Clinical Psychology Commons^™

An Examination Of Trauma-Related Psychotherapy Outcomes At An Outpatient Military Behavioral Health Clinic, Emily Siebach

USC Aiken Psychology Theses

Objective: The purpose of the present study is to expand existing literature on specific patient demographics and treatment protocols for trauma-related psychotherapies that moderate treatment outcomes in real-world clinical settings with military personnel.

Method: The present study used medical records to analyze treatment outcomes of patients seen at an army medical hospital in the Southeastern United States. The data was gathered over a 6-month timeframe, and participants were predominantly active duty Army personnel being treated for PTSD or other trauma-related disorders. Demographic variables were examined as predictors or moderators and hypotheses were put forward regarding the relationship of …

Evaluating The Effect Of Exposure To Challenging Fat Talk Scenarios On Body Disparaging Conversations, Wafa Jamilur Rehman

Psychology Theses

Disparaging conversations about body shape and weight has become increasingly common among peers. Fat-talk engagement and its predictors are still unclear. The study examined women’s reactions to fat-talk versus feminist-theory inspired challenging fat-talk scenarios via experimental vignettes. Ninety-two undergraduate female students from United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) completed baseline questionnaires that assessed their levels of body dissatisfaction (Eating Disorder Inventory-2- Body Dissatisfaction subscale), fat talk engagement (Negative Body Talk Scale) and mood (Positive and Negative Affect Schedule). One week later, they were randomized to view one of the two scenarios, followed by assessment of their fat talk engagement (Negative Body …

Exposure To Suicidal Behavior Predicts A Suicide Attempt, Depending On Past Psychiatric Diagnosis, Emily A. Kline

Theses and Dissertations

We hypothesized that adolescents with a psychiatric diagnosis that were exposed to a suicide attempt and/or suicide death are at risk for future suicide attempts. Exposure to suicidal behavior did not predict future suicide attempts, however the interaction between having a psychiatric diagnosis and exposure significantly predicted future suicide attempts.

The Weight Of Shame And Trauma In Bariatric Patients, Jordan D. Stricklen

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Past research has shown that Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), including neglect and abuse, are correlated with obesity and other adverse outcomes in adulthood. Here it is proposed that childhood adversity follows a path to internalized shame, which then motivates a coping mechanism which can result in extreme obesity. Participants were gathered through a bariatric surgery program through support groups and as part of an amended intake process. They completed the ACEs as well as the Internalized Shame Scale (ISS). Data analysis attempted to find relationships between ACEs, the ISS, and each participant’s highest BMI at any point in the bariatric …

Jim Jones: A Case Study In The Relationship Between Antisocial And Narcissistic Personality Disorders, Taylor Martin

Senior Theses

Ambiguity between some characteristics of Narcissistic and Antisocial Personality Disorders has caused difficulties in the accurate diagnosis of these disorders (Gunderson & Ronningstam, 2001; Burke, 2006), and some clinicians and researchers have suggested that this may reflect a lack of clinical utility in the current categorical model of diagnosing personality disorders (Livesley, 2001). This study identifies confounding factors in the concepts of NPD and ASPD as enumerated in the DSM-5 (APA, 2013) and DSM-IV-TR (APA, 2000). Concepts identified in independent research that may clarify some apparent similarities and assist in differentiating between the two disorders are discussed. Clarifying features of …

Lending A Hand: Healthcare Cost And Treatment Impact Of Peer Recovery Services, A Review Of The Literature, Nicholas J. Bush

Senior Honors Projects

Background: In the United States, the need for mental health and substance misuse treatment has been on the rise leading to an increase in healthcare costs and a reduction in barriers to care. Recently, there has been a growing interest in implementing peer support services (PSS) to increase access to care, improve treatment outcomes, and reduce healthcare related costs, such as emergency room visits, psychiatric hospitalization, and crisis stabilization.

Aims: This Honors project reports on a systematic review of the literature on treatment outcomes associated with PSS in mental health and/or substance misuse populations. It reviews the evidence that PSS …

The Role Of Values Enculturation, Mental Health Stigma, & Attitudes About Treatment On Help-Seeking Intent Among Latinos, Natasha Suhail Najar

Dissertations (1934 -)

The current study examined how attitudes about psychological treatment and stigma toward mental illness influence the relationship between Latino cultural values (i.e., values enculturation) and their intention to seek psychological services. Using a sample of 220 Latino adults, multiple mediation analyses examined if the relationship between enculturation, operationalized as cultural pride and familismo; and intent to seek help from mental health provider was mediated by Latinos’ attitudes about psychological treatment (i.e., stigma tolerance and belief in psychologists’ expertness) and stigma toward mental illness. Further, it was hypothesized that depression would moderate the mediational pathway. The major findings indicated the Latino …

Assessing Readiness For A Physical Activity Intervention In Positive Youth Development Afterschool Programs, Brittany Skiles Cook

Theses and Dissertations

Physical inactivity has been identified as a primary health threat to youth, and existing afterschool programs (ASP) are a promising context for implementing physical activity (PA) interventions. However, few PA interventions have been effective and generalizability of programs has been poor. Assessing organizational readiness during the testing of a PA intervention can help inform generalizability and sustainability. The R=MC2 heuristic separates readiness into motivation, innovation-specific capacity, and general capacity, each of which are further divided into subcomponents. The current multiple-case study pilot tests the feasibility and effectiveness/efficacy of a readiness assessment tool based on R=MC2 developed for the Connect through …

Examining Non-Targeted Effects Of The Connect Through Play Project: Implications For Addressing Mental Health Of Underserved Middle School Youth, Jessica Dandan

Theses and Dissertations

Early adolescence is a developmental phase accompanied by several changes occurring in various biopsychosocial domains, associated with an increased vulnerability to mental and physical health problems. Youth of minority status and/or low socio- economic status have been shown to be more susceptible, as they are more likely to incur greater exposure to stressors accordingly. Coincidently, as psychological problems emerge such as internalizing disorders, physical activity engagement declines; those trends seem to persist into adulthood and have been associated with numerous negative health outcomes. Evidence points to the direct impact of physical activity, as well as, social variables such as social …

The Relationship Between Identity Dimensions, Gender Conformity, And Satisfaction With Life, Alexandria Colburn

Master's Theses (2009 -)

There is a large body of evidence indicating physical and mental health disparities among marginalized populations. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between identity dimensions, gender conformity, and well-being. I anticipated that identification with a marginalized identity group would predict poorer satisfaction with life, compared to identification with a privileged group. In addition, I investigated the role of gender conformity as a possible interaction variable in the relationship between identity factors (assigned sex, age, race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation) and outcomes of satisfaction with life. A hierarchical multiple regression was used to investigate these hypotheses. Results …

Harsh Parenting In Military Versus Civilian Families: Does Military Culture Moderate The Influence Of Socioeconomic Status And Race?, Tiren Antinette Parker

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Harsh parenting techniques such as yelling and spanking are commonly used in the United States to discipline children, despite the evidence that harsh parenting has a negative sequalae for children that can persistent into adulthood. Socioeconomic status (SES) and race/ethnicity have been identified as two key determinants of harsh parenting. The stressors associated with military service and parenting within military culture place families at increased risk for harsh parenting and child maltreatment. Having a better understanding of how sociodemographic factors influence parenting behaviors within the military culture may help to develop psychoeducational and parenting programs as well as therapeutic interventions …

Redefining Burnout: Exploring Common Conceptualizations And The Neurophysiology Of Chronic Stress To Establish An Integrated Allostatic Model, Danny A. Guzzi

Dissertations

Burnout is a widely researched stress-related phenomenon associated with numerous adverse outcomes for employees and organizations. Unfortunately, burnout is not well understood and research to this point has been flawed due to a lack of consensus on the definition, dimensionality, and context of the construct. Prevalent conceptualizations of burnout have been criticized for being arbitrarily developed without solid theoretical foundation and for failing to clearly distinguish burnout from depression or other work-related conditions such as compassion fatigue, secondary traumatization, and vicarious traumatization. The current project first examines relevant literature to identify commonalities among prevalent burnout conceptualizations. Then relevant stress research …

Effect Of Attentional Focus On Learning And Performance In Youth Sports, Justin Wright

Dissertations

Youth athletes are different from adult and elite athletes in several domains that include cognitive resources, working memory, automaticity of motor movements, conscious control for propensity, attentional focus, and acquisition of motor-skills. Due to significant differences between athletes, not all instructions and feedback provided by coaches are best suited for every player. Instructions and feedback may direct an athlete’s attentional focus and cognitive resources incorrectly leading to poor acquisition and performance of motor-skills. Clinical psychologists with knowledge of motor-skill acquisition, cognitive resources, learning theory, conscious control propensity, automaticity of motor movements, constrained action hypothesis, and attentional focus can follow the …

Reaching And Supporting Trafficked Women In Austria And Germany: A Call For Training On Attachment And Trust-Building, Silke Gahleitner, Katharina Gerlich, Roschan Heiler, Heidemarie Hinterwallner, Edith Huber, Mascha Körner, Josef Pfaffenlehner, Yvette Völschow

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

Many victims of trafficking in women are not reached by the available support services despite numerous measures that have been put in place on both the national and international levels. This deficiency is due to the inadequacy of the support systems, which do not meet the needs of the women concerned. A bilateral Austro-German research project entitled “Prävention und Intervention bei Menschenhandel zum Zweck sexueller Ausbeutung (PRIMSA) [“Prevention and intervention in the trafficking of human beings for the purpose of sexual exploitation”] was set up with the aim of developing ideas for a multidisciplinary prevention and intervention scheme. This article …

"I Assumed Chicago Would Be In The Forefront": Comments On The Movement To End Prostitution With Survivor-Leader Brenda Myers-Powell, Jody Raphael

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

For many years in the 2000’s, researcher Jody Raphael, teamed with prostitution-survivor Brenda Myers-Powell, undertook a myriad of speaking engagements in the Chicago metropolitan area, intended to raise awareness of the violence and coercion in the sex trade industry. Ten years ago, they were asked to make a video of their presentation. Recently, Dignity editors came across the video and asked for an update on the conversation. This piece is the result.

When A Stone Is Not A Stone: Memories Of Clerical Abuse, Charles V. Sords

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

From the fourth to the sixth grades, Charles V. Sords suffered traumatic sexual abuse by Catholic clergy. He suppressed these memories, yet the pain of what happened impacted every aspect of his life. As an adult, several strong, sensory experiences brought the truth of his childhood into focus. He confronted the Church—and the system that protected clerical criminals. This memoir is an account of childhood sexual abuse, the particularly shameful nature of being raped by priests, and how the Catholic Church’s method of handling this and similarly horrifying revelations has re-traumatized survivors.

Campus Shootings: Does Religious Faith And Relationship With Victims Affect Psychological Well-Being?, Melissa J. Gowen

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

Active shooting incidents have become an increasing public safety concern and have a large impact on the communities in which these traumatic events take place. However, while understanding outcomes following these incidents is relevant for mental health providers, first responders, and policy creators, little is known about outcome trajectories and coping best practices due to practical and ethical research limitations. Using hierarchical linear modeling, we examined longitudinal psychological well-being (PWB; MHI; Veit & Ware, 1983) trajectories of students before and after an active shooting incident (N = 35). Furthermore, this study focused on examining the moderating effects of strength …

Factors Related To Parental Stress At Early Diagnostic Assessments For Autism Spectrum Disorder, Abigail Issarraras

LSU Master's Theses

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is marked by pervasive impairments in social communication and restricted, repetitive interests, behaviors, and activities. Parents raising a child with ASD have consistently reported higher levels of parenting stress compared to parents of typically developing children and children with other disabilities. Several different factors influence parental stress levels at different stages of their child’s life, and so an understanding of the most predictive factors of parental stress at initial ASD assessments is critical to best serving the needs of families with a new diagnosis. The current study investigated several factors that may impact parenting stress at …

Forgotten Children & Bonds That Heal: The Critical Nature Of Attachment, August Ashbaker

Lesley University Community of Scholars Day

Human attachment is one of the most critical factors in proper neurological and physiological development. Attachment is built through the mutuality of emotional impact, as well as the regular reception of physical touch. Infants and children who have been deprived of these vital necessities through the lacking initiatives of their caregivers—through neglect—display visible signs of its physiological, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral impact. Research has found neglect to be the highest risk factor for permanent damage to brain development in comparison to other forms of complex trauma (i.e. chronic caregiver interpersonal trauma in childhood); it is also the most prevalent …

Stress Inoculation Training Outcomes Among Veterans With Ptsd And Tbi, Sarah E. Jackson, Matthew Baity, Jeannette Giorgio, Diane Swick

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: Stress inoculation training (SIT) is a cognitive-behavioral treatment that has demonstrated potential as a nontrauma based intervention for veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The purpose of this study was to explore the efficacy of a novel 3-phase group formulation of SIT applied to a naturalistic population of veterans with PTSD and traumatic brain injury (TBI). The goals were to reduce symptoms of PTSD and depression, improve perceived functioning, and increase treatment initiation among veterans who were reticent to initiate established evidence-based and trauma-focused therapies. Method: A program development and evaluation archival analysis of 65 veterans engaged in SIT …