Clinical Psychology Commons^™

The Phenomenology Of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder From The Perspective Of The Adult Support Group Attendee, Richard R. Thomas Jr.

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

This qualitative phenomenological dissertation utilizes the empirical descriptive phenomenological method, a modified Husserlian (1931) approach developed by A. P. Giorgi (1975, 1985, 1997) in order to lend voice to a vulnerable population of eight (four men and four women) adult Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) sufferers while also gleaning a greater understanding of their in vivo (or lived) experience. Though extensive quantitative research into the disorder exists, this study utilizes the words of the participants and searches for emergent themes amongst their collective experience. This study addresses the treatment gap of this crippling disorder, increases community awareness, and allows for emergence of …

The Influence Of Treatment Team Cohesion In The Success Of In-Home Mental Health Treatment For Children And Adolescents With Emotional And Behavioral Disorders, Jaimie C. Orndorff

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

Background: The author pursued this area of interest due to having had a positive experience working as a therapist within a high cohesion treatment team in an in-home setting. This experience with a high cohesion team seemed to lead to more successful results than other teams that were deemed low cohesion, in the same format. This experience led to a general curiosity about why the team this author was on was more effective. Additional research allowed this author to determine the possible link between cohesion, success of treatment and reduced risk for burnout, defined as a response to chronic job …

Promoting Resiliency: Vicarious Posttraumatic Growth In Trauma Clinicians, Christopher Howard

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

Vicarious Posttraumatic Growth (VPG) and Vicarious Traumatization (VT) are two potential outcomes of clinical work with trauma survivors. The aim of this study was to test a predictive model of these constructs, allowing a fuller understanding of preventive strategies clinicians might employ to inoculate themselves against the potential hazards of service provision and provide the highest quality of clinical care. VPG and VT were investigated in 63 self-identified trauma therapists. The results showed that VPG is facilitated by engagement in successful services subsequent to a traumatic event. Self-Care emerged as a poignant buffer against various indices of vicarious traumatization. Other …

Awareness Of Deficit And Driving Simulator Performance After Stroke., Carolyn A. Scott

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

AWARENESS OF DEFICIT AND DRIVING SIMULATOR PERFORMANCE AFTER STROKE

by

CAROLYN A. SCOTT

December 2010

Advisor: Dr. Lisa J. Rapport

Major: Psychology (Clinical)

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

Fifty-four stroke survivors completed a driving evaluation. Measures included predicted, postdicted, and actual performance on a driving simulator evaluation and a modified Biber Cognitive Estimation Test. Survivors nominated a significant other to serve as a knowledgeable informant about their abilities. Awareness of deficit was assessed via survivor-significant other difference scores on the Awareness Questionnaire. Five predictors (age, stroke severity, and awareness of cognitive, behavioral/affective, and motor abilities) reliably distinguished between survivors who …

Trajectories Of Emotion Regulation Into Middle Childhood: An Investigation Of Attachment, Temperament, And Language, Julie Elizabeth Braciszewski

Wayne State University Dissertations

The development of emotion regulation continues to be considered a cornerstone to adaptive child development. However, studies have yet to integrate early relationship, child-centered factors, and socio-demographic factors, from infancy through middle childhood, in an attempt to look at emotional regulation development over time. By utilizing latent growth curve modeling, the current study aimed to extend understanding of how child-centered factors (temperament and language skill) and socio-demographic factors (gender, ethnicity, and family resources) affect the development of emotion regulation from 3rd to 6th grades, within the context of early attachment relationships. Stability in emotion regulation in the general sample, as …

Assessment Of Memory Function And Effort Using The Wechsler Memory Scale - 4th Edition, Justin B. Miller

Wayne State University Dissertations

Even the most psychometrically sound measures are sensitive to the level of effort put forth by the examinee and their intent. This is especially true for measures of memory functioning that are a common target of negative response bias and withholding effort. The aim of the present study was to develop methods for detecting these behaviors for the current edition of the Wechsler Memory Scale, 4th Edition (WMS-IV) using a community sample of healthy adults coached to simulate traumatic brain injury (TBI) and a sample of bona fide TBI survivors. The primary analytic strategy involved generation of prediction models to …

Factors That Influence Help-Seeking Behaviours In Young Men Aged 25 To 30 Years, Meredith Bolland

Theses : Honours

Using Heidegger's (1962) hermeneutic phenomenology informed by van Manen (1984) and Gadamer (1975), this qualitative inquiry has been an exploration, analysis and interpretation of the lived experiences of the help-seeking phenomenon in young men aged 25 to 30 years. A purposive sample of thirteen young men, 25 to 30 years of age, living in urban areas of Perth, were interviewed using in-depth, semi-structured interviews. The ultimate aim of this study was to discover meaning and enhance the understanding of the essential experiences that influence help-seeking behaviours of these young men. The findings of this inquiry indicate a sophisticated emotional discourse …

Predictive Nature Of Commitment Language In Relation To Outcome Of Prolonged Exposure Therapy For Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Aaron P. Brinen

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Sessions of prolonged exposure therapy, an extensively studied treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder, were coded for client verbalization in favor of maintaining or changing the focal behavior of the treatment. The frequency of client verbalization was used to attempt discrimination of group membership based on treatment completion and diagnosis remission. Client language was not predictive of group membership. However, for treatment completers, average frequency of verbalization against the status quo was twice as high as noncompleters when reviewing common reactions experienced following a trauma. Implications for treatment conceptualization and delivery are discussed.

A Cultural Competency Program For Psychologists: Clinical And Supervisory Practices With Latino Culture And Language, Marie C. Weil

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

This study was designed to develop and evaluate an online cultural competence training program for psychologists (N = 6). Psychologists who supervise clinical psychology graduate students were recruited via their affiliations with the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM), the National Council of Schools and Programs of Professional Psychology (NCSPP), the Association of Psychology Training Clinics (APTC), the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC), and the Pennsylvania Psychological Association (PPA). The purpose of the study was to address multicultural training gaps between supervisors and doctoral students in psychology and to meet the psychological needs of Latinos, the largest …

Improving Primary Care Outcomes For Hispanics With Anxiety Disorders : A Randomized Clinical Trial Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Velma -. Barrios

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The proportion of Hispanics in psychosocial treatment outcome research is limited. To our knowledge, no randomized clinical trials have investigated the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy in adult Hispanics with anxiety disorders. This is important because Hispanics are among the fastest growing minority group in the U. S., and as a group, they evidence pervasive and persistent anxiety disorders. The growth of the Hispanic population has taken place while social service systems are ill prepared to address the needs of these individuals. In this study, we addressed this gap in the literature by evaluating the difference in clinical effectiveness of cognitive …

Do You See What I See? : Testing The Effects Of Race And Social Class On Therapists' Recognition Of And Attributions For Intimate Partner Violence, Susana Blanco

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

An estimated 5.3 million intimate partner violence (IPV) victimizations occur among U.S. women each year (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2008). Because of the high prevalence, Harway and Hansen (2004) recommended that therapists assume that all women presenting for therapy may be at risk for violence. However, assessment for IPV is not standard practice. In fact, studies repeatedly indicate that therapists tend to under-identify IPV (e.g., Harway & Hansen, 1993).

The Neuropsychological Deficits In Cannabis Users : Does Motivation Play A Role?, Rayna Beth Ericson

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Prior research of the neuropsychological functioning of cannabis users has yielded mixed results, in that some studies identified differences compared to non-users, while others found no group differences at all. A meta-analysis revealed a small effect of cannabis use on the cognitive domains of learning and forgetting, while domains such as attention and processing speed yielded no effect (Grant et al., 2003). However, none of the previous studies assessed the participants' motivation to perform well on the assessment, which may have influenced the results. The present study sought to determine whether motivation is differentially demonstrated in cannabis users compared to …

Psychosocial Factors Contributing To Medication Non-Adherence, Health-Related Quality Of Life, And Disease Activity In Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Alejandra Halperin Faust

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are chronic and are characterized by periodic exacerbations followed by symptom-free intervals. Symptoms can have a detrimental impact on quality of life. Medication non-adherence in adults with IBD has been well-documented in the literature; continuous medication use is necessary to prevent flares of the disease. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was three-fold: (1) to examine associations between medication non-adherence, disease activity, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL), (2) to examine if group differences were present for patients who were high versus low in anxiety or depression in terms of their medication non-adherence, …

Prospective Effects Of Temperamental Reactivity, Emotion Dysregulation, And Stress On Risk For Anxiety And Depression In Elementary School-Age Children, Jeremy Kyle Fox

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Temperamental reactivity and emotion dysregulation are both considered important vulnerability factors in the development of childhood anxiety and depression. Little is known, however, about how these emotional processes work together to shape developmental pathways to internalizing difficulties.

An Examination Of Predictors Of Relational And Physical Aggression Among African American Early Adolescent Girls : The Role Of Father Involvement, Temperament, And Self-Regulation, Nakia Maureen Hamlett

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Abstract

Brief Motivational Interviewing : An Intervention For Alcohol Abusing College Students, Kelly Jane Horner

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Efforts to curtail alcohol abuse in college with traditional alcohol education programs have been unsuccessful as heavy drinking on college campuses has remained remarkably constant. Brief Motivational Interventions (BMIs) have recently emerged as a viable alternative that facilitates behavior change in students who engage in heavy drinking. The present study recruited college students who violated campus drinking policies and were referred to the University's judicial system. The efficacy of an individualized BMI intervention was compared to that of a group oriented educational intervention and a control condition consisting of a sanction. Possible interaction effects between specific individual characteristics and the …

The Influence Of Contextual Family Stressors On The Relationship Between Parental Psychological Adjustment And Parenting Constructs, Ilana Rebecca Luft

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The present investigation seeks to examine relationships among predictors of three parenting constructs: parental discipline, monitoring and warmth. Specifically, the current investigation examines the relationship between a broad, continuous measure of parental psychosocial adjustment and these parenting constructs, and also the influence of two contextual stressors, family life changes and family economic pressure on this relationship. It was hypothesized that parental psychosocial adjustment and the contextual stress constructs would be predictive of the parenting constructs, such that with greater psychosocial adjustment problems and/or greater contextual stressors, quality of parenting would decline. Additionally, a moderation model was proposed in which it …

The Role Of Organizational Commitment In Practitioner Implementation Of Evidence-Based Practices In Substance Abuse Treatment Settings, Irene Teresa Manfredo

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Organizational commitment (OC) has been linked to different types of work-related behaviors including innovation implementation and professional behavior change but the influence of OC on technology transfer or research to practice processes is as yet unknown. Using a social exchange perspective, the study employed constructs derived from Klein & Sorra (1996) - perceived implementation climate and practitioner innovation-values fit - to understand the association between practitioner level OC and evidence-based practice implementation (EBP) in substance abuse treatment settings. Method: A secondary data analysis was conducted utilizing a 2008 cross-sectional survey of outpatient substance abuse practitioners in eastern New York State …

Biological And Behavioral Correlates Among Young Adults Exposed To Harsh Parenting Practices, Christy Lyn Olezeski

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Whereas the subject of harsh parenting has been a source of debate for many years, research has shown that harsh parenting practices are associated with an increase in behavioral problems, including aggression toward others. However, not all youth who have been subjected to harsh parenting develop problems. Researchers have begun examining moderators of the effects of harsh parenting and other psychosocial stressors, specifically whether functioning in physiological stress response systems buffers or exacerbates the effects of harsh parenting on later functioning. Research also suggests that exposure to stressful situations (including harsh parenting) may affect the biological stress system. In particular, …

Cognitive Factors In Childhood Social Anxiety : The Role Of Hostile Intent And Fear Of Social Evaluation, Julie Lynn Ryan

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The current study sought to expand the literature on the cognitive process of interpretation bias associated with social anxiety in youth. The interpretation bias in social anxiety includes an assumption that others are inherently hostile and critical therefore the child perceives or anticipates social evaluation of the self by others. Despite the studies examining interpretation bias and self-evaluation, no studies examine whether individuals with social anxiety evaluate others critically and hostilely. Additionally, hostile intent has been conceptualized as a single construct. However, we propose that hostile intent is a two-dimensional construct involving hostile thoughts about others and perceiving that others …