Social Work Commons^™

The Role Of Trauma And Mental Health Problems In The Perpetration Of Intimate Partner Violence In Post-Genocide Rwanda, Sarah Myers Tlapek

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Exposure to political violence or war is associated with intimate partner violence (IPV) in post-conflict settings (Clark et al., 2010; Gupta, Reed, Kelly, Stein, & Williams, 2012), and civilians and veterans who develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after exposure to combat or violence are more likely to perpetrate violence against an intimate partner (Taft, Watkins, Stafford, Street, & Monson, 2011). Rwandan health professionals estimate that after the 1994 genocide more than one-quarter of the country’s population now suffers from PTSD (Munyandamutsa, Nkubamugisha, Gex-Fabry, & Eytan, 2012). Although the majority of Rwandan women (56%) have experienced IPV in their lifetime (National …

To Those Who Know A Hurting Child, Tara Boer

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"Current research tells us that kids who witness or experience hard things actually lose some ability to make good choices. It’s not that they won’t or don’t want to make the good choice…sometimes they just can’t. When kids are chronically exposed to trauma the part of their brain that helps them with language, flexibility, and mood regulation actually shrinks. ... The good news is that God made our brains so thoughtfully that they can actually grow and change."

Posting about children and trauma and what we can do about it from In All Things - an online hub committed to …

Narratives Of Illness, Difference, And Personhood, John P. Mctighe

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

Using narrative theory, the chapter examines how ideas and attitudes about mental disorder are shaped by cultural values and stereotypes, and how the experience of trauma can shatter the narrative of self and world. Placing the question of illness, differentness, and personhood within a social justice perspective, it challenges clinicians to consider how the vocabulary of illness is used to frame experience and, in many cases, to minimize, marginalize, or discount the individual's own lived experience.

Art As A Clinical Tool In The Treatment Of Complex Ptsd : A Theoretical Study, Emma T. Brenner-Malin

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This theoretical thesis explores how art-making can be used as a clinical tool in social worker’s psychodynamic treatment of complex post-traumatic stress disorder. A theoretical thesis was chosen in order to address the gap in the social work literature discussing the integration of creative action into trauma-informed care. D.W. Winnicott’s object relations theory and Trauma-informed art therapy theory are the two theoretical lenses applied and discussed. A review of the literature indicates that art created during therapy can function as a transitional object, facilitating the client’s ability to learn how to regulate their affect, recall dissociated affect and memories, bolster …

Exploring The Predictors Of Psychological Distress In Children Following The Gulf Coast Hurricanes Of 2005, Jonathan Scott Brothers

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of this study is to investigate the predictors of psychological distress in children following the Gulf Coast hurricanes of 2005. Previous literature has suggested that children that experience natural disasters, such as hurricanes, may face the same psychological dangers as children that experience other types of traumatic experiences. Thus, it is expected that children that were exposed to various stressors throughout the occurrence of the hurricanes will display more symptoms of psychological distress in the aftermath of the storms. In this study, 614 caregivers of children of ages 1 to 9 years old were sampled in a cross-sectional …

The Effects Of Trauma On Brain Development In Infancy, Sasha Kellogg

Honors Theses

This thesis explains how trauma, which can be defined for this study as traumatic experiences, affects brain development in infants. For the purpose of this report, infants are defined as being fifteen months or younger. As gathered from the book and articles researched, typical infant brain development, including the eight processes of neurodevelopment and the four main parts of the brain, will be explained in this report, along with how the brain grows and matures. This thesis shows how maturation of the brain in infancy is dependent upon the bonds and connections infants form with others and explains how trauma …

Responding To Trauma: Help-Seeking Behavior And Posttraumatic Growth In A College Sample, Aaron J. Burrick

Honors Scholar Theses

Research indicates that traumatic experiences can impact college students’ mental health, academic abilities, and relationships with peers. Trauma and associated symptoms of PTSD can lower students’ well-being and increase the risk of withdrawing from the university. Research also emphasizes the importance of psychological help-seeking as a way to experience posttraumatic growth. This study examines traumatic experiences, help-seeking attitudes, barriers, and behaviors, and posttraumatic growth in a sample of 168 undergraduate college students. Results indicated an overwhelming preference for informal help-seeking resources and the importance of traumatic severity in the decision to seek help. Additionally, female participants reported greater traumatic severity …

Grandparents As Parents: Investigating The Health And Well-Being Of Trauma-Exposed Families, Ginny Sprang, Moon Choi, Jessica Eslinger, Adrienne Whitt-Woosley, Rachel Looff

Center on Trauma and Children Reports

An excerpt from the introduction:

Over the past two decades, the number of grandparents serving as primary caregivers for their grandchildren has steadily increased. Nationally, 42% of all grandparents living with grandchildren function as the primary caregivers (U.S. Census, 2006).

In the southern region of the country, this phenomenon is particularly salient, and expected to continue, with estimates that range from 7% to 15% higher than in 2000 (U.S. Census, 2004). Kentucky is no exception, with 67,394 children living with their grandparents, 58.8% of those grandchildren fall under the responsibility of their grandparents (American Community Survey, 2005). In fact, Region …

In Their Own Words: Healing From Traumatic Childbirth, Jennifer L. Brammer

Masters Theses

Trauma related to childbirth is seldom addressed despite the incidence of women who experience traumatic births. Birth trauma, like other traumatic events, can have a lasting impact on women and can effect their attachment to their infants. This study gives voice to women's birth trauma and describes what women find helpful in their healing processes from traumatic birth. This study is based on the narratives of 14 women who graciously shared their birth stories and healing journeys in semi-structured qualitative interviews. Their traumatic birth experiences occurred 3 ½ to 26 years ago.

A post-positivist approach and narrative theory informed this …

Trauma Exposure, Posttraumatic Stress, And Depression In A Community Sample Of First-Time Mothers, Mickey Sperlich

Wayne State University Dissertations

The adverse effects of posttraumatic stress and depression have separately been well-documented in the perinatal mental health literature. However, few studies have considered the comorbidity between trauma, posttraumatic stress and depression. This dissertation study brings attention to this comorbidity and explores implications of recent changes to diagnostic criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder related to the ability to predict postpartum depression and impairments in mother/infant bonding. Following a conceptual framework which outlines the effects of violence and trauma on adverse childbearing outcomes, hypotheses were that many women with depression in pregnancy would endorse trauma and would be at risk for subthreshold …

Exploring Clinicians' Use Of Evidence-Based Interventions That Treat Attachment Problems Between Children, Five Years Of Age And Under, And Their Primary Caregivers, Jean Faucher

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This exploratory quantitative study was an attempt to address the dearth of research regarding the use of attachment-focused evidence-based treatments (AF EBT) in the clinical setting. Thirty-eight Master’s level or higher licensed mental health clinicians who work with children that are five years old and under, as well as with their primary caregivers, were surveyed via an anonymous web based questionnaire. The survey explored clinicians’ level of awareness, training, use, adaptation, and perceived effectiveness regarding four AF EBTs, as well as potential barriers that may have impeded their use. The AF EBTs were Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP), Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-UP …

The Association Between Attachment And Posttraumatic Growth In A Sample Of U.S. College Students, Keith Alan Morgan

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of this study is to examine the association between attachment and posttraumatic growth. Previous literature has suggested that securely attached individuals show more positive methods of coping with stress by activating their attachment system and facing the distress of a traumatic event. On the other hand, insecurely attached individuals display more negative methods of dealing with stress. Those with insecure attachment may avoid the distress of a traumatic event or not successfully activate the attachment system. Thus, it is expected that securely attached individuals will demonstrate higher levels of posttraumatic growth, or positive reactions to the experience of …

The Self Of The Field And The Work Of Donnel Stern, Daniel Masler

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

No study has taken an updated and comprehensive review of Donnel Stern’s writings. An investigation of his philosophical assumptions, locating Stern’s work socioculturally and historically, along with an elucidation of Stern’s background in traditional psychoanalytic literature and clinical practice, brings out the meanings and enigmas present in his theories of dissociation, enactment, unformulated experience, multiple self-states, and reflection. Stern has offered one of the best-integrated theoretical models in relational psychoanalytic theory. An examination of his theories within the theoretical traditions to which he makes claim (psychoanalytic, interpersonal, hermeneutic, postmodern, and democratic) helps elucidate the challenge posed by relational psychoanalysis to …

Homelessness: Relationships Between Program Completion At A Transformational Shelter And Mental Illness, Substance Abuse, And Trauma, Richard T. Mccutcheon

Theses & Dissertations

Each and every evening many people do not have a home to return to. Solving the epidemic problem of homelessness is an ongoing pursuit. Analyzing issues related to homelessness will help solve the problem of homelessness for some individuals and families. Data was gathered, prioritized and analyzed to determine correlations and relationships between completion of a transformational shelter’s program and mental illness, substance abuse, and trauma. Demographic variables were assessed as well. A person is more likely to complete the program if they have a substance abuse issue. Females are more likely than males to complete the program. Program completion …

Prevalence Of Adverse Childhood Experiences (Aces) Among Child Service Providers, Nina Esaki, Heather Larkin Holloway

Social Welfare Faculty Scholarship

Despite increasing evidence in the public health field about the prevalence of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in the general population, little is known about the prevalence of ACEs among social service providers. Trauma backgrounds may influence both worker susceptibility to vicarious traumatization as well as clinical decision making. Similarly, individuals with trauma backgrounds are vulnerable to re-enactment of their history. With pressure on social service agencies to demonstrate successful client outcomes, it is critical that agencies explore factors that influence high-quality care. This exploratory study is the first investigation of ACE prevalence among workers in an agency that provides residential …

Impact Of Dual Disorders, Trauma, And Social Support On Quality Of Life Among Women In Treatment For Substance Dependence, Suzanne Brown, Min Kyoung Jun, Meeyoung Oh Min, Elizabeth M. Tracy

Social Work Faculty Publications

Objective Women with dual disorders report lower levels of social support than women with substance dependence alone, and lower levels of social support have been associated with lower quality of life among individuals with substance use disorders. However, little is known about the impact of trauma symptoms and violence exposure on quality of life for women with dual disorders. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of dual disorders, trauma, and social support related to recovery on various domains of quality of life among women in substance abuse treatment.

Methods This study utilized multiple standardized measures and …

The Development And Implementation Of Trauma-Informed Care Within A Clinical Setting, Molly Hildebrandt

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This capstone project facilitated the classification of CSSM as a trauma-­‐informed service system for children. Following a specific framework, the project included the development and implementation of an intake model for the agency to follow in order to begin the process. The student designed a new intake procedure, in which all children were screened for the possibility of trauma and then linked with a trauma-­‐ informed therapist based on a positive screening. This procedure produced the ability to effectively link children with trauma-­‐informed services.

An Exploration Of Social Supports And Cultural Traditions On The Development Of Posttraumatic Growth Among Adult Haitian Immigrants, Patricia L. Weldon

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The research objective was to explore how post-traumatic growth is expressed in Haitian immigrants and what role social supports and cultural traditions may play in the development of post-traumatic growth. Post-traumatic growth is defined by positive changes in one or more of five domains including; personal strengths, relating to others, appreciation of life, spirituality and life philosophy (Calhoun & Tedeschi, 2006). Conceptual frameworks of constructivism (Rodwell, 1998), strength based approach (Saleebey, 2000)and eco systems theory (Bronfenbrenner, 1979) were employed to guide the study.

Factors Affecting End Of Treatment Symptom Severity For Children Receiving Trauma-Informed Evidence-Based Treatment, Jessica G. Eslinger

Theses and Dissertations--Social Work

The purpose of this project is to examine how the factors of gender, placement status, type of treatment, the number of different types of trauma experienced, and a child’s age at the start of treatment may influence end of treatment symptom severity scores for children ages 2-12 years who received trauma-informed evidence-based treatment for trauma. Method: Caregivers and children receiving outpatient services (N=134) completed the Child Behavioral Checklist, Trauma Symptom Checklist for Young Children, and the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children-Alternate Version at baseline and end of treatment. Hypotheses were tested with a series of ANCOVA analyses, Independent t-Tests, …

The Efficacy Of Aggression Replacement Training With Female Juvenile Offenders In A Residential Commitment Program, Jody Anne Erickson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Female adolescents are increasingly being charged with crimes of violence, and the literature is lacking as to how best to reduce their aggressive tendencies. In the past, girls represented a small portion of all youths involved in criminal justice systems, and studies involving effective treatment options for them were rarely conducted.

Aggression Replacement Training® is a 10-week, evidence-based, group treatment intervention designed to advance moral reasoning, improve social skills, and manage angry feelings. Numerous outcome studies of Aggression Replacement Training® with both offending and non-offending male adolescents and with male and female adolescents together have yielded mixed results. The question …

Agency Or Agencies? Catalysts Of Resilience In Drop-In Participants, Andy D. Bayer

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In this thesis, the factors that contribute to resilience are explored in a sample of participants who attend a food bank/clothing bank drop-in program in North Hamilton, Ontario. Resilience is defined as obtaining positive outcomes despite a level of risk to development. This thesis expands on the literature clarifying the concept of resilience. This thesis also contributes importantly to the smaller amount of literature on resilience in adults and older adults. Purposive sampling was used to obtain participants from the drop-in program at which the researcher volunteers. Phenomenology was utilized for this research, semi-structured interviews were used for data collection, …

Efficacy Of Self-Care And Traditional Mental Health Counseling In Treating Vicarious Traumatization Among Counselors Of Hurricane Katrina Survivors, Mary Alice Many

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The population consisted of 9,000 Gulf Coast Licensed Professional Counselors. Surveys were returned by 609 participants. In the researcher-developed demographic survey, 586 individuals responded to the questions regarding age, gender, ethnicity, and years of counseling experience; 585 individuals responded to questions about exposure to prior trauma, and personal Katrina-related losses; 578 individuals responded to the question about the percentage of their work week that was spent counseling victims, and 579 individuals responded to questions regarding the type of mental health care strategy they participated in. There were 439 usable surveys for the PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version (PCL-C) (Weathers, Litz, Huska, & …

Adverse Childhood Experiences (Aces), Service Use, And Service Helpfulness Among People Experiencing Homelessness, Heather Larkin Holloway, Jihyun Park

Social Welfare Faculty Scholarship

This study examines categories of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and service use backgrounds among a convenience sample of people experiencing homelessness (N = 224), using logistic regression analysis (n = 174) and descriptive and comparative analyses. Eighty-seven percent reported at least 1 of 10 ACEs prior to age 18. Over half (53.2%) reported 4 or more ACEs. Approximately half reported parental loss, emotional neglect, living with a substance abuser, and emotional abuse. ACEs were significantly correlated with one another. Among those who used prior services, ACEs predicted interpersonal prevention, clinical, and criminal justice services for emotional or substance …

Incarcerated Motherhood, Duchess Harris Phd, Jd

Journal of Race, Gender, and Ethnicity

No abstract provided.

Out Of The Frying Pan, Into The Fire: Trauma In The Lives Of Homeless Youth Prior To And During Homelessness, John Coates, Sue Mckenzie-Mohr

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Anecdotal evidence from those who work with homeless youth indicates that trauma permeates these young people's lives. This paper presents the findings from a study of 100 homeless youth regarding the presence of trauma in their lives, both before and during homelessness. Participants living in the Maritime Provinces volunteered to take part in a semi-structured interview lasting one to two hours. The interview questionnaire was conducted by a trained interviewer, and was composed of standardized and adapted survey instruments, as well as questions regarding demographics, experiences prior to becoming homeless, assistance received while dealing with stressors, and current needs. The …

A Grounded Theoretical Approach To Embodiment Among Homeless Youth, Felicia Washington Sy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Using grounded theory methodology, this research explored, described and theorized about the ways youth, specifically homeless youth; make sense of their bodies within the context of living environments. It describes the relationship between body, space, and context for homeless youth in order to inform treatment options for this population. The importance of context, setting, and participant frame of reference was stressed, because embodiment is contextually and culturally influenced. The research addressed the questions: What is the process of becoming consciously embodied for homeless youth who have experienced multiple traumas? Do homeless youth who have experienced multiple traumas perceive a role …

How Counseling Helps: An In-Depth Look At Domestic Violence Counseling, Sonya V. Crabtree-Nelson

Dissertations

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is currently described by trauma researchers as a social epidemic (Briere & Jordan, 2004) . The array of domestic violence services we currently have in the United States were started 30 years ago by women victims assisting other women. Currently, the services we have for victims of IPV are largely unchanged and the literature lacks information on what is helpful to victims of IPV in a domestic violence counseling setting. The research points to the fact that women seeking domestic violence counseling experience an array of physical and mental health sequelae as a result of the …

Attachment: The Antidote To Trauma, Joshua Straub

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Trauma and loss in life are inevitable. And all too often the traumatic experience itself can be enough to paralyze the mental, emotional, and spiritual state of any given person. Unable to interpret the traumatic experience, many instead are left defined by it. Helping clients discern the objective experience and their subjective reactions to it will help free them from the emotions and beliefs that subsequently control their lives. Based on the most relevant attachment theory research and clinical techniques, this workshop teaches the attentional strategies necessary to helping clients overcome trauma.

Eye-Movement Desensitization And Reprocessing: Implementation And Utilization Of Emdr As A Treatment For Trauma, Kelly Medeiros

Undergraduate Review

Trauma is a pervasive global issue that affects both children and adults. It is officially defined in the most recent Diagnostic Manual as an event that threatens death or serious injury, and that elicits a response of fear, helplessness, or horror (American Psychiatric Association, 2002). Other respected definitions include a “sudden, unexpected, overwhelmingly intense emotional blow....[that] quickly becomes incorporated into the mind” (Terr, 1992, p. 8), and something that makes “both internal and external resources...inadequate to cope with external threat” (Van der Kolk, 1989, p. 393). Literature suggests that people who have experienced trauma may present with symptoms including depression, …

Addiction And Recovery Experiences Of African American Women: A Phenomenological Study, Patricia Diana Hill

Theses and Dissertations

Historically, substance abuse research has for the most part excluded African American women. The small body of existing substance abuse research regarding African American women does not examine gender and socio-cultural issues from African American women's perspectives. The purpose of this phenomenological study is to develop a deeper, contextual understanding of the experiences and perspectives of this marginalized population of women. The major goal of the study is to examine the perspectives of African American women about their substance abuse, treatment and recovery. The knowledge gained from this research with African American women regarding their experiences and specific needs in …