Health Psychology Commons^™

Effect Of Attentional Focus On Learning And Performance In Youth Sports, Justin Wright

Dissertations

Youth athletes are different from adult and elite athletes in several domains that include cognitive resources, working memory, automaticity of motor movements, conscious control for propensity, attentional focus, and acquisition of motor-skills. Due to significant differences between athletes, not all instructions and feedback provided by coaches are best suited for every player. Instructions and feedback may direct an athlete’s attentional focus and cognitive resources incorrectly leading to poor acquisition and performance of motor-skills. Clinical psychologists with knowledge of motor-skill acquisition, cognitive resources, learning theory, conscious control propensity, automaticity of motor movements, constrained action hypothesis, and attentional focus can follow the …

Multiple And Intersecting Experiences Of Women In Prostitution: Improving Access To Helping Services, Kathryn Hodges, Sarah Burch

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

When women involved in prostitution experience multiple and intersecting needs, they may face barriers in accessing help and support. These barriers can include geographical location and opening hours of agencies, limited childcare support, and a lack of female-only provision. As a result, women are frequently disadvantaged, and their personal safety put at risk, as they become increasingly vulnerable to exploitation, particularly if they do not have access to secure accommodation. This research project seeks to understand the choices and decisions women make when they engage with helping services. The findings report on an in-depth qualitative study with 11 women involved …

Reaching And Supporting Trafficked Women In Austria And Germany: A Call For Training On Attachment And Trust-Building, Silke Gahleitner, Katharina Gerlich, Roschan Heiler, Heidemarie Hinterwallner, Edith Huber, Mascha Körner, Josef Pfaffenlehner, Yvette Völschow

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

Many victims of trafficking in women are not reached by the available support services despite numerous measures that have been put in place on both the national and international levels. This deficiency is due to the inadequacy of the support systems, which do not meet the needs of the women concerned. A bilateral Austro-German research project entitled “Prävention und Intervention bei Menschenhandel zum Zweck sexueller Ausbeutung (PRIMSA) [“Prevention and intervention in the trafficking of human beings for the purpose of sexual exploitation”] was set up with the aim of developing ideas for a multidisciplinary prevention and intervention scheme. This article …

"I Assumed Chicago Would Be In The Forefront": Comments On The Movement To End Prostitution With Survivor-Leader Brenda Myers-Powell, Jody Raphael

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

For many years in the 2000’s, researcher Jody Raphael, teamed with prostitution-survivor Brenda Myers-Powell, undertook a myriad of speaking engagements in the Chicago metropolitan area, intended to raise awareness of the violence and coercion in the sex trade industry. Ten years ago, they were asked to make a video of their presentation. Recently, Dignity editors came across the video and asked for an update on the conversation. This piece is the result.

Z4, A Slow Puncture: An Autoethnographic Exploration Of Language, Embodiment, And Meaning-Making, Charlotte Rose Samuels

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In my ISP, I explored language as it relates to the ways in which people living in Cato Manor make sense of HIV/AIDS in their community. With 7.1-7.2 million people living with HIV (PLWHIV) in South Africa, individuals across the country are either infected or affected by illness. KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), the province with the highest rate of HIV, is also the province that was surveyed with the disproportionately highest internal stigma rates for PLWHIV. High prevalence of HIV, particularly in KZN, calls for a constant contextualization of life in the presence of illness.

Throughout the world, metaphor and symbolism is …

Jumpstart Your Week With A Monday Mile, Mary Katherine A. Schutt, Bonnie Slocum

Population Health Research Brief Series

Research shows that people view Monday as a day for a fresh start and are more likely to start diet and exercise programs, quit smoking, and schedule doctor’s appointments on Monday than any other day. This issue brief discusses the benefits of kick starting your week with a Monday Mile and profile a local community that created several Monday Mile routes where local residents can interact and be active.

The Influence Of Stressful Life Events On The Development Of Type 2 Diabetes, Joshua Minks

Dissertations

This study examined the relationship between distress and the development of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in the presence of established risk factors. Distress secondary to mental health disparities, stressful life events, and work conditions has been shown to promote insulin resistance and the development of T2DM.

Subjects (N=79) diagnosed with T2DM within the previous six months were recruited from SSM Health Centers and VA Medical Centers in the greater St. Louis area. They completed the Recent Life Changes Questionnaire, ENRICHD Social Support Instrument, and a demographic survey and analyses were conducted to determine differences between the veteran …

Stress Inoculation Training Outcomes Among Veterans With Ptsd And Tbi, Sarah E. Jackson, Matthew Baity, Jeannette Giorgio, Diane Swick

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: Stress inoculation training (SIT) is a cognitive-behavioral treatment that has demonstrated potential as a nontrauma based intervention for veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The purpose of this study was to explore the efficacy of a novel 3-phase group formulation of SIT applied to a naturalistic population of veterans with PTSD and traumatic brain injury (TBI). The goals were to reduce symptoms of PTSD and depression, improve perceived functioning, and increase treatment initiation among veterans who were reticent to initiate established evidence-based and trauma-focused therapies. Method: A program development and evaluation archival analysis of 65 veterans engaged in SIT …

Painting Intimacy: Art-Based Research Of Intimacy, Michal Lev

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

This art-based research explores whether — and, if so, how — the process of painting, together with witnessing and reflection on the process and imagery, further an understanding of intimacy. The research also examines the conditions that favor intimacy, the obstacles to intimacy, and the particular features of artistic media, processes and reflection, through the editing of video footage, that can further the intimate experience. The participants in the study were five adults (including the researcher) between the ages of thirty and eighty who were familiar with the creation of visual art. Among them were three women and two men …

Taking Time To B.R.E.A.T.H.E. Strategies For Strengthening Staff And Student Well-Being, Joelle Hood

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

When students and staff experience chronic stress, it negatively impacts their motivation, performance, and wellbeing, Participants in this engaging workshop will walk away with simple research-based practices from the fields of Mindfulness and Positive Psychology, that they can utilize with both themselves and students to reduce stress and anxiety, improve attention and performance, and strengthen overall physical and psychological well-being.

Recovery Experiences Bridge The Gap Between Volunteering And Work Outcomes, Kaitlin Fosler

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

This study examined the relationship between volunteer work demands, recovery experiences, and work outcomes. The mental and physical demands of the volunteer work influenced the recovery experiences of psychological detachment and mastery. Further, mastery experiences positively impacted organizational commitment while both mastery and control positively impacted work engagement.

Dynamic Prediction Of Survival Data Using Single Or Multiple Longitudinal Markers, Xuehan Ren

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Recurrent events and time-to-event data occur frequently in longitudinal studies. In large clinical trials with survival endpoints, researchers collect a multitude of longitudinal markers. There is a growing need to utilize these rich longitudinal information to build prediction models and assess their prognostic performance. In this dissertation research, I propose a novel approach of integrating longitudinal markers in modeling the recurrent event or terminal event data, and conduct dynamic prediction of event risks. Under joint a model framework, I jointly model a longitudinal outcome and a recurrent event process with the two process correlated via shared latent function. The probability …

Cancer, Sexual Quality Of Life, And The Dyad: A Qualitative Study, Gabriela E. Gutierrez

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

As the rate of survivorship continues to increase within oncological care (White, 2007), more attention is being focused on the quality of life and long-term outcomes of cancer survivors (American Cancer Society, 2014). Sexual quality of life (SQOL), which includes both sex and intimacy, have been identified as primary sources of stress among patients and their partners across cancer types (Manne & Badr, 2008; 2010; Manne, Badr, & Kashy, 2012); however, reproductively related cancers, such as breast and gynecologic cancers have especially posed unique challenges to both patients and their partners (Jonsdottir, et al., 2016). It is widely known that …

The Weathering Hypothesis: Sociocultural And Biological Factors Of Postpartum Depression Among Black Women, Anna Van Beusekom

Scholarly Horizons: University of Minnesota, Morris Undergraduate Journal

Black women experience higher rates of PPD than their White counterparts. To date, no one has linked experiences of racism and discrimination, the impacts racism and discrimination have on allostatic load, and the subsequent process of weathering to the elevated levels of PPD in Black women. However, the Weathering Hypothesis can be utilized to explain the higher rates of PPD seen in Black women via the interactions between sociocultural factors and biological factors.

Understanding The Experiences Of Latino Community College Students On Academic Probation: A Case Study, Maria P. Mcpherson

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

The academic standards and policies of institutions of higher education consider student underachievement, among the other aspects of education. Academic standing addresses the probation status designed to intervene and inform students who are unable to meet certain academic institutional standards. However, there is a lack of research discussing the experiences of community college students on academic probation (AP). This qualitative case study explored the perceptions of Latino college students experiences with AP at a large community college on the west coast of the United States. Specifically, the transitions of Latino students to college as previous studies have demonstrated that their …

미투 운동은 성매매도 포함하여야 한다 (#Metoo Must Include Prostitution), Melissa Farley

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

No abstract provided.

Quality Of Life And Psychological Distress In Cancer Survivors: The Role Of Psycho-Social Resources For Resilience, Craig A. Harms, Lynne Cohen, Julie Ann Pooley, Suzanne K. Chambers, Daniel A. Galvao, Robert U. Newton

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between scores on the Protective Factors for Resilience Scale (PFRS) (as a measure of a person's psycho-social resources for resilience) and quality of life as well as symptoms of psychological distress for adult cancer survivors.

METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 295 cancer survivors (59% female) provided background demographic information and completed the PFRS as well as measures of quality of life and psychological distress previously validated with cancer survivors. Most of the survivors were diagnosed with breast or prostate cancer.

RESULTS: Analysis of the data confirmed the factor structure for the PFRS …

Cognitive, Behavioral, And Situational Influences On Relapse To Smoking After Group Treatment For Tobacco Dependence, Sara E. Lunden, Jami C. Pittman, Neelam Prashad, Ria Malhotra, Christine Sheffer

Publications and Research

Socioeconomic disparities in treatment failure rates for evidence-based tobacco dependence treatment are well-established. Adapted cognitive behavioral treatments are extensively tailored to meet the needs of lower socioeconomic status (SES) smokers and dramatically improve early treatment success, but there is little understanding of why treatment failure occurs after a longer period of abstinence than with standard treatment, why early treatment success is not sustained, and why long-term treatment failure rates are no different from standard treatments. We sought to understand the causes of treatment failure from the perspective of diverse participants who relapsed after receiving standard or adapted treatment in a …

Problematic Sexual Behavior And Religion Among Adult Jewish Males: An Initial Study, David H. Rosmarin, Steven Pirutinsky

Graduate School of Social Work Publications and Research

A growing body of research has tied religion to problematic sexual behavior in both positive and negative ways. On the one hand, religious belief and engagement buffer against incidence and severity of problematic sexual behavior, but on the other hand religiously affiliated individuals who engage in such behavior tend to experience spiritual struggles (negative religious coping) and poor psychosocial outcomes. No published empirical studies have examined these variables among adult Jewish males. In the present study, 94 adult Jewish males completed measures of religious belief/ practice, positive religious coping, spiritual struggles, and problematic sexual behavior. General and positive aspects of …

Cancer Blog Narratives: The Experience Of Under-Fifty Women With Breast Cancer During Different Times After Diagnosis, Maria Luisa Martino, Anna Gargiulo, Daniela Lemmo, Giorgia Margherita

The Qualitative Report

The recent literature shows an increase of breast cancer in women under 50, however still few are the studies which analyse the impact of the disease in this specific target age. This study aims at exploring the most prevalent topics in Italian cancer blogs of women who have received a breast cancer diagnosis before the age of 50, in order to understand their experience of illness and the characteristics of women’s narrations at different times after diagnosis (1 year, 2 years, 3 years). We collected the textual corpus of 4 Italian breast cancer blogs and performed a thematic analysis. Five …

An Indentured Servant: The Impact Of Green Card Waiting Time On The Life Of Highly Skilled Indian Immigrants In The United States Of America, Pooja B. Vijayakumar, Christopher J. L. Cunningham

Industrial and Organizational Psychology Translational Research and Working Papers

Highlighting the archaic immigration system in the United States of America (US), the present study demonstrates for the first time the impact of green card waiting time on the work and family life of Indian immigrants living in the US. Our present findings show that 93.4% of our participants are very concerned about the estimated green card waiting time in the US. We find 70% of the total participants are seriously thinking at the present time about emigrating to a more visa-friendly country. Also, 30% of the participants have already applied for permanent residency in a visa friendly country and …

Medical Mistrust, Hiv-Related Conspiracy Beliefs, And The Need For Cognitive Closure Among Urban-Residing African American Women: An Exploratory Study, Jennifer Rae Myers Phd, Kelsey Ball Phd, Sharlene L. Jeffers Ma, William B. Lawson Md, Phd, Dlfapa,Pa

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Despite advances regarding access to care and overall treatment, medical mistrust remains an important factor regarding clinical research participation as well as prevention/treatment-seeking behaviors among African American women. Such attitudes may be a result of psychosocial variables such as HIV-related conspiracy endorsement as well as a need for cognitive closure (NFCC) that reinforces their beliefs of interpersonal and institutional discrimination. To explore how well these psychosocial factors predict medical mistrust, thirty-five urban-residing African American women completed a demographics survey, the Medical Mistrust Index (MMI), a HIV-related conspiracy beliefs survey, and the Need for Closure Scale (NFCS). Results showed that the …

Coping With Medically Unexplained Physical Symptoms: The Role Of Illness Beliefs And Behaviors, Lisa M. Mcandrew, Nicole Sullivan, L. Alison Phillips, Wilfred R. Pigeon, Karen S. Quigley, Fiona Graff, David R. Litke, Drew A. Helmer, Joseph F. Rath

Educational & Counseling Psychology Faculty Scholarship

Background: Medically unexplained syndromes (MUS) are both prevalent and disabling. While illness beliefs and behaviors are thought to maintain MUS-related disability, little is known about which specific behavioral responses to MUS are related to disability or the way in which beliefs and behaviors interact to impact functioning. The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between illness beliefs and disability among patients with MUS, and assess the extent to which behaviors mediate this relationship. Methods: The study examined data from the baseline assessment of a multi-site randomized controlled trial (RCT). Participants were 248 veterans with MUS. Illness …

Developing An Indigenous Measure Of Overall Health And Well-Being: The Wicozani Instrument, Heather J. Peters, Teresa R. Peterson

Psychology Publications

A Native community developed the Wicozani Instrument, a 9-item self-report measure, to assess overall health and well-being from an Indigenous epistemology. The Wicozani Instrument measures mental, physical, and spiritual health and their importance to an individual's quality of life. The instrument’s validity and reliability was examined through two studies. Study 1 utilized standardized measures from Native (i.e., Awareness of Connectedness Scale) and Western (i.e., Psychological Sense of School Membership and Suicide Ideation Questionnaire) epistemologies with Native and non-Native youth. Study 2 utilized a community created measure (i.e., Indigenous Healing Strategies Scale) with Dakota women. Results suggest the Wicozani Instrument is …

Kidled: A Colorful Approach To Children's Activity Awareness, Ankita Samariya, Anud Sharma, Margiawan Fitriani, Tucker Ferguson, Jerry Alan Fails

Computer Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Obesity in children is a growing cause of concern as it affects more than 18% of children in the United States. Sedentary behaviour is one of the contributors to childhood obesity. Technological interventions like activity trackers and fitness games have been introduced to motivate both children and adults to be physically active. Most of these technologies encourage activity by making them aware of their activity levels. While awareness of current activity levels may help motivating adults, it can be difficult for children to understand their activity levels in terms of number of steps (the most common method used by adults). …

Supporting Marin County Youth Suffering From Anxiety And Depression, Victoria L. Grajeda

Student Research Posters

This toolkit was created to help shed light on the impact a stressful high school environment can have on today’s youth, and provide teachers and parents with up-to-date information on what resources are available within the county of Marin. When working with adolescents, it is important to consider environmental threats to their mental health (i.e., lack of sleep) in order to make proper referrals and treatment plans. A study done by Kelley, Lockley, Kelley, & Evans (2017) implemented a 10:00 a.m. start time at an urban school in England. By delaying school start times, Kelley et. al found that absences …

Impact Of Socialization In Elderly Public-Housing Residents, Taylor M. Wilkerson, Schanea Ward, Amy Popovich, Pamela Parsons, Faika Zanjani

Graduate Research Posters

Older adults who experience social isolation have higher rates of mortality relative to their counterparts. Social interactions are an important way to combat this isolation. This research aims to better understand how social isolation in older adults living in low-income households in Richmond, Virginia (RVA) is related to their economic, physical, and psychological health status. As part of the iCubed Health and Wellness Aging Core and in collaboration with the Richmond Memorial: East End Housing Coalition for Older Adults, older adults from a selected public housing unit (n=28) self-reported their financial status, experiences with physical and psycho-social health, and feelings …

Weight Loss And Self-Monitoring Among Young Men In A Technology-Driven Weight Loss Intervention, Jean M. Reading, Jessica G. Larose

Graduate Research Posters

Background

Young men with obesity have double the mortality risk compared to young men with a healthy weight, but are notoriously challenging to recruit for behavioral weight loss (BWL) programs. Emerging evidence suggests that young men might prefer self-guided or low touch interventions, but limited data are available as to their effectiveness. To inform future efforts, we conducted a secondary analysis of young men’s performance in a technology-driven BWL trial developed specifically for young adults. Objectives were to: 1) examine young men’s enrollment rates; and 2) compare young men and women’s weight loss outcomes and self-regulation behaviors.

Methods

Data were …

A Behavioral Confirmation And Reduction Of The Natural Versus Synthetic Drug Bias, Brian P. Meier, Amanda J. Dillard, Eric S. Osorio, Courtney M. Lappas

Psychology Faculty Publications

Research reveals a biased preference for natural versus synthetic drugs; however, this research is based upon self-report and has not examined ways to reduce the bias. We examined these issues in five studies involving 1,125 participants. In a Pilot Study (N = 110), participants rated the term natural to be more positive than the term synthetic, which reveals a default natural-is-better belief. In Studies 1 (N = 109) and 2 (N = 100), after a supposed personality study, participants were offered a thank you “gift” of a natural or synthetic pain reliever. Approximately 86% (Study 1) and 93% (Study 2) …

Psychological Factors Related To Resilience And Vulnerability Among Youth With Hiv In An Integrated Care Setting., Tiffany Chenneville, Kemesha Gabbidon, Courtney Lynn, Carina Rodriguez

USF St. Petersburg Campus Faculty Publications

Approximately 22% of HIV diagnoses in 2015 occurred among youth aged 13–24. Much is known about the risk factors and psychopathology present in youth living with HIV (YLWH), however, relatively little is known about resiliency in this population. The current study sought to assess factors related to resilience and vulnerability among YLWH as well as the impact of psychosocial factors on these constructs using existing clinical data from an integrated care clinic serving YLWH in the southeastern United States. Data included findings from mental health screeners administered as part of the standard protocol of care for youth aged 13–24 including …