Community Psychology Commons^™

Impact Of An All-Gender Cabin Intervention At A Residential Summer Camp On Self-Esteem And Perceived Social Support In Lgbtq+ Youth, Suzanne D. Dinubile

Doctoral Dissertations

This study is a program evaluation with a mixed-methods design that evaluated the impact of Camp Tawonga’s All-Gender Cabin Intervention and LGBTQ+ programming showed no statistically significant changes, likely due to small sample size, but descriptive trends indicated improved outcomes for LGBTQ+ youth in All-Gender cabins. Semi-structured interviews with six LGBTQ+ campers revealed increased self-awareness and acceptance, empowerment, self-confidence, and a stronger sense of belonging within the LGBTQ+ community, along with positive interactions with non-LGBTQ+ peers. Notably, the three campers in All-Gender cabins highlighted unique themes of identity affirmation, emotional and behavioral growth, and relief from minority stress. Findings support …

Well-Being, Resilience, And Trauma During Migration: A Mixed Methods Study Of Venezuelan Migrants In Transit, Margaret S. Port

Dissertations

A substantial body of research has examined the psychological impact of experiences preceding and following migration, yet comparatively little attention has been given to the psychological toll of the migration journey itself. Moreover, due to the relative novelty of the Venezuelan migrant crisis and the community’s arrival in the United States, the psychological impact of Venezuelan migrants’ unique migration experience has been underexamined. This study utilized an explanatory sequential mixed methods design to investigate the relationships between well-being, resilience, and trauma among Venezuelan migrants in Chicago, Illinois, while also exploring their lived experiences of the migration journey. Study participants (n …

Rest For The Weary Soul: A Mixed Methods Psychospiritual Exploration Of Faith As A Path To Mental Health Recovery Among Students, Fremativo A. Vergara, Melvin G. Barete, Evan P. Taja-On

Journal of Catholic Education

Many individuals turn to faith for strength, guidance, and resilience, particularly at times of emotional hardship. As concerns continue to grow about mental health, particularly that of students, exploring how faith influences coping mechanisms and recovery offers valuable insights into alternative approaches to emotional wellbeing. The study found that students exhibit high levels of resilience and spiritual intelligence, suggesting that faith-based beliefs are crucial in students’ ability to cope with adversity. A strong positive correlation between resilience and spiritual intelligence indicates that students who integrate faith into their lives are more likely to develop the psychological strength needed to navigate …

The Resilient Families Project: Promoting Resilience, Mindfulness And Belonging Through Community Engagement And Interactive Reading In At-Risk Adults, Sydney Higdon, Dillon Hepler, Lora D. Haynes, Ph.D., Angela Ely, B.A.

The Cardinal Edge

Founded in 2011, the University of Louisville’s Resilient Families Project (RFP) is a community-engaged initiative that promotes evidence-based habits of resilience, mindfulness, and happiness among adults experiencing homelessness and/or in the addiction recovery program at Wayside Christian Mission (WCM). Through weekly trauma-informed sessions, RFP aims to strengthen such things as a sense of family/community, emotional awareness, positive coping strategies and a growth mindset.

This presentation highlights RFP’s current curriculum, centered around our six core values and integrated content from select storybooks, to support healthy attachment relations, interactive reading, and a sense of purpose and belonging.

The current authors also describe …

Will Anyone Play With Me? Building Resilience Through Community Play With Transgender And Gender Diverse Young Adults, Lee Lebeda

Expressive Therapies Theses

The recent increase in anti-trans legislature in the United States has negatively impacted the mental health of transgender young adults nationwide. Current research suggests that creative expression in a group setting may be uniquely suited to help transgender people combat the negative mental health effects of internalized anti-trans messaging. Based on this research, a community engagement project was designed for transgender young adult participants to explore resilience building through drama therapy-informed community play. Three play-based support groups, facilitated by a drama therapy graduate student who identified as a peer to the participants, were offered to transgender young adults in their …

Do Resiliency And Coping Skills Moderate The Relationship Between Mood Disorders And Parenting Styles Due To Parental Relationship Distress?, Tiffany Burks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Parental relationship dynamics such as intimate partner violence (IPV), interpersonal distress (IPD), and parental alienation (PA) can significantly affect both mental health and parenting practices. This study examined whether personal strengths, specifically resilience and problem-focused coping, could help buffer these negative outcomes. Correlational analyses showed that IPV, IPD, and PA were positively associated with symptoms of depression and anxiety. IPV and PA were also negatively associated with the use of an authoritative parenting style. In contrast, resilience and problem-focused coping were linked to fewer mood-related symptoms and greater use of authoritative parenting. Multiple regression analyses revealed that IPV significantly predicted …

"La Vida Es Un Carnaval": An Exploration Of Cuban Identity And Nostalgia Through Dance/Movement Therapy - A Community Engagement Project, Maria Fernanda Mendez Mendoza

Expressive Therapies Theses

“La Vida Es Un Carnaval” is a community engagement project and thesis that explores how identity and nostalgic resilience show up through dance/movement therapy with Cuban immigrants living in the United States, specifically Massachusetts. This project brought together six Cuban-born participants, ages 26 to 67, each with their own unique migration stories; from the Rafter Balsero Crisis of 1994, to the “Wet-Foot/Dry-Foot” policy, and family reunification. Through a mix of in-person and online sessions, participants explored their experiences using intermodal activities including dance/movement therapy techniques, conversation, journaling, artwork, and music. Themes of cultural pride, “Cubanía” – Cuban-ness, culture shock, and …

Navigating Sense Of Home: Migration Experiences Of Home And Community, Andrew Peter Camilleri

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Migrants experience significant stresses when transitioning to find a sense of belonging from one country to another (Kirmaryer et. al 2011), particularly when the nature of migration is forced. Language barriers, currency differences, different foods, written and unwritten rules of conduct as well as different climates all contribute to make the acculturative process difficult and stressful (Jackson & Bauder, 2014). Understanding how migrants navigate this process and the resources required to successfully integrate within a new host community is an important area of research both for migrants and the host communities.

Using an archival dataset collected by researchers from the …

The Role Of Religious Coping Resources As Resilience Factors In The Relationship Between Stress And Health-Related Quality Of Life Among Black Americans, Sarah Grace Frary

Theses and Dissertations

Black Americans face health disparities due to a number of systemic barriers across individual, relational, environmental, structural and superstructural levels, and these barriers increase their likelihood of chronic illness and premature mortality. Addressing these disparities is urgently needed. Addressing health promotion through culturally relevant interventions has been shown to be more effective, and one target for health promotion is Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL), a multidimensional health indicator that aligns well with many Black Americans’ understandings of health. HRQoL is negatively related to chronic stress. This study aimed to identify factors for effective coping with chronic stress that are culturally …

Community Stress And Resilience During Covid-19: Assessing The Emotional Profile Of The City Of Hamilton Using A Social Media Analysis, Senyo Agbeyaka

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This study investigated stress and resilience at the neighbourhood level in Hamilton Ontario in pre- and peri-pandemic conditions using a social media analysis. Sentiment analysis of geo-located Twitter posts produced within Hamilton census tract boundaries was conducted using Stresscapes and EMOTIVE, validated software that extract and code emotional information from human language expressions about stress and hope (a proxy for stress), respectively. Baseline levels of both emotions were measured using aggregate scores at the census tract level in Hamilton from tweets produced during two pre-pandemic periods (March 2019 to July 2019; and August 2019 to February 2020), with a replication …

Rfp Program Perseveres: Continuing Efforts For Resilient Families & Communities Despite The Covid-19 Pandemic, Cadence Gazo, Heba Aljumaily, Lora Haynes

Undergraduate Arts and Research Showcase

Since 2011, UofL’s Resilient Families Project (RFP) has offered programs at Wayside Christian Mission’s Hotel Louisville to promote evidence-based habits of resilience, mindfulness and happiness in families experiencing homelessness and women in drug and alcohol recovery. RFP’s mission involves growing healthy attachment relations across the lifespan and a sense of community/belonging and purpose. Family/interactive reading and carefully chosen children’s storybooks are the platform for programs that take place Thursdays nearly year-round and typically serve approximately 100 community members. Despite RFP programs having been put on hold through the COVID-19 pandemic, as RFP interns we worked to assess/evaluate programs and develop/refine …

Needs Of Foster Parents, Emma Friemel, Amanda Terrell, Jennifer Becnel, Michael Merten

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Children in foster care are likely to have experienced some form of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). These ACEs can leave them vulnerable when faced with difficult future situations. There are several studies that examine the resiliency of children in foster care, but few examine foster children’s resiliency from the perspective of the child’s foster parents. The Oklahoma State University Center for Family Resilience administered a survey to 316 prospective, current, and former foster parents regarding their experiences with the foster care system. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis to determine themes based on Masten’s resiliency theory. Themes were coded …

Breaking The Cycle: A Longitudinal Study Of Factors That Disrupt Peer Selection And Influence Processes Among Urban Youth, Kelly E. Oconnor

Theses and Dissertations

Having friends who engage in problem behavior (i.e., aggression, substance use, delinquency) has consistently been linked to adolescents’ own engagement in problem behavior. There are, however, several key gaps in the literature on peer influence. Few studies have considered the influence of friends’ prosocial behavior and there has been limited research to identify promotive factors that influence urban youths’ affiliation with peers who engage in problem and prosocial behavior across early adolescence, a time of heightened susceptibility to peer influence. The purpose of this study was to identify modifiable promotive factors that reduce adolescents’ problem behavior by decreasing exposure to …

You Are Resilient: Trauma-Informed, Strengths-Based Treatment For Low-Ses, Urban Youth, Courtney Molina

Dissertations

The focus in this review was to explore the benefits and optimal use of trauma-informed, strengths-based care for the therapeutic treatment of low-socioeconomic status (SES), urban youth. Specific focus was given to evidence-based research on the treatment of emotional and behavioral dysregulation among low-SES, urban youth. The review was guided by the following research questions: How can emotional and behavioral dysregulation be symptoms of trauma among low-SES, urban youth; What makes trauma-informed and strengths-based care optimal for the treatment of low-SES, urban youth with dysregulation; and What are clear guidelines for providing trauma-informed, strengths-based care to low-SES, urban youth with …

Adversity: Its Affect On The Resilience Of Female Pilots, Linda M. Pittenger D.Mgt., Stephanie Douglas Ph.D.

National Training Aircraft Symposium (NTAS)

Women are one of the solutions to alleviating the pending pilot shortage. Becoming a pilot needs to appeal to women. Resilience plays an important role in determining whether women in male-dominated career fields will pursue or abandon their careers. The pilot profession is dominated by masculine beliefs, values and perceptions creating an organizational culture adverse and challenging to women.

The study objective was to explore the influence of adversity on female pilots and its effect on resiliency. In our sample of 1,499 female pilots, we found lower resiliency levels as compared to a general U.S. sample. Additionally, statistically significant differences …

Resilience Among Survivors Of Adverse Childhood Experiences In Appalachia, Bridget Jeter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The empirical investigation of adverse childhood events (ACEs) and their relationship with health and well-being outcomes in later life is increasing. Less is known about factors that may promote resilience for those who have survived such challenges, such as how resilience may be facilitated for those with ACEs residing in a marginalized region such as South Central Appalachia. Multidimensional spirituality, social support, stigma related to ACEs, and Appalachian acculturation may serve as both valid cultural factors and potential indicators of resilience. Cross-sectional, simultaneous multiple regression analysis was performed on data collected from 272 adult patients of a South Central Appalachian …

Examining Protective Factors That Promote Resilience Among Children With An Incarcerated Parent, Celeste A. Jackson

Dissertations

Children of incarcerated parents (CIP) represent one of the most vulnerable, at-risk populations in the United States (Johnston, 1995). Best estimates suggests there are 2.7 million children with an incarcerated parents and African-American children are disproportionately represented at a figure of 1 in 9 children (Glaze & Maruschak, 2008). Much of the research attempting to understand this population and guide intervention efforts has employed a deficit-based approach, highlighting the plethora of adverse risk factors and negative outcomes associated with being the child of an incarcerated parent. This approach fails to acknowledge the presence of resilience inherent in these youth. The …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Peer Engagement And Knowledge (Peak): A Community-Based Group Intervention For Youth In Hawai‘I, Jennifer T. T. Ho

Doctoral Dissertations

This study is a program evaluation with a mixed methods design that evaluated the effectiveness of Peer Engagement and Knowledge (PEAK), a six-week community-based group intervention that incorporates mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) to address multiple health behaviors for multiracial youth in Hilo, Hawai‘i. A total of 51 youth, ages 12-23 years old, participated in this study which included pre-/posttest analyses of health risk factors such as substance use and depression and health promoting factors such as resilience, self-esteem, and mindfulness. Responses from two subsets of participants, who engaged in a focus group (n = 11) and composed gratitude letters ( …

Examining The Acculturation Experiences Of Syrian Refugee Emerging Adults In The United States Of America, Fatemah Alghamdi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Refugees are vulnerable populations who experience premigration traumatic events and postmigration acculturation stress. While research on immigrant mental health issues has been plentiful, there has been a clear lacuna of scholarly investigation into the acculturation experiences of Syrian emerging adults, particularly as it relates to the types and dynamics of acculturation behaviors. Acculturation is a factor that predicts emerging adults’ academic and occupational success and their interpersonal and intrapersonal relationships.

This qualitative investigation was conducted within the framework of interpretative phenomenology, which allows for meaningful, organic exploration and description of participants’ stories. Data were collected from 12 emerging adult Syrian …

The Ecology Of Educational Attainment: Resilience Among Black High School Students, Jacqueline O. Davis

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Achievement gaps among students of color in the United States are pervasive and persistent. Identifying trajectories of resilience among Black teens is an important step toward promoting their educational attainment. This study identified risk and protective factors at the individual, family, and school levels hypothesized to influence Black high school students’ attainment. The effects of these risk (behavior problems, lack of college planning, and school problems) and protective factors (academic self-efficacy, parent involvement, and academic climate) on Black students’ educational attainment at 10-year follow-up were assessed. The sample included 2,423 Black 10th-grade students who participated in the Education Longitudinal Study …

Supportive Relationships As Protective For Children Exposed To Violence: Exploring Underlying Mechanisms, Jessica Houston

Dissertations (1934 -)

The present study examined supportive relationships with parents, teachers, peers, and neighbors as protective for youths exposed to violence. To explore how support promotes resilience, four potential mediators were examined: secure attachment, adaptive coping, processing traumatic experiences with a supportive person (parent, teacher, friend, or community adult), and an optimistic outlook on life. An at-risk sample of 107 students (71% male) aged 8-19 years (M=15) who were predominantly African American completed measures of violence exposure, social support, attachment security, coping ability, trauma-processing, and optimism. Resilience was assessed with multiple measures that included self-esteem, competence in several domains (social, scholastic, athletic, …

Urban Congolese Refugees In Kenya: The Contingencies Of Coping And Resilience In A Context Marked By Structural Vulnerability, Julie A. Tippens

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

The global increase in refugee migration to urban areas creates challenges pertaining to the promotion of refugee health, broadly conceived. Despite considerable attention to trauma and forced migration, there is relatively little focus on how refugees cope with stressful situations, and on the determinants that facilitate and undermine resilience. This article examines how urban Congolese refugees in Kenya promote psychosocial well-being in the context of structural vulnerability. This article is based on interviews (N = 55) and ethnographic participant observation with Congolese refugees over a period of 8 months in Nairobi in 2014. Primary stressors related to scarcity of material …

The Development And Initial Evaluation Of Katatagan: A Resilience Intervention For Filipino Disaster Survivors, Ma. Regina Hechanova, Lynn Waelde, Pierce S. Docena, Liane Peña Alampay, Arsenio S. Alianan, Mary Jane B. Flores, Pia Anna P. Ramos, Maria Isabel E. Melgar

Psychology Department Faculty Publications

This paper documents the development, pilot, and initial evaluation of Katatagan, a group-based resilience program designed to hone coping skills of Filipino disaster survivors. The paper describes vulnerabilities and protective factors of Filipino survivors based on previous research and key informant interviews. It also explains how Luthar and Cicchetti’s (2000) resilience framework and guidelines for the development of interventions were incorporated in the objectives and the design of the resilience intervention. The intervention consists of six modules that aim to improve self-ecacy, adaptive coping skills, and well-being of Filipino survivors. The paper presents an initial evaluation of Katatagan among college …

Enhancing Canadian Girls’ Resilience Through Girls-Only Programming, Ayesha Umme-Jihad

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Canadian girls face a number of complex issues as they transition through girlhood and into adolescence. Despite the barriers they face, girls can be resilient with the development of internal and external assets. Presently, we know that protective factors developed in girls-only programs between the critical ages of 9 and 13 enhance girls’ resilience in the short-term (Alcade, Hayward, Loomis, & Hodgson, 2012). This thesis project operationalizes protective factors as confidence, critical thinking skills, connectedness, and parental relationships. Risk factors are operationalized as adversity within environments, depression, negative behaviours, and substance use. A mixed methods approach is used to investigate …

Remembering Together: The Relationships Of Historical Loss, Social Support, Depression, And Resilience, Matthew Croxton

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Colonization, genocide, boarding schools, and relocation programs have created complex psychological issues for Native American people. Although these events are rooted in the past, the resulting political, social, and economic situations continue to play a role in influencing the mental health of Native Americans. There are considerations to be given to social support as a protective factor that provides resiliency for Native Americans. Historical trauma (as measured by the Historical Loss Scale, HLS), social support (as measured by the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, MSPSS), depression (as measured by the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, CES-D) and resilience …

Relationship Between Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Resilience, And Religious Orientation And Practices Among University Student Earthquake Survivors In Haiti, Harvey J. Burnett Jr, Herbert Helm

Faculty Publications

This study examined the prevalence of PTSD symptoms; the relationship between PTSD and resilience, religious orientation and religious practices; and how gender is associated with these variables among a volunteer sample of 140 students attending a Christian university in Haiti approximately four months after the January 2010 earthquake. Using the PTSD Checklist-Civilian (PCL-C), the Resilience Scale (RS), and the Religious Orientation Scale (ROS) found no significant relationship between PTSD, resilience, religious orientation and religious practices. Results did indicate that 34% of the sample had PCL-C scores indicative of PTSD; female participants had higher PTSD symptoms than males; higher levels of …

The Effects Of Individual, Family, And Community Factors On Adult Resilience: A Study On The Tsunami Survivors Of 12/26/2004, Johny Augustine

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the various factors at the individual, family, and community level that helped the adult individuals survive the trans-oceanic tsunami which hit the coastal areas of India on December 26, 2004.The study made use of a concurrent mixed methods design to achieve the above objective. The quantitative section of the research examined the effects of individual, family, and community factors on adult post-traumatic growth. The qualitative section of the study sought to capture the subjective experience of the tsunami survivors using a phenomenological approach. The target population were adults, aged 18 to 55 from Kerala, India, who were …