Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2006, Psychology/Clinical

Although the idea of identity construction from component parts into an integrated whole was theorized decades ago by Erickson (1968), it has only recently begun to be studied. Susan Harter's extensive work on the construction of the self attests to the fact that adolescents do perceive and evaluate themselves differently in different domains of life, and that these self-representations differ substantially from early to late adolescence (e.g., Harter, 1999). However, most of the research in this area has tended to focus on adolescents' self-evaluations (i.e., How good am I?) instead of valence-free adolescent self-descriptions (i.e., Who am I?). Not only is more research on adolescent self-descriptions warranted, but there also needs to be more research done on how adolescents actually go about integrating their multiple “selves” into whole identities, or “theories of self,” as defined by Marcia (1987). Therefore, the present study aimed to add to the current body of knowledge on adolescent identity construction by investigating how Jamaican adolescents comparatively valued six major life domains (academic, social, sexual, religious, family, and friends). A new graphical measure of relative domain valuing, the “Identity Pie”, was adapted from Cowan, Cowan and colleagues work (e.g., Cowan & Cowan, 1988) and validated for use in this study. The relations between particular self-identification profiles and life adjustment were explored in addition to gender and developmental stage differences. Overall, Jamaican adolescents reported comparable levels of domain valuing, and academic, psychological and behavioral functioning to U.S. adolescents. The Identity Pie proved to be a valid measure of domain valuing and identity construction. The total sample valued life domains in the following order: schoolwork/family > religion/friends > sports > dating. Many expected gender and grade differences emerged; however, the similarities across gender and grade were overwhelming. Ad (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Eric Dubow (Advisor) Subjects:

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2017, Psychology

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive, irreversible medical condition associated with decreased quality of life (QoL), psychological functioning, and exercise capacity. Research indicates that COPD patients with negative illness perceptions are more likely to report poorer psychological well-being and lower QoL. Caregivers of patients with COPD also may have an influence on psychological functioning and quality of life of patients. However, few studies have examined the impact of caregiver illness perceptions on patient outcomes, and no study has examined the influence of caregiver perceptions in the context of a behavioral intervention. Preliminary evidence suggests that illness perceptions among other patient groups are modifiable. This exploratory study evaluated changes in illness perceptions and the moderating effect of patient and caregiver illness perceptions on patient psychological and somatic QoL, and exercise capacity following a telephone-based coping skills training (CST) intervention. The current study included 39 COPD patients (84.6% Caucasian, 53.8% female, mean age = 64.1 years, mean FEV1% predicted = 43.1, caregiver identified = 82.1%) and 32 caregivers (81.3% Caucasian, 68.8% female, mean age = 58.4%). Participants were randomized to a 14-week telephone-based CST group (n = 20) or COPD education (COPD-ED) group (n = 19). Patient and caregiver illness perceptions, generic and disease specific QoL, depression, anxiety, perceived dyspnea, exercise capacity (as indicated by six-minute walk distance [6MWD]), and lung function were assessed at baseline and post-intervention. Repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA), regressions, and estimation of conditional effects were the primary modes of data analysis. Results indicated that perceived concern decreased in the CST group compared to COPD-ED. There was no difference between groups on the other dimensions of illness perceptions. Participants in CST exhibited no change in ps (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Charles Emery PhD (Advisor); Julian Thayer PhD (Committee Member); Michael Vasey PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2016, Psychology

Introduction: Obesity is a common, chronic medical condition associated with increased morbidity and mortality as well as decrements in psychosocial functioning. Behavioral and psychosocial variables associated with obesity and impaired quality of life are an important focus of investigation as predictors and/or mediators of weight loss treatment outcomes. This exploratory study was designed to examine the degree to which behavioral and psychological changes during behavioral weight loss treatment mediate the relationship of baseline perceptions of stigmatization with weight loss and improvement in quality of life over the course of treatment. Additionally, this study examined the moderating effect of bariatric status on these relationships. Methods: One hundred four adults with overweight and obesity participating in a comprehensive behavioral weight management program participated in the study, completing self-report questionnaires at the beginning and end of their weight management program and allowing study personnel access to their medical records. Questionnaires assessed quality of life, perceived stigma, psychological distress, and coping styles. Objective measures included program attendance, dietary and physical activity log completion, demographic information, and anthropometric data. Regression, mediation, and moderated mediation models were used to examine the hypothesized relationships among variables. Results: Changes in depressive and anxious symptomatology mediated the relationship of perceived stigma at baseline with mental quality of life at program completion after controlling for mental quality of life at baseline. Higher perceived stigma was associated with poorer mental quality of life at program completion via the influence of perceived stigma increasing depressive and anxious symptoms. Increased symptoms of depression and anxiety, in turn, were associated with poorer mental quality of life. Similarly, changes in depressive symptomatol (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Charles Emery PhD (Advisor); Ruchika Prakash PhD (Committee Member); Michael Vasey PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2016, EDU Physical Activity and Educational Services

Graduate students in school psychology, school counseling, and school social work are training to work as school-based professionals. In their professional roles, they work with students facing a variety of academic, social, and psychological challenges, including students who are developing their understanding of their own sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. Students whose sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression fall outside of what is considered “normal” face significant personal harassment and institutional discrimination (Kosciw et al., 2014; Rankin et al, 2010; Silverschanz et al., 2008; Waldo, 1998; Woodford et al., 2014; Woodford & Kulick, 2014). To date, no research has examined the experiences of harassment among LGBT graduate students training to work as school-based professionals. Building off of extant literature that has examined the experiences of college and graduate students broadly, this study sought to examine whether graduate students in school psychology, school counseling, and school social work face heterosexist harassment that impacts their psychological functioning, academic wellbeing, and attitudes toward sexual minority individuals. Graduate students (N = 297) in school psychology, school counseling and school social work completed an online survey examining heterosexist harassment, psychological functioning, academic wellbeing, and attitudes toward sexual minority individuals. The results of the study found sexual minority are the most likely to experience heterosexist harassment, but that heterosexual students are not immune from this harassment. Additionally, the current study found that individuals who experienced heterosexist harassment had decreased psychological functioning and less favorable perceptions of the climate of their training program. No differences were found in the frequency of harassment experienced and attitudes toward sexual minority individuals.

Committee: Kisha Radliff PhD (Advisor); Colette Dollarhide EdD (Committee Member); Antoinette Miranda PhD (Committee Member); Joe Wheaton PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Psychology; School Counseling; Social Work

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2015, Psychology

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most prevalent form of adult leukemia and is considered incurable. While survival of patients has improved with newer therapies, all patients eventually relapse and continue to have poor outcomes with additional therapies. Ibrutinib is a new, targeted therapy for CLL that has demonstrated dramatic efficacy with little toxicity for those with relapsed/refractory CLL. Patients with CLL are understudied and little is known about their psychological and physical functioning, especially among those with relapsed/refractory disease. Furthermore, little is known about the impact of psychological factors on immunological factors that influence disease progression in hematologic malignancies. Research indicates that cytokine-driven processes of inflammation and angiogenesis influence disease progression. In particular, interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) are of interest. Understanding what factors may influence trajectories of psychological, physical, and immunological responses as patients undergo treatment for relapsed/refractory cancer is of utmost importance. According to the biobehavioral model of cancer, stress may be an individual difference variable that influences quality of life and immunity as patients undergo treatment. However, the relationship between stress and outcomes in patients with relapsed/refractory cancer is unclear. The current study examines the role of pre-treatment, cancer-specific stress on trajectories of psychological functioning, physical functioning, and selected cytokines as patients with relapsed/refractory CLL undergo treatment with ibrutinib. One-hundred fifty-one patients were recruited for a phase II drug trial of ibrutinib. Patients completed self-report measures 4 times over the first 5 months of therapy. IL-6, TNF-alpha, and VEGF were analyzed at 3 time points over the first 2 months of therapy in a subset of pa (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Barbara Andersen Ph.D. (Advisor); Robert Cudeck Ph.D. (Committee Member); Julian Thayer Ph.D. (Committee Member); Baldwin Way Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2013, Clinical Psychology (Arts and Sciences)

Transgender individuals experience high rates of violence and minority stress. However, research examining violence, the psychological functioning associated with experiences of violence, and minority stress in the transgender community has been minimal. The objectives of this study were to provide a more nuanced characterization of transgender individuals' experiences of violence and psychological functioning in relation to those of cisgender individuals, and to understand transgender psychological functioning in the context of distal minority stress (violence) and proximal minority stress (stigma, identity concealment, and internalized transphobia). Participants included 342 (46%) transgender and 401 (54%) cisgender individuals who were 18 years of age or older. Participants completed self-report measures assessing demographic characteristics, violence (verbal, physical, and sexual), perceived gender identity-related stigma, identity concealment, and internalized transphobia, as well as depression, anxiety, PTSD symptomology, stress, self-harming thoughts and behaviors, alcohol use, and drug use. Results revealed that transgender and cisgender participants experienced similar prevalence rates and chronicity of violence across verbal, physical, and sexual violence. Transgender participants had higher scores across all symptom and self-harm measures. However, after controlling for significant covariates, gender did not have a significant effect on these outcome measures. Rather, sexual orientation and income emerged as 4 robust correlates of psychological functioning. Cisgender participants reported higher levels of alcohol use and there were no differences in drug use between the two groups. When examining only transgender victims of violence, transgender participants with poorer psychological functioning more often identified as a sexual minority, had more chronic experiences of verbal and physical violence, and had more internalized identity negativity. Implicati (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Christine Gidycz (Committee Chair) Subjects: Psychology

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2013, Psychology

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive, irreversible disease and is the third leading cause of mortality. Past studies suggest that individuals with COPD have poorer quality of life and decreased psychological well-being compared to the general population. In addition, previous studies indicate that negative illness perceptions among patients with COPD are associated with psychological distress and poor quality of life. However, no prior studies have examined the relationship of caregiver illness perceptions to COPD patient outcomes. This cross-sectional study evaluated the relationship of illness perceptions with quality of life and psychological functioning among patients with COPD and extended the literature by examining the moderating effects of caregiver perceptions in the relationship of patient illness perceptions and patient outcomes. In addition, the current study examined relationship of caregiver illness perceptions and caregiver outcomes. The current study included 55 patients with COPD (85.5% Caucasian, 52.7% male, mean age = 63.5 years, mean FEV1 % predicted = 72.5%) and 36 caregivers (83.3% Caucasian, 72.2%, female, mean age = 58.1). Pearson correlations and hierarchical regression analyses were the primary modes of data analysis. Correlational analyses indicated that patient illness perceptions were associated with patient quality of life and psychological well-being, but not with functional capacity or disease severity. Caregiver perceptions of consequences were associated with poorer physical quality of life and increased burden. Hierarchical regression analysis of patient anxiety revealed an interaction between patient perceived consequences and caregiver perceived consequences. Thus, when caregiver perception of consequences for the patient and self are low, patient perceived consequences is associated with greater anxiety. Regression analyses revealed interactions of patient emotional representation (i.e., negative respons (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Charles Emery PhD (Advisor); Julian Thayer PhD (Committee Member); Michael Vasey PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology

Master of Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, 2010, Genetic Counseling

Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS) is characterized by behaviors including hyperphagia, skin picking, obsessive compulsive behaviors and stealing. These behaviors are likely to affect parents' psychological functioning. There were very few studies that examine the impact of these characteristic behaviors on parents. The purpose of this descriptive study was to analyze the relationship between the severity of behaviors (Developmental Behavior Checklist) and parental self-esteem (Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale), depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory-II), marital satisfaction (Quality of Marriage Index) and coping strategies (Coping Strategies Inventory Short-Form). Additionally, two conceptual models, mediation and moderation, were tested to examine which model best describes this relationship. Analysis supported the mediator effect of coping strategies of parents on the association of child behaviors to parental self-esteem and depressive symptoms. Initiating interventions to assist parents to improve coping strategies, may improve parental psychological functioning for families caring for a child with a genetic condition.

Committee: Anne L. Matthews PhD (Committee Chair); Carolyn E. Levers-Landis PhD (Committee Member); Shawn E. McCandless MD (Committee Member); Amanda Hahn MS (Committee Member) Subjects: Genetics; Health Care; Mental Health; Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Akron, 2013, Counselor Education and Supervision

The purpose of this study was to investigate predictors of functional outcomes (physical and psychosocial daily functioning) and self-efficacy among persons with chronic pain. Specifically, the present study investigated whether mindfulness (observing, describing, acting with awareness, and accepting without judgment), psychological flexibility, and emotional intelligence predicted better overall daily functioning and greater self-efficacy in chronic pain patients. The sample (N= 148) consisted of individuals 18 years of age or older who have struggled with a chronic pain condition for more than three months and who were seeking treatment in a pain management treatment center in a Midwestern state. Participants completed the following measures: Demographic Questionnaire, Kentucky Inventory of Mindfulness Scale, Acceptance and Action Questionnaire, Brief Emotional Intelligence Scale, Pain Disability Index, and Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire. Two multiple regression analyses were utilized, each controlling for demographic factors found to correlate with overall daily functioning or self-efficacy. Results indicated that psychological flexibility significantly predicted both daily functioning level and self-efficacy among chronic pain patients. Emotional intelligence significantly predicted self-efficacy (but not daily functioning level) among chronic pain patients. Mindfulness was not found to significantly correlate with either daily functioning level or self-efficacy. Implications for clinical practice, as well as counselor education and supervision were reviewed. Recommendations for future research were also provided.

Committee: Robert Schwartz Dr. (Advisor); Sandra Perosa Dr. (Committee Member); Varunee Sangganjanavanich Dr. (Committee Member); Kuldhir Bhati Dr. (Committee Member); Alan Kornspan Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Counseling Education