Clinical Psychology Commons^™

Peer Functioning And Risk For Co-Occurring Adhd And Anxiety Symptoms In School-Aged Children: A Cross-Sectional And Longitudinal Analysis., Helena F. Alacha

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background. Youth with Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often have higher rates of anxiety in comparison to their peers without ADHD. Children with co-occurring ADHD and anxiety exhibit a unique clinical presentation that poses challenges to both assessment and treatment. Consequently, children with comorbid ADHD and anxiety experience increased impairment, and often have poorer long-term outcomes than children with either ADHD or anxiety alone. Preliminary evidence suggests that different psychosocial phenomena commonly experienced by children with ADHD—such as peer functioning—may increase susceptibility to anxiety. Considering that children with ADHD encounter a range of peer difficulties, the present study proposed and evaluated different …

Testing An Ironic Process Model Of Emotion Expression In Daily Life, Laura B. Kenneally

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Expressive suppression, or suppressing the expression of an emotion, is a common emotion regulation approach that has been found to have substantial negative implications for one’s mental health, physical health, and relationship functioning. However, expression of emotion, and of negative emotion in particular, has not consistently been found to be beneficial for mood or relationships. Moreover, the social expression of emotion that is culturally valued among Black-identifying Americans is different in White-identifying Americans, particularly in regard to expression of negative affect. However, it is unknown whether this cultural context mitigates the potential consequences of expressive suppression and emotion expression.

Expressive …

Exploring The Relationship Between Cannabis Use Motives And Readiness To Change Among Young Adult College Students, Emma Kathryn Rawls

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Cannabis use among young adult college students has risen steadily over the past decade, raising concerns about the associated health, academic, and psychological consequences. While cannabis use motives and readiness to change have each been linked to use patterns and outcomes, limited research has examined how these factors interact. The current study investigated whether readiness to change, based on the Transtheoretical Model (TTM), moderates the relationship between cannabis use motives and cannabis-related consequences as well as past-30-day use frequency. A sample of 100 college students 18-25 years old (M_age = 20.08, SD = 2.12; 67% female; 55.0% Black or …

Drinking To Compensate: Expanding Upon The Motivational Model Of Alcohol Use, Douglas J. Glenn

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The motivational model of alcohol use identifies four key drinking motives – coping, conformity, social, and enhancement – as important proximal antecedents of problematic drinking. However, applications of this model have been inconsistent in explaining drinking outcomes. Specifically, it is unclear under which conditions each drinking motive can be a risky or benign indicator of drinking behaviors. The current study theorized that a problematic drinking to compensate behavior could emerge across all drinking motives when alcohol is used to counteract a psychosocial (i.e., nondrinking) deficit. It was hypothesized, at the cross-sectional and daily level, that the associations between each drinking …

The Relationship Between Perceived Racial Discrimination And Psychological Distress: The Role Of Psychological Inflexibility, Kyrah Breann Frank

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Research has shown that marginalized groups experience perceived racial discrimination as traumatic, humiliating, and hurtful (Brown-Iannuzzi et al., 2014). Multiple studies have associated perceived racial discrimination with physical and mental health outcomes such as depression (Brown-Iannuzzi et al., 2014.; Shallcross & Spruill, 2017; Zapolski et al., 2018), cardiovascular problems (Watson-Singleton et al., 2019; Zapolski et al., 2018), anxiety (Zapolski et al., 2018), and stress (Graham et al., 2013; Watson-Singleton et al., 2019). Studies have also shown that mindfulness buffered/moderated the relationship between perceived racial discrimination and health outcomes (Brown-Iannuzzi et al., 2014; Graham et al., 2013; Shallcross & Spruill, 2017; …

Shared Themes Among Teachers And Students On The Impact Of Teacher Well-Being On Student Wellbeing And Academic Success, Brian Duncan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teachers have experienced increasing burnout and high attrition rates, alongside a parallel decline in student well-being and academic success. Prior research has linked teacher well-being to student outcomes; however, little is known about whether teachers and students perceive this relationship similarly. This phenomenological qualitative study explored the shared perceptions of teacher well-being’s impact on student well-being and academic success among 10 high school teachers and 10 students from public schools in the southwestern United States. Grounded in Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory and Bowlby’s secure base theory, the study employed semistructured interviews and Saldana’s two-cycle coding to identify themes across both …

Testing The Utility Of The Three Good Things Intervention For Cannabis Misuse Among College Students, Paige Morris

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

College students experience high rates of cannabis use and use-related problems. Existing brief online interventions for cannabis misuse among college students do not significantly reduce cannabis use and use-related problems relative to control conditions. This may be due to limited consideration of the role of affect, given that cannabis is frequently used for managing affect, especially among individuals with greater depression and social anxiety. The present study sought to improve the efficacy of brief online interventions for cannabis misuse among college students by testing the efficacy of the Three Good Things (3GT; Seligman et al., 2005) intervention, a daily exercise …

Road To Recovery: Understanding The Personality Typology, Clinical Features, And Risk Of Relapse In Filipinos With Substance Use Problems, Marc Angelo Ronquillo, Marc Eric Reyes, Ryan Francis Cayubit

Makara Human Behavior Studies in Asia

Knowing the patient’s personality can assist the clinician in improving their relationship and tailoring the interventions for the patient. Several studies have reported that treatment and prevention programs must be tailored to an individual’s social and cultural attributes to facilitate continuous recovery and prevent relapse. This study aimed to develop a deeper understanding of the personality typology, clinical features, and risk of relapse in Filipinos with substance use problems in rehabilitation centers. We used a sequential-explanatory mixed-method approach with two phases (Phase 1: descriptive, cross-sectional design; Phase 2: phenomenological design) to provide an evidence-based framework to tailor treatment according to …

Delusion Or Faith? Exploring Religious Delusions In Individuals With Schizophrenia Within The Banjar Culture, Nabila Regita Putri Mustafa, Nur’Aulia Maisyarah, Aulia Maulidina, Muhammad Reza Aditya, Muhammad Abdan Shadiqi

Makara Human Behavior Studies in Asia

Schizophrenia is often characterized by delusions and hallucinations, which often appear as manifestations of religious delusions in the Banjar cultural context. This phenomenon can be understood through the hyper-religiosity theory, which explains excessive religious behavior in individuals with schizophrenia. This qualitative case study aims to identify the forms of religious delusion in individuals with hyper-religiosity and the underlying causal factors. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and observations with 10 informants, comprising four individuals with religious delusions selected using purposive sampling based on their experience of studying Tasawwuf and experiencing religious delusions and six significant others. The findings show that …

Career Counseling With Foster Adolescents Transitioning To Adulthood: A Phenomenological Study Using A Psychoeducation Group Counseling Approach, Carly Paro-Tompkins, Elda Veloso Ph.D., Galaxina G. Wright, Jennifer Reeves, Samantha Both

The Qualitative Report

Young adults who age out of the foster care system face a unique set of challenges including increased risk of homelessness, substance use, mental health problems, and difficulty with employment. The current phenomenological study aims to understand participants’ experiences of Project P.A.T.H., a group psychoeducational group intervention aimed at improving self-efficacy, employment hope, and job search knowledge in individuals who were unemployed or underemployed and actively seeking employment. Participants were recruited through the FLITE Center, a nonprofit organization providing services supporting individuals transitioning out of the foster system. A total of 23 participants aged 18-26 participated in this study. The …

Factors Influencing Successful Community Reentry For Formerly Incarcerated Men Who Have Received Supportive Services: A Qualitative Study, Ryan W. Fechner

Theses and Graduate Projects

The current study examined reentry experience among men following incarceration to determine salient protective and risk factors. The study reviews the impacts of incarceration, previous factors of recidivism identified in research, and qualitative research conducted on justice-involved individuals. Using a grounded theory qualitative approach, nine men recruited from a substance use treatment program who were released from prison within the past five years were interviewed to explore protective and risk factors. Findings from the current study were consistent with previous research in identifying barriers to reentry, such as difficulties finding housing, employment, and transportation. Additional findings indicate the importance of …

Nutrition, Physical Activity, Faith, And C-Reactive Protein As Predictors Of Depression In A Large Prospective Sample, Rebecca L. Banning

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

Depression is an increasingly common mental health concern and has been linked to both lifestyle factors and biological markers of inflammation. This study examined whether physical activity, dietary patterns, and religiosity/spirituality (R/S) predicted depression symptoms through their associations with high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), a widely used biomarker of inflammation. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, participants were assessed at Wave II (ages 12–20) and Wave IV (ages 24–32). Predictors included self-reported physical activity, proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory diet composites, and R/S engagement. Outcomes included concurrent and prospective depression symptoms, as well as hs-CRP concentrations. Results …

Navigating Health Management Decisions In Pediatric Food Allergy: Exploring Caregiver Needs, Experiences, And Behaviors, Perry Allen Catlin

Dissertations (1934 -)

Food allergy (FA) is a prevalent and often severe condition affecting approximately 8% of U.S. children (Gupta et al., 2018; Robson & Assa’ad, 2024). The responsibility for daily management of FA, including making critical health management decisions, often falls to caregivers. These responsibilities can impose significant psychosocial demands on caregivers, particularly as treatment options expand and require more nuanced decision-making (Collins et al., 2024; Hamadi et al., 2024; Knibb & Jones, 2024; Lieberman, 2024; Umetsu, 2024). Caregivers' decisions are shaped by a range of individual needs, experiences, and sociodemographic characteristics (Dale & Hemmerich, 2009; Hoefel, O’Connor, et al., 2020). As …

Parents’ Experiences With Their Child’S Psychotherapy And Mental Illness, Valerie Marsman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Low parental engagement—especially among fathers and ethnic minority groups like Latinx parents—in child psychotherapy increases the risk of treatment dropout, behavioral issues, and poorer outcomes, contributing to persistent disparities. More research was needed on perceptual barriers and facilitators to parental engagement such as attitudes, beliefs, and expectations. The purpose of this study was to gain an in-depth understanding of parents’ experiences with their child’s psychotherapy and mental illness to facilitate parental engagement in services that support the child. An interpretative phenomenological approach and multiperspectival focus group design were used to illuminate each participant’s voice and explore overarching themes. Hill’s theory …

From Heroic Imagination To Belonging-Focused Healing: A Tribute To Philip Zimbardo, Agnieszka Wilczynska

Heroism Science

This article offers a reflective account of the Polish adaptation of the Heroic Imagination Project (HIP), a global educational initiative founded by Philip Zimbardo to promote everyday heroism through psychological awareness. As HIP took root in Poland, we developed a robust infrastructure of certified trainers, academic collaborators, and educational centers, reaching over 250 schools and 800 educators. Grounded in core psychological principles -- such as the bystander effect, social conformity, and prejudice -- the program empowered participants to resist negative social influences and cultivate moral courage. The experience also gave rise to Belonging Focus Therapy (BFT), a psychobiological and sociocultural …

Evaluating Generative Ai For Depression Diagnosis: Implications For Counselor Education And Supervision, Matthew Rensi, Chung-Fan Ni, Leo Gonzalez, Jr., Mindi Barta, Cass Dykeman, James Geisler

Journal of Technology in Counselor Education and Supervision

This study evaluated the efficacy of three Generative AI tools—ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini— in identifying Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) from 119 written clinical case descriptions. Each AI tool determined if cases met DSM-5 criteria for MDD. The results showed significant performance variations, with Gemini demonstrating an accuracy of 97%. These findings suggest the potential for AI assistance in clinical practice, while also underscoring the importance of professional judgment. The implications for counselor education include opportunities to integrate AI tools into training programs, particularly in courses on psychopathology and clinical skills. Educators can use these tools to enhance students’ diagnostic skills …

Exploring The Environmental Impacts Of Telemental Health Counseling: Balancing Accessibility, Sustainability, And Climate Concerns, Daniel Bates, Greg Peterson, Vanessa Sinclair

Journal of Technology in Counselor Education and Supervision

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, a nation-wide quarantine was mandated, which had a significant impact on the economy, healthcare, and lifestyle. It also dramatically changed the way mental health services were delivered. Many clinicians in private practice and at agencies rapidly transitioned the administration of mental health treatment to an online platform. The rapid upsurge of utilization of telemental health counseling (TMHC) yielded unexpected environmental benefits that have come to light by recent research. Some researchers shared concerns of TMHC efficacy compared to in-person counseling, however, other research comparing TMHC to in-person found comparable therapeutic outcomes. Research has also …

The State Of Telemental Health Training And Education In Cacrep-Accredited Counselor Education Master’S Programs, Jocelyn Novella, Davide Mariotti

Journal of Technology in Counselor Education and Supervision

Despite the frequent use of telemental health (TMH) to deliver clinical mental health counseling, there are few specific guidelines for the teaching of this important topic in CACREP-accredited counselor education programs. This study examined TMH training and education in master’s-level CACREP-accredited counselor education programs by surveying CACREP liaisons (n = 62). The results were analyzed using frequencies, and questions were cross-tabulated with basic information about the programs’ faculty, students, and method of teaching. Results will inform current practices in the training of counselors in this expanding delivery system.

Evaluating Counseling Skills Through Language Style Matching: A Computer-Aided Text Analysis Of Suicide And General Counseling Transcripts, Chung-Fan Ni, Justin Jacques, Charles Silber, Cass Dykeman

Journal of Technology in Counselor Education and Supervision

This pilot study applies Computer-Aided Text Analysis (CATA) to examine Language Style Matching (LSM) in counseling transcripts, offering a novel metric for counselor education and supervision. Analyzing 50 suicide-focused and 100 general counseling sessions using LIWC-22 software, we found high LSM scores in both contexts (suicide-focused: M = 0.906; general: M = 0.903). Bayesian analysis provided moderate evidence (BF01 = 5.048) in support of the null hypothesis, indicating no significant difference between the two session types. The consistently high LSM suggests counselors effectively build strong alliances and align with client goals across topics. LSM analysis provides an objective measure of …

Computational Thinking As A Novel Framework For Enhancing Cognitive Organization In Older Adults With Cognitive Frailty (Letter To The Editor), Daisuke Akiba

Publications and Research

As aging populations grow, especially in high-income nations, the burden of dementia-related care continues to escalate both economically and socially. In response, this article introduces Computational Thinking (CT) as a novel, non-pharmacological framework to support cognitive organization in older adults experiencing cognitive frailty. Though CT has gained traction in fields like PK-16 education, including special education, for enhancing executive function and problem-solving, it has not yet been applied to geriatric- or memory-care contexts. This perspective proposes that CT’s core components (i.e., decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction, and algorithmic thinking) may align with residual cognitive strengths in mild-to-moderate dementia, offering a strengths-based, …

Need Frustration And Poor Mental Health Among Collegiate Athletes: The Indirect Role Of Ruminative Thinking, Alanni N. Brown, Adrian J. Bravo, Stimulant Norms And Prevalence 2 (Snap2) Study Team

Journal of Athlete Development and Experience

Vulnerability to negative mental health outcomes (i.e. anxiety and depression) among DI collegiate athletes may best be understood using Self Determination Theory (SDT) and the framework that need frustration impairs autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Need frustration may also relate to negative mental health symptoms via higher ruminative thinking, known to relate to both need frustration and poor mental health. The present study tested these two path models (i.e., SDT need frustration components [autonomy, relatedness, competency]-->rumination facets [problem-focused thoughts, counterfactual thinking, repetitive thinking, anticipatory thoughts]-->mental health problems (one for depression and one for anxiety as outcomes) among 341 collegiate …

Anxiety's Impact On Autism Spectrum Disorder Symtomology: An Investigation Into The Relationship Between Two Comorbities, Michaela Brown

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been found to be frequently comorbid with many medical and psychological disorders, one of which is anxiety disorders. Research has shown that, when anxiety is present within ASD, various areas of the child’s functioning may be impacted, such as ASD symptom severity, emotional regulation skills, adaptability, social skills and daily living skills. The current study aimed to investigate this relationship of anxiety and ASD. First, within a sample of children and adolescents with ASD, the magnitude of the correlation between specific ASD symptoms parent-reported anxiety was compared to determine if certain ASD symptoms were more …

A Multidimensional Perspective Of Patterns Of Functioning And Well-Being, Lendi Nicole Joy

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality estimates that 79.4% of U.S. adults will remain free from mental illness each year, but this does not necessarily mean they will enjoy positive psychological health and well-being. Well-being has been associated with positive outcomes such as greater health, longevity, work productivity, and increased social engagement. Thus, it is important for researchers to understand factors contributing to the development of well-being and optimal functioning. The current study used latent profile analysis to classify individuals based on their levels of well-being at ages 23 to 26 years and explored functioning indexes assessed when …

Evaluation And Expansion Of Posttraumatic Avoidance Assessment: Proposal Of A Novel Measure Of Posttraumatic Positive And Negative Experiential Avoidance For Use In Research And Clinical Practice, Marissa A. Yetter

Dissertations

Avoidance is a well-established mechanism in the development and maintenance of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and a central treatment target in gold standard evidence-based interventions. While traditionally defined as avoidance of trauma-related distressing thoughts, emotions, and reminders, emerging research highlights the need for a broader conceptualization of posttraumatic avoidance that includes both negative and positive emotional experiences. The current study aimed to explore an expanded conceptualization of clinically relevant posttraumatic avoidance using an experiential avoidance framework, a more generally defined unwillingness to remain in contact with distressing thoughts, feelings, memories, and other internal experiences. A sample of non-treatment seeking U.S.-based …

"Chatgpt Told Me To Say It": Ai Chatbots And Class Participation Apprehension In University Students, Daisuke Akiba

Publications and Research

The growing prevalence of AI chatbots in everyday life has prompted educators to explore their potential applications in promoting student success, including support for classroom engagement and communication. This exploratory study emerged from semester-long observations of class participation apprehensions in an introductory educational psychology course, examining how chatbots might scaffold students toward active and independent classroom contribution. Four students experiencing situational participation anxiety voluntarily participated in a pilot intervention using AI chatbots as virtual peer partners. Following comprehensive training in AI use and prompt design given to the entire class, participants employed systematic consultation frameworks for managing classroom discourse trepidations. …

The Virtual Kitchen Challenge: Psychometric Validation In Cognitively Healthy And Impaired Older Adults, Ross M. Divers

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Decline in everyday functioning is core diagnostic criteria for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia. While historically, MCI was considered a stage of generally persevered everyday functioning, it is now widely accepted that subtle though clinically meaningful changes in everyday function can be observed and are predictive of increased risk of future decline and conversion to dementia. Despite this, self and informant report questionnaires of everyday function largely fail to capture this subtle decline in those with MCI, while performance-based measures that may be able to capture this decline are rarely administered clinically due to their laborious administration. Performance-based measures …

Revalidation Of The Child Routines Questionnaire: Preschool, Christian Olivia Ledet

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The implementation of consistent, structured routines is considered a positive parenting practice that enhances child development and is a protective factor for developing externalizing behavior problems, particularly for preschool-age children as they learn to regulate their behavior. In recent years, electronic media consumption has increased among children of all ages, and excessive use is related to negative outcomes for children. Thus, a measure assessing routines of preschool children with items related to electronic media routines is important to further understand how routines affect children’s emotional and behavioral regulation and their interactions with their parents. The purpose of the current study …

Distinguishing Primary And Secondary Anomalous Self-Experience Using Momentary Variability, Michael D. Masucci

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Schizophrenia is associated with significant decreases in functioning and costly psychiatric hospitalization. However, it is frequently misdiagnosed due to phenotypic overlap with other disorders, and misdiagnosis can contribute to its functional and economic cost. Schizotypy and psychosis risk syndrome frameworks have been used to predict who will eventually develop schizophrenic psychosis, but accurate prediction caps at about 30% for individuals who are identified as “at risk” by these frameworks. Anomalous Self Experience (ASE), an alternative framework for understanding psychosis risk developed by phenomenological psychiatry, proposes that identifying fundamental alterations to sense of self are specific to schizophrenia and distinguish those …

Autism And Down Syndrome: An Examination Of The Baby And Infant Screen For Autism Traits In Toddlers With Down Syndrome, Celeste Tevis

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Current research suggests that children with Down Syndrome (DS) are at an increased risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) compared to the general population. Detecting ASD early in children with DS is crucial to providing access to additional treatment services and supports that may be necessary. Despite a critical need to identify ASD as early as possible, diagnoses of ASD are often delayed in individuals with DS. It can be especially difficult for clinicians to differentiate between symptoms attributed to intellectual developmental disorder (IDD), a primary feature of DS, and possible ASD symptoms. Only two research studies have evaluated the …

Parents Of Adolescents On Electronic Use And Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Parental Perspectives, Sleep, Internalization, Jessica Wiepking

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

ADHD in adolescents is a common diagnosis, with exposure to daily electronic use. There is strong evidence for a relationship between electronic use and ADHD in adolescents. However, there is a gap on electronic use, internalized feelings, and sleep behaviors in ADHD adolescents and how sleep behaviors might impact that relationship. ADHD has its core symptoms that impact the individual daily. These symptoms need to be taken into consideration when looking at internalized feelings and sleep behavior patterns. The theoretical framework that aligns with this study is the Dopaminergic Dysregulation Theory (DDT). This theory is a module that suggests that …