Clinical Psychology Commons^™

“I Knew These Marvelous People”: Gay Men’S Experiences Of Long-Term Hiv/Aids Survival, Ilana J. Sichel

Dissertations and Theses

The gay and bisexual men who were diagnosed with HIV/AIDS before the pharmaceutical breakthroughs of the mid-1990s were given what was expected to be a death sentence. Instead, the majority of those who began the newly available treatments outlived not just their initial prognoses but their lovers, friends, and community members who had already perished. This study used grounded theory analysis of semi-structured interviews with a sample of 10 self-identified gay men who are long-term HIV/AIDS survivors to explore experiences of trauma, loss, and mourning in relation to current psychological wellbeing. Qualitative thematic analysis indicated that despite demographic variance among …

Early Risk Factors For School-Age Adhd And Irritability: The Roles Of Prenatal Risk, Intrusive Parenting Style During Preschool And Caregiver-Child Attachment Quality., Ashley M. Rainford

Dissertations and Theses

ADHD is a highly impairing neurodevelopmental disorder and the family context provides a critical early environment where children’s risk for the disorder may be heightened or reduced. A parent’s style, that is their approach to interacting and guiding the child may provide children with warmth and security, or elicit fear, distrust and disappointment, both of which in turn impact behavior. However, the parent-child relationship is not unidirectional; it is dynamic. Children with high ADHD-like behaviors have greater difficulty relating to and interacting with their caregivers, while caregivers become increasingly stressed and show greater hostility and less warmth in their parenting. …

Loneliness, Interpersonal Sensitivity And The Mechanisms Through Which The Dimensions Of Trait Emotional Intelligence May Protect Against Clinical Depression, Eva H. Leighton

Dissertations and Theses

Reducing the prevalence of loneliness and depression are important public health objectives. This dissertation aims to contribute to these objectives by improving our understanding of the relationship between loneliness and depression. Specifically, we assessed three additional constructs known to be strongly associated with loneliness and depression –-perceived social support, emotional intelligence, and interpersonal sensitivity –- with the aim of showing how these three constructs influence the relationship between loneliness and depression. Previous research that jointly examines all five constructs has not been identified by the author in an extensive search of prior literature.

Specifically, this dissertation tested the following hypotheses: …

Identification Of Adhd And Comorbid Disorders In Children: The Potential Role Of Minority Group Membership, Rachel H. Tayler

Dissertations and Theses

Identification of ADHD and Comorbid Disorders in Children: The potential role of minority group membership

by

Rachel Tayler, MSc, MA

Advisor: Sarah O’Neill, PhD

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) affects six million US children. Females, Latinx, and possibly Black children have lower rates of diagnosis than their Male and White non-Latinx peers. ADHD is behaviorally defined, and as such, clinicians' perceptions of symptoms and determination of diagnoses may be influenced by demographic factors such as race, ethnicity and sex.

This vignette study examined whether clinicians' implicit ethnic, racial, and sex biases affect diagnosis of ADHD and comorbid conditions. Psychiatry trainees and pediatricians …

Being Black & Blue: Sex As A Moderator Between Adverse Childhood Experiences And Depressive Symptoms Among Black Emerging Adults, Wynta C. Alexander

Dissertations and Theses

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) have been linked to adult mental health consequences (e.g., depressive symptoms). Black people are disproportionately affected by ACEs, and factors related to ethnic subgroups and/or sex may produce differential depressive outcomes. The current study examined the moderating role of sex in the association between adverse childhood experiences and depression symptoms using a life course of health approach among a sample of Black emerging adults. Participants (n = 159) of the current study were Black (e.g., African – American) and Black Caribbean (e.g., Jamaican) undergraduate students (18 – 59 years old; 72.3% female) attending a large, public …

Joint Laughter Between Patient And Therapist: Exploring The Function Of These Moments And Their Relationship To The Working Alliance In Short-Term Psychotherapy, Molly Rappaport

Dissertations and Theses

Laughter emerges in infancy and reflects mutually aroused and regulated positive affect within the caregiver-infant relationship and repeated cycles of shared, co-regulated positive arousal have been shown to play a critical role in fueling secure attachment bond formation and laying the groundwork for the infant’s capacity for affect regulation (Schore, 2003). Throughout life, laughter continues to function as an attachment behavior with the possibility of promoting interpersonal closeness or creating distance. Attitudes toward the role of laughter in psychotherapy vary among psychodynamically-oriented clinicians and research has mostly focused on the kinds of humor and interventions that provoke laughter rather than …

Development Of A New Measure To Assess For Poverty-Based Stress: The Poverty-Based Stressor Scale (Pbss), Brianna N. Allen

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Poverty, typically measured by economic well-being or depravation, is the result of systemic flaws built into the structure of society that adversely impact multiple dimensions of health and well-being. The specific stressors that disproportionately impact low-income individuals are called poverty-based stressors, and they encompass multiple categories of risk including physical, psychosocial, and financial risks. Currently, there is not an adequate measure of poverty-based stressors for low-income adults in the United States (U.S.), which restricts our ability to accurately determine the effects of poverty on important health-related outcomes. The purpose of this dissertation was to develop a psychometrically sound measure of …

Eye Movement Desensitization And Reprocessing As An Effective Treatment Approach With Traumatized Youth, Khilia Tyese Giacobone

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Trauma is anything that impacts an individual’s ability to cope. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidenced-based treatment for many psychological disorders resulting from traumatic stress; however, there is limited research supporting use with children and adolescents. The purpose of this quantitative study was to evaluate the relationship between EMDR treatment on the reduction of trauma symptoms in children and adolescents. This study was grounded in Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) theory. The research questions explored the relationship between EMDR as an effective treatment for youth who have experienced trauma. The variables considered the pre- and post-test scores on …

Perceived Social Support And Anxiety Among Informal Caregivers Of Individuals With Dementia, Latonya Cofield

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractMany individuals who are diagnosed with some form of dementia are cared for by informal caregivers. Past research has indicated many of the caregivers have potential for encountering caregiver distress leading to physical and mental health deterioration. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact perceived social support may have on anxiety among the informal caregivers. Using the transactional model of stress and coping, this quantitative study examined the relationship between perceived emotional/informational social support, instrumental social support, gender, and anxiety among informal caregivers caring for individuals diagnosed with dementia. A correlational research design and the multiple linear …

Predictors Of Ptsd, Depression, And Suicide-Related Outcomes For Military Personnel And First Responders In A Three-Week Intensive Outpatient Program For Ptsd, Victoria Steigerwald

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Military personnel and first responders are distinct populations that share similarities on work, cultural, and peritraumatic factors that may impact evidence-based PTSD treatment (EBT) outcomes. Little research to date has compared their response to EBTs or identified predictors of EBT outcomes for both populations. The present study examined whether first responders' treatment outcomes were non-inferior to those of military personnel in a three-week Trauma Management Therapy (TMT)-based intensive outpatient program (IOP) and whether baseline hyperarousal symptoms were predictive of outcomes. Data were analyzed from 111 military personnel and first responders (85.6% male, mean age=43.0 years) who completed the IOP. Changes …

Measuring Gender-Related Biases And Exploring Methods To Diminish Bias By Targeting Relations For Defusion, Chynna B. Frizell

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Biases related to gender are an important area of empirical attention in the United States due to social challenges related to prejudice, stereotyping, and discrimination based on gender. The purpose of this study is to evaluate potential bias related to binary and nonbinary gender using a measure of relational responding rooted in Relational Density Theory (RDT) (Belisle & Dixon, 2020). Mass and volume of networks in terms of gendered stereotypical relations are assessed to further examine binary gendered stereotypes and to examine relations regarding nonbinary genders in the context of traditionally masculine and feminine labels. Implicit biases regarding male and …

A Job-Demand Resource Theory And Psychological Flexibility Integrated Model Of Police Officer Burnout, Lucas David Baker

Dissertations and Theses

Police officers encounter stressors as a result of job responsibilities that contribute to high rates of occupational burnout. Defined by three primary components (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and professional inefficacy), burnout is associated with health- and work-related problems among officers. In addition, police agencies incur significant costs associated with burnout due to performance decline and turnover. Officer burnout is also a matter of public interest given that burnout is associated with low prosocial behavior and high use of force. As such, research that aims to explore the formation and maintenance of officer burnout may be consequential for the profession and society …

Psychological Functioning And Community Support In Adolescents Exposed To A School Shooting, Jessica Taylor Kelly

Dissertations and Theses

This study evaluated the impact of community support, specifically the impact of a trauma-related community-led campaign, on high school youth following a school shooting. Adolescents are at risk for the adverse impacts of trauma exposure (Katsiyannis et al., 2018; Rajan et al., 2019; Heleniak et al., 2016; McDermott & Cobham, 2012; McLean et al., 2013; Schonfeld & Demaria, 2020). However, social support from one’s community has been found to protect against the psychological and functional consequences of exposure to trauma (Bal et al., 2003; Cheng et al., 2014; Derivois et al., 2014. The purpose of this study was to assess …

A Narrative Study Describing The Transition From Residential Treatment As A Child: An Adult Perspective, Alison Marie Vogelsang

Dissertations and Theses

To date, the literature sorely lacks empirical research exploring treatment outcomes among children in residential treatment centers (RTCs). Consequentially, there is an increasing demand for more studies examining such outcomes, particularly as they pertain to an individual’s experience leaving an RTC. There is even less research exploring the perspectives of individuals who resided in an RTC as a child due to the vulnerable nature of this population and difficulty in accessibility. The transitional period is believed to be a salient component impacting treatment outcomes, yet little is known about how this component of residential treatment is experienced and whether it …

Understanding How Different Personality Models Can Predict Non-Suicidal Self-Injurious Behaviors, Rachel Chavin

Dissertations and Theses

The current study seeks to examine the role of maladaptive personality traits and personality functioning’s relationship with non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) engagement and suicidal behavior. Specifically, this study examined the validity of the Alternative Model of Personality Disorders (AMPD) in predicting historical and prospective self-harm behavior in comparison to the Five Factor Model. This study recruited 400 female participants, ages 18-24, who completed a battery of measures about personality functioning, traits, self-harm, and suicidal history. Two weeks after the initial assessment, participants completed a follow-up survey to assess their NSSI behavior over the past two weeks. Through point-biserial correlations, this study …

Externalizing Psychopathology In Individuals Who Have Criminally Offended: Factor Structure And Differential Outcome Associations, Robert Doss

Dissertations and Theses

In light of recent grievances with categorical conceptualizations of psychopathology, researchers recommend shifting away from categorical toward dimensional conceptualizations. However, research on dimensional conceptualizations and existing measurement tools’ ability to capture these dimensions is still in its early stages. Specifically, special attention has been paid to the externalizing dimension’s structure as a general dimension or two specific dimensions with shared characteristics (i.e., disinhibited externalizing and antagonistic externalizing). The current study aims to validate the PAI’s dimensional structure, focusing on the externalizing dimensions as depicted by the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP) model, an emerging dimensional model of psychopathology. Participants were …

A Model Of Childhood Maltreatment, Ptsd Symptoms, Reinforcement Sensitivity, And Alcohol Outcomes In Young Adults, Logan E. Welker

Dissertations and Theses

Alcohol use poses a significant public health concern, particularly among young adults, 35% of whom report binge drinking (SAMHSA, 2019). Childhood maltreatment is reported by over 50% of young adults (Maples et al., 2014) which places individuals at a greater risk of problematic drinking (Goldstein et al., 2010). Developmental traumatology theory posits that 1) maltreatment-related psychobiological changes are responsible for the increased risk of dysfunctional alcohol use in maltreated individuals and 2) PTSD may be a good indicator of this psychobiological change (De Bellis, 2002). PTSD symptoms have mediated the relationship between childhood maltreatment and alcohol outcomes in previous studies …

The Impact Of Self-Compassion On Engagement During A Writing Exposure Session For Posttraumatic Stress, Jessica Rose Ellem

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects 6-17% of college students in the United States, which can negatively impact academic achievement and is associated with other emotional difficulties. Exposure therapy, including written exposure therapy as been found to be efficacious for treating. However, concerns of treatment dropout and low symptom improvement are barriers to treatment success. Experiential avoidance in treatment has been problematic and may influence outcomes. The current study sought to reduce the use of experiential avoidance in exposure sessions through the promotion of self-compassion, an extension of kindness, humanity and mindfulness to the self. Furthermore, the current study also examined …

Age As A Moderator Of Health Outcomes And Trust In Physicians And The Healthcare System, Emma Katz M.S.

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Trust is an integral part of the healthcare experience. Patient trust is associated with treatment adherence, patient satisfaction, patients engaging in follow-up care, shared decision-making, and positive health-related outcomes (e.g., Gupta et al., 2014; Mohseni & Lindstrom, 2007; Musa et al., 2009; Tam, 2012; Thom, et al., 2004; Trachtenberg et al., 2005). There are several levels of trust discussed in the literature, including interpersonal trust and institutional trust. The current study examined two levels of trust: interpersonal trust in the form of trust in the physician and institutional trust in the form of trust in the healthcare system. The study …

Implementing Trauma-Informed Care Through A Multi-Agency Learning Collaborative: A Theory-Driven Analysis Of Outcomes And Sustainability, Mira D H Snider M.S.

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Learning collaboratives (LCs) are often used in large-scale implementation initiatives to promote evidence-based practice across provider networks. Although the outcomes and stakeholder perspectives of many LCs have been documented, support for the effectiveness of LCs is equivocal, and the means by which LCs achieve long-term improvements in clinical care are not understood. The current study investigated outcomes and sustainability of a multi-agency LC for implementing trauma-informed care in 23 rural Pennsylvania counties. Changes in outcomes (i.e., trauma symptom screening, trauma-informed care training attendance, clinician confidence with using trauma informed-care, utilization of trauma-related diagnostic codes, retention in service, service unit density) …

Role Of Feedback And Social Anxiety In Dating Situations, Kanika Singh

Masters Theses

Social anxiety has been linked to both the Fear of Negative Evaluation (FNE) and the Fear of Positive Evaluation, suggesting that receiving feedback (whether positive or negative) is difficult for persons with social anxiety. However, little research has examined whether receiving feedback in an evaluative setting (e.g., dating) can directly affect social anxiety levels. Thus, this study examined whether varying types of feedback (negative, positive, and neutral) can affect the levels of social anxiety for individuals in a dating scenario. Feedback was provided to participants and examined in relation to their levels of FNE and FPE. Participants consisted of undergraduate …

Narrative Enhancement And Cognitive Therapy With Correctional Psychiatric Patients: A Pilot Study, Richelene Cesar

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Narrative Enhancement and Cognitive Therapy (NECT) is a manualized, group-based intervention that was originally developed to treat self-stigma among individuals who present with severe and persistent mental illnesses (SPMIs; Roe, Lysaker, & Yanos, 2013). NECT has been shown to effectively reduce these individuals’ experience of self-stigma, and diminish its negative effects on their hope, self-esteem, self-efficacy, and quality of life (Yanos, Roe, & Lysaker, 2011). Supportive literature is scarce regarding NECT’s efficacy with people who have multiple stigmatized identities. For the purposes of this pilot study, NECT was implemented with a correctional psychiatric population. Research supports this population is doubly, …

An Emerging Masculinity: A Qualitative Study Of Majority-Status Men's Gender Socialization, Emily Sargent

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Majority-status American men have been found to disproportionately experience suicide, homicide, perpetration of sexual assault and intimate partner violence, as well as, alcohol and drug-related concerns. Current research considers gender socialization of traditional constructs of masculinity to be “toxic” for men and others (i.e., Women, gender and sexual minorities). This study sought to explore young men’s current experience of masculinity identity development in America. Six participants who self-identified as White, straight, English speaking, educated, cisgender, and emerging adult men shared their lived experience of masculinity via virtual video interviews. To assess results of this qualitative study, interpretive phenomenological analysis was …

The Caregiver’S Experience Of Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome, Jordyn Deschene

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

As the rate of Lyme disease diagnoses increases in the United States, it can be assumed that the frequency at which post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS) is diagnosed will also increase. While research has been published on the experience of caregivers of other chronic illnesses, no studies have examined the experience of the PTLDS caregiver. This quantitative study sought to discover the most significant burdens, mental health status (levels of anxiety and depression), and level of invalidation experienced by the PTLDS caregiver. Thirty individual participants took part in this study. This study found that mental burden is a significant area …

Imposter Phenomenon And Ces Doctoral Students, Michael Drane

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The aim of the study was to explore the lived experience of counselor education and supervision students who reported experiencing symptoms of imposter phenomenon (IP). The population included counselor education and supervision students in their first year of their program, with a sample of convenience (N = 4). The method used in this study was an interoperative phenomenological analysis. Data analysis revealed four major themes: (a) counselor education students express self-doubt, lack of confidence and concern about competence, (b) students rate different levels of competence in counselor education and supervision roles, (c) instructor feedback impacts student perceptions of competence, and …

Experiences Of Queer Women And Nonbinary Individuals With Mental Health Care Services During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Elizabeth Claire Simpson

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative effect on mental health. Queer women and nonbinary individuals disproportionately experience mental health issues when compared to heterosexuals, often facing challenges in receiving care from providers who are sensitive to their concerns and competent in their care. Objective: To report experience of queer women and nonbinary individuals in the United States with mental health care services before and during the pandemic. Methods: Data were gathered via a 43-item survey about experiences with mental health care services before and during the pandemic that was posted on four social media sites, and flyers hung …

The Impact Of A Relationship Education Program On Health Disparities Among Pregnant Women, Anne Clara Biermann

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Health disparities amongst pregnant individuals of color have long been documented and yet, they persist. While there is growing recognition, the search continues for solutions to close the health disparity gap between White women and women of color. This research is a follow-up to a 2022 study exploring the impact of the MotherWise program on birth outcomes. MotherWise provides an individual-oriented relationship education program and case management service for minority and low-income pregnant women in Colorado. This research further explores a positive trend of the program's impact on preterm birth rates by examining differential effects of participation by race. In …

Health Risk Perceptions Regarding Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (Ends) Among Individuals With Respiratory Illnes, Sarah Ann Sebban

Theses and Dissertations

Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), also known as electronic cigarettes, are portable battery-powered devices used to smoke or “vape” a flavored solution which usually contains nicotine. Many national organizations (CDC, AMA, AAFP, ALA, AHA) have recognized the alarmingly increased rates of ENDS use in the United States, especially among certain populations. Those most likely to engage in ENDS use are youth and young adults, and adults who already smoke combustible cigarettes. Many people perceive ENDS use as a healthier alternative to smoking regular cigarettes and thus, are more willing to initiate ENDS use. However, research has indicated that ENDS use …

Efficacy And Possible Mechanisms Of Change In Written Exposure Therapy In Undergraduates With Ptss: A Randomized Trial Of Wet Compared To Trauma-Focused Expressive Writing, Robyn Alyssa Ellis

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Trauma exposure is common, with a 90% lifetime endorsement rate in adults in the United States and a majority of first year students reporting exposure to trauma prior to college. A minority of individuals go on to develop PTSD, with higher rates on college campuses (9-12.4%) than lifetime estimates (7%). Existing evidence-based practices for PTSD have demonstrated efficacy in reducing PTSD symptoms (PTSS), but critiques of evidence-based psychotherapies (EBPs) for PTSD include high levels of drop-out and barriers to access. Written exposure therapy (WET) is a brief promising intervention for PTSS with a growing literature of evidence suggesting efficacy with …

Longitudinal Associations Between Parenting Stress, Adolescent Temperament, And Externalizing Behaviors, Kristina Kochanova

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Although there is growing evidence that parenting stress and adolescent externalizing problems are linked cross-sectionally similarly to families of younger children, longitudinal research examining the direction of these associations among families of adolescents is limited. This study examined the direction of the link between parenting stress and adolescent externalizing problems over time and whether the associations differed due to adolescent temperament. Participants were 333 biological mothers (Mage = 40.15, SDage = 6.86; 75.7% White) with a 12- to 17-year-old adolescent. They were recruited through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk and completed psychometrically valid measures through Qualtrics at two time points, six months …