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PAST- AND FUTURE- ORIENTED COGNITIONS IN PTSD: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RUMINATION AND WORRY IN DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY SYMPTOMS
Title
PAST- AND FUTURE- ORIENTED COGNITIONS IN PTSD: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RUMINATION AND WORRY IN DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY SYMPTOMS
Creator
Stickney, Laurie
Date
2016, 2016-07
Description
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a complex disorder characterized by symptoms of both anxiety and depression. Likewise, individuals...
Show morePost-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a complex disorder characterized by symptoms of both anxiety and depression. Likewise, individuals with PTSD experience Repetitive Negative Cognitions in the form of rumination and worry that may be focused on the past, present, or future. Although cognitions in individuals with PTSD have been studied, there is some question as to what types of cognitions individuals with PTSD generally experience and to what extent different types of cognitions contribute to different PTSD symptomatology. Further, although worry and rumination in PTSD have been studied, the question of the importance of the time-focus of cognitions in PTSD has not been adequately addressed. Time-focused cognitions and the relationships among depression, anxiety, rumination and worry were examined in this study using experience sampling method. Participants were asked to fill out a short survey measuring depression, anxiety, rumination, worry and time-focus five times per day for seven days. Results indicated that the presence of Current-focused cognitions strengthened the relationship between worry and anxiety compared to Future-focused cognitions. These findings suggest that in terms of the relationship between anxiety and worry, it is current-focus that is important not future-focus. Additionally, worry partially mediated the relationship between rumination and anxiety, and rumination partially mediated the relationship between worry and depression. Overall, the results suggest that time-focus may be important in some areas of PTSD, and the study highlights the complex relationships among depression, anxiety, rumination, worry and time-focused cognitions.
Ph.D. in Psychology, July 2016
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EXAMINING HEALTHCARE UTILIZATION AMONG HOMELESS WOMEN: THE ROLES OF CHRONIC ILLNESS, PTSD RELATED SYMPTOMS, AND SOCIAL SUPPORT
Title
EXAMINING HEALTHCARE UTILIZATION AMONG HOMELESS WOMEN: THE ROLES OF CHRONIC ILLNESS, PTSD RELATED SYMPTOMS, AND SOCIAL SUPPORT
Creator
Osborn, Amanda
Date
2016, 2016-07
Description
Homeless women face many psychological and physical challenges to their health, but they often report underutilizing needed healthcare...
Show moreHomeless women face many psychological and physical challenges to their health, but they often report underutilizing needed healthcare services. This trend in healthcare utilization often leads to further health decline. Research has shown that chronic illness, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) related symptoms, and social support is associated with differential patterns in healthcare utilization. This study examined how healthcare utilization patterns of homeless women (N=317) related to these factors. The study tested six hypotheses. The first and second hypotheses predicted that increases in PTSD related symptoms and number of chronic health conditions would be associated with increases in healthcare utilization. The third hypothesis predicted that perceived support from friends would moderate the relation between PTSD related symptoms and healthcare utilization. The fourth hypothesis predicted that perceived familial support would not significantly moderate the relation between PTSD related symptoms and healthcare utilization. The fifth hypothesis predicted that perceived support from friends would also moderate the relation between number of chronic health conditions and healthcare utilization. The sixth hypothesis predicted that perceived familial support would not significantly moderate the relation between number of chronic health conditions and healthcare utilization. Results show the only significant predictor of healthcare utilization was the number of chronic health conditions, such that for each additional diagnosis there was a 17% increase in accessing healthcare utilization. Clinical implications, strengths, limitations, and future research are discussed.
M.S. in Psychology, July 2016
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THE VETERAN/MILITARY COUPLE RELATIONSHIP IN THE CONTEXT OF POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER: THE ROLE OF RELATIONSHIP-FOCUSED COPING AND CONGRUENCY/DISCREPANCY OF COPING
Title
THE VETERAN/MILITARY COUPLE RELATIONSHIP IN THE CONTEXT OF POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER: THE ROLE OF RELATIONSHIP-FOCUSED COPING AND CONGRUENCY/DISCREPANCY OF COPING
Creator
Gela, Natalie R.
Date
2016, 2016-07
Description
Intimate relationship functioning is an area of great concern for Veterans and military personnel coping with clinically significant...
Show moreIntimate relationship functioning is an area of great concern for Veterans and military personnel coping with clinically significant posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as for their significant others. Research findings based on couples affected by chronic physical illnesses indicate that specific relationship-focused coping strategies (active engagement, protective buffering, and overprotection) are linked to dyadic adjustment and individual well-being, yet this type of interpersonal coping has not been investigated in the context of Veteran/military samples affected by PTSD. The present study used a sample of Veterans diagnosed with PTSD and their significant others (N = 71 pairs) to examine associations between: (a) relationship-focused coping and dyadic adjustment; (b) relationship-focused coping and PTSD symptom severity; and (c) relationship-focused coping and significant other emotional distress. Actor-Partner Interdependence Models revealed significant associations between relationship-focused coping strategies and dyadic adjustment in the predicted directions. Furthermore, protective buffering and overprotection were positively associated with, and active engagement was negatively associated with, Veteran PTSD symptom severity and significant other emotional distress. Congruency/discrepancy of couple members’ relationship-focused coping was also examined in order to investigate whether or not patterns of coping within a couple impact dyadic adjustment in the context of PTSD, and these findings were not significant. Overall, findings from the present study demonstrate the importance of interpersonal coping processes within the context of military Veterans diagnosed with PTSD and their significant others. The implications of these findings in regards to current theoretical models of PTSD and relationship functioning are discussed. Implications for clinical interventions aimed at treating Veterans diagnosed with PTSD and/or couples coping with a Veteran’s PTSD diagnosis are also discussed.
Ph.D. in Psychology, July 2016
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POLYTRAUMA CLINICAL TRIAD ASSOCIATED ATTENTION AND MEMORY FUNCTIONING
Title
POLYTRAUMA CLINICAL TRIAD ASSOCIATED ATTENTION AND MEMORY FUNCTIONING
Creator
Ramirez, Amanda M.
Date
2021
Description
The purpose of the current study was to explore cognitive functioning associated with the polytrauma clinical triad in a sample of post-9/11...
Show moreThe purpose of the current study was to explore cognitive functioning associated with the polytrauma clinical triad in a sample of post-9/11 veterans. More specifically, it sought to determine if a component (i.e., PTSD, mTBI, or pain), in the context of the triad, accounted for variability in attention and memory functioning as measured by neuropsychological assessments. The study also sought to evaluate the relation between PTSD and cognition more comprehensively by examining if the four PTSD symptom clusters were associated with differential patterns of neuropsychological performances. Participants included 111 veterans who served in Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New Dawn, otherwise known as post-9/11 veterans. Participants completed a brief structured interview and neuropsychological battery. Several hierarchical regressions examined the association between the polytrauma clinical triad and performances on select measures of attention and memory. Results indicated that the triad did not significantly predict sustained attention, visual memory, or verbal memory. These findings suggested that despite the rates of the polytrauma clinical triad among a significant portion of post-9/11 veterans, the current evidence does not support the presence of related cognitive impairment.
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Factor Analysis of the Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory in Veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
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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