Clinical Psychology Commons^™

Sleep, Communicative Ability, And Diet As Predictors Of Aggression In Autism Spectrum Disorder, Rafat Omar

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Aggression is a common behavioral issue in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Aggression is often treated with evidence-based behavioral treatments, such as applied behavioral analysis and functional communication training. Another form of intervention that has grown in popularity is to alter the child’s diet. The most popular dietary intervention, the autism diet, has been used as a form of behavior management by parents and guardians for children diagnosed with ASD to address aggressive behavior; however, its use has not been strongly supported by research. The authors proposed that a more beneficial way of understanding aggression in ASD is to …

The Effect Of Social Problem-Solving, Health Anxiety, And Psychological Distress On Breast Cancer Genetic Testing Decisions In A Sample Of Healthy Women, Alexandria Muench

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Breast cancer is a leading cause of death in women in the United States, with hereditary breast cancers accounting for approximately 10% of the diagnoses. Nevertheless, women can decrease their risk by obtaining genetic testing and are often referred for the test if one or more of their relatives has been diagnosed with breast cancer and has the BRCA/BRCA2 cancer mutation. The purpose of the current study was to examine predictors of healthy women’s (ages 18 to 35) hypothetical decisions about genetic testing and prophylactic treatments for the BRCA1/BRCA2 genetic mutations by measuring social problem solving (SPS) variables, health anxiety, …

Medical Students' Knowledge, Confidence, And Empathy Towards Dementia And Caregiver Stress, Courtney Williamson

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Early diagnosis of dementia and dementia-related illnesses provides increased time for treatment, which is aimed at maintaining patient function and delaying decline (Teel, 2004). Empirical studies have shown a decline in empathy during undergraduate and graduate medical education (Hojat et al., 2009). This study examines differences between 2nd and 4th year Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) students’ knowledge, empathy and confidence in working with individuals diagnosed with dementia and addressing caregiver stress. Students from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine completed an online survey which included the Knowledge in Dementia Scale (KIDE), Jefferson Scale …

Sensory Processing Patterns And Emotion Regulation In Children Presenting With Externalizing Behaviors, Melanie Levitt

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Sensory processing is a neurological process that involves a child’s perception, organization, and reaction to sensory stimuli. Certain groups of people, such as children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), experience more intense sensory processing patterns (Dunn, 2007). Researchers have also observed that children presenting with ASD and ADHD exhibit more externalizing scores as their sensory processing patterns become more intense or problematic (Gourley et al., 2013). However, researchers have not examined the relationship between sensory processing and externalizing behaviors in those not diagnosed with ASD and ADHD. Additionally, there are overlapping neural mechanisms between sensory …

The Relationship Between Cognitive Distortions, Self-Compassion, And Insomnia Severity, Gabriel Stanziano

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The goal of this study was to examine the relationships between cognitive distortions, self-compassion, and insomnia severity. Individuals were assessed using the Inventory of Cognitive Distortions (ICD), Self-Compassion Scale (SCS), and Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). Data were analyzed using a sample of 67 participants, ranging in age from 18 to 74. A simple linear regression analysis was conducted to test the hypothesis that cognitive distortions would be predictive of insomnia severity. The results were not significant. A multiple regression analysis was used to test the hypothesis that the specific cognitive distortions of fortunetelling, labeling, and jumping to conclusions would be …

Provider-Patient Communication And Transition Readiness Among Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes, Corrine N. Ahrabi-Nejad

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The majority of adolescents with type 1 diabetes do not maintain a glycemic control within the recommended range. Poor diabetes control can yield both short term and long term acute health complications, making it critical for adolescents to achieve diabetes control. During this same time in development, adolescents are preparing for the transition from pediatric to adult diabetes care. Adolescents often transition to adult care based on their age rather than their transition readiness, which may result in a lack of support from their pediatric provider, potentially exacerbating their already poor glycemic control. Transitioning from pediatric care to adult care …

Empirical Support For Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care (Mtfc): A Critical Review, Jennifer Marie Ladner-Graham

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care (MTFC), initially intended as a treatment for chronic juvenile offenders (adolescents having multiple contacts with the juvenile justice system), was designed as an alternative to placement within group facilities. MTFC allows the adolescent to remain in the community while receiving individual and family-based interventions. These interventions are dedicated to decreasing risk factors associated with offending (e.g., poor parental supervision, association with delinquent peers, poor academic performance) and increasing protective factors (e.g., effective parenting practices, healthy relationships with supportive peers, increased school involvement). MTFC has been utilized to meet the needs of a variety of populations (e.g., …

Validating Military Culture: The Factor Analysis Of A Military-Related Adaptation Of Acculturation, Mathew A. Tkachuck

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The concept of acculturation has a long history, and measures of the construct attempt to assess the degree to which attitudes and behaviors reflect the interaction between different cultures. Berry’s acculturation framework (1997) is arguably the most empirically-supported and well-known model of acculturation. Berry’s model posits that an individual may have difficulty appropriately adapting to a culture different than his or her own depending on how much they are oriented to either culture. Moreover, Searle and Ward (1990) hypothesized that an individual’s acculturation orientation, in addition to how different the dominant and non-dominant cultures are from one another, impacts psychological …

Nonmedical Use Of Prescription Drugs Among Young Adults: An Examination Of Anxiety Sensitivity, Distress Tolerance, And Emotion-Driven Impulse Control Difficulties, Sara Michelle Witcraft

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Individuals with anxiety disorders are significantly more likely to develop substance use disorders than those without anxiety disorders (Kessler & Greenberg, 2002). Despite a sizeable body of literature focused on etiological and maintenance factors underlying the co-occurrence of substance use and anxiety pathology, this relationship remains poorly understood. Transdiagnostic factors, specifically distress tolerance, anxiety sensitivity, and emotion-driven impulse control difficulties, have been posited to contribute to the relationship of anxiety and substance abuse, and in particular, nonmedical use of prescription drugs (NMUPD; Dennhardt & Murphy, 2013; Wolitzky-Taylor et al., 2015). The current study examined group differences among the aforementioned transdiagnostic …

On The Relationship Between Resilience, Meaning, And Hardiness: A Bi-Factor Exploratory And Confirmatory Analysis, Lauren Weathers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Meaning in life, resilience, and hardiness have been conceptualized in a variety of ways. Some researchers theorize that these constructs share significant overlap. The goal of the current study was to examine how much overlap exists between these concepts. Three thousand and ten participants from a university in the Midwest and a university in the South completed measures of meaning in life, resilience, and hardiness. It was hypothesized that some items from these measures would create a unidimensional model while some items would create multidimensionality. Hypotheses that incorporated both models were important as there is disagreement within the literature with …

The Efficacy And Feasibility Of Neuropsychological Services In A Primary Care Setting, Danielle Herring

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Integrated primary care assimilates psychologists into the primary care setting, thus improving health outcomes and physician satisfaction. Neuropsychology has also begun to assimilate into primary care, as neurocognitive impairment is a correlate of many medical disorders. Subjective cognitive decline (SCD), a common complaint among older adults, is an increasingly recognized warning sign of non-normative cognitive aging. These patients typically present first to their primary care providers who may play a critical role in the early detection of cognitive impairment. Given the growing awareness about cognitive health and disability, the importance of neuropsychological assessment as a standard component of integrated care …

Predictors And Health Outcomes Of Treatment-Resistant Depression Among Adults With Chronic Non-Cancer Pain Conditions And Major Depressive Disorder, Drishti Shah

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Understanding major depressive disorder (MDD) as a comorbidity in patients with chronic non-cancer pain conditions (CNPC) is of importance because of the high prevalence and well documented bi-directional relationship between MDD and pain. Furthermore, presence of CNPC among adults with MDD often reduces benefits of antidepressant therapy, thereby increasing the possibility of treatment resistance. Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) commonly defined as insufficient response to multiple antidepressant trials, often worsens depression and pain symptoms and can amplify the clinical and economic burden among adults with CNPC and MDD. Additionally, long-term opioid therapy (LTOT) may be prescribed at a higher rate to adults …

Does Emotional Distress Tolerance Predict Fear Responding In A Heights-Fearful Sample?, Amber Lynn Billingsley

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Emotional distress tolerance—or the ability to withstand negative emotional states—is considered a transdiagnostic risk factor for psychopathology. Although it is theorized to play an important role in anxiety, research aiming to delineate the relationship between anxiety and emotional distress tolerance is lacking. The current study tested whether an individual’s self-reported emotional distress tolerance predicted avoidance in the presence of feared stimuli using a heights-fearful sample. Moreover, the study tested whether emotional distress tolerance predicted other relevant in-the-moment fear responses, such as peak anxiety, anxious cognitions, and bodily sensations while in a heights scenario. Participants (N = 85) completed a …

Examining The Impact Of Treatment Fidelity On Client Outcomes In A Statewide Implementation Of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy, Mira D H Snider

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Clinician treatment fidelity, consisting of treatment adherence and clinician competence, is commonly assessed during the implementation of evidence-based treatments to ensure that clinicians are delivering care according to an intended service model. Although resources are often expended in fidelity measurement, associations between fidelity and client outcomes has not been well established in the psychotherapy literature. The relationship between clinician fidelity and treatment outcomes was investigated in a longitudinal sample of clinicians (n = 17) and parent-child dyads (n = 32) following a statewide implementation of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy. Observer-rated measures of adherence and coaching competence collected from early …

Longitudinal Associations Between Functional Disability, Depression, And Suicide In Middle-Aged And Older Adults, Julie Ann Lutz

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Suicide is a significant public health problem among older adults in the United States and around the world. There has been little research to date on longitudinal change in functional disability and depressive symptoms, both of which have been posited to be associated with suicide risk among middle-aged and older adults, and their association with death by suicide. The aims of this study were to 1) characterize longitudinal change in functional disability and depressive symptoms separately; 2) characterize the directional associations between functional disability and depressive symptoms in bivariate models; and 3) determine how different patterns of change among these …

Increasing An Individuals Trait Gratitude By Modifying Interpretation Biases, Peter Munger

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

The purpose of this research was to determine if a person’s disposition of gratitude can be modified through Interpretation Bias Modification (IBM) techniques. This research should help us understand the causal relationship between interpretation-bias and gratitude. Because gratitude is vital to subjective well-being (SWB), enhancing one’s disposition for gratitude is important, and IBM may provide one means for enhancing gratitude. This research involved students, randomly assigned to one of two conditions (Positive IBM, Negative IBM). Following the training phase, benefit-related interpretation bias was assessed with several measures, as well as current emotional states. Data from 82 participants were analyzed and …

Longitudinal Patterns Of Depression Symptoms Among Emerging Adults, Sarah W. Clark

Theses and Dissertations

Research has suggested that depression symptoms generally decrease after late adolescence; however, there is increasing attention paid to depression symptoms among college students given the stressors unique to this time period and negative outcomes associated with depression. This study examined latent trajectories of depression symptom severity among college students. Participants were 9,889 college students who participated in the Spit for Science project (Dick et al., 2011). Growth Mixture Modeling was used to identify the presence of four subgroups of individuals with similar patterns of initial level and change in depression severity over four years of college, including Low/Minimal (55.9%), Decreasing …

Loneliness And Sleep Disturbance In Older Americans, Sarah C. Griffin

Theses and Dissertations

Loneliness is a risk factor for premature mortality but the mechanics of this relationship remain obscure. A potential mechanism is sleep disturbance. The present study aimed to examine the association between loneliness and sleep disturbance, evaluate loneliness as a risk factor for sleep disturbance and vice-versa, model effects between loneliness and sleep disturbance over time, and evaluate a mediation model of loneliness, sleep disturbance, and health. Data came from the 2006-2012 waves of the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally-representative study of older Americans; participants > 65 were included (n=11,400). Analyses included (i) linear regressions accounting for complex sampling and (ii) …

Conceptualization Of Body Image And Eating Disorders Among South Asian American Women: A Qualitative Investigation, Neha J. Goel

Theses and Dissertations

Though it is known that eating disorders (EDs) affect individuals of all racial/ethnic backgrounds (Cheng, Perko, Fuller-Marashi, Gau, & Stice, 2019), people of color tend to be overlooked in the ED literature. South Asian Americans, a specific subset of individuals traditionally categorized within the larger umbrella group of “Asians,” have been notoriously neglected in both the broader mental health literature, and in the ED literature (Inman, Devdas, Spektor, & Pendse, 2014; Iyer & Haslam, 2003, 2006). Currently, very little information exists on the etiology and presentation of EDs amongst South Asian communities. Even less is known about culturally-specific barriers to …

Competing Strength-Based Models Of Trauma And Suicidality In A High-Risk Primary Care Sample, Samantha Mladen

Theses and Dissertations

There is limited research on the relationship between trauma exposure, depression, and suicidality, particularly in high-risk primary care samples. The present study aims to: 1) characterize the prevalence of suicidality, depression, and trauma exposure in this sample; 2)develop and test models of the relationships between suicidality, depression, and trauma exposure in this sample; 3) augment the selected model with key protective factors, including social support and religiosity; and 4) further elaborate the nature of religiosity as a potential protective factor using the subscales of the Attitudes toward God scale, Anger toward God and Comfort with God.

Patients (n …