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Title: Mothers’ Vaccination Decision: The Relation Between Science Skepticism, Social Networks, Vaccination Beliefs, and Fear of ASD
Creator: Lockwood, Maria Izabel Kugelmas Guarita
Date: 2021
Description: Vaccines are instrumental in stopping the spread of disease, yet some parents choose to not vaccinate their children. Despite scientific...
Show moreVaccines are instrumental in stopping the spread of disease, yet some parents choose to not vaccinate their children. Despite scientific evidence that childhood vaccines are safe, there is an increasing number of children in the United States and the United Kingdom who are not getting vaccinated. The current study investigates different factors that may be associated with mothers’ decision to vaccinate their children. This study examines the relations between skepticism in science, vaccination beliefs, fear of having a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), social network recommendations, and maternal decision to vaccinate. Participants included 293 expectant mothers in the United States and the United Kingdom. Results indicated that mothers who are pro-vaccine and mothers who are vaccine-hesitant have different score profiles across scales that measure skepticism in science, vaccination beliefs, and fear of having a child with ASD. Specifically, we found that relative to mothers who are vaccine-hesitant, mothers who are pro-vaccine: (1) indicated less skepticism in science; (2) had fewer anti-vaccination beliefs; (3) did not statistically differ on their fear of having a child with ASD; and (4) had a smaller percentage of their social network advocating against vaccination. Thus, the study adds to the research literature, as it illustrates that mothers who are vaccine-hesitant differ from mothers who are pro-vaccine on key factors.
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Title: Promoting Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors for African Americans with Serious Mental Illness and Weight Concerns
Creator: Nieweglowski, Katherine
Date: 2022
Description: People with serious mental illness face greater rates of chronic illness and obesity compared to those without mental illness. These rates are...
Show morePeople with serious mental illness face greater rates of chronic illness and obesity compared to those without mental illness. These rates are disproportionately higher for those who are part of racially minoritized groups. For example, African Americans are more likely to be obese compared to their white counterparts. This study sought to test a diet and exercise program—developed through community-based participatory research—called “Behaviors for Healthy Lifestyles” (BHL) for African Americans with serious mental illness and weight concerns. The impact of this program, also combined with peer health navigation (PHN), was tested on various physical and mental health outcomes. Participants were randomly assigned to either integrated-care treatment as usual (IC-TAU), BHL, or BHL+PHN. Data was collected at baseline, 4-month, 8-month, and 12-month follow up for outcomes measuring general health, bodily pain, physical functioning, emotional well-being, depression, recovery, quality of life, weight efficacy, and emotional eating. Monthly data collection was also conducted on frequency of healthy lifestyle behaviors related to diet and physical activity. Findings from group by trial analyses of variance on these outcomes did not show any significant impact. Implications for testing diet and exercise interventions combined with PHN for this population are discussed along with future research considerations related to increasing attendance and participation for greater health improvements.
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Title: Relations Between Inhibitory Control, Teacher Support, and Externalizing Behaviors in Elementary School Children
Creator: Kurian, Jennifer
Date: 2021
Description: The aim of this study was to examine the relation between child hot and cool inhibitory control (IC) at the beginning of the school year and...
Show moreThe aim of this study was to examine the relation between child hot and cool inhibitory control (IC) at the beginning of the school year and externalizing behaviors at the end of the year, and to determine if teacher support moderates this relation in early elementary school. Participants included a diverse sample of 138 children in grades 1 (n = 62) and 2 (n = 76), with a mean age of 7.2 years (SD = 10.1 months), about half of whom were male. Hot IC was assessed with the Puzzle Box Task and cool IC with the Happy-Sad Stroop Task. Teacher support was rated by independent observers using the Adapted Teaching Style Rating Scale. A composite teacher-report score based on ratings on subscales from two measures, the Strengths and Weaknesses of Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder Symptoms and Normal Behavior and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, was used to assess externalizing behavior at both time points. Results of hierarchical regression analyses revealed that, contrary to expectation, neither hot nor cool IC significantly predicted child externalizing behavior at the end of the school year. A moderation analysis also failed to show a significant moderating effect for teacher support. The only variable that significantly predicted externalizing behavior at the end of the year was externalizing behavior at the beginning of the year. There were significant concurrent associations between hot IC and externalizing behaviors at both the beginning and end of the school year. These findings suggest that externalizing behaviors in early elementary school are relatively stable. Thus, early and comprehensive intervention may be critical for implementing prevention strategies designed to increase self-regulation and thereby decrease externalizing behaviors after formal school entry.
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Title: Comparing the effects of an adjunct brief action planning intervention to standard treatment in a heterogeneous sample of chronic pain patients
Creator: Mikrut, Cassandra Leona
Date: 2022
Description: Objectives: Behavioral treatments for chronic pain have been associated with positive outcomes, but they are often time consuming in nature....
Show moreObjectives: Behavioral treatments for chronic pain have been associated with positive outcomes, but they are often time consuming in nature. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of a brief behavioral treatment for chronic pain and compare Brief Action Planning used in conjunction with treatment as usual (BAP + TAU) to TAU, on changes in pain severity, pain interference, pain self-efficacy, quality of life, and anxiety and depression in a heterogeneous sample of chronic pain patients. Methods: A total of 172 participants were recruited from an urban pain clinic. Eighty-five participants were quasi-randomly assigned to the BAP + TAU group and 87 participants were quasi-randomly assigned to the TAU control group. After completing T1 measures, two iterations of the BAP protocol were delivered to the intervention group by a trained clinician over the phone, with two weeks in between iterations. The TAU group received check-in calls, collecting brief mood and pain scores, to control for clinician contact. All participants completed T2 measures following the last phone call. Validated measures were used at T1 and T2 to examine participant outcomes. Results: Two-way repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests were used to test the primary hypotheses that there would be a Group x Time interaction, on pain severity, pain interference, pain self-efficacy, quality of life (QOL), and anxiety and depression, such that participants assigned to the BAP + TAU group would endorse improved scores from T1 to T2, while TAU participants would not. Results showed a significant Group x Time interaction on pain severity and anxiety and depression. However, there was not a significant Group x Time interaction on pain interference, pain self-efficacy, or QOL. Discussion: These findings provide preliminary support for the effectiveness of BAP, as an adjunctive treatment to TAU, when provided by a trained clinician, as a treatment for reducing pain severity and anxiety and depression, in a heterogeneous chronic pain population. These results advance the current BAP literature, providing preliminary support for using BAP with individuals with a wide variety of chronic pain diagnoses.
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Title: EMBEDDING RELATIONSHIPS: THE INDIRECT EFFECTS OF WORK RELATIONSHIPS ON TURNOVER INTENT
Creator: McDonald, Jordan C.
Date: 2022
Description: With the onset of the “Great Resignation” following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, employees are quitting jobs at unprecedented levels....
Show moreWith the onset of the “Great Resignation” following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, employees are quitting jobs at unprecedented levels. Although the traditional model of turnover (Mobley, 1977; Mobley, Griffeth, Hand, & Meglino, 1979) links job attitudes and turnover intentions as key determinants in understanding the turnover process, there is a growing recognition of the importance of studying contextual variables, namely social relations, in expanding our understanding of employee turnover and retention. Job embeddedness (Mitchell et al., 2001) and social capital theories (Granovetter, 1973; Burt, 1992; Lin, 1982) implicate employees’ social networks as additional factors worth investigating in understanding employee turnover. The aim of the current study was to study an expanded model of turnover by examining whether different types of social relationships at work differentially related to work experiences and attitudes that, in turn, related to turnover intentions. The current research leveraged an ego-centric method to collect information on employees’ social networks at work along with work experience and attitudinal constructs. The results of the study found that expressive relationship networks (i.e., friendship networks) had a positive, significant effect on employees’ job embeddedness, with an indication of a marginal indirect effect with organizational commitment. Surprisingly, employees’ instrumental networks were not significantly related to any work experience or attitudinal factors. There was no support for the hypothesized indirect effects linking social networks, work experiences and attitudes, and turnover intentions. Practical implications and directions for future research are discussed.
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Title: PLAYER MOTIVATION AND TRAINING EFFECTIVENESS: INSIGHTS FROM A STRUCTURAL MODEL OF GAME-BASED LEARNING
Creator: Gandara, Daniel A.
Date: 2022
Description: Digital game-based learning (DGBL) delivers training through video games. Practitioners are using DGBL in attempts to increase motivation,...
Show moreDigital game-based learning (DGBL) delivers training through video games. Practitioners are using DGBL in attempts to increase motivation, promote learning, and increase transfer in training. Theory and models of DGBL aim to explain how motivation is created to yield these benefits, and studies have compared DGBL to traditional methods, yet the tenets of these theories remain largely unexamined. The present study tested the process-outcome link of Garris et al.’s (2002) input-process-outcome model, examined the effect of positive and negative user judgments on behavior and learning, and expanded the model to include trainee reactions and adaptive transfer. Participants (N = 254) learned about identifying misinformation online by playing Fake It to Make It, a social-impact game that teaches core critical thinking skills. Autoregressive cross-lagged (ARCL) panel analysis was used to analyze and compare models to test the hypothesized relationships among judgments and behavior scores across six game levels in predicting six learning outcomes, including adaptive transfer tasks evaluating online sources. Findings indicated that each judgment was predicted by its own lagged judgment and lagged behavior. Additionally, positive user judgments predicted reactions, post-training self-efficacy, and motivation to transfer, while frustration inhibited declarative knowledge. Results also demonstrated that behavior and declarative knowledge predicted performance on the adaptive transfer tasks. Research recommendations and practice implications are discussed relative to using games to deliver training with emphasis on motivational properties and targeted outcomes.
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Title: THE IMPACT OF SHARED RECRUITMENT INFORMATION ON APPLICANT OUTCOMES AND THE INFLUENCE OF MODERATING VARIABLES
Creator: Savage, Catherine M.
Date: 2022
Description: Organizations are currently experiencing one of the most challenging environments when it comes to recruiting talent. What started in the...
Show moreOrganizations are currently experiencing one of the most challenging environments when it comes to recruiting talent. What started in the 1990s as the “War for Talent,” in which organizations faced fierce competition when hiring and retaining employees, has persisted, and grown more competitive, post-pandemic. As a result, organizations must re-evaluate their recruitment strategies and find ways to connect with job candidates that will increase the probability that they will pursue open job positions. Thus, we examined how sharing different information regarding pay, diversity statements, and mentoring benefits with 250 potential job applicants, based in the US, may influence their attraction to an organization, perceived person-organization fit, and their intention to pursue the job that was posted. We also examined how ethnicity, gender, and age can influence the job candidates’ perception of the information provided. Results from this research partially supported our hypothesized outcomes. Presenting more information to participants (rather than less) generally had a positive impact on organization attraction and intentions to pursue the position posted in the job advertisement. However, the amount of information shared to participants did not influence perceptions of person-organization fit. Additionally, while ethnicity did not moderate the relationship between amount of information shared and the outcome variables, gender and age were found to influence participants’ reaction to the information provided and their subsequent level of organizational attraction and intention to pursue. Implications and avenues for future research are discussed.
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Title: Do Numeric Performance Ratings Have Any Merit?
Creator: Sanders, Emily Kathleen
Date: 2022
Description: Numeric performance ratings have been a component of performance evaluation for decades (Prowse & Prowse, 2009; Pulakos, Mueller-Hanson & Arad...
Show moreNumeric performance ratings have been a component of performance evaluation for decades (Prowse & Prowse, 2009; Pulakos, Mueller-Hanson & Arad, 2019). Yet, in recent years their necessity has been questioned (Adler, Campion, Colquitt, Grubb, Murphy, Ollander-Krane, & Pulakos, 2016), with some organizations going so far as to remove numeric ratings entirely (Capelli & Tavis, 2016; Rock, Davis & Jones, 2014; Burkus, 2016). Unfortunately, this practice has been largely unexamined in an empirical manner. The present study tested whether the claim – that numeric ratings do not matter – holds up in all cases. This is done by exploring whether the presence or absence of numeric ratings, impacts employee perceptions of fairness associated with the appraisal. As numeric ratings are argued to be a mechanism for communicating a fair, standard, and consistent practice, the study aimed to understand if the mere presence of numeric ratings may offset some of the negative reaction employees have toward performance appraisal when they have poor-quality relationships with their supervisors. Findings indicated that while employee-manager relationship quality (assessed via Leader-Member Exchange) has a direct relationship with perceptions of fairness associated with the appraisal, the presence of numeric ratings did not moderate this relationship. Practical implications and future research recommendations are discussed.
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Title: Stress-Induced Habitual Responding as a Maintenance Factor in Bulimia Nervosa Spectrum Disorders
Creator: Dougherty, Elizabeth Nash
Date: 2022
Description: Individuals with bulimia nervosa spectrum disorders often compulsively engage in binge eating and purging, despite life threatening...
Show moreIndividuals with bulimia nervosa spectrum disorders often compulsively engage in binge eating and purging, despite life threatening consequences. Little is known about factors that contribute to compulsivity in these conditions. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether stress and habitual control over bulimic behaviors play a role in maintaining symptoms in these disorders, using ecological momentary assessment. Women with bulimia nervosa spectrum disorders (N = 81) completed self-report baseline questionnaires and a 14-day EMA protocol which involved daily assessments of stress, negative affect, bulimic behaviors, and contextual antecedents to bulimic behaviors. The results indicated that baseline habitual control over binge eating and purging were not associated with global eating pathology or eating disorder-related clinical impairment. However, exploratory analyses revealed that habitual control over binge eating and purging were associated with more frequent engagement in these behaviors during the previous four weeks. Neither stress appraisal nor stressor frequency were associated with habitual control over bulimic behavior during the EMA period. In terms of affect trajectories surrounding bulimic behaviors, negative affect increased in the hours leading up to these behaviors, decreased in the hours following these behaviors, and was higher immediately after these behaviors compared to before. Habitual control over binge eating and purging did not moderate temporal relations between negative affect and bulimic behaviors during the EMA period. Overall, the findings suggest that habit may play a role in maintaining binge eating and purging.
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Title: DOES FAMILY QUALITY OF LIFE MEDIATE THE RELATION BETWEEN AUTISM WAIVER SERVICES AND CHILD PROGRESS?
Creator: Desai, Shivani S.
Date: 2022
Description: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a pervasive neurodevelopmental disorder that affects a child’s language, social, and behavioral development,...
Show moreAutism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a pervasive neurodevelopmental disorder that affects a child’s language, social, and behavioral development, and also is associated with difficulty with academics, independent completion of daily living skills, and emotion regulation. Diagnosed individuals often require comprehensive, long-term, and family-based intervention that is costly. Several states, including Maryland, have adopted Medicaid Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) waiver services that specifically serve children and young adults with ASD at no out-of-pocket cost to families. The Maryland autism waiver (AW) also includes services to support diagnosed individuals’ family members, including family consultation and respite services. Family factors, such as specific parenting behaviors and parental mental health, contribute significantly to symptom improvement in children with ASD and child development more broadly, highlighting the importance of studying family systems and targeting them in treatment. Prior research has found that AW services have a positive impact on family quality of life (FQoL), which is a multidimensional concept of family functioning. The aim of the present study was to examine if the several domains of FQoL are mediators in the relation between receipt of Maryland HCBS AW services and caregivers’ perception of their child’s improvement in several domains of functioning. The participants in this study consisted of 460 families who were enrolled in a larger study examining effects of Maryland AW services. Half of these families (n = 230) received the Maryland Medicaid AW services (n = 230) and the other half were on a registry to receive services (n = 230). Deidentified survey data were collected between 2013-2016 from caregiver informants who had a child under the age of 21 who exhibited symptoms of ASD. The survey included questions about demographics, FQoL, and their child’s progress in the areas of academics, independent living skills, social communication skills, stereotypic and repetitive behaviors, and aggressive behaviors over the past 6 months. Results of the mediation analyses revealed that FQoL in the domains of parenting, emotional well-being, and disability support services (but not in the domains of family interaction and physical/material well-being) each mediated the relations between AW services and caregiver report of improvement in all measured domains of child functioning (academics, independent living skills, social communication skills, stereotypic and repetitive behaviors, and aggressive behaviors). These findings highlight the significant role of FQoL as a mediator in the relation between waiver serves and child outcome. They also reveal the importance of increasing family quality of life when providing treatment services to children with symptoms of autism and their families.
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Title: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SLUGGISH COGNITIVE TEMPO AND PERFORMANCE ON TASKS OF PROCESSING SPEED: INFLUENCE OF DEPRESSION
Creator: Kim, Jeong Hye
Date: 2021
Description: Sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) is often associated with reported difficulties in various functional areas, including daily activities,...
Show moreSluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) is often associated with reported difficulties in various functional areas, including daily activities, emotional functioning, cognitive functioning, academic performance, and sleep. However, there are only a handful of research studies on SCT and neurocognitive functioning in adult populations, and the neuropsychological profile of SCT in adults is unclear.The purpose of this research is to investigate the effect of depression on the relationship between a self-reported measure of SCT and objective measures of SCT in adults by focusing on processing speed performance. The result of this research supports the previous notion that SCT is a novel and independent condition distinct from ADHD, and there are significantly positive relationships between symptoms of SCT and Inattention and Hyperactivity/Impulsivity. Furthermore, SCT and depression are also positively associated indicating the people who experience more symptoms of SCT report more symptoms of depression. However, results did not support the hypothesis that SCT significantly contribute to differences in performance on various types of neuropsychological tasks (WAIS PSI, Trail Making Test, and CPT-II Reaction Time) assessing processing speed after controlling for symptoms of ADHD (inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity) and symptoms of depression. It is notable that the significant model beta weights for SCT in the final regression model suggests that the relationship between SCT and processing speed is worthy of additional investigation.
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Title: Child and Family Outcomes Associated with Specific Maryland ASD Waiver Services and Choice and Control as Mediators of These Outcomes
Creator: Turchmanovych-Hienkel, Nataliya
Date: 2022
Description: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects 1in 44 children and is characterized by impairments in cognitive...
Show moreAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects 1in 44 children and is characterized by impairments in cognitive, behavioral, and social domains of functioning. Literature suggests that ASD not only impacts the quality of life of the individuals diagnosed with this condition, but also has a negative impact on family quality of life (FQoL). Interventions and services offered through the Medicaid 1915(c) Home and Community-Based Services waiver programs can enhance child and family outcomes. The present study looked at one specific waiver program, the Maryland ASD waiver, and examined the frequency at which families received different waiver services and the associations between those service frequencies and child (i.e., academic performance, independent living skills, social communication and interaction skills, stereotypic and repetitive behavior, and aggressive behavior) and family (i.e., FQoL) outcomes, as well as explored whether the family’s perception of choice and control mediate these child and family outcomes. Results suggest that frequencies of some waiver services are associated with progress in some child outcomes, but not in FQoL. This study also suggests that the choice and control that families have over services do not mediate the relation between frequency of waiver services and child and family outcomes. Overall, results suggest that the Maryland ASD waiver program may help improve some domains of child functioning.
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Title: DIAGNOSING AND TREATING ADHD: CLINICIAN CHARACTERISTICS, METHODS OF DIAGNOSIS, DIAGNOSTIC RATES, AND TREATMENT RECOMMENDATIONS
Creator: Haak, Christopher Luke
Date: 2019
Description: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the top five most common referrals among all neuropsychologists (Sweet et al. 2015)...
Show moreAttention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the top five most common referrals among all neuropsychologists (Sweet et al. 2015) and continues to elicit public and professional concern about over-diagnosis in children (Sciutto & Eisenberg, 2007) and under-diagnosis in adults (Asheron et al., 2012; Kooji et al., 2010). In recent years, the prevalence of ADHD has increased (Polanczyk et al., 2007 & 2014, Thomas et al., 2015). It is unclear what is driving these changes though changes in criteria may be playing a role (van de Voort et al., 2014). Further, there has been little research on whether professional training, beliefs, and practice factors can influence the likelihood to diagnose ADHD. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which neuropsychologists’ professional characteristics, training, and beliefs about ADHD diagnosis and treatment influence their likelihood to diagnose ADHD. The study also evaluated whether there are differences in assessing and treating ADHD based upon the client population focus (child, lifespan, or adult) of neuropsychologists. Participants in this study were 106 neuropsychologists from across the United States and Canada who were recruited through neuropsychology listservs to participate in an online survey. Results indicated that population focus was associated with significant differences in approach to diagnosing and treating ADHD, with child- and lifespan-focused neuropsychologists reporting higher rates of ADHD diagnosis. Additionally, having a higher percent of clinical cases in which ADHD is a referral question and greater self-reported adherence to following full diagnostic criteria for making a diagnosis were associated with higher ADHD diagnostic rates, controlling for age, gender, ethnicity, and other professional characteristics. This study is among the first to examine specific clinician factors impacting diagnostic rates and its findings have several implications for practice and research.
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Title: Agency and Pathway Thinking as Mediators of The Relationship Between Caregiver Burden And Life Satisfaction Among Family Caregivers Of People With Parkinson’s Disease: An Application Of Snyder’s Hope Theory
Creator: Springer, Jessica Gabrielle
Date: 2024
Description: In the United States, there are 47.9 million caregivers providing care to family members with disabilities. Those providing care to someone...
Show moreIn the United States, there are 47.9 million caregivers providing care to family members with disabilities. Those providing care to someone who has Parkinson’s Disease (PD), a complex degenerative movement disorder, may have a unique caregiving experience, given that disease-related factors (e.g. motor and non-motor symptoms) can contribute to worsening caregiver burden and life satisfactions (LS). PD has an increasing incidence of 90,000 new cases per year, likely resulting in an increased need for caregivers. Caregiving research frequently focuses on the mediators between caregiver burden and LS including social support, coping skills, and appraisals. Research that has specifically focused on caregivers of people with PD (Pw/PD) is significantly limited. Hope is a “positive motivational characteristic comprised of agency and pathways thinking that can help facilitate drive towards one’s goal while also serving as a buffer against negative events” (Snyder et al.,1991). The goal of this study is to understand Snyder’s hope theory as it relates to caregiver burden and LS for caregivers of Pw/PD. Specifically, we hypothesized that (a) caregiver burden will be negatively correlated with agency thinking, pathways thinking, and LS among caregivers of Pw/PD. In addition, pathways thinking, and agency thinking will be positively associated with LS, and (b) agency thinking, and pathways thinking will mediate the relationship between caregiver burden and LS among caregivers of Pw/PD. The study sample consisted of 249 caregivers of Pw/PD who completed an online anonymous questionnaire. Correlations between agency and pathways thinking, LS, caregiver burden, and sociodemographic factors were evaluated. A parallel mediation analysis was run to evaluate the mediating roles of pathways and agency thinking in the relationship between caregiver burden and LS. Results indicated that LS was significantly and negatively correlated with caregiver burden. LS was significantly and positively correlated with both pathways and agency thinking. Pathways thinking had no indirect effect on the relationship of caregiver burden on LS. Agency thinking had a negative, indirect effect on the relationship suggesting that agency thinking partially mediated the relationship between caregiver burden and LS. Clinical implications and future directions are discussed.
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Title: Sense of Community and Virtual Community Among People with Autism Spectrum Conditions
Creator: Rafajko, Sean I
Date: 2020
Description: Individuals with autism spectrum conditions (ASC) face poorer quality of life (QOL) and psychological well-being. Sense of community (SOC) has...
Show moreIndividuals with autism spectrum conditions (ASC) face poorer quality of life (QOL) and psychological well-being. Sense of community (SOC) has been studied in the general population as well as in other disability populations and found to be associated with increased QOL outcomes. However, SOC has never been examined quantitatively in the ASC population. Additionally, a number of communities exist online, and there has been recent research showing that people may feel sense of virtual community (SOVC), which may be particularly important to the ASC population, as internet use is higher in the population, and people with ASC report positive experiences with online communication and relationships. The purpose of this study was to examine SOC and SOVC in the ASC population. A sample of 60 participants with ASC completed an online survey about their communities, SOC, SOVC, QOL, and psychological distress, and their results were compared with a sample of 60 general population participants (N = 120). Results indicated that people with ASC reported participating in a greater number of smaller relational communities compared to the general population sample. There were no significant differences between the ASC and general population samples on levels of SOC or SOVC, suggesting that the differential relationship of the ASC group with their communities does not reduce the experience of SOC. SOC significantly contributed to QOL but not psychological distress. Results indicated that the magnitude of the relationship between SOC and SOVC on QOL was not different between those with ASC and those in the comparisons sample. Findings from this study help frame the different ways in which people with ASC interact with their communities and inform individual and community-level interventions.
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Title: Factor Analysis of the Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory in Veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Creator: Scimeca, Lauren
Date: 2020
Description: The Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory (NSI) is a widely used measure of postconcussive symptoms in veteran populations. Previous psychometric...
Show moreThe Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory (NSI) is a widely used measure of postconcussive symptoms in veteran populations. Previous psychometric studies used samples of veterans with mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI) and high rates of comorbid Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The present study aims to determine the best-fitting factor structure of the NSI in veterans with PTSD and to evaluate the relationship between the best-fitting factor structure and the symptom clusters of PTSD. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) found that 4-factors had the best overall fit in veterans with PTSD. Correlational analyses found high rates of correspondence between the cognitive and affective factors of the NSI and the alterations in cognition and mood and hyperarousal symptom clusters of PTSD. The analyses reveal that symptoms of the NSI cluster in the same way in a sample of veterans with PTSD as they do in veterans with mTBI, suggesting that lingering postconcussive symptoms in veterans with PTSD are better characterized as non-specific generalized health symptoms on the NSI.
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Title: PTSD Symptoms as a Potential Link Between Military Sexual Assault and Disordered Eating
Creator: Sandhu, Danielle
Date: 2020
Description: Despite increasing rates of sexual assault in the military and high rates of disordered eating and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among...
Show moreDespite increasing rates of sexual assault in the military and high rates of disordered eating and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among veterans, little is known about how these constructs are related. The present study examined whether PTSD symptoms mediate the relation between military sexual assault and disordered eating among female veterans. Prolific Academic was used to recruit 98 United States female veterans as participants for the study. Participants completed an online questionnaire of self-report measures assessing demographic characteristics, military sexual assault, PTSD symptoms, and disordered eating. Mediational analyses were conducted using the PROCESS v3 macro in IBM SPSS Statistics. Within the sample, 61% of female veterans reported being sexually assaulted while serving in the military. Military sexual assault was associated with higher levels of PTSD symptoms and disordered eating. Findings did not support the hypothesis that PTSD symptoms would mediate the relation between military sexual assault and disordered eating among women veterans. Given the heterogeneous nature of disordered eating, post-hoc mediational analyses were conducted to examine specific facets of eating pathology. Results indicated that PTSD symptoms fully mediated the relation between military sexual assault and bulimia and food preoccupation. Awareness of these psychopathological sequelae following military sexual assault may improve screening and intervention efforts at Veteran Affairs (VA) medical centers. The present study highlights the importance of future longitudinal studies that can establish temporal precedence in order to better understand the pathways leading to disordered eating in female veterans.
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Title: Stigma, depression, and help-seeking: Experiences of parents/caregivers of children with mental health challenges
Creator: Serchuk, Marisa D.
Date: 2023
Description: The impacts of stigma on people with lived-experience are widely recognized, however, stigma has been noted to extend to family members. The...
Show moreThe impacts of stigma on people with lived-experience are widely recognized, however, stigma has been noted to extend to family members. The current investigation examines how specific types of stigma experienced by parents/caregivers (N=250) of children with mental health challenges are related to symptoms of depression and attitudes towards help-seeking. Results found that higher levels of public stigma, self-stigma, and vicarious stigma were associated with higher levels of depression and were differentially associated with attitudes towards help-seeking. Findings from this investigation add to the small body of literature examining stigma experienced by parents/caregivers of children with mental health challenges.
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Title: Self-Stigma, Disclosure, and Care-Seeking in People with Self-Reported Mental Illness
Creator: Shah, Binoy Biren
Date: 2023
Description: Objective: The longstanding mental illness treatment gap has only been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. One reason for this is the self...
Show moreObjective: The longstanding mental illness treatment gap has only been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. One reason for this is the self-stigma of mental illness, which has been shown to decrease care-seeking. This study aims to better understand the relationships between self-stigma and care-seeking by identifying novel mediators of this relationship. Method: A sample of 125 individuals with mental health difficulties, obtained from MTurk, completed measures of self-stigma, disclosure, care-seeking. Self-stigma was conceptualized as a distal antecedent to disclosure, and novel proximal antecedents of disclosure (i.e., approach goals, avoidance goals, and the “Why Try?” effect) were unpacked. Hypotheses were tested in steps via path analysis. Results: We found partial evidence to support our model of self-stigma. Disclosure did not mediate the relationship between self-stigma and care-seeking. Findings regarding proximal antecedents of disclosure were mixed. Conclusion: Results should be interpreted with caution due to data quality concerns. Additional research is needed to better understand how self-stigma impacts disclosure. This line of inquiry has noteworthy implications for research, policy, and clinical practice.
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Title: Shared Authentic Leadership and Team Attitudes: The Role of Social Support and Team Diversity
Creator: Shu, Frank
Date: 2023
Description: Across 15 weeks, data from 48 interdisciplinary teams were collected to test the direct and indirect effects of shared authentic leadership on...
Show moreAcross 15 weeks, data from 48 interdisciplinary teams were collected to test the direct and indirect effects of shared authentic leadership on team attitudes (i.e., team work engagement & team satisfaction). Under the conservation of resources (COR) theory, team social support was considered a team resource, mediating the relationship between shared authentic leadership and team attitudes respectively. Functional diversity was also examined as a moderator between team social support and team attitudes. Results revealed that shared authentic leadership was a significant and positive predictor of team attitudes. However, team social support was not found to be a significant mediator. On the other hand, functional diversity was able to partially moderate the relationship between socio-emotional social support and team work engagement. A discussion of the results, strengths, and limitations of this study will be provided at the end of this manuscript.
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