Clinical Psychology Commons^™

Meaning In Life As A Moderator Of Resilience And Traumatic Stress: A Study Of Protective Factors And Sex Differences In A Sample Of Mississippi Coastal Residents Seeking Mental Health Services After The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, Bethany Jane Aiena

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In April of 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil platform exploded, releasing millions of barrels of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico, becoming the largest oil spill in U.S. history. Disasters often lead to a decrease in psychological well-being for those affected by the disaster. Positive psychological constructs such as resilience and perceived meaning in life have been shown to be significant protective factors against the negative psychological effects of a disaster. Utilizing a sample of 1119 adults seeking mental health services along the coast of Mississippi after the spill, the current study aimed to investigate the relationship between these …

On The Relationship Between Meaning And Prejudice: Examining Self-Transcendence And Value-Behavior Consistency In A Sample Of College Students, Ivonne Andrea Florez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined whether the value of self-transcendence and the degree to which individuals report behaving consistently with their values (value-behavior consistency) impact the association of meaning and racial prejudice against White and Black individuals. The study was conducted with a college population from a university located in the southern United States. The final sample was composed of 362 people, 281 females and 81 males, with a majority of participants self-identifying as White (73.8%). To assess meaning, the Purpose in Life test – Short Form (PIL-SF) and the Meaning in Life Questionnaire Presence subscale (MLQ-Presence) were administered. Social judgment …

Psychedelic Psychotherapy : Existential And Neuroscience Perspectives On The Therapeutic Journey, Arthur W. Seelig

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

Psychotherapy with the use of high-dose psychedelic drugs shows immense promise in treating a myriad of debilitating psychiatric conditions. After a three-decade long suspension, regulators have allowed for new studies and re-awakened interest in the potential of psychedelics. However, while research on the topic has quickly progressed, little has been done to reinvigorate our clinical understanding of the psychedelic healing process. This thesis interprets the psychedelic state through the twin perspectives of existentialism and neuroscience with the goal of starting to develop a theoretical language.

The subjective experience of high-dose psychedelics under therapeutic conditions often results in a loss-of-self referred …

Mental Health Service Utilization Among At-Risk Urban Adolescents: The Relative Contributions Of Perceived Need, Attitude, And Spirituality/Religiosity, Yi Tak Tsang

Wayne State University Theses

Adolescence has been described as “a time of storm and stress” (Arnett, 1999; Hall, 1904). In fact, a national survey in the United States estimated that adolescents were twice as likely than adults to report at least one major depressive episode in the past 12 months (Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, 2016). In particular, adolescents who are poor, who belong to ethnic minority groups, and who live in urban neighborhoods are more vulnerable to mood and behavioral symptoms than their White/Caucasian counterparts who grow up in relatively affluent suburban and rural areas (Beyers, Bates, Pettit, & Dodge, 2003; …

Clients' Experiences Of Recovery-Oriented Care For Schizophrenia: A Qualitative Research Study, Sarah A. Hamilton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A recovery model of care has been widely accepted and instituted both in the U.S. and internationally, but research suggests that the model has not been employed uniformly. While existing research has focused on creating consensus regarding application of the model, the lived experience of those receiving the care has not yet been considered. In order to address this gap, the present study proposed a qualitative analysis of mental health consumers’ experiences of recovery-oriented care for schizophrenia. Potential participants were recruited through a Regional Mental Health Board and the author individually interviewed four participants in semi-structured interviews. A qualitative analysis …

Comparing Brief Acceptance And Control-Based Interventions: Evaluating Public Speaking Performance In Socially-Anxious Individuals, Samuel Spencer

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Social anxiety disorder is one of the most prevalent psychological disorders in our society today. Although Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is considered a gold standard for the treatment of anxiety disorders, some individuals do not respond to CBT, and other approaches to treatment continue to be investigated. One alternative approach is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which has been used successfully to treat social anxiety, and has also tentatively been shown to be effective for increasing public speaking performance. The current study compared the effects of brief acceptance- and cognitive-control-based intervention protocols on public speaking performance in socially-anxious college students …

Evaluation Of A Mindfulness Intervention For Children With Emotion Regulation Difficulties, Stephanie Jo Pirsig

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Emotion regulation difficulties are featured in internalizing and externalizing psychological diagnoses and can be seen as a precursor for a severe and persistent mental illness, relationship, and personal problems. Mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR) is a non-pharmaceutical alternative and may alleviate limitations for medication, cognitive behavior therapy, and dialectical behavior therapy. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a MBSR intervention on emotion regulation in children with emotion regulation difficulties and associated psychiatric diagnoses. Five participants, ages 6 to 13 years old, with emotion regulation difficulties were recruited through local psychiatric clinics and participated in …

Health Behaviors Contributing To Overall Perceived Health, Mental And Physical Health Status, And Functional Impairment In Psychologists And Trainees, Natasha J. Brown

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the health behaviors and overall perceived health among psychologists and psychology trainees. Results revealed significant correlations between overall perceived health and physical activity, BMI, fruit and vegetable intake. Additionally, results revealed significant correlations between days of poor mental health and physical activity, fruit intake and vegetable intake. Lastly, results revealed correlations between days of functional impairment and physical activity. The results of this study expand upon the growing literature related to health professionals’ personal health behaviors and how they impact one’s perceived health. Further research is required to identify and expand investigation of factors impacting psychologists and …

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Or Combat Experience? A Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Study Of Trauma-Related Auditory And Olfactory Cues, Michael Gramlich

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

While the clinical communities are aware of the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among OEF/OIF/OND veterans, further efforts are necessary to bolster comprehensive strategies for assessment and treatment. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether a combat-related PTSD symptom provocation paradigm would elicit unique neurological responses via functional near-infrared spectroscopy across three groups – combat veterans with PTSD, combat veterans without PTSD, and nonmilitary participants without PTSD. Results indicated that combat veterans with PTSD demonstrated significant activation during exposure to a trauma-related sound compared to nonmilitary personnel at channels 14 (d = 1.03) and 15 (d = …

Inattentive Behavior In Boys With Adhd During Classroom Instruction: The Mediating Role Of Working Memory Processes, Sarah Orban

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Children with ADHD exhibit clinically impairing inattentive behavior during classroom instruction and other cognitively demanding contexts. However, there have been surprisingly few attempts to validate anecdotal parent/teacher reports of intact sustained attention during 'preferred' activities such as watching movies. The current investigation addresses this omission, and provides an initial test of how ADHD-related working memory deficits contribute to inattentive behavior during classroom instruction. Boys ages 8-12 (M=9.62, SD=1.22) with ADHD (n=32) and typically developing children (TD; n=30) completed a counterbalanced series of working memory tests and two videos on separate assessment days: an analogue math instructional video, and a non-instructional …

How Does Brief Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Work? Potential Mechanisms Of Action For Veterans With Physical And Psychological Comorbidities, Frances Deavers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Depression and anxiety are commonly comorbid among patients with chronic medical conditions. These comorbidities are associated with negative outcomes including poorer quality of life and worse physical functioning. Evidence that traditional cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is less effective for these populations has led to the development of brief CBT protocols that incorporate physical health self-management skills and are delivered in primary care. To continue refining treatment packages, it is important to understand how brief CBT works. The present study used the transactional model of stress and coping as a framework for investigating potential mechanisms of action of brief CBT. Veterans …

Predicting Child Maltreatment Potential In Mothers Who Are Substance-Involved: A Study Of Childhood Adversity, Stress, Affectivity, Emotion Dysregulation, And Emotion Regulation Strategies As Mechanisms Of Action, Amanda Lowell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Compared to the general population, parents who are substance-involved are both more likely to have experienced adversity during childhood and to exhibit elevated child maltreatment potential later in life. Within this population, mothers with young children are particularly at-risk. In order to enhance scientific understanding of this phenomenon, this study identified and examined several characteristics that were shown previously to be related to substance misuse and to the experience and perpetration of maltreatment. These characteristics included stress, affectivity, emotion dysregulation, and emotion regulation strategies. The current study examined these variables collectively in order to clarify the mechanisms at play in …

The Implications Of Attachment Orientation And Personality Pathology For Detecting Deception, Madeline Luedke

Global Tides

This study investigated the implications of attachment orientations and personality dimensions for accuracy in detecting deception from emotionally-based statements. Thirty individuals (M age = 25.33, range = 18-52) completed a survey that included the Personality Inventory for DSM-V-Brief Form and the Relationship Styles Questionnaire to measure the individual differences in question. To measure deceit, 7 mental health counselors volunteered to participate in a video-recorded mock interview concerning their current romantic partner—3 individuals provided false responses, and the remaining 4 offered true answers. The audio-visual vignettes were imbedded in the survey and subjects viewed each, then responded a question asking …

Parental Cultural Conflict And Children's Cultural Identity Development, Amanda Araki

Student Research Posters

Parent culturally incompatibility was evaluated for its possible negative impact on a bicultural offspring’s cultural identity development. The 43 self-identified bicultural participants, aged from 18 to 67 years, provided family cultural histories, and completed the Parental Cultural Conflict Scale (PCCS) and the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM). The hypothesized relationship between high PCCS levels and low MEIM levels was not supported by the data; however, the range of responses on the PCCS was very limited with a complete absence of any very low or very high conflict scores. It was concluded that parents’ cultural incompatibility does not have the level …

A Model For Implementing Residential Mental Health Treatment In Nys Correctional Settings, Lauren K. Gillis

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Like the community, correctional institutions have been ill-prepared in providing care to persons with serious mental illnesses (SMIs) who engage in combative behaviors, in what generally seems to amount to innocuous social interactions. These persons have been increasingly incarcerated over the past several decades because of violent behaviors, severely complicating the effort to provide effective mental health treatment for this population. Even though correctional residential mental health units have been instituted, successfully implementing what works has shown to be, at best, transient in these settings. Through the emergence of implementation science principles, though, there is now a pathway to implement …

Examining Binge Eating Rates Between Caucasian-American And African-American Men, Elizabeth Anne Raky

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Eating disorders (ED) are maladaptive eating patterns that can have social, biological, health, and occupational consequences. The purpose of this study was to explore and compare binge eating episodes, locus of control, and body dissatisfaction between African-American men (n = 66; 53.70%) and Caucasian-American men (n = 57; 46.30%). There is a current gap in the existing literature regarding the study of men who BE and a sampling bias with regard to ethnic minorities. Based on Bandura's social learning theory model and Rotter's locus of control, the purpose of this research was to determine and compare the relationship between BE, …

Parental Stress And Parent-Child Relationships In Recently Divorced, Custodial Mothers, Kelly Lyn Murphy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Divorce creates significant stress that can have an impact on parent-child relationship satisfaction. Past researchers have indicated that in times of high stress, parents may not be available for their children due to their personal issues. Attachment theory demonstrates the importance of the parent-child bond for the child as he or she matures, so this bond needs to be protected. The purpose of this quantitative, nonexperimental study was to examine the predictive relationship between parental stress as measured by the Parenting Stress Index, 4th Edition, Short Form (PSI-4-SF) and the parent-child relationship satisfaction as measured by the Parent-Child Relationship Inventory …

Female Student Veterans: A Survey Of Current Transition Challenges And Issues From Active Duty To Collegiate Life, Nicole Starr Biondoletti

Theses and Dissertations

Research on the student veteran population is extremely limited. The literature does tell us, however, that mental health difficulties in veterans has been present for thousands of years, and that recent warfare has led to a steady increased in posttraumatic stress and suicidality. In addition, there has been an exponential increase in veterans enrolling in post-secondary institutions due to the appealing benefits of the post-9/11 GI Bill. The result of these two facts are a relatively new population with unique challenges and needs. The present study utilized the PTSD Checklist, Military version (PCL-M), the Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R), the Combat …

How Eye Movement Desensitization And Reprocessing (Emdr) Trained Therapists Stabilize Clients Prior To Reprocessing With Emdr Therapy, Edward H. Brendler

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Helping clients develop resources and stability required to tolerate reprocessing memories can be a considerable part of psychotherapy, particularly with clients who are suffering symptoms related to complex developmental trauma or cumulative multiple-event trauma. There is a paucity of research regarding how experienced EMDR Therapy practitioners experience helping their clients to develop resources required to tolerate reprocessing of trauma memories. This dissertation is an in-depth study of five participants, each a licensed mental health practitioner in the State of Washington, who are trained in EMDR and experienced working with clients who are suffering symptoms of trauma. Each participant was interviewed …

Assessment Of Family Impact In Pediatric Chronic Pain, Lauren E. Harrison

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Pediatric chronic pain causes significant interference in daily functioning for children and their families. While parents and families have been examined in previous research, gaps exist in the current literature base, particularly related to accurate conceptualization and assessment of family functioning. The current study sought to develop a measure of family impact of pediatric pain and examine the effects that pain severity, functional disability, and parent and child psychosocial functioning have on family functioning. Results indicated parents of children with chronic pain appear to be impacted across several domains, with psychological distress in the child and parent being a significant …