Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Education, Cleveland State University, 2014, College of Education and Human Services

Alcohol and other drug (AoD) problems occur at epidemic levels in society, yet many individuals do not receive adequate treatment. Research suggests that psychologists are disinterested in AoD counseling, and have AoD training, attitude, and skill deficits. The current study examined the role of AoD training and professional support on psychologists' functioning as AoD counselors. The ultimate purpose of the study was to determine what interventions may be useful for improving psychologists' ability to provide AoD counseling. One hundred and seventy-eight members of four divisions of the American Psychological Association were surveyed using a measure developed by the author based on prior research. Regression analyses confirmed the hypothesis that AoD training would be predictive of psychologists' functioning as AoD counselors; and that professional support would make a unique contribution to the prediction model.

Psy. D., Antioch University, 2017, Antioch Santa Barbara: Clinical Psychology

Massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) are a substantial part of the multibillion dollar gaming industry. Millions of people of all ages across the globe engage in game play. With the average gamer logging 26.6 hours a week online instead of engaging in real world activities and responsibilities, this genre has created an international epidemic. In the last ten years the literature on this topic has gained interest and momentum. Researchers continue to explore the innumerable reaches of MMORPGs and how the gamer and their community are affected. The aim of this study was to gain a more comprehensive understanding of how the gamer relates to their world, both virtual and real, on a social level. The participants were gathered online mostly from within one particular MMORPG, Perfect World International. This study surveyed 103 participants with an online questionnaire. They were and given compensation in the form of virtual money. The electronic version of this dissertation is available free at Ohiolink ETD Center, www.ohiolink.edu/etd.

Doctor of Healthcare Administration (D.H.A.), Franklin University, 2021, Health Programs

The opioid epidemic in the United States is responsible for thousands of overdoses annually. Recent data from the CDC (2017) deduces that there have been 115,186 opioid-related mortalities from 2010-2015 in the U.S., which is in the region of approximately 23,000 patients on an annual basis, equating to nearly 2,000 deaths per month and close to 64 deaths each day (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Many studies demonstrate the causes, longevity, death rates, along with treatment approaches. While all of the subtopics mentioned above are of significant value, the focus on prevention significantly lacks in comparison. Given the widespread issue, further research focusing on data analytics to identify key disposition factors is critical to affecting change by way of policy and prevention. It is essential for the overall population, along with upcoming generations, that the country is aware and providing education to young adults about the potential hazards associated with the crippling effects of opioid addiction. Addiction is a multifaceted diagnosis and requires appropriate analysis to determine why individuals become addicted and how addiction can be avoided in the future.

Psy. D., Antioch University, 2021, Antioch Seattle: Clinical Psychology

Internet addictive use inclusive of inextricably interconnected mobile devices, applications, and social media predicts diminished Self and Interpersonal functioning. Internet addiction research is burdened by conflicting theoretical views, lack of standardized definitions and criteria, and the use of assessment measures adapted from those used for substance use disorders. Alternative and dimensional diagnostic models for internet addiction through a psychosocial developmental lens might further understanding of Internet addiction and reduce challenges which impact the ability to advance research and achieve clinically useful, culturally informed, and evidence-based practices for the assessment and treatment of Internet addiction.

Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), Ohio University, 2023, Studio Art

This essay describes my thesis for my BFA degree in Studio Art. This paper serves as a memoir of my journey as a painter to flow state. In this essay I outline how social media addiction causes anxiety and how I overcame that anxiety through being in the present through flow state and finding the sublime in my work.

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2020, Leadership and Change

This study used the methodology of a grounded situational analysis to explore the lives of therapists who specialize in addiction. Historians have researched the history of addiction treatment itself and some have identified parallel processes of discrimination, stigma, and stigma by association for therapist and client, but the complex intersectionality between social processes and organizational issues have been largely invisible. In this study, therapists who specialize in addiction (including social workers, clinical mental health counselors, and alcohol and drug counselors) were asked about their sense of how others see them in their role. These conversations made visible the many, enmeshed challenges faced by these therapists and how the process of professionalization, with its promise of validation, has been thwarted by social and organizational processes. This study presents a comprehensive theoretical model of the supports and the problems facing therapists who specialize in addiction and ultimately supports a theory of how to redress these issues in the face of the increased need and resources available during the current opioid epidemic. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA: Antioch University Repository and Archive, http://aura.antioch.edu/ and OhioLINK ETD Center, https://etd.ohiolink.edu/

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

Massively Multiplayer Role-Playing Games (MMORPG's) have become increasingly common in the video gaming marketplace with conservative estimates of 19 million players worldwide. These games allow players to engage in a virtual world with hundreds of thousands of other players at the same time. The games have no definitive end and the game content continually grows by giving players more virtual world to explore creating an expanding alternate reality. For most, these games are a leisure activity or hobby, but for approximately 8-12% of MMORPG players the experience becomes problematic. As a result, online gaming addiction has become the fastest growing process addiction over the past two decades. Continued play creates real life problems such as relationship difficulties, vocational issues, health related complications, and in extreme cases, legal troubles or death from exhaustion or dehydration. Online gaming addiction is similar to chemical addiction in symptomology in areas of tolerance, withdrawal, difficulty stopping or controlling use, and negative consequences. Therefore, it is critical to more clearly understand the nature of online gaming, links to addiction, and possible underlying factors that contribute to addiction. There were several purposes underlying this study including an attempt to better understand the average MMORPG player profile, examine possible motivational factors that contribute to continued game play, and to recognize what aspects may predict online gaming addiction. Prior research conducted on understanding online gaming motivational factors includes a desire to be the best player (achievement), engaging with other players (social), and exploring the virtual world (immersion). Additionally, the model of dualistic passion is believed to help explain gaming motivation using the concepts of harmonious passion (controlled game play which does not interfere with life responsibilities) and obsessive passion (uncontrolled gameplay, lin (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2015, Psychology/Clinical

The purpose of this study was to assess the American lay public's willingness to affiliate with and their perceptions of the definition, etiology, and treatment of either one of two specific types of behavioral addiction (i.e., pornography or gambling) or one of three types of substance addiction (i.e., alcohol, marijuana, or heroin). Using the Amazon Mechanical Turk online subject pool, I recruited 612 participants who were randomly assigned to one of five experimental conditions listed above. Most participants were young (M=34.3, SD = 11.2), white (79%), college educated (72%), employed (70%), and had never married (57%). Participants were generally unwilling to affiliate with an individual with any of these five types of addiction. In addition, participants rated heroin as the most addictive, yet rated all five addictions as consisting of both Compulsive and Appetitive elements. Also, participants agreed that both psychosocial and biomedical factors were causes of each addiction, and generally rated treatment as beneficial for each of the five addictions. Results suggest that lay attitudes regarding etiology and treatment are consistent with many professionals'; opinion that all addictions are multi-determined and that all addictions are treatable.

Doctor of Ministry , Ashland University, 2024, Doctor of Ministry Program

This project discovered the knowledge, attitudes, and actions of Living Word Ministries congregates in Strong, Arkansas, regarding starting a substance abuse recovery ministry. Twenty participants completed a five-point Likert scale survey that was collected and analyzed. The data revealed the three top findings in knowledge and attitudes were the community had many individuals impacted by it, the Bible demanded it, and the pastor supported it. Finally, as it relates to actions, the data revealed that participants are willing to participate in a substance abuse recovery ministry, faith-based social activism and follow the pastor.

Doctor of Education (Educational Leadership), Youngstown State University, 2024, Department of Teacher Education and Leadership Studies

This mixed-methods study analyzes the perspectives of educators in middle school regarding the impact of cell phones in the middle school environment. Vygotsky's (1978) sociocultural theory of cognitive development along with opportunity theory (Cohen & Felson, 1979) provide insight regarding implications related to accessing personal devices during the school day. The advantages of cell phones as a learning tool and consideration for the adverse impact is explored. The current investigation focuses on the perspectives of 16 teachers, administrators, and school resource officers (SROs) working in the middle school environment. Data was collected using QMethod Software. Results yielded two factors, including participants who felt strongly about restricting cell phone use and those who felt strongly about banning cell phones in the middle school environment. Qualitative follow-up questions demonstrated common concerns regarding cell phone considerations within the middle school environment. Common themes included Problematic Internet Use (PMI), Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) considerations, peer relationships, stress, anxiety, and social perfectionism. Results can be utilized to inform discussion by school administrators and policymakers regarding cell phone use in the middle school environment.

Master of Public Health, The Ohio State University, 2006, Graduate School

Psy. D., Antioch University, 2024, Antioch Seattle: Clinical Psychology

The prevalence of video game addiction has escalated with the advancement of digital technologies, posing significant psychological and social challenges. This dissertation introduces the eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) Gaming Recovery and Insight Protocol (E-GRIP), a novel therapeutic approach designed to address the complexities of video game addiction. Grounded in the principles of EMDR therapy and incorporating insights into video game culture, E-GRIP aims to treat individuals struggling with problematic gaming behaviors by integrating their gaming experiences and preferences into the therapeutic process. The E-GRIP methodology extends the conventional EMDR framework by including an in-depth exploration of the client's gaming behavior, character identification, and the utilization of gaming jargon to enhance the relevance and efficacy of the therapy. Through the lens of video game character archetypes and gaming scenarios, the protocol addresses the emotional, cognitive, and somatic components of addiction, facilitating a comprehensive treatment strategy that resonates with the gaming community.

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), University of Findlay, 2024, Education

E-sports, or online gaming, is a relatively new phenomenon taking place on high school campuses across the country. While many view online gaming through a negative lens, there is a growing body of research that E-sports participation provides similar benefits and detriments to those of traditional sports. The purpose of this paper was to identify factors that students, parents, staff and school stakeholders report as being important to participation on an E-sports team and how that compares to traditional sports. This qualitative case study consisted of interviews held with members from a rural Ohio high school E-sports team, members of traditional sports teams, coaches, parents and school district stakeholders. The findings of this study indicated that the benefits and detriments of E-sport and traditional sport participation were very similar. However, E-sport athletes described their participation through a personal, singular lens while traditional sport athletes explained their experiences through a shared group viewpoint. The findings of this study supported the literature in that there are shared benefits and detriments of E-sport participation with traditional sports, but there is also a great need for future research into how athletes perceive these similarities.

PHD, Kent State University, 2024, College of Arts and Sciences / School of Biomedical Sciences

As of 2022, three million people in the US, and sixteen million worldwide were estimated to suffer from opioid use disorder (OUD). Despite widespread efforts to increase the public availability of medical therapies for OUD, only 2.28% of people suffering from OUD will seek out and be able to sustain abstinence for at least five years. The core objectives of this work were to 1) evaluate the dose- and sex-dependent effects of fentanyl to induce rewarding states, 2) the extent to which D-Cysteine ethylester (D-CYSee) alters affective state and the acquisition of fentanyl-induced reward seeking, 3) how the timing and concentration of fentanyl administration impacts the intrinsic Ca2+ activity of neurons and astroglia from the prefrontal cortex (PFC), and 4) the extent to which D-CYSee alters intrinsic Ca2+ activity in both the presence and absence of fentanyl. To evaluate the effects of fentanyl in the presence and absence of D-CYSee on Ca2+ signaling dynamics in PFC neurons and astrocytes, this work details the development of new methods in real-time fluorescent imaging of intrinsic Ca2+ activity using a non-genetic chemical indicator in cells isolated from the rat PFC in combination with post-hoc live-cell labeling for neurons and astroglia, and a customizable cell-type informed statistical analysis pipeline with backend support for data visualization and meta-analysis. Furthermore, a general characterization of the intrinsic Ca2+ activity in this PFC preparation was conducted; first by examining the involvement of extracellular Ca2+ sources and sodium channel conductance's, followed by a deeper evaluation of the role(s) of voltage-gated L, T, & N/P/Q-Type Ca2+ channels and an assessment of NMDA, AMPA receptor, and GABAA receptor signaling in the expression of intrinsic Ca2+ activity. The findings here support: 1) that fentanyl induces reward seeking in a concentration- and sex-dependent manner, 2) that D-CYSee could be an effective co-treatment with prescribed opioi (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2024, Psychology

Shared reward pathways in the brain unveil the potential for the development of dependence on a variety of substances, including commonly recognized drugs of abuse and, more insidiously, sugar. Sugar overconsumption has been associated with compulsivity and impulsivity repetitive behaviors which are predictors of later substance abuse. Furthermore, previous research has shown that rats can develop symptoms mirroring addiction such as binging, craving, tolerance, and withdrawal in response to sugar alone. Motivation research has indicated that impaired reward relativity is a key component of vulnerability to addiction. The ability of an animal to discriminate between differing levels of rewards for the amount of work exerted to receive that reward may predict later addictive behavior to a variety of substances. This thesis examined the appetitive and consummatory behavior of non-food restricted female Wistar rats in self-administration tasks of sucrose and ethanol solutions. Relative reward effects were evaluated by using trials that differ in time of access to the reward (20s vs 10s vs 5s). The results suggest that non-food restricted Wistar rats show discrimination between substance and length of trial, as well as some sensitivity to intra-session alterations in ethanol reward. They exhibit diminished sensitivity to sucrose in consumption and lick rate. Behavioral measures like consumption and nosepoke latency had some predictive potential in regard to behavioral response to ethanol. The incentive contrast paradigm used in this project allows a closer examination of the motivational processes shared by alcohol and sugar that could result in addiction. Using natural reward sensitivity to predict future addiction could aid significantly in preventing and treating substance use disorders.

Psy. D., Antioch University, 2024, Antioch Seattle: Clinical Psychology

This qualitative study explored the lived experience of addiction counselors in their work with clients who have a primary diagnosis of methamphetamine (MA) use disorder. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used as the methodology for this study. A total of seven participants were recruited and met inclusion criteria. Participants engaged in individual, semi-structured interviews. The primary themes that emerged included “Flexibility,” “Understanding,” “Self-Reflection,” “Demanding,” “Encountering Resistance,” “Hope,” “Developing an Individualized Understanding of MAUD,” and “Essentials of Treatment Success.” The findings of the study demonstrate the usefulness of qualitative inquiry to examine the lived experience of addiction counselors in their work with an MA-dependent population and provide guidance on the clinical application of the findings.

Master of Arts, Miami University, 2024, Psychology

Alcohol use disorders (AUDs) are a prevalent and significant public health issue, with hundreds of thousands of people dying from alcohol-related deaths across the United States of America each year. Interestingly, there are sex differences that exist in both human and rodent models of AUD. These sex differences are not well understood, and the influences of sex chromosomes and/or hormones are just beginning to be studied. This project used ovariectomized (OVX) Four Core Genotypes (FCG) mice in a limited access, drinking in the dark (DID) paradigm to assess the separate influences of sex chromosomes and hormones on binge drinking. Mice successfully escalated consumption throughout the paradigm, and decreased consumption and preference in the presence of aversion-resistant quinine, however, there were no significant differences found across sex chromosome (XX vs. XY) or treatment (OVX vs. sham) conditions. The findings from this study may suggest that FCG mice, uniquely, do not differ in EtOH consumption following the surgical removal of ovaries. Additional research needs to be completed in order to better understand why this effect was not found.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2024, Social Work

Spirituality has been popularized as a support for those in addiction recovery. Millions of individuals have transitioned from active addiction to addiction recovery through interventions informed by spiritual and religious principles. However, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) reports that relapse rates within the United States remain high. This data may indicate a potential discrepancy between the present utility of spirituality and its practical implementation. Many researchers have attempted to find solutions and pathways that utilize spiritual components that would benefit those in addiction recovery. Theories and definitions abound for spirituality in addiction recovery, yet the operational and developmental nature of spirituality remains clouded. These limitations frustrate plans to reduce relapse rates by effectively implementing spiritually or religiously aligned program elements. Therefore, this project proposes three papers aimed at addressing this substantial gap: Chapter 2 is an inductive scoping review of empirically-focused peer-reviewed articles exploring how spirituality is defined and measured within addiction recovery literature. This chapter aims to assess how spirituality is presently defined within the context of addiction recovery literature and will consider definitions, components, indicators of health, and measurement as elements of how spirituality is structured. Chapter 3 is a deductive qualitative content analysis that explores how a synthesis of Canda's operational model of spirituality and Worden's Tasks of Grief align with the operational principles of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). AA has helped millions transition from active addiction to addiction recovery through a practical spiritual process. The content analysis study will explore the operational literature of AA, explicitly examining the content for components of spirituality and spiritual change. Doing so rigorously will bring additional insight to future work and (open full item for complete abstract)

MA, Kent State University, 2024, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Philosophy

In this thesis, I evaluate substance abuse and the treatment of addicted persons through a lens of care ethics. The current policies in place focus on criminalization, which is largely ineffective at preventing and lowering rates of substance abuse. I use the relational definition of autonomy put forward by Onora O'Neill to analyze how addiction affects autonomy. I appeal to Stephanie Collins' four key claims of care ethics as the best ethical model to treat addiction using harm reduction policies.

MARCH, University of Cincinnati, 2024, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Architecture

Abstract The role that architecture plays in the rehabilitation of those struggling with drug and alcohol addiction is an essential one. The space where addicts go to help them enter the world outside of addiction needs to be multifaceted and cater to every kind of person in every stage of life. This paper discusses the six key architectural elements to focus on when designing rehabilitation and sober living facilities researched by Dr. Fried Wittman and The California State Department of Alcohol and Drug Program and the U.S. National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. How do we design a space that makes the residents that will be inhabiting the space, as well as the workers and the existing community members feel safe, while facilitating mental health therapy, and life changing rehab practices? The goal is to engage with the community while also destigmatizing addiction and giving the addicts a sense of self again by connecting them back to themselves through architecture and community. Engaging the community with those going through the rehabilitation program through the architecture using joint spaces will help with bringing people together in a safe and supportive environment. Through personal familial experiences I have seen what addicts struggle with in many of the existing types of rehabilitation programs, and have analyzed the architectural elements and programmatic elements that they contain. This research led to the design solution that would benefit everyone from the addicts, to the staff, to the community, and to the graduates of the program with a separation of rehabilitation stage levels as well as gender separation on upper and a connection to the community on lower levels.