Clinical Psychology Commons^™

Counseling Experiences In Physically Disabled Individuals, Leah Schulze

Honors Projects

This pilot study covers the effects that counseling has on the physically disabled community. 5 individuals were interviewed on a mid-sized college campus about their experiences.

Trauma And Alcohol/Substance Use: The Role Of Self-Regulation Flexibility, Saankari Anusha Challa

Dissertations

Despite a high comorbidity rate between trauma/PTSD and problematic alcohol/substance use, there is only a small body of work investigating moderators and mediators in this relationship. Few studies have examined the role of self-regulation, composed of coping and emotion regulation, in the context of PTSD and problematic substance use. Prior work has generally measured self-regulation categorically, with strategies labeled as maladaptive or adaptive, and therefore failing to account for the adaptiveness of the strategy in particular contexts. The present study is the only one to date to examine self-regulation flexibility in the relationship between posttraumatic symptoms (PTSS) and problematic alcohol/substance …

Pandemic Issues: Faculty Value Alignment And Burnout, Eu Gene Chin, Brooke Hildebrand Clubbs

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Burnout among faculty members impacts physical, cognitive, and emotional functioning and has negative socioeconomic consequences downstream. Prior to the pandemic, faculty members were already reporting high levels of burnout, which is characterized by depersonalization, emotional exhaustion, and a lack of personal accomplishment. Previous research reported that value incongruence functions as one of the strongest predictors of depersonalization (and subsequently) turnover intention. This study provides a snapshot of the value alignment and burnout of faculty at a regional public university in the months following the pandemic-induced pivot to remote learning. Results from our survey of faculty members (N = 58) suggest …

Psilocybin Psychotherapy With Acceptance And Commitment Therapy: A Potential Treatment For Social Anxiety Disorder, Elliot Sandberg

Honors Scholars Collaborative Projects

Individuals diagnosed with social anxiety disorder (SAD) require effective therapeutic interventions. Due to the nature of SAD, individuals tend to not seek care for their treatment, leading to the continuation of avoidance behaviors that significantly impact their daily existence. Psilocybin psychotherapy has the potential to lead to significant changes in the personality structure of individuals as well as reducing anxious responses to their environment in a relatively short period of time. Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) can serve as the ideal therapeutic backing to psilocybin as it emphasizes mindfulness and psychological flexibility, both of which aid in the therapeutic mechanisms …

The Relationship Between Ptsd-Related Symptoms And Skin Disease Symptom Severity In A Dermatological Sample, Kristin Barnett

Honors Theses

Previous research has demonstrated associations between stress and physical health conditions, including skin disease. The stress cycle, including its associated hormonal responses and stress behaviors, contributes to more severe skin disease symptoms. Psychological stress and anxiety-disorder symptoms are known to be associated with skin disease severity; however, research has yet to examine the relationships between stress disorders and skin disease severity. Therefore, stress disorders (e.g., posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD]) are hypothesized to have a similar relationship with skin disease severity, wherein greater severity of PTSD-related symptoms would be positively associated with skin disease severity. Participants from Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (N …

Borderline Personality Symptoms And Relationship Threat: The Moderating Role Of Perceived Parental Rejection, Elsa Baumgartner

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

Individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD) often perceive relationship threats more intensely, resulting in increased emotional reactivity. However, this link has never been examined with physiological measures in “real time,” nor have reports of perceived parental rejection ever been investigated as a potential moderator of this link. To fill this gap, the present study induced romantic relationship threat, after which participants completed an emotional reactivity task while electroencephalography data were recorded. Results reveal that higher levels of BPD features were associated with increased emotional reactivity, indicated by larger late positive potential (LPP) amplitudes, to negative stimuli in the face of …

Mosaic: A Lifetime Of Poems, Emma F. Bowen

Honors Projects

In hopes of providing a clearer picture of the aging process and its effects on our personalities, follow this collection of poems through diary-like entries of individuals navigating their lives from daycare, heartbreak, and loneliness. The impact that development can have on our psychological well-being and brains is fascinating and feels familiar. Why do we see the world so differently when we are young? As we grow older, what is so important that makes us shift how we view ourselves and our environment multiple times? It is often seen that each generation shares like-mindedness throughout their lives – why?

The Use Of Non-Immersive Virtual Reality As A Functional Rehabilitation Tool For Older Adults With Cognitive Decline, Ross M. Divers

LSU Master's Theses

There is currently no cure for age-related cognitive decline or dementia and current pharmacologic interventions have had limited success at improving daily functioning. Consequently, older adults who experience cognitive decline require assistance with daily activities, which can be quite expensive and lead to caregiver burden. Repeated performance of everyday tasks has been shown to improve performance but requires supervision and direction by another person. The present study evaluated a low-cost computer training program that will use non-immersive virtual reality to enable participants with dementia or cognitive decline to independently practice meaningful everyday activities (e.g., meal preparation). Participants (N= 8) with …

Running Head: Ses, Food Literacy And Security, And Eating Disorders, Kendra Rigney

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Eating disorders have one of the highest mortality rates among all mental health conditions in terms of suicide rate and overall mortality rate, with college students reporting higher rates than the general population (Arcelus et al., 2011; Badrasawi & Zidan, 2019; Eisenberg et al., 2013; Perryman et al., 2018). The current literature has shown a relationship between binge-eating and bulimia symptoms and socioeconomic status, food literacy, and food security (Becker et al., 2017; Darling et al., 2017; Ferreira et al., 2021; Knesebeck et al., 2012; Rogers et al., 1997). The goal of the current study was to examine how perceived …

Motherhood And Me (Mom-Me): The Development Of An Acceptance-Based Group For Women With Postpartum Mood And Anxiety Symptoms, Victoria A Grunberg, Pamela A Geller, Kelley Durham, Alexa Bonacquisti, Jennifer L Barkin

PCOM Scholarly Works

Untreated postpartum mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) place women and their families at risk for negative biopsychosocial sequelae. Innovative and tailored treatments are needed to address potential disruptions in maternal functioning. Third-wave cognitive-behavioral approaches, including acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), hold promise for optimizing functioning given the focus on values-based living, rather than symptom reduction.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe the development of an innovative psychotherapy group for women with symptoms of PMADs.

Methods: This seven-session group, Motherhood and Me (Mom-Me), includes selected skills training from ACT, DBT, and Emotion-Centered …

Relationships Between Sleep Habits, Anxiety, And Academic Performance In College Students, Keanne Fisher

Campus Research Month

This paper attempts to examine the correlation between sleep habits, anxiety, and academic performance.

Ptsd And Suicidality Among Student Service Members And Veterans (Ssm/Vs), Kimberly Gomes

Symposium of Student Scholars

Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a commonly diagnosed condition among student service members and veterans (SSM/Vs). Many SSM/Vs who report PTSD symptoms also report suicidal ideation and/or suicide attempts. Consequently, it is important to understand which factors may buffer or contribute to the risk for suicide among SSM/Vs with PTSD to inform appropriate interventions and future research.

Methods: A sample of student service members and veterans (SSM/Vs) from five southern universities (N = 377) completed self-report measures of PTSD symptoms (i.e., PCL-5), suicidality (i.e., DSI-SS), dysfunction, and recovery (i.e., DRDI). We conducted two moderation analyses to examine interactions …

Understanding Factors Associated With Clinician Confidence To Identify And Treat Ptsd And Complex Ptsd, Parad Meier

Counseling and Psychology Dissertations

ABSTRACT

This dissertation explores mental health clinicians’ experiences and self-identified confidence to identify and treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and Complex PTSD. PTSD is a highly prevalent mental health condition that impacts an estimated 24.4 million individuals in the United States (PTSD United, 2019). Complex PTSD has just emerged for the first time with official diagnostic criteria in the publication of the ICD-11 in 2019 for use beginning in January 2022 (WHO, 2019). There is very little existing research that considers the experience or confidence of clinicians who work with clients who have PTSD and Complex PTSD, which is troubling …

Smoking And Opiate Withdrawal Symptoms: The Impact Of Psychosocial Variables Among Individuals Receiving Medication Assisted Treatment For Opioid Detox, Cristina Abarno

LSU Master's Theses

Individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) endorse high rates of combustible smoking (Zale et al., 2015) which is associated with poorer outcomes (e.g., opioid craving and lower detoxification completion rates) among individuals receiving medication-assisted treatment (MAT; Mannelli, Wu, Peindl, & Gorelick, 2013) and lower smoking cessation rates in smoking cessation treatment (Okoli et al., 2010). The complex pharmacological relationship between opioids and nicotine may help explain these findings (Kohut, 2017), however little is known about psychosocial variables that influence MAT processes among combustible smokers with OUD. The present study sought to expand upon prior work (Mannelli et al., 2013) by …

Qualitative Evaluation Of Occupational Therapy Assessments In Treating Veterans With Ptsd Who Are Transitioning Into Civilian Life, Natalia Marquez-Sterling, Pam Kasyan-Howe, Kristin Domville, Lisa Schubert

Spring 2022 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

The purpose of this qualitative research type capstone project was to explore the strengths and limitations of an occupational therapist assessment toolkit for use with the population of veterans with PTSD who are transitioning into civilian life. OTs lack consistent assessment tools for use with this population, resulting in a lack of inclusion of occupational therapy as a consistent member of the multidisciplinary team (Kerr et al., 2020). Kerr et al. (2020) found that while OT assessments may be mentioned in research regarding veterans with PTSD who are transitioning into civilian life, there was limited or no discussion of the …

Exploring The Relationship Between Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder And Creativity, Anna Shea Hall, Anna Shea Hall

Honors College Theses

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is an important topic to study because of its prevalence, impact, and a multitude of unknown interactions of the disorder with creativity. Creativity is a cognitive process defined by lessened cognitive control and lower inhibitions in the prefrontal cortex (Chrysikou, 2018), which are characteristics of ADHD (APA, 2017; Brunkhorst-Kanaan et al., 2021; Kirov & Brand, 2014; Laugesen et al., 2017; Moen et al., 2014; Staikova et al., 2013) This study explored how ADHD is connected with three sub-variables of creativity: divergent thinking, uniqueness of generated ideas, and flow of ideas. Connections were explored via a survey of …

Heart Rate Variability Following Treatment For Ptsd: Testing The Polyvagal Theory, Brittany F. Goodman

Dissertations

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been linked to lower heart rate variability (HRV), including measures of vagal tone. Treatments targeting the autonomic nervous system (ANS) have demonstrated efficacy in improving vagal tone, but it is less clear whether similar effects can also be achieved with cognitive therapies. The polyvagal theory has suggested that symptoms of social dysfunction are linked to vagal tone through a phylogenetically organized response to stress. HRV was collected during rest, reactivity (exposure to personalized trauma scripts), and recovery using a scripted imagery paradigm in female PTSD positive physical and sexual assault survivors (N = 41) …

Understanding Mental Health Stigma, Lainie K. Krumenacker

Scholars Week

Understanding Mental Health Stigma

Lainie K. Krumenacker

Problem or Purpose

Mental illness affects nearly 1 in 5 adults according to the National Institute of Mental Health and yet discrimination against mental illness is not only relevant, but considered a risk factor as stigma can be responsible for treatment delay. Individuals suffering from mental illnesses may not seek treatment, as they may fear they will be regarded negatively which can lead to detrimental health outcomes (Shrivastava, et al., 2022). Where is the disconnect if so many adults are experiencing mental illness? Why isn’t it more widely researched with a solution focus, …

Reformation Within The Nation: Adapting The Nordic Rehabilitation And Reintegration Model To Positively Recondition The United States Criminal Justice System, Jessica Cornell

Helm's School of Government Conference - 2021-2024

An analytical and statistical based comparison of criminal sentencing, incarceration, rehabilitation and reintegration in the United States of America to those of the five countries which follows those of the Nordic Criminal Justice System.

Mindfulness As An Effective Conceptual Tool For The Pastoral Care Of Western Christians, Beth Virostek

Honors Scholars Collaborative Projects

The rapprochement of mindfulness within Christian ministries of the West is integrally important as mindfulness continues to grow as a field and be utilized in the secular world as a tool for growth and the promotion of subjective well-being. If this rapprochement is not attempted, the conflicts surrounding Christians approaching and utilizing mindfulness will continue. In recent decades, the application of mindfulness in a variety of areas has exploded. The neuroscience research has followed, citing great benefits to the practice of and the trait of mindfulness. However, Christians remain hesitant in approaching mindfulness for fear of it being heretical in …

Campus Racial Climate And Mental Well-Being Among College Students: The Role Of Feeling Valued, Sense Of Belonging, And Racial Saliency, Raksha Kandlur Ma, Catherine Glenn Phd

College of Sciences Posters

Around 73% of students report experiencing a mental health crisis during college, and 64% report dropping out for mental health reasons. Research indicates that negative campus racial climate contributes to poor mental health, but few studies have examined factors that may moderate this impact. The current study examined potential moderators of the impact of negative campus racial climate on students’ mental health, including whether: (1) feeling valued and (2) belongingness at school may buffer, or reduce, risk and (3) higher racial saliency may increase risk. Data were drawn from the Healthy Minds Study, administered to a random sample of 4,000 …

Examining A Neural Measure Of Attentional Bias To Emotional Faces In Social Anxiety And Depression, Nathan M. Hager, Matt R. Judah, Alicia L. Milam, Hannah C. Hamrick, Catherine R. Glenn

College of Sciences Posters

Cognitive theories suggest that attentional biases may contribute to both social anxiety and depression, such that attention may be biased to focus on or away from certain information (e.g., rejecting or sad images; Clark & McManus, 2002; Lemoult & Gotlib, 2019). Although research is mixed, recent studies using a neural measure called the N2pc (an event-related potential) has indicated attentional biases in social anxiety. However, little N2pc research has examined depression or co-occurring depression and social anxiety.

The current study used electroencephalography to measure the N2pc during a dot-probe task in which images of faces with emotional or neutral expressions …

Examining Parenting Practices And Routines As Possible Mediators Of Parenting Inflexibility And Child Behaviors, Lauren S. Erp

Master's Theses

Due to the high prevalence rates of child behavioral problems, considerable research has focused on factors that contribute to child behavioral problems. Parenting inflexibility has been shown to relate to child internalizing and externalizing behaviors through ineffective parenting practices. However, child routines, another related yet distinct parenting behavior, has yet to be explored in this relationship. The primary purpose of this study was to examine parenting practices and child routines as mediators of the relationship between parenting inflexibility and child behavioral outcomes. Mothers of school-aged children (N = 157) were recruited through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk and completed self-report measures of …

Valuating The Evidence Base Of Physician Reported Assessment Measures Used In Childhood Adhd Diagnosis, Sarah Ewen

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

An accurate Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) diagnosis is essential as there are substantial social and functional costs associated with misdiagnosis. Data collected from a 2014 National Survey suggested that one-half of the children diagnosed with ADHD were diagnosed by a pediatrician or family health provider through unstructured behavioral observations or using a checklist that may not adhere to diagnostic guidelines. Additionally, clinicians providing ADHD diagnoses have admitted to possessing limited knowledge on the disorder itself and denied attending continuing education courses on ADHD. The current study sought to answer two research questions: 1) are measures reported for diagnosis by pediatricians evidence-based …

Investigating If Changes In Cannabis Expectancies Mediate Driving After Cannabis Use Intervention Outcomes, Sarah Nicole Elder

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Driving after cannabis use (DACU) has become an increasing public health concern specifically for the states that have legalized cannabis use. In a 2018 survey, 4.7% of U.S. residents reported driving while impaired by cannabis (Azofeifa et al., 2019). Previous research suggests that several skills are impaired following cannabis use, such as increased lane weaving, slowed reaction time, and distorted perceptions about external stimuli. This effect was seen to extend to frequent cannabis users who also demonstrated driving impairments despite heightened cannabis tolerance (Hartman & Huestis, 2013). With the increase in DACU it is crucial to understand the factors that …

Occupational Depression In A Spanish-Speaking Sample: Associations With Cognitive Performance And Work-Life Characteristics, Bianchi Renzo, Guadalupe Manzano García, Maria Pilar Montanes, Emily A. Schonfeld, Irvin Sam Schonfeld

Publications and Research

This 386-participant study investigated the structural and psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Occupational Depression Inventory (ODI). Exploratory structural equation modeling bifactor analysis revealed that the ODI meets the requirements for essential unidimensionality. Measurement invariance held across our sample and the English- and French-speaking samples used in the ODI’s initial validation study. Mokken scale analysis indicated that (a) the scalability of the instrument was strong, (b) no violations of monotonicity or local independence were present, and (c) invariant item ordering was sufficiently accurate. The ODI’s reliability was optimal. The ODI exhibited both convergent validity and discriminant validity vis-à-vis …

Surviving Child Pornography: Fifty Years On, Jeanette M. Westbrook

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

No abstract provided.

Psychological Factors That Interfere With Provider Use Of Medication Assisted Treatment For Opioid Use Disorder, Courtney Spencer

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Since the implementation of Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) for treatment of Opioid Use Disorder (OUD), providers have struggled to obtain the necessary waiver (X-waiver) due to required federal applications, training, and guidelines around prescribing. Nevertheless, prescribers have gone through this arduous process to gain their X-waiver, but a unique phenomenon has occurred where some providers with an X-waiver are not utilizing their ability to prescribe MAT. The current study sought to uncover trends in providers prescribing practices while assessing possible factors involved including personality, compassion, compassion fatigue, personal connection, and confidence factors that may be associated with a willingness to …

Assessing The Effect Of Negative Mood States On Valence-Dependent Belief Updating, Aleksandr Karnick

Master's Theses

Individuals consistently tend to underestimate the likelihood of negative events happening to them and fail to update these beliefs adequately when provided with statistical evidence. However, depressed populations are better able to accurately update beliefs. It is not clear if the ability to update beliefs effectively is due to overall dysphoria or are partially due to momentary fluctuations of acute affective states. Undergraduates (N=83) completed a belief updating task where they estimated the likelihood of a negative event happening to them, were presented with the actual likelihood of the event, and then re-estimated the likelihood of the event happening to …

Trajectories And Psychiatric Consequences Of Inhibitory Control In Young Males With Fragile X Syndrome, Erin Hunt

Theses and Dissertations

Inhibitory control (IC), the ability to suppress inappropriate responses, emerges late in the first year of life and improves across typical development, concurrent with brain maturation. The development of IC is critical to various social-emotional and behavioral functions, with IC deficits being linked to numerous psychiatric conditions, including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a single-gene disorder characterized by IC deficits, and elevated rates of ADHD and ASD, making it a useful model for understanding the early development and consequences of IC. In this longitudinal study, we characterized IC trajectories across multiple time …