Clinical Psychology Commons^™

The Relationship Between Adolescent Depression And Social Skills In Young Adulthood, Emily H. Simmons

Scripps Senior Theses

This study investigated the relationships between a history of adolescent depression and social skills in young adulthood. Participants between the ages of 22 and 30 reported past and present experiences with depression and completed assessments of three aspects of social skills: emotional understanding, strength of social relationships, and interpersonal competence. Results indicated an association between current depression and social skills deficits but no main effect of adolescent depression on overall social skills. However, greater emotional understanding was associated with a history of adolescent depression. An earlier age of onset predicted stronger social relationships while length of depressive episode and time …

Trauma, Personality, And Behavior: A Longitudinal Study Predicting Adverse Outcomes After Sexual Assault From Personality Prior To The Assault, Jessica L. Combs

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Exposure to sexual assault results in ongoing harms for women. After an assault, some women engage higher levels of externalizing behaviors, such as drinking problems and drug use, and others experience higher levels of internalizing dysfunction, such as clinical anxiety and clinical depression. In a longitudinal sample of 1929 freshman college women assessed across three time points, I found the following. Pre-assault negative urgency (the tendency to act rashly when distressed) interacted with assault exposure to predict increased subsequent drinking and initiation of drug use. Pre-assault trait anxiety/depression interacted with assault exposure to predict increased subsequent clinical anxiety and depression. …

Risk And Protective Factors In The Relationship Between Peer Victimization And Internalizing Disorders, Rebecca Hamblin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the experience of peer victimization through the lens of an integrative model of individual (gender, ethnicity, grade level) and social (receipt of prosocial support from peers, peer victimization) risk and protective factors in terms of association with psychopathology. The examination was conducted in a rural sample of elementary school children of multiple ethnicities. Results suggest that both overt and relational forms of peer victimization predicted social anxiety, depression, OCD, GAD, panic, and separation anxiety and loneliness symptoms with moderate effect sizes. No differences in either overt or relational victimization were found among …

Evaluating Values, Mindfulness, And Working Alliance: Exploring The Effects Of Short, Specific Techniques, Regan Slater

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Comfactors research indicates that there is a positive relationship between therapeutic relationship and improved client outcomes. However, little research has been done to examine the nature of this relationship. The current study examined the relationship among values, mindfulness, and working alliance. This study used different specific interventions and examined the interventions' impact on values and mindfulness. The study also examined whether changes in values and mindfulness led to differences in working alliance ratings. Participants were 66 undergraduate students and were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: mindfulness plus values, mindfulness, or control. The participants were then led in a …

Process Group Vs. Skills Group Modalities In The Treatment Of Individuals Diagnosed With Major Depressive Disorder, Kirk David Duncan

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

PROCESS GROUP

VS.

SKILLS GROUP MODALITIES

IN THE TREATMENT OF INDIVIDUALS DIAGNOSED WITH MAJOR

DEPRESSIVE DISORDER

by

KIRK DAVID DUNCAN

August 2014

Advisor: Dr. George Parris

Major: Counseling

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

The goal of this study was to evaluate the impact of a process group vs. a cognitive behavioral skills group modality on depression while investigating the effects of facilitator bond on outcomes. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was conducted on the BDI-II posttest scores, and pretest scores served as the covariate and the group membership as the independent variable. When observing Figure 1 there was a visual desired …

Attention And Emotion Regulation In Social Functioning, Katherine H. Moyer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recent models of social functioning have identified attention and emotion regulation as important factors in explaining social functioning. In these models, emotion regulation is conceptualized as a cognitive process under attention control (Beauchamp & Anderson, 2010; Crick & Dodge, 1994; Lemerise & Arsenio, 2000). Recently, an alternate conceptualization of emotion regulation has been suggested. In this model, emotion regulation is independent of attentional control and is conceptualized as consisting of four factors: emotion awareness and understanding; acceptance; impulse control and goal directed behavior in the context of negative emotions; and flexible use of contextually appropriate strategies to modulate emotion responses …

Cognitive Effects And Academic Consequences Of Video Game Playing, Sean Hollis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: prior video game playing (vgp) research has generated mixed empirical findings. Recent studies suggested positive effects vgp may have on cognitive skills, particularly improvements in visuospatial skills, processing speed, working memory, multitasking, and problem solving skills. By contrast, other studies have suggested that vgp leads to lower academic performance - indicating further research on vgp effects is needed. This study investigated the effects of vgp on cognitive skills and academic performance. Methods: 208 participants were recruited from the University of Mississippi psychology department in exchange for research participation credit. The sample was 68.9% female and 31.1% male. Ages ranged …

The Influence Of Exercise Environment And Gender On Mood And Exertion, Thomas G. Plante, Marily A. Opezzo, L. Aislinn Diaz, Selena Pistoresi, Michael Santos, Jacqueline E. Fahey, Elizabeth Kay, Briana Britton, Suheel Khan

Psychology

This study examined the influence of exercise environment and gender on post-exercise mood and exertion. College student participants (55 females, 49 males) were instructed to pedal a stationary bike at a moderate pace for 20 minutes. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three laboratory conditions: (1) exercising in front of a mirror and posters showing ideal fit body types (i.e., celebrity male and female personal trainers), (2) exercising in front of a mirror only, or (3) a control condition in which participants exercised without a mirror or posters. The Activation- Deactivation Adjective Check List (AD-ACL), measuring exercise-induced mood states, …

Inspiring Change: Exercise Self-Efficacy, Dispositional Optimism, And Perceived Stress In College Seniors, Joshua M. Garrin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Prohealth competencies, positive outcome expectancies, and adaptive stress appraisals have profound implications for the real-world transition of college seniors—a population for which engagement in physical activity reflects a preeminent concern. Prior studies on exercise self-efficacy (ESE), dispositional optimism (DO), perceived stress (PS), and physical activity have yielded inconclusive evidence of the emergent psychosocial challenges encountered during the final year of the college experience. Using a triadic framework of self-efficacy, attribution, and cognitive appraisal theories, this crosssectional, quantitative study was conducted using a web survey to examine (a) the impact of physical activity level on ESE, DO, and PS; (b) the …

Efficacy Of Cultural-Based Psychoeducational Group Therapy For Increasing Marital Satisfaction Among Latino Couples, Maria Jesus Ampuero

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Previous research has indicated the importance of providing marriage education to ethnic minority couples who are struggling with their marital relationships. Despite this known importance, significantly fewer resources are available for Latino couples, who have a high rate of divorce. The purpose of this quantitative, randomized, wait-list control group trial design was to determine whether Couples in Contact, a culturally-based, psychoeducational intervention group program for Latino couples, increases marital satisfaction, as measured by the Marital Satisfaction Inventory, Revised (MSI-R). This study drew on cognitive behavioral therapy applied to couples, and the supportive theories underlying family systems theory and Gottman's theory. …

Follow-Up Evaluation Of Treatment For Anxiety And Depression Provided In A University-Based Primary Care Clinic, Renée M. Grinnell

Theses and Dissertations

Although integrated primary care psychology services are becoming increasingly common, the literature lacks adequate research support for the longitudinal durability of treatment effects following the conclusion of brief primary care interventions. This study served as a follow-up program evaluation of psychological services for depression and anxiety provided at the Medical College of Virginia’s Ambulatory Care Center in Richmond, Virginia. Data were collected on 47 adult primary care patients who received treatment for depression and/or anxiety between six and 18 months prior to the follow-up telephone call. Data were collected on the trajectory of depression scores throughout and following treatment, treatment …

Evaluation Of Psychological Services For Anxiety And Depression Provided In A University-Based Primary Care Clinic, Elizabeth J. Sadock

Theses and Dissertations

Primary care clinics are increasingly integrating psychological services into their service programs, however few studies have used a comparison group to demonstrate the effectiveness of these services. This study evaluated the psychological services provided at the Ambulatory Care Clinic (ACC) at the Virginia Commonwealth University Health System (VCUHS) by comparing changes in 147 patients’ PHQ-9 depression scores and GAD-7 anxiety scores over time to the scores of 139 patients at the Hayes E. Willis Health Center, a comparison clinic with demographically similar patients but no integrated psychological services. Assessment data were collected from participants in the ACC at VCUHS during …

Emotional Inertia: A Key To Understanding Psychotherapy Process And Outcome, Xavier Bornas, Miquel Noguera, David Pincus, Gualberto Buela-Casal

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

The processes underlying psychotherapeutic change have increasingly been emphasized in both research and clinical practice. Nonlinear dynamical systems theory (NDS) offers a transdisciplinary scientific approach to the study of these processes. This paper introduces the NDS concept of "emotional inertia", the property of human emotion by which it retains its course so long as it is not acted upon by an external force, as a key to understanding moment-by-moment and also longer-term change processes within psychotherapy. A testable mathematical model of emotional inertia is presented that represents specific impacts of psychotherapeutic processes on emotional dynamics over time. Emotional trajectories in …

Understanding Distinctive Beliefs And Perceptions About Depression Among Haitian Men, Darlyne Richardson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As of 2010, depression was the second most serious disorder among developed nations. Historically, African Americans, Latinos, and people of Caribbean descent have underutilized mental health services and have therefore been underrepresented in such statistics. Investigation into depression among Haitian men, from a Western or a non-Western cultural perspective, has been sparse in the literature. Bandura's social learning theory and Mahalik's biopsychosocial framework provided the theoretical foundation for this investigation. The purpose of this quantitative analysis was to explore the relationship between levels of depression in Haitian men related to restrictive emotionality, self-reliance, subjective masculine stress, spiritual well-being, and length …

An Anti-Bullying Intervention For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Catherine Rex

CMC Senior Theses

The effects of a video modeling intervention, given to six children with ASD, were evaluated through a multiple-baseline and multiple-probe design across children. The research targeted teaching children with ASD to assertively respond to physical bullying, verbal bullying, and social exclusion, as well as telling one’s mother. In baseline, the participants demonstrated inconsistent to no skills for responding to the bullying in the vignette movies (SAAS) and the generalization probe skits. During intervention the participants watched a video of a person assertively responding to bullying, and were assessed through VM questions and SAAS. Post-intervention the children participated in generalization probe …

Aspects Of The Self And Psychological Outcomes, Neil P. Martin

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Depression ranks among the top health concerns on college campuses and impairs students’ functioning across numerous domains including academic, social, and personal areas, and there is still an urgent need for a model that can provide comprehensive understanding of the development and treatment of depression. The Internal Family Systems (IFS) model is introduced to bridge this gap. The current study aimed to make contributions to mental health literature by advancing our understanding of IFS theory (specifically, the concept of Self) in predicting depression, providing a framework for promoting a non-pathological model of depression, and adding to the body of empirical …

An Exploration Of The Benefits Of Working As A Certified Peer Specialist (Cps) And Predictors Of These Benefits, Tricia M. Angilletta

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The mental health recovery movement has promoted the use of certified peer specialists (CPS) as an indispensable component of the recovery process when working with individuals with severe mental illnesses (SMI) (Solomon, 2004). In addition to assisting others, the literature indicates that the CPS may gain a shared benefit from the CPS experience (Solomon, 2004). The purpose of this study was to examine the benefits that working or volunteering as a CPS can have on the CPS’s personal recovery process and health care costs. Two benefits that were explored are a CPS’s service utilization (outpatient therapy, case management, and inpatient …

Autism Interventions In Educational Settings: Delivery Within A Response To Intervention Framework, Caitlin E. Gilmartin

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Monitoring the progress of and delivering services to students with Autism present a unique challenge. Numerous interventions exist without a common, mandated progress monitoring system or service delivery system. The current study examined the principles of Response to Intervention (RTI) programs in the context of service delivery for students with Autism. An innovative service delivery system, the Autism Response to Systematic Intervention (ARTSI), was designed utilizing these principles. Outcomes of the study included a manual for the program, as well as forms and necessary materials to provide initial program implementation. Initial comment from stakeholders, future directives, and limitations are also …

The Effects Of Viewing Sexually Explicit Materials On Men's Body Image Satisfaction, Interest In Pursuing Cosmetic Surgery, And Body Change Behaviors, Elizabeth Schuster

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effects of viewing sexually explicit media on men's body image, body change behaviors, and esteem in a randomized experimental study. The purpose was to determine if a cause and effect relationship exists between viewing sexually explicit media and body image dissatisfaction in men. Participants were randomized to one of four conditions. They were asked to view a short media clip and then answer a series of questionnaires assessing their current body change strategies (e.g., pathogenic weight control practices), interest in risky body behaviors (e.g., cosmetic surgery), esteem (i.e., genital, sexual, and self-esteem), and overall body image …

Phonological Working Memory Deficits In Adhd Revisited: The Role Of Lower-Level Information Processing Deficits In Impaired Working Memory Performance, Joseph Raiker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Working memory deficits in children with ADHD are well established; however, insufficient evidence exists concerning the degree to which lower-level cognitive processes contribute to these deficits. The current study dissociates lower level information processing abilities (i.e., visual registration, orthographic conversion, and response output) in children with ADHD and typically developing children and examines the unique contribution of these processes to their phonological working memory performance. Thirty-four boys between 8 and 12 years of age (20 ADHD, 14 typically developing) were administered novel information processing and phonological working memory tasks. Between-group differences were examined and bootstrap mediation analysis was used to …