Clinical Psychology Commons^™

Perfectionism And Eating Disordered Psychopathology: Examination Through A Stress Generation Perspective, Sarah A. Mello

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Current research on eating disorders identifies a close correlation with perfectionism. However, little is understood about the complexities of this relationship, and some studies have demonstrated a stronger relationship between these variables when compared to others. This research sought to investigate the role of stress, in particular adverse life events, as a mediator in order to more robustly explain the relationship between eating disorder features and self-evaluative perfectionism, a higher order component of perfectionism consisting of concern over mistakes, need for approval, rumination, and perceived parental pressure. Three hundred and five college women volunteered to complete a series of self-report …

I Feel Your Pain: The Influence Of Pain Catastrophizing And Perceived Threat On Pain Severity Congruence In Couples, Shannon Clark

Wayne State University Theses

I FEEL YOUR PAIN: THE INFLUENCE OF PAIN CATASTROPHIZING AND PERCEIVED THREAT ON PAIN SEVERITY CONGRUENCE IN COUPLES by

SHANNON CLARK August 2016

Advisor: Dr. Annmarie Cano Major: Psychology

Degree: Master of Arts

The present study examines the extent to which partners were congruent on multiple ratings of participants’ pain severity during a cold pressor task and how pain catastrophizing and perceived threat may moderate participant-partner congruence over time. Undergraduate couples in a romantic relationship (N = 106 dyads) participated in the study. Both partners rated the participant’s pain in writing several times over the course of the task; thus, …

Ambivalence Over Emotional Expression, Social Constraints, And Trauma As Moderators Of Emotional Awareness And Expression Training And Relaxation Training For Individuals With Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Hannah Holmes

Wayne State University Theses

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a central sensitization gastrointestinal disorder that affects 10-15% of the population. Psychosocial factors, including stress, social support, emotional processes, and trauma, have been shown to play a role in the development of IBS and the severity of symptoms. Effect sizes for psychological treatments are modest, indicating individual differences in effectiveness. A subset of patients with IBS may benefit from Emotional Awareness and Expression Training (EAET), a novel intervention that encourages the awareness and expression of emotions. In this study, 106 participants with IBS were randomized into one of two interventions—Relaxation Training or EAET—or a Waitlist …

Detection Of Malingering In Bona Fide Traumatic Brain Injury And Simulated Traumatic Brain Injury: Combining Response Time With Pvt Accuracy Results, Robert John Kanser

Wayne State University Theses

Threats to performance validity test (PVT) security and utility have increased efforts to develop covert measures of performance validity. Response time (RT) is a promising covert measure to distinguish between honest and feigned performance; however, research investigating RT patterns on PVTs is sparse and troubled by methodological problems. This study examined the incremental utility of RT variables on a computerized version of the Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM-C) in distinguishing adults with verified traumatic brain injury (TBI) and healthy adults coached to feign neurocognitive impairment. Participants were 45 adults with moderate to severe TBI, 45 healthy adults coached to feign …

Parenting-Related Stress, Parental Distress, And Youth Health-Related Quality Of Life In Families Of Youth With Spina Bifida: Parenting Behaviors As Mediators, Colleen F. Bechtel

Master's Theses

Research has shown that youth with spina bifida (SB) have poorer psychosocial outcomes, including health-related quality of life (HRQOL), compared to typically developing youth. Demographic and illness-severity factors that may affect HRQOL have been identified, but modifiable factors affecting HRQOL have not yet been identified in this population. Potential modifiable factors include parent factors. In fact, in other pediatric populations, parent factors have been found to impact HRQOL above and beyond illness-severity. This impact may be especially salient for youth with SB, as these youth are more socially isolated and depend on parents for both medical and non-medical caregiving needs. …

The Moderating Role Of Emotion Regulation On Longitudinal Associations Between Stress And Mental Health In College Students, Evan Zahniser

Master's Theses

Emotion regulation is consistently linked to subsequent wellbeing, but little research has examined the moderating role of emotion regulation in associations between mental health and other relevant factors. Patterns of gender differences in emotion regulation also remain somewhat unclear. The present study targets these gaps by examining two specific emotion regulation strategies in interaction with stress and gender in predicting internalizing symptoms among college students, a population for whom emotion regulation may be particularly important given the high-stress nature of the college transition. A large sample of students (N = 1,130) provided self-report data at three time points over their …

Risk And Resilience Factors Among Low-Income Latino Adolescents: The Impact On Daily Ratings Of Mood, Stephanie Andrea Torres

Master's Theses

Given that Latino adolescents endorse more negative mood when compared to their counterparts of other backgrounds (CDC, 2012), it is especially advantageous to evaluate the impact of risk and resilience factors on mood among this population. The current study uses daily diary methodology to examine the impact that daily economic stress, daily family stress, familism, and ethnic identity commitment and exploration have on daily ratings of mood among 58 (M =13.31, 47% female) low-income Latino adolescents. Results show that daily family stress was strongly linked to daily mood while familism emerged as a salient resilience factor. Contrary to predictions, ethnic …

The Effects Of A Trauma-Informed Care Training Program On Mental Health Professionals Knowledge, Skills, And Attitudes With The Smi, Angelina Pelletier

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Trauma has been found to be highly prevalent among individuals diagnosed with SMIs. Mental health professionals have been reported to misdiagnose or avoid addressing trauma in this population. There is a need to provide information about trauma and to foster awareness among mental health professionals who are treating individuals diagnosed with SMIs. With a TIC approach, operating from a recovery-oriented philosophy, there have been interventions created to address trauma and SMIs with the aim of developing awareness about trauma and the impact it may have on someone’s life. With these factors in mind, mental health professionals should be competent in …

Predicting Attitudes Towards Telemental Health Therapy Among U.S. Military Veterans, Rebekah L. Gingras

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The recent U.S. military conflicts have brought to light the destruction of war. The amount of stress involved in deployment and exposure to combat has been found to increase the risk of mental health disorders. Many veterans are at risk for mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety, alcoholism, post-traumatic stress disorder, and traumatic brain injuries. The purpose of this study was to examine age, education level, computer technology skills, personality, and barriers to seeking treatment to determine if these variables would predict attitudes towards the use of telemental health (TMH) treatment. Participants from student veterans’ organizations across the country …

Mand Training: An Examination Of Response-Class Structure In Three Children With Autism And Severe Language Delays, Erik Drasgow, Christian A. Martin, Laura C. Chezan, Katie Wolfe, James W. Halle

Communication Disorders & Special Education Faculty Publications

Our primary purpose in this study was to examine the structure of a response class when new members are acquired through mand training. To do this, we replaced existing mands (e.g., reaching) in three children with autism with two new functionally equivalent mands. Next, we examined their responding under immediate- and delayed-reinforcement conditions. Then, we assessed generalization to novel social partners. We employed a reversal design to examine the effectiveness of mand training and to assess responding under both immediate- and delayed-reinforcement conditions. Our results suggest that all children acquired the new mands and that two of the children emitted …

Evaluation Of An Interdisciplinary Chronic Arthritis Pain Group Intervention In An Outpatient Healthcare Setting, Natasha Depesa

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease that often results in inflammation, pain, fatigue, functional impairment, and psychosocial difficulties. The current study examines the effectiveness, feasibility, and sustainability of an interdisciplinary chronic pain intervention for patients with RA. Wearable fitness trackers were incorporated into the intervention and objectively measured participant physical activity. A total of 44 participants received the intervention and completed outcome measures. Results supported improvements across multiple domains at the end of treatment and at 4-week follow-up compared to treatment baseline. Mixed multilevel repeated measures modeling revealed significant overall improvements in many primary (i.e., self-efficacy for managing …

Combat Related Guilt And The Mechanisms Of Intensive Exposure Therapy, Benjamin Trachik

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is highly prevalent in military populations, and is associated with significant medical costs. Due to these high costs and corresponding health infrastructure required to meet the needs of military service personnel, it is essential that the most effective and efficient treatments be implemented. Exposure therapy (EXP) is one of the most widely used and empirically supported treatments for PTSD; however, some researchers have questioned its efficacy with specific populations and in targeting specific symptoms. One such symptom, guilt, has garnered increased attention in the PTSD treatment literature, as it is associated with worse symptomatology and outcomes. …

Psychometric Properties Of A Social Skills Assessment Using Virtual Environment, Thien-An Le

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) is a marked and persistent fear of social and/or performance situations in which embarrassment or scrutiny from others may occur. In children, this marked and persistent fear must be present in peer settings and is not exclusive to interactions with adults (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013). Behaviorally, children with SAD may avoid eye contact and exhibit other behavioral symptoms such as stooped shoulders, nail biting, trembling voice, avoidance of social and performance situations, muffled voice, longer speech latency, inappropriate tone or low voice volume, and lack of spontaneous speech (Beidel & Turner, 2007; Ollendick, Benoit, …

Cerebrovascular Burden And Depression: Examining A Process Model Of Geriatric Developmental Psychopathology, Rosanna Scott

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Depression is the second leading cause of disability worldwide, and is associated with substantial functional impairment and poor health implications in older adults. These adverse outcomes are exacerbated in older adults who exhibit comorbid depression and cerebrovascular burden (CVB). Given that the population of older adults is projected to double by year 2050, a process model of the development of depression in later-life and a subsequent clear delineation of the relationship between CVB and depression is paramount. One explanation of this process of disease development is the vascular depression theory, however alternative hypotheses have not been exhaustively falsified and the …

Reading Comprehension Deficits In Children With Adhd: The Mediating Roles Of Working Memory And Orthographic Conversion, Lauren Friedman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Reading comprehension deficits in children with ADHD are well-established; however, limited information exists concerning the cognitive mechanisms that contribute to these deficits and the extent to which they interact with one another. The current study examines two broad cognitive processes known to be involved in children's reading comprehension abilities—(a) working memory (i.e., central executive processes [CE], phonological short-term memory [PH STM], and visuospatial short-term memory [VS STM]) and (b) orthographic conversion—to elucidate their unique and interactive contribution to ADHD-related reading comprehension deficits. Thirty-one children with ADHD and 30 typically developing (TD) children aged 8 to 12 years (M = 9.64, …

Relationships Between Information Adequacy, Illness Perceptions, And Distress Among Survivors Of Differentiated Thyroid Cancer, Chelsea Wiener

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Patients and survivors of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) report experiencing significant distress despite excellent disease prognosis. Predictors of distress in this population, however, are largely unexplored. Two factors that relate to distress in other cancer populations are patient subjective experiences with information provision and patient illness perceptions. Thus, evaluation of information experiences and illness perceptions among survivors of DTC is warranted. In particular, the unique prognosis and treatment associated with DTC invites investigation of the relationship between patient subjective experiences with information quantity (termed "information adequacy" in this study) and distress in this population. Thus, the primary goals of this …

Identifying The Trauma Recovery Needs Of Maltreated Children: An Examination Of Child Welfare Workers' Effectiveness In Screening For Traumatic Stress, Adrienne Whitt-Woosley

Theses and Dissertations--Social Work

Children in the child welfare system comprise a group characterized by their exposure to trauma via experiences of maltreatment, under circumstances presenting multiple risk factors for traumatic stress. High rates of posttraumatic stress have been observed in this population. However, there is currently no standard for the universal screening of children in child welfare for trauma exposure and traumatic stress. The purpose of this study was to analyze the trauma experiences of a sample of maltreated children and examine whether child welfare workers are effective screeners of traumatic stress symptoms with children from their caseloads. Method: A sample of children …

How Therapists Use And Choose Mindfulness To Treat Trauma, Jessica M. King

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

This qualitative study used the phenomenological method to examine how therapists use mindfulness therapies and interventions to address trauma-salient issues with their clients. Specifically, it explored therapists’ use of and choices about mindfulness-based treatments when addressing post-traumatic stress symptoms, and trauma-relevant emotion dysregulation and attachment injury. Informants were associate and fully-licensed local therapists, recruited using convenience sampling and snowball sampling by word-of-mouth referrals. Data was collected by semi-structured interviewing. Interview data was analyzed with Moustakas’ (1994) recommended procedures for analysis of phenomenological data. Results, Discussion, Limitations and Suggestions for Future Research are described at the end.

Life After Bariatric Surgery: A Mixed-Method Analysis On Social Support And Quality Of Life, Caitlin M. Speck

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Obesity is often described as a national epidemic; bariatric surgery is one form of treatment that has become increasingly popular. Bariatric surgery is successful and many patients experience significant weight loss; however, many patients struggle to maintain their new weight. In an attempt to respond to the problem of weight loss maintenance, bariatric surgery programs are incorporating behavioral management-strategies in addition to typical program support. Support groups are often offered by bariatric surgery programs and are commonly focused around psychoeducation, behavioral strategies, and community support. This study provides a mixedmethod quantitative and qualitative analysis on life after bariatric surgery, primarily …

Mental Health Of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Heterosexual, And Questioning Youth In Rural, Micropolitian, And Metropolitan Regions In Minnesota: Assessing Internalizing And Externalizing Self-Report Behaviors, Jessica Louann Jorgenson

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Individuals identifying as gay, lesbian, bisexual, and questioning or unsure are often at greater risk of developing psychopathology. Minnesota youth, grades 9 and 11, completed the Minnesota Student Survey in 2013. Data were analyzed to ascertain differences within the aforementioned sexual minority groups as well as comparisons to heterosexual youth on questions adapted from the Global Appraisal of Individual Needs Short Screener (GAIN-SS). The GAIN-SS consists of self-reported items regarding internalizing and externalizing behaviors. In the present study, bisexual youth reported the most externalizing behaviors and the fewest internalizing behaviors. Heterosexual youth reported the fewest externalizing behaviors, but the most …