Other Psychiatry and Psychology Commons^™

Peer Support For Second Victims In The Healthcare Setting, Levi Gangi

Advances in Clinical Medical Research and Healthcare Delivery

Adverse and traumatic events happen regularly in healthcare settings, and often they create a clinician “second victim” who struggles with feelings of guilt, isolation, doubt, and incompetence. Research has shown that clinicians desire support in the wake of such adverse events, but that factors such as stigma, culture of perfection, and lack of an available structured peer program limit the support that might be offered. Healthcare institutions contract with EAP (employee assistance program) agencies to provide counseling for employees, but it is more likely that a second victim will seek out or welcome help first from a peer who shares …

Affect Regulation And Allostatic Load Over Time, Amanda E. Ng, Tara Gruenewald, Robert-Paul Juster, Claudia Trudel-Fitzgerald

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Objective

Emerging work suggests that affect regulation strategies (e.g., active coping, anger expression) predict disease and mortality risk, with sometimes divergent estimates by sex or education levels. However, few studies have examined potential underlying biological mechanisms. This study assessed the longitudinal association of affect regulation with future allostatic load.

Method

In 2004–2006, 574 participants from the Midlife in the United States study completed validated scales assessing use of nine general and emotion-specific regulatory strategies (e.g., denial, anger expression). As a proxy for how flexibly participants regulate their affect, variability in the use of regulatory strategies was operationalized using a standard …

General Psychology 2e, Will Stutterheim

All Open Educational Resources

General Psychology 2e offers an insightful exploration into the complexities of the field of psychology and all that it has to offer. This book provides a thorough introduction to the foundational principles of psychology, covering essential theories, research findings, and applications that illustrate the intricate workings of the mind.

The text begins with a historical overview of psychology, tracing its evolution from philosophical roots to its establishment as a scientific discipline. It then delves into essential topics regarding stress and mental health disorders and concludes with therapy and treatment approaches. It then covers research in psychology, biopsychology, consciousness, and perception. …

The Role Of Positive Affect In Asthma Control And Symptom Severity In Adolescents, Brooke N. Jenkins, Logan T. Martin, Jill S. Halterman, Judith T. Moskowitz, Laura M. Glynn, Pornchai Tirakitsoontorn, Sunil Kamath, Zeev N. Kain

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Introduction

We test the effects of positive affect and its arousal subscale components of calm, wellbeing, and vigor on asthma control and symptom severity in adolescents with moderate to severe asthma. Additionally, we test whether positive affect (and its arousal components) moderate how stress impacts asthma control and symptom severity.

Methods

Adolescents with asthma (N = 66, ages 12–17) completed brief surveys 4 times a day for 7 days reporting on their positive affect, stress, and asthma symptom severity and conducted a morning peak expiratory flow assessment each day. Asthma control and psychological asthma triggers were assessed at the …

A Confirmatory Factor Analysis Of The Psi-4-Sf In Parents Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Paige Weir

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The factor structure of the Parenting Stress Index - Short Form (PSI-4-SF) was evaluated among parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Two hypotheses were tested: (1) the original PSI-4-SF model would yield an unsatisfactory fit, and (2) a three-factor alternative model would improve fit compared to the original and other models. A sample of 205 parent-child dyads was analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) with the lavaan package in R Studio. Preliminary analyses included descriptive statistics, normality checks, and assessments of skewness and kurtosis. Results supported the first hypothesis, showing poor fit indices for the original PSI-4-SF model. …

Bridging The Gap: Psychopharmacologic Education And Side Effect Screening For Non-Prescribing Mental Health Professionals, Elaine Fitzgerald

Dissertations

Abstract

Problem: The United States is experiencing a growing demand for pediatric mental health support. Surges in mental health diagnoses and psychotropic medication prescriptions have occurred, compounded by a shortage of psychiatric providers. Non-prescribing mental health professionals are well-positioned to recognize psychotropic medication side effects. However, psychologists and counselors lack formal pharmacology education.

Methods: The quality improvement (QI) initiative was guided by the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) model. The evidence-based psychopharmacologic education for non-prescribers utilized a quasi-experimental pre- and post- test design. Data collected from clinicians included knowledge, confidence, and skill concerning psychotropic medications. The Psychotropic Medication Monitoring Checklist (PMMC) screen clients …

Association Analysis Of The Oprm1 Polymorphism Gene And Personality Traits Among A Cohort Of Professional Athletes., Remigiusz Recław, Agnieszka Boroń, Krzysztof Chmielowiec, Jolanta Chmielowiec, Katarzyna Prabucka, Milena Lachowicz, Łukasz Zadroga, Przemysław Guła, Maciej Brożyna, Anna Grzywacz

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

In sports research, genetic studies linked to the traits of the temperament, in addition to medical examinations and other physiological and biochemical tests, would enrich the scope of possibilities and successes that a competitor can accomplish. This could be beneficial for the protection of both mental and physical health. The study group comprised 391 male volunteers. Out of these, 222 sports subjects and 186 were non-addicted. The temperament and character questionnaire (TCI-R) was used to determine personality traits such as novelty seeking, harm avoidance, reward addiction and perseverance, as well as self-direction, cooperation and self-transcendence. Genotyping OPRM1 rs1799971 was carried …

Using Machine Learning To Determine A Functional Classifier Of Reward Responsiveness And Its Association With Adolescent Psychiatric Symptomatology, Robert James Richard Blair, Johannah Bashford-Largo, Ahria Dominguez, Matthew Dobbertin, Karina S. Blair, Sahil Bajaj

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty Publications

Background. Machine learning (ML) has developed classifiers differentiating patient groups despite concerns regarding diagnostic reliability. An alternative strategy, used here, is to develop a functional classifier (hyperplane) (e.g. distinguishing the neural responses to received reward v. received punishment in typically developing (TD) adolescents) and then determine the functional integrity of the response (reward response distance from the hyperplane) in adolescents with externalizing and internalizing conditions and its associations with symptom clusters.

Methods. Two hundred and ninety nine adolescents (mean age = 15.07 ± 2.30 years, 117 females) were divided into three groups: a training sample of TD adolescents …

Second Language Learning In Older Adults Modulates Stroop Task Performance And Brain Activation, Douglas H. Schultz, Alison Gansemer, Kiley Allgood, Mariah Gentz, Lauren Secilmis, Zoha Deldar, Cary R. Savage, Ladan Ghazi Saidi

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty Publications

Introduction: Numerous studies have highlighted cognitive benefits in lifelong bilinguals during aging, manifesting as superior performance on cognitive tasks compared to monolingual counterparts. Yet, the cognitive impacts of acquiring a new language in older adulthood remain unexplored. In this study, we assessed both behavioral and fMRI responses during a Stroop task in older adults, pre- and post language-learning intervention.

Methods: A group of 41 participants (age: 60–80) from a predominantly monolingual environment underwent a four-month online language course, selecting a new language of their preference. This intervention mandated engagement for 90 minutes a day, five days a week. …

Optimizing Attention Bias Training For Depression, Bridget R. Kennedy

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

Depression has been associated with a negative attention bias. Attention bias modification (ABM) interventions among individuals with depression have demonstrated promising but inconsistent findings in reducing negative attention bias and decreasing depression symptoms. These inconsistent results may be partly due to impaired attention functioning that is common in depression. Mindfulness has demonstrated attention benefits, which may enhance the ability for individuals with depression to benefit from ABM interventions. This study aimed to explore the efficacy of a train-positive dot-probe task ABM intervention when compared to a placebo dot-probe task, both preceded by a series of brief mindfulness activities, among a …

The Effectiveness Of Individual And Group Canine-Assisted Interventions In Improving Mental Health In Higher Education Students, Karen Manville, Mark Coulson, Gemma Reynolds

People and Animals: The International Journal of Research and Practice

The main aim of this study was to identify whether the social environment of canine-assisted intervention (CAI) influenced the beneficial effects on higher education (HE) students’ mental health. A second aim explored whether attachment style predicted the effect of being part of a CAI group. Sixty-seven participants interacted with a canine for two minutes, either individually, as part of a pair, or as a trio. Anxiety, stress, depression, and well-being were measured pre and post intervention, alongside attachment style. The results found no difference in the effectiveness of CAI when taking part individually, in pairs, or in a trio, meaning …

Integrity, Flexibility, And Balance: How Change Works In Psychotherapy, David Pincus

Psychology Faculty Books and Book Chapters

Psychotherapy may be the most tested form of health intervention and also one of the most mysterious. Clinical trials, and meta-analyses of these trials, have repeatedly demonstrated the effectiveness of psychotherapy, while also failing to uncover any clear-cut and consistent understanding of how psychotherapy works. This lack of understanding has driven the field to develop 500 supposedly distinct, yet equivalently effective “theories.” The field suffers from barriers to scientific discovery, barriers to therapist training, and barriers to people seeking help for their psychosocial problems. This chapter tackles the mystery of how therapy works by examining the shortcomings of modern medical …

Nonlinear Biopsychosocial Resilience: Self-Organization As The Basis For A Common Framework, Adam W. Kiefer, David Pincus

Psychology Faculty Books and Book Chapters

Recently, calls have been made for a common framework to understand human resilience through the lens of dynamical systems theory. This chapter provides a comprehensive introduction to the concepts and tools necessary for such an approach. It builds on an existing theoretical framework of biopsychosocial resilience grounded in self-organization theory. This theoretical framework is applied to the formalization of four types of resilience – robustness, resilience, antifragility and grit. Next, important features of stability, structural integrity, and flexibility are discussed as empirically measurable characteristics of a systems-based approach to resilience, which provide a foundation for further applications, including metastability and, …

Antidepressant Effect Of Enzymatic Porcine Placenta Hydrolysate In Repeated Immobilization Stress-Induced Ovariectomized Female Mice, Minsook Ye, Sharon Nguyen, Min Ju Kim, Jee Sun Hwang, Gun Won Bae, Keun-Hang Susan Yang, Insop Shim

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

When postmenopausal women are under stress conditions, this exacerbates mood disorders and issues with neuroimmune systems. The porcine placenta is known to relieve menopausal depression in clinical trials, but its underlying mechanisms for depression and anti-inflammatory functions remain poorly defined. The present study was designed to examine the anti-inflammatory effects of enzymatic porcine placenta hydrolysate (EPPH) on LPS-induced levels of nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), corticosterone (CORT), and pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) in RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. In addition, the neurite outgrowth of PC12 cells was evaluated to examine the effects of EPPH on neurite growth. To mimic …

Mean Affect Moderates The Association Between Affect Variability And Mental Health, Brooke N. Jenkins, Lydia Q. Ong, Anthony D. Ong, Hee Youn (Helen) Lee, Julia K. Boehm

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Increasing evidence suggests that within-person variation in affect is a dimension distinct from mean levels along which individuals can be characterized. This study investigated affect variability’s association with concurrent and longitudinal mental health and how mean affect levels moderate these associations. The mental health outcomes of depression, panic disorder, self-rated mental health, and mental health professional visits from the second and third waves of the Midlife in the United States Study were used for cross-sectional (n = 1,676) and longitudinal outcomes (n = 1,271), respectively. These participants took part in the National Study of Daily Experiences (NSDE II), …

When Helping Hurts: The Association Between Hamilton's Rule And Suicide Risk, Katherine L. O'Connell

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

Emergency telecommunicators are critical as first responders and often experience great reward and distressing consequences of their work. This study investigates the suicide risk among these first responders, drawing on the Eusocial Theory of Suicide, which suggests that individuals may engage in altruistic self-sacrifice after weighing benefits, costs, and relatedness using a mathematical model, Hamilton’s Rule. Proxy variables were used: perceived social support and perceived work cohesion for relatedness, compassion satisfaction for benefit, and compassion fatigue for cost. The study was a non-experimental, cross-sectional self-report survey of predominantly White cisgender heterosexual female emergency telecommunicators (N = 346) in Washington, …

Less Activity Means Improved Welfare? How Pair Housing Influences Pinyon Jay (Gymnorhinus Cyanocephalus) Behaviour, London M. Wolff, Jeffrey R. Stevens

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty Publications

The activity level and specific behaviours exhibited by captive animals are crucial indicators of welfare. Stereotypies, or repetitive behaviours that have no apparent function or goal, are performed by animals experiencing poor conditions in their environment and indicate welfare concerns. Changes in the housing environment in particular may have critical influences on behaviour and welfare. Here, we measured behavioural changes in a captive pinyon jay (Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus) population (n = 10) associated with a shift from single to pair housing. Using automated video processing, we show that pair housing greatly reduced overall activity levels in these birds. The …

Individual Longitudinal Changes In Dna-Methylome Identify Signatures Of Early-Life Adversity And Correlate With Later Outcome, Annabel K. Short, Ryan Weber, Noriko Kamei, Christina Wilcox Thai, Hina Arora, Ali Mortazavi, Hal S. Stern, Laura M. Glynn, Tallie Z. Baram

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Adverse early-life experiences (ELA) affect a majority of the world's children. Whereas the enduring impact of ELA on cognitive and emotional health is established, there are no tools to predict vulnerability to ELA consequences in an individual child. Epigenetic markers including peripheral-cell DNA-methylation profiles may encode ELA and provide predictive outcome markers, yet the interindividual variance of the human genome and rapid changes in DNA methylation in childhood pose significant challenges. Hoping to mitigate these challenges we examined the relation of several ELA dimensions to DNA methylation changes and outcome using a within-subject longitudinal design and a high methylation-change threshold. …

Implementing An Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale At An Outpatient Mental Health Clinic, Amanda Ghamsari

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Background: Movement disorders caused from psychotropic medications affect an estimated 500,000 people in the United States. These disorders bring an added cost for treatment to the patient, cause emotional distress, and may hinder daily life. Overall health and additional medication costs were increased for these patients by $25,879 per patient per year compared to patients without a movement disorder.

Purpose of Project: To address the issue, the team of mental health providers at an outpatient clinic assess their mental health patients at start of care and at follow up visits utilizing the Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale. With the goal of …

Utilizing Flow Arts Movement As An Expressive Arts Therapy Tool To Treat Trauma: A Literature Review And Autoethnography, Shannon Mcgrail

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This expressive arts-based autoethnography research explores the effectiveness of using flow arts movement as a tool of expressive arts therapy to treat symptoms of trauma for individuals who experienced a traumatic event in their lifetime. While research on the use of flow arts movement to treat mental illness is in its early stage, much can be drawn from the literature on expressive arts therapy and dance/movement therapy research with a range of populations addressing trauma. Through exploration of trauma through neuroscience, mind, body, and integrated mindfulness through flow, this work aims to bring an understanding of using intermodal expressive arts …