The Lived Experience Of Low-Income Single Mothers In The U.S. And The Effects Of Nature As A Psychotherapeutic Tool In Their Treatment,
2019
Antioch University Santa Barbara
The Lived Experience Of Low-Income Single Mothers In The U.S. And The Effects Of Nature As A Psychotherapeutic Tool In Their Treatment, Suzanne L. Frost
Antioch University Dissertations & Theses
This dissertation describes current research on the lived experience of low-income single mothers and explores the potential validity of utilizing exposure to natural settings as a psychotherapeutic intervention for this population. In 2014, 4,764,000 single mothers in the U.S. were living in poverty. A large percentage of this population suffers from poverty, hunger, social stigma, as well as mental illnesses associated with these conditions, such as anxiety, stress, and depression. A qualitative influential research study was performed that included interviews with eight low income White single mothers and one Biracial Turkish and Chaktau Native American low-income single mother in predominantly …
Growth After Developmental Trauma: A Co-Constructed Story,
2019
Antioch University of New England
Growth After Developmental Trauma: A Co-Constructed Story, Naydine Johney
Antioch University Dissertations & Theses
In this study, I explored post-traumatic growth as embedded in a co-constructed healing relationship between a trauma survivor and a “mentor” who has been instrumental to their recovery. It is widely known that people who are resilient in overcoming early adverse childhood experiences have had someone in their corner who believed in them. In a separate, but related body of literature, there are similarly well-documented benefits for those who have the chance to make a difference in a survivor’s life, including for example: relatives, educators, and therapists. To date, we still don’t know if survivors and their mentors hold the …
Residential Needs Of Adolescent Females: A Feminist Perspective,
2019
Antioch University of New England
Residential Needs Of Adolescent Females: A Feminist Perspective, Elizabeth Manley
Antioch University Dissertations & Theses
With approximately 20,000 adolescent females living in residential treatment centers (RTCs) in the United States (Warner & Pottick, 2003), the need for RTCs that focus on meeting the unique developmental, psychological, and emotional needs of adolescent females is clear. Current research on the subject of adolescent females in residential treatment is largely focused on the overall efficacy of RTCs, rather than examining specific programmatic components offered to adolescent females in this treatment setting. While some research has been conducted that examines how to improve gender-specific RTCs, much of this research builds on socially constructed ideas of gender differences and often …
Linguistic Issues In Culturally Sensitive Assessment: A Rorschach Case Study,
2019
Antioch New England Graduate School
Linguistic Issues In Culturally Sensitive Assessment: A Rorschach Case Study, Lauren M. Weisberg
Antioch University Dissertations & Theses
The Rorschach Inkblot Test (“Rorschach”) has historically been viewed as a culturally sensitive assessment instrument because it utilizes nonverbal stimulus cards (Meyer, Viglione, Mihura, Erard, & Erdberg, 2011). As a result, it has been considered a more appropriate assessment tool for bilingual and multilingual patients than assessments which rely heavily on verbal language. However, there are no evidence-based practice recommendations for Rorschach assessment of bi- and multilingual patients, despite the incredible linguistic diversity in the United States and the widespread use of the Rorschach. This dissertation includes a case study of a multilingual French–Israeli immigrant who was admitted to an …
Forgotten Victims: Understanding Latino/A Non-Offending Parents Of Sexually Abused Children,
2019
Antioch University Santa Barbara
Forgotten Victims: Understanding Latino/A Non-Offending Parents Of Sexually Abused Children, Alba Rocio Andrade
Antioch University Dissertations & Theses
Childhood sexual abuse is widely condemned by society and religion (Roesler & Wind, 1994; McCallum, 2001). Nevertheless, it is estimated that approximately one in three girls and one in six boys are sexually abused by the time they turn 18 years old (Stauffer and Deblinger, 1996). This trauma affects the victim as well as other members of the family including the non-offending parent(s). However, services are often provided only to the victimized child, which overlooks the needs of the non-offending parents. The existing body of research into the stressors experienced by non-offending parents typically is focused on non-offending parents of …
Integrated Primary Care: Development Of A Patient Satisfaction Measure,
2019
Antioch University of New England
Integrated Primary Care: Development Of A Patient Satisfaction Measure, Sarah C. Pearson
Antioch University Dissertations & Theses
Primary care is often the first stop for individuals seeking services for a variety of behavioral health concerns including mental health and substance use disorders. However, many such patients are inadequately treated in these settings. Integrated primary care addresses this issue by adding a behavioral health provider to the primary care team to improve care and patient outcomes. A growing body of evidence suggests that increased integration of behavioral health and primary care yields a variety of significant outcomes including improved patient care, increased access to mental health treatment, and increased patient and provider satisfaction. When thinking about healthcare improvement …
Introducing Shame Resilience To Women Who Struggle With Complex Trauma And Substance Abuse,
2019
Antioch University
Introducing Shame Resilience To Women Who Struggle With Complex Trauma And Substance Abuse, Kirsten R. Robertson
Antioch University Dissertations & Theses
The relationship between shame and trauma has been documented in research beginning as early as the 19th century. Not until the second half of the 20th century did extensive research clearly define both trauma and shame, with the addition of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as an official diagnosis in the field of mental health. Many researchers and clinicians believe an additional diagnosis should be added to the list of trauma-related mental health diagnoses—one that includes repeated traumatic experiences during childhood. Despite the known relationship between shame and various traumatic experiences, direct shame interventions have yet to find a place in …
Helping Animals, Helping Ourselves: Reciprocal Benefits Of Prosocial Behaviors Directed Toward Animals,
2019
Antioch University of New England
Helping Animals, Helping Ourselves: Reciprocal Benefits Of Prosocial Behaviors Directed Toward Animals, Casey A. Culligan
Antioch University Dissertations & Theses
This is a dissertation project on the reciprocal benefits—to volunteers and animals—of volunteering at animal shelters, rescues, and sanctuaries. I have provided a brief literature review on the relationship between prosociality and helper/recipient wellbeing, highlighting the current scarcity of research on the human enactment of prosocial behavior with animal recipients of help. I then further supported the need for continued research in this regard by examining the emerging body of research on the suggested wellbeing-benefits of human–animal interaction. An ecopsychological framework was utilized to emphasize the potential therapeutic affects (to both humans and animals) of engaging in prosocial behaviors directed …
Graduate Student Competencies In Working With Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual Youth,
2019
Antioch University of New England
Graduate Student Competencies In Working With Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual Youth, Rachael Roberts
Antioch University Dissertations & Theses
The focus and purpose of this dissertation was to explore students’ who are enrolled in APA-accredited clinical psychology doctoral programs self-perceived competency levels for working with LGB youth. This research utilized the Sexual Orientation Counselor Competency Scale (SOCCS; Bidell, 2005) in conjunction with an experience and demographic questionnaire. A survey was sent to all APA-accredited clinical psychology doctoral programs and all responses were analyzed through correlational analysis. The primary research question dealt with the possibility of a relationship between access and utilization of doctoral program training (in class or otherwise), practicum experiences, and level of confidence that graduate students have …
Emerging Adults’ Experiences Of Agency In Higher Education Decisions,
2019
Antioch University of New England
Emerging Adults’ Experiences Of Agency In Higher Education Decisions, Leah B. Benjamin
Antioch University Dissertations & Theses
Over the past several decades, there has been a cultural shift impacting the experience of individuals in their late-teens to mid-20s in the United States. These individuals undergo a time of “cultural limbo,” during which the lines between adolescence and adulthood are blurred. The term emerging adulthood describes this distinct developmental period, which fits within the context of Erikson’s preexisting stages of psychosocial development (Arnett, 2014). A challenge for emerging adults is coming to terms with some of their more adult-like responsibilities in life. This requires making complex decisions that will impact their lives for many years to come, such …
Family Estrangement And Hospital Readmission Rates Among Severely Mentally Ill Adults,
2019
Antioch University Santa Barbara
Family Estrangement And Hospital Readmission Rates Among Severely Mentally Ill Adults, Jenna A. Gunnels
Antioch University Dissertations & Theses
Most crisis stabilization, and mental health treatment in general, is delivered solely to the individual in crisis, by professionals who are careful to protect the individual’s right to privacy. An unintended consequence of this objective, unfortunately, can be the undermining of the potentially significant role played by family members in the treatment, maintenance, and stabilization of individuals with mental illness. Without family involvement, some individuals burdened by mental illness slowly and steadily decline. This study investigates how familial relationships impact mental health problems, specifically psychiatric hospital readmissions. The goal of this study is to determine whether being estranged from one’s …
Veterans’ Help-Seeking And Spousal Support For Ptsd: A Preliminary Study,
2019
Antioch University of New England
Veterans’ Help-Seeking And Spousal Support For Ptsd: A Preliminary Study, Kimberly S. Sollows
Antioch University Dissertations & Theses
Continued engagement in military conflicts and known underutilization of mental health services by veterans necessitates understanding of factors influencing veterans’ attitudes about mental health treatment and decisions to seek services. The present study examined relationships between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity, perceived support from spouse, and attitudes toward mental health help-seeking among married U.S. veterans. Participants (N =39) were recruited using social media outreach, an online gaming platform, and through print fliers. First, it was hypothesized that perceived spousal support would be significantly positively correlated with attitudes toward treatment seeking, which was supported to a moderate degree (r=.345, p=.031). …
Factors Influencing Success In Day Treatment Programs For Children Ages 5 To 10,
2019
Walden University
Factors Influencing Success In Day Treatment Programs For Children Ages 5 To 10, Leah Morken
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Improving the success rates of children in mental health treatment is an important step to bettering lives. Day treatment programs are intermediate level treatment modalities that help children who are struggling with their mental health. Success rates differ for children in day treatment programs and several studies have been done evaluating various factors. This research addressed whether a child who had been exposed to trauma showed as much success in a program as a child that had not been exposed to trauma. Other variables were to determine if children have different levels of success based on their diagnosis. The study …
Peer Taught Sex Education's Influence On Adolescent Sexual Decisions And Hookups,
2019
Walden University
Peer Taught Sex Education's Influence On Adolescent Sexual Decisions And Hookups, Sarah Kathleen Smith
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
The Teen Prevention Education Program (PEP) utilizes different methods, mainly peer teaching via skits and small groups, to help influence adolescents to make informed sexual decisions. The purpose of this study is to find how Teen PEP can have an effect on an adolescent's decision on whether to or not hookup. This study utilized interviews with participants of the program asking them about their views on hooking up and how they view how Teen PEP aided in their decision-making whether to or not hook up. While transcribing the interviews and looking for keywords related to the research questions, the analysis …
Parenting Styles And Children's Usage Of The Internet In The Digital Age,
2019
Walden University
Parenting Styles And Children's Usage Of The Internet In The Digital Age, Micere Sidi Oden
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Research is limited on the differences between mothers and fathers on traditional and Internet parenting styles, particularly fathers' Internet parenting styles. Baumrind's parenting styles typology guided this quantitative, cross-sectional assessment of mothers and fathers of children age 6-13 years old on 4 dimensions of the Parenting Style Scale; 6 subscales of the Internet Parenting Style Instrument, hours a child spent on the Internet for school versus entertainment, and several key demographics to examine canonical correlation dimensions relating traditional and Internet parenting styles and to examine differences in styles between mothers and fathers. A convenience sample (N =129) was collected from …
The Experience Of Pregnant Women In Remission From Anorexia Nervosa,
2019
Antioch University of New England
The Experience Of Pregnant Women In Remission From Anorexia Nervosa, Meghan Butcher
Antioch University Dissertations & Theses
This qualitative study explored the subjective experience of pregnant women in remission from Anorexia Nervosa (AN). This subject matter is of importance due to the high relapse rates of AN, the ability for women to become pregnant while in remission from AN, the significant physical and emotional tolls of pregnancy, and the known dangers of AN behaviors during pregnancy. Prior to this study, minimal research had been conducted pertaining to the experience of women who became pregnant while in remission from AN. This study utilized Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to inform interpretation of narrative responses collected through semi-structured interviews. Participants …
Discovering Themes: Disability Identity Development As It Pertains To People Born With Spina Bifida,
2019
Antioch University Seattle
Discovering Themes: Disability Identity Development As It Pertains To People Born With Spina Bifida, Elizabeth H. Scriven
Antioch University Dissertations & Theses
To date, disability identity development is a highly understudied construct. There are many models of disability, each interpret disability through a specific lens, but do not address the influence of disability on identity development. The few theories of disability identity that do exist have not been widely adopted. In addition, there is a lack of empirical evidence to support them. Another difficulty is that these theories do not separate different disability groups. Rather, the theories are applied to a broad heterogenous group of disability types. This is a problem because each disability type is quite distinct from the others and …
Alcohol Misuse Among Veterans: Implications For Better Treatment,
2019
Antioch University of New England
Alcohol Misuse Among Veterans: Implications For Better Treatment, Annie Taylor
Antioch University Dissertations & Theses
Veterans are at an elevated risk of alcohol misuse compared to civilians due to a convergence of factors that create a highly concentrated risk of alcohol misuse among this population. Given this troubling finding and the lack of research in the realm of clinician competence related to alcohol misuse among veterans, this study attempted to fill the apparent gap in literature by way of understanding the perceptions of alcohol misuse in the veteran population and the approach to treatment by mental health providers in the Veterans’ Affairs (VA) system. In the current study, which utilized online survey methodology, VA mental …
Is It Who Am I Or Who Do You Think I Am? Identity Development Of Adolescents With Substance Use Disorders,
2019
Antioch University - PhD Program in Leadership and Change
Is It Who Am I Or Who Do You Think I Am? Identity Development Of Adolescents With Substance Use Disorders, Danielle N. Treiber
Antioch University Dissertations & Theses
The purpose of this study was to unearth how adolescents with substance use disorders achieve the task of identity formation and the construction of self-concept in the midst of the drug culture and society that exists. It sought to uncover the social constructs designed to ignore and/or remove human complexities and allow an intersectional approach to be brought to a study on this population. Historically, there has been a failure to investigate the underlying social attitudes and behaviors that impact the very delicate and vulnerable process of finding self. Psychosocial and relational adjustment are strongly influenced by the extent to …
Examining The Relationship Between Alcohol Use And Work In The Professional Theater,
2019
Antioch University of New England
Examining The Relationship Between Alcohol Use And Work In The Professional Theater, Michael A. Carollo
Antioch University Dissertations & Theses
Objective: The perception of a culture within the professional theatrical community that promotes problem drinking has been discussed anecdotally within the industry. No meaningful research has been conducted within this population. This study presents initial epidemiological survey data on the drinking habits of professional theatrical community (PTC) members as compared to the general public (GP) in order to confirm whether the phenomenon exists for further study. Methods: Data are from a convenience sample of 104 members of the PTC and GP who were each provided two previously clinically validated measures of problem drinking, the AUDIT and CAGE questionnaire. Drinking habits …
