Clinical Psychology Commons^™

Church Member Reactions To Religious Disaffiliation, Alexander Daniel Larson

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Religious disaffiliation is a growing trend in the United States, with estimates of between 15% through 20% of Americans identifying that they have no religion and this rate is growing by roughly 1% each year. Nearly all research concerning religious disaffiliation has focused on the individuals who leave their faith, but little research has empirically explored how church members themselves react to the religious disaffiliation of individuals from their own religious community, as well as what factors potentially contribute to the formation of their attitudes and attributions towards religious disaffiliates. This study utilizes a Seventh-day Adventist sample’s reactions to a …

An Examination Of The Moderating Effect Of Proactive Coping In Nicu Nurses, Britan M. Moore

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The NICU environment is unique in that the patient population consists of critically ill neonates. Research has revealed that there are increased levels of depression, secondary traumatic stress, and burnout in nurses. Problem solving and support seeking coping strategies have been shown to be associated with lower levels of burnout and increased patient and job satisfaction in general staff nurses. Multiple linear regression and a hierarchical stepwise technique was used to conduct moderator analyses assessing whether the use of problem solving or support seeking strategies moderated the relationship between secondary traumatic stress levels and burnout as well as between depressive …

Am Happy Scale: Reliability And Validity Of A Single-Item Measure Of Happiness, Christina P. Moldovan

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Research on happiness has been abundant over the last few decades and findings have repeatedly shown that people who are happier have better life outcomes in terms of health and in nearly all other aspects of functioning. Thus, it is crucial to continue studying the construct using valid and reliable measurements. Single-item rating scales have been shown to be psychometrically sound and more convenient in comparison to multiple-item measures designed to measure certain constructs. The aim of the present study was to test the reliability and convergent and divergent validity of a single-item happiness scale, the Aréchiga-Moldovan Happy Scale (AM …

Preliminary Validation Of The Pediatric Rating Of Chronic Illness Self-Efficacy, Natacha Donoghue Emerson

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Introduction: Tracking self-efficacy may be useful for identifying children at risk for medical noncompliance. We created the Pediatric Rating of Chronic Illness Self-Efficacy (PRCISE) to measure self-efficacy in children and adolescents dealing with a chronic illness (CI). Method: Data were collected from 217 families where one child aged 7-20 (Mage = 13.62, SDage = 2.92; 62.7% Latino, 58.1% female) had a CI. Parent participants provided demographic information. Youth completed a depression measure, the Patient Health Questionnaire for Adolescents (PHQ-A), and the PRCISE. To determine the underlying latent structure of the scale, an exploratory factor analysis was conducted using parallel analysis. …

The Influence Of Health Framing On Weight Stigma And Health Knowledge, Serena D. Stevens

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

With increasing rates of obesity and obesity-related health problems, recent years have seen a great deal of effort exerted to improve physical health by reducing obesity. While information about health is frequently communicated through news media, research has shown that news articles do not increase knowledge of physical health behaviors and instead increase weight stigma, which predicts decreased physical and mental health. Given that this method of presenting health information is ineffective and harmful, it is important to examine alternative ways to frame information on physical health behaviors. This study examined differential effects of three article types, Health Improvement, Weight …

Coping As A Mediator Between Symptom Burden And Distress In Lung Cancer Patients, Spring F. Gehring

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Lung cancer is considered the leading cause of cancer death worldwide. An estimated 224,390 new cases of lung cancer are expected to be diagnosed and 158,080 Americans are expected to die from lung cancer in 2016 (National Institutes of Health, 2016; Siegel, Miller, & Jemal, 2016). Lung cancer patients also report the highest levels of psychological distress and symptom burden than any other forms of cancer (Linden, Vodermaier, MacKenzie, & Greig, 2012). Given the prevalence and impact of lung cancer, it is imperative to address the emotional toll this diagnosis can have on those suffering with the disease to develop …

Behaviorally-Induced Structural Remodeling Of The Hippocampus, Michael Finlay

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

NASA is planning to send a manned spacecraft to Mars by 2030. Interplanetary space travel puts astronauts at a high risk for exposure to several types of radiation exposure. This exposure has the potential to disrupt neurogenesis in the hippocampus, which has long been associated with learning and memory. This research proposes to study the effect of γ radiation on mossy fiber growth in the CA3 region of the hippocampus. Research has demonstrated that rats exhibit mossy fiber growth from the stratum lucidum to the stratum oriens of the hippocampus after completion of spatial learning. Water maze training is a …

Comparison Of Implicit Thought And Learning In Individuals With Schizophrenia, Camilla Seippel

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This investigation studied implicit learning differences in individuals with schizophrenia. Three implicit learning strategies were examined: priming, procedural, and incidental learning. Twenty-six participants with schizophrenia were recruited from various outpatient clinics and programs in Orange, CA to participate in this study. Participants were administered a psychological battery composed of tests to measure individual differences in implicit learning abilities within the group. Differences in crystallized and fluid knowledge abilities within the different implicit learning conditions were tested. Demographic information was also collected and where possible included for the purpose of accounting for demographic variations amongst participants. Demographic variables included the participant’s …

Marital Rape Perception And Impact Of Force, Janelle N. Robinson

Student Theses

The majority of sexual abuse is committed by someone known to the victim. In fact, almost 75%-90% of rape victims know their perpetrator. While there has been a strong movement to identify and prosecute rape, one area that has still received relatively little attention in research and the media is marital rape. Research has found that marital rape is classified as less severe, less violating of women’s rights, and less psychologically damaging than rape taking place outside the marriage. To date, research has suggested that the perception of rape is influenced by a myriad of factors including the degree of …

Alcohol Use, Drinking Motivations, And Depression Among College Students: The Roles Of Sociotropy And Autonomy, Cameron P. Pugach

Student Theses

Sociotropy and autonomy are two cognitive personality dimensions, or personality styles, that have been implicated in the way individuals may uniquely develop, experience, and respond to treatment for depression. The goal of the current study was to investigate whether these cognitive personality dimensions are differentially related to drinking motivations and alcohol-related behaviors among college students. Participants included 311 college students (M_age = 23.1, 63% male) recruited via Amazon Mechanical Turk. Results partially supported hypothesized relationships showing that generally, those higher in sociotropy were more likely to endorse external motivations for drinking (i.e. social and conformity motives), while those …

Clinical Social Workers’ Perspectives On Illicit Drug Use And The Development Of Psychotic Disorders, Asma Naseer

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This purpose of this study was to explore social workers’ perspectives of drug-induced psychosis. More specifically, it sought to determine how knowledgeable clinical social workers are on the impact illicit drug use on the development of psychotic disorders. The study also aimed to discover clinical social workers’ perspectives regarding the influence of illicit drug use on the development of psychotic illnesses. This study used mixed methods approach in attempt to solve the research question. The quantitative portion of the research, an anonymous survey, allowed for the assessment of social workers’ knowledge of drug-induced psychosis. The qualitative portion of the research, …

The Development Of A Comprehensive Model Of Social Anxiety And Anticipatory Social Appraisals, Lance Johns

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

In anticipation of a future social interaction, socially anxious individuals (SAIs) may imagine themselves appearing stupid or foolish and predict and exaggerate the probability and costs of conveying these undesirable social images both on oneself (e.g., “I will feel stupid”) and on others impressions of oneself (e.g., “Others will think I’m stupid”). However, there is a paucity of research examining the latter bias; moreover, research regarding SAIs estimates of the probability and costs of conveying a positive impression (e.g., “I will feel smart”) has typically been neglected. Thus, the a novel questionnaire was created in order to develop a more …

The Relationship Between Physical Activity, Depressive Symptoms, And Cognitive Functioning, Imari-Ashley F. Palma

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The number of older individuals experiencing age related cognitive decline (ARCD) continues to grow exponentially. Memory, executive functioning, and cognitive processing speed have shown to be particularly sensitive to the effects of aging. The same regions of the brain associated with executive functioning and memory are also associated with mood. Researchers have shown an association between ARCD and depression. Research on physical activity (PA) continues to show a beneficial influence on cognition, physical health, and mood. Developmentally, women and men have normal differences in cognitive functioning. As women and men age, these differences can increase. In addition, researchers have shown …

Demographic Differences In Resting State Eeg In Healthy Controls And Patients With Schizophrenia, Keshia M. Sanders

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The default mode network (DMN) is composed of neural nodes that are synchronously activated when the brain is at rest and displays a decrease in activation when the brain is involved in a task. Disruptions in the DMN can potentially serve as assessment/screening for individuals with neuropsychological disorders. Many studies use electroencephalography (EEG) to study the brain at rest because of its high temporal resolution and its ability to provide a time sensitive measure of large-scale neural activity. Previous studies examining the brain at rest have found differences when comparing patients with Schizophrenia (Sz) and healthy controls (HC). While many …

The Effect Of Discrimination On Mental Health After Adverse Childhood Experiences, Maleia Mathis

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) study reports that childhood adversity is relatively common, often co-occurs with multiple types of exposures, and has a dose-response relationship to many leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the U.S. Although there have been mixed results regarding whether ethnicity moderates these health effects, there is evidence that Caribbean and African American ethnic groups may respond to ACEs differently than other ethnic groups. Discrimination may explain this effect moderation, as it has been consistently linked to negative mental health outcomes. Specifically, ACEs exposure may hinder mental health outcomes, and chronic discrimination exposure in minority ethnic …

Is The Relationship Between Trait Mindfulness And Psychological Distress Indirect?, Sailesh Maharjan

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Mindfulness, purposeful attention without judgment or acceptance, and related practices are increasingly popular with a large number of people and have been incorporated into many western psychotherapies (e.g., Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy). There is considerable debate over whether mindfulness is best studied as a state, trait or procedure. Although many studies have found that trait mindfulness is related to physical and mental health outcomes, less is known about the mechanism(s) through which mindfulness enhances clinical outcomes. The current study explored the role of potential mediators of the relationship between …

Sexual Victimization Among College Females: Severity And Substance Use, Krystal A. Zielen

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Numerous consequences of sexual assault have been identified, including psychological consequences such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and health-risk behaviors such as substance misuse. Previous research has indicated that survivors of sexual assault may engage in substance misuse (i.e. alcohol and other illicit and prescription drug use) in attempt to suppress negative thoughts, memories, and flashbacks of the assault. The present study seeks to expand on and examine health-risk behaviors among undergraduate college women after the experience of sexual assault. Although many researchers have focused on the use of alcohol following sexual assault, less have studied non-medical use of prescription …

Attitudes And Preferences About The Stepped-Care Model Of Depression Treatment In Oncology: A Pilot Study, Juliana Alessandra D'Onofrio

Theses and Dissertations

The current pilot study examines the feasibility of conducting a full-scale study that utilizes a survey-based cross-sectional methodological design. The purpose was to systematically explore the attitudes about the Stepped-Care (SC) Model of depression treatment, specific treatment preferences for depression, and client characteristics of a sample of women diagnosed with breast cancer. A total of 26 women were recruited from a breast cancer clinic located in the Northeastern United States. Preliminary results indicated that participants on average rated treatments within the SC Model as acceptable, tended to prefer step three (e.g. psychotherapy, medication, or a combined approach) or step two …

Parsing The Influences Of Nicotine And Expectancies On The Acute Effects Of E-Cigarettes: A Balanced-Placebo Experiment, Amanda M. Palmer

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

E-cigarette use has been increasing in recent years, and its ultimate public health impact is still unknown. In order to assess the addictive liability of these products, research is needed to investigate the roles of nicotine and other factors on psychological and physical effects of “vaping.” The goal of the current study was to investigate the role of expectancies, nicotine delivery, and their interactions on the effects of e-cigarette use via a balanced-placebo experiment. In this design, drug dosage (contains nicotine or not) was crossed with instructions (told nicotine or non-nicotine) during ad-lib e-cigarette use sessions by 128 current e-cigarette …

Translation And Validation Of An Online Suite Of Assessments In American Sign Language, Deb Guthmann, Janet Titus, Jared Embree, Josephine Wilson

JADARA

Abstract

This article reports on a National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) Disability and Rehabilitation Research Project (DRRP; Federal Grant # 90DP0067). The project is being conducted by investigators in the Substance Abuse Resources and Disability Issues (SARDI) Program in the Boonshoft School of Medicine at Wright State University (WSU), in collaboration with nationally recognized experts on Deaf culture and substance abuse/mental health. The goal of this DRRP is to develop and test an online suite of instruments in American Sign Language (ASL), validated for deaf consumers, assessing substance use, mental health, and occupational interests. The …