Clinical Psychology Commons^™

Verbal Barriers To Self-Compassion : The Frequency And Impact Of Frames Of Coordination And Opposition On Indices Of Distress And Well-Being, Shannon B. Underwood

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Background: Self-compassion has received increased attention as a process of change inevidence-based psychotherapies, owing to its relation with numerous positive health outcomes. Though several practices have been shown to increase self-compassion, our aim here is to evaluate the utility of one particular practice, namely loving-kindness or metta meditation (LKM). Despite evidence supporting biological and psychological benefits of LKM, other research has identified various nonspecific barriers and challenges associated with this practice that are linked with poor response to the practice itself. Relational Frame Theory (RFT) provides a behavioral and contextual perspective that may help clarify for whom LKM would likely …

Mindful Control Vs. Mindful Acceptance : An Experimental Evaluation Of The Acute Impact Of Intentions Guiding Mindfulness Practice On Psychological And Emotional Experiences, Eric Daniel Tifft

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Mindfulness meditation (MM) has gained attention from the mainstream media and scientific communities due to its benefits in ameliorating psychological suffering, aiding in the treatment of physical conditions, and promoting well-being. However, a growing body of research suggests that MM may also produce unintended, adverse effects. Research in emotion regulation suggests that how people use MM may be critical in understanding both the benefits and iatrogenic effects of such practices. Emotion regulation science suggests that efforts to avoid, suppress, or otherwise control unwanted internal experiences are ineffective long-term strategies and can backfire, thus potentiating psychological distress. Conversely, acceptance of difficult …

Community Perceptions Of Therapist Support After Media Coverage Of Anti-Black Violence, Adela Scharff

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Viewing media coverage of violent acts committed against Black individuals (i.e., police violence and other racially motivated violence) can lead to distressing mental health impacts including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress symptoms. While several cognitive-behavioral and acceptance-based therapy techniques may help therapists to support Black clients in these moments, little is known about how these interventions are perceived by prospective therapy clients. Acceptability of these interventions may also differ by therapist race, and Black individuals of differing identities and with life experiences may hold different views. This therapy analogue study included N = 179 Black adult participants recruited in the …

Acceptability And Feasibility Of Arfid-Ptp : A Brief, Virtual, Parent-Training Intervention For Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder In Children, Courtney Elizabeth Breiner

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Introduction. Avoidant/restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) is a relatively novel feeding and eating disorder diagnosis with limited evidence-based treatment approaches. Current treatment approaches have been adapted from treatments for other restrictive eating disorders, however eating disorder treatment is notoriously inaccessible due to geographic, financial, and/or time constraints. The present study aims to establish the acceptability and feasibility of a two-session, parent-training approach, “ARFID-PTP,” for the treatment of ARFID disseminated via telehealth. ARFID-PTP was adapted into a brief, virtual format from other evidence-based treatment approaches. Methods. Participants (n=27) included children ages five to 12, inclusive who meet criteria for ARFID and …

Toward A New Approach To Job-Related Distress: A Three-Sample Study Of The Occupational Depression Inventory, Renzo Bianchi, James Sowden, Jay Verkuilen, Irvin Sam Schonfeld

Publications and Research

The Occupational Depression Inventory (ODI) was recently developed to assess depressive symptoms that individuals specifically attribute to their work. One purpose of the ODI is to respond to limitations of current assessments of job-related distress, most notably, assessments relying on the burnout construct. In this study, we conducted a thorough examination of the psychometric and structural properties of the ODI using exploratory structural equation modelling bifactor analysis and Mokken scale analysis. The study involved three samples of employed individuals, recruited in France (N = 3454), Switzerland (N = 1971), and Australia (N = 1485). Results were consistent across the three …

Serious Conduct Problems And Callous Unemotional Traits In Offending Adolescents: Unique And Shared Contributions Of Parenting And Community Risk, Elizabeth R. Corning

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

A growing body of research has suggested that parenting behaviors influence the development of youth conduct problems (CP) and callous-unemotional traits (CU). However, few studies have examined how parenting impacts CP and CU growth over time, and whether these associations differ based on the presence of additional community-level risk factors. This study used data from the Pathways to Desistance project (N = 1,354) to investigate how distinct parenting behaviors (i.e., positive parenting, harsh parenting, and parental knowledge) impact the initial level and growth in CP and CU across four years among adolescents involved in the juvenile justice system. Interaction effects …

Differences In Criminal Behavior Based On Experiences Involving Parental Incarceration, Brooke Bowie Fitzgerald

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Parental abandonment, a form of abuse and neglect, can be experienced due to various factors, including incarceration. When parents are incarcerated, children may face factors such as housing instability, financial strain, behavioral problems, mental health issues, and criminal justice involvement. Due to little research that is available, there are challenges in terms of providing programs to children in this position that could focus on preventing negative impacts of parental incarceration in order to combat substance abuse and criminal behaviors, promote better adjustment to stressors, and support mental health treatment. The attachment theory, developed by Bowlby, Ainsworth, and Blatz was used …

Life Experiences Of Facilitators Conducting Psychoeducational Groups, Gussi Leandre

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research suggested that mental health treatment for those dually diagnosed is complex because of the need to treat mental illness and substance use simultaneously; hence, an integrated model is needed to treat this population. Psychoeducational groups are part of the integrated treatment for this population because their objective is to support these individuals who are going through these illnesses. This qualitative phenomenology study was conducted to examine group facilitators’ professional experiences when leading psychoeducational groups for dually diagnosed individuals. The population studied consisted of eight mental health group facilitators in New York City hospitals, group residential, and Alcoholics Anonymous/Narcotics Anonymous …

A Phenomenological Examination Of Single Mothers Rising Out Of Poverty, Shaunta Hemingway

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Transitional factors that help mothers to acquire higher education, community resources, and stable employment and the family dynamics that impact their success are often shadowed by domestic violence, chronic poverty, substance use, mental health, and public assistance. There are 12 million single-parent households in the United States, of which 80% represent single mothers as primary caregivers to children; the majority of which are living below the poverty level. Few extant studies have employed a strengths-based approach to investigate how single mothers rise out of poverty. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to gain an understanding of the lived …

An Evaluation Of Community-Based Juvenile Firesetting Programs Through The Custodial Lens, Peter William Blaich

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Using general strain theory and social learning theory as the foundation, this generic qualitative study addressed whether interventions and prevention services for juvenile firesetters in the City of Charlotte–Mecklenberg County met needs from the perspectives of critical stakeholders. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with 12 parents/guardians of justice-involved adolescent fire offenders. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed using a six-step procedure for thematic analysis by Braun and Clarke. The study's results revealed that the current juvenile firesetters intervention and prevention program is perceived as inadequate when applied without input from the adolescent’s parent or guardian. The participants perceived the need …

Perceptions Of Active Social Media Adults’ Mental Health After Participating Online With Uncivil Political Discourse With Out-Group Members, Bridgette Eastman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Online incivility that occurs in the comment sections of social media sites has become increasingly prevalent. Much of this incivility occurs in the context of political debate. Previous research has indicated that heated political debates online can lead to increased levels of emotional distress and that individuals have the capacity to become addicted to a variety of activities that take place on the internet. Using the theoretical lens of the social identity model of individuation effects, this study explored the impact of online political incivility on the mental health of individuals who engage in this type of behavior. This study …

“Ella Se Lo Buscó”: Marianismo As A Cultural Vehicle For Self-Invalidation Among Latina Survivors Of Sexual Violence, Juliana Gutierrez Hudson

CMC Senior Theses

Sexual violence (SV) survivors are often confronted with hostile environments that perpetuate victim-blaming attitudes. One common response to SV is self-invalidation; whereby, survivors deny, neglect, minimize or judge themselves and their experiences via feelings of self-blame, shame, taintedness, and anticipatory stigma. Research suggests that patriarchal gender-based values like marianismo are prevalent in Latinx communities and that Latina survivors are at increased risk for self-invalidation and mental illness. Consequently, it is imperative to examine cultural mechanisms that may contribute to these negative outcomes among Latina survivors. This study’s objectives were threefold: (1) examine ethnic differences in self-invalidation between Latina and White …

Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy: Support For The Rebus Hypothesis And Its Application To Specific Psychiatric Illnesses, Wren Cilimburg

CMC Senior Theses

For centuries, psychedelic substances have been a part of human culture. Classic psychedelics such as LSD and psilocybin are characterized by their agonism of 5HT-2A receptors, and recent clinical trials have found that these substances hold great promise for treating mental disorders. Neurobiological evidence supports the recent theory that psychedelic-assisted therapy works by increasing neuroplasticity and allowing for the revision of maladaptive predictions. This theory is called the REBUS hypothesis, and it is situated within a predictive processing model of cognition. There is evidence that individuals with mental disorders such as depression, addiction, and eating disorders have a diminished ability …

Internalized Homonegativity And The Mental Health Of Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual Individuals: An Integrative Treatment Approach, David Kearby

DSW Capstone Projects

Lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals (LGBI) have a higher rate of mental health disorders than the general population. The mental health disparities experienced by LGBI are positively correlated with higher internalized homonegativity (IH) levels, which impacts their functioning at the unconscious, cognitive, and interpersonal levels. Thus, effective interventions targeting the mental health of LGBI must consider IH's intrapsychic, cognitive, and interpersonal nature. An integrative psychotherapy approach addressing the mental health and IH of LGBI is needed to address the intrapsychic, cognitive, and interpersonal factors at play.

Product one of this capstone is a systematic literature review that identified psychotherapeutic interventions …

Examining The Effects Of A Behavioral Skills Training Package On The Emotional Regulation Skills Of A Child With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Kate Flynn

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

One of the most common symptoms experienced by individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a difficulty understanding, interpreting, and dealing with one’s own emotions and the emotions of others which often leads to an impairment in regulating emotional experiences. Emotional regulation includes the processes whereby we influence which emotions we have, when we have them, and how we experience and express them. The purpose of the current study is to function as a preliminary analysis to determine if a behavioral skills training (BST) package with video modeling (VM) can be used to increase appropriate emotional regulation skills for …

Development Of Inattention And Executive Dysfunction In Youth With Spina Bifida: Condition Severity Variables As Predictors, Allison D. Payne

Master's Theses

Spina bifida (SB) is associated with neurologic impairments that increase individuals’ risk for neuropsychological deficits, particularly inattention and executive dysfunction. While extant literature has yet to examine the development of inattention in youth with SB, some research suggests that these youth may not experience the age-related improvements in executive dysfunction seen in the general population. SB is a heterogeneous condition; thus, it is important to consider variability in condition severity when examining outcomes over time in youth with SB. Lesion level and shunt status are commonly used as indicators of SB severity and have been significantly associated with variability in …

The Association Of Burden And Social Engagement With Depression In Caregivers Of Adults By Age, Danielle Leigh Forbes

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

As life expectancy begins to increase, the need for familial caregivers is growing. The aging of care recipients often means that those providing care continue to get older as well. Previous studies focus little on the differences between older and younger caregivers and rather combine them all into one group. The purpose of this study is to understand whether the caregiving experience is related to the age of the caregiver. Depression, burden, and social engagement, based on the descriptors of leisure, work, and social relationships, were studied in conjunction with the age of the caregivers. This study consisted of 63 …

Attitudes Of Providers And Researchers Toward Harm Reduction Strategies, Portia Womer

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The present study utilized a mix methods approach to examine the relationship between professional role, years of experience, and support for harm reduction strategies to treat Opioid Use Disorder. There were 84 participants who completed the online survey. The survey included both quantitative and qualitative questions about their professional role, years of experience, age, use of cognitive behavioral therapy for opioid use disorder, and support for harm reduction strategies. There was no significant association among years of experience and support for harm reduction strategies (including safe injection sites). Additionally, there were no significant findings among age and support for harm …

The Relationship Between Adhd-Specific Cognitive Distortions And Adult Adhd After Accounting For Clinical Syndromes And Personality Pathology, Carly Gerbi

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) experience many difficulties in daily functioning. It is theorized that some of the difficulties experienced by adults with ADHD result from cognitive distortions. Although previous studies have identified a preliminary relationship between cognitive distortions and ADHD, which may be accounted for by comorbid disorders; these studies did not measure ADHD-specific cognitive distortions after accounting for these comorbidities. The purpose of the current study was to assess the relationship between the frequency of ADHD-specific cognitive distortions, operationalized as ADHD Cognition Scale (ACS) and the severity of adult ADHD, operationalized as the Brown Executive Function/Attention Scale (BEF/A), …

Association Between Trauma History And Body Image, Depression, Posttraumatic Stress, And Relationship Satisfaction In Postpartum Women, Kristen Hawk-Purcell

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The postpartum period can be a time of significant change and transition. Little is known about how a history of trauma may impact functioning during this critical time. English-speaking adult women (age ≥ 18 years, N = 61) who gave birth in the United States in the past year, but not in the last month, were in an intimate relationship, and did not use any assisted reproductive technology to conceive participated in the study. Participants were recruited through social media and online forums related to pregnancy and the postpartum period. They completed a demographic questionnaire, the PTSD Checklist for Diagnostic …