Community Psychology Commons^™

Greater Social Cohesion Is Associated With Lower Body Mass Index Among African American Adults, Adolfo G. Cuevas, Ichiro Kawachi, Kasim Ortiz, Mariam Pena, Lorraine R. Reitzel, Lorna H. Mcneill

Publications and Research

Obesity remains a public health issue, especially for Blacks (or African Americans). Obesity is thought to reflect a complex interaction of socioenvironmental, biological, and cognitive factors. Yet, insufficient attention has been given to psychosocial factors like social cohesion within the African American community. Using multivariable linear regression, we examined the association between social cohesion, measured by the Social Cohesion and Trust scale, and body mass index (BMI) with cross-sectional data (n = 1467) from a cohort study (2008–2009). Greater social cohesion was associated with lower BMI (b = -0.88; 95% CI: −1.45, −0.32) in an unadjusted model. The association was …

Spring 2020

Scientia

From the Dean: Forward Motion; Strategic Plan Summary: Make No Little Plans; Alumnus Profile: Principled Prescription - William McDade is making medicine more diverse nationally: Living Our Mission: A Just World - For Mark Potosnak, concern for the environment isn't just a job, it's a moral obligation; One Peace at a Time: Psychology professors LaVome Robinson and Leonard Jason are working to prevent violence in schools; Impactful Inquiry: Real-world opportunities give undergraduate students a head start on their career paths; Lab Notes

Adult Criminal Offenders Recollection Of Childhood Exposure To Trauma And Its Impact, Taneshia V. Sims

Dissertations

Trauma can occur at any age and occurs as a result of an individual experiencing or witnessing an event that threatens or has the potential to threaten their life, well-being, or psychological state of mind. The type, duration, and effect of the trauma varied per person and experiences were shared that had negative effects that could last for the duration of their lifetime. The identification of specific risk factors may help in the development of specialized treatment options that may provide an individual with a greater chance of learning skills that could teach them how to deal with the effects …

Patient, Hospital And State-Level Policy Characteristics Associated With Prevalence Of Treating Opioid Use Disorder In United States Emergency Departments, Rafeek Adeyemi Yusuf

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

The opioid crisis in the United States was declared a public health emergency due to escalating and untoward human, financial, and systemic consequences and effects on the nation. Opioid use disorder (OUD) comprising opioid abuse and dependence is devastating because of its associated chronic relapsing nature, overutilization of healthcare services, rising morbidity and mortality rates, and high cost of care. Efforts to address this have not made significant positive impacts. It is thus imperative to reassess the influence of factors associated with OUD. This study answered the question, what patient-, hospital-, and state-level policy factors were associated with prevalence of …

Identifying Risk Factors For Chronic Kidney Disease Of Unknown Origin In Six Central American Countries And Houston, Texas, Erika Figueroa-Solis

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a public health problem that is recognized worldwide. The type of CKD in Central America does not fit the “usual” CKD encountered in countries with upper middle-income economies, and is also often referred to as CKD of undetermined cause (CKDu). Evidence suggests that CKDu is a disease of occupational origin that can be brought on by a combination of exposures: hot environments, high physical job demands, inadequate hydration protocols, and effects of other nephrotoxic agents. Many gaps remain in knowledge related to CKDu and its putative risk factors, geographic distribution, distributions of renal function in …

Structured Supervision Support: The Association With Time Between Supervision And Treatment Events, Anna H. Hukill

Senior Theses

Supervision is an important resource for assisting mental health providers in providing quality care to clients but not much is known about how its timing unfolds. Data for this study were drawn from the Reaching Families study, which examined the efficacy of a coordinated intervention framework for addressing engagement problems in children’s mental health. Providers from Los Angeles, California and across South Carolina were divided into two groups – one received training in a coordinated framework for addressing low engagement (Coordinated Knowledge System) and the other was a control condition (Delayed Training). The current study examined time between notification of …

Overview Of The Housing First Model: An Underutilized Approach To Ending Homelessness, Catherine A. O'Byrne

Senior Theses

Homelessness is a nuanced social issue that affects every demographic in a community. My final thesis has developed from two main components, a creative project and a research paper, to better understand this multifaceted topic. The creative project was an art-based event to raise both awareness and funds for a local homeless shelter in Columbia, South Carolina. The project was completed in partnership with Transitions Homeless Center and the University of South Carolina. By working with Transitions, I became more aware of the current state of homelessness in South Carolina and of different methods that can continue to mitigate the …

Exploring Perceptions Of Anti-Racism Interventions And Possible Correlates, Marena L. Mcleod

Selected Honors Theses

Although there is a large body of research on anti-racism interventions, little research has been done on participant perceptions of anti-racism interventions or the relationship between certain perceptions and other factors. This study addresses perceptions of anti-racism interventions among college students and how perceptions relate to willingness to attend interventions, aspects of religiousness, identification with all of humanity, and factors such as gender and race. The sample includes 69 undergraduate students, all of whom self-identified as Christian. Results indicate that perceptions were generally positive. It was found that reported importance of interventions, agreement with reasons for positive attitudes, and willingness …

Attitudes And Beliefs Of Christian Denominations Toward Mental Health, Javier Velez

Dissertations

This empirical study assessed common attitudes and beliefs toward mental health services in the varying denominations of Christian churches. Specifically, the objective of this study was to identify the effects of Christian denomination on attitudes toward seeking mental health treatment and to identify whether there are racial and age differences that also impact those attitudes within the church. The study sought to answer the following questions: (a) What is the difference in attitudes and beliefs between different races toward mental health services in the church among Christians? (b) Is there an age difference in attitudes and beliefs toward mental health …

Refining Of Lean Leadership Through Large Group Intervention, Raeshaun Jones

Research Horizons Day Posters

No abstract provided.

Adversity: Its Affect On The Resilience Of Female Pilots, Linda M. Pittenger D.Mgt., Stephanie Douglas Ph.D.

National Training Aircraft Symposium (NTAS)

Women are one of the solutions to alleviating the pending pilot shortage. Becoming a pilot needs to appeal to women. Resilience plays an important role in determining whether women in male-dominated career fields will pursue or abandon their careers. The pilot profession is dominated by masculine beliefs, values and perceptions creating an organizational culture adverse and challenging to women.

The study objective was to explore the influence of adversity on female pilots and its effect on resiliency. In our sample of 1,499 female pilots, we found lower resiliency levels as compared to a general U.S. sample. Additionally, statistically significant differences …

Cognitive Polyphasia In A Global South Populist Democracy: Mapping Social Representations Of Duterte's Regime In The Philippines, Cristina Jayme Montiel, Joshua Uyheng

Psychology Department Faculty Publications

Prevailing scholarship on populism focuses on explaining polarized patterns of support and opposition for populist regimes. This paper extends this conceptualization to account for the fragmented politics of Global South democracies. Invoking the concept of cognitive polyphasia, we map the Filipino public’s social representations of Duterte’s populist regime in the Philippines. Utilizing a mixed methods approach, we uncover a representational field organized by the two dimensions of political alignment (support vs. opposition) and political frame (individual vs. system). Diversely embedded in this polyphasic field, supporters of the regime may construct Duterte’s individual leadership in terms of paternalistic patriotism, or the …

1990s Grunge And Its Effect On Adolescents, Bailey Gomes

Conspectus Borealis

No abstract provided.

Asians Applying For Postsecondary Success: Students, Schools, And Socioeconomic Status, Avery M.D. Davis

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Higher education recruitment rates are rapidly declining as schools are stymied by dynamic demographic shifts and a competitive ecosystem. Despite the constant realities of this challenge for tertiary institutions, the complexities of the interplay for demographics, student motivation, parental influences, and school environments during the postsecondary education application process is often overlooked. This thesis analyses how these four domains impact Asian American students within the Education Longitudinal Study (ELS) in terms of the number of postsecondary schools to which they apply? This study examines a sample (N = 662) of the ELS by employing multivariate regression analysis on the number …

The Experiences Of Parents And Facilitators In A Positive Parenting Program, Lauren Stenason, Jessie Moorman, Elisa Romano

The Qualitative Report

The researchers examined facilitators’ and parents’ experiences with the Positive Discipline in Everyday Parenting (PDEP) program through qualitative methodology. PDEP is a primary prevention program that teaches parents to move away from physical punishment and toward conflict resolution and positive parenting that focuses on stages of child development. Using a phenomenological approach, we conducted focus groups using semi-structured interviews with four PDEP facilitators and seven parents who completed the program. Parents and facilitators indicated that PDEP helped them learn new ways of thinking about parenting and contributed to overall changes in their parenting approach, including finding a balance of structured …

Leveraging The Power Of Mutual Aid, Coalitions, Leadership, And Advocacy During Covid-19, Daniela Domínguez, Dellanira García, David A. Martínez, Belinda Hernandez-Arriaga

Psychology

The COVID-19 pandemic has shed light on the norms, patterns, and power structures in the United States that privilege certain groups of people over others. This manuscript describes COVID-19 as an unprecedented catalyst for social transformation that underscores the need for multi-level and cross-sectoral solutions to address systemic changes to improve health equity for all. The authors propose that the American Psychological Association and its membership can initiate systemic change, in part, by: (a) supporting mutual aid organizations that prioritize the needs of vulnerable communities; (b) leveraging the efforts and strides APA psychologists have already made within the association, in …

Mentor And Mentee Ratings: Are They The Same Or Different?, Brooke Zarotny

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Mentoring is the pairing of two people where the mentor is meant to be a role model and companion for the mentee in the mentee’s area of struggle or deficit. These relationships are meant to be support systems that encourage positive outcomes in youth through frequent meetings between youth and older volunteers. Participants in this project were undergraduate students (i.e., mentors) and middle-school students (i.e., mentees) attending an alternative school in the east south-central region of the United States. The purpose of this school-based case study was to examine the experiences of five mentor and mentee pairs through weekly survey …

Parental Practices And Maternal Warmth As Protective Factors For Problem Behaviors In Mexican Preadolescents, Jaime Fuentes-Balderrama, Cinthia Cruz Del Castillo, Jose Ruben Parra-Cardona, Bernardo Turnbull Plaza, Angélica Ojeda García, Rolando Díaz-Loving

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Epidemiological estimates indicate that approximately 12% of children and adolescents in Mexico are in clinical ranges for psychological disorders. Low-income families in need of psychological support generally encounter understaffed and sometimes inefficient public health services and thus, families frequently constitute the primary source of support for individuals affected by mental health disorders. Empirical studies in the Mexican context have demonstrated that positive parental practices are associated with positive developmental outcomes and low levels of problem behaviors for both children and adolescents. This study aims to identify if such practices act as protective factors for problem behaviors in 306 Mexican students …

Targeting Youth’S Motivation To Change Substance Use Behaviors: Feasibility And Preliminary Outcomes From An Open Trial Of The Free Talk Program In A Short-Term Juvenile Detention Facility, Cassidy L. Tennity

West Chester University Master’s Theses

Juvenile offenders who use substances are at an increased risk for multitude of negative outcomes, including substance use problems in adulthood and recidivism. Interventions that are effective in community settings or long-term juvenile justice settings may not be well suited for implementation in short-term juvenile detention facilities. Free Talk (FT; D’Amico, Chan Osilla, & Hunter, 2010) is a brief motivational intervention that targets motivation to change substance use. The current study aimed to determine whether youth participating in FT within a short-term juvenile detention center reported expected changes in motivation to change substance use. Additionally, we aimed to assess whether …

The Relationship Between Social Media Engagement And Psychological Well-Being In College Students At The University Of New Hampshire, Emily G. D'Antonio

Honors Theses and Capstones

Social media use has increased substantially in recent years, and for the college-aged population, social media is often the leading method of communication. Research indicates this reliance on digital connection could have a negative impact on the health of young adults (Bagroy et al., 2017). The college years are a time of personal growth and defining actions, yet can also be burdened by mental health issues related to stress, anxiety, and depression (Hunt & Eisenberg, 2010). Acknowledging these trends, the current study explores how college students’ specific frequency and intentionality while interacting on social media relates to their psychological well-being. …