Thesis (Ph.D.)--Pacific Graduate School of Psychology, 1990. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 51-09, Section: B, page: 4589.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Pacific Graduate School of Psychology, 2000. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 61-02, Section: B, page: 1067. Adviser: Laurie Roehrich.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Fairleigh Dickinson University, 2000. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 61-02, Section: B, page: 1066. Chairperson: Christopher A. Capuano. Available also in print.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Fairleigh Dickinson University, 2001. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 62-06, Section: B, page: 2948. Co-Chairpersons: Christopher A. Capuano; Robert E. McGrath. Available also in print.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Fairleigh Dickinson University, 2002. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 62-11, Section: B, page: 5357. Chair: Christopher A. Capuano. Available also in print.

<p> This study presents a group therapy program for injured athletes recovering from a traumatic physical injury to address and provide coping skills for the trauma-related symptoms athletes may experience post-athletic injury. Eleven expert reviewers in the field of sport psychology, injury rehabilitation, and athletic development reviewed the program and provided feedback regarding the utility, accuracy, organization, applicability, and additional factors. Although reviewers noted traumatic reactions are experienced by a sub-group of athletes, they also generally agreed the group therapy program could aid in clinical work and reduce trauma-related distress experienced by athletes after an injury and provide social support within a safe environment, allowing discussion and sharing of experiences with one another.</p><p>

<p> <b>Background:</b> Hypertension (HTN), also referred to as a silent killer, has been the leading cause of mortality in the world for more than 10 years. Uncontrolled HTN is associated with cardiovascular complications like stroke, heart failure and chronic kidney disease. Disparity is noted in hypertension prevalence, blood pressure control, cardiovascular burden and adherence to hypertension treatment regimens, with worse consequences for Blacks/African Americans compared to their racial counterparts. Multiple factors account for these differences and include biological, psychological and socio-cultural issues. Despite the many salient factors identified to be associated with adherence to hypertensive treatment regimens, as well as current strategies in place, high cardiovascular burden from uncontrolled HTN persist in Black communities.</p><p> <b>Purpose:</b> To determine the strongest factors associated with adherence to hypertension treatment regimens among all of the most salient factors identified by prior research, within the context of a community sample of Black/African Americans residing in an urban setting.</p><p> <b>Design:</b> Cross-sectional, correlation design.</p><p> <b>Theoretical Framework:</b> The Biopsychosocial model framework. Data Analysis: Data analysis consisted of descriptive and bivariate analysis of the predictor variables. Significant variables was analyzed using multiple linear regression model to identify the strongest variables predicting adherence. </p><p> <b>Result:</b> Four factors remained significant predictors to adherence in the final regression model: Annual income [$10,000-$20,000 (&beta;= .21, p = .04); annual income $40,001-$80,000 (&beta; = .25, p = .03), Full-time work status (&beta;= -.23 p = .04), Last blood pressure within normal range (&beta;= .19, p = .02) and Depressive symptoms (&beta; = -.20, p = .02).</p><p> <b>Implications:</b> The identification of mainly inter-related psychosocial factors (depressive symptoms, income and employment status) as significant predictors of adherence in this sample has implications for priority psychosocial assessment (depression screening in particular), when rendering care to hypertensive Black/African American patients.</p><p> <i>Keywords:</i> hypertension, hypertension control disparity, Blacks or African Americans, antihypertensive treatment regimens, adherence </p><p>

abstract: Aging and the menopause transition are both intricately linked to cognitive changes during mid-life and beyond. Clinical literature suggests the age at menopause onset can differentially impact cognitive status later in life. Yet, little is known about the relationship between behavioral and brain changes that occur during the transitional stage into the post-menopausal state. Much of the pre-clinical work evaluating an animal model of menopause involves ovariectomy in rodents; however, ovariectomy results in an abrupt loss of circulating hormones and ovarian tissue, limiting the ability to evaluate gradual follicular depletion. The 4-vinylcyclohexene diepoxide (VCD) model simulates transitional menopause in rodents by selectively depleting the immature ovarian follicle reserve and allowing animals to retain their follicle-deplete ovarian tissue, resulting in a profile similar to the majority of menopausal women. Here, Vehicle or VCD treatment was administered to ovary-intact adult and middle-aged Fischer-344 rats to assess the cognitive effects of transitional menopause via VCD-induced follicular depletion over time, as well as to understand potential interactions with age, with VCD treatment beginning at either six or twelve months of age. Results indicated that subjects that experience menopause onset at a younger age had impaired spatial working memory early in the transition to a follicle-deplete state. Moreover, in the mid- and post- menopause time points, VCD-induced follicular depletion amplified an age effect, whereby Middle-Aged VCD-treated animals had poorer spatial working and reference memory performance than Young VCD-treated animals. Correlations suggested that in middle age, animals with higher circulating estrogen levels tended to perform better on spatial memory tasks. Overall, these findings suggest that the age at menopause onset is a critical parameter to consider when evaluating learning and memory across the transition to reproductive senescence. From a translational perspective, this study informs the field with respect to how the age at menopause onset might impact cognition in menopausal women, as well as provides insight into time points to explore for the window of opportunity for hormone therapy during the menopause transition to attenuate age- and menopause- related cognitive decline, and produce healthy brain aging profiles in women who retain their ovaries throughout the lifespan. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Psychology 2015

<p> <b>Introduction:</b> Obtaining higher education increases the amount of stressors physically, mentally, and emotionally. College is more than parties, pledging, and freedom from authoritative figures. For many young adults, it is the time to learn independence, responsibility, and roads to success. Today&rsquo;s students are making life-altering decisions under the influences and pressures of society. Coping with stress is just one of the challenges students will endure while in college. Stressors are often considered normal, and students may not immediately recognize certain stressors as being problematic. They may also fail to identity and differentiate between eustress and distress. </p><p> <b>Purpose:</b> This exploratory study defines the role of stress in coping mechanisms (healthy and unhealthy decision making) as it relates to African American college students&rsquo; success (ability to strive academically) at Historically Black College and University (HBCU) and Predominantly White Institutions (PWI). <b>Methodology:</b> A mixed method research design was applied to determine the effects of culture on stressors and coping mechanisms of African American college and graduate students at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) and Florida State University (FSU). The <i> Transactional Model of Stress and Coping</i> framework was utilized to evaluate the processes of coping with stressful events. To ensure rigor and validity, the study was segmented into two phases, qualitative (Phase I) and quantitative (Phase II). Phase I consisted of the primary researcher transcribed 17 interviews. A second researcher reviewed and coded for themes. Phase II consisted of 300 student respondents to the College Student&rsquo;s Stressful Event Checklist (CSSEC) and the Brief COPE (COPE) surveys. Descriptive statistical analyses were conducted for each variable using quantitative software, SPSS Statistics. A comprehensive analysis was conducted to identify new or merging themes bases on the research questions. </p><p> <b>Results:</b> African American college and graduate students perceived both their susceptibility and severity to stress to result in negative outcomes (problems or health issues). The problems were categorized as maladaptive (overeating, smoking marijuana and drinking alcohol) and non-maladaptive (prayer, meditation, and exercising) behaviors. The health issues experienced, are listed as the following but not limited to: Unwanted pressure, feeling overwhelmed, tired, embarrassed, and symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). As an individuals&rsquo; perception of susceptibility and severity increased in regards to demographics so did their level of stress (CSSEC scoring). Although there was almost an even split about culture being an influence, it played a factor in normalizing stress. A positive relationship was discovered between a student&rsquo;s academic matriculation (classification) and their amount of coping (COPE score). </p><p> <b>Discussion/Conclusion:</b> The findings from phase I were consistent with Lazarus and Folkman&rsquo;s Transactional Model of Stress and Coping and the importance of evaluating harm, threat, and challenges among African American college students. Students perceived both their susceptibility and severity as high due to the pressures of life and past experiences. Students perceived expressions to stress as maladaptive and non-maladaptive behaviors. Students also responded to adaptation with actual style of coping mechanisms. The findings from phase II shows a positive relationship between an individual&rsquo;s classification and the amount of coping mechanisms developed. All four hypotheses were accepted. As students matriculate throughout school (classification) they will adopt coping mechanisms. Stressors may also become more common and easier to normalize; however, adaptation will allow for coping mechanisms to augment from other stressful events. Students utilized the revision of goals and spiritualty as a meaning-based coping mechanisms. The cultural lens influences the coping styles of students within their particular way of life, traditions, and beliefs. As a preventative measure, it is essential to seek counseling services that will assist in obtaining effective ways of coping and possibly healing past issues. Further, exploration of stigma and discrimination among those who self-identify as being a racial/ethnicity or gender/sexual identity minorities in both Historically Black College and Universities and Predominantly White Institutions.</p><p>

In order to provide effective social, emotional, and behavioral supports to all students, there is a need for formative assessment tools that can help determine the responsiveness of students to intervention. Schoolwide positive behavior support (SWPBS) is one framework that can provide evidence-based intervention within a 3-tiered model to reach students at all levels of risk. This dissertation begins the process of developing a brief, teacher-completed rating scale, intended to be used with students in grades K-8 for the formative assessment of positive classroom behavior. An item pool of 93 positively worded rating scale items was drawn from or adapted from existing rating scales. Teachers (n = 142) rated the importance of each item to their concept of “positive classroom behavior.” This survey yielded 30 positively worded items for inclusion on the pilot rating scale. The pilot scale was used by teachers to rate students in two samples drawn from general education K-8 classrooms: a universal tier group of randomly selected students (n = 80) and a targeted tier group of students with mild to moderate behavior problems (n = 82). Pilot scale ratings were significantly higher in the universal group than the targeted group by about one standard deviation, with no significant group by gender interaction. Strong results were found for the split-half reliability (.94) and the internal consistency (.98) of the pilot scale. All but two items showed medium to large item-total correlations (> .5). Factor analysis indicated a unidimensional factor structure, with 59.87% of the variance accounted for by a single factor, and high item loadings (> .4) from 26 of the 30 factors. The unidimensional factor structure of the rating scale indicates its promise for potential use as a general outcome measure (GOM), with items reflecting a range of social, emotional, and behavioral competencies. Future research is suggested in order to continue development and revision of the rating scale with a larger, more diverse sample, and to begin exploring its suitability for screening and formative assessment purposes.