Other Psychology Commons^™

Interventions To Modify Psychological Well-Being: Progress, Promises, And An Agenda For Future Research, Laura D. Kubzansky, Eric S. Kim, Julia K. Boehm, Richard J. Davidson, Jeffrey C. Huffman, Eric B. Loucks, Sonja Lyubomirsky, Rosalind W. Picard, Stephen M. Schueller, Claudia Trudel-Fitzgerald, Tyler J. Vanderweele, Katey Warran, David S. Yeager, Charlotte S. Yeh, Judith T. Moskowitz

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Psychological well-being, characterized by feelings, cognitions, and strategies that are associated with positive functioning (including hedonic and eudaimonic well-being), has been linked with better physical health and greater longevity. Importantly, psychological well-being can be strengthened with interventions, providing a strategy for improving population health. But are the effects of well-being interventions meaningful, durable, and scalable enough to improve health at a population-level? To assess this possibility, a cross-disciplinary group of scholars convened to review current knowledge and develop a research agenda. Here we summarize and build on the key insights from this convening, which were: (1) existing interventions should continue …

Do Semantics Matter In Empathetic Person Perception Of Children Or Adults With Mental Illness?, Rylie Hansen, Caroline Polak, Emma Gries, Stevie Ostman, Gina A. Paganini, E. Paige Lloyd

DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive

Experiences of stigma, discrimination, or aggression negatively affect the well-being of people experiencing symptoms of psychopathology. However, empathy is thought to undermine prejudice and discrimination and is linked with positive outcomes (e.g., greater well-being, more social support, etc.) among those with stigmatized mental illnesses. The current work investigates the influence of target age (adult or child) and language type (person-first or identity-first) on how much empathic concern perceivers report toward individuals with a hypothetical mental health condition. This research contributes to an ongoing debate about whether person-first or identity-first language carries stigmatizing or protective effects, while also considering a novel …

Experiences Of Covid-19-Related Racism And Impact On Depression Trajectories Among Racially/Ethnically Minoritized Adolescents, Sabrina R. Liu, Elysia Poggi Davis, Anton M. Palma, Hal S. Stern, Curt A. Sandman, Laura M. Glynn

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Purpose

In 2020, racially/ethnically minoritized (REMD) youth faced the “dual pandemics” of COVID-19 and racism, both significant stressors with potential for adverse mental health effects. The current study tested whether short- and long-term trajectories of depressive symptoms from before to during the COVID-19 pandemic differed between REMD adolescents who did and did not endorse exposure to COVID-19-era-related racism (i.e., racism stemming from conditions created or exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic).

Methods

A community sample of 100 REMD adolescents enrolled in an ongoing longitudinal study of mental health was assessed before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were 51% girls, mean …

Adolescent Psychological Assets And Cardiometabolic Health Maintenance In Adulthood: Implications For Health Equity, Farah Qureshi, Anne‐Josee Guimond, Elaine Tsao, Scott Delaney, Julia K. Boehm, Laura D. Kubzansky

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Background

Positive cardiometabolic health (CMH) is defined as meeting recommended levels of multiple cardiometabolic risk factors in the absence of manifest disease. Prior work finds that few individuals—particularly members of minoritized racial and ethnic groups—meet these criteria. This study investigated whether psychological assets help adolescents sustain CMH in adulthood and explored interactions by race and ethnicity.

Methods and Results

Participants were 3478 individuals in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (49% female; 67% White, 15% Black, 11% Latinx, 6% other [Native American, Asian, or not specified]). In Wave 1 (1994–1995; mean age=16 years), data on 5 psychological assets (optimism, …

Is Biological Death Final? Recomputing The Drake-S Equation For Postmortem Survival Of Consciousness, Adam J. Rock, James Houran, Patrizio E. Tressoldi, Brian Laythe

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies Advance Publication Archive

This participatory team science project extended Laythe and Houran’s (2022) prior application of a famous probabilistic argument known as the ‘Drake equation’ to the question of postmortem survival. Specifically, we evaluated effect sizes from peer-reviewed, empirical studies to determine the maximum average percentage effect that ostensibly supports (i.e., "anomalous effects") or refutes (i.e., "known confounds") the survival hypothesis. But unlike the earlier application, this research included a study-specific estimate of the hypothesized variable of ‘living agent psi’ via a new meta-analysis of empirical studies (N = 17) with exceptional subjects vs participants from the general population. Our updated analysis found …

The Often‑Circuitous Path To Affirming Mental Health Care For Transgender And Gender‑Diverse Adults, Natalie Holt, Debra Hope, Richard Mocarski, Nathan Woodruff

Trans Collaborations Academic Papers

Purpose of Review We describe recent research regarding access to affirming mental health services for transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) adults and explore new resources available for therapists to inform evidence-based practice with TGD clients.

Recent Findings Barriers and facilitators at all socioecological levels impact TGD adults’ mental health help-seeking. TGD adults often interface with mental health providers while accessing gender-affirming medical care, though new standards of care are likely to alter this typically common path to mental health services. Efforts to improve therapist education, such as therapy manuals, are increasingly available and a necessary step to increase the number of …

Two Dimensions Of A Bodhisattva, Douglas Duckworth

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies Advance Publication Archive

This paper presents two dimensions of a bodhisattva, the ideal of Maha- ya- na Buddhism. One dimension involves contemplative practices that disclose a pure nature that is always already present; this reality is unveiled after the obscurations that cloud it are removed. I refer to this as a “top-down” approach because it is based on qualities of awakening that are already there, yet lie beyond an ordinary being’s comprehension. The second dimension, which I refer to as a “bottom-up” approach, involves directed training and discipline. Unlike the top-down approach, this is not about “going with the flow” or simply letting …

Authentic Mindfulness Within Mindfulness-Based Interventions: A Qualitative Study Of Participants' Experiences, Supakyada Sapthiang, Edo Shonin, Paul Barrows, William Van Gordon

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies Advance Publication Archive

There are concerns that participants of some modern mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) are receiving a superficial form of mindfulness training. However, empirical investigation of this issue according to participants’ first-hand experiences has been limited. Thus, this qualitative study aimed to capture the first-hand perspectives relating to authentic mindfulness of participants who had recently attended an MBI in the UK. Ten adults completed a recorded, online semistructured interview. Based on a thematic analysis, the following four master themes were identified: (a) authentic mindfulness as a construct, (b) positive aspects of the training, (c) something missing, and (d) recommendations for authenticity. Although all …

Mindfulness Traps And The Entanglement Of Self: An Inquiry Into The Regime Of Mind, Richard Dixey, Ronald E. Purser

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies Advance Publication Archive

Mindfulness meditation can provide salutary therapeutic benefits, as well as lead advanced practitioners to states of calm and equanimity. In this paper, we argue that such forms of meditation may subtly entrap practitioners in circular, self-reflexive feedback loops. Because these meditation traps fail to clearly discern the operations of mind, they offer a temporary oasis of peace within an unaltered dualistic realm of mind that leaves the root delusion of self-identity intact. Drawing upon Tarthang Tulku’s seminal book Revelations of Mind, we present what he refers to as the “regime of mind,” the processes of cognition, identification and re-cognition in …

Cognitive Illusion, Lucid Dreaming, And The Psychology Of Metaphor In Tibetan Buddhist Dzogchen Contemplative Practices, Michael R. Sheehy

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies Advance Publication Archive

A classic set of eight similes of illusion (sgyu ma’i dpe brgyad) are employed recurrently throughout Indian and Tibetan Buddhist literature to illustrate the operations of cognition, its correlative perceptions, and experiences that emerge. To illustrate a Buddhist psychology of metaphor, the fourteenth century Tibetan scholar and synthesizer of the Dzogchen (rdzogs chen) or Great Perfection system, Longchen Rabjam Drimé Ödzer (1308-1363), composed his poetic text, Being at Ease with Illusion. This work on illusion is the third volume in Longchenpa’s Trilogy of Being at Ease (Ngal gso skor gsum) in which he presents a series of Dzogchen instructions on …

Addiction And Liberty, Matthew B. Lawrence

Faculty Articles

This Article explores the interaction between addiction and liberty and identifies a firm legal basis for recognition of a fundamental constitutional right to freedom from addiction. Government interferes with freedom from addiction when it causes addiction or restricts addiction treatment, and government may protect freedom from addiction through legislation empowering individuals against private actors’ efforts to addict them without their consent. This Article motivates and tests the boundaries of this right through case studies of emergent threats to liberty made possible or exacerbated by new technologies and scientific understandings. These include certain state lottery programs, addiction treatment restrictions, and smartphone …

Assessing 4-H And Its Circle Of Courage In A Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility: A Case Study, Elizabeth Steering

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

This 4-H case study takes place in a psychiatric residential treatment facility (PRTF) in Kentucky. The PRTF provides clinical services to youth that are not able to be safely maintained in their homes due to having demonstrated unsafe or harmful behaviors. Youth admitted to the PRTF stay for an average of three to six months while they receive intensive therapeutic and psychiatric care as well as medical treatment and public schooling. The current case study incorporates programming from 4-H, which is the youth development program of the Cooperative Extension System (CES) and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), …

Postpartum Depression And The Availability Of Support Resources In The Era Of Covid-19, Colleen Steward, Amy Claridge, Tishra Beeson, Sarah L. Feeney

All Master's Theses

The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically influenced women’s experience of pregnancy, labor, and the postpartum phase. New research shows rates of postpartum depression were higher than typical during the pandemic. This study expands on existing research by examining postpartum depression at 12-30 months postpartum and exploring the role of perceptions of access to social support in predicting depressive symptoms.

This survey assessed postpartum women’s perceptions of the availability of supports during the COVID-19 pandemic and whether access to support was associated with experiences of postpartum depression 12-30 months after birth. In total, 242 participants responded to an online survey including the Edinburgh …

Cannabis Cues And Effects On Social Anxiety, Erica Steinberg

All Master's Theses

Prior research has shown that individuals experiencing social anxiety may use cannabis for self-medication; therefore, the current study evaluated if viewing cannabis cues would reduce feelings of social anxiety. Central Washington University undergraduates enrolled in psychology courses (n = 124; 66.7% female; M_age = 19.8, SD_age = 4.7) were shown cannabis cues after viewing expressive facial images that prior research has shown induces feelings of social anxiety. Contrary to prior research, the current study found that emotional faces did not significantly affect state-trait anxiety as measured by the 6-item State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-6) but that trait social …

Implementing Trauma-Informed Care Across All Occupational Therapy Settings, Scout Hutchinson, Kristin Domville, Pam Kasyan-Howe

Fall 2023 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

A quantitative research design was utilized to analyze the effectiveness of an educational seminar on trauma- informed disseminated to occupational therapy practitioners, determining their previous knowledge on trauma-informed care. The research conducted has provided a more comprehensive understanding of this population and where services are needed. There is still much work to be done with this topic and the cultural shift towards providing trauma sensitive resources to occupational therapy practitioners. The future of trauma-informed care being incorporated into occupational therapy practice settings is up to the motivation and heart of future occupational therapists in hopes to strengthen the resources offered …

Drivers Of Change In Mindfulness- And Acceptance-Based Interventions With Athletes: Investigating The Influence Of Dosage, Readiness, And Attitudes, Thomas O. Minkler

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Mindfulness- and Acceptance-based interventions (MABIs) are being used with increasing frequency with sport participants. Research suggests that such interventions may promote sport performance and impact performance-relevant factors, although the current quality and quantity of research is low. Specifically, questions about intervention engagement (i.e., dosage), potentially impacted by stage of change and attitudes toward sport psychology, need clarification. The present study utilized a multi-method, quasi-experimental longitudinal design with female- and male- identified NCAA collegiate athletes to investigate the effects of an MABI. Specifically, one NCAA Division II team (n = 16) and three NCAA Division III teams (n = …

Secondary Traumatic Stress Is An Occupational Hazard For Pet Hospice Support Staff: Psychoeducational Support Groups Provide The Cure, Kari Hayden

DSW Capstone Projects

There are three separate yet interrelated products presented in this final capstone product. The completed product is focused on pet hospice veterinary support staff and the need for an evidence-based social work intervention to combat secondary traumatic stress. This capstone uses the andragogical approach to adult learning theory as the foundation to construct a psychoeducational peer support group specific to this population. Implications for clinical social work in veterinary medicine are presented within this project.

The first scholarly product presented is the Systematic Literature Review (SLR). The SLR utilizes a scoping review process in an attempt to locate prior research …

Black Mental Health Clinicians' Experiences And Lessons From The Intersecting Crises Of Black Mental Health, Covid-19, And Racial Trauma: An Interpretive Phenomenological Study, Chanté Meadows

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study explored the experiences of African American mental health clinicians’ during the intersecting crises of the Black mental health crisis, the highly publicized racial tension tied to extrajudicial violence and over-policing of Black Americans, and the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic started a global crisis that affected millions of people’s physical and mental health and overall well-being. Shared trauma explores the duality of mental health clinicians’ personal and professional experiences. Grounded in critical race theory and models of trauma, this study explores Black mental health clinicians’ lived experiences and lessons. This is an interpretive phenomenological study with narrative interviews of …

Implicit Beliefs About Anxiety And The Relationship With Competitive Anxiety Intensity And Direction, Luca M. Ziegler

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

During the Fall of 2021, 45% of male and 72% of female student-athletes reported overwhelming anxiety at least once a month (NCAA, 2021). In addition to affecting an individual’s well-being, anxiety may negatively impact athletic performance (Edwards & Hardy, 1996). To better understand the impact of anxiety on athletic performance and develop effective interventions, both the intensity and direction of symptoms experienced must be considered. Incremental beliefs have been shown to be related to desirable performance outcomes and increased well-being in various populations (Danthony et al., 2020; Dweck, 2008), and may provide an effective intervention to interpret anxiety as more …

The Scientific Study Of Positive Psychology, Religion/Spirituality, And Physical Health, Kevin S. Masters, Julia K. Boehm, Jennifer M. Boylan, Kaitlyn M. Vagnini, Christina L. Rush

Psychology Faculty Books and Book Chapters

Humans have long been interested in relations among religion/spirituality (R/S), positive psychological constructs, and physical health. Furthermore, many religions attempt to influence behavior through health-related prescriptions about food choices, sexual activity, substance use, and resting. Similarly, positive psychological constructs have been discussed in light of their presumed benefits on both mental and physical health (Ryff & Singer, 1998). However, R/S and positive psychological constructs have only recently become objects of scientific investigation of their associations with physical health.

Early Life Exposure To Unpredictable Parental Sensory Signals Shapes Cognitive Development Across Three Species, Elyssia Poggi Davis, Kari Mccormack, Hina Arora, Desiree Sharpe, Annabel K. Short, Jocelyne Bachevalier, Laura M. Glynn, Curt A. Sandman, Hal S. Stern, Mar Sanchez, Tallie Z. Baram

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Exposure to early life adversity has long term consequences on cognitive function. Most research has focused on understanding components of early life adversities that contribute to later risk, including poverty, trauma, maltreatment, and neglect. Whereas these factors, in the aggregate, explain a significant proportion of emotional and cognitive problems, there are serious gaps in our ability to identify potential mechanisms by which early life adversities might promote vulnerability or resilience. Here we discuss early life exposure to unpredictable signals from the caretaker as an understudied type of adversity that is amenable to prevention and intervention. We employ a translational approach …

Transformative, Noetic, And Transpersonal Experiences During Personal Development Workshops, Helané Wahbeh, Cassandra Vieten, Garret Young, Agnes Cartry-Jacobsen, Dean Radin, Arnaud Delorme

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies Advance Publication Archive

The global personal development market was valued at $38.28 billion in 2019 and is expected to grow an additional 5% from 2020 to 2027. Many of these workshops promise to be transformational. This secondary analysis study examined transformative, transpersonal, and noetic aspects of personal development workshops. We found that 74% of post-survey records endorsed that participants experienced a moment of clarity or profound insight during their workshop. In addition, 66% endorsed that participants had experienced at least one noetic experience, and 84% endorsed at least one transpersonal experience. These analyses provide preliminary evidence for the transformational potential of personal development …

Positive Digital Communication Among Youth: The Development And Validation Of The Digital Flourishing Scale For Adolescents, Jasmina Rosič, Sophie H. Janicke-Bowles, Luca Carbone, Bojana Lobe, Laura Vandenbosch

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Research has extensively studied the negative effects of digital communication on adolescents’ well-being. However, positive digital experiences and behavior in adolescence are still poorly understood. The recently developed Digital Flourishing Scale addresses this gap and focuses on the positive perceptions of a user’s experiences and behaviors in digital communication among adults. In this paper, we developed an adolescent version of this scale. Study 1 demonstrated the internal consistency of the scale and the same factor structure for adolescence as for adulthood: connectedness, civil participation, positive social comparison, authentic self-presentation, and self-control. Study 2 confirmed the identified factor structure with a …

Neuroanatomy In Mild Cognitive Impairment: Relationship To Functional Skills, Treatment Expectancy, And Comorbid Depression, Sara Rushia

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a neurocognitive disorder defined by cognitive decline in older adults. Although MCI has been studied for decades, there remain important areas to be explored in order to adequately characterize aspects of this disorder that provide information valuable for possible interventions and disease progression to dementia, including a better understanding of the neuroanatomical variables relevant to this disorder. Such neuroanatomical variables include cortical thickness, hippocampal volume, and white matter hyperintensities (WMHs). This dissertation consists of three separate studies aimed at addressing gaps in the literature on MCI in relation to brain morphometrics and under-studied characteristics involved …

Macrodosing To Microdosing With Psychedelics: Clinical, Social, And Cultural Perspectives, Ayse Ceren Kaypak, Amir Raz

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

To date, the clinical and scientific literature has best documented the effects of classical psychedelics, such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), psilocybin, and dimethyltryptamine (DMT), in typical quantities most often associated with macrodosing. More recently, however, microdosing with psychedelics has emerged as a social trend and nascent therapeutic intervention. This variation in psychedelic practice refers to repeat, intermittent ingestion of less-than-macrodose amounts that do not cause the effects associated with full-blown “trips”. Microdosing paves the road to incorporating psychedelic drugs into a daily routine while maintaining, or even improving, cognitive and mental function. Unlike macrodosing with psychedelics, the influence of …

Educating Providers Without Prescriptive Authority About Psychopharmacology Basics: Bridging The Interdisciplinary Work Among Psychotropic Prescribers And Psychologists, Olivia Ceja

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Background: The purpose of this evidence-based change in practice is to increase the fund of knowledge among psychologists, licensed clinical social workers, and talk therapists in outpatient psychiatric settings by educating clinicians about psychopharmacologic basics and the role and work of a psychiatric nurse practitioner during group supervision meetings. This can help bridge the gap of psychopharmacologic knowledge between mental health providers with and without prescriptive authority.

Problem: Evidence shows that psychologists with non-prescribing capabilities are not often trained or educated about the very medications that their clients are often taking. Currently, psychotropic medication education is not a standard aspect …

The Lived Experience Of Postpartum Anxiety During Covid-19: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study, Walker Ladd Phd, Jenny De Decker

The Qualitative Report

The experience of pregnancy and postpartum anxiety disorders results in adverse birth outcomes and the disrupted development of infants and children. Since the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has designated pregnant and postpartum women as more vulnerable to COVID-19 (CDC, 2021), and perinatal mood and anxiety disorders rates have increased. However, research regarding the lived experience of women with postpartum anxiety (PPA) during a global pandemic remains lacking. Using van Manen’s hermeneutic phenomenological research method, we interviewed eight women self-identifying as having had PPA during the COVID-19 pandemic. Analysis revealed five themes describing the lived …

Coach And Athlete Perceptions Of The Effects Of The Menstrual Cycle On Female Athletic Performance, Erin Dietz

Honors Projects

The purpose of this study is to examine the knowledge of the effects of the menstrual cycle on female athletic performance from both athletes and their coaches at the NCAA Division III level. Recommendations for coaches based on the findings of the research are provided. The study investigates whether female athletes and their coaches are aware of the physiological and psychological effects of the menstrual cycle and how they are managed throughout the course of a sport season.

Solution Focused Brief Therapy And Vicarious Resilience In Bolivian Protective Family Services Workers, Marcos Pérez Lamadrid, Adam S. Froerer

Journal of Solution Focused Practices

Vicarious resilience (VR) is defined as the positive effects caregivers experience within their personal lives, their work lives, and within their worldview as a whole, that come from witnessing the resilience that clients demonstrate in facing their traumatic experiences. This research study is a quasi-experimental pilot study about how solution focused brief therapy (SFBT) influences the vicarious resilience of family protective system (SLIM) workers in Bolivia. The Vicarious Resilience Inventory (VRI) was administered in a pretest/posttest design for an experimental group (applying SFBT) and a control group (training as usual). Both groups experienced an increase in vicarious resilience, but the …

Psychological Well-Being In Childhood And Cardiometabolic Risk In Middle Adulthood: Findings From The 1958 British Birth Cohort, Julia K. Boehm, Farah Qureshi, Laura D. Kubzansky

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Childhood adversity is linked to poor cardiometabolic outcomes, but less is known about positive childhood factors. Using data from 4,007 members of the 1958 British Birth Cohort, we investigated whether children with greater psychological well-being had lower adulthood cardiometabolic risk. At age 11, participants wrote essays about their future. Two judges rated each essay for nine psychological well-being items (Finn’s r = .82–.91), which were combined into a standardized overall score (Cronbach’s α = .91). When participants reached age 45, nurses assessed their blood pressure, heart rate, lipids, glycosylated hemoglobin, fibrinogen, and C-reactive protein, which were standardized and summed for …