Multicultural Psychology Commons^™

Alternative Approaches To Police Interventions When Responding To Mental Health Crises Incidents, Karen Rivera Apolinar

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Purpose: This study explored mental health workers perspectives on alternative approaches in responding to mental health crises.

The study was carried out in Southern California, in collaboration with mental health workers who currently work or previously have worked in mental health crisis. It adopted a post-positivists paradigm and data was gathered through individual interviews with mental health workers who have direct experience with mental health crisis response in the community and with the police. The twenty participants in the study were men and women working in the mental health field, and of various backgrounds, licensures, and ages.

The study found …

Faking And Conspiring About Covid-19: A Discursive Approach, Rosa Scardigno, Alessia Paparella, Francesca D'Errico

The Qualitative Report

In the more general climate of post-truth - a social trend reflecting a disregard for reliable ways of knowing what is true, mostly acted through massive use of misinformation and rhetoric calling for emotions - an alarming “infodemic” accompanied the COVID-19 pandemic, affecting healthy attitudes and behaviors and further lessening trust in science, institutions, and traditional media. Its two main representative items, fake and conspiracy news, have been widely analyzed in psycho-social research, even if scholars mostly acknowledged the cognitive and social dimensions of those items and devoted less attention to their discursive construction. In addition, these works did not …

Central Americans At A Crossroads: Asylum Seekers’ Testimonios Of Mental Health After Detention And Family Separation, Corie E. Schwabenland Garcia

Master's Theses

Though Central American asylum seekers are presently hypervisible in the U.S. consciousness, this population continues to be inadequately understood or cared for. Discussion of this population often presents them as a helpless and damaged population, in need of saving, fixing, or shelter -- beyond their trauma, they cease to exist. This qualitative study utilizes first-person testimonio methodology to understand the psychological experiences of Central American migrants seeking asylum in the United States, the stressors they face, and the mental health support that can and should be provided to them. Their stories speak to a space of sociopolitical precarity in the …

African American Female Identified Therapists' Experiences Working Culturally Similar And Dissimilar Populations, Kimiko J. May

Doctoral Dissertations

African-American female-identified individuals continue to be one of the smallest subgroups of licensed therapists. However, this group continues to grow steadily and offer services to a broad array of clientele. While the aims of literature have grown to include populations that have been historically marginalized, the research surrounding African-American female-identified therapists is scarce. Deep understanding of their lived experiences while navigating the multifaceted nature of clinical work has been grossly overlooked. This study aimed to qualitatively analyze the lived experiences of African-American female-identified therapists who work with diverse populations using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Since the nature of clinical work is …

K-5 Elementary Alternative Program: A Case Study, William E. Scheuer Iv

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this case study was to examine how the K-5 elementary alternative program All Students Can Thrive (ASCT) used student-centered learning practices to influence the whole child. There is a lack of research on K-5 elementary alternative programs, such as ASCT, and specifically those that integrate student-centered learning practices to influence the whole child. Literature does not contain universally accepted interventions that are effective in the elementary alternative setting to help students return to the mainstream classroom setting better prepared to display appropriate behaviors when a student is removed from a mainstream classroom setting due to disruptive behaviors. …

Faith-Based Counseling Versus Traditional Psychotherapy: A Phenomenological Evaluation Of African American Protestant Experiences, Shannon Gray

Dissertations

This phenomenological study was designed to evaluate the experiences of African American Christian adult clients within traditional psychotherapy and faith-based counseling settings. Research has shown various therapist/counselor identities affect Christian African American clients, and that Christians as well as African Americans have historically been less likely to pursue traditional psychotherapy for a variety of reasons. Participants were six African American Christian adult participants (three traditional psychotherapy participants and three faith-based counseling participants). All participants were asked open-ended questions about their experiences in traditional psychotherapy or faith-based counseling. In addition, they were asked to evaluate several aspects of their therapy/counseling experience …

Acculturative Parenting Cognitions: Bicultural Socialization Beliefs Among Chinese American Parents, Albert Lo

Doctoral Dissertations

Chinese American and Chinese immigrant parents within the United States possess parenting cognitions that reflect their multidimensional cultural experiences. One such parenting cognition is parents’ bicultural socialization beliefs, defined as their desire for their children to adopt both heritage Chinese values as well as destination American values in order to be successful in the United States. The aim of the current dissertation was to quantitatively examine bicultural socialization beliefs among Chinese American parents of adolescents and young adults. Four studies were conducted to model a pathway from parents’ social and cultural experiences to outcomes in their children. Study 1 examined …

Recognizing Roots And Not Just Leaves: The Use Of Integrative Mindfulness In Education, Research, And Practice, Naisargi (Ness) Mehta, Gitika Talwar

Psychology from the Margins

Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have entered mainstream psychology practice and research over the last few decades. However, academic literature on MBIs reveals a focus on the European-American populations, and customization of mindfulness to the needs and values of mainstream western mental health. There has been an exclusion of the spiritual and cultural roots of mindfulness; mindfulness has been secularized in ways that undermine indigenous forms of mindfulness that originate from Asian countries such as India and China. While MBIs have been working well for their targeted audience, there need to be avenues for Asian and Asian American communities that follow Buddhist …

Liberation Psychology: Drawing On History To Work Toward Resistance And Collective Healing In The United States, Hannah K. Heitz

Psychology from the Margins

With the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic and increased media coverage of systemic racism, the necessity to work toward liberation and collective healing has become increasingly salient. While psychology has prided itself on being ahistorical in the past, there is much that can be learned from scholars, activists, and movements that have fostered positive change. Ignacio Martín-Baró, Spanish-born Jesuit scholar, social psychologist, and founder of liberation psychology, worked toward significant positive social change and liberation prior to his death. In one of his last interviews, Martín-Baró outlined tasks that could be used to facilitate liberation: 1) recovering historical memory; 2) …

Exploring Post-Traumatic Growth From Citizen Narratives Of Refugees From The 1947 Partition Of British India, Keshav J. Dhir, Kathryn J. Azevedo

Psychology from the Margins

Background: There is paucity of ethnographic survivor analysis of the 1947 Partition of British India. Methods: This qualitative study leverages post-traumatic growth (PTG) theory to explore the impact of mass migration trauma in childhood. Ten refugee narratives were collected by citizen historians. Interviews were translated, transcribed, and analyzed. Results: Elements of post-traumatic growth were revealed in all 5 domains for nine out of ten survivors. Discussion: Survivors’ appreciation of life often manifested in passion for a discipline or hobby. The importance of meaningful interpersonal relationships was observed and extended to acquaintances from other religious groups. Increased personal strength was revealed …

Dsm Discrimination And The Lgbt Community: Using The History Of Diagnostic Discrimination Against Sexual Minorities To Contextualize Current Issues In Transgender And Gender Diverse Mental Healthcare, Ginelle Wolfe, Nicole Fogwell

Psychology from the Margins

This paper provides a historical context of diagnoses in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) related to sexual orientation and gender identity. We use the historical context of psychology’s discrimination against sexual minorities (e.g., lesbian, gay, and bisexual persons) to critique current discriminatory practices targeting gender diverse (i.e., trans, nonbinary, and other not cisgender) persons- specifically, the explicit pathologizing of gender variance. The events that led to the removal of homosexuality as a diagnosis are discussed, as are subsequent diagnoses related to sexual orientation and gender identity that continue to pathologize gender variance. We conclude by deriving …

Black Market: An Exploration Of Black Mental Health In America, Alexandria D. Burroughs

Psychology from the Margins

The stories and experiences of marginalized groups are rarely heard and given the attention they deserve, so the purpose of this article is to analyze the history of the African American community and the treatment they have received from the mental health profession. The article takes an in depth look into the journey of the Black community beginning with the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade and ending with the current sociocultural climate of present day society. This journey through the history of the African American community reveals generational scars that are still very prevalent within the community and the obstacles they continue …

Using Constructivist Grounded Theory To Examine The Experiences Of Black British Female Managers: A Worked Example, Denise A. Miller

The Qualitative Report

Staff working at children and young people’s services (CYPS) are often charged with the responsibility of restructuring, developing, and putting into effect policies and procedures that are supposed to safeguard their clients and their colleagues from the effects of institutional racism. However, there continues to be incongruences between some leaders’ espoused commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, and their actions. In this paper, I draw on a larger research project to critically reflect on the usefulness of constructivist grounded theory (CGT) as a methodological approach for developing understandings about the experiences of 10 Black British female managers working for CYPS. …

Autism Assessment In The Schools: A Review Of Rating Scales And Observation Systems., Jaime Flowers, Dallin Marr, Nina Ellis-Hervey, Trudy Georgio, Jessica Cuitareo

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

School psychologists are tasked with assessing students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). While not used alone, ASD measures can help practitioners make informed decisions regarding special education eligibility. The purpose of this paper is to review the psychometric strengths and weaknesses of the following measures: Autism Diagnostic Interview, Revised (ADI-R); Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (ADOS-2); Autism Spectrum Rating Scale (ASRS); Childhood Autism Rating Scale, Second Edition (CARS-2); and Gilliam Autism Rating Scale, Third Edition (GARS-3).

“Living In Trauma 24/7”: A Qualitative Exploration Of Factors Contributing To Secondary Traumatic Stress And Burnout Among Student Services Professionals Working With Marginalized Student Populations, Delia Sanchez, Portia A. Jackson Preston, Christine Vu, Lucia Alcala

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

Higher education professionals are at risk of secondary traumatic stress (STS) as a result of supporting students experiencing trauma, while overwhelming workload, inadequate resources, and unclear role responsibilities may lead to burnout. This study explored contributing factors to STS and burnout and coping efforts among faculty, students, and staff working in a capacity in which they provide non-instructional support to programs or centers focusing on marginalized student populations. Participants (N=56) represented twenty-two U.S. regional universities, and were a subset of respondents to a larger mixed-methods study (n=559). Qualitative responses to three open-ended questions on challenges and coping efforts were analyzed …

Faux-Flipping A Supportive Housing Training: Lessons From Pandemic Adaptations, Shelley K. Buchbinder, Emilie R. Banz

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

Following March 2020 coronavirus closures, the Community Support Services training initiative for supportive housing providers transitioned to fully remote learning. Training remotely, the trainers developed a faux-flipped model of midtraining interactive video lectures alongside videoconferencing with time for active learning through interactions and activities. There were benefits to training remotely using a faux-flipped model, including increased participation, training retention, and self-evaluated knowledge. After improved training results, the faux-flipped recorded video lectures will remain in future training. The coauthors suggest additional research to elaborate the faux-flipped model and assess its impact on learning and engagement.

Predictors Of Student Knowledge Of Counselor Identity: Human Services & Related Mental Health Courses, Cortny Stark, Kylie Rogalla, Heather Cook, Joseph D. Wehrman

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

Professional organizations and the field at large have made great strides towards solidifying the professional identities of mental health professionals. Despite these efforts, public knowledge of different types of helping professionals remains limited. Public understanding of helping professionals’ identities is critical to mental health literacy, and has a significant impact on health outcomes. Post-secondary education provides many students with exposure to information regarding types of helping professionals, and their scope of practice. This expansion study engages students completing college-level courses to clarify those variables that predict student knowledge and perceived scope of practice of a variety of counselors.

Moderating Roles Of Racial Identity In The Effects Of Racial Discrimination On Distress, Sarah Gobrial

Psychology Theses and Dissertations

Racial discrimination has been linked to psychological distress among people of color. The degree to which psychological distress is associated with racial discrimination experiences varies across individuals. Racial identity may be one key set of individual difference factors that can influence how discrimination impacts psychological distress, but existing empirical findings remain mixed on the moderating role of racial identity in the links between discrimination and distress. The present study leveraged virtual reality technology to experimentally invoke experiences of discrimination. The study was aimed to (1) determine the causal effects of racial discrimination on psychological distress (i.e., stress and negative affect), …

Sexual Violence Survivors In The Indian Diaspora: The Impact Of Acculturation On Support-Seeking Behavior, Bagmi Das

Journal of Counseling Sexology & Sexual Wellness: Research, Practice, and Education

Survivors of sexual violence in the United States are provided many more resources than those in Asia. For survivors in the Indian diaspora, this provides a unique perspective when understanding their experience and seeking support. This mixed methods study was an effort to understand the relationship between acculturation and support seeking for these survivors, both from informal and formal supports. This survey research recruited 77 survivors of sexual violence who self-identified as women and within the Indian diaspora in the United States. The participants ranged from 18 to 43 years in age. The Stephenson Multigroup Acculturation Scale, support seeking checklist, …

Transformative, Noetic, And Transpersonal Experiences During Personal Development Workshops, Helané Wahbeh, Cassandra Vieten, Garret Young, Agnes Cartry-Jacobsen, Dean Radin, Arnaud Delorme

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies Advance Publication Archive

The global personal development market was valued at $38.28 billion in 2019 and is expected to grow an additional 5% from 2020 to 2027. Many of these workshops promise to be transformational. This secondary analysis study examined transformative, transpersonal, and noetic aspects of personal development workshops. We found that 74% of post-survey records endorsed that participants experienced a moment of clarity or profound insight during their workshop. In addition, 66% endorsed that participants had experienced at least one noetic experience, and 84% endorsed at least one transpersonal experience. These analyses provide preliminary evidence for the transformational potential of personal development …