Psychiatry and Psychology Commons^™

Affect Identification And Interpersonal Skills: An In-Depth Evaluation Of Social Cognition In Schizophrenia, Griffin Pollock Sutton

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The presence of deficits in various sub-domains of social cognition has been investigated to a degree in individuals with schizophrenia. Some of the most commonly researched and documented deficits have included impairments in the identification of affect portrayed in faces. Research has indicated that the performance of individuals with schizophrenia on such tasks is generally impaired as compared to normal controls. However, some have questioned the generalizability of such findings to real-world situations, as day-to-day interactions generally necessitate a constant, fluid assessment of the thoughts and feelings of others and are rarely, if ever, limited to still images of others. …

Hcv Behavioral Health Preparation Of The Racial/Ethnic Minority: Measurement Development Of A Hcv Treatment Readiness Tool In Spanish And English, Michele Vella, Joseph L. Yozviak Do, Facp, Judith Lash Rn

Department of Medicine

No abstract provided.

Predicting Exercise Adherence In College Students Using A Self-Determination Theory Framework, Megan M. Clarke

Master's Theses

College is a pivotal time for weight gain and unhealthy behavior changes in many young adults. Decreases in physical activity are common in this age group and likely contribute to the 1.6 to 1.8 kg weight gain that is often observed in the first year of college. Identifying groups of students who are at high-risk for decreasing or discontinuing physical activity may help develop more targeted interventions. The present study explored physical activity patterns in the first semester of college and examined predictors of exercise decreases to levels below recommended daily values within a Self-Determination Theory framework. Incoming freshman (n=174; …

Research Brief: "Civilian Employment Among Recently Returning Afghanistan And Iraq National Guard Veterans", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This brief shows the impact of OIF and OEF National Guard and Reserve veterans' mental health problems on their likelihood of employment. This study, unusually, found that less than half of the surveyed National Guard and Reserve service members had obtained employment by 45-60 days post-mobilization, despite their possible mental health problems. Suggestions for future research include gathering information from all potential survey participants, as well as service members entering the civilian workforce, beyond the first 45-60 days post-deactivation, rather than within this period.

Research Brief: "Protective Factors And Risk Modification Of Violence In Iraq And Afghanistan War Veterans", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This research studies non-combat related aggressive behavior in service members and the influence of protective factors. Veterans with protective factors, such as having positive social support, are less likely to engage in violence, and therefore expanding social support programs are beneficial. Future research should consider exploring various components of work life in relation to potential aggression.

Primary Care Behavioral Health Consultation Reduces Depression Levels Among Mood-Disordered Patients, Bill Mcfeature, Thomas W. Pierce

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of behavioral health consultative services on levels of depressive symptoms in patients diagnosed with a mood disorder. Two-hundred fifty-one patients with a form of mood disorder completed the PHQ-9 screening tool for depression both before and after a treatment period lasting an average of three months, during which patients received behavioral health consultation services. Results showed that 49.8% of patients participating in this integrated behavioral health care program experienced improvements of at least 50% in PHQ-9 scores from pre- to post-test. Improvements in PHQ-9 scores of at least a five …

Transformation Of Stimulus Function Through Relational Networks: The Impact Of Derived Stimulus Relations On Stimulus Control Of Behavior, Samantha Rose Florentino

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Relational Frame Theory research involves either of two protocols utilized to establish relational networks and functions for stimuli in those relational networks. Years of research indicate the most prevalent method involves first establishing a relational frame, conditioning one of the stimuli to acquire a particular function, and then providing a test to see if the function trained to one of the stimuli in the network transferred through the relational network to other stimuli. The less common method involves first training a particular function for a stimulus, entering that stimulus in a relational network with at least two other stimuli, and …

Measurement Of A Model Of Implementation For Health Care: Toward A Testable Theory, Joan M. Cook, Casey O'Donnell, Stephanie Dinnen, James C. Coyne, Josef I. Ruzek, Paula P. Schnurr

Dartmouth Scholarship

Greenhalgh et al. used a considerable evidence-base to develop a comprehensive model of implementation of innovations in healthcare organizations [1]. However, these authors did not fully operationalize their model, making it difficult to test formally. The present paper represents a first step in operationalizing Greenhalgh et al.'s model by providing background, rationale, working definitions, and measurement of key constructs.A systematic review of the literature was conducted for key words representing 53 separate sub-constructs from six of the model's broad constructs. Using an iterative process, we reviewed existing measures and utilized or adapted items. Where no one measure was deemed appropriate, …

Psychotherapy Clients’ Online Behavior And Opinions Regarding Internet Searches Conducted By Therapists, Emily B. Gale

Department of Psychology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The Internet has become possibly the most popular medium to find information and communicate in our society. For the field of psychology, the Internet offers a new way to collect data and communicate with both study participants and, for practicing psychologists, possibly clients. Little is known, however, about the implications of interacting with clients online. The existing empirical studies in this area (DiLillo & Gale, 2011; Lehavot, Barnett, & Powers, 2010; Taylor et al., 2010) have focused on psychology graduate students’ actions online. These studies highlight the importance and paucity of research regarding the online behaviors of psychotherapy clients and …

Rxp Project: Prescription Privileges For Psychologists: Perceptions, Knowledge And Attitude Change Of Oregon Psychologists, Jenna D. Johnson, Amber Hay, Allyna Murray, Jessica C. Lucas, Tanya Tompkins

2012 Projects

The Keck Summer Collaborative Research Program provides opportunities for Linfield College students and faculty to conduct research on issues related to the Pacific Northwest, and to bring the research findings back into the classroom within the subsequent academic year. Students partner with faculty to conduct research and present their work to other students, Linfield staff and faculty, and community members during a series of brown bag lunches. Jenna Johnson, Amber Hay, Allyna Murray, and Jessica Lucas conducted research with Tanya Tompkins and gave this presentation during the summer of 2012.

Over the past two decades, an important, and at times …

Effects Of Gender Composition Of Target And Sender Dyads On The Tendency To Infer Lies, Byron J. Simoneaux

Doctoral Dissertations

Lying is so common in human behavior that some have labeled it a social skill. Despite the ubiquity of lies, humans have consistently been found to be poor lie detectors. Attempts have been made to improve the accuracy of human lie detection. Unfortunately, the most successful training only improves accuracy slightly above the level of chance. Because of its importance to society, considerable effort has been aimed at developing methods to help determine when people are lying. Researching how and why humans infer that another person is lying has the potential to advance the understanding of lie detection. Researchers have …

Traumatic Injury And Identity: Incorporating Traumatic Episodes Into The Life Story, Abbey K. Valvano

Dissertations (1934 -)

With an increasing number of traumatic injury survivors, a better understanding of post-trauma meaning-making processes is needed, including improvement in our understanding of post-trauma narrative reconstruction. This project aimed to identify emergent themes within the life story narratives of spinal cord injured veterans and to both generate and test hypotheses regarding how emergent themes related to an indicator of post-trauma wellness. Seven themes were revealed within two specific sections of the life story interview. Findings revealed that individuals who author their life narratives in such a way as to demonstrate altruism and generativity showed significantly higher wellness. Further, narratives with …

The Mental Health Implications Of Experiencing Racial/Ethnic Microaggressions Among Latina/Os: Cognitive, Affective, And Behavioral Components, Kelly M. Moore

Dissertations (1934 -)

The present study sought to elucidate the cognitive, affective, and behavioral components associated with the experience of racial/ethnic microaggressions among Latina/os, and the mental health outcomes of this form of discrimination. The study examined data from 175 Mexican and Mexican-American Latina/o adults recruited from a large Latina/o ethnic festival in a moderately-sized Midwestern city. Methodology of the present study incorporated innovative materials, including a quantitative measure of racial/ethnic microaggressions and a vignette to elicit an experience of a racial/ethnic microaggression. Results showed that past six-month experiences with racial/ethnic microaggressions are predictive of psychological distress. Overall, one's greater affective stress response …

Traumatic Brain Injury And Executive Functioning In An Incarcerated Sample, Abigail A. Bernett

Dissertations (1934 -)

Incarcerated adults in the United States represent a significant segment of the population, and traumatic brain injury (TBI) in incarcerated populations has been identified as an area of public health concern. However, not much is known about it because research investigating TBI in incarcerated populations has focused primarily on its relationship to violent behavior. The existing research suggests that a history of TBI may be related to later violent behavior, criminal activity, mental health problems, and poorer institutional and community adjustment. Further, some of the cognitive deficits found in the general population following TBI, including executive dysfunction, have also been …

Adhd Problem Recognition For Latino Parents: The Role Of Cultural Factors And Parental Cognitions, Brian W. Schneider

Dissertations (1934 -)

Latino youth experience similar or higher rates of mental health problems including ADHD, as compared to non-Latino children in the United States. They also are less likely to receive services due to a variety of access barriers and cultural factors which Latino families commonly experience. Behavioral help-seeking models have been developed to help explain the discrepancies between need and utilization for ethnically-diverse youth. Little research to date has investigated the impact of culture and parental beliefs of child behavior throughout the help-seeking process, including the beginning stage of problem recognition. Thus, the goal of the current study was to examine …

Terror Management Theory: Interplay Between Mortality Salience, Death-Thoughts, And Overall Worldview Defense, Sharon R. Shatil

Dissertations (1934 -)

This study examines both the generalizability of Terror Management Theory (TMT) and the mechanisms by which individual difference variables work in the TMT model. A plethora of research exists to support TMT, a theory that explains much of human behavior as attempts to buffer the potential for anxiety provoked by being aware of one's own inevitable mortality (Pyszczynski et al., 2003). This dissertation investigated the generalizability of Terror Management Theory (TMT) and the mechanisms by which individual difference variables work in the TMT process. In order to do so, an operationalization of the variable "overall worldview" was provided. Participants consisted …

Taking A Cultural Perspective On Intimate Partner Violence, Claire Oxtoby

Dissertations (1934 -)

Intimate partner violence continues to be a growing social concern associated with extensive physical, emotional, and financial consequences. Previous models of intimate partner violence have failed to recognize the role cultural components may play in the etiology of violence, specifically cultural values, the bi-dimensional process of acculturation, and sociodemographic variables. Prior research has shown these factors all contribute to women‟s perceptions of violence and such perceptions may impact the relationship between exposure and emotional outcomes. The present study examined how women‟s cultural background influences their perceptions of violence and subsequent adjustment. Eighty-six Latina women completed measures assessing cultural values, acculturation …

Impression Management And Psychological Reactions Of Living Kidney Donors, Lee Hildebrand

Dissertations (1934 -)

This report describes the findings of a mixed-methods study that examined the psychological reactions and use of impression management by individuals who had donated a kidney. It focused on the use of impression management and concealing information during the pre-donation psychological evaluation that is conducted to help determine the donor’s appropriateness for a donation, and the psychological reactions of living kidney donors post donation. A search of the literature found no study that has empirically investigated the prevalence of impression management and concealing information by living kidney donors during their pre-donation psychosocial evaluations. The mixed methods design utilized both a …

The Effects Of Combat Exposure On Post-Deployment Coping Deficits In Oef/Oif/Ond Veterans, Alex Emerson Dryden

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

As members of the United States Military return stateside from the combat zones in Iraq and Afghanistan, an increasing number of veterans exposed to combat are reporting symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as well as other significant detrimental impacts on their ability to cope with the stressful situations they experienced in the combat arena. The purpose of the current study is to ascertain the presence of posttraumatic stress disorder in veterans returning from Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), and Operation New Dawn (OND), the potential impairment in their abilities to cope with the combat-related stress. The …

Research Brief: "Psychiatric Status And Work Performance Of Veterans Of Operations Enduring Freedom And Iraqi Freedom", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This study examines the relationship between psychiatric status and work impairment among OEF/OIF veterans enrolled in VA healthcare. In practice, mental health services are a high priority for the Veterans Administration, which is now focused on integrating behavioral health services into primary care so OEF/OIF veterans face fewer obstacles in obtaining and sustaining psychiatric care. In policy, policymakers should integrate veterans’ health programs with systematic assessment functioning, and develop treatment geared towards addressing impaired job performance. Suggestions for future study include focusing on whether workers with depression and other psychiatric conditions participate fully in the labor market and function effectively …