Psy. D., Antioch University, 2024, Antioch Santa Barbara: Clinical Psychology

Although Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) was once thought to be a disorder specific to childhood and adolescence, it is now accepted that ADHD symptomatology frequently persists into adulthood (Biederman et al., 2010). In addition to poorer social skills and more relationship problems, young adults with ADHD attain lower levels of educational and occupational achievement (Kuriyan et al., 2012). The overarching goal of this study was to understand how ADHD symptomatology impacted the academic functioning of female graduate students diagnosed with ADHD. This study also sought to understand how female graduate students with ADHD coped with the academically deleterious nature of ADHD symptoms. Additionally, this study focused on resilience; specifically, how female graduate students with ADHD experienced themselves as resilient, and how their resilience impacted the ways they coped with the academic challenges and stressors engendered by ADHD symptomatology. Data were collected using a semi-structured interview protocol. Participants' interview transcripts were coded, analyzed, and interpreted using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Results revealed five group experiential themes [GETs] and 25 individual themes. To increase the validity of the research findings, themes identified in the researcher's data analysis were audited by the researcher's chairperson. In addition to finding that participants used a wide variety of coping skills to manage their ADHD symptomatology, participants' resilience was found to protect against academic impairment and promote development and employment of coping skills and strategies. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA, https://aura.antioch.edu/ and OhioLINK ETD Center, https://etd.ohiolink.edu

Committee: Brett Kia-Keating Ed.D. (Committee Chair); Melissa Kennedy Ph.D. (Committee Member); Kristine Jacquin Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Clinical Psychology

Master of Social Work, The Ohio State University, 2022, Social Work

Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC) who also identify lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, and other sexual and/or gender minorities (LGBTQ+) face many stressors and risk factors in relation to their intersecting identities. When working with minoritized populations like BIPOC LGBTQ+ youth, it is important to keep in mind the history of racism—both in-person and online—and cultural mistrust that these individuals experience. Additionally, with innovative interventions like an online tabletop roleplaying game used to build resilience and coping skills in LGBTQ+ youth (in this case, “Demons Dreamt: Shadow of Drusilla”), it is imperative to establish implementation procedures to ensure that the study can be replicated in the future. This study is intended to delve deeper into the modifications, adaptations, and expansions of the intervention, “Demons Dreamt;” explore opportunities for the growth and adaptation of the intervention to obtain a more representative and diverse sample; and discuss implementation fidelity procedures to ensure reproducibility of the study in the future. Future research may include focusing on exploring the experiences of BIPOC LGBTQ+ youth, adapting the intervention to better embody their experiences, and utilizing fidelity tools to better assess the integrity of the intervention.

Committee: Sharvari Karandikar (Committee Member); Lauren McInroy (Advisor) Subjects: Social Work

Psy. D., Antioch University, 2019, Antioch Santa Barbara: Clinical Psychology

This phenomenological research study explored the experiences of five adult participants who reported witnessing domestic violence between their parents during childhood. Through the process of open-ended interviews, this work added further support to the existing understanding of the impact that childhood witnessing of parental violence can have on one's adult behavior and relationships. Thus far, child witnesses to parental violence receive little attention, perhaps due to the lack of tangible evidence that they have been harmed. Existing studies in the field primarily make use of quantitative methods to examine negative outcomes of such experiences. This study identified similar themes among the five participants regarding their childhood experiences. Personal views and the potential needs of the former witnesses were highlighted by specific descriptions of the past experiences which may have led to the negative outcomes in their lives, such as sense of indirect victimization, posttraumatic stress, psychological distress, affected self-esteem/confidence, and relational difficulties. Furthermore, the adult participants described certain commonalities of unfavorable experiences during childhood-- fear, sense of endangerment, limited ability to predict daily routines, receiving poor modeling of communication and coping, poor relational connections, maladaptive coping, and difficulty understanding their environment. The burden of these experiences led to harm in their adult lives and relationships. Participants shared similar beliefs about the lack of support they received during childhood and expressed the need for therapeutic intervention as a form of resolving some of the embedded learned behaviors and coping skills from the past. This dissertation is available in Open Access at AURA: Antioch University Repository and Archive, http://aura.antioch.edu and OhioLink ETD Center, http://www.ohiolink.edu/etd

Committee: Brett Kia-Keating EdD (Committee Chair); Susan Ferrant PhD (Committee Member); Darice Orobitg PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Behavioral Psychology; Clinical Psychology; Mental Health; Personal Relationships; Psychology; Psychotherapy; Therapy

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD), Wright State University, 2019, School of Professional Psychology

The current global sociopolitical climate has resulted in the influx of refugees to the United States from all over the world. Those coming from the Middle East represent a large portion of refugees in the U.S., and children within this group make up a large percentage. The refugee process is characterized by stressful experiences in the premigration, migration, and resettlement stages. These experiences put refugee children at risk for distress and other mental health difficulties. Refugees must learn how to adjust and acculturate once in the host country, which can be a difficult task. Teachers are in a unique position in which they are likely to come in contact with child refugees and have the opportunity to assist them with adjustment and acculturation. Storybooks are useful to assist with adjustment and acculturation. However, there is a lack of storybooks for Middle Eastern refugee children that focus on diversity and coping in resettlement. The storybook was developed to assist Middle Eastern child refugees with achieving healthy adjustment and acculturation within the school setting through teaching of coping skills and promoting resilience. Given cultural stigma associated with mental health difficulties, a storybook that highlights strengths to promote resiliency may reduce stigma in the context of mental health difficulties by broadening these children's coping skill set and knowledge of resources. Finally, the storybook may have a wider reach by promoting empathy, acceptance of differences, and diversity in classrooms of refugee and nonrefugee children alike.

Committee: Janeece Warfield Psy.D. (Committee Chair); Michelle Schultz Psy.D. (Committee Co-Chair); Gokce Ergun Ph.D (Committee Member); Caprice Lambert Psy.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology

Master of Music (MM), Ohio University, 2017, Music Therapy (Fine Arts)

This phenomenological inquiry examined the experience of group music therapy for women recovering from addictions. Nine, twice-weekly 60- to 90-minute music therapy sessions were provided for 16 women at an all-female inpatient treatment facility with an average three-month treatment length located in rural Ohio. The women were Caucasian, mothers, and ranged in age from 18 to mid-40s. Heroin and methamphetamines were the most commonly cited drugs of abuse among group members. Following the treatment sequence, 11 women participated in voluntary semi-structured interviews about the music therapy experience and three interviews were chosen for phenomenological microanalysis. The analysis yielded four primary themes: music forms connections, desirable intrapersonal shifts, beneficial qualities of music therapy sessions, and music therapy's impact on treatment and recovery. The outcomes from this study align with suggestions for successful addictions treatment for women and indicate that music therapy may be a beneficial treatment across the span of the recovery journey.

Committee: Laura Brown PhD (Advisor) Subjects: Alternative Medicine; Mental Health; Music; Personal Relationships; Psychology; Public Health; Rehabilitation; Social Research; Spirituality; Therapy; Welfare; Womens Studies

Psy. D., Antioch University, 2014, Antioch New England: Clinical Psychology

In the last decade of the 20th century, several large-scale studies suggested that the developmental trajectory for students diagnosed with emotional disturbance is bleak. Middletip School (MTS) is an alternative day treatment program that serves emotionally disturbed (ED) students (ages 12-19) through a daily offering of academic classes, and counseling and treatment groups. Using individually tailored, strength-based programming, MTS is designed to help ED youth in the areas of emotion regulation and behavior management, with a focus on building coping, relational, social, and communication skills. This dissertation project was a program evaluation in a natural setting examining the processes of assessment, treatment, and integration of knowledge by MTS while serving their ED students. It examined whether MTS accounts for individual differences (IDs) when implementing their program to enhance coping skills. It was anticipated that results from the program evaluation will help MTS explore the extent to which their practices embody best practice standards in the field. The Utilization-Focused Evaluation (U-FE) model employed here was process-focused, improvement oriented, formative, and used primarily qualitative methods. Thirty-seven MTS staff members were recruited to describe assessments, educational and mental health interventions, and organizational communication practices at MTS. Results revealed that MTS appears to attain fidelity to best practice standards in their treatment process. Their prioritization of clinical services and inclusion of transitioned-aged services place them as innovators in the field. MTS also achieves fidelity in training; multidisciplinary inclusion throughout the assessment process; and their longitudinal approach to monitoring and reviewing student growth toward academic and clinical goals. MTS is a culturally competent program when engaging in assessments and treatment. MTS did not achieve fidelity in training for assessment or sta (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Susan Hawes PhD (Committee Chair); Colborn Smith PhD (Committee Member); Michael Foot PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Clinical Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2003, Physical Activity and Educational Services

This study examined whether female FM patients with high scores on the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), exhibiting low levels of coping and high levels of anxiety, experienced more trauma and abuse than those who scored lower. Adult females (n=115) completed the FIQ, as well as the Coping Strategies Questionnaire (CSQ), State–Trait Anxiety Inventory (Trait Form), and a demographic questionnaire. The study showed a correlation between high FIQ scores and high anxiety expanding previous findings outlining the significant impact of specific components of abuse and trauma prior to the age of 16 associated with higher impact of FM. The study did not reveal a relationship between the CSQ and FIQ. Longitudinal research of children both with and without documented cases of victimization is recommended to assess the impact of trauma and abuse on FM, and provide healthcare professionals with the tools to empower patients in management of the syndrome.

Committee: Paul Granello (Advisor) Subjects:

Master of Science in Sport Studies, Miami University, 2008, Physical Education, Health, and Sport Studies

The purpose of this study was to develop a life skills scale that assesses 5 life skills:communication, time management, coping skills, goal setting, and leadership in youth ages 11- 16 years old. To develop the Youth Life Skills Scale, a mixed methods approach was used. Interviews were conducted with coaches, teachers, and parents, to identify the meaning of the five life skills. Based on the results, items were generated and aided in the development of the Youth Life Skills Scale. The YLSS was administered to middle school students (n=261) and high school students (n=722) from a Midwestern public school. The participants were 11-16 years in age (M=13.1, SD= 1.5). Using an iterative factor analytic method and a jackknifing procedure, the resulting YLSS scales represented four of the five life skills. One of the hypothesized life skills split and a new constructs were developed. The scale structure was confirmed using structural equation modeling techniques in the confirmatory sample

Committee: Rose Marie Ward Dr. (Committee Chair); Robin Vealey Dr. (Committee Member); Thelma Horn Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Developmental Psychology