Thesis (M.A.)--Rowan University, 2005. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references.

<p> The social networking site Facebook is a popular domain where people can share pictures, status updates, and communicate with one another over the internet. While there are benefits to the ability to connect electronically with friends who are geographically distant, recent research illustrates a potentially damaging effect on well-being. In particular, envy plays a mediating role in the relationship between Facebook use and more negative affect and increased depressive symptoms. Although envy can produce positive emotions, as well as motivation to improve oneself, past research primarily identifies only deleterious effects of envy. Through the theoretical framework of the self-evaluation maintenance model, evidence for the phenomena of benign and malicious envy was explored to provide a more complete look at the impact of envy on Facebook.</p><p>

<p> This thesis explores different ways the media influences the psyche and society. Although research has found some positive effects, it points to primarily negative impacts, including manipulating emotions, instilling fear, promoting racism, influencing social control, and ultimately impacting peoples&rsquo; perceptions of reality and the world, which can extend into problematic effects on the electoral process and the shaping of popular culture. North Americans can be adversely impacted by media images and content to which they are exposed daily. Negative and fear-producing content can contribute to mental illness as well as societal degeneration. This thesis uses a hermeneutic methodology to identify ways in which the media may be negatively impacting the psyche. The research suggests connections between media and the contents of the cultural unconscious related to the American dream, female objectification, and fear of the other. It posits that fear-producing media can be seen as a form of psychological abuse.</p>

<p> This thesis explores effective and unintrusive interventions for treating noncompliant teens. Using hermeneutic and heuristic research methodologies, the use of coercion in adolescent mental health care is examined, with specific focus on the practice of transporting, or escorting, adolescents to treatment to determine its potential for trauma. Previous scanty research into the subjective experience of teenagers who have experienced being escorted to treatment indicated that treatment outcomes were not affected by the initial transportation. The research into trauma, adolescent psychology, and the effects of coercion as presented in this thesis, however, shows that being escorted has a high probability of traumatizing an adolescent. The author concludes that teaching noncompliant adolescents reflexivity and autonomy is more effective than prohibition and coercion. A re-visioning of adolescent defenses and symptomology suggests embracing all aspects of an adolescent's experience as evolutionary developmental adaptations in need of gentle guidance rather than inhibition. </p><p>

<p> Disabled students graduate from post-secondary education at a lower rate than non-disabled students. It is unknown if disabled and non-disabled students experience equal access to mental health services. This mixed methods study compared participants' reported psychological distress and willingness to utilize mental health services among disabled and non-disabled university students (N=96) and analyzed qualitative data regarding barriers and supports to utilizing mental health services. Disabled students reported more psychological distress and higher willingness to utilize mental health services than non-disabled students. These findings support the importance of promoting mental health care for disabled postsecondary students.</p><p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to assess how clinical supervisors' style of interaction, as described by SDT&rsquo;s concepts of perceived autonomy support versus perceived controlling style, predicts the counseling self-efficacy (CSE) of a mental health counseling intern placed in a field internship. An additional purpose of this study was to examine if this relationship between autonomy support and counseling self-efficacy was mediated by autonomous work motivation. Participants were approached during an internship class session to complete instruments related to their demographic characteristics, perceptions of supervisory interaction style &ndash; autonomy supportive versus controlled (<i>Perceived Autonomy Support Scale &ndash; Employee</i>), autonomous or controlled motivation (<i>Multidimensional Work Motivation Scale</i>) and counseling self-efficacy (<i>Counseling Self-Estimate Inventory</i>). In addition, a need for autonomy scale (<i>Autonomy and Homonomy Measure </i>) was also included in the questionnaire packet to perform an exploratory analysis on participants&rsquo; need for autonomy as it relates to perceived autonomy support. Participants consisted of master&rsquo;s level mental health counseling interns enrolled in their field internships. Regression analyses were conducted to assess the predictive relationship between perceived autonomy support from supervisor and participant&rsquo;s counseling self-efficacy. Path analyses were conducted to investigate if this relationship was mediated by autonomous work motivation.</p><p>

<p> Military stigma is a heavy burden of social stigma internalized by veterans who are diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) during post-deployment psychological screening. PTSD is classified as a mental disorder associated with widespread reluctance to seek medical assistance. Among military veterans who suffer from combat-related posttraumatic stress (PTS), military stigma is considered a widespread problem. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore veterans&rsquo; perceptions of various aspects of military stigma, including post-deployment psychological screening, the diagnosis of PTSD, and factors associated with reluctance to seek medical assistance for PTS. In-depth interviews were conducted with a convenience sample of 10 veterans of 2 recent operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. A modified form of labeling theory was applied to address the role of cultural stereotypes in stigma (societal and self-internalized), and the discriminatory factors associated with them. Multiple themes emerged, including a commonly held view that post-deployment health screenings are superficial, inconsistent, and ineffective procedures in which veterans feel the need to lie about their experience for fear of being stigmatized with a mental disorder. The findings confirm that the stigma associated with a diagnosis of PTSD perpetuates veterans&rsquo; reluctance to seek help for PTS, which results in multiple personal and professional problems. Remedies recommended by these veterans included improved post-deployment medical screening procedures, reclassification of PTSD as a war injury instead of a mental disorder, and PTS-related stigma awareness training. </p>

<p> Meditation is increasingly integrated into therapeutic interventions. Metta (loving-kindness) meditation, which cultivates compassion, is relatively unstudied. Metta&rsquo;s emphasis on compassion has spurred speculation that metta meditation may benefit mental health professionals at risk for compassion fatigue, a condition characterized by depression-like symptoms that results from paying witness to others&rsquo; trauma. The current study employed psychological phenomenology&mdash;a qualitative research methodology which uncovers the essential meaning of an experience&mdash;to explore mental health professionals&rsquo; lived experiences of metta meditation. Moustakas&rsquo;s recommendations for phenomenology guided data collection and analysis. Semi-structured interviews with 17 mental health professionals, clinicians and clinical supervisors, yielded 58 invariant components clustered into eight themes regarding metta meditation experience. These themes were used to write textural descriptions for each participant, from which a textural composite was created. Structural mechanisms interwoven into the composite created the <i>essential</i> description of participants&rsquo; lived experience of metta meditation. Implications are discussed.</p>

<p>The purpose of this project was to develop a flexible, adaptable curriculum (Treadway) designed to meet the specific developmental needs of preadolescents who have been identified as being high risk for developing a substance use problem. Substance use among preadolescents has been reported with increasing frequency. Preadolescents (individuals ages 11 to 13) differ from their older adolescent counterparts behaviorally, cognitively, emotionally, and socially; differences which impact how to approach the preadolescent?s use of alcohol and drugs. Stakeholders are inclined to help younger clients, but have limited information on how to intervene effectively with preadolescents. In the space between substance abuse prevention and substance abuse treatment, there exists a strong need for a diversionary curriculum targeting preadolescents. The Treadway program was designed to meet this need. Key Words: Preadolescents, adolescents, substance use interventions, substance abuse, treatment manuals

<p>In recent years, there has been a shift in the field of psychology to consider a more holistic approach to therapy, with body-based therapies often classified as such. This study looked at relationships between participation in a trauma-informed, body-based, group therapy treatment (Sensorimotor Psychotherapy) and levels of overall symptoms, mindfulness, social connectedness, and post-traumatic growth. Participants were eight adult Caucasian women with a history of interpersonal trauma who participated in 20 weekly sessions of a Sensorimotor Psychotherapy-informed group intervention. They were assessed five times over 20 weeks plus at one month post-group. Results indicate that participants showed decreased levels of overall symptoms, increased levels of mindfulness, and increased social connectedness. This study adds to the limited research regarding Sensorimotor Psychotherapy and indicates that a group intervention based on the principles of Sensorimotor Psychotherapy may be effective for survivors of interpersonal trauma.