Ph.D., Antioch University, 2025, Antioch New England: Environmental Studies

Adolescents with histories of trauma often experience disruptions to their emotional, social, and behavioral development. For those living in group home settings, supportive environments can play a key role in fostering healing and resilience. While nature interaction is increasingly recognized as a valuable way to support mental health and resilience, little research has explored its role in these settings. This study introduces an innovative methodology—the Interaction Pattern Approach (IPA)—to examine the role of nature interaction in coping and resilience for 12 adolescents with Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) living in a youth group home. In this design, IPA integrates photovoice data with 22 months of participant-observation, employing a structured coding system to analyze meaningful adolescent-nature interactions. The analysis identified 62 distinct Level 3 Interaction Patterns (e.g., “experiencing periodicity of nature,” “seeing wildlife,” “seeking connection with animals”) that characterized how participants engaged with nature. These patterns were grouped into 7 Coping and Resilience Domains (e.g., self-regulation, autonomy, transcendence), each comprising numerous strengths (e.g., emotional regulation, perseverance, gratitude). The findings provide a foundation for developing a “nature language” that emphasizes the ontogenetic and phylogenetic significance of nature interactions. By demonstrating the diverse ways in which nature fosters coping and resilience, this study highlights the importance of prioritizing nature-based interventions in youth group homes and underscores nature's unique potential to support vulnerable populations. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://etd.ohiolink.edu).

Committee: Jean Kayira Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Elizabeth McCann Ph.D. (Committee Member); Peter H. Kahn Jr., Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Developmental Psychology; Environmental Studies; Evolution and Development; Families and Family Life; Health; Mental Health; Personal Relationships; Psychology; Social Research; Therapy

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2002, Nursing : Doctoral Program in Nursing

The purposes of this study were to investigate the effects of perceived daily life stress on selected health-risk behaviors and to examine the moderating function of approach coping in a sample of 722 Taiwanese adolescents. Life stress from personal, family, peer, school, and community was investigated. The selected health-risk behaviors were risky driving, cigarette smoking, beverage drinking, illicit drug use, and attempted suicide. This is a cross-sectional survey study. The sample was non-randomly selected from two senior high schools. Data were collected by using self-administrated questionnaires. The subjects were classified into three coping groups. Structural equation modeling was used to test a hypothesized model of life stresses on health-risk behaviors and to examine the moderating function of approach coping for three coping groups. The study had two main findings. First, different sources of life stresses are correlated with different health-risk behaviors. The relationships between life stresses and health-risk behaviors were demonstrated in the low coping group more than in the medium and the high coping groups, indicating the low coping group is most vulnerable. However, either positive or negative correlations appeared, indicating that the moderating function of approach coping may be effective within group in some situations. Secondly, the moderating effects of approach coping were not consistently demonstrated among the relationships between life stresses and health-risk behaviors. Three methodological reasons (the way of classifying coping groups, not enough items of the Approach Coping Scale, and global use versus situational use of the Approach Coping Scale) and two theoretical reasons (the effectiveness of approach coping strategies and gender-differences on approach coping) are considered for the mixed evidences in this study. The results of the study implicate that health promotion programs should be addressed to the needs of adolescents for (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Dr. L. Davis (Advisor) Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing