Clinical Psychology Commons^™

An Examination Of Mmpi-3 Score Patterns Of Sex-Trafficked Women, Edleen De Jesus-Sanchez

Theses and Dissertations

Sex trafficking is a hidden crime that affects many vulnerable groups such as women and children. Prior research has demonstrated that individuals currently or formerly engaged in sex trafficking experience heightened levels of depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other mental health concerns. Most of these studies relied on structured interviews and, to date, no empirical studies have evaluated the psychological difficulties of sex trafficking victims with an empirically valid measure. The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-3 (MMPI-3; Ben-Porath & Tellegen, 2020a) is a personality assessment measure widely used to assess sexual abuse survivors, substance abusers, and various inpatient and …

Nightmares And Self-Injury Among High-Risk Adolescents: Examining The Role Of Emotion Regulation, Kinjal K. Patel

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITBs) are a public health concern among youth. SITB rates rise drastically during adolescence -- a critical and sensitive developmental period characterized by dramatic changes in biological and social systems. Prior research has identified distal risk factors which tell us who is at risk for SITBs. Emerging research suggests proximal risk factors may be useful to identify when an individual may be at risk for SITBs. One promising proximal risk factor for SITBs is sleep problems. Although the relation between sleep problems and SITBs has been widely documented, little is known about the short-term, proximal links …

What's Your Type? The Relationship Between Enneagram Personality Style And Psychiatric Diagnosis, Danielle Augusta Huber

Theses and Dissertations

Despite its long history and ever-growing popularity amongst mental health providers and laypeople, the Enneagram model of personality has seen limited empirical support regarding its clinical relevance and efficacy. The present study sought to contribute to the literature supporting the Enneagram’s use in psychotherapy. As a majority of therapeutic services aim for the reduction and/or resolution of psychopathology, often in terms of one or more diagnoses, and as previous research has theorized how the Enneagram model and psychiatric diagnoses might be related (Palmer, 1988), it was the researchers’ intention to analyze whether these theoretical associations could be statistically supported. This …

The Association Between Symptoms Of Adhd And Alcohol Use And Related Consequences In College Students: Social And Environmental Protective And Risk Factors As Moderators Of This Relation, Cameron Shepard Massey

Theses and Dissertations

Alcohol use, while common in college student populations, can bring about significant mental health and educational problems that have negative consequences (Harris et al., 2017; White & Hingson, 2013). Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can also result in significant impairment in academic settings (Kuriyan et al., 2012; Blase et al., 2009, Barbaresi et al., 2007), and those with ADHD often show increased rates of alcohol consumption and related problems, which can greatly increase the risk for students to struggle in college (Barbaresi et al., 2013; Baker et al., 2012). Examining the impact that specific risk and protective factors play in this relation …

Factors Moderating The Association Between Social Network “Drinking Buddies” And Personal Drinking, Karolina Kazlauskaite

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Peer relationships have been implicated as a salient factor on individual drinking outcomes. One specific subset of peers in one’s social network, identified as drinking buddies, have been associated with an elevated risk for harmful drinking in college students—beyond drinking peers in one’s network alone. Despite their salience on individual alcohol outcomes, little is known regarding what makes drinking buddies more or less influential. While moderators of peer influence have been examined, prior research on peer influence predominantly focuses on adolescent populations, presenting gaps in the literature regarding moderators of college student drinking buddies specifically. As such, the current study …

The Impact Of Withdrawing From War: Veteran Attitudes Toward The Afghanistan Withdrawal And Implications On Healthcare Utilization, Mental Health Distress, And Motivation To Serve Again, Delaney J. Bennett Granko M.S.

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined veteran service members from all eras, ranks, branches, and time of service to evaluate the mental and physical health impact of the Afghanistan Withdrawal on their functioning and utilization of healthcare services. To our knowledge, this is the first scientific study examining the Afghanistan Withdrawal's impact on veterans. The researchers aimed to better understand service member attitudes about the withdrawal and their motivation to serve again based on their experience. Qualitative responses were requested to further understand veteran opinions on the withdrawal.

The study sample consisted of 112 veterans from one or more of the United States …

Development And Validation Of The Contemporary Sexual Violence Scale, Corey Frederick Doremus

Theses and Dissertations

College students face an increased risk of sexual violence victimization and perpetration compared to the general population. Although sexual violence experiences within this population have received substantial attention by researchers, studies typically focus on male perpetrators and female victims. Although a number of measures have been developed to assess male sexual violence perpetration, comparatively few have been developed to measure other types of SV such as female perpetration. The current project aimed to develop an empirically supported measure of sexual violence perpetration which assesses the frequency and severity of engagement in discrete sexual violence behaviors and tactics among individuals of …

The Impact Of Social Isolation On The Neural Pathways Of Dopamine Neurons In The Ventral Tegmental Area (Vta) And The Nucelus Accumbens (Nac): Implications For The Treatment Of Depression, Anxiety, And Drug Addiction., Cristian M. Botello, Sasawan Heingraj, John L. Vandeberg, Mario Gil

Research Symposium

As the literature on the Monodelphis domestica continues to grow, it is important to contribute to the knowledge base regarding neural pathways and their role in social behavior in this species. Previous studies have provided evidence that increased activity in ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine neurons were associated with more social activity in mice. It is also known that in traditional rodent models, the Nucleus Accumbens (NAcc) is implicated in interaction reward processes like motivation; however, more research is needed to elucidate the role of the NAcc in social behavior of the M. domestica. The present study was designed …

Smart Technology In Autism Care: Is Rootines Usable, Useful, And Acceptable In Clinical Practice?, Isak Beck, Lonnie Sears

The Cardinal Edge

Smart technologies are rapidly appearing in the healthcare landscape. In this study, we evaluate Rootines, a smartphone app offering remote patient monitoring for kids with developmental and behavioral health concerns. We’re asking families served by the Norton Children’s Autism Center in Louisville, Kentucky to use Rootines together with their child’s clinician for two weeks. Following this, we will use surveys and interviews to probe for the usability (how well the technology can be used), usefulness (how valuable users find the technology), and acceptability (whether the technology can meet user needs) of the Rootines app. Trials in clinical settings are crucial …

Emotion Regulation Tendencies Moderate Momentary Associations Between Sadness, Binge Urges, And Overeating, Jacoby D. Banet, Julia Nicholas, Taylor Penwell, Rowan Hunt, Cheri Levinson

The Cardinal Edge

Background: Eating disorders (EDs) are notably adverse, and previous research emphasizes that analysis of momentary triggers may be useful in determining the factors that maintain ED psychopathology. Negative affect (NA) is one momentary trigger of special interest in regard to binge eating tendencies. While current literature differs on the precise mechanisms by which NA maintains ED psychopathology, emotional regulation has been nevertheless implicated in encouraging binge eating behaviors. The present study explores correlations among sadness, binge urges, and overeating, and assesses emotional avoidance and emotional awareness as potential moderators of these relationships. Method: Participants (N = 34) with moderate …

Excessive Exercise And Its Relationship To Social Appearance Anxiety And Difficulties In Emotional Regulation, Ciaran D. Brown, Hannah Fitterman-Harris Dr

The Cardinal Edge

Background: Excessive exercise is characterized as an eating pathology symptom, often described as an addiction, with typical symptoms of addiction observed such as increased tolerance (i.e., more exercise needed for the same effects), continuation despite acknowledged negative effects, social withdrawal, and withdrawal symptoms when the behavior is discontinued. Our research sought to further understand this phenomenon by exploring its relationship with other characteristics common to eating disorder patients. One such characteristic chosen for this project was Social Appearance anxiety, which is described as a fear or excessive worry about the way you appear to other people, including fears of positive …

Ufo Witness Testimony (Reliability)--'Flyer'

The International Journal of Ecopsychology (IJE)

No abstract provided.

Trauma Mediating The Severity Of Depressive Symptoms In Veterans With Ptsd, Meghan Curtin

Dissertations

Trauma serves as a risk factor for developing both posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. The purpose of this study was to examine trauma type as a mediator in the relationship between gender and severity of depressive symptoms among veterans with PTSD. The literature shows trauma type plays a role in developing PTSD and depressive symptoms. The first hypothesis was that female veterans who met the diagnostic criteria for PTSD would report higher levels of depressive symptoms than their male counterparts. The second hypothesis was that this gender difference would be partly mediated by levels of interpersonal trauma experience. Self-report …

The Effect Of Non-Offending Caregiver Substance Use On Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms In Survivors Of Child Sexual Abuse, Katelynn Robison Jones

Theses and Dissertations

Prevalence rates for child sexual abuse and substance use have often been difficult to determine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2022) estimated that one in four girls and one in thirteen boys experience childhood sexual abuse (CSA) in the United States. Similarly, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (2021) estimated that 58.7% of individuals over the age of 12 have used a substance in the last month. Despite the identification of both of these experiences as relatively common societal concerns, the impact of parental substance use on children and families has primarily been evaluated in a …

Apoe Risk Disclosure: A Review Of Positive And Negative Outcome, Stacey Rowcliffe

Dissertations

Two of this century’s most significant healthcare challenges are Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment, with 40 million people suffering from the diseases. In fact, a conservative estimate projects that both conditions will double every 20 years until 2050. Alzheimer’s disease involves memory impairment, disorientation, confusion, and various problematic behaviors. Presently, no prevention method or cure has been discovered for Alzheimer’s. Mild cognitive impairment typically includes problems with memory, language, thinking, and judgment beyond those typical of one’s age. Usually, these symptoms do not interfere with daily activities but do not improve and have been linked with a risk of …

Investigating The Differences Between Neuropsychological And Physiological Markers In A Ptsd-Only Group Among Vietnam Veterans, Ashtan Madsen

Dissertations

Individuals diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have demonstrated extinction-resistant symptoms and long-lasting impacts on the brain’s functional activity (Krystal et al., 2017; Stark et al., 2015). PTSD illustrates a strong relationship with cognitive functioning, and research has found lower parietal and hippocampal volume and deterioration in brain function and structure, resulting in executive dysfunction, attentional deficits, mood dysregulation, and memory difficulties (Krystal et al., 2017; Stark et al., 2015; Weiner et al. 2017). Sleep has been investigated to better understand its contribution to AD pathologies as well as its impact on PTSD treatment and prognosis. Although sleep’s functions are …

Examinations Of The Close Relationship Processes And Health Framework Among Adult And Adolescent Sexual Minority Men, Trey Victor Dellucci

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Despite advancements in biomedical preventions for HIV, sexual minority males continue to be disproportionately affected by HIV. Previous research has estimated that up to two thirds of HIV incidence among sexual minority male adults occur between main partners. In the past decade, a growing number of studies and intervention trials have focused on main relationships as a context for HIV. Much of this work has focused on adult relationships and has been grounded in interdependence theory and highlighted the importance of relationship functioning in facilitating the decisions couples make around condom use. Fewer studies, however, have examined the association between …

Illness Intrusiveness And Psychosocial Adjustment Among Older Adults With Multimorbidity, Irina Mindlis

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Given the high prevalence of multimorbidity (MM) among older adults and the exponential growth of the older adult U.S. population, identifying factors that can lessen depressive symptoms and improve quality of life (QOL) in this population is timely and important. While it is well established that MM is associated with greater depressive symptoms and poorer QOL (Li et al., 2016; Makovski et al., 2019; Marengoni et al., 2011; Read et al., 2017), the mechanisms underlying these relationships remain understudied. The illness intrusiveness model (Devins et al., 1984) proposes that stressors posed by diseases (disease-related factors) and their treatments (treatment-related factors) …

Abuse Victimization And Impulsivity In Incarcerated Males: Examining The Roles Of Affective Instability And Trauma Symptoms, Jacqueline K. Douglas

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Incarcerated individuals with a history of physical and/or sexual abuse have been found to exhibit increased levels of impulsivity compared to those with no abuse history (Carli et al., 2014; Davis et al., 2017; Sergentanis et al., 2014). Given that impulsivity is a risk factor for criminal delinquency (Carroll et al., 2006; Kamaluddin et al., 2015; Zimmerman, 2010), it is important to gain a thorough understanding of psychological factors that may contribute to higher levels of impulsivity in incarcerated populations. The present study examined the mechanisms underlying the relationship of physical and/or sexual abuse history to impulsivity in a sample …

Understanding The Experiences And Associated Symptomology Of Disclosers And Non-Disclosers Of Sexual Victimization, Kaitlin Carson

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

ABSTRACT

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, as many as 43% of women report experiencing some form of sexual victimization, with the highest rates occurring in emerging adulthood. It is estimated that 75% of survivors disclose this experience to someone else; the remainder of survivors keep the experience to themselves. While disclosure can be therapeutic, there are multiple factors that can complicate the disclosure process for sexual victimization survivors. There is limited research investigating why some women choose to disclose sexual victimization experiences and how their reasons may relate to psychopathology. Additionally, extant research primarily focuses on …