Service Engagement And Serious Mental Illness: The Obstacles And Barriers To Attendance In A Post-Treatment Recovery Outpatient Setting,
2014
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Service Engagement And Serious Mental Illness: The Obstacles And Barriers To Attendance In A Post-Treatment Recovery Outpatient Setting, Marisa Jeanne Friedman
PCOM Psychology Dissertations
This qualitative study examined the factors that affect treatment adherence and service engagement in individuals with serious mental illnesses (SMI). A semistructured interview was used to collect data from treatment adherent and treatment nonadherent adults with SMI. What factors make one more or less likely to disengage from treatment? What boundaries stand in the way of quality mental-health care, and how do adults with SMI overcome these barriers? Service engagement in the population with SMI in the study was explained according to three healthcare behavioral models, the health belief model, the network episode model, and the demoralization framework model. Data …
Improving Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Homework Adherence With Change Talk And Commitment Language: A Cognitive Dissonance Perspective Of Behavioral Change,
2014
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Improving Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Homework Adherence With Change Talk And Commitment Language: A Cognitive Dissonance Perspective Of Behavioral Change, Robert J. Brecher
PCOM Psychology Dissertations
Adherence to homework assigned during cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is an important factor contributing to positive outcomes. However, rates of adherence are poor, limited evidence supporting methods to improve adherence is limited. The current study aimed to develop and test an intervention designed to promote CBT homework adherence based on cognitive dissonance theory. Patients participating in outpatient CBT were randomly assigned to either an experimental or a control condition. In the experimental condition, participants engaged in an induced-compliance procedure eliciting change talk targeting the recommended homework activity. The control condition consisted of treatment as usual. Owing to limited sample size (n …
In Their Own Words: Perceived Experiences And Family Functioning Of Suicide Survivors Before And After Suicide Loss,
2014
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
In Their Own Words: Perceived Experiences And Family Functioning Of Suicide Survivors Before And After Suicide Loss, Wendy Shallcross Lam
PCOM Psychology Dissertations
This research explored the unique experiences of relatives of individuals who have died by suicide, termed suicide survivors, in an in-depth fashion using qualitative methods. Through a semi-structured interview, the present study explored how families dealt with general stress prior to the experience of suicide loss, how they handled the loss of a family member to suicide, and what has been used to cope in the aftermath. A major focus was to explore whether or not the event of suicide dramatically altered family dynamics or if families continued a pre-existing interaction pattern established prior to the loss. The results revealed …
Children's Cognitive Processing Of Abuse As Described In Investigative Interviews.,
2014
Wilfrid Laurier University
Children's Cognitive Processing Of Abuse As Described In Investigative Interviews., Kayleen A. Willemsen, Kim P. Roberts
Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)
A great deal of research has examined ways in which investigative interviewers can elicit accurate information from children. More recently, research has studied children’s own thoughts or comprehension of abuse, and how these types of statements relate to disclosure, others’ perceptions of child witnesses, and psychological trauma. However, little research has investigated multiple types of children’s thoughts about abuse as they occur in an actual investigative interview. The current study examined seven types of statements children made about their abuse in a sample of 86 transcripts of investigative interviews conducted by Child Protective Services and a police department in a …
Mental Health Care In Mcallen Texas: Utilization, Expenditure, And Continuum Of Care,
2014
Antioch University - New England
Mental Health Care In Mcallen Texas: Utilization, Expenditure, And Continuum Of Care, Josefina Irigoyen
Antioch University Dissertations & Theses
In 2009, Gawande published an article in The New Yorker that put the unknown mid-sized South Texas city of McAllen on the map. The article stated that McAllen was one of the most expensive health care markets in the country; it caused such media-frenzy that in a few days President Barack Obama (2009) began citing McAllen in his speeches for health care reform. Gawande concluded that overspending in the area was due to overutilization of medical services. The present study examined whether mental health services are overutilized based on archival data on McAllen's mental health services collected from Medicaid, Tropical …
How Young Adults Make Meaning Of Their Family Intergenerational Solidarity Through The Use Of Music,
2014
Antioch University - New England
How Young Adults Make Meaning Of Their Family Intergenerational Solidarity Through The Use Of Music, Keri B. Petrone
Antioch University Dissertations & Theses
This qualitative research project explores how young adults make meaning of their family intergenerational solidarity through the use of music. The project employed a type of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to unlock meaning-making themes among young adults. Data collection consisted of interviewing ten young adults whose family had unintentionally or intentionally used music to increase their family intergenerational solidarity. The interviews were semi-structured. This study attempted to capture the depth of each young adult’s meaning-making. Seven general themes emerged: (a) I have experienced bonding with my family members through the use of music; (b) I have experienced emotional and/or psychological …
Enhancing Coping Skills In Adolescents: A Program Evaluation Of The Middletip Program,
2014
Antioch University - New England
Enhancing Coping Skills In Adolescents: A Program Evaluation Of The Middletip Program, Melody Bongiorno Frank
Antioch University Dissertations & Theses
In the last decade of the 20th century, several large-scale studies suggested that the developmental trajectory for students diagnosed with emotional disturbance is bleak. Middletip School (MTS) is an alternative day treatment program that serves emotionally disturbed (ED) students (ages 12-19) through a daily offering of academic classes, and counseling and treatment groups. Using individually tailored, strength-based programming, MTS is designed to help ED youth in the areas of emotion regulation and behavior management, with a focus on building coping, relational, social, and communication skills. This dissertation project was a program evaluation in a natural setting examining the processes of …
The Effects Of Nesting Environment On Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Injury,
2013
University of Massachusetts Boston
The Effects Of Nesting Environment On Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Injury, Laura Grace Rollins
Graduate Masters Theses
Term neonates with hypoxic-ischemic (HI) injury are at risk for devastating neurological sequelae. The objective of this study is to determine if altering the early environment for maternal care-taking impacts the immediate and long-term sequelae of HI offspring. The Rice-Vannucci model was used to induce HI in postnatal day (PND) 7 Long-Evans pups. Litters were assigned to a closed nest (CN) or normal standard housing (SH) condition. Neurobehavioral development, cognitive ability, and stress response were assessed to establish any benefits of the CN condition. Finally, postmortem brain tissue was analyzed for morphometric markers of injury.
Maternal Self-Efficacy And Perceived Stigma Among Mothers Of Children With Asd, Adhd, And Typically Developing Children,
2013
University of Massachusetts Boston
Maternal Self-Efficacy And Perceived Stigma Among Mothers Of Children With Asd, Adhd, And Typically Developing Children, Sara D. Rosenblum-Fishman
Graduate Doctoral Dissertations
Maternal self-efficacy (a mother's beliefs about her parenting competence) is an important area of mothers' wellbeing and overall family functioning. This study examined environmental factors that are related maternal self-efficacy among mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD group), mothers of children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD group), and mothers of typically developing children (Typical group). Environmental factors included (a) messages of criticism or blame about one's parenting competence (parenting-related perceived stigma), (b) child problem behaviors, (c) maternal stress, and (d) social support. One hundred eighty mothers of school-age children living in the United States completed the measures on-line. Results …
Big Five Personality Traits, Pathological Personality Traits, And Psychological Dysregulation: Predicting Aggression And Antisocial Behaviors In Detained Adolescents,
2013
University of New Orleans
Big Five Personality Traits, Pathological Personality Traits, And Psychological Dysregulation: Predicting Aggression And Antisocial Behaviors In Detained Adolescents, Katherine S. L. Lau
LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations
This study tested the utility of three different models of personality, namely the social and personality model, the pathological personality traits model, and the psychological dysregulation model, in predicting overt aggression, relational aggression, and delinquency in a sample of detained boys (ages 12 to 18; M age = 15.31; SD = 1.16). Results indicated that the three personality approaches demonstrated different unique associations with aggression and delinquency. The psychological dysregulation approach, composed of behavioral dysregulation, emotional dysregulation, and cognitive dysregulation, emerged as the overall best predictor of overt aggression, relational aggression, and delinquency. After controlling for the Big Five personality …
Family Processes As Moderators Of The Impact Of Peer, School, And Neighborhood Influences On Adolescent Aggression,
2013
Virginia Commonwealth University
Family Processes As Moderators Of The Impact Of Peer, School, And Neighborhood Influences On Adolescent Aggression, Alison Kramer-Kuhn
Theses and Dissertations
Despite theoretical support for the role of the family in providing a foundation to protect youth against risks for aggression, there is little published literature examining a protective influence. This study examined family functioning and perceived parental messages about fighting and nonviolence as moderators of the relation between risk factors and adolescent aggression. The specific risk factors included affiliating with a delinquent group of peers, attending a school with norms that support aggression, and witnessing violence within the community. Secondary analyses were conducted on data collected from a high-risk sample of 537 adolescents in 2 cohorts from 18 schools. Adolescents …
Suicide-Related Imagining And Acquired Capability: Investigating The Role Of Imagery In Self-Harm Behaviors,
2013
Western Kentucky University
Suicide-Related Imagining And Acquired Capability: Investigating The Role Of Imagery In Self-Harm Behaviors, Tara C. Holaday
Masters Theses & Specialist Projects
The purpose of this investigation was to examine the role of suicide-related mental imagery in suicidal behavior. It was hypothesized that engagement (frequency, emotional impact, vividness, realism) with suicidal imagery would be related to suicidality, with greater engagement with imagery associated with more suicidal behaviors. Acquired capability for suicide was expected to be a mediator of this relationship. These hypotheses were tested by surveying 237 undergraduate university students (59% female; mean age = 20). Students completed a packet of self-report measures: The Modified Suicidal Cognitions Interview, The Acquired Capability for Suicide Scale, and the Self-Harm Behavior Questionnaire. Results suggested that …
Feeling Sad? Maybe You Are Just Uncertain! A Predictive Test For Depression,
2013
Western Kentucky University
Feeling Sad? Maybe You Are Just Uncertain! A Predictive Test For Depression, Dana Elizabeth Larson
Masters Theses & Specialist Projects
The current study examined the relationship between depression and uncertainty within the stress-diathesis model. Depression is a mental health disorder that is wide spread within our society. However, few causes of this disease have been able to be identified. Studies in uncertainty have shown that it is a major stressor in day-to-day life. Previous research has shown that individuals with high levels of uncertainty show higher levels of depression. The stress-diathesis model, a model originally developed to explain differences in development of schizophrenia, provides a theoretically meaningful way to combine these two concepts. The model states that a person who …
Examining The Relations Among Trauma, Distress, Resilience, And Physical Health,
2013
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Examining The Relations Among Trauma, Distress, Resilience, And Physical Health, Kathryn Elizabeth Chaisson
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
This study examined the role of traumatic distress as a mediator in the relation between trauma exposure and somatic malaise and healthcare utilization. Resilience was examined as a moderator between trauma exposure and somatic malaise and healthcare utilization, then between trauma exposure and traumatic distress. A total of 206 female participants recruited from an obstetrics and gynecology specialty practice completed measures of trauma exposure, traumatic distress, resilience, somatic malaise, and healthcare utilization. Multiple hierarchical regressions were performed to test the hypothesized relations. Results indicated that trauma exposure was a significant predictor of traumatic distress and resilience, and of somatic malaise …
Interaction Of Parent Pain And Child Empathy On Child Depression: A Pilot Study,
2013
Loma Linda University
Interaction Of Parent Pain And Child Empathy On Child Depression: A Pilot Study, Ketlyne Sol
Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects
Children aged 11-17, in their relationships with their parents, are capable of experiencing a negative mood if their parent is in pain. According to the empathy-altruism hypothesis, people that are high on empathy will want to help someone in distress with the ultimate goal of benefitting the other person. Because of this, the empathy-altruism hypothesis proposes that if an attempt to help is not resolved, the person will report more negative mood. Because children are capable of experiencing empathy for their parents in distress and feel a negative mood as a result, it was hypothesized that an interaction between empathy …
Predictors Of Addiction Treatment Attrition,
2013
Loma Linda University
Predictors Of Addiction Treatment Attrition, Suranee Abeyesinhe
Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA’s) National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 23.5 million persons aged 12 or older needed treatment for an illicit drug or alcohol abuse problem in 2009 (9.3 percent of persons aged 12 or older). Unfortunately, addiction treatment completion rates remain relatively low, looming around 50%. In order for treatment programs to be more effective, it is imperative that risk factors for attrition are identified, and that programs strive to combat these risks through personalized engagement and individually tailored treatment programs. This study aims to identify specific risk factors for …
Family Support: A Buffer For Parenting Stress Among Ethnic Minority Parents Of Children With Dd,
2013
Loma Linda University
Family Support: A Buffer For Parenting Stress Among Ethnic Minority Parents Of Children With Dd, Susanna Luu
Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects
Adapting to a new culture is a stressful experience for some ethnic minorities. Lower acculturation in ethnic minorities is related to high levels of stress. Parents of children with developmental delays (DD) typically experience high levels of stress, particularly parenting stress. Therefore, ethnic minority families of children with development delays may be at risk for especially high levels of parenting stress due to the additive stress of adapting to a new culture. Currently, there is uncertainty within the field about the relationship between acculturation and parenting stress given that studies have found both low and high levels of acculturation to …
Actively Caring About The Actively Caring Survey: Evaluating The Reliability And Validity Of A Measure Of Dispositional Altruism,
2013
East Tennessee State University
Actively Caring About The Actively Caring Survey: Evaluating The Reliability And Validity Of A Measure Of Dispositional Altruism, Philip Randall
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Geller’s Actively Caring Survey (ACS) was theorized to measure person states deemed necessary to “Actively Care” or act altruistically toward others. Empirical research of the ACS has been limited, and this researcher sought to evaluate its reliability, validity, and factorial consistency. Undergraduate students (n = 1,095) completed the measure online. Hypotheses were partially supported. Unrotated primary component analysis found the ACS to be a unitary measure with 73.3% of the items loading onto the first factor. The ACS showed excellent internal consistency. Convergent and divergent validity with existing measures (i.e., the Big 5 Personality, Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability, Cognitive Failures …
Technology Use In Rural Appalachia: A Pilot Study Of The Implications For Pediatric Behavioral Health,
2013
East Tennessee State University
Technology Use In Rural Appalachia: A Pilot Study Of The Implications For Pediatric Behavioral Health, Courtney E. Lilly
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Technology is a promising means for increasing rural individuals’ access to behavioral healthcare. However, the range of technology use in rural areas is currently unknown. The aims of this study were to examine the use of technology in rural areas, the relationship between technology use and willingness to access pediatric mental health services via videoconferencing, and this relationship within the context of other critical variables linked to service uptake. Data were collected at 2 pediatric primary care clinics. While no significant relationship was found between technology use and willingness to use videoconferencing, a significant relationship emerged between previous service seeking …
Who Done It? Rurality Vs. Ses As Critical Factors In Evaluating The Prevalence Of Child Psychosocial Concerns In Primary Care,
2013
East Tennessee State University
Who Done It? Rurality Vs. Ses As Critical Factors In Evaluating The Prevalence Of Child Psychosocial Concerns In Primary Care, Robert M. Tolliver
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of child psychosocial concerns in rural primary care, hypothesized to be greater than national averages due to lacking mental health services in rural areas. This study was an examination of the role of SES, various definitions of “rural,” and the interaction of SES and rurality, in predicting parent-reported child psychosocial concerns in Appalachian primary care clinics. Caregivers presenting with their child at one of 8 pediatric primary care sites (n=2,672) were recruited to complete a measure assessing demographics and the Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC). Results showed that while rural status …
