Psychiatry and Psychology Commons^™

A Preliminary Examination Of Acceptance And Commitment Therapy (Act) Versus Exposure And Response Prevention (Erp) For Patients With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder On An Optimal Dose Of Ssris: A Randomized Controlled Trial In Iran, Mehdi Zemestani, Mojgan Salavati, Asrin Seyedolshohadayi, Julie M. Petersen, Clarissa W. Ong, Michael P. Twohig, Ebrahim Ghaderi

Psychology Student Research

This study compared the effects of adding acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) or exposure and response prevention (ERP) to adults diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) already on an optimal and stable dose of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Forty adults on SSRIs who were diagnosed with OCD participated in a randomized controlled trial in Iran of 12 individual weekly sessions of either ACT+SSRI, ERP+SSRI, or continued SSRI only. The results showed significant reductions in OCD symptom severity in ACT+SSRI and ERP+SSRI conditions at posttreatment with significantly greater reductions in both conditions compared to SSRI-only at follow-up. Additionally, psychological inflexibility …

A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial Of Online-Delivered Act-Enhanced Behavior Therapy For Trichotillomania In Adolescents, Michael P. Twohig, Julie M. Petersen, Jeremiah Fruge, Clarissa W. Ong, Jennifer L. Barney, Jennifer Krafft, Eric B. Lee, Michael E. Levin

Psychology Student Research

Treatment of adolescent trichotillomania is understudied, and treatment providers are difficult to find. In this pilot study, we compared ACT-enhanced behavior therapy to a waitlist, with treatment delivered over Zoom, to 28 adolescents who met criteria for trichotillomania. This study partially occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. A detailed description of the treatment protocol is provided for ACT-enhanced behavior therapy adapted to a Zoom format for adolescents. Pretreatment assessments were completed over Zoom by an assessor unaware of study condition; pretreatment and posttreatment questionnaires were completed online. Results indicated that therapy was delivered with fidelity and competence over Zoom, with 100% …

Sexual Orientation Intrusive Thoughts And Well-Being: The Mediating Role Of Psychological Inflexibility, Julie M. Petersen, Michael P. Twohig

Psychology Student Research

Sexual orientation intrusive thoughts are a debilitating form of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). The present study aimed to elucidate how psychological inflexibility and dysfunctional beliefs may impact the relationships of sexual orientation intrusive thoughts and obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms with well-being. A total of 181 undergraduate students completed measures of sexual orientation intrusive thoughts, OC symptoms, psychological inflexibility, dysfunctional beliefs, and well-being. Results indicated positive correlations between psychological inflexibility, sexual orientation intrusive thoughts, dysfunctional beliefs, and OC symptoms, along with negative correlations between well-being and sexual orientation intrusive thoughts, OC symptoms, dysfunctional beliefs and psychological inflexibility. Psychological inflexibility acted as a …

The Role Of Vocal Hostility On Mood: Initial Development Of An Alternative Stress Paradigm, Jaquoy Sowell, Jennifer Gray, Christa C. Christ

University of South Carolina Upstate Student Research Journal

Maltreatment, such as physical or emotional abuse, can alter one’s later emotional regularity and responses to stimuli. To be able to study the effect of maltreatment on later stimuli response, appropriate laboratory paradigms need to be available, which is not currently true. The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of vocal hostility stimuli on mood change as preliminary steps toward the creation of a laboratory paradigm. Participants were recruited from a regional university in southeast United States and asked to react to recorded audio with a hostile tone. Study 1 found that participants’ mood did not differ …

Using A Psychopharmacology Education Program To Increase Primary Care Provider Comfort With Treating Basic Psychiatric Disorders, Latesha Reed

DNP Scholarly Projects

BACKGROUND: Almost 1 in 5 people have been diagnosed with a mental health illness but the supply of psychiatric providers does not meet patient’s needs. Multiple reasons contribute to this shortage and nurse practitioners are part of the solution. Even with nurse practitioners specializing in psychiatric mental health there is still a shortage. Primary care is where most patients first present their mental health issues.

METHODS: Literature review informed the development of the educational intervention presented to the primary care providers using a digital, asynchronous learning format. A gap analysis of organizational needs and weaknesses was used to determine the …

Reflections On The Bgj Anti-Racism Seminar, Michelle Billies

Publications and Research

In this Letter to the Editor, Billies (2021) responds to critical and supportive opinion pieces in the British Gestalt Journal (BGJ) following their plenary presentation at BGJ’s 2018 annual seminar (see Asherson Bartram, 2019; O’Malley, 2019). As author of the companion article "How/ Can Gestalt Therapy Promote Liberation from Anti-Black Racism?” (Billies, 2021), Billies, who identifies as white, discusses the intent at the seminar to support white people to increase accountability and reduce harm in dialogue with people of color, while supporting the work and needs of people of color on their terms from a Gestalt perspective. Describing a fishbowl …

Stressful Life Events And Postpartum Depression, Madison E. Laurent

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Protective Factors For Nonsuicidal Self-Injury In Sexual Minorities, Kendra Rigney

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Sexual minorities have been shown to have increased risk of suicide in comparison to their heterosexual counterparts. This demographic has also been shown to have decreased levels of protective factors, which function as a measure to protect an individual from attempting suicide. The goal of the present study was to examine how individuals with sexual minority status differ from heterosexual individuals on suicide attempts and the protective factors of resilience, life satisfaction, and subjective happiness within a sample who all have NSSI history. A sample of 2,130 undergraduate students completed an online survey assessing nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicide behaviors, …

Green Inequities: Examining The Dimensions Of Socioenvironmental Injustice In Marginalized Communities, Akiebia S. Hicks, Zachary Malone, Megan A. Moore, Roslynn Powell, Austin Thompson, Patricia A. Whitener, Rowan Williams

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Faculty Publications

In the realm of socioenvironmental justice, much discourse centers on equal access to green areas and on climate injustice in the United States. Marginalized communities, including Indigenous populations, are being excluded from current narratives surrounding the natural spaces that in many cases are historically tied to under-represented groups. This article aims to explore some of the many dimensions of environmental racism, green inequities, climate injustice, and access. The dimensions include but are not limited to racial gatekeeping, nature deprivation in low-income communities, green gentrification, light pollution, and access to clean water. The recommendations section serves as a guide during decisionmaking …

Testing Encoding Specificity And The Diagnostic Feature-Detection Theory Of Eyewitness Identification, With Implications For Showups, Lineups, And Partially Disguised Perpetrators, Curt Carlson, Jacob A. Hemby, Alex R. Wooten, Alyssa R. Jones

Faculty Publications

The diagnostic feature-detection theory (DFT) of eyewitness identification is based on facial information that is diagnostic versus non-diagnostic of suspect guilt. It primarily has been tested by discounting non-diagnostic information at retrieval, typically by surrounding a single suspect showup with good fillers to create a lineup. We tested additional DFT predictions by manipulating the presence of facial information (i.e., the exterior region of the face) at both encoding and retrieval with a large between-subjects factorial design (N = 19,414). In support of DFT and in replication of the literature, lineups yielded higher discriminability than showups. In support of encoding specificity, …

Ability Status, Self-Advocacy, And Individuals With Neurodevelopmental Disabilities: Neurodiversity-Informed Training For Professionals And Caregivers, Allison N. Simpson

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

Ability status in U.S. society is a critical social and cultural identity. “Disability” is often viewed through the lens of pathology as an illness. This kind of view affects not only the personal identity of individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities, but also their treatment by others in the community, employers, caregivers, and others in their system of interaction. Even individuals who are strong self-advocates can be silenced by this kind of lens. A more empowering way to view individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities is through the lens of neurodiversity in order to see their abilities, needs, wishes, and lives. The current project …

Harming The Help-Seeking: Necessity For Assessing Harmful And Biased Attitudes Toward Clients With Substance Use Disorder, Crystal D. Mcdowell, Crystal Dawn Mcdowell

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

Numerous times, as a new clinician, I have witnessed the substance use disorder population referred to as not being dependable, dangerous, burnt out, and even hopeless. Often times I have heard mental health professionals make statements amongst themselves that the client could not be helped, referred to them as a “frequent flyer,” (meant to convey they frequently present for treatment, relapse, and return for treatment), and complain how tax dollars are being wasted to support the client. I felt empathy and a sense of hopelessness for these clients as they were seeking treatment in order to get help and yet …

Digital Media And Social Connection In The Lives Of Children, Adolescents, And Families, Kaveri Subrahmanyam, Yalda T. Uhls, A. Third

UNF Faculty Research and Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Exploring The Covid-19 Experience Of Young Adult Latinos In Rural California: Insights Into Mental Health & The Immigrant Health Paradox, Vivianna Plancarte

Pomona Senior Theses

This study expands the COVID-19 and Latino Immigrants in Rural California (CLIMA) Study at UC Merced by exploring how the mental health of young adult Latinos in rural CA has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and comparing the experiences of US-born Latinos to those of Latino immigrants to investigate an Immigrant Health Paradox. A convergent mixed methods design was first employed whereby qualitative and quantitative data was collected concurrently, and then merged. Then, the data collected from young adult Latinos was compared to that from Latino immigrants collected by CLIMA Study to explore the Immigrant Health Paradox in the …

The Efficacy Of Mdma-Assisted Psychotherapy Compared To The Efficacy Of Traditional Psychotherapy In Treating Anxiety-Related Symptoms In 18–40-Year-Old Adults Diagnosed With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (Ptsd), Blake Beasley

Capstone Showcase

Introduction: MDMA, or 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, is a psychoactive chemical which stimulates the release of serotonin, oxytocin, prolactin, and cortisol. Up until it became a Schedule I drug in 1985, making the chemical completely illegal in the US, MDMA was used as an “adjunct to the therapeutic process” in therapeutic settings, though no known controlled therapeutic studies were performed up until that point. More recently, research has been conducted studying the effects of MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy on helping to eliminate the fear responses common in patients afflicted with PTSD. Some researchers have further hypothesized that MDMA has a stronger, longer lasting effect …

Naloxone/Buprenorphine, Methadone, Naltrexone And Their Role In Medication Assisted Treatment, Robert Barrett

Capstone Showcase

Abstract

Opioid use disorder (OUD) is an increasingly common diagnosis that has drastically increased in the last 5 years. Though multiple treatment modalities exist for treating OUD (naltrexone, buprenorphine, methadone), few studies have compared treatment outcomes in adults on long term therapy. This is an important topic to understand as providers as we will undoubtedly come into contact with patients either actively abusing opioid antagonists or in recovery from opioid abuse. Since the introduction of Oxycontin and subsequent over prescription of opioid analgesics, opioid overdoses have increased by over twelve-fold. Once providers began to realize a widespread pattern of abuse, …

In Patients With Mild To Moderate Alzheimer’S, Does Music Therapy Help To Decrease Mood Disturbances When Compared To Those Not Participating In Music Therapy?, Lauren Bauer

Capstone Showcase

Abstract:

Introduction: Affecting both memory and cognitive abilities, Alzheimer’s disease is a growing problem as the baby boomer population ages. Clinical trials for new medications fail or are slow going, researchers have sought alternatives to alleviate symptoms for patients of this disease. This paper will address the effect of music therapy on mood disturbance in patients with Alzheimer’s disease.

Method: A literature search was completed in November of 2019 using PubMed, EBSCO Search, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar. Six articles were chosen based on relevance to the research question, study design, outcome, and results.

Results: Based on review, music …

The Effects Of Psychological Intervention On Pregnant Women With Elevated Cortisol Levels And Adverse Birth Events, Megan Mellon

Capstone Showcase

Elevated levels of stress, anxiety, and depression during pregnancy are thought to influence cortisol levels. Dysregulations in cortisol, as a byproduct of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis, have been associated with preterm birth and adverse birth outcomes. Studies have demonstrated poorer long-term effects of antenatal stress on child neurodevelopment, temperament, and cognition. Psychological interventions of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), mindfulness, and gratitude have shown to have a positive effect on psychological wellbeing across various populations. The purpose of this literature review was to analyze a collection of randomized-controlled trials to conclude if psychological interventions during pregnancy for women with elevated levels of …

A Conceptual Proposal For The Epigenetically Causal Relationship Between Parental Ptsd And Inflammatory Disease In Post Hoc Offspring., Emma Griffith

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Could a combat veteran's horrific experiences in early-2000s Afghanistan have a direct, biological impact his now-adult daughter's risk of a heart attack later in her life? This concept would have been unapologetically mocked a mere twenty years ago, and it has only been in the past decade that the new field of epigenetics has revealed a distinct possibility for this event to actually take place—for parents' experiences to profoundly influence the biology of their children. The major objective of this research project is to argue for the legitimacy of this theoretical phenomenon by discussing the latest data regarding PTSD's interaction …

Examining The Factor Structure And Validity Of The Triarchic Model Of Psychopathy Across Measures, Katherine L. Collison, Joshua D. Miller, Donald R. Lynam

Department of Psychological Sciences Faculty Publications

The triarchic model of psychopathy proposes 3 distinct trait domains underlying psychopathy: boldness, meanness, and disinhibition. The original (and most widely used) measure developed from this model is the Triarchic Psychopathy Measure (TriPM), which yields a total psychopathy score as well as scores on each of the 3 domains. Recently, researchers have derived several alternative measures from other inventories to assess these 3 domains; however, the purported underlying 3-factor structure of the alternative scales has been relatively untested. In the present study, 431 participants completed the TriPM and its alternative measures via Amazon Mechanical Turk, and items within the scales …