Counseling Psychology Commons^™

A Theater-Based Approach To Primary Prevention Of Sexual Behavior For Early Adolescents, Lisa D. Lieberman, Cydelle Berlin, Lori-Ann Palen, Olivia Silber Ashley

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

Early adolescence is a crucial period for preventing teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. This study evaluated STAR LO, a theater-based intervention designed to affect antecedents of sexual activity among urban early adolescents (N = 1,143). Public elementary/middle schools received the intervention or served as a wait-listed comparison group in a quasi-experimental study. Students completed pretest and posttest questionnaires. Multivariate regression models were used to examine treatment effects. Comparison students showed significantly greater increases in sexual intentions and decreases in pro-abstinence attitudes and intended age of first sex than treatment group adolescents. Comparison girls showed significantly greater increases in …

A Brief Content Analysis Of Attachment And Sexual Relationships In Sex Therapy And Research Journals, Kathryn Zambrano Devis

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

A surge of scholarly publications on attachment within couple relationships prompted this content analysis of attachment articles published in six sex therapy and sex research journals. This study investigates the extent to which these journals attend to attachment in the context of adult sexual relationships. The researcher found 2257 articles published within these journals; 64 of which attend to attachment and 9 of which attend to attachment and sex. Implications for couples therapy in the field of sex therapy and future directions are discussed.

Women's Cognitive Appraisals Of Their Birth Experience As Predictive And Maintaining Factors Of Postpartum Posttraumatic Stress Symptom Severity, Lauren Carr Spooner

Dissertations

Empirical support has accumulated for evidence of posttraumatic stress symptoms following approximately 30% of childbirth experiences (Olde, van der Hart, Kleber, & van Son, 2006). Researchers have suggested that there is a complex relationship among predisposing, precipitating, and maintaining factors that impact postpartum PTSD (Slade, 2006). Anxiety, perception of support, and negative cognitions are such factors that have been shown to significantly correlate with PTSD symptoms (Foa & Rothbaum, 1998; Olde et al., 2006; Soet, Brack, & Dilorio, 2003), but have not been studied together in relation to PTSD associated with traumatic birth. The current study controlled for trait anxiety …

Assessing Mental Health Care For Iraqi Refugees In Jordan Looking To New Solutions For The Future, Hannah B. Egan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Across the globe citizens flee their native countries in search of newfound safety and stability. These people are known as refugees. Since 2003 refugees from Iraq have entered Jordan in search of a better life. Unfortunately, the terrors that Iraqi refugees escape do not disappear after crossing country lines. These memories cause serious mental health conditions for Iraqi refugees. Such conditions are intensified by the living environment in Jordan where Iraqis are not granted legal status. While some refugees are wealthy and others are resettled to the United States or Europe, the majority remain “stuck” in Jordan.

This study seeks …

Psychosocial Problems Of Refugees: Understanding And Addressing Needs, Catherine Doren

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Because all refugees have, by definition, left their country due to a “well-founded fear of persecution due to race, political opinion, ethnic origin, religion, or belonging to a particular social group,” it must be assumed that they have experienced trauma, making psychosocial problems ubiquitous among refugees (Bulbul, 2011; M. Carballo, personal communication, 29 September 2011). Research has shown that refugees often experience a range of psychosocial problems, yet research about the potential avenues for ameliorating these problems and their consequences is lacking and must be increased. Through a combination of interviews and a review of the field’s existing literature, it …

Holding My Breath: The Experience Of Being Sikh After 9/11, Muninder Kaur Ahluwalia

Department of Counseling Scholarship and Creative Works

This article is based on the author’s experiences after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York City and the impact of the attacks on her life as a New Yorker, an academic, and a member of a Sikh family and community. To position the author’s narrative, her reflection integrates race-based traumatic stress (Carter, 2007), a model suggesting that individuals who are targets of racism experience harm or injury. The author outlines lessons learned that affect her both personally and professionally, including (a) Paralysis can happen but advocacy and allies are healing, (b) Trauma changes the work, and (c) …

The Referral Process: Rural Primary Care Physicians' Perspectives On Providing Counseling Referrals, Casey N. Tallent

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The advantages to collaborative care between physicians and mental health care providers have been known for many decades. Rural primary care physicians (RPCPs) are the first professionals that most patients contact when they have a mental health concern, particularly in rural communities. It is therefore important to understand the process that occurs when a referral for counseling is made from a RPCP and the subsequent collaboration that occurs. The purpose of this qualitative study was to generate a model that provides a better understanding of the counseling referral process from the perspective of RPCPs in private practice in the Midwest. …

Conditions For Empathy In Medicine: A Grounded Theory Study, Hannah Barnhill Bayne

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Previous research in the medical setting has credited empathy with improving treatment outcomes and patient satisfaction, though operational definitions of the concept are widely varied and indicate inconsistencies in conceptualization and subsequent assessment. The purpose of this grounded theory study was to examine the role of empathy in the medical setting. A model of conditions for empathy in medicine was developed through in-depth interviews with 21 healthcare professionals, utilizing their professional experiences and perspectives to structure the multi-level model. The seven levels of the model indicate the layers of complexity inherent in facilitating optimal empathy in medicine and add to …

Treating Trauma Survivors With Neurofeedback: A Grounded Theory Study Based On The Practices Of Experienced Mental Health Professionals, Christine L. Currie

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Neuroscience, the mental health field, and the concept of trauma as an underlying factor in mental and physical disorders have been inextricably linked since the inception of the mental health professions. Numerous quantitative studies have indicated that neurofeedback may be effective in ameliorating trauma symptoms; however, there is a paucity of research exploring the factors that produce those positive outcomes. The purpose of this qualitative grounded theory study was to explore the factors and processes that influence treatment outcomes when neurofeedback is used with trauma survivors. Thirty interviews were completed with ten experienced mental health and neurofeedback professionals identified through …

Attachment And Couple Sexual Functioning, Kathryn Z. Devis, Melissa A. Louder, Kara L. Thompson, Katherine M. Hertlein

Graduate Research Symposium (GCUA) (2010 - 2017)

Within the last several years, there has been a surge in the publications that focus on attachment within the couple relationships, including how it pertains to infidelity treatment. Despite the interest in couple relationships and attachment, however, a limited amount of literature focuses on how varying styles of attachment manifest in a couple's level of sexual functioning. This study is a response to the need to explore the literature and related gaps in literature.

Clark County Mental Health Court: An Outcomes-Based Evaluation Model Of Residential And Treatment Programs Beyond Recidivism, Mark J. Nichols

Graduate Research Symposium (GCUA) (2010 - 2017)

The number of America’s mental health courts has grown significantly over the course of the past 15 years. Mental health courts can be seen as a form of therapeutic jurisprudence where the court implements therapeutic interventions, case management and treatment (Palermo, 2010). A mental health court was established in Clark County during 2003. Its mission is to promote engagement in treatment, improve quality of life, decrease recidivism, and increase community safety and awareness (Glass, 2008).

The focus of the evaluation of the Clark County Mental Health Court, limited to performance measures related to the decreased recidivism by its clients and …

Can Female Genital Mutilation Victims Benefit From Corrective Surgery: To Regain Sexual Pleasure And Be “Whole” Once Again?, Monique Sulls

Festival of Communities: UG Symposium (Posters)

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is defined by the World Health Organization, (WHO), as the removal or cutting of the external female genitalia. WHO estimates between 100 and 140 million girls and women worldwide currently live with the consequences of FGM. The study finds that through corrective surgery, pre/post therapy, counseling, and sexual education victims to FGM can regain sexual pleasure providing them a chance to be “Whole” once again.

Episcopal Applicants To Ordained Ministry: Are They Psychological Healthy?, Thomas G. Plante, Christopher Apodaca

Psychology

The current investigation evaluated psychological and personality profiles of applicants to the diaconate and priesthood for several Episcopal dioceses. Applicants included both genders and their ages ranged from 29 to 67 years. A psychological testing battery including the MMPI-2, 16PF, and MCMI-III was administered to 42 applicants between 2008 and 2009 who subsequently entered the diaconate or priestly formation program in the Episcopal Church. Results indicate that these applicants were generally well-adjusted. Findings also suggest some tendency for defensiveness, repression, naïveté, and a strong need for affection, as well as for being emotionally stable, intelligent, trusting, and open to change. …

Implementation Of The 2009 Cacrep Standards Addiction Competencies, Tiffany K. Lee

Dissertations

Addiction issues have been and continue to be significant problems affecting the United States. Over the past few decades, substantial scholarly attention has been paid to the lack of addictions training in the counseling profession. The purposes of this mixed-method study were to examine the current status of addiction training among institutions that offer counselor education programs accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) and determine how institutions plan to integrate the addiction-related competencies outlined in the 2009 CACREP standards.

The quantitative data were obtained from a 15-item online survey completed by 74 CACREP …

2011-2012 Unlv Mcnair Journal, Cyndy Anang, Sajar Camara, Pamela Cornejo, Carla Antonieta Farcello, Ilse Anahi Garcia, Natiera Magnuson, William L. Mccurdy, Lorena Munoz, Maxym V. Myroshnychenko, Ricardo Rios, Theodore Waldeck, Barbara Wallen, Ana Zuniga, Brenda M. Aguilar, Tiffany Alexandra Alvarez, Daniel N. Erosa, Paige C. Espinosa, Carla Antonieta Farcello, Julienne Jochel Paraiso, Nathaniel Derek Phillipps, Carmen Vallin, Jacent N. Wamala, Ernesto Zamora-Ramos

McNair Journal

Journal articles based on research conducted by undergraduate students in the McNair Scholars Program

Table of Contents

Biography of Dr. Ronald E. McNair

Statements:

Dr. Neal J. Smatresk, UNLV President

Dr. Juanita P. Fain, Vice President of Student Affairs

Dr. William W. Sullivan, Associate Vice President for Retention and Outreach

Mr. Keith Rogers, Deputy Executive Director of the Center for Academic Enrichment and Outreach

McNair Scholars Institute Staff

The Experiences Of Legally Married Same-Sex Couples In California, Erin Christine Falvey

CGU Theses & Dissertations

With the aim of increasing practitioner competence, this dissertation provides marriage and family therapists and mental health service providers with insight into the experiences of legally married same-sex couples. Specifically, the inquiry's objective was to elicit narratives of strength and agency from these couples who navigated the oppressive circumstances of an anti-gay amendment campaign situated within the debate over the extension of marriage rights to same-sex couples. Fourteen couples were interviewed in order to respond to the dissertation's overriding question: How do the lesbian and gay couples and families who are among those who were legally married in California before …

Exploring The Experiences Of Living With A Controversial Illness In Patients With Fibromyalgia, Samantha L. Wheeler

Dissertations

Fibromyalgia is an illness of great controversy estimated to affect approximately 4% of the US population. There are no widely accepted etiological causes or clear physiological explanations of fibromyalgia. Only a few research studies have addressed the concept of illness uncertainty in patients with fibromyalgia. There are no current studies that examine how fibromyalgia patients experience, perceive, and understand their illness in terms of having a syndrome with an unknown etiology.

This qualitative study, using phenomenological methods, explored the concept of unknown etiology as one factor in illness uncertainty. Ten participants, diagnosed with fibromyalgia from 2-15 years were interviewed. The …

Resilience As A Protective Factor Against Compassion Fatigue In Trauma Therapists, Daniel P. David

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many adults in the United States experience posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) within their lifetimes. Researchers have identified compassion fatigue (CF), which debilitates mental health providers as a result of being exposed to their clients' traumatic experiences, as an occupational hazard. The purpose of this study was to examine whether a correlation exists between the presence of CF and the level of resilience. A confidential survey using the Connors-Davidson Resilience Scale, the Professional Quality of Life Scale Version 5, and a demographic questionnaire were given to graduate-level mental health clinicians who self-identified as routinely working with and/or treating trauma victims in …

A Concept Mapping Needs Assessment Of Young Families With Parental Cancer, Richard P. Durant

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

The purpose of this research is to investigate the support needs of young families living with and beyond a parental diagnosis of cancer. The sample includes 56 participants comprised of 31 professional stakeholders and 25 patient stakeholders affiliated with the Charles R. Wood Cancer Center. It was hypothesized there would be differences in how the groups of stakeholders rated needs in terms of importance, satisfaction, and utilization. Differences in ratings are thought to be barriers to effective program development. While not a formal research hypothesis, it was anticipated other program development barriers germane to naturalistic clinical settings would emerge from …

First Elderly Client In Therapy: Factors That Influence Student Interest In Geropsychology, Cristina E. M. Filippelli

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

In the coming decades, the elderly population in United States (U.S) is expected to grow significantly (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1996). Consequently, the number of older individuals seeking mental health services will be greater than at any other time in the history of the U.S. The field of clinical psychology, however, is unable to meet the mental health needs of the current elderly population, and this gap is expected to widen in coming years. There is an ongoing discussion within the field of professional psychology as to how to train more clinicians to work with the elderly population (Gatz …

The Role Of Problem Orientation Cognitive Distortions In Depression And Anxiety Intervention For Young Adults., Coralie Wilson

Coralie J Wilson

Interventions that aim to improve social problem-solving skills can significantly reduce the severity of anxiety and depression symptoms in young people. Anxious and depressed individuals often have a negative orientation to problem solution which acts as a barrier to implementing problem-solving skills. Research with older adults suggests that symptoms impair problem-solving abilities through cognitive processes associated with the development of anxiety and depression. In this study we extend previous investigations by assessing the extent to which specific cognitive distortions and symptoms of anxiety and depression are associated with negative problem orientation in a sample of 285 young adults aged 18 …

Rural Adolescents’ Help Seeking Intentions For Emotional Problems: The Influence Of Perceived Benefits And Stoicism., Coralie Wilson

Coralie J Wilson

This paper is the second from a larger multi-cite study developed and led by the third author which explores factors that influence adolescents' help-seeking intentions. Specifically, this paper investigates the extent to which perceived benefits of help seeking, stoicism, gender and symptoms of psychological distress are associated with intentions to seek professional help for emotional problems. A cross sectional self-report questionnaire was administered to adolescents recruited from seven high schools in rural towns in the Riverina region of New South Wales. A total of 778 adolescents were recruited. The sample included 373 male and 404 female participants between 13 and …

Predicting Adolescents’ Future Intentions To Seek Help For Mental Health Problems., Coralie J. Wilson

Frank Deane

This study examined whether high school students’ current symptoms of general psychological distress, self-rated social problem-solving skills, and recent help-seeking experiences predict their future intentions to seek help for a mental health problem. At Time 1, 98 high school students, aged 12-17 years, completed the study self-report survey that included measures of psychological distress, social problem-solving skill, and recent help-seeking behaviour. At Time 2, three weeks later, the same students completed measures of help-seeking intentions. Students with more severe levels of distress symptoms at Time 1 had lower intentions to seek help for a mental health problem at Time 2. …

Predicting Adolescents’ Future Intentions To Seek Help For Mental Health Problems., Coralie J. Wilson

Coralie J Wilson

This study examined whether high school students’ current symptoms of general psychological distress, self-rated social problem-solving skills, and recent help-seeking experiences predict their future intentions to seek help for a mental health problem. At Time 1, 98 high school students, aged 12-17 years, completed the study self-report survey that included measures of psychological distress, social problem-solving skill, and recent help-seeking behaviour. At Time 2, three weeks later, the same students completed measures of help-seeking intentions. Students with more severe levels of distress symptoms at Time 1 had lower intentions to seek help for a mental health problem at Time 2. …

Early Access And Help Seeking: Practice Implications And New Initiatives., Coralie J. Wilson

Coralie J Wilson

Seeking appropriate help for early signs and symptoms of psychological distress can reduce the long-term impact of many mental disorders. This article describes practice implications and new initiatives for promoting early access and help-seeking among young people. Relevant help-seeking research is reviewed, and prominent help-seeking barriers are discussed. Prominent barriers for young people include: incomplete mental health and emotional literacy, beliefs about having little need for help versus having a need for autonomy, and the process of help-negation for different symptoms of psychological distress. To improve early access to appropriate help and mental health services, barriers that can be reduced, …

Rural Adolescents’ Help Seeking Intentions For Emotional Problems: The Influence Of Perceived Benefits And Stoicism., Coralie J. Wilson

Frank Deane

This paper is the second from a larger multi-cite study developed and led by the third author which explores factors that influence adolescents' help-seeking intentions. Specifically, this paper investigates the extent to which perceived benefits of help seeking, stoicism, gender and symptoms of psychological distress are associated with intentions to seek professional help for emotional problems. A cross sectional self-report questionnaire was administered to adolescents recruited from seven high schools in rural towns in the Riverina region of New South Wales. A total of 778 adolescents were recruited. The sample included 373 male and 404 female participants between 13 and …

The Effects Of Need For Autonomy And Preference For Seeking Help From Informal Sources On Emerging Adults’ Intentions To Access Mental Health Services For Common Mental Disorders And Suicidal Thoughts., Coralie J. Wilson

Coralie J Wilson

Emerging or early adulthood is the life stage spanning 18-25 years of age. In Australia, anxiety and affective disorders (often classified as ‘common mental disorders’) are prevalent in this age group and suicide is also a concern. Professional mental health care can reduce the long-term impact of these mental health problems and protect against the development of severe forms of these disorders. However, up to three-quarters of young people with mental health needs do not seek professional help for their condition. This study aimed to examine the extent to which belief in the need for autonomy and intentions to seek …