Health Psychology Commons^™

Traumatic Brain Injury Knowledge And Perceived Competence Among Practicing School Psychologists, Melissa Santaguida Delucca

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are a common occurrence in school-aged children. The epidemic of TBI is the leading cause of death and disability among children and young adults (Harris, Mishkin, & Ross, 2010). Children who suffer head injuries frequently experience behavioral, adaptive, and educational deficits (Taylor et al., 2002). As child study team members, under the provisions set forth by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), school psychologists are responsible for the identification, classification, assessment, and implementation of proper school-based treatment for children who sustain a TBI. This study sought to determine New Jersey school psychologists’ endorsement of common …

Attention To Psychosocial Concerns Related To Lqts: A Survey Of Medical Providers, Elizabeth Conlin

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Long QT Syndrome (LQTS) is a heritable condition characterized by syncopal episodes, arrhythmias, and sudden cardiac death in otherwise healthy individuals. Current research, although underrepresented, on the quality of life and psychosocial stressors indicate that some individuals experience depression and anxiety as a result of this chronic medical illness. A survey was created and administered to cardiologists and allied professionals, who offer medical services to LQTS patients, and belong to the Pediatric Arrhythmia and Congenital Electrophysiology Society (PACES). A Likert scale survey was developed for selfadministration and posted in an email for PACES members to complete voluntarily. This survey study …

An Evaluation Of A Group Nutritional Program In A Population Of Obese Individuals With Psychiatric Disabilities, Jamie Via

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Individuals with serious mental illnesses are at high risk for obesity. The increased risk of obesity and comorbid medical conditions among individuals with serious mental illnesses has increased the need to seek and utilize effective treatments to address obesity in this population. In efforts to address the need for effective treatment, Eli Lilly and Company developed the Solutions for Wellness program. The aim of this study was to examine if the Solutions for Wellness nutritional program was effective in increasing wellness knowledge and increasing healthy lifestyle choices within a small sample of obese individuals with serious mental illnesses. The nutritional …

Social Problem Solving And Factors That Contribute To The Consideration Of Hastened Death Among Als Patients, Kristen Labin Bekelja

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine social problem-solving characteristics and other factors that contribute to the desire to hasten death among ALS patients. Participants completed six measures including: the ALS Functional Rating Scale-Revised, two item Hopelessness Scale, Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy- Spiritual Well-Being Scale, ALS Specific Quality of Life Instrument-Revised, Social Problem-Solving Inventory-Revised, and the Schedule of Attitudes Toward Hastened Death. Data gathered was analyzed, using hierarchical multiple regressions, and a Pearson product-moment correlation. Results revealed that the factors of hopelessness, global quality of life, bulbar function, and negative emotion significantly predicted the desire to hasten …

Fruit Of Faith, Fruit Of The Spirit, Thomas G. Plante

Psychology

As contemporary behavioral scientists living and working within an often secular, scientific, and empirically focused world as well as being affiliated with rigorous academic institutions and research programs, we wonder if the fruits of the spirit have any empirical and scientific basis. Does engagement with religion and spirituality make us better people or make us worse?

Effects Of Childhood Family Dynamics On Body Dissatisfaction In Adulthood, Adrienne F. Kerbs

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

"Past research has identified many singular components of family dynamics that affect body dissatisfaction in adulthood, but have not studied the effects of many different family factors simultaneously. The aim of the current study was to investigate the effects of multiple early family dynamics on body dissatisfaction in adulthood using a sample of female college students. It was expected that the nature of parental bonding, parental comments, and lack of parental acceptance during childhood would have negative effects on body image in adulthood. A sample of female college students completed self-report questionnaires about their parents from the perspective of when …

Predictors Of Attrition And Success In A Weight Management Program For Patients With Type 2 Diabetes, Kevin O'Leary

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Aim: To examine the factors that lead to attrition and success in a weight management program for patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. The current study specifically examines the effect of quality of life, expected weight loss, self-esteem, and early weight loss on attrition and success rates. Methods: Archival data from a study conducted at the University of Pennsylvania Center for Weight and Eating Disorders were used. Seventy-nine overweight and obese subjects with type 2 diabetes participated in a lifestyle modification program over 40 weeks. Logistic regression analyses were performed to explore the relationship between early weight loss, expected …

Individual Differences In Perceptions Of Health-Related Behaviors, Shawn Thomas Lewis

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

When provided an opportunity for thought, individuals experience a strengthening of their already moderate attitude toward some attitude object. This process was studied in the context of variables – attitudes toward behavior, norms about behavior, and perceived behavioral control – known to predict intentions to engage in health-related behavior. A potential moderator of this process – locus of control beliefs – was also investigated. In this study, 195 participants indicated their attitudes toward eight health-related behaviors. Participants were randomly assigned to either a high or low opportunity for thought during which time they were asked to focus their thoughts on …

Increasing Parity Is Associated With Cumulative Effects On Memory, Laura M. Glynn

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this investigation was to determine if reproductive experience is associated with cumulative effects on human memory performance during pregnancy and if these effects persist into the postpartum period.

METHODS: Verbal recall memory performance was assessed in 254 women four times during pregnancy and at 3 months postpartum. The relation between parity and memory function was evaluated with hierarchical linear modeling and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA).

RESULTS: The data indicate that the previously documented adverse effects of pregnancy on memory performance are compounded with successive pregnancies. During gestation and postpartum, multiparity was associated with poorer memory function, …

Digital Video: Engaging Students In Critical Media Literacy And Community Activism, Jessie Daniels

Publications and Research

This article presents a strategy for teaching health communication that fosters critical media literacy through the strategic combination of digital video, documentary film, video worksheets, and peer-reviewed journal articles. Given the media-saturated environment in which notions of health are shaped, critical media literacy skills are crucial to students in health-related fields. Cases of key concepts illustrated through documentary films and the peer-reviewed literature are presented. The article then explores how one class took the lead in designing a community event that critically engaged both a YouTube video and a documentary film about police brutality as a public health issue.

Making A Change: Motivational Interviewing In A College Group Setting, Hannah Jo Culbertson

Honors Program Theses

Motivational interviewing is a client-centered counseling style that aims to help reduce ambivalence and create a behavior change. It is typically done in a one-on-one setting. The purpose of this research was to test a group educational session based on motivational interviewing strategies, for its effectiveness in evoking an individualized behavior changes in a group of college students. The session utilized several techniques specifically chosen to be most effective in reducing ambivalence and helping students discover their own individual solution to a problem in order to more successfully make a health related change in their lives.

Changes In Spirituality Partly Explain Health-Related Quality Of Life Outcomes After Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction., Jeffrey M Greeson, Daniel M Webber, Moria J Smoski, Jeffrey G Brantley, Andrew G Ekblad, Edward C Suarez, Ruth Quillian Wolever

College of Science & Mathematics Departmental Research

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction is a secular behavioral medicine program that has roots in meditative spiritual practices. Thus, spirituality may partly explain Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction outcomes. Participants (N = 279; M (SD) age = 45(12); 75% women) completed an online survey before and after an 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesis that, following Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, the relationship between enhanced mindfulness and improved health-related quality of life is mediated by increased daily spiritual experiences. Changes in both spirituality and mindfulness were significantly related to improvement in mental health. Although the initial mediation hypothesis …

Facial Expression Discrimination In Adults Experiencing Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms, Brian N. Lee

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The present study examined the impact of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) on adults’ ability to discriminate between various facial expressions of emotions. Additionally, the study examined whether individuals reporting PTSS exhibited an attentional bias toward threat-related facial expressions of emotions. The research design was a 2 (expression intensity) x 3 (emotional pairing) x 2 (PTSS group) mixed-model factorial design. Participants for the study were 89 undergraduates recruited from psychology courses at Western Kentucky University. Participants completed the Traumatic Stress Schedule to assess for prior exposure to traumatic events. A median split was used to divide the sample into two groups …

Comparison And Correlates Of Three Preference-Based Healthrelated Quality-Of-Life Measures Among Overweight And Obese Women With Urinary Incontinence, Angela Marinilli Pinto, Miriam Kupperman, Sanae Nakagawa, Eric Vittinghoff, Rena R. Wing, John W. Kusek, William H. Herman, Leslee L. Subak

Publications and Research

PURPOSE: To compare three preference-based health-related quality-of-life (HRQL) measures and examine independent correlates of HRQL among overweight and obese women with urinary incontinence (UI) enrolled in a weight loss intervention trial.

METHODS: Participants completed baseline questionnaires, which included the Health Utilities Index 3 (HUI3) and Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 (SF-36). The SF-36 was used to derive SF-6D and estimated Quality of Well-Being (eQWB) scores. Height, weight, medical history, incontinence measures, and level of physical activity also were assessed. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was computed, and differences in mean scores across HRQL measures were examined. Potential correlates of HUI3, …

The Influence Of Ethnic Identity And Family Support On Posttraumatic Symptoms In Maltreated Youth, Harpreet Kaur

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Maltreated children are at greater risk of developing PTSD than nonmaltreated children (Ackerman et al., 1998; Epstein et al., 1997; Famularo et al., 1996; Kilpatrick et al., 2003; Widom, 1999). This study sought to assess the role of ethnicity, ethnic identity, and family support on the effects of maltreatment and trauma in adolescents. Participants (n=145) included adolescents from Child Haven, a Department of Family Services (DFS)-related site in Las Vegas, and youths in foster care assessed at the offices of Dr. Stephanie Holland. The first hypothesis was that non-Caucasian youth would have higher levels of PTSD-related symptoms than Caucasian youth. …

Pain Tolerance And Thresholds In Women With Dyspareunia: Do Pain And Sex Primes Have Differential Effects?, Lea Thaler

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Dyspareunia, defined as recurrent pain in the genital/pelvic region during sexual intercourse, is one of the most common types of female sexual dysfunction, affecting approximately 15% of women between the ages of 18 and 24. Women with dyspareunia display similar cognitive and emotional styles evidenced in other chronic pain conditions (e.g. hypervigilance for pain information, catastrophization, and negative affect); however, dyspareunia is a unique pain disorder in that it directly involves sexual functioning. This pairing of pain and sex raises the issue of conditioning. Is it possible that because intercourse is painful for women with dyspareunia, the presentation of any …

Effect Of Environmental Conditions On Perceived Psychological Restorativeness Of Coastal Parks, J. Aaron Hipp, Oladele A. Ogunseitan

Brown School Faculty Publications

We investigated the hypothesis that perception of psychological restorativeness during visits to coastal parks is modified by objective and perceived environmental conditions. Visitors (n=1,153) to California beaches completed a survey on perceived weather, environmental quality, and perceived restorativeness. We used generalized ordinal logistic models to estimate the association between environmental parameters and odds of perceiving higher levels of restorativeness. Visitors perceived greater restorativeness at beaches when ambient temperatures were at or below mean monthly temperatures and during low tides. The odds of perceiving the environment as more psychologically restorative were three times greater when visiting on days defined by government …

Getting Started In Evaluation Consulting: Questions To Ask And Answer Along The Way, Judah J. Viola,

Faculty Publications

This PowerPoint presentation includes a four phase approach to considering the main questions you'll need to ask and answer before taking the leap needed to begin working as an independent evaluation consultant.

Mindfulness Predicts Less Texting While Driving Among Young Adults: Examining Attention- And Emotion-Regulation Motives As Potential Mediators., Greg Feldman, Jeffrey M. Greeson, Megan Renna, Kendra Robbins-Monteith

College of Science & Mathematics Departmental Research

Many young adult drivers read and send text messages while driving despite clear safety risks. Understanding predictors of texting-while-driving may help to indentify relevant targets for interventions to reduce this dangerous behavior. The present study examined whether individual differences in mindfulness is associated with texting-while-driving in a sample of young-adult drivers. Using path analysis, we tested whether this relationship would be mediated by the degree to which individuals use text-messaging as a means of reducing unpleasant emotions (emotion-regulation motives) and the degree to which individuals limit texting in order to focus on present-moment experiences (attention-regulation motives). Individuals lower in mindfulness …

A Student's Guide To Overcoming The Pressure To Succeed In Higher Education [Brochure And Video], Amber R. Sellers, Tori Holmes

Counseling Concepts and Applications for Student Affairs Professionals (CNS 577)

All college students experience some sort of internal and/or external pressure to reach their definition of success. Family members, friends, professors, future employers, coaches, student organizations, and most importantly, students themselves expect certain behaviors to lead to a successful collegiate career (Newton, 2000). This video highlights the experiences and viewpoints of one student’s struggle with residual stress and offers support resources found on most campuses across the country. With the prevalence of stress and anxiety related disorders found within today’s collegiate population (Levine, 2005), this video hopes to raise awareness and assist struggling students who are seeking relief by providing …