Health Psychology Commons^™

Predicting Initial Mental Health/Substance Abuse Treatment Attendance In Hiv/Aids Patients: An Exploration Of Risk Factors, Rachel D. Amodio

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

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This study attempted to predict mental health/substance abuse treatment initial appointment attendance, utilizing specific social, provider, institutional, medical, and psychological risk factors through the use of a logistic regression model. The initial frequency analysis revealed that only 155 individuals were ever scheduled to attend an appointment of the original data set (N=298). The majority of individuals could not be scheduled due to unavailability, disinterest, latency and other reasons. A new data set was created from individuals who were scheduled and variables were collapsed across categories to include: length of wait time to appointment, CD4 count, prescribed medications, reason for referral, …

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The Association Of Psychosocial Factors On Hiv/Aids Disease Progression, Melissa Margolis

Scripps Senior Theses

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Despite a rise in the number of studies looking at the relationship of psychosocial factors (coping style, personality type, and social support) on HIV/AIDS severity, there remains a lack of conclusive answers about the specific association between these factors. This study used a meta-analytic method of analysis to address these issues in the post anti-retroviral treatment modality world. A systematic search of major psychology and medical computerized databases led to 110 studies used in the meta-analysis. Social support was found to have the strongest relationship with HIV progression. Structural social support had greater protective effect on HIV progression than functional …

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Relationships Among Pain Threshold, Self-Regulation, Executive Functioning, And Autonomic Activity: A General Inhibitory System Perspective, Ian Andres Boggero

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

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Chronic pain patients have poorer pain inhibition, self-regulatory ability, executive functioning and autonomic inhibition than those without pain, supporting the view that suppressing pain is mentally taxing. In the current study, an alternate explanation was proposed; namely, that pain inhibition, self-regulation, executive functions, and heart rate variability (HRV) are all controlled by the same general inhibitory system. To test this hypothesis, participants came into the laboratory for three sessions. At the first session, individual differences in pain thresholds, self-regulatory strength, executive functioning, and HRV were measured. At the second and third sessions, self-regulatory persistence and within-session changes in pain thresholds …

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From College Student To Change Agent: A Triadic Model Of Self-Efficacy, Attribution, And Appraisal, Joshua M. Garrin

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

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Beyond their newfound emancipation and opportunities for self-discovery, college students in the young adult stage of development are expected to achieve balance between their autonomous new world and the impending pressures of postgraduation life. The college student must not only reconcile issues related to identity formation, goal pursuits, and career exploration, but is expected to begin the process of identifying and developing the skills required to address salient social themes. How students establish competency beliefs, negotiate controllability over future outcomes, and appraise challenges have deep implications in their capacity to discover their social change “voice.” The following discussion proposes a …

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Self-Regulatory Skills For Controlled Eating Emanating From Newly Initiated Physical Activity, James J. Annesi Ph.D., Kandice Johnson Porter

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

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The relationship of physical activity with weight loss may largely be due to its association with psychosocial factors. The goal of this research was to clarify such relationships using a field design lasting 24 weeks. In Study 1, change in self-regulation for controlled eating, but not energy expenditure, mediated the relationship between changes in physical activity and weight in formerly sedentary, severely obese adults (n = 174). In Study 2 (n = 148), the addition of a cognitive-behavioral nutrition treatment was associated with significantly greater improvement in self-regulation for eating. Physical activity-related self-regulation changes were related to those …

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Osteopathic Medical Student Knowledge Of And Attitudes Toward Chronic Pain, Amelia Grace Gradwell

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

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Chronic pain is a prevalent presenting problem for patients in medical settings, yet how physician knowledge and attitudes about those with chronic pain may influence the treatment of this condition is not fully understood. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the knowledge and attitudes of osteopathic medical students about pain management, with particular emphasis on chronic pain, in an effort to address the lack of chronic pain research currently available. A review of current literature, including an overview of chronic pain, is included. This study used original data, collected from first and fourth year D.O. students at a …

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Strengths And Limitations Of Qualitative Approaches To Research In Occupational Health Psychology, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Joseph J. Mazzola

Publications and Research

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Like all research methods, qualitative methods have strengths and limitations. This chapter describes seven strengths and five limitations. With an understanding of their strengths and limitations and how to minimize and/or balance them, occupational health psychology (OHP) researchers can benefit from qualitative methods. It is important to understand that qualitative findings do not establish generalizable cause-effect relations. However, qualitative methods can help an OHP researcher develop a theory of causality and derive hypotheses related to the theory and, thus, motivate quantitatively organized research designed to test the hypotheses. The challenge for the OHP researcher is to be mindful of what …

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Relation Between Optimism And Lipids In Midlife, Julia K. Boehm, David R. Williams, Eric B. Rimm, Carol Ryff, Laura D. Kubzansky

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

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This research examined optimism’s relationship with total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and triglycerides. The hypothesis that optimism is associated with a healthier lipid profile was tested. Participants were 990 mostly white men and women from the Midlife in the United States study who were on average 55.1 years old. Optimism was assessed by self-report with the Life Orientation Test. A fasting blood sample was used to assess serum lipid levels. Linear and logistic regression models examined the cross-sectional association between optimism and lipids accounting for covariates such as demographic characteristics (e.g., education) and …

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The Association Between Optimism And Serum Antioxidants In The Midlife In The United States Study, Julia K. Boehm, David R. Williams, Eric B. Rimm, Carol Ryff, Laura D. Kubzansky

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

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Objective Psychological and physical health are often conceptualized as the absence of disease, but less research addresses positive psychological and physical functioning. For example, optimism has been linked with reduced disease risk and biological dysfunction, but very little research has examined associations with markers of healthy biological functioning. Thus, we investigated the association between two indicators of positive health: optimism and serum antioxidants.

Methods The cross-sectional association between optimism and antioxidant concentrations was examined in 982 men and women from the Midlife in the United States study. Primary measures included self-reported optimism (assessed with the revised Life Orientation Test) and …

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Ovarian Cancer Screening As A Teachable Moment For Health Behavior Change: Determining The Role Of Positive Affect And Self-Efficacy, Rachel F. Steffens

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

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In medical settings, a teachable moment (TM) has been described as an event which may lead to psychological changes prompting individuals to engage in health promoting behaviors. A cancer screening (CS) has been suggested as a potential TM because several types of positive health behavior change (HBC), ranging from dietary changes to smoking cessation, have been linked to CS. However, most research has examined the TM in CS settings using cross-sectional and prospective methodologies and has lacked a theory-driven model. Moreover, few intervention studies have attempted to capitalize on the potential TM in CS settings. In light of this, the …

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The Effect Of Context On The Evaluation Of Obese Vs. Average-Weight Children As A Function Of Antifat Attitude, Stephanie Mcshane

Senior Independent Study Theses

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No abstract provided.

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The Ticking Of The “Biological Clock”: Worry About Future Fertility In Nulliparous Women, Karen E. Kersting

Theses and Dissertations

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Abstract

Title: The Ticking of the “Biological Clock”: Worry about Future Fertility in Nulliparous Women

By: Karen Kersting, M.A., M.S.

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Virginia Commonwealth University, 2013.

Major Director: Kathleen M. Ingram, J.D., Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Psychology

Department of Psychology

Modern women are waiting until later in their lives to have children than women of previous generations, a trend influenced by a number of factors including financial stability, dating norms, and career goals and responsibilities. As women age, their fertility may decline …

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Motivational Interviewing With Individuals In Recovery: Effects On Hope, Meaning, Empowerment And Service Participation, Scott D. Glassman

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

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Service engagement continues to challenge providers working with individuals with serious mental illness and substance abuse disorders. Motivational Interviewing (MI), an intervention aligned with recovery-oriented principles in its emphasis on empathy, empowerment, and self-directed change, directly addresses this problem. Its effects on service engagement, however, have been inconsistent with dually diagnosed populations. To explore underlying processes that may influence engagement, the present mixed methods, single case experiment studied the effects of MI on key recovery constructs: hope, meaning, and empowerment. Participants were 6 consumers enrolled in an intensive outpatient program for co-occurring disorders. Results showed statistically significant increases for half …

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Intellectual Functioning And Multi-Dimensional Attentional Processes In Long-Term Survivors Of A Central Nervous System Related Pediatric Malignancy, Robert W. Butler, Diane L. Fairclough, Ernest R. Katz, Anne E. Kazak, Robert B. Noll, Ryan D. Thompson, Olle Jane Z. Sahler

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

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Abstract

Aims

Central nervous system (CNS) malignancies and/or their treatment in pediatric cancer survivors are known to be associated with deficits in neuropsychological functions. We report findings from a nation-wide study of childhood cancer survivors to investigate intelligence and attention/concentration from a multi-dimensional perspective in a diverse sample from this population.

Main methods

Four hundred forty-four pediatric cancer survivors between 6 and 17 years of age, who had suffered CNS involvement associated with their malignancy, were evaluated. All patients completed a measure of general intelligence. Attention was measured by a continuous performance test (CPT) and by parental report using a …

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Assessing Depression In Cancer Patients : A Longitudinal Comparison Of Three Questionnaires., Patrick Possel, Kerstin Knopf

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

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The article by Johns et al. (1) compares the Hopkins Symptom Checklist 20-item depression scale (HSCL-20) (2), the Short-Form 36 Mental Health Inventory five-item distress scale (MHI-5) (3), and the Patient Health Questionnaire nine-item depression scale (PHQ-9) (4) in 309 adults with cancer in a longitudinal study.

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The Role Of Social Support And Emotional Representations In Health Outcomes For Individuals With Chronic Illness, Courtney Ann Lemons

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

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Health related outcomes for individuals with chronic symptoms of illness can be influenced by complex, socio-emotional processes. The primary interest of this study was to determine whether perceived social support lessens the negative emotional appraisals of illness experience (e.g. anger, fear, hostile interpretations of illness), and the role of these emotional appraisals in health outcomes for those diagnosed either with a conventional chronic illness (e.g. diabetes, arthritis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) or a functional somatic syndrome (e.g. fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel). Data for this study were collected from a series of four surveys administered online, which included measures …

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