Clinical Psychology Commons^™

Factors Relating To Memory, Kyra Vanheirseele

Honors Theses

Cognitive and emotional processes are increasingly recognized as important factors influencing memory functioning. In the current study, the associations between depressive symptoms, selfcritical rumination, sleep quality, and cognitive confidence with self-referent memory recall were examined in a sample of undergraduate students (N = 60; 70.0% female, 21.7% male; M age = 19.36 years, SD = 1.21). The sample was predominantly White (73.2%), with additional representation from Black or African American (14.3%), American Indian or Alaska Native (1.8%), Asian (1.8%), and other racial groups (8.9%). Using established self-report measures, participants reported on depressive symptoms (Schmitt & Maes, 2000; Sauer et al., …

The Associations Between Problematic Social Media Use, Social Media Appearance Preoccupation, And Sleep Quality Among Emerging Adults, Lily Gisclair

Honors Theses

Emerging adulthood is a critical developmental window in which significant transitions increase vulnerability to mental health challenges. Additionally, emerging adults are spending large amounts of time on social media sites. Recent literature suggests that problematic social media use and social media appearance preoccupation could all play a role in increased anxiety, depression, and poorer sleep outcomes in young people. However, to our knowledge, few studies have directly examined the associations among all of these variables specifically in the emerging adult population. The current study was designed to examine these associations among 178 emerging adults between the ages of 18 and …

Elective Abortion, Moral Injury, And Maternal Bonding To The First Child, Jennifer Marie Lightner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

The Lived Experiences Of Facilitators Navigating Group Cohesion In Online Interpersonal Psychotherapy Groups, Jason Woodford

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Playing The Part Online: A Role-Based Telehealth Intervention Supporting Trauma Integration In Adults, Mary Schwabenland

Expressive Therapies Theses

This study explores a telehealth-adapted, role-based drama therapy intervention designed to support trauma integration in adults. Grounded in trauma theory, experiential approaches, and drama therapy frameworks, the intervention utilized interoceptive awareness, metaphor, and role embodiment to explore emotional material in dramatic reality, with aesthetic distance serving as an adjustable mechanism of activation and containment. A qualitative thematic analysis was conducted on clinical session notes from five adult clients. Five themes emerged from the analysis, including: aesthetic distance and modes of engagement; aesthetic quality and symbolic coherence; role narrative as integration pathway; intervention as catalyst within ongoing process; and therapist positioning …

Co-Active Therapeutic Filmmaking: A Methodology Pilot Project, Blair Webber

Expressive Therapies Theses

This pilot project examined the intersection of drama therapy and filmmaking. Drawing on the Co-Active Therapeutic Theater model from drama therapy and digital storytelling and participatory video methods from social work research, this methodology designed and delivered a co-created filmmaking intervention at a residential treatment center for adult men with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorder. Four participants made a seven-minute-long short fictional film based on their definition of active recovery and a theme of recovery they wished to share with an audience. It was screened at the treatment center for staff and their fellow residents. Data collection was …

Interparental Relationship Quality Reduces Parental Stress And Subsequent Family Dysfunction Across Pregnancy And Early Childhood, Rachel Clara-Beth Beck

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

In this multiple paper dissertation, I found that a higher quality interparental relationship, characterized by more emotional intimacy, support, responsiveness and better conflict management skills, plays a key role in reducing stress and its subsequent impact on family dynamics. Aims and hypotheses were tested using longitudinal data collected from mixed-sex couples during the pregnancy-postpartum transition and into early childhood. In study #1, higher quality interparental support during pregnancy was associated with lower postpartum stress which, in turn, predicted fewer parent–infant bonding impairments. In study #2, a mutually responsive orientation in the couple relationship during pregnancy interacted with intrapersonal regulatory resources …

Relationships Between Therapists And Diverse Children's Populations And Their Effects, Brenda Sanchez Vega

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Roughly around 13.8% of children and adolescents in the United States receive some sort of counseling or therapy; the main focus of the research is on racial/ethnic minoritized children. Because APA’s ethical codes don’t address all possible situations, positive client-therapist relationships are bound to develop, including dyads or dual relationships, improving treatment progress. With the United States continuing to grow in diversity, there’s still a big gap in the literature surrounding minority children in therapy. Speculating if therapy approaches are used effectively for all children, including minoritized children. Based on past research already conducted, developing a positive client-therapist dual relationship …

The Effects Of Cannabidiol (Cbd) On The Social, Cognitive, And Physical Facets Of Anxiety Sensitivity, Ezri Rathbun

Psychological Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

The current study investigated how repeated administration of 300mg of cannabidiol (CBD), when compared to a placebo, affects the social, cognitive, and physical facets of anxiety sensitivity (AS), a characteristic that reflects fear of the consequences of anxious arousal. Prior work suggests CBD may have anxiolytic effects that may be specific to the social aspects of anxiety. Thus, it was hypothesized that, that, relative to placebo, CBD would reduce self-reported AS-social concerns, but not AS-cognitive or AS-physical concerns, compared to baseline. Participants (N= 79; 52 women; M_age = 22.06) with elevated perceived stress were randomly assigned to 14 …

The Relationship Between Media Use, Identity, And Attitudes Towards Women, Kelly A. Summers

Psychological Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Pornography’s popularity among college men is widespread, with degrading content being common in top-selling pornography (Bridges et al., 2010; Foubert et al., 2011). Research has shown higher consumption of degrading pornography is associated with more negative attitudes towards women, greater acceptance of rape culture, more sexist beliefs, and greater likelihood of engaging in aggressive and dominant behavior during physical intimacy (Bridges et al., 2023). “Incels” (a term meaning involuntarily celibate) are individuals who have not yet had a sexual debut despite an interest. Relatively little research exists on this population, but the little that has been conducted suggests incels have …

Depression Symptoms Are Associated With Less Positively Biased Self-Ratings Of Attentional Control, Anna E. Morgan

Psychological Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Deficits in the ability to flexibly direct, sustain, and shift attention, known as attentional control, have been linked to anxiety and depression. Attentional control supports engaging with goal-relevant stimuli while effectively disengaging from irrelevant or emotionally distracting stimuli. Thus, it is crucial in cognitive processes and emotional responses. Common measures of attentional control include behavioral tasks and self-report measures. However, behavioral and self-report measures are weakly correlated, suggesting that individuals generally are not good at perceiving their attentional control abilities. This mismatch between measures could be related to anxiety and depression symptoms. The goal of my project was to examine …

Utilizing Self-Determination Theory In Therapy For Veterans With Substance Use And Mental Health Disorders, Carlos A. Tinoc

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Substance use disorder (SUD) has increasingly affected U.S. veterans, with rising misuse of alcohol and opioids. Many veterans also confront mental health issues, including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). To explore this issue further, the researcher will investigate the effectiveness of Self-Determination Theory (SDT) in addressing substance use and mental health disorders (dual diagnosis) among veterans. Previous research on the implementation of SDT for dual-diagnosis patients has not sufficiently addressed the veteran population. The researcher will review existing systematic literature reviews on the topic of SDT implementation in the treatment of SUDs and mental health disorders among both civilian and veteran …

The Development And Evaluation Of A Group Therapy Program For Perinatal Loss In Rural Appalachia, Hope O'Neill

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Perinatal loss can have vast adverse psychological consequences and has limited psychotherapeutic options to assist with those outcomes. Currently, there is no gold standard psychotherapy for the treatment of perinatal grief. Group therapy has proven to be an effective modality for various populations and has been shown to be beneficial for perinatal loss and the subsequent psychological outcomes. This study utilized a previously conducted systematic review to develop and evaluate a group psychotherapy for perinatal loss. The ten sessions of the group were completed by two participants and several constructs were explored pre- and post-intervention: grief, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, …

Psychological And Inflammatory Ties To Diet In Breast Cancer Survivors, Sonal Kaur Johal

Master's Theses

Breast cancer is among the most prevalent forms of cancer and is a primary cause of death among women (Wang et al., 2020). Cancer patients experience higher levels of anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, and inflammation compared to non-cancer patients, which can predict a diminished quality of life but also contribute to higher mortality rates among cancer patients (Bortolato et al., 2016; Song et al., 2022). Diet has the potential to impact the manifestation of depressive and anxiety symptoms in both healthy individuals and those battling cancer. This study explored the association between dietary habits, specifically cholesterol, fiber, saturated fat, added …

Sleep Disturbances In Parkinson’S Patients With A History Of Head Injury, Melissa N. Pacheco

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Sleep disturbances are among the most prevalent and burdensome non-motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD), yet the contribution of prior traumatic brain injury (TBI) to these problems remains poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to examine whether the number and severity of lifetime head injuries predicted sleep disturbances in individuals with PD. Data from 3,055 PD patients enrolled in the Fox Insight study were analyzed, including 1,593 with a history of head injury. Participants completed self-report questionnaires assessing head injury history, motor and cognitive symptoms, and sleep disturbances. Generalized linear mixed models tested whether head injury history and …

Building Resilience: How Protective Factors Mitigate Acculturative Stress In The Latinx Immigrant Community, Andres I. Delgado, Jamie Tierrablanca

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This literature underscores the vital role of protective factors in reducing

acculturative stress among Latinx immigrants. Key factors such as social

support, religious affiliation, familism, and physical activity help contribute to

mitigating the negative effects of acculturation. The Latinx community can

significantly benefit from integrative, culturally responsive interventions informed

by social work frameworks such as ecosystems theory and critical race theory

(CRT) as they are essential in addressing the mental health needs of this

population. Despite existing research, gaps remain in understanding the full

scope of the Latinx immigrant experience, suggesting a need for further

exploration. The expected findings will …

Big Feelings, Fast Decisions: Emotion Regulation As A Moderator Of Impulsivity In Binge And Emotional Eating, Emma G. Folk

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

Emotion-driven impulsivity and difficulties with emotion regulation are both associated with maladaptive eating behaviors, including binge eating and emotional eating. However, it remains unclear whether broader emotion regulation difficulties intensify the influence of impulsive responses to emotional states on these behaviors. This study examined whether emotion dysregulation moderates the relationship between emotion-driven impulsivity and maladaptive eating behaviors. Participants were 266 adults (ages 18–65) who completed measures of impulsivity, emotion regulation difficulties, binge eating, and emotional eating. Moderation analyses were conducted using PROCESS in SPSS, controlling for body mass index (BMI) and gender. Negative and positive urgency were significantly associated with …

The Impact Of Traditional Machismo On Mental Health Outcomes: Depression And Suicide Risk Among Latino Immigrant And Non-Immigrant Men, Yesenia A, Romero

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Traditional masculine norms have long been recognized as influential factors in men’s psychological well-being. Within Latino cultures, the construct of machismo represents a culturally specific form of masculinity characterized by ideals of masculinity and characterized by ideals of strength, dominance, and emotional restraint. While these norms may promote resilience and family responsibilities, rigid adherence to traditional machismo has also been associated with emotional suppression, reduced help-seeking behaviors, and increased psychological distress. The present study conducted a meta-analysis to examine the relationship between traditional machismo and mental health outcomes among Latino men, with particular attention to depressive symptoms as well as …

Investigating Racial And Ethnic Differences In Help-Seeking Recommendations And Intentions For Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms And Symptom Clusters, Josselyn Yanisbeth Telule

Master's Theses

Racially and ethnically minoritized (REM) communities experience disproportionate exposure to adverse events, including discrimination, socioeconomic disparities, justice system involvement, and limited access to healthcare. These inequities increase the likelihood of experiencing potentially traumatic events (PTEs) and developing trauma-related mental health concerns such as posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). Despite this elevated risk, REM populations consistently underutilize mental health services. Although several explanations have been proposed—including differences in symptom recognition, perceived need for care, cultural values, mental health literacy, and preferred sources of support—less research has examined racial and ethnic differences in help-seeking intentions (HSI) and help-seeking recommendations (HSR), particularly in response …

Examining The Relationship Between Executive Functions And Resilience, Joseph W. Toland

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The direct and indirect associations of executive functions (EF) and resilience hint towards a strong association between these variables, however there are still gaps in the literature. The current study aims to explore the relationship between EF's (inhibition, shifting, and updating) and resilience. We hypothesize that EF's scores will generally correlate with resilience. Specifically, we hypothesize that inhibition scores will positively correlate to resilience scores. That shifting scores will positively correlate to resilience scores. That updating scores will correlate positively with resilience scores. Finally, the strength of the association between EF's and resilience will change depending on which EF's is …