Health Psychology Commons^™

Pathological Or Religious Emotions? Exploring The Effect Of The Fear Of Divine Punishment On The Subjective Well-Being Of Devout Indonesian Muslims, Subhan El Hafiz, Jas Laile Suzana Jafaar, Ahmad Shamsuri Muhamad

Makara Human Behavior Studies in Asia

The fear of divine punishment has been identified as a religiosity marker among Muslims. Nonetheless, scholars hold varying perspectives on this emotion. While some consider it a pathological emotion, others view it as a religious emotion. To further investigate this issue, a study was conducted involving 392 non-clinical devout Muslims in Indonesia, using a measurement tool to assess excessive fear of divine punishment. The findings revealed that devout Muslims scored high on the measurement, implying that the fear of divine punishment is not an excessive or pathological emotion but rather a religious one. Although it indicates Muslim religiosity, the emotion …

The Moderating Role Of Coping Strategies In The Relationship Between Depressive Symptoms And Hypersexuality Among Young Filipino Adults, Kathryn H. Jacob, Voltaire M. Marquez

Makara Human Behavior Studies in Asia

Mental health among young adults is receiving increasing attention because of its significant influence on overall well-being, including physical health, interpersonal relationships, and daily functioning. Among the key concerns within this age group are depression and hypersexuality. This study investigated the moderating role of coping strategies in the relationship between depressive symptoms and hypersexuality. We hypothesize that adaptive coping strategies—such as problem- and emotion-focused coping—would attenuate the negative effects of depressive symptoms on hypersexual behavior, whereas avoidant coping would intensify this relationship. To test these assumptions, a cross-sectional explanatory study was conducted involving 407 Filipino young adults aged 18 to …

Sanctuary: Counter-Oppressive Relationships With Farmed Animals As An Ecopsychological Imperative, Kelsey Bomboy

The International Journal of Ecopsychology (IJE)

Consumers are intentionally shielded from and often misled about the process of breeding, raising, and slaughtering animals for consumption. By confining most farmed animals to warehouses in rural areas while the majority of humans are sequestered in urban areas, we have effectively created a world where humans do not have to contend with the sense of interconnectedness that arises when witnessing and being witnessed by a farmed animal. Within industrial slaughterhouses, the physical act of killing is minimized to just a fraction of the workers, so that even those who are responsible for rendering a once living being will never …

Impact Of An All-Gender Cabin Intervention At A Residential Summer Camp On Self-Esteem And Perceived Social Support In Lgbtq+ Youth, Suzanne D. Dinubile

Doctoral Dissertations

This study is a program evaluation with a mixed-methods design that evaluated the impact of Camp Tawonga’s All-Gender Cabin Intervention and LGBTQ+ programming showed no statistically significant changes, likely due to small sample size, but descriptive trends indicated improved outcomes for LGBTQ+ youth in All-Gender cabins. Semi-structured interviews with six LGBTQ+ campers revealed increased self-awareness and acceptance, empowerment, self-confidence, and a stronger sense of belonging within the LGBTQ+ community, along with positive interactions with non-LGBTQ+ peers. Notably, the three campers in All-Gender cabins highlighted unique themes of identity affirmation, emotional and behavioral growth, and relief from minority stress. Findings support …

Breaking The Silence: Investigating The Impact Of Stigma On Help-Seeking Behaviors Among Adults With A History Of Adverse Childhood Experiences In Ghana, Deborah Amoako-Atta

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

In Ghana, cultural beliefs often silence open discussion about mental health. Many view emotional struggles as spiritual weakness, leading to stigma and avoidance of care. For adults who experienced Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), this silence can worsen the long-term impact of trauma. While Western research links stigma to reduced help-seeking and shows that trauma knowledge can promote openness, little is known about how these relationships function within Ghana’s cultural context. This cross-sectional study examined how stigma and trauma knowledge influence help-seeking behaviors among 103 Ghanaian adults (ages 19-62, M = 30.0; 49% women) with childhood adversity histories. Participants completed anonymous …

Beyond Symptoms: Examining Perinatal Mental Health Care Among Black, Indigenous And People Of Color With Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome, Vinaya Thomas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) are as a public health concern in the United States. Individuals from minoritized racial/ethnic groups face a significantly elevated risk of maternal morbidity, mortality, mental health disorders, and associated adverse outcomes. Emerging studies also reveal a higher likelihood of experiencing perinatal mental health concerns in individuals with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), currently known as polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS). People who identify as Black, Indigenous, or a person of color (BIPOC) face unique healthcare challenges given the added structural and social burdens. This online survey study aimed to 1) understand the relationship between PMOS …

Predictors Of Psychological Strain In College Students In The Context Of The Covid-19 Pandemic, Randy M. Ludwig

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic exacerbated the traditional challenges of being a college student. This study examined the factors associated with the mental health difficulties many college students faced during the pandemic. Factor analysis was used to uncover a latent variable called psychological strain, which was composed of mental instability, mental health strain, sadness, anxiety, and unhappiness. An exploratory path model was created to determine which factors most closely related to psychological strain. Of the 14 factors considered, 11 were significant predictors. Overall, the most important risk factor was found to be social isolation (total effects = .437), while …

“I Was Not Wonder Woman And Required Help”: Black, Latina, And White Women’S Recovery From The Covid-19 Pandemic, J. Mitchell Vaterlaus, Colton Pierce, Harry Foster, Alison Brennan, Nicole Wanago

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected women, particularly women of color, yet less is known about their recovery experiences following the end of the public health emergency. This exploratory mixed-methods study examined recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic among Black, Latina, and White women in the United States. Participants (N = 133) completed a survey that included a self-reported recovery measure and open-ended questions regarding their recovery experiences. A chi-square analysis indicated a significant association between race/ethnicity and recovery status, with Latina women more likely to report ongoing recovery than Black and White women. Codebook thematic analysis identified four themes: (1) …

The Anxious Patient: How Breathing, Presence, And Calming Cues Transform What Happens In The Dental Chair, Kelly Davis Pt, Dpt, Faaompt, Mt

New Orleans Dental Association News

In part two of her three-part series for NODA News, Dr. Kelly Davis, PT, DPT, FAAOMPT, MTC, explains why a dentist's own regulation is one of the most powerful tools in the operatory. Dental anxiety triggers a genuine sympathetic nervous system response — elevated heart rate, muscle guarding in the jaw and neck, and a body primed for threat — that makes procedures harder for patient and clinician. Dr. Davis introduces co-regulation, the neuroscience-backed principle that a calm, grounded provider can help settle an anxious patient's nervous system through presence alone. She offers concrete, simple techniques dentists can use before, …

Gene-Environment Interactions In Cardiovascular Aging: Volunteering, Polygenic Risk, And Biomarker Change In European And African Ancestry Populations, Seoyoun Kim, Byeongju Ryu, Erin Ware, Koichiro Shiba, Cal J. Halvorsen

Brown School Faculty Publications

Volunteering has been associated with better cardiovascular health, but whether this association varies by genetic susceptibility to cardiovascular disease remains unclear. This study examined associations between volunteering and cardiovascular biomarkers, assessed associations between biomarker-specific polygenic scores (PGSs) and these outcomes, and tested whether polygenic risk moderated volunteering–biomarker associations among U.S. adults aged 51 years and older.

Psychological Adaptation In Colorectal Cancer Survivors: Pilot Study Findings, Anuja L. Sarode, Emily M. Su, Amber Kerstetter-Fogle, Steve Paciorek, Erica L. Laipply

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Background

In this pilot study, we examined psychological impacts of colorectal cancer (CRC), focusing on cancer-related posttraumatic stress disorder (CR-PTSD) symptoms, posttraumatic growth (PTG), and their relationship with coping strategies in surgically treated CRC patients.

Methods

This prospective pre- and postoperative pilot study assessed CRC patients at 2 time points, pre- and postoperative. Psychological symptoms were evaluated using the PTSD Checklist for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (PCL-5) and the PTG Inventory Short Form (PTGI-SF). Coping strategies were assessed using the Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (COPE) instrument. Changes in CR-PTSD, PTG, and coping …

Coping Beyond Cancer: Exploring Fear Of Recurrence In Colorectal Cancer Survivors—A Pilot Investigation, Emily M. Su, Steve Paciorek, Erica L. Laipply, Anuja L. Sarode

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Background

Evidence is limited on the fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) among colorectal cancer (CRC) survivors in the US, especially regarding patterns and trends of post-recovery coping mechanisms. This pilot mixed-methods study quantified FCR, examined its associations with Brief COPE domains, and contextualized coping through qualitative analysis.

Methods

Twenty-three patients who successfully underwent CRC surgery were included in this pilot study. Fear of cancer recurrence was measured using the FCR Inventory (FCRI) Short Form, and coping strategies were assessed with the Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (COPE) survey. Descriptive statistics summarized participant characteristics, FCR, and COPE scores. Spearman correlation …

Waves Of Exhaustion, Currents Of Renewal: An Autoethnography Of Academic Emotional Burnout And Recovery, Rofiza Aboo Bakar

The Qualitative Report

This autoethnography explores my experience of academic burnout and emotional recovery as a mid-career female educator in a Malaysian public university. Drawing from reflective journals, memory work, and embodied recollections between 2023 and 2025, I trace a personal journey through three experiential phases: the weight of expectations, burnout and emotional rupture, and embodied recovery through open sea swimming. The narrative is guided by Chang’s (2016) thematic structuring approach and interpreted through Lazarus and Folkman’s (1984) Transactional Model of Stress and Coping. My story reveals how burnout was not the result of overwork, but of institutional erasure. As I navigated the …

“When I’M Not Heard, I Feel Like I Don’T Matter”: Advancing Equity In Disability Policy Through Critical Participatory Action Research With People With Intellectual Disability, Cris Marchionne

Student Theses

People with intellectual disability deserve a system that offers flexible, timely, and person-centered support — one that is innovative, sustainable, and holistic in enabling them to live fulfilling lives. This qualitative study, grounded in Critical Participatory Action Research (CPAR), examines how people with intellectual disability experience participation in decision-making within New York State's disability service system. By centering lived experience, the study identifies factors that facilitate or hinder participation in decision-making and examines structural, social, and policy-related barriers that limit agency. Through six focus groups and a Photovoice project with self-advocates receiving OPWDD services, participants described systemic barriers that limited …

E-Health Literacy And Cyberchondria Severity Among Adolescent High School Students: A Cross-Sectional Study, Seyda Çavmak, Adem Bilgin

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: Amid rapid digitalization and the growing use of artificial intelligence-based search engines, adolescents increasingly seek health information online. This study examined the relationship between high school students' e-health literacy and their cyberchondria tendencies.

Methods: This quantitative, cross-sectional study included 683 students from public high schools in Mersin, Türkiye. Data were collected using a Demographic Information Form, the e-Health Literacy Scale (eHEALS), and the Cyberchondria Severity Scale Short Form (CSS-12). Descriptive statistics, comparative tests, and Pearson correlation were applied (p < 0.05).

Results: Students' e-health literacy and cyberchondria severity were moderate. Significant positive correlations emerged between e-health literacy …

A Poetic Call For And A Reflection And Commentary On Clarity, Understanding, Hope, Courage, And Compassion, Carroy U. Ferguson

Psychology Faculty Publication Series

Finding a published poem I had written as a teenager, titled “The Heavens Weep.” this article uses that poem as the basis for a commentary that reflects on the state of the world today (2026),  As a commentary, the article uses the poetic and metaphoric words in the poem as a relevant "reality check" for what is still going on today.  In essence, the commentary is about a call for Clarity, Understanding, Hope, Courage, and Compassion, or what I call Archetypal Energies, Higher Vibrational Energies that operate deep within our individual and collective psyches to creatively urge us to "see" …

Reflections On Focus Group Participant Recruitment In An Indian Youth Mental Health Study, Debanjali Saha, Ketoki Mazumdar

The Qualitative Report

In this article, I (DS) critically reflected on my journey as an Indian graduate student while navigating dissonant expectations versus reality from the planning to data collection phase of my doctoral research, especially the challenges involved in the participant recruitment process for focus group discussions. The goal of my study was to understand the narratives of various stakeholders of the Indian higher education community on students’ mental health on Indian college campuses using Participatory Action Research strategy with the help of focus group discussions. Recruiting participants was a crucial first step in this endeavor. Six FGDs were conducted with a …

Beyond The Binary: The Intersection Of Substance Use And Lgbtq+ Identity, Allyana Musa

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

Substance use among LGBTQ+ youth remains a significant public health concern, with rates of alcohol, marijuana, and other substance use consistently exceeding those of their heterosexual peers. This systematized review examines the literature on substance use interventions for LGBTQ+ youth, with a focus on identifying the program components and theoretical orientations associated with effective and affirming outcomes. Following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search of ERIC and PsycINFO was conducted to identify peer-reviewed studies published between 2016 and 2026 that addressed substance use among LGBTQ+ youth. Eligible studies included quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods, and conceptual research examining substance use, risk and …

The Legacy Of Trauma: Exploring The Effect Of Generational Stress On Gut Health And Mental Well-Being In Black Women, Jocelynn Jones

Dissertations

This dissertation examines how generational trauma and chronic stress may relate to gut health and mood outcomes among Black women. Using a literature review design, this work brings together research on intergenerational trauma, gendered racism, Superwoman Schema, weathering, allostatic load, mood disorders, reproductive health disparities, and the microbiota-gut-brain axis. The central argument is that depression, anxiety, gastrointestinal symptoms, fatigue, reproductive vulnerability, and healthcare mistrust should not be understood as fully separate concerns when they may be shaped by shared stress conditions. The proposed integrated model does not claim that trauma directly causes gut dysbiosis or mood disorders. Instead, it suggests …

Intergenerational Trauma And Grief Among The Latine Community: Proposed Interventions And Treatment Considerations, Alexandra M. Johnson

Dissertations

The intersectionality of bereavement, trauma, and culture has many clinical considerations, including the impact on individuals and families. Traumatic events can impact an individual directly, collectively, and intergenerationally. The Latine community is one of the largest cultural groups in the United States, and mental health treatment often includes several cultural considerations. This critical literature review examined how the Latine community has been impacted by intergenerational trauma, specifically through experiences of grief and loss, to inform clinical focus, case conceptualization, and identify gaps in the literature. The first chapter provides a brief history of the intersectionality of intergenerational trauma and bereavement, …