Health Psychology Commons^™

Beyond Symptoms: Examining Perinatal Mental Health Care Among Black, Indigenous And People Of Color With Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome, Vinaya Thomas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) are as a public health concern in the United States. Individuals from minoritized racial/ethnic groups face a significantly elevated risk of maternal morbidity, mortality, mental health disorders, and associated adverse outcomes. Emerging studies also reveal a higher likelihood of experiencing perinatal mental health concerns in individuals with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), currently known as polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS). People who identify as Black, Indigenous, or a person of color (BIPOC) face unique healthcare challenges given the added structural and social burdens. This online survey study aimed to 1) understand the relationship between PMOS …

Profiles Of Adults With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (Adhd) Using The Personality Assessment Inventory (Pai), Tailyn L. Gillette

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is often diagnosed in childhood. However, the disorder can be more complex to diagnose in adulthood as several comorbid disorders may also impact attention. Many symptoms, often prevalent in childhood, taper off in adulthood, adding to the difficulty of differential diagnosis. Clinicians must decipher symptoms of ADHD from comorbid disorders during diagnostic procedures, which can be tedious. As the requests for adult ADHD diagnoses grow, the need for more efficient diagnostic procedures seems to be ever-present. The current research utilized an exploratory two-step cluster analysis to explore subgroups that resulted from archival data of adults with ADHD. …

Exploring The Impacts Of Medical Invalidation On Postpartum Parents With Pcos, Shalini Venkat

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Individuals with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) face an increased risk of poor perinatal health, yet little is known about whether negative healthcare experiences contribute toward these outcomes. Patients with PCOS have reported experiencing invalidation by healthcare providers; however, the effects of these encounters in postpartum populations remain unclear. Using data from an online survey, the current study investigated whether PCOS status moderated the relationships between invalidating communication by healthcare providers, pregnancy and birth complications, postpartum depression, and postpartum anxiety. While experiences of invalidating communication by healthcare providers predicted worse perinatal health, those with PCOS solely experienced an increased risk of …

Mindfulness As A Protective Factor In Women’S Sexual Health, Shana Byerley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many women who experience physical health complaints also report sexual dysfunction across a variety of domains including decreased arousal, desire and satisfaction. Although there are well-established connections between disease-specific populations and sexual dysfunction, less research has focused on women who experience somatic symptoms more broadly. Similarly, mindfulness as a treatment intervention has been applied across many facets of sexual functioning, but mindfulness as a trait characteristic has been less explored in its connections with generalized somatic complaints. Further, the within-domain interactions between facets of mindfulness and domains of sexual dysfunction have not been previously explored. Using data from an online …

The Influence Of Psychological, Biological, And Social Determinants On Disordered Eating Behaviors Among U.S. Young Adults: Evidence From Nhanes 2015-2018., Samantha Kaye Gerbine

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Disordered eating behaviors (DEBs) are influenced by biological, social, and psychological factors, yet research often narrowly focuses on White, college-aged women. This study assessed the predictors and prevalence of DEBs in a nationally representative sample of U.S. young adults using data from the 2015–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Survey weights were applied to generate national estimates. Descriptive statistics characterized the sample, and logistic regressions tested biological, social, and psychological predictors of DEBs. A composite risk score was developed using variables retained in the final model. The unweighted sample (n = 1,062) represented 64 million U.S. young adults. …

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 …

Exploring Predictors Of Treatment Dropout In Primary Care Behavioral Health Using Andersen’S Behavioral Model Of Health Services, Mara W. Sindoni

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A recent meta-analysis indicated a 19.7% dropout rate from outpatient mental health care. Andersen’s Behavioral Model of Health Services identifies predisposing, enabling, and need factors as potential predictors of treatment dropout. The Primary Care Behavioral Health (PCBH) model aims to improve accessibility of mental health care but research on dropout in this setting is lacking. This study examined bivariate relationships between Andersen's factors and dropout in PCBH, and interviewed participants about their intentions to attend subsequent PCBH visits. No statistically significant bivariate relationships were found, likely due to small sample size (n = 15). Reflexive Thematic Analysis identified two themes …

Rural Cervical Cancer Survivors’ Experiences Of Gender Roles: An Application Of Social Constructionism, Olivia K. Pointer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Rural cervical cancer survivors, or individuals with a form of cancer that originated in the cervix of the reproductive system, may be uniquely impacted by socially constructed gender roles. The present study utilized the term “females” to describe those who self-identify as having a cervix, which may include cisgender, transgender, intersex, and non-binary gender identities. Rural females have been indicated to hold salience in traditional gender expectations as partners, mothers, community members, and more, which may add survivorship complexity for cervical cancer survivors within this population by to attempting to fulfill gender roles to the pre-cancer level. Moreover, rural cervical …

The Impact Of Kangaroo Care (Kc) On Parent Stress, Infant Neurobehavioral Regulation, And Parent-Infant Attachment In Very And Extremely Preterm Infants, Justine Vecchiarelli

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the high-risk population of infants born atinfants, developmental delays in infants, and parent-infant relationship disruption. Kangaroo care (KC) has shown promise as an intervention to buffer these adverse effects, however, KC engagement in NICUs is obstructed by lack of clear guidelines. Furthermore, limited research exists on KC including infants born atoutcomes, infant behavioral/developmental outcomes, and parent-infant relationship outcomes conjointly. The aim of this study was, therefore, to examine the impact of kangaroo care engagement on precursors of adverse outcomes including parent stress, infant neurobehavioral organization, and parent-infant bonding with the intent of informing clinical practice. Data was …

Relation Between The Negative Cognitive Triad, Perceived Everyday Discrimination, Depressive Symptoms, And Tnf-A In Adolescents., Ashley Ann Marshall Dondanville

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study is based on Beck's cognitive stress-vulnerability model of depression and previous research on (a) the increased risk for severe illnesses associated with TNF-⍺ (i.e., an inflammatory cytokine), (b) the effect of perceived everyday discrimination (PED) on depressive symptoms and TNF-⍺, (c) the association between depressive symptoms and TNF-⍺, (d) and findings that the negative cognitive triad (i.e., negative views of the self, world, and future) serves as a partial mediator between PED and depressive symptoms. The purpose of this study is to integrate Beck’s model and these different research lines by inspecting the associations between the stressor PED …

Exploring Chronic Stress, Avoidance Coping, And Diurnal Cortisol In Head And Neck Cancer Patients: A Pilot Study Of Best Practices In Diurnal Cortisol Sampling., Brooks R. Harbison

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cancer patients are vulnerable to the deleterious effects of chronic stress, especially those prone to avoidance coping. Research in the general population has linked these effects to aberrant diurnal cortisol. However, the current literature on cancer patients has shown inconsistent results in associations between chronic stress, avoidance coping, and diurnal cortisol, possibly due to inconsistent cortisol sampling practices. This pilot study of head and neck cancer patients aimed to address this gap in the literature by implementing best cortisol sampling practices to investigate the links among chronic stress, avoidance coping, and diurnal cortisol slope, average bedtime cortisol, and average wake …

Risk Perception, Diabetes Risk Knowledge, And Fatalism In Adults At Risk For Type 2 Diabetes: A Self-Determination Theory Perspective., Cassandra M. Gonzalez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Rising rates of diabetes in the U.S. indicate an urgent need to explore and understand factors that elucidate individual diabetes risk. Research of fatalism, the belief that events are predetermined, suggests that fatalistic beliefs influence, shape, and potentially determine health behavior and decision-making. The Theory of Self-Determination posits the importance of motivation and competence in health behavior outcomes. The present study aimed to expand fatalism research by examining associations among fatalism and diabetes-related beliefs and knowledge, including perceived risk and risk knowledge, within the Self-Determination theoretical framework. Methods: Participants were 130 adults aged 26 to 64 without diabetes at …

Using Self-Assessment Tools And Complementary Alternative Therapy For Chronic Migraines In Menopausal Women, Krystal Rachelle Bridwell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Migraine headaches are ranked as one of the highest disabling conditions in the United States. Women who are in the perimenopausal transition phase have a higher prevalence of disabling migraines that can result in a decreased quality of life, loss of income, decreased productivity, and a higher risk for emotional difficulties. The gap in practice is the lack of education on complementary alternative medicine (CAM) and the use of a migraine diary to recognize individual symptoms as a substitute or cotherapy with pharmacologic treatments. The purpose of this scholarly project was to improve clinical practice and outcomes for perimenopausal …

Victim Or Villain: Female Resilience And Agency In The Face Of Trauma In Chimamanda Adichie’S, Purple Hibiscus (2003) And Tsitsi Dangarembga’S, Nervous Conditions (1988), Adaobi Juliet Chukwuma

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As long as disparities persist in the way women are treated as compared to their male counterparts, the issue of gender will continue to call forth literary productions. For this reason, female writers are on a mission to dismantle the stereotypes that keep women confined to societal roles. Grounded in a feminist framework, this study focuses on the gender disparity theme in Chimamanda Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus and Tsitsi Dangarembga’s Nervous Conditions. The aim is to examine how these writers represent the trauma of women living in an African patriarchal system. The traumatic experiences of the female characters in both texts …

The Implications, Magnitude, And Development Of Traumatic Brain Injury For Individuals Undergoing Treatment For Opioid Use Disorder, Hannah G. Mitchell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There is an established bidirectional relation between substance use and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). Despite the high rate of prescribing opioids for pain management following a TBI and the epidemic of opioid use disorder (OUD) in the United States, scarce research has specifically analyzed the association between TBI and OUD. In a series of three interrelated manuscripts, the present study will first examine the prevalence and features of TBIs among persons seeking treatment for OUD. Next, the present study will evaluate the association between TBI and indicators of risky health behaviors and OUD severity, including the risk of overdose and …

Psychological Mediation Of Minority Stress And Health: Exploration Of Risk Factors In Lgbq College Students, Kyndal Grammer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Decades of research have documented pervasive physical and mental health disparities among individuals holding a marginalized identity, including those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or queer (LGBQ). Heterosexism in the forms of harassment, rejection, and discrimination likely increases minority stress, which is theorized to contribute to documented health disparities. One group that may be particularly vulnerable to effects of heterosexist discrimination, harassment, and rejection is LGBQ college students, especially those who identify as first-generation and were raised in rural environments. The current study aimed to evaluate relationships between LGBQ discrimination, depression, and physical health outcomes at the bivariate level, …

An Existential Punchline: How Humor Functions In A Young Adult Friendship Facing Advanced Cancer, Megan E. Solberg

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Young adults (i.e., age 18-39) only comprise 4% of the total cancer population, yet cancers in this group are commonly found at more advanced stages due to situational factors influencing delayed diagnosis including access to healthcare, quality health insurance and competing life demands that may hinder prioritization of healthcare. Young adults with cancer also face unique challenges including higher rates of psychological distress, which may contribute to increased risk of social disconnection in response to cancer. Research suggests that humor may be a helpful coping approach and communication mechanism for mitigating distress and discussing difficult topics. Grounded within the frameworks …

Gratitude And Sleep Quality In Primary Care: Mediating Effects Of Health Self-Efficacy, Health Behaviors, And Psychopathology, Heather R. Altier

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sleep disturbances are prevalent among primary care patients, and psychological dysfunction, including stress, anxiety, and depression, are robust contributors to poor sleep health. Yet, the presence of potential protective characteristics, such as health self-efficacy and engaging in adaptive health behaviors, may mitigate such outcomes. Gratitude (i.e., recognition and appreciation of experiences, relationships, and surroundings), a positive psychological cognitive-emotional characteristic, may serve as a catalyst of these beneficial downstream effects, given its association with improved health functioning and sleep. In a sample of primary care patients (N = 869) from 50 urban and 30 rural practices in Germany, health self-efficacy …

Understanding Associations Between Chronic Illness Identity, Psychological Flexibility, And Type 2 Diabetes Emotional, Behavioral, And Psychosocial Functioning., Valery Bodziony

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Illness identity, defined as the extent to which one integrates their illness into their sense of self, may be a key psychological factor to consider in overall adjustment to and management of Type 2 Diabetes. Emerging research suggests illness identity integration is associated with aspects of diabetes-specific functioning. Psychological flexibility has also been found to be associated with positive diabetes-specific functioning. This modifiable cognitive factor may play a role in the relationship between illness identity and diabetes-specific functioning. This study aims to examine associations between illness identity enrichment, illness identity rejection, psychological flexibility, and aspects of diabetes-functioning, including self-management …

Behavioral Indicators Of Reflective Functioning In Mother-Child Dyadic Interactions, Rachel Clingensmith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Positive parenting practices and secure attachments are consistently linked to healthy child outcomes (Ainsworth & Bowlby, 1991; Waters et al., 2000). Research on cognitive processes that scaffold parental behaviors which contribute to secure attachment is an essential contribution to the literature, particularly given the potential for early intervention with at-risk families. Parental Reflective Functioning (PRF) is a construct of increasing interest which has been linked to secure attachments and positive child outcomes, with one commonly used self-report measure of PRF being the Parental Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (PRFQ; Camoirano, 2017; Clingensmith, 2021; Luyten et al., 2017). As such, the purpose of …

“Omg, I Think You May Have Just Changed My Life”: Binge Eating Disorder Recovery In Instagram Comment Sections, Caitlin Roe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As the internet and social media have become a more ingrained part of everyday life, online eating disorder pro-recovery communities have become a common topic of examination in the psychological sciences. However, there has been little focus on online binge eating disorder (BED) pro-recovery communities specifically. Additionally, there has not been much exploration into the use of comment sections as a part of pro-recovery communities. The current study used codebook thematic analysis to code ten BED pro-recovery Instagram comment sections to examine the interactive data present within this recovery community. Four themes were developed during analysis: detailed self-disclosure, sharing experiences …

School Psychologists’ Knowledge And Perceived Competence Regarding Concussion Management In Schools, Braelyn Tracy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury that can have a serious effect on a young, developing brain. Following a concussion, it is common for children and adolescents to experience difficulties in the school setting. Schools may be the ideal setting to address some of the problems children experience as schools employ some personnel with expertise and experience in assessment and intervention. If return to learn is put to the side, students experiencing concussion signs and symptoms could potentially have long-term cognitive problems. School psychologists play a key role in the prevention and assessment of, and intervention for …

Approaching Trans Healthcare Competency: The Implementation Of Trans Health Education For Medical Providers In Appalachia, Rebecca Altschuler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Barriers to competent and safe healthcare disproportionately impact people who are marginalized because of their race, ethnicity, gender, or socioeconomic status. It is well documented that transgender patients in particular experience barriers to both accessing care and receiving high quality, non-discriminatory care (Hatzenbuehler & Pachankis, 2016; James et al., 2016; Rahman et al., 2019; Safer et al., 2016). This lack of access to culturally competent healthcare services contributes to health disparities that disproportionately impact the trans community. Literature on barriers to competent care for trans patients indicates that providers experience discomfort related to their ability to provide competent care (Safer …

K-5 Elementary Alternative Program: A Case Study, William E. Scheuer Iv

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this case study was to examine how the K-5 elementary alternative program All Students Can Thrive (ASCT) used student-centered learning practices to influence the whole child. There is a lack of research on K-5 elementary alternative programs, such as ASCT, and specifically those that integrate student-centered learning practices to influence the whole child. Literature does not contain universally accepted interventions that are effective in the elementary alternative setting to help students return to the mainstream classroom setting better prepared to display appropriate behaviors when a student is removed from a mainstream classroom setting due to disruptive behaviors. …

Emergency Care For Youth Who Experience Suicidality And Identify As Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer/Questioning (Lgbtq+): An Interpretive Phenomenology, Theresa Schultz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: Suicide is a leading cause of death in children; youth who identify as LGBTQ+ are at an exponentially higher risk of suicide. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of young adults who identify as LGBTQ+ and sought emergency care for suicidality when they were adolescents.

Methods: Heideggerian hermeneutics phenomenology is the research method used in this study. Youth, ages 18-25 years, who identify as LGBTQ+ and sought emergency treatment for suicidality when they were adolescents (13-17 years) were recruited to participate;fifteen youth enrolled. Individuals ranged in age from 20 to 25 years. Participants described …

Cyberchondria And Covid-19 Health Threats Related To Attentional Bias And Safety Behaviors, Jacqueline J. Charles

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cyberchondria is described as excessively searching online for health information that ultimately increases worry and anxiety about one’s health (Starcevic et al., 2019). Research has demonstrated an increased attentional bias in anxious individuals for threat-related stimuli. Attentional bias for health information exacerbated by the frequent exposure to health threats during the COVID-19 pandemic may contribute to additional health-seeking behavior. The current study aimed to explore the potential relationship between COVID-19 health threats and cyberchondria level on attentional bias toward illness-related stimuli (symptom words) and the intent to perform safety behaviors while controlling for Trait Anxiety and Health Anxiety. Participants ( …

Adverse Childhood Experiences And Quality Of Life: A Mediating Role Of Physical Activity And Executive Function, Loni Parrish

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

ACEs have been associated with heightened risk for a range of chronic health problems, substance use, and cognition in adulthood (Center for Disease Control (CDC), 2019; Hinojosa et al., 2017). One potential protective factor is physical activity (McEwen, 2016; Wu et al., 2013). Physical activity is associated with sustaining overall health, improving mental health by reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety (Murri et al., 2019; Sharma et al., 2006; Tasci et al., 2019), and maintaining a healthy body weight and BMI (WHO, 2021). Therefore, this study examined whether barriers to physical activity, physical activity levels, and executive outcomes serve as …

Look, But Don’T Touch: Impact Of Covid-19 On The Nicu Caregiver, Rebecca C. Otwell-Dove

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Admission of an infant into the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is an experience that has been associated with a variety of both positive and negative health outcomes for parent and child. While both the setting name and the admitted population alludes to a sole focus on the affected infant, what often remains underrecognized is the impact on the ones who care for the newborn long before and longer after their NICU stay. Given the recency and unprecedented impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, very little research has examined the impact of COVID-19-specific stress on the experience of parents of infants …

Exploring The Relational Impact Of Breast Cancer On Younger Women Partnered With Women, Kaitlin V. Ross

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Approximately 268,600 new cases of breast cancer in women are diagnosed each year in the United States. Due to improvements in cancer detection and treatment, survivorship is higher than in the past. More than ten percent of new diagnoses are in women 45 years or younger. There are approximately one million sexual minority individuals living with cancer in the US, yet this population is understudied in cancer care. For sexual minority women with breast cancer, sociocultural factors such as lack of affirmative care influences their disease experience. Further, sexual minority women and women partnered with women may be subject to …

Emotion Dysregulation And Intimate Partner Aggression During Pregnancy: Leveraging Both Partners’ Experiences With Dyadic Data, Victoria M. Atzl

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Intimate partner aggression (IPA) during pregnancy is a significant public health problem that has negative consequences for maternal and fetal health. This study examined emotion dysregulation as a potential predictor of IPA during pregnancy from a dyadic perspective. Participants were 113 couples expecting a baby and included 113 mothers (MOBs; Mage = 27.50 years, SDage = 5.53, rangeage = 19-40; 38.1% White, 24.8% Latinx, 15.9% African American, 14.2% biracial/multiracial, 3.5% Asian American/Pacific Islander, 2.7% Native American and .8% other) and 113 fathers (FOBs; Mage = 29.83 years, SDage = 7.61, rangeage = 18-55; 38.1% White, 22.1% African American, 20.4% Latinx, …