MA, Kent State University, 2014, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Psychological Sciences

Introduction: Psychological comorbidity is common in bariatric surgery candidates. Many multidisciplinary teams incorporate psychometric testing to screen for psychological factors that, if left unattended, may negatively impact surgical results. Purpose: Report descriptive findings and empirical correlates of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory–2 Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) scales among bariatric surgery candidates undergoing a pre-surgical psychological evaluation. Materials and Methods: The sample consisted of male (n = 324) and female (n = 658) patients seeking bariatric surgery who were administered the MMPI-2-RF at their psychological evaluation. Psychosocial and medical variables were retrospectively coded from the patients medical records. These criteria included history/current mental health diagnoses and treatments, maladaptive eating behaviors/diagnoses, past/current substance use, abuse history, sleep apnea, and denial of surgery. Results: Descriptive analyses demonstrated similar findings for male and female candidates and replicated previous reports. MMPI-2-RF scales measuring emotional dysfunction were associated with maladaptive eating patterns, a history of Major Depressive Disorder, and previous suicide attempts. Scale scores measuring behavioral dysfunction were associated with current/past substance use and previous physical abuse. MMPI-2-RF scale scores measuring somatic problems were associated with a higher BMI at the time of surgery, sleep apnea diagnosis/adherence, physical/sexual abuse history, active mood disorder, previous mental health diagnoses, and maladaptive eating patterns. Conclusions: The MMPI-2-RF can aid in identifying a broad range of psychological co-morbidity among bariatric surgery candidates. When used in conjunction with a pre-surgical psychological interview, it can aid in the assessment of psychological factors relevant to pre-surgical psychological assessment of bariatric surgery candidate (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Yossef Ben-Porath Ph.D. (Advisor); Janis Crowther Ph.D. (Committee Member); John Gunstad Ph.D. (Committee Member); Manfred Van Dulmen Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Clinical Psychology; Health; Health Sciences; Mental Health

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2020, Genetic Counseling

As psychiatric disorders have a complex etiology, genetic counselors are qualified to provide psychiatric genetic counseling, and patients report positive experiences from this. Due to stigma and other barriers, genetic counselors may not ask about psychiatric disorders, leaving patients to be the ones to broach the topic. However, the rate at which genetic counseling patients report psychiatric disorders without prompting is not currently known. Thus, this study aimed to determine the frequency of spontaneously reported psychiatric disorders within genetic counseling services. A retrospective chart review was conducted of patients who received genetic counseling services at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center (OSUWMC). An internet-based survey was distributed to the genetic counselors whose patients were included in the study which questioned the counselor's practices related to patient-reported personal or family history of psychiatric disorders. Descriptive statistics were used for trends in reporting frequencies of psychiatric disorders. Out of the total 299 charts reviewed, 31 (10.4%) probands reported a personal psychiatric disorder on their pre-clinic patient-reported family history forms and 106 (35.5%) reported any (personal or family) history of psychiatric disorders. There was a statistically significant difference in reporting between clinics; 32.4% of probands in the cancer clinic and 48.2% in the medical genetics clinic (p=0.025). Probands with a personal psychiatric disorder reported on average more relatives with psychiatric disorders than probands without personal psychiatric disorders (p=0.008; 95% CI: 0.32 to 1.90). Anxiety disorders (26%; 65/250) and depressive disorders (20.4%; 51/250) made up the most common types of psychiatric disorders reported on pre-clinic patient-reported family history forms. The survey revealed that most genetic counselors (57.1%; 4/7) report they do not ask about psychiatric disorders during their counselin (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Dawn Allain MS (Advisor); Pamela Brock MS (Committee Member); Jehannine Austin PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Genetics; Medicine; Mental Health

Psy. D., Antioch University, 2016, Antioch Seattle: Clinical Psychology

This study completed a critical review of psychologists' mental health by developing a conceptual analysis based on the current empirical literature of the mental health needs of clinical psychologists. Distress among psychologists was explored by examining the following domains: (a) examining the prevalence of mental illness and psychological distress that exist among them, (b) examining the barriers they encounter to seeking treatment when experiencing this distress, and (c) reviewing current interventions and integrating remedies for access to mental health care that best meets psychologists' needs. Results included several themes within each domain shaping a contextual picture of some of the challenges faced by psychologists and gaps that need to still be further addressed. The following five themes were found within the domain of lifetime prevalence of mental illness and psychological distress among psychologists: psychiatric disorders reported reaching at approximately 81%, substance use (primarily ethanol) vacillating from 1% to 70%, psychological distress ranging from 10% to 74%, impairment varying from 4.6% to 63%, as well as burnout and compassion fatigue found stretching to 80%. There dominant barriers in place that created obstacles for psychologists to access appropriate and effective mental health services, which included: limited insight, education and prevention strategies lacking, keeping distress secretive, institutions of psychology being unsupportive to the distressed psychologists, utilizing reactive interventions versus preventative ones, lacking evidence-based research on psychologists' distress along with interventions that remediate stress, an unsupportive and avoidant culture when dealing with psychological distress, and limited psychotherapy resources. There are at least six suggestions identified for intervening with psychologists facing barriers to accessing care, which included: educating and increasing awareness, improving systemic inf (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Mark Russell Ph.D., ABPP (Committee Chair); Bill Heusler Psy.D. (Committee Member); Ward Colin Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Clinical Psychology; Psychology; Psychotherapy; Public Health

Master of Arts (MA), Wright State University, 2014, Applied Behavioral Science: Criminal Justice and Social Problems

The International Classification of Diseases, Sixth Edition (ICD-6; World Health Organization, 1949) is a universal health care management tool for examining the pathology of diseases and how to properly diagnose and treat said diseases. The birth of the first edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-I; American Psychiatric Association, 1952) is the product of the ICD and the American Medico-psychological Association and first delivered shortly after the end of the Second World War. As per request of the American Armed Forces, which were ill-equipped to manage the surge of mental disorders after the war, the need for a uniform classification system to diagnose the rising number of disorders classified as numerous names and symptoms, or inexistent in medical nomenclature, was perceived to be undoubtedly dire. Unlike the ICD, the DSM was constructed particularly for American classifications of mental disorders and psychosis, both organic and inorganic, which would in the course of over 60 years expand its diagnosis to thousands of American civilians. Since the first publication of the DSM, there have been six additional publications that essentially define what is "normal" and "deviant" as it relates to social behavior and function. The purpose of this research is to examine the trend of Axis II personality disorders within DSM-I through V (APA, 1952 & 2013) in regards to its continually revised definition of the boundaries of American normalcy and the "other" ; its impact on social behavior, economic disparity; the implications of corralling the masses through medicalization; and an ideation of political dominance that presumes to know what is best for the general population. By utilizing the seven editions of the DSM to examine the literature within the manuals, it will assist in guiding through the trends of personality disorder classifications per edition in comparison to a necessity for controlling maladaptive behaviors. With thi (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: David Orenstein Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Lafleur Small Ph.D. (Committee Member); Laurel Monnig Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Social Psychology; Sociology

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD), Wright State University, 2014, School of Professional Psychology

Psychiatric disorders are common in individuals with intellectual disability (ID), but the accurate diagnosis of psychopathology in this population is problematic for a number of reasons, including but not limited to linguistic barriers, difficulty separating symptoms of mental illness from long-term consequences of abnormal brain development, institutionalization, and learned behaviors. In addition, many assessment tools used to diagnose psychopathology in individuals with ID lack reliability or validity for use with this population. The Diagnostic Manual -Intellectual Disability (DM-ID): A Clinical Guide for Diagnosis of Mental Disorders in Persons with Intellectual Disability (Fletcher, Loschen, Stavrakaki, & First, 2007a) is a diagnostic system grounded in evidence-based methods, and supported by expert consensus, that reflects the current best clinical practice to diagnose psychiatric disabilities in persons with an ID. This study converted the behavioral observations found in the DM-ID indicative of psychopathology in individuals with ID with the aim to create a diagnostic screening tool that leads to a more accurate diagnosis of psychiatric disorders in this population. This study describes the development of the items of the Screen for Symptoms of Psychopathology for Individuals with Intellectual Disability (SSP-ID), including critiques by experts in the field. The SSP-ID developed in this study requires further empirical testing to evaluate its validity and reliability. However, once reliability and validity have been established, this tool will make a valuable addition to the DM-ID because it ensures that all possible symptoms of psychopathology specific to ID are not overlooked or misinterpreted, that all relevant diagnostic options are considered, and that the adapted diagnostic criteria in the DM-ID are reviewed prior to making a diagnosis. By taking into consideration the fact that the symptom presentation and manifestation of a psychiatric disorder ma (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Leon VandeCreek Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Jeffery Allen Ph.D. (Committee Member); Martin Moss Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology

EdD, University of Cincinnati, 2004, Education : Special Education

This study investigated the comprehension of four forms of negation in children with and without psychiatric disorders. The study involved the use of short scenarios involving four of the forms of negation in English; prohibition, nonexistence, rejection and denial. The participants in this study were two groups of ten children between the ages of 9.5 to 12.6 years of age. The first group was children with emotional/behavioral problems, who were labeled by their home school districts as Severely Emotionally Disturbed. The other group was a matched control group from another area school without the label Severely Emotionally Disturbed. The participants meet individually with the researcher and were read 32 short scenarios (5-6 lines each) and asked two yes/no questions after each story. The yes/no questions asked if the subject of the story wanted something (motivation) and if they got something (outcome). When first examining the results, it does not appear as if there is a noteworthy difference in a child with psychiatric disorders and one without in their ability to understand negation as defined in this study. The overall percent correct was 96.2% with 94.8% for the group with psychiatric disorders and 97.5% for the control group. The average number of mistakes per participant was 3.3 verses 1.6 for the control group. When the individual results of each form of negation are further analysised, a different picture begins to develop. In rejection, prohibition and nonexistence, the overall scores do not appear to differ greatly between the two groups, but the actually number of participants responding incorrectly does. Consistently in these three forms, the group with psychiatric disorders had greater numbers of participants scoring incorrectly on one or more questions. This was especially true for the negation form of nonexistence. This discrepancy was also apparent in questions regarding the subject's motives (want) especially in instances where the subject's moti (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Dr. Richard Kretschmer (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Special

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2009, Counselor Education (Education)

Research indicates that people with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder have a high rate of unemployment. This qualitative phenomenological study was designed to explore the perceptions of eight individuals with either disorder who have secured employment after diagnosis. The rationale for this study arises from the researcher‘s desire to find the process which was used by individuals with either disorder to become employed. It was the researcher‘s assumption that uncovering such a process could lead to implementation of employment as a therapeutic goal of treatment with such individuals.The purposefully selected sample consisted of eight individuals from a Midwestern state who have been diagnosed with either disorder. The primary method of data collection was three in-depth interviews. The data were organized according to the research and field-developed questions asked of participants. Analysis and interpretation of findings were completed using the van Kaam method of qualitative data processing. The research revealed that participants in the study interpreted recovery as living in asmuch of a perceived degree of normalcy as possible. Recovery was found to be a developmental concept among participants. The six following categories were developed from the data: self-help; employment; assistance with employment; benefits of employment; functioning at a perceived normal level while living as full a life as possible with the illness; and recovery to employment. Five themes were found: self-care; supports; issues of employment; rewards of employment; and recovery process. Fourteen sub-themes emerged from the analysis of data. They were as follows: medication compliance; stress reduction; approaching employment gradually and carefully; stigma; disclosure of condition; formal accommodations; change of employers due to problems of disability; lack of failure; family and friends; governmental support; private supports; intrinsic rewards of employment; extrinsic rewar (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Tracy C. Leinbaugh PhD (Committee Chair); Jerry Olsheski PhD (Committee Member); Patricia Beamish PhD (Committee Member); Gregory Janson PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Rehabilitation

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 1993, Social Welfare

The present study examined the association between psychopathology and substance abuse using the Youth Self-Report scale. To ensure the psychometric properties of the YSR scale, its factor structure derived by Achenbach was evaluated. The data obtained from a three year follow-up study of adolescents hospitalized for psychiatric treatment was used to test the hypotheses set forth in the study. The data was collected using a nonexperimental research design at three points in time. In the study, time 1 data was utilized for generating the initial findings, and time 2 for cross validation. Time 3 data was not used because the sample size was too small. The study confirmed part of Achenbach's findings in that four first order factors remained unidimensional; they are Somatic Complaints, Anxious/Depressed, Thought Problems, and Attention Problems. However, subdimensions were further derived for Social Problems, Delinquent Behaviors, and Aggressive Behaviors. Additionally, Social Problems, Thought Problems, and Attention Problems were found cross loaded on both Internalizing and Externalizing scales. The results of the tests for the structural models revealed that the measures of psychopathology explained significant amount of variance in substance abuse for the total sample and for the girls (29% and 36%, respectively), whereas explained variance was only 10% for the boys. Externalizing had significant effect on substance abuse; among the first order factors, Delinquent Behaviors, Aggressive Behaviors, Attention Problem were the three predominant predictors of substance abuseThe results of discriminant function analyses demonstrated the usefulness of the YSR in classifying substance abusers among adolescents with psychiatric disorders. For the girls, it enhanced the classification accuracy 34 percent greater than that achieved by chance; whereas, for the boys, for boys, 26 percent greater than chance. The study found that the gender differences were not on the types of p (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Mark Singer (Advisor) Subjects: Social Work