Psychiatry and Psychology Commons^™

The Effects Of Behavioral Momentum On Increasing Expressive Writing Behaviors In Children Resistant To Writing Tasks, Hannah D. Batley Psyd

All Student Scholarship

Within this study, the author aimed to expand the research on high-probability/lowprobability (high-p/low-p) interventions to examine the effects of behavioral momentum on the academic behavior of expressive writing. Two second-grade students were selected based on a history of avoidance of with writing tasks, where motivation was determined to be the primary variable impacting expressive writing engagement. An alternating treatments design was used to compare the effects of a traditional expressive writing prompt to the utilization of a high-p/low-p response sequence where instructions to engage in high-probability writing tasks preceded the prompt to complete lowprobability writing tasks. Two dependent variables were …

Sexual Behavior Among Orphaned Adolescents In Western Kenya: A Comparison Of Institutional-And Family-Based Care Settings, Lonnie Embleton, Joram Nyandat, David Ayuku, Edwin Sang, Allan Kamanda, Samuel Ayaya, Winstone Nyandiko, Peter Gisore, Rachel Vreeman, Lukoye Atwoli

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Purpose: This study sought to assess whether risky sexual behaviors and sexual exploitation of orphaned adolescents differed between family-based and institutional care environments in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya.

Methods: We analyzed baseline data from a cohort of orphaned adolescents aged 10–18 years living in 300 randomly selected households and 19 charitable children's institutions. The primary outcomes were having ever had consensual sex, number of sex partners, transactional sex, and forced sex. Multivariate logistic regression compared these between participants in institutional care and family-based care while adjusting for age, sex, orphan status, importance of religion, caregiver support and supervision, school attendance, …

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder In The World Mental Health Surveys, K C. Koenen, A Ratanatharathorn, L Ng, K A. Mclaughlin, E J. Bromet, D J. Stein, E G. Karam, A Meron Ruscio, C Benjet, K Scott, Lukoye Atwoli

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Background: Traumatic events are common globally; however, comprehensive population-based cross-national data on the epidemiology of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the paradigmatic trauma-related mental disorder, are lacking.

Methods: Data were analyzed from 26 population surveys in the World Health Organization World Mental Health Surveys. A total of 71 083 respondents ages 18+ participated. The Composite International Diagnostic Interview assessed exposure to traumatic events as well as 30-day, 12-month, and lifetime PTSD. Respondents were also assessed for treatment in the 12 months preceding the survey. Age of onset distributions were examined by country income level. Associations of PTSD were examined with country …

Discourses Of Psychiatry And Culture: The Interface Between Western And Traditional Medicine In The Treatment Of Mental Illness, Madeline Molot

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Mental illness is a burden of disease that, in many countries, is neglected; South Africa is no exception. There are many reasons for this, including but not limited to a lack of specialized mental health personnel in primary care settings, a budget that favors South Africa’s communicable disease epidemic, and a continued stigma around mental illness. Whenever discussing the healthcare system in South Africa, however, it is important to note another parallel system of care, one with little to no budget or regulation: that of traditional healing. It is estimated that over 70% of South Africans have at some point …

Evaluating Parents' Self-Efficacy For Diabetes Management In Pediatric Type 1 Diabetes., Amy E. Noser, Susana R. Patton, Jason Van Allen, Michael B. Nelson, Mark A. Clements

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Objective: To examine the factor structure and construct validity of the Maternal Self-Efficacy for Diabetes Management Scale (MSED) in 135 youth ( Mage  = 13.50  ±  1.83 years), with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Method: The study used exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to examine the factor structure and correlations to examine relationships among MSED factors and select parent and child diabetes-related health behaviors and outcomes.

Results: EFA identified an 11-item three-factor solution (χ 2 (25, n  = 133)  = 40.22, p  < .03, RMSEA = 0.07, CFI = 0.98, TLI = 0.97), with factors corresponding to parents' perceived ability to manage their child's diabetes (MSED-M), problem-solve issues surrounding glycemic control (MSED-P), and teach their child about diabetes care (MSED-T). Correlational analyses revealed significant associations between the MSED-M and MSED-T and parent-reported optimism and youth's diabetes-specific self-efficacy. The MSED-T was also associated with glycated hemoglobin and self-monitoring blood glucose.

Conclusions: Results provide preliminary evidence for the reliability and validity of a three-factor solution of the MSED.

Parental Views On Sexual Education In Public Schools In A Rural Kentucky County, Tiffany R. Howard, Lauri J. Larkin, Michael D. Ballard, Molly A. Mckinney, Jonathan S. Gore

EKU Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Despite Kentucky having almost twice the national birth rate with 50 births per 1,000 female population ages 15-19 (County Health Rankings, 2015), the implementation of comprehensive sexual education in Kentucky public schools remains a controversial topic. This study examined parental attitudes regarding comprehensive sex education curriculum in a rural Kentucky middle school. A survey was distributed to a convenience sample population of parents (N=100) whose children were enrolled in a rural Appalachian middle school in grades 6th thru 8th. Data were analyzed using Chi square and multi-variate techniques. Of the 63 participants, 58.7% believed that sex education should begin in …

Informational Dichotomy Of The Mind; The Role Of Sexual Neuromodulators, Ion G. Motofei, David L. Rowland

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Many basic physiological mechanisms of sexuality were initially studied on animal subjects and conclusions regarding human subjects extrapolated afterward. These ancestral reflexes are assumed to have ascended during human evolution to the cerebral level, where cognition would intermediate (being an environmental operator) both sexual and mental processes. Accordingly, the study of human sexuality suggests an additional/ particular documentation regarding mental existence and its implication, phenomena that are not characteristic of animals.

In a previously published paper we presented ideas regarding the structural dichotomy of the mind and its subsequent implications to sexuality. In this paper we present a general perspective …

Journal Of Mind And Medical Sciences: Translational And Integrative Mission, David L. Rowland, Ion G. Motofei

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Initiated four years ago, Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences (J Mind Med Sci.) established the mission to publish papers on mental and medical topics in distinct but closely interrelated domains. The editorial policy especially encourages interdisciplinary and integrative perspectives, being equally focused on basic research and clinical investigations and short reports.

The journal adheres to the philosophy that high quality, original ideas and information should be readily accessible and freely shared within and amongst the scientific community. Accordingly, J Mind Med Sci. is an online, open access, non-for-profit journal which, because of individual/ private support, has levied no charges …

The Safety And Efficacy Of Ondansetron In The Treatment Of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Rebecca Stark

Graduate Student Research Symposium

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a psychiatric disorder characterized by recurrent intrusive thoughts (obsessions) that cause significant anxiety and distress, leading to repetitive behaviors (compulsions) that an individual feels driven to perform. The symptoms of OCD can range from mild to so severe that it can be incapacitating to an individual’s life. Treatment is often prescribed, including both pharmacological and behavioral therapy. Overall, 70% of patients starting treatment experience a significant improvement; however, there is still a portion of patients with severe OCD that do not respond to first and second-line treatment plans. We present the case of a 62-year-old-male …

Catatonia Secondary To Sudden Clozapine Withdrawal: A Case With Three Repeated Episodes And A Literature Review, John Bilbily, Betsy Mccollum, Jose De Leon

Psychiatry Faculty Publications

A literature search identified 9 previously published cases that were considered as possible cases of catatonia secondary to sudden clozapine withdrawal. Two of these 9 cases did not provide enough information to make a diagnosis of catatonia according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 5th Edition (DSM-5). The Liverpool Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR) Causality Scale was modified to assess ADRs secondary to drug withdrawal. From the 7 published cases which met DSM-5 catatonia criteria, using the modified scale, we established that 3 were definitive and 4 were probable cases of catatonia secondary to clozapine withdrawal. A new definitive case is …

Age Of First Arrest, Sex, And Drug Use As Correlates Of Adult Risk Behaviors Among Rural Women In Jails, Martha Tillson, Justin C. Strickland, Michele Staton

Center on Drug and Alcohol Research Faculty Publications

Incarcerated women frequently report initiation of substance use and sexual encounters at an early age, and often engage in high-risk drug use and sexual behaviors as adults. This study examined the timing of first sex, drug use, and arrest, as well as their unique influences on specific risky behaviors in adulthood, among a high-risk population of rural women recruited from jails. Ages of initiation were all positively and significantly correlated, and each independently increased the likelihood of several risky behaviors in adulthood. Implications are discussed for screening, intervention, and treatment targeting high-risk women and girls in rural areas, particularly within …

Parental Quality Of Life 10 Years After Their Child’S Epilepsy Diagnosis, Klajdi Puka, Kathy Nixon Speechley

Western Research Forum

Background: Although the long-term course of childhood epilepsy is favorable in terms of seizure control, patients often face debilitating cognitive and psychosocial deficits that persist even after seizure remission. Pediatric epilepsy also has a large impact on the family and has been shown to be associated with diminished quality of life (QOL) among parents. However, the long-term outcome of parental QOL is unknown. This study aimed to 1) evaluate parental QOL 10 years after their child was diagnosed with epilepsy and 2) identify epilepsy-, child- and family-related characteristics associated with diminished parental QOL.

Methods: Data were derived …

Psychological And Behavioral Impact Of Participation In Ovarian Cancer Screening, Michael A. Andrykowski

Behavioral Science Faculty Publications

Evaluation of costs and benefits associated with cancer screening should include consideration of any psychological and behavioral impact associated with screening participation. Research examining the psychological and behavioral impact of screening asymptomatic women for ovarian cancer (OC) was considered. Research has focused upon potential negative psychological (e.g., distress) and behavioral (e.g., reduced future screening participation) impact of false positive (FP) OC test results. Results suggest FP OC screening results are associated with greater short-term OC-specific distress. While distress dissipates over time it may remain elevated relative to pre-screening levels for several weeks or months even after clinical follow-up has ruled …

Preference Assessment Of Teacher Behaviors For Students With Autism And Resulting Behaviors, Diane Grzebyk

Discovery Day (formerly Post & Beyond)

With the rising prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), studies must seek to evaluate enriched, innovative teaching experiences for this growing population. Preference assessments are widely used to evaluate favored edibles, objects and activities for children with ASD. Less research has been conducted regarding children’s preferences for staff. Since children with ASD spend a large part of their day with teachers in their schools or therapeutic environments, it seems fitting that they would develop a preference for teachers. If students develop preferences for teachers, it would also make sense that these preferences may have an effect on the student’s behavior. …

Spatial Memory Decreased By Ghrelin Antagonist, Birgitte Hovland

Discovery Day (formerly Post & Beyond)

Ghrelin is known as the hunger hormone. Ghrelin is a peptide hormone, which is produced in the stomach to regulate appetite. When the stomach is empty ghrelin is produced, and when the stomach is stretched secretion stops. Ghrelin has also been linked to long-term potentiation and cognition. Specifically, previous research on ghrelin agonists has shown enhancement on spatial memory performance. This study seeks to find if the same results will be achieved with a ghrelin antagonist. Instead of using an agonist, we will produce ghrelin organically by food restriction, and then administer ghrelin antagonist to counter the effects of the …

Polyvagal Theory Improves Dental Desensitization Programs For Children With Intellectual Disability, Lindsay Miller

Discovery Day (formerly Post & Beyond)

Children with intellectual disabilities (ID) often avoid or escape dental procedures. Dental professionals typically resort to restraints, sedation or general anesthesia, which are dangerous, alter results and may increase future problem behaviors. Desensitization programs can increase patient compliance. The Polyvagal theory, proposed by Stephen Porges, focuses on the prevention of biological setting events such as stress responses. The purpose of our research is to determine if a Polyvagal intervention would improve cooperation with dental procedures for individuals with a diagnosis of ID. The participants for this study were two children with a diagnosis of ID and Autism Spectrum Disorder and …

Eating Disorders: Identifying, Assessing, And Treatment, Valerie M. Miranda

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

This presentation will address DSM-V criteria for feeding and eating disorders, demographics for eating disorders, long-term medical issues associated with eating disorders, assessment measures for feeding and eating disorders, and resources for the community. Being able to identify, assess, and treat eating disorders within the children and adolescent population is crucial in their long-term physical development and mental health as eating disorders typically begin in mid-adolescence.

Meditation As An Intervention For College Students, Ameen Wahba

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

College students face a variety of stressors and are increasingly susceptible to mental health disorders. Meditation is considered a secular intervention to aid in well-being as well as an aspect of the religious or spiritual experience. In regard to application in daily life, many individuals are unaware of the varieties of meditation available. This work will aim to demystify the practice of meditation in a practical context, specifically focusing its simplicity and lack of cost. Focused Awareness meditation, Open Monitoring Meditation, and Compassion Meditation will be compared and contrasted for their varying benefits in the context of the life of …

Prevention Of Recurrent Affective Episodes Using Extinction Training In The Reconsolidation Window: A Testable Psychotherapeutic Strategy., Robert M Post, Robert Kegan

Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Faculty Publications

Stressors may initially precipitate affective episodes, but with sufficient numbers of recurrences, episodes can occur more autonomously. It is postulated the memory engram for these recurrent depressions moves from the conscious representational memory system to the unconscious habit memory system encoded in the striatum. If this were the case, cognitive behavior therapy targeted toward extinction of habit memories could be an effective maneuver for helping reverse the automaticity of affective episode recurrence. Extinction training in the reconsolidation window (which opens about 5 min to 1 h after active memory recall) can revise, reverse, or eliminate the long term memories associated …

Cytomegalovirus Serostatus, Inflammation, And Antibody Response To Influenza Vaccination In Older Adults: The Moderating Effect Of Beta Blockade, Rebecca G. Reed, Richard N. Greenberg, Suzanne C. Segerstrom

Psychology Faculty Publications

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) has been implicated as a factor in immunosenescence, including poor antibody response to vaccination and higher immune activation and inflammation. Some people may be more or less vulnerable to the negative effects of CMV. The present investigation tested the effects of beta-blocker use and chronological age on the associations between CMV and immunity in adults aged 60–91 (N=98; 69% CMV seropositive) who were administered the trivalent influenza vaccine for up to 5 years. Peak antibody response, corrected for baseline, and spring (persistent) antibody response, corrected for peak, were assessed, as well as beta-2 microglobulin (β2μ) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). …