Clinical Psychology Commons^™

The Impact Of Gender Minority Stress On Eating Pathology And Body Checking Behaviors In Transgender And Non-Binary Adults, Klaudia Bialy

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Transgender and gender non-binary (TNB) individuals commonly report diminished mental health when compared to cisgender individuals. TNB individuals experience unique stressors due to their gender identity such as gender-based discrimination and victimization, internalized transphobia, and non-affirmation of their gender. Due to these unique stressors, TNB individuals experience elevated rates of psychological distress such as anxiety, depression, and suicidality. Additionally, TNB individuals report body image issues and disordered eating. This study examined if gender minority stress predicts the relationship between body checking behaviors and eating pathology amongst TNB individuals. Simple linear regression models were used to assess the possible impact gender …

Utilizing The Alternative Model Of Personality Disorders (Ampd) To Identify Sexual Aggression In Men, Ryan Patrick Van Fossen

Dissertations and Theses

The current study examined the validity of the Alternative Model of Personality Disorders (AMPD) in predicting sexually aggressive cognitions in men. Specifically, this study examined the role of maladaptive personality traits and personality functioning’s relationship with sexually aggressive beliefs in comparison to the Five-Factor Model (FFM). This study recruited 300 male participants, aged 18 and older, who identified as male for both sex and gender, and identified as heterosexual. Participants completed measures of personality functioning, several personality traits, views about sexual entitlement, gender roles, rape myths, and token resistance to sex. Multiple regression and semipartial correlation analyses were used to …

Investigating Mental Illness Perception On Social Media And The Propensity To Self-Diagnose, Camille R. Omega

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The perception of mental illness has often been studied in traditional face-to-face settings, but the research on its perception in an online setting has been growing recently. Social media platforms have allowed for important conversations regarding mental health to gain popularity and led to the formation of communities where users can share their personal experiences. It has also given professionals the opportunity to educate others on various mental health topics and answer specific questions their audience may have. From these posts and forums, users who are concerned with their mental health can be given the guidance to achieve proper assistance …

The Inventory Of Cognitive Distortions-Youth Version: The Development And Validation Of A Psychometric Test For The Measurement Of Cognitive Distortions In Youth, Kelsey Jones

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Cognitive distortions are systematic biases in an individual’s thinking that maintain a person’s belief in their negative views of themselves or others, even in the presence of contradictory evidence. The Inventory of Cognitive Distortions (ICD), created by Yurica and DiTomasso, measures distorted thinking in adults. Currently, there is not a youth measure of distortions that adequately encapsulates the range of distorted thinking that may be present in youth. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to create and validate a newly designed instrument of cognitive distortions, The Inventory of Cognitive Distortions-Youth Version (ICD-YV), with youth ages 11 to 17. …

Assessing The Quality Of Life In Spousal Caregivers Of Kidney Dialysis Patients, Mallory Christman

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Caregivers are considered extended parts of the healthcare system. As the responsibilities of caregivers increase, they are more prone to develop a poorer quality of life (QOL; Avsar et al., 2013; Rafati et al., 2019; Sajadi et al., 2020; Turner & Finch-Guthrie, 2020). Further, as the prevalence of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) continues to increase, factors that impact coping and QOL should be evaluated.

Understanding the relationship between coping, social problem solving, and QOL may increase professionals’ ability to help caregivers flourish. However, little is known about the QOL in spousal caregivers of kidney dialysis patients in the United States. …

Mitigating Compounded Barriers To Independence: Improving Outcomes Post Emancipation For Foster Youth With Secondary And Tertiary Barriers To Success, Corletha Norman

DSW Capstone Projects

A total of 407,493 children were identified as foster children by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (2021) at the completion of their 2020 fiscal year. The reason for entry into foster care is just as varied as the way in which the children exit. It is expected that many foster youth will experience poor outcomes as a result of their foster care experiences. Poor outcomes continue to be an ever-present undesired rite of passage for foster youth preparing to leave foster care at or after the age of 18. Research conducted over …

Evaluation And Management Of Postpartum Depression In South Asian Women, Gujri Chadha

Capstone Showcase

Postpartum depression is a worldwide phenomenon that affects about 10 to 20% of women within the first year of delivery. During the 12 months following delivery, about 85% of mothers experience a mood disturbance2. The importance of evaluating and managing postpartum depression is crucial as untreated postpartum depression can lead to a significant risk of morbidity for the child as well as the mother of the child3. Despite the remarkable prevalence of this diagnosis throughout cultures, the screening process for PPD is routinely missed, and the management is frequently incomplete for various reasons3. This phenomenon is exacerbated in minority populations …

Efficacy Of Adapted Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program In Treating Patients With Mild Traumatic Brain Injury, Kate Whipple

Scripps Senior Theses

Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) has been applied in many contexts, and has been found to be a helpful therapeutic intervention for people dealing with both mental and physical struggles. In recent years, studies exploring the effects of using MBSR in the neurorehabilitation people with traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) have emerged. However, these studies are primarily pilot studies with very few participants. This proposed study will explore whether an adapted version of the MBSR program is effective in reducing apathy and improving motivation to recover in participants with mild TBIs (mTBIs). The proposed study will have 76 participants and will uses …

Campus Sexual Violence In The Time Of Covid-L9, Hannah Holt

Master’s Theses

Campus sexual assault (CSA) was likely on the rise in the United States (Koss et al., 2022) even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, during which there was a global increase in violence against women. The present study is a needed addition to the limited rigorous scientific studies on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on campus sexual assault (CSA). A mixed-methods, ecological, and critical feminist approach was used to investigate CSA during the mitigation period. The present study specifically utilized the Sexual Experiences Survey (Koss et al., 2007) to assess changes in frequency of victimization within two representative samples of …

Stress Levels Of Bisexual Individuals In Mixed-Orientation Relationships, Amanda Bartley

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Binegativity, the negative perceptions, assumptions, and discrimination experienced by bisexual individuals, is associated with adverse health outcomes including higher rates of mood and anxiety disorders. There is a growing body of research on bisexuality, but there remains little research investigating the risk and protective factors, and the mental health outcomes of bisexual individuals in mixed-orientation relationships. The current study aimed to fill the gaps of the extant research, investigating if social support, outness of bisexual identity, satisfaction with communication between partners, and centrality of group membership and ingroup ties to the LBGT community moderate the relationship between experiences of negativity …

Complex Narratives Of Individuals Living With Alpha-Gal Syndrome (Ags). A Mixed-Methods Investigation: Examined Through Self-Reported Data, In-Person Interviews, And A Group Body Mapping Art Therapy Intervention, Sylvan Streightiff

Art Therapy | Master's Theses

Alpha-gal (galactose-α-1,3-galactose) Syndrome or AGS is an under-recognized chronic condition which coincides with tick-bite exposure, resulting in a unique allergy to non-primate mammalian products and byproducts (in addition to other items caring the α-gal epitope such as carrageenan, agar-agar, and nori). This paper explores the experiences of individuals with this illness, establishing psychological context for expressed symptomatology, while emphasizing the complex trauma rooted in the population’s experiences of the life-altering and life-threatening contexts associated with managing AGS. This research is structured with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) theory and utilizes a mixed-methods approach to arts-based research with the goal of …

Cannabis Cues And Effects On Social Anxiety, Erica Steinberg

All Master's Theses

Prior research has shown that individuals experiencing social anxiety may use cannabis for self-medication; therefore, the current study evaluated if viewing cannabis cues would reduce feelings of social anxiety. Central Washington University undergraduates enrolled in psychology courses (n = 124; 66.7% female; M_age = 19.8, SD_age = 4.7) were shown cannabis cues after viewing expressive facial images that prior research has shown induces feelings of social anxiety. Contrary to prior research, the current study found that emotional faces did not significantly affect state-trait anxiety as measured by the 6-item State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-6) but that trait social …

Group Ideation Treatment (Grit)-A Group Approach To The Treatment Of Suicidal Ideation And Relapse Into A Maladaptive Coping Skill, Hogan J. Gagle

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

Suicidal ideation is experienced across both acute presentations and chronic conditions of suicidality. For some, the ideation may be the only symptom that is present while others who have undergone treatment for suicidality may find a relapse into suicidal ideation. With the prevalence and potential relapse back to this maladaptive coping skill, the development of an intervention is needed that directly targets this case presentation. Ideation acts just as any other maladaptive coping skill, and just as with those, there is support for the use of group intervention. The individual’s family or friends may become apprehensive towards being supportive if …

Focusing On Friendship: Online Supported Activities For Adolescents On The Autism Spectrum, Molly King

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

A core feature of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is social skills differences. Social skills groups have received support as an intervention that fosters social skills of those with ASD. However, there is limited information about the use of telehealth-based social skills groups. The proposed ASD adolescent social group design is formatted for telehealth services, and has been conducted virtually since 2020. This ASD social group program features unique virtual teaching and recreational activity curriculum as well as some program evaluation data methods and responses from participants.

Pride: A Review Of Lgbtq+ Affirming Therapy Techniques And Recommendations For Clinical Practice, Stephen Lemon

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

Despite recent advances in legal protections for and increases in social acceptability towards LGBTQ+ individuals, they continue to experience widespread prejudice and discrimination and seek therapy more often than their heterosexual counterparts as a result. As more and more LGBTQ+ people sought out therapeutic services, psychological research in the field of LGBTQ+ affirming therapy began to develop in order to meet these needs. Although the number of articles and studies conducted in this field has grown exponentially since the start of the 21^st century, a sizeable gap between research and application remains. Research often provides vague suggestions without discussing …

Social Exclusion And Negative Affect: The Impact Of Mentalized Affectivity, Anna Voicu

Honors Program Theses

Social exclusion has been widely associated with feelings of anxiety, depressed mood, anger, and hostility. Previous literature indicates that mentalized affectivity (MA), a sophisticated form of emotional regulation, may be effective in mitigating emotional experience after social exclusion. In light of this research, our study sought to examine the predictive value of mentalized affectivity and inclusion/exclusion on emotion. Participants (N = 170) completed measures of mentalized affectivity and positive and negative affect, in addition to playing a virtual ball-tossing game that would randomly assign them to an inclusion or exclusion condition. Multiple regression analyses revealed that mentalized affectivity predicted both …

Examining Social Media Use, Connectedness, And Depression In Graduate Students, Marisa Gretz

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

This study examined the relationship between social media use, sense of connectedness, and depression among graduate students. Graduate students are at risk of depression and often disconnect from their social supports due to their program's demands. Literature on the impact of social media on depression is discrepant. The relationship between a sense of connection, the use of social media, and depression in a graduate student population is a novel area of research. Graduate students at The Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) and other universities, including healthcare and non-healthcare-related disciplines, were included. Participants were recruited via social media or email. …

The Impact Of Trauma On Exposure And Response Prevention (Ex/Rp) Treatment Outcomes For Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Lindsey Salerno

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Despite the high prevalence of trauma in treatment-seeking individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), the role of trauma in OCD treatment is under-studied. This study examined the relationship between trauma and treatment outcomes using a gold standard intervention for OCD—exposure and response prevention (Ex/RP) therapy. This study also investigated whether inherent traits (intolerance of uncertainty, anxiety sensitivity, emotion regulation, and perfectionism) act as mechanisms of change that mediate the relationship between trauma and Ex/RP treatment outcomes. Using data collected as part of a larger research study, analyses were performed for 76 adult patients with a primary diagnosis of OCD who completed …

Predictive Abilities Of Neuropsychological Measures On Functional Outcomes In The Mild Cognitive Impairment (Mci) And Dementia Populations, Morgan Bare

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

During the aging process, a decline in ability to perform everyday tasks is commonly observed. This is increasingly so for those with dementia and is a diagnostic requirement. These daily tasks require certain cognitive skills which can be measured by various neuropsychological measures. The purpose of this study is to examine which neuropsychological measures are able to detect various deficits in self-reported activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia. It is hypothesized that Trail Making Test– B (TMT-B) would be the most sensitive predictor in functional …

Intuitions Across The Theistic-Atheistic Spectrum: A Convergence Of Social Psychology And Experimental Philosophy Research Paradigms, Janessa R. Brown

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The aim of the present study was to examine what intuitions individuals have regarding factors related to religious belief and non-belief. This was achieved via the convergence of experimental philosophy and social psychology research paradigms. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three vignette conditions depicting either a theistic, agnostic, or atheistic universe or a non-vignette control condition. Participants reported intuitions in the context of the universe to which they were assigned on factors of death anxiety, awe, pure evil, and fine-tuning. Responses were compared across vignette conditions and by category of belief. It was hypothesized that group differences regarding …