Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.), Xavier University, 2025, Psychology

The present study sought to experimentally investigated the role of emotional numbing as a mediator in the relationship between posttraumatic stress symptoms and callous-unemotional traits in an adolescent sample seeking mental health or substance use treatment. Additionally, the relation of trauma exposure on treatment outcome and level of care referral was examined. Adolescents ages 11-19 (N = 119) who completed an intake for potential IOP treatment were enrolled in the study. Those who reported trauma were administered measures of posttraumatic stress, callous-unemotional traits, and emotional numbing during routine intake procedures. Referral decision, IOP substance abuse treatment outcome and duration were collected and their relation to trauma tested. Intended mediation analyses could not be conducted due to insufficient power. Trauma exposure was predictive of requiring intensive outpatient level of care or greater but was not associated with substance use disorder treatment outcome or days of treatment. More research is needed to better understand the role of trauma on treatment need and emotional numbing on developmental trajectories for youth with trauma history who develop callous-unemotional traits.

Committee: Susan Kenford (Advisor); Hannah Lubman (Committee Member); Stacey Raj (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology

PHD, Kent State University, 2017, College of Public Health

This study evaluates the acceptability of pharmacy based opioid misuse and abuse interventions by surveying practicing pharmacists and patients in treatment for substance use disorders. The survey instrument examines five specific pharmacy-based interventions using a Likert scale to measure acceptability: (1) Pharmacists counseling patients on the risks associated with opioid misuse and abuse, (2) pharmacists referring patients to drug treatment programs within the community, (3) pharmacists utilizing Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs) to validate prescriptions, (4) pharmacists providing emergency opioid overdose treatments such as naloxone with opioid prescriptions, and (5) pharmacists providing naloxone without a prescription. The goal of this study is to answer three research questions: which interventions are most acceptable to pharmacists, which interventions are most acceptable to patients, and which interventions produce statistically significant agreement on acceptability when both pharmacist and patient attitudes are compared. These data are used to identify a subset of interventions with high acceptability within and across the two groups. These findings are, in turn, used as an indication of professional and patient receptivity to specific interventions. The interventions with the greatest acceptability within each group and the strongest agreement across groups are identified, and changes to State regulations, organizational policy, and professional training that foster these interventions, as supported by the literature, are proposed.

Committee: Sonia Alemagno PhD (Committee Chair); VanGeest Jonathan PhD (Committee Member); Phillips Lynette PhD (Committee Member); Deric Kenne PhD (Committee Member); Mark James PhD (Other) Subjects: Pharmacy Sciences; Public Health Education; Public Policy

BA, Oberlin College, 1978, Anthropology

This paper is organized into three main sections. The first is a review of the literature which serves as a theoretical background for this research. Social context is examined with its implications for defining problems in terms of mental or emotional concerns. Certain personal limitations on seeking help are discussed. The literature dealing with specific referral sources to mental health treatment are examined. The second section contains impressions gained from interviews with mental health professionals about the importance of the referral source on their evaluations of a client. They responded to questions about what people come to them, what information a person's referral source gives to them and the implications of this information. The third section of this paper deals with information gathered from a community mental health center. These data concern referral sources and how it may be a reflection of a client's social contacts and previous experience using mental health facilities.

Committee: Stephen Cutler (Advisor); James Walsh (Advisor) Subjects: Mental Health; Sociology