negatively evaluate themselves because of their emotions— a process we define as self-invalidation due to emotion. In the current research, I introduced a definition of self-invalidation due to emotion as distinct from self-stigma due to mental illness and emotion invalidation from others. After expert review of the item pool (Study 1), and exploratory (Study 2) and confirmatory factor analysis (Study 3), a 10-item scale for Self-Invalidation Due to Emotion …

The Role Of Emotion Dysregulation In The Relationship Between Anhedonia And Opioid Craving, Rachelle Kromash

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research on factors that predict opioid cravings is lacking. Anhedonia may be a predictor of cravings and particularly relevant to cravings when people struggle to regulate emotions but has yet to be examined among justice-involved populations. This study aimed to examine the relationship between anhedonia, opioid cravings, and emotion dysregulation (ED) in this population. Participants completed several measures. The results showed that anhedonia and opioid cravings were significantly related at the bivariate level, but not in moderation models. The DERS-36 total score and ‘DERS Impulse’ subscale had a significant, positive effect on cravings in moderation models. In a higher severity …

The Relationship Of Minority Stress With The Mental Health Of Lgbtq College Students On A Christian Campus With Non-Affirming Policies, Ethan Nicholas Smetana

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

One foundational concept of the Minority Stress Model (Meyer, 2003) is that the stress is based on persisting social processes and structures. Consequently, research to further the available pool of empirical evidence on how institutions based in the dominant culture affect minorities is needed and valuable. This study seeks to examine the effects of dimensions of minority stress on the mental health outcomes of LGBTQ students at a Christian university with a non-affirming school policy. Further, this study is interested in how gratitude affects the impact that minority stress has on mental health as a potential protective factor. Participants were …

Family Functioning In Youth With Bipolar Disorder, Kayla Fobian

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Family functioning encompasses a family’s ability to maintain an environment that supports and benefits each member of the family. Among families of youth with a bipolar disorder (BD), family functioning is impaired compared to healthy controls. However, few studies have examined family functioning across psychopathology in youth. Additionally, few studies have examined which symptoms (depressive, manic, or externalizing) are most strongly associated with family functioning. Therefore, the purpose of this manuscript is to benchmark impairments in family functioning in youth with BD compared to youth with other psychiatric disorders and to examine the differential influence of depressive, manic, and comorbid …

Guilty As Not (Re)Charged: Calling, Work-Recovery Guilt, And Their Effects On Recovery Experiences, Jeffrey Drake Terry

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Public and scholarly interest in the concept of work as a calling has grown considerably over the past few decades (Thompson & Bunderson, 2019). Much of this research has focused on the positive outcomes of calling, including increased work engagement (e.g., Dobrow Riza et al., 2019) and job performance (e.g., Park et al., 2016). However, a few studies have focused on the negative outcomes of calling, such as limited psychological detachment from work (Clinton et al., 2017). According to Work as Calling Theory (WCT; Duffy et al., 2018), psychological climate and individual differences may help to explain why some individuals …

Providing Effective Assessment Feedback To Patients: Lessons Learned From Feedback After A Severe Injury, Kelsie Mcquinn

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

This paper seeks to articulate lessons learned from feedback received after a severe injury in order to help guide neuropsychologists provide effective feedback to patients. Given that there is no agreed upon conceptual framework for providing neuropsychological assessment feedback, parallels are drawn from what works in clinical psychology – the working alliance. I use personal examples to highlight how the working alliance, as well as other psychological principles, can help inform neuropsychologists provide the most effective feedback to patients.

The Necessity Of Trauma-Focused Curricula In Mental Health Graduate Programs: Advocating For Comprehensive Trauma Etiology And Treatment Education With Proposed Course Outline, Aaron S. Gillespie

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

During the past four decades, it has become increasingly clear how prevalent trauma, polytrauma and co-morbid trauma-related disorders are within our shared, global communities. A growing body of research continues to uncover the mind-boggling impact these overwhelming experiences have on individuals, their families, and the communities that support them, including mental health professionals. It behooves us as allied mental healthcare providers to learn what trauma is, how it may affect the individual across the lifespan, as well as how to effectively identify and treat the trauma-related symptoms our clients present with. However, despite a proliferation of research demonstrating the growing …

Validation And Measurement Invariance Of A First-Generation College Student Identity Scale, Kelsie K. Allison

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

First-generation college students (FGCS) comprise approximately 56% of the U.S. post-secondary institution population, yet they face substantially more academic, financial, and additional unique issues than continuing-generation college students. Research on FGCS has been steadily growing in recent years, however, literature on identity for this population is sparse. To address these gaps in the literature, the aim of the current study was to adapt, validate, and establish full factorial measurement invariance across Black and White FGCS for a multidimensional quantitative measure of first-generation college student identity. The final sample included 425 current FGCS (81.2% female; M_age = 24.4 years, SD …

Implementing An Online, Integrative, Multi-Component, Group-Based Cognitive Behavior Therapy (Cbt) For The Reduction Of Caregiver Burden In Primary Familial Caregivers Of Persons With Dementia: A Preliminary Test Of Feasibility, Daniel Robert Schaffer

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the preliminary feasibility of an online, manualized, group-based, multi-component, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) treatment approach for the reduction of caregiver burden among family caregivers of persons with dementia. This study had five primary hypotheses: (1) the recruitment plan, as outlined within this study, would yield the target number of participants within a 12-month period; (2) the proposed group therapy protocol would produce a positive therapeutic climate, as operationalized by increased levels of perceived social support, perceived group cohesion, positive therapeutic alliance, and positive engagement; (3) this study would maintain adequate participant retention, …

Social Work Students' Understanding Of Childhood Psycho-Emotional Maltreatment By Caregivers, Todd M. Rubin

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Child psychological, emotional maltreatment (CPEM) presents to the social work profession as one of the most challenging to detect, prevent and intervene. The consequences of CPEM have been equally devastating to a child’s development compared to all other forms of childhood maltreatment. The purpose of this study is to assess graduate social work students’ knowledge of CPEM as a determinant of their clinical preparedness to work with families in practice. The rationale for this study is to explore how the lack of focus on CPEM in university education, field experience, and field supervision impacts a social worker’s ability to prioritize …

The Role Of Trauma Coping Self-Efficacy And Shame In The Relationship Between Variants Of Self-Blame And Psychological Outcomes, Melody Robinson

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Exposure to sexual violence is associated with deleterious mental health consequences (Campbell et al., 2009). Survivors’ perceptions of self-blame can exacerbate these difficulties (Miller at al., 2007). Characterological self-blame has been associated with negative outcomes (e.g., PTSD, depression, & anxiety; Hassija & Gray, 2013; Janoff-Bulman, 1979). On the other hand, behavioral self-blame may be more adaptive, especially when the victim believes they have control over their future behavior (Hassija & Gray, 2013). However, the underlying mechanisms that account for both variants of self-blame’s impacts warrant further investigation. We predicted that posttraumatic shame, conceptualized as negative attributions and criticisms towards the …

The Relationship Between Covid-19 Stress, Psychological Inflexibility, And Psycholoical Well-Being, Alyx Duckering

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the literature on the mental and physical health consequences of COVID-19 has expanded exponentially. Much of the published research has focused on the physical health and economic consequences of COVID-19. Research on the mental health effects of COVID-19 has primarily addressed the increase in anxiety and depression and related avoidance/safety behaviors surrounding COVID-19 (Taylor et al., 2020). Although there is an emerging literature on the COVID-19 mental health consequences, there is a paucity of research examining the processes of how people respond to COVID-19 stress and psychological well-being. Specifically, data examining potential psychological …

The Role Of Dispositional Mindfulness Against Craving In Trauma Recovery For Oud, Sarah Mathewson, Melanie Somppi, Michael Gawrysiak

Psychology Student Work

BACKGROUND: In 2020, it was estimated that 2.7 million people suffered with an opioid use disorder (OUD). Prior research suggests that dispositional mindfulness can buffer substance use severity and posttraumatic stress. However, further research is needed to clarify the relationships between dispositional mindfulness and craving specifically for those suffering from OUD. Dispositional mindfulness greater awareness and non-reactivity to emotions and internal thought patterns are features relevant to both OUD and posttraumatic stress. Therefore, we hypothesized that dispositional mindfulness would inversely relate to opioid craving and posttraumatic stress symptom severity.

METHODS: This study utilized archival data that collected from an ongoing …

Barriers To Care, Depressive Symptoms, And Moderating Factors Among Patients With Esrd, Amarachukwu O. Nwangwu

Honors Theses

End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) is the fifth and final stage of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) and has been reported to have the highest prevalence rate in the United States, with about 2,242 cases per million in the total population in 2017 (Johansen et al., 2021). Current studies document a high prevalence of depression among patients with ESRD which may lead to increased mortality (Shirazian et al., 2017). Additionally, barriers in access to care, which may be understood as the barriers that prevent individuals from seeking mental health services, has been linked to increased levels of undertreatment (Clement et al., 2012). …