Clinical Psychology Commons^™

Detachment And Antagonism As Moderators Of Effects Of Psychosocial Stressors On Emotional Distress In Daily Life, Christina My Quach

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

Psychological distress encompasses transdiagnostic symptoms of anxiety, depression, and anger, which all feature of emotional dysregulation and are often associated with interpersonal stressors. To understand these forms of distress as they occur in daily life, examination of both personality vulnerabilities and social situational context is needed. Interpersonal circumplex research and theory suggests human needs for agency and communion, and therefore others’ cold-dominant behavior is highly aversive and likely to cause psychosocial distress, but degree and type of distress (e.g., anxiety versus anger) may depend upon personality. Detachment and antagonism are the most interpersonal of the pathological personality traits (Southard et …

An Examination Of The Role Of Interpersonal Stressors And Attachment Style In Dissociative Experiences, Erin Verdi

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

Dissociation is an involuntary stress response that has been linked to negative cognitive, emotional, and physical symptoms. Interpersonal stressors are associated with negative mental and physical health outcomes above and beyond stressors that are not interpersonal in nature, and therefore may be relevant to dissociation. Additionally, attachment anxiety or avoidance (i.e., insecure attachment) may put individuals at risk for dissociation in response to social stressors and might moderate their responses. However, extant studies have yet to investigate the relationship between daily interpersonal stressors and dissociation in the context of attachment anxiety and avoidance longitudinally, despite evidence that dissociation and attachment …

Perceptions Of Effectiveness Of Eye Movement Desensitization And Reprocessing Treatment Intervention From Survivors Of Intimate Partner Violence, Laurinda Cumming

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a national health care problem. This violence affects 10 million people on average in the United States every year. This research focused on the treatment resistance for PTSD, a severe and disabling condition. This qualitative descriptive study provided a purposeful sampling of female survivors’ lived experiences and perceived effectiveness of EMDR in treating PTSD symptoms as a result of IPV. Study participants were 7 females, 18 years or older, residing in the Southwestern United States. The theoretical framework of the self-efficacy model was used to look at how posttraumatic symptoms can be so severe from …

Behavioral Strategies And Predicting Impulsive Aggression In Among Students With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Raul Alafa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have explored the relationship between the application of written attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) impulsive aggression (IA) behavioral intervention strategies with current public-school educational plans in reducing aggression and how exclusion of behavioral strategies may increase aggression and impact students’ long-term ability to control emotions. However, the social learning theory of aggression suggests that positive self-efficacy and modeling may improve effective coping. This study explored the relationship between aggression as measured by the modified overt aggression scale and the individualized education program (IEP)/504 Plan behavioral strategies’ effectiveness for ADHD aggression as measured by a repeated measured analysis of variance. Data …

Military Wives’ Perspectives Of The Impact Of Deployment On Marital Satisfaction, Karla A. Morton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

With the inception of the Global War on Terror in 2001, over one and a half million United States military soldiers have deployed overseas to combat zones. Consequently, soldiers and their spouses have undergone numerous psychological challenges as well as a shift in the marital dynamics during a deployment. Difficulties in relationships created by the demands of deployment may lead to the dissolution of a marriage. Hence, the purpose of this study was to quantitatively examine the impact of military deployment on marital satisfaction as experienced by military spouses. This study was grounded in the family systems theory and involved …

Understanding The Predictive Value Of Personality Traits And Executive Functioning In Emotional Intelligence, Isa C. Wright

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The concept of Emotional Intelligence (EI) identifies numerous areas within life that are impacted by the development of higher EI, including school performance, work performance, parenting, relationship patterns, and more. The implications of EI appear to be far-reaching, yet the understanding of how EI develops in an individual continues to be vague and unclear. The purpose of this quantitative study was to account for the roles that personality factors and executive functions play in EI. By incorporating personality trait theory and executive function theory, a survey was designed and disseminated online resulting in 89 completed surveys of participants between the …

The Connection Between Pain, Perceived Disability, Emotional/Behavioral Problems, And Treatment Satisfaction, Penny Renee Drake

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

With more than 100 million Americans living in chronic pain (CP), there is a growing need for better and more effective pain management strategies. CP can result from an injury, disease, or an emotional or psychological issue. The purpose of this quantitative, nonexperimental study using a multiple linear regression procedure was to determine if CP patients’ perception of their disability as measured by the Personality Assessment Screener (PAS) and their emotional and/or behavioral problems as measured by the Oswestry Disability Index predict their satisfaction with their pain management regimen as measured by the researcher-produced instrument Survey of Satisfaction with Pain …

Influence Of Parenting Style On Frequency Of Alcohol Consumption By Jewish Male And Female Emerging Adults, Thomas Gross

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

The health hazards associated with young adults’ frequency of alcohol consumption have been well documented. It has been shown that 40.1% of emerging adults have been involved in binge drinking (i.e., consumption of more than five drinks in a row). The current prevalence rates of alcohol use among young male and female adults are 19% and 26%, respectively. The purpose of the study was to examine the influence of perceived parenting style (i.e., permissive, authoritarian, or authoritative/flexible) on the self-reported frequency of alcohol consumption of 138 U.S. Jewish male and female college students ages 19 to 27 years. The …

New York City Police Officers’ Experiences Of 9/11, Christine Fiore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractPolice officers were some of the first responders to the World Trade Center bombings on September 11, 2001. Longitudinal studies have revealed that some New York City (NYC) police officers were better able to cope than others, yet the long-term effects of officers’ coping strategies are unknown. The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to explore the coping strategies used by NYC police officers during 9/11 and how these police officers continue to cope with their experiences today. Lazarus and Folkman’s transactional model of stress and coping provided the foundation for this study. The participants included nine NYC police …

Psychological Effects Of Testosterone Replacement Therapy For Secondary Hypogonadism, Minerva Spurlock

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hypogonadism negatively impacts various psychological aspects of a male’s life. Males under the age of 50 who experience symptoms of depression or a decreased sense of well-being may not be aware that secondary hypogonadism might be the underlying cause. A gap exists in the literature regarding the psychological effects of testosterone replacement therapy used to treat hypogonadism. The current research project was framed by Engel’s biopsychosocial theory, which encompasses the biological, psychological, and social aspects of a client’s life. The research objective was to determine the relationship between testosterone replacement therapy and the psychological effects of depression and quality of …

Impact Of Diversity Trainings On Commitment And Exploration Of Ethnic Identity, Donna Louise Dockery

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Increased attention continues to be given to diversity and social justice in the field of psychology. With the increased attention, training has been seen as the primary method of changing behaviors and biases. To date, literature on the effectiveness of workplace diversity training on organizational and employee outcomes was lacking. The purpose of this study was to explore the efficacy of diversity trainings on the commitment and exploration of ethnic identity of nonminority individuals in the workplace. The theoretical foundation was Helm’s theory of White racial identity, which was used to examine the various ways identification with White culture influences …

Vicarious Trauma As Experienced By Male Therapists, Michael Felt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Vicarious trauma (VT) is a recently focused on phenomenon that describes the negative effects of treating trauma victims. VT causes pervasive and permanent changes to the self-image and worldview of the therapist. Research is sparse regarding the ways male therapists experience VT. The purpose of this study was to explore the male therapist’s experience with VT and is crucial for developing a greater understanding of VT in order to enhance awareness, resilience, and prevention. The study was based on the constructivist self-development theory because VT was developed through the lens of this theory and is primarily defined as the intrapsychic …

Conflict In Human Relationships And Seeking Out Pets As A Safe Haven, Jennifer Rachael Bakal

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research has revealed the positive physical and the psychological aspects of pet ownership, suggesting that an individual’s attachment style can impact the kind of relationship they have with their pet. Two theories guided this qualitative study; the first was Bowlby’s attachment theory, which suggests that if a child feels that the attachment figure is attentive and accessible, the child will feel loved and secure. Another theory was Ainsworth’s attachment theory in which attachment figures are described as possessing four features: proximity maintenance, separation distress, secure base, and safe haven. This study consisted of 212 participants at least 18 years old …

Potential For Burnout, Coping Styles, And Help Seeking Attitudes Of Human Service Providers In A State Psychiatric Hospital, Alison Aulsbrook

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractAlthough there is an abundance of literature on the relationship between burnout and coping styles among providers, this study explored the gap in research about the relationship of these factors to help seeking attitudes. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between burnout, coping styles and attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help among a sample of 76 human service providers, guided by cognitive appraisal theory. Burnout in participants who work at a state psychiatric hospital in Texas was measured using the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Coping styles were measured using the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations which measures …

Stressors Of Single Fatherhood In California, Dr. Kenneth Jones, Jr.

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This grounded theory study aimed to address the lack of awareness and resources available for single custodial fathers to address stressors in caring for their children. The findings of this qualitative study were derived from electronic correspondence and semi-structured individual interviews with 16 single primary custodial fathers residing in the state of California. The data were analyzed inductively following Percy et al.’s step-by-step process, which generated the following overarching themes: (a) societal stressors, (b) the aftermath of separation from child’s mother, (c) the reason for separation from child’s mother, (d) hands-on work in raising a child and accomplishing chores, (e) …

East African Immigrants’ Perceptions Of Mental Illness In The United States, Marion R. Kwoba

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractMental illness is considered a silent killer in East Africa as it affects 1 in 4 people. Differences exist in how individuals from Western countries perceive mental illness compared to East Africans’ perceptions. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the lived experiences of East African immigrants to the United States and the impact of these experiences on their perceptions of mental illness. Social learning theory and Berry’s acculturation model provided the framework for the study. Data were collected from 12 semistructured individual interviews with participants 20 years and older. The three themes that emerged from coding analysis …

The Effect Of Social Media Use On Physical Isolation In Individuals With Borderline Personality Disorder, Davena Limitless Longshore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD) experience extreme interpersonal conflict, crippling their ability to sustain successful relationships. Consequently, clinicians within the psychological field face difficulty in devising treatments plans which can assist these individuals with suffering minimal relationship loss. The purpose of this study was to understand how current technological methods of social interaction affect individuals who suffer from BPD to improve treatment outcomes. This research was guided by the principles of attachment theory and social baseline theory. A quantitative correlational design using social network analysis and multiple regression analysis was used to examine data from surveys. Participants were solicited …

Phenomenological Study Of Fathers’ Parental Alienation Experiences, Jerry Dean Gibson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractHigh-conflict divorce and resulting parental alienation (PA) impact both the children and the parent who has been the target of PA. This situation has been found to cause mental health issues and unhealthy coping skills in children. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of nonresidential fathers who were alienated from their children in the context of a high-conflict separation or divorce. This study was rooted in Bowlby’s attachment theory. Data were collected from interviews with 10 adult participants. The software program Quirkos was used to review the data and discern thematic patterns and correlate …

A One-Session, Brief Acceptance And Commitment Therapy Workshop For Chronic Pain Patients: A One-Sample Pretest-Posttest Prospective Exploratory Study, Kelly Anne Thomas Ms

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Chronic pain affects one in every four persons (NIH, 2010). For individuals residing in rural communities where chronic pain treatment is often not accessible (Artnak et al., 2011), a one-session brief mental health intervention is a critical healthcare need. More specifically, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for chronic pain is a novel treatment approach in need of more research (Society of Clinical Psychology, 2016). This current study contributes to the gap in the literature by implementing an ACT workshop in a rural healthcare setting for individuals with chronic pain. It was hypothesized that the workshop would increase adaptive coping mechanisms …

The Effects Of Dementia Knowledge On Dementia Worry, Attitudes, Social Comfort, Empathic Concern, And Personal Distress, Alexandria Rose Ebert

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The present study examined the effects of different types of dementia knowledge on attitudes and affective reactions towards persons with dementia. Work has demonstrated that individuals with higher levels of personhood-based knowledge have lower levels of personal dementia fear and higher levels of social comfort. However, to our knowledge, work has not examined dementia attitudes more broadly or differentiated causal relations among different forms of dementia knowledge and attitude outcomes. Participants (N = 334) aged 19-78 (M = 44.53, SD = 16.57) were randomized into one of five experimental conditions: (1) biomedical-knowledge (BK; read biological and medical facts about …