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UNEMPLOYMENT AND SUICIDE IN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE INTERPERSONAL THEORY OF SUICIDE
Title
UNEMPLOYMENT AND SUICIDE IN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE INTERPERSONAL THEORY OF SUICIDE
Creator
Roubal, Eren A.
Date
2018, 2018-05
Description
Becoming unemployed is typically considered a risk factor for suicidal ideation (SI) and behavior. This study aimed to examine how...
Show moreBecoming unemployed is typically considered a risk factor for suicidal ideation (SI) and behavior. This study aimed to examine how unemployment confers risk for suicidal ideation, positing that Perceived Burdensomeness (PB) and Thwarted Belongingness (TB) function as mediators between the length of an individual’s unemployment and their level of SI. In terms of the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide, individuals with higher levels of these variables are hypothesized to have an increased desire to be dead. Other issues related to unemployment and suicidal thinking were examined including whether the preceding variables had a curvilinear relationship to length of unemployment, whether income loss was a predictor of suicidal thinking and whether veterans of the armed forces experienced higher levels of the preceding variables than non-veterans. PB was found to function as a mediator, but TB did not. There was evidence of a curvilinear relationship, with individuals recently and long-term unemployed reporting lower SI than those unemployed for a moderate duration. Income loss was unrelated to both PB and SI, and veterans were found to exhibit higher PB and SI than non-veterans, but similar levels of PB. These findings begin to shed light on which individuals who lose their job are at greater risk for suicidal thinking; clinical implications for risk assessment are also discussed.
Ph.D. in Psychology, May 2018
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FACTOR STRUCTURE OF THE EMPOWERMENT SCALE IN MILITARY FAMILIES
Title
FACTOR STRUCTURE OF THE EMPOWERMENT SCALE IN MILITARY FAMILIES
Creator
Kereszturi, Katherine
Date
2018, 2018-05
Description
Military families are vulnerable to many difficulties, including not just physical and mental health issues, but also financial, social, and...
Show moreMilitary families are vulnerable to many difficulties, including not just physical and mental health issues, but also financial, social, and occupational hardships. As such, they may experience disempowerment, or feelings of inadequacy to handle the myriad problems which they must confront. To create greater access to resources and provide necessary supports for this population, it is important that they feel empowered to advocate on their own behalves. Increased empowerment may also help military families to benefit more from programs and services already in place. Additionally, research indicates that empowerment is its own reward; those who feel empowered tend to have better mental and physical health outcomes and are more capable of solving their own problems (as opposed to relying on helping professionals). While empowerment has been studied in the rehabilitation psychology literature in other populations, it has yet to be studied in military families. The current study is an analysis of the factor structure of the Empowerment Scale in a sample of veterans and their family members participating in a peer-to-peer guided services program. Identifying the factor structure of the Empowerment Scale in this sample will aid future researchers in using the scale to study empowerment as both a process and an outcome in psychological studies looking at military families. Though previous studies have established a five factor model of empowerment, the current study suggests a four factor model with the following four factors identified: 1) self-esteem and self-efficacy, 2) autonomy, 3) community activism, and 4) anger and authority. Implications of the four factor model in the understanding of empowerment among military families are explored.
M.S. in Psychology, May 2018
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Neuropsychological Pattern of Verbal and Nonverbal Processing Speed Discrepancy in Veterans with Co-Occurring mTBI and PTSD
Title
Neuropsychological Pattern of Verbal and Nonverbal Processing Speed Discrepancy in Veterans with Co-Occurring mTBI and PTSD
Creator
VanLandingham, Hannah B.
Date
2023
Description
Rates of traumatic brain injury (TBI) exposure have increased over time (CDC, 2022). This pattern of increased TBI risk is additionally...
Show moreRates of traumatic brain injury (TBI) exposure have increased over time (CDC, 2022). This pattern of increased TBI risk is additionally associated with risk for development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD; APA, 2013). Ongoing PTSD symptomology can lead to neuropsychological profiles in which deficits are more pronounced for verbally constrained performances when compared to nonverbal performances. However, less is known about this performance discrepancy in patients with a history of head injury with comorbid PTSD. Moreover, the little existing research focuses on the domains of executive functioning, learning, and memory, with little to no research on processing speed discrepancies. These findings could have significant implications for healthcare and cognitive intervention pre- and post-mTBI and/or trauma exposure because this discrepancy may impact clinical assessment and subsequent diagnosis. The analysis will include 1) determination of statistically and clinically significant differences for those with co-occurring PTSD and mTBI, and 2) examine within-subjects differences with and without the inclusion of covariates. The present research found that there are no differences between those with co-occurring PTSD and head injury compared to individuals without a co-occurring diagnosis, in addition to no significant discrepancies notes within the PTSD and mTBI group alone
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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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