Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Experience Of Grief, Coping, And Community In Black Families And Friends Of Homicide Victims, Rachel A. Jenkins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Black families and friends of homicide victims (BFFHV) are left behind to grieve and cope with the traumatic loss of a loved one to homicide. The evidence reveals a risk of developing emotional and psychological issues for the survivors. The purpose of this study was to explore four phenomena the BFFHV experience: (a) the experience with local law enforcement and the courts during the investigation of the homicide, (b) the experience of grieving over traumatic loss, (c) the experience of coping with traumatic loss, and (d) their current relationship with the community. Heider’s attribution theory was used to guide the …

Perspectives Regarding Cannabis Use: Results From A Qualitative Study Of Individuals Engaged In Substance Use Treatment In Georgia And Connecticut, Charles A. Warnock, Ashlin R. Ondrusek, E. Jennifer Edelman, Trace Kershaw, Jessica L. Muilenburg

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Objective: Cannabis use is increasingly pervasive throughout the U.S. People in treatment for substance use disorders (SUD) may be especially at-risk of harm due to this changing context of cannabis in the U.S. This study’s objective was to qualitatively describe experiences and beliefs around cannabis among people who had entered treatment for any SUD in the past 12-months.

Methods: From May to November of 2022, we conducted 27 semi-structured interviews (n=16 in Georgia, n=11 in Connecticut) with individuals in treatment for SUD in Georgia and Connecticut. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed using an emergent approach.

Results …

Rehabilitation Counselor Interventions On Parental-Disability Acceptance, James Samuel Rothrock

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Rehabilitation counselors work with families to assist in transitioning adolescents with intellectual disabilities (ID) from school to adult services. Currently, there is no evidence base for rehabilitation counselors to conceptualize and promote disability acceptance in parents. The purpose of this research was to identify interventions used by rehabilitation counselors with parents at various levels of disability acceptance. The research questions focused on what experiences rehabilitation counselors have had coordinating services with parents of adolescents with ID experiencing various degrees of acceptance and how do they understand and intervene with parental acceptance? The theoretical foundations girding the formation and interpretation of …

Quality Improvement Protocol: Improving The Use Of Nonpharmacological Pain Management Strategies Within The Inpatient Hospital Setting, Katherine Salamon, Christina Russell, Dara Devinney, Catherine M Soprano

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

Background: There are many nonpharmacological pain management services available to hospitalized youth; however, not all youth are offered these services. Lack of knowledge about resources, difficulty with the referral process, and lack of understanding about nonpharmacological pain management services and when to refer patients are among the main reasons for lack of utilization. Quality improvement (QI) initiatives have grown within hospital settings and can serve to create change in fast-paced environments. Methods: The current QI project aimed to pilot an educational program to increase the use of nonpharmacological pain management interventions. Staff located on one floor of a pediatric hospital …

Neuroplasticity In The Dentate Gyrus: A Multimethod Investigation On Hippocampal Ltp Following Prenatal Alcohol Exposure, Monica Goncalves-Garcia

Psychology ETDs

Studies have demonstrated alcohol-related deficits in LTP associated with histaminergic and glutamatergic impairments. The histaminergic H3R inverse agonist ABT-239 has shown promise in reversing these deficits. The present study focuses on another H3R inverse agonist, SAR-152594, and its impact on LTP deficits following moderate PAE. The findings reveal that systemic administration of 1 mg/kg of SAR-152594 reverses deficits in potentiation fEPSPs in adult male rats exposed to moderate PAE. Time-frequency analyses of evoked responses indicate PAE-related reductions in power during the fEPSP and increased power during later components of evoked responses, both reversed by SAR-152594. These results provide further evidence …

The Theoretical Epigenetic Relationship Between Complex-Ptsd And Adhd In Holocaust Survivors’ Descendants, Y. Sahara Brodsky

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

When comparing ADHD and Complex-PTSD, these two disorders share many overlapping features in both areas of the brain that are affected and the behavioral aspects due to deficits in certain brain regions, such as the prefrontal cortex. It is due to this similarity that I predict that c-PTSD is the precursor to the development of ADHD in later generations. Through epigenetic changes that are consistent with c-PTSD diagnosis, these changes to the brain are then passed down the generational line. When this is combined with trauma transference and generational trauma, it creates a situation where both the behaviors inform how …

Parents As Reporters Of Middle School Students’ Subjective Well-Being, Daijah N. Hines

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Historically, self-report has been the predominant method for assessing the subjective well-being of adolescents (SWB). Regarding the use of secondary reporters, especially parental/caregiver reports, in assessing adolescent SWB, there is a gap in the literature. Gaining a better understanding of how to best evaluate adolescent SWB can assist in the identification of adolescents who may be at risk for mental health concerns or who could benefit from increased well-being. It may also assist in the development of future interventions in positive psychology for adolescents. This validity study explored (1) What is the reliability of a newly developed parent report measure …

The Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Experiences And Juvenile Offender Typology, Aliza Beth Lipman

Dissertations and Theses

Approximately 1 in 5 girls and in 20 boys in the United States are victims of child sexual assault every year. Child sexual assault can lead to multiple negative short term and long-term impacts affecting general health, mental health, interpersonal relationships, socio-economic status, criminal behavior and more. Prevention research focuses on a thorough understanding of the perpetrators of assault and the context surrounding offenses in order to reduce and prevent assault. Within this research, juvenile offenders are perceived as a single homogenous group whereas adult offenders are consistently specified based on offender and offense characteristics. The exploration of the relationship …

The Experience Of Knowledge Workers In Remote Environments During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Dale F. Knapp

Doctor of Education Program Dissertations

When regional quarantine restrictions were rapidly implemented in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, knowledge workers were forced to vacate their traditional shared office spaces and transition to remote work environments. This unprecedented mass exodus from traditional in-person physical workplaces was facilitated by existing and new software and technology that allowed workers to remain connected and working. This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences and perceptions of knowledge workers who experienced this transition to a full-time remote work environment. The study also examined how knowledge workers perceived work performance relative to their experience during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were …

Police Officer Perceptions Of Parenting Experience Changes Following An On-Duty Child Death, Jennifer Sellers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Law enforcement officers (LEOs) work in careers that can be demanding, stressful, and traumatizing. Although researchers have explored vicarious, or secondary, trauma as it relates to a LEO bringing their experiences at work into the home environment, influencing their spouse or partner’s mental and physical well-being, they have not yet investigated how a LEO’s experience of a child death while on-duty might affect their parenting styles. The purpose of this qualitative study was to better understand the parenting styles that LEOs use or change when they have experienced a traumatic incident at work, specifically a child death. The study was …

Clinicians’ Experiences Of Using Schema-Focused Therapy In Black Americans With Panic Disorder, Martin E. Akanaefu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Black Americans have a history of racism, oppression, subjugation, and discrimination, which could increase the risk of developing panic disorder. Because panic disorder and other chronic psychological problems resist Beck’s short cognitive therapy and other interventions that overlook the roots of psychological problems, schema-focused therapy has been adopted more conveniently over the most recent years for their effective treatment. In this study, clinicians’ experiences of using schema-focused therapy with Black Americans with panic disorder was explored. The concept that grounded this study was the integrated schema-focused model, a convenient clinical model that integrates several models of schema therapy. Generic qualitative …

Faculty Mentors' Influence On Latino/A/X Stem Undergraduates' Stem Identity Development, Sandy Cerda-Lezama

Dissertations and Theses

Despite Latino/a/x college student attendance rising substantially over the past decades, their graduation rates do not match the increased admission rates. In addition, Latino/a/x students are considerably under-represented in STEM. However, research suggests that when these students are encouraged by social partners to have meaningful participation and given resources such as mentoring, this eases the barriers they experience. The current study utilized interviews with 11 Latino/a/x STEM undergraduates (aged 18-29) to understand how faculty mentors influence their STEM identity development. Students shared answers about how faculty promoted and inhibited their STEM identity development through conversations about their sense of competence, …

Black Social Workers Use Of Racial Identity And Self Concept In The Workplace, Shielah Monique Deblanc

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Navigating the Black professional identity in U.S. work environments poses challenges for social workers, with limited research addressing racial salience, power dynamics, and self-concept within their specific workplace contexts. Using self-concept theory, and the multidimensional model of racial identity as theoretical and conceptual frameworks, the purpose of this research was to examine Black social workers’ attitudes about self-concept using racial salience, power distance, and employee tenure as predictors. Using web-based surveys to collect data, a purposive sample of 77 participants were used to complete demographic information, a measure of centrality to gauge racial salience Multidimensional Inventory of Black Identity, a …

An Analysis Of Therapeutic Alliance And Group Cohesion In A Group Positive Psychology Intervention Serving Middle School Students Reporting Low Life Satisfaction, Alexis Taylor

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

While previous research has focused on how positive psychology treatments relate to outcomes, it is also essential to evaluate the therapeutic process of these treatments. The therapeutic process consists of elements like the therapeutic alliance and the efforts the clinicians and the client put into the process (Bordin, 1979). Positive psychology intervention therapeutic processes differ from traditional treatments, as they have a skills-building perspective rather than a problem-focused perspective (Cunha et al., 2019; Datu & Bernardo, 2020; Kwok et al., 2016). Thus, the therapeutic relationship may take on a different form. Furthermore, as therapy approaches differ, so do the modalities …

Navigating Multiracial Identity Development In The Digital Ages: An Intersectional Exploration, Diana Mccullough

National Cross-Cultural Counseling and Education Conference for Research, Action, and Change

In the 2020 U.S. Census, 33.8 million individuals reported multiracial identities, which increased since 2010 from nine million (US Census, 2020). Despite the substantial growth in multiracial individuals, there remains a dearth of understanding regarding the unique challenges and determining factors shaping their identity. This session aims to equip counselors and counselor educators with evidence-based strategies to navigate and support the intricate identity development of multiracial clients and students.

Ptsd As A Mediator Of The Relationship Between Police Discrimination And Family Relationship Among Black Americans, Mary A. Camper

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Police discrimination among Black Americans has been an ongoing trend for many years. Researchers have linked police discrimination to a traumatic experience that may result in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms. In addition, researchers found that PTSD symptoms may impact the family relationship negatively. This quantitative study examined whether PTSD symptoms mediated the relationship between experiences of police discrimination and family relationships. The family system theory and the critical race theory guided this study. The family system theory described how one family member affects the whole family unit. The critical race theory described the systems that are in place …

Nonprofit Leader Experiences In Sector-Bending After Lean Six Sigma Training: Tension, Concepts, And Changed Behaviors, Beverly Codallos

Dissertations

Government, business, and nonprofit represent three distinct types of organizations governed by different legal frameworks designed to facilitate collective action (DiMaggio & Anheier, 1990). The emergence of hybrid forms and increasing isomorphic pressures in the nonprofit sector (Bromley & Meyer, 2017; McCambridge, 2014) have challenged the traditional separation of organizational forms. This study explored the phenomenon popularized as sector-bending, “a wide variety of approaches, activities, and relationships that are blurring the distinctions between nonprofit and for-profit organizations, either because they are behaving more similarly, operating in the same realms, or both” (Dees & Anderson, 2003, pg. 16). This qualitative study …

The Relationship Between Social Stigma And Career Decisions Of Individualized And Freelance Male Sex Workers, Luis Miguel Dos Santos, Ho Fai Lo

The Qualitative Report

Switching from a white-collar professional to a sex worker is not an easy step, particularly for individuals with a postgraduate degree in South Korea who may have significant expectations from their parents, peers, and communities. Based on the social stigma theory and social cognitive career and motivation theory, this study aims to understand how stress and pressure impact the motivations, career decisions, and decision-making processes of individualized and freelance male sex workers and their career transition experiences in South Korea. Based on the thematic analysis, ten highly educated male sex workers joined and shared their experiences. The researchers categorized three …

“It’S Always An Admixture Of So Many Identities”: Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Of Indigenous Kalasha Cultural Identity, Fahad Riaz Choudhry Dr, Karen Jennifer Golden, Miriam Sang-Ah Park

The Qualitative Report

This case study examined how an Indigenous Kalasha participant in northern Pakistan makes sense of his multi-faceted identity. The interpretative phenomenological analysis method was used to analyze data from an in-depth, single person case study. Our selected participant was a 36-year-old male postgraduate student from an Indigenous marginalized tribe, which is an ethnic and religious minority group in the northern Hindukush mountain region of Pakistan. Results are presented in four superordinate themes: (1) Identity: admixture of a number of identities, (2) Changing culture and its psychological impact, (3) Cultural protective factors against psychological problems and (4) Mental health perspective. …

U.S. Military Veteran Identity And Civilian Adjustment, Darren A. Sosa

Pacific Journal of Health

U.S. military veterans transitioning back into the civilian sector often experience a variety of challenges and need to readjust into non-military environments. In order to examine the psychological challenges involved in the transition and readjustment processes among U. S. active military veterans, a qualitative study was conducted. For 6 months, data was collected from veterans in California, Nevada, Texas, Florida, and New York. Following an IRB approval, semi-structured open-ended self-developed interviews were developed and conducted with sixteen military veterans who have served in 4 branches of the U.S. Armed Forces: Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. Data and information …

Mentorship In A Virtual World: How Remote Work Relates To Mentoring Relationships And Outcomes, Alyssa M. Lezcano

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the context of an increasingly virtual workplace, it is critical to understand how remote and hybrid work arrangements relate to key developmental, interpersonal relationships at work, such as mentoring relationships. Guided by the existing mentoring literature as well as leader distance theory, the present study aimed to examine the mentorship experiences of early-career protégés who worked remote and hybrid hours. Three waves of data were collected to investigate the influence of remote work and mentor distance on protégés’ perceptions of mentoring support received. Specifically, the study examined protégés’ degree of remote work, perceptions of social and spatial distance between …

Commentary On 2022 Guidelines On Clinical Trial Design In Cluster Headache And Further Suggestions, Ioana Medrea, Stewart J Tepper, Donliang Wang, Paul G Mathew, Mark Burish

Student and Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: New guidelines for cluster headache clinical trials were recently published. We welcome these new guidelines and raise additional considerations in trial methodologies.

MAIN BODY: We present non-inferiority trials to overcome ethical issues with placebo use, and additionally discuss issues with trial recruitment.

CONCLUSIONS: We highlight some possible issues and solutions to be considered with the recently published cluster headache trial guidelines.

Impact Of Coronavirus Pandemic On Employee Turnover In Financial Institutions In Ghana, Maame Esi Abbam

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The outbreak of the novel Coronavirus pandemic in late 2019 brought about a lot of challenges that affected several sectors and industries. The current research focused on assessing the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on employee turnover within the financial institutions in Ghana with a specific focus on women employees. Financial institutions are significant pillars of the Ghanaian economy, and they contribute to economic growth and provide essential financial services to businesses and individuals. Through Vroom’s expectancy theory and a qualitative phenomenological approach and analysis, the study was designed to explore the factors that contributed to employee turnover with a …

Triumphs In Leadership: Exploring The Positive Power Of Appreciative Inquiry, Emotional Intelligence, And Social Constructivism Among Successful Lebanese Women Leaders In Higher Education, Lina Safa

Education Division Scholarship

This qualitative study investigates the success strategies of Lebanese women leaders in higher education, a sector where they have historically faced underrepresentation. It examines the evolution of women’s roles in this field, highlighting the progress and ongoing challenges related to gender biases and societal constraints in Lebanon. The research employs a phenomenological approach to explore the lived experiences of these leaders, focusing on how they navigate cultural norms and societal expectations. Theoretical frameworks like appreciative inquiry, emotional intelligence, and social constructivism are used to analyze their transformative potential within Middle Eastern patriarchal structures. This study aims to inform policies and …

Pornography: Social, Emotional And Mental Implications Among Adolescents, William K. Canady

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

This presentation will explain the historical development of pornography. It will highlight three segments: 1- Porn’s impact on brain development of reward pathways, ultimately increasing the appetite for more porn. 2- Porn can be a false substitute for real intimacy, resulting in decreased sexual satisfaction with a real person and increased verbal and physical aggression. 3- Porn promotes sex trafficking, promotes multiple sex partners and reduced STD prevention.

The Real Experts: Understanding Autism And Adhd Through The Lens Of The Individual, Mary Little

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

This presentation aims to spark intentional conversation and change geared towards shattering stigmas around the autistic and ADHD experience. Attendees will enhance their understanding of neuro-divergent populations in order to modify environments and provide interventions aligning with trauma informed care and inclusion. Attendees will also be given the opportunity to embrace the power of self disclosure and mentorship.

Radical Youth Work: A Community Based Approach To Working With Youth, Young Adults And Families, Weston J. Robins

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

Radical Youth Work: A Community Based Approach to Working with Youth, Young Adults and Families

A focus on experiential mentoring, humanistic counseling and community engagement as a way to work with youth, young adults and families to provide true holistic therapeutic support and guidance.

Teaching Students About Trauma, Stress And Brain Regulation, Kathy J. Van Horn

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

All students are impacted by stress and can benefit by understanding their brains, their stress response, and strategies for regulation. This presentation will provide practical principles and ideas for teaching students strategies and skills for physical, emotional, and cortical regulation.

Examining The Effects Of Differential Reinforcement And Time-Out On Unsafe Playground Behavior, Elizabeth K. Linton

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of differential reinforcement (DRO) without extinction, and then the additive effects of time-out, on reducing unsafe playground behavior. The results of the DRO in isolation phase indicated that DRO alone was only consistently effective in reducing or eliminating unsafe behavior for one out of four participants. The other three participants moved on to the multielement comparison where the combination of DRO and time-out (DRO+TO) condition was added. The DRO+TO condition reduced and eliminated unsafe playground behavior for all participants who experienced the condition. Those participants engaged in higher levels of …

An Event-Level Evaluation Of Women’S Self-Medicated Drinking: The Role Of Sexual Assault Severity, Affect, And Drinking Motives, Cynthia A. Stappenbeck, Anna E. Jaffe, Jessica A. Blayney, Mitchell Kirwan, William H. George, Kelly Cue Davis

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Objective.—Women with sexual assault (SA) histories report heavier and more frequent drinking. Consistent with the motivational model of alcohol use, women with SA histories may consume alcohol to both down-regulate negative emotions and up-regulate positive ones. The present event-level study used a Bayesian multilevel moderated mediation approach to examine the extent to which women’s alcohol use and intoxication was influenced by coping and enhancement drinking motives to down-regulate or up-regulate affect, respectively.

Method.—Women ages 21–30 were recruited from the community to participate in a larger study that included a 32-day daily diary assessment of affect, drinking motives, and …