Clinical Psychology Commons^™

Childhood Trauma, Stress, Gender, And Depression's Impact On Suicidal Behavior, Emily H. Mezni

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in young adults. Continuous prevention and intervention efforts throughout the world have been made to reduce suicide risk in this population. Two of the biggest known risk factors for suicide is childhood trauma, a traumatic event or events that occur during youth, and depression. Researching the impact childhood trauma and depression make in conjunction with other factors will help to increase knowledge of suicidal behavior. In this study, recent stress and gender will be factored with childhood trauma and depression severity to predict suicidal ideation and attempt. Recent stress is useful …

The Influence Of Intersectionality On Identity And Resilience, Stephanie Washburn

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Co-occurring multiple minority group membership (e.g., ethnic/racial minority and sexual/gender minority) has come to be referred as intersectionality. The purpose of this study was to explore if intersectionality is related to identity and resilience in undergraduate adults. The participant pool consisted of college students from a large metropolitan university in the Southeastern United States, (N = 340), who took an anonymous online self-report survey battery in exchange for course credit. Higher levels of resilience were associated with lower levels of identity distress. Further, identity commitment, but not identity exploration, predicted resiliency. Sexual/Gender Minority (SGM) individuals had lower resiliency than …

Individual And Organizational Challenges To Implementing Prolonged Exposure Therapy In The Military Health System: A Systematic Review Of Client And Provider Perspectives, Paris R. Cloutier

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Military veterans and active-duty service members face high rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a chronic and debilitating condition that is comorbid with other negative psychological and social outcomes. PTSD symptomology in military careers is attributed to unique organizational factors and risks both during and post-deployment. Delivering modern, effective PTSD treatments derived from evidence-based research to the military population is a multi-faceted effort. Among these interventions, prolonged exposure therapy (PE) is a safe and effective trauma-focused treatment for veterans. To yield higher rates of PE success, common challenges faced by both military clients and their clinicians that may be impairing …

Need For Cognition, Empathy, And Self-Esteem As Predictive Factors Of Modern Media Selectivity, Alfredo J. Hurtado Jr.

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Personality traits often drive media selectivity, as individuals seek out specific types of media and media genres for gratification. To further understand selectivity in a modern context, this study examined the personality factors of need for cognition, self-esteem, and empathy in relation to engagement with social media, literature, music, podcasts, video games, and tabletop games, with their associated genres. Analyses of 328 participants revealed that personality traits provided minimal to mild influence in media and genre selection, suggesting that the mechanisms behind media selection are comprised of other psychological and sociological factors.

Coping With Creativity - The Relationship Between Depression/Anxiety And Creative Coping In College-Aged Students, Nelly M. Dragu

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The relationship between creativity and mental illness has been established in the literature. There are multiple possible explanations for how mental illness and creativity are connected, and creativity has shown to be an effective treatment for different mental illnesses (for example, through art therapy). Despite this, there is limited research on which creative activities those with mental illnesses naturally use to cope. Information on the type of creative coping that the mentally ill naturally gravitate to and find most effective can further inform possible treatment plans and suggestions. This study aims to address gaps in the literature concerning how college-aged …

The Role Of Parental Attachment In The Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Experiences And Depression In Emerging Adult Males, Kerstin Gracia

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Experiencing adversity during childhood can impact mental health throughout adolescence and into adulthood. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are comprised of different types of abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction. Children who experience ACEs are more likely to display internalizing (e.g., depression) and externalizing (e.g., acting out) behavior problems in adolescence. Those with insecure attachment styles are more likely to have grown up in a disorganized, inconsistent environment and have an increased chance of experiencing ACEs. The current study examined the relationships among ACEs, depression, and parental attachment in emerging adult men, with parental attachment tested as the mediating factor. It was …

Co-Occurrence Of Autism Spectrum Disorder And Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder With Idiopathic Hypersomnia: Data From The Hypersomnia Foundation Registry, Sophie Sevan Mikkelsen

Honors Undergraduate Theses

In recent years, hypersomnia patients and researchers alike have increasingly discussed the possibility of heightened comorbidities, or co-occurrences, of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with the central disorders of hypersomnolence: idiopathic hypersomnia (IH) and narcolepsy (N). While a few scarce studies have investigated a link between ADHD and N, there has been no research on the co-occurrence of these conditions with IH. This study, using data from the Hypersomnia Foundation’s CoRDS Patient Registry, is the first to identify self-reported rates of ASD and ADHD diagnoses by people with idiopathic hypersomnia. Four chi-square tests were conducted to determine …

The Comparative Efficacy Of Ketamine And Esketamine In Treating Anhedonia And Suicidal Ideation: A Meta-Analysis, Yanyi Wu

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This meta-analysis examines the efficacy and effectiveness of racemic ketamine (RS-ketamine) and esketamine in reducing depressive symptoms such as suicidal ideation and anhedonia in patients suffering from treatment-resistant depression and bipolar disorder. This review comprehensively looks at six studies: three clinical studies focusing on suicidal ideation and three looking at anhedonia. Across the studies, RS-ketamine and esketamine were associated with a higher resolution of suicidal ideation, risk, and anhedonia. Significant improvements were noted in the suicidal desire and ideation subscale of the Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation. The pooled effect size for suicidal ideation (d = 0.533) and pooled …

An Exploration Of The Lived Experiences And Psychological States Of Migrants And Refugees, Zainab Akef, Senel Poyrazli, Isabel Quintero

The Qualitative Report

UNHCR reports that about 82.4 million individuals were forcibly displaced as they attempted to avoid persecution, conflict, or human rights violations in their home countries. In addition to traumatic experiences, refugees encounter stressors such as low income, reduced social support, and language barriers. This qualitative study aimed to explore the impact of pre-migration trauma and political detainment on mental health outcomes and living conditions. A total of eight interviewees participated in video conferencing interviews. A non-probability convenience sampling using the snowballing technique was utilized to identify participants. Data were analyzed using an inductive approach for thematic analysis. The software Dedoose …

Therapist Engagement With Patient Nonverbal Behavior: Exploring These Interactions As A Mechanism Of Change In Virtual And In-Person Short-Term Psychotherapy, Elliana Sheriwn

Dissertations and Theses

The individual (intrapsychic) and dyadic (interpersonal) implications of nonverbal behavior have kindled interest among psychologists for decades. Many researchers and clinicians have studied nonverbal communication in the context of attachment and moment-to-moment interactions between parent and infant (Stern, 1977; Beebe et al., 2000). Theorists have also explored nonverbal behavior in the clinical setting as a dynamic relational dimension co-created by patient and therapist (Freedman and Lavendar, 1995). Although the extant literature highlights how nonverbal communication can inform psychotherapy outcome (e.g., by fostering empathy and building rapport), the topic of therapist engagement with patient nonverbal behavior—specifically, how these interactions serve as …

Social Determinants Of Psychosis: An Examination Of Loneliness, Stress, Discrimination, And Neighborhood Cohesion In Psychotic Disorders, Alexandria Selloni

Dissertations and Theses

This study examined social determinants in individuals diagnosed with psychotic disorders in a large, diverse, sample from the NIH-sponsored All of Us Research Program. Participants completed self-report measures of loneliness, perceived stress, everyday discrimination, and neighborhood social cohesion. Analyses showed that individuals with a diagnosis of a psychotic disorder experience significantly more feelings of loneliness, stress, everyday discrimination, and poorer neighborhood social cohesion compared to individuals without any diagnosis of a mental disorder as well as compared to individuals who may have other mental disorders other than psychosis. We further examined racial difference among individuals with psychotic disorders and found …

The Menstrual Cycle In Psychotherapy: Interventions, Therapist Engagement, And Blind Spots, Rozita Alaluf

Dissertations and Theses

There is a dearth of literature on psychotherapy and menstruation, except for the treatment and diagnosis of issues associated with premenstrual distress. This study aimed to bridge this gap by investigating the frequency and context of discussions about the menstrual cycle, the factors influencing therapists’ engagement with this topic, and the therapeutic approaches utilized to address the menstrual cycle within psychotherapy.

In phase 1, 118 psychotherapists from various theoretical backgrounds completed a survey on menstruation in clinical practice. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. In phase 2, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 7 psychotherapists, primarily identifying their theoretical orientation …

Motherhood In Crisis: A Qualitative Study Of First-Time Mothers Diagnosed With Breast Cancer, Tamzin M. Baker

Dissertations and Theses

The aim of this study is to explore the psychological impact of pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC) on a first-time mother’s identity. What effects does life-threatening illness have on the development of maternal identity and connection? This question was explored with a sample of six mothers via semi-structured interview and self-report measure with the aim to shed light on a scarcely studied phenomenon that is predicted to affect a greater number of mothers in the future. These research questions were explored through Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) (Smith et al., 2009) resulting in group experiential themes and three theoretical constructs: (1) a …

Teach Them How To Say Goodbye: Student Therapist Termination At A Psychodynamic Training Clinic, Michael Ferrara

Dissertations and Theses

Termination is arguably one of the most important aspects of psychotherapy, however, the research into training for termination is sparse. Further, student therapists report that their training for termination provided little guidance, instruction, or acknowledgment of clinical realities around treatment endings. Using a semi-structured interview with a sample of 11 student therapists at a psychodynamic training clinic, this study explored experiences of termination and the preparation for those endings. Qualitative thematic analysis indicated that this group of student therapists did not experience shared and structured termination training but did not feel they were unprepared for the endings with their patients. …

Identity-Focused Therapist Self-Disclosure In Matched Sexual/Gender Minority Dyads: A Longitudinal Therapy Process-Outcome Study, Brian Thomas Neff

Dissertations and Theses

Therapist self-disclosure (TSD) is a controversial clinical intervention whose benefits and drawbacks remain contested. Notably, no prior research has differentiated explicitly between self-disclosures related to the therapist’s core identities and those peripheral to identity, and qualitative studies suggest that identity-focused therapist self-disclosure (TSD-I) may be beneficial when therapist and patient share at least one marginalized identity. LGBTQ+ people, who experience significant health disparities and utilize psychotherapy more than their heterosexual and cisgender counterparts, could benefit particularly from TSD-I. The mental and physical health challenges facing LGBTQ+ individuals are predominantly explained through minority stress theory, which suggests that societal prejudice and …

The Development Of A Computerized Text Analysis Measure Of Differentiation Relatedness: A Pilot Study, Liang Yi Wong

Dissertations and Theses

Self-definition and relatedness are considered two important processes for psychological development. Self-definition refers to an individual’s ability to maintain a stable, agentic, integrated sense of self that is differentiated from others. Relatedness refers to one’s ability to establish and maintain mutually reciprocal, stable, interpersonal relationships. Research shows that impairments in self-definition and relatedness are connected with various forms of personality and psychiatric disorders. Assessing for these impairments may allow clinicians and researchers to identity relevant factors that lead to therapeutic change. One way to assess for self-definition and relatedness is by understanding an individual’s description of self and others, which …

Policing With A Double-Edged Sword: The Associations Between Neighborhood Deprivation, Coping & Substance Use Among Black & Latiné Families, Neil M. Allicock

Dissertations and Theses

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated systemic racial inequities among Black and Latiné communities, increasing daily stressors such as exposure to violence, racial discrimination, and negative perceptions of the police. Social constraints from quarantining and social distancing have weakened community relationships that previously provided relief from these stressors. Persistent poverty and racial discrimination further strain community ties and challenge the well-being of marginalized communities. Negative experiences with the police are unique stressors for Black and Latiné youth, potentially increasing their risk for substance use. The erosion of community ties may heighten psychological stress and lead to less adaptive coping methods, such …

Mentalized Affectivity Among Adolescents In Wilderness Therapy: An Initial Exploration, William Holland

Dissertations and Theses

Mentalized affectivity (MA) blends emotion regulation and mentalization in a single construct that underlies psychopathology and is a target of psychotherapeutic intervention as a mechanism of change. Little research has investigated MA’s role in psychopathology and treatment for adolescents. Change in MA has yet to be investigated. Wilderness therapy is a non-traditional treatment model for “hard-to-reach” adolescents; its mechanisms of change have not been robustly researched. This study aims to investigate change in adolescents’ MA capacities over the course of wilderness therapy, in order to explore the role of MA components (Identifying, Processing, Expressing) in adolescent psychopathology; the relation between …

Making Sense Of The Space Between: A Qualitative Study Of Therapist’S Experience And Use Of Therapeutic Enactments, Paul Ballantyne Lafreniere

Dissertations and Theses

This study sought to examine a particular category of technical challenge in therapy: enactments. Enactments, broadly defined, are moments or stretches of time in therapy where both the patient and therapist cannot put their conflicts into words, and instead act them out within the therapeutic milieu. These phenomena frequently elicit shame and guilt on the part of the therapist, and can prove detrimental to treatment. Equally, however, investigation of these moments within treatment can be of considerable clinical utility. In this qualitative phenomenological study, 6 therapists were interviewed about their experiences working with enactments in clinical practice. The strategies which …

Adult Play And Its Relations To The Working Alliance And Psychosocial Dysfunction In Short-Term Psychotherapy, Charlotte B. Gendron

Dissertations and Theses

The importance of play in child development is well-documented: the capacity to play is associated with psychological health, and the cognitive and affective processes involved in play, such as fantasy, symbolism, narrative organization, divergent thinking, and affective expression, relate to areas of adaptive functioning. Research also illustrates that the inability to play is associated with adverse experiences in children, and that play therapy can facilitate the development of play and subsequent psychological health. In addition to its relation to psychological health, the capacity to play in childhood is inextricably linked to the infant-caregiver relationship. There is less literature on what …