<p> Literature has widely documented the link between stress and serious physical and mental health consequences (e.g., depression, heart disease, Alzheimer&rsquo;s Disease, cancer). Women in middle-adulthood face a number of commingling stressors that may exacerbate their existing stress levels and place them as a higher risk of developing stress-related health issues. For example, in middle-adulthood women experience biological/hormonal changes (i.e., menopause, increased cortisol response to stressors), neural changes (i.e., cognitive declines), changes in skin function and appearance (i.e., wrinkles, sagging), as well as assuming multiple challenging roles (i.e., caregiver, employee, spouse). Due to the gravity of the effects of stress, there has been an increased need for a deeper understanding of stressors that women in middle&ndash;adulthood face and an increased need to target those specific stressors in an attempt to ameliorate their negative effects. In this context, the research reported here focused on developing a curriculum to conduct a one-day workshop for women in middle-adulthood in order to provide a deeper understanding of the various types of stress (e.g., hormonal/biological, age-related appearance changes, discrimination, gender role strain, multiple roles, cultural expectations, finances, etc.) experienced by women in middle-adulthood and providing culturally congruent stress reduction interventions. The development of the curriculum used to conduct a workshop is targeting women between the ages of 45 and 65 who are experiencing significant levels of stress and who wish to expand their knowledge of stressors and repertoire of stress reduction/management strategies. The curriculum was reviewed by two doctoral level mental health professionals who rated the content, strengths, and weaknesses of the curriculum. Their feedback was incorporated into a compilation of suggestions and future directions for the curriculum.</p>

<p> This research is about revisioning the Feminine; this is an exploration into the depth of image, alchemy, and intentional creativity, and the catalytic role they play in psychic and somatic integration. Hekate was identified as an image of the dark Feminine that invoked fear in Western culture. For this reason Hekate was selected for interpretation for this alchemical hermeneutic study. An examination of the dark Feminine as Hekate was conducted using an intentional creative process. Also investigated in this study are the alchemical processes of <i>nigredo</i> and <i>albedo</i> and their correlation with transformation within an intentional creative process. Intentional creativity was identified as a viable method for encountering experiences of psychic and somatic integration. Further, through incorporating current research in trauma and neuroscience, this research examined responses to fear in connection to image and the involvement of image in mind-body-subtle body disconnection. This qualitative research was conducted using alchemical hermeneutic methodology to examine the lived experience of re-visioning the Feminine. The data examined in this study were collected by working with an intentional creativity method developed by artist Shiloh Sophia McCloud. McCloud&rsquo;s intentional creativity model was applied to a dream image, and the researcher&rsquo;s responses to the layers of the painting process then generated the data for the study. The findings of this study show that McCloud&rsquo;s method produced lasting experiences of psychic and somatic integration, and that through re-visioning the Feminine, the mind-body-subtle body experience of fear was transformed. </p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to describe the lived experience of nurses who care for hospitalized women outside of an addiction treatment setting who have a problem with drugs and / or alcohol. The relational experiences of ten registered nurses who had cared for women with drug and alcohol problems were elicited. Heideggerian hermeneutic phenomenology was the method used to interpret the nurse participants&rsquo; meaning of their experience. The theoretical framework that was used to explore the nurses&rsquo; experience of caring for women who abuse or are dependent on alcohol was Boykin and Schoenhofer&rsquo;s <i> Nursing as Caring</i> (1993). The relational themes that emerged were: Caring in the dark; Intentionally knowing the woman with AOD as a unique person; and Experiencing sisterhood.</p>

<p> Females diagnosed with a substance use disorder (SUD) may experience more stigmatization and need more social support than males. Traditional therapeutic services provide interventions and treatment that is uniform for males and females. The available research on female substance users does not address meaningful connections and relationships with others, and its effect on overall wellness. The objective of this study was to address the importance of social support, stigmatization, and wellness. A sample of 232 females diagnosed with SUD, at least 18 years of age, responded to three instruments and a demographic form. </p><p> The results of this study indicate that income and age are predictors of overall wellness and explained 12% of the variance in wellness when using a multiple regression analysis, (adjusted <i>R²</i> = .119, <i>p</i> = .000). Relationship status and relationship length demonstrated significance as predictors of social support, explaining 5.6% of the variance in social support, using a multiple regression analysis, (adjusted <i> R²</i> = .056, <i>p</i> = .001). Number of children, age, and relationship length demonstrated significance as predictors of stigmatization, accounting for 9.4% of the variance in stigmatization, (adjusted <i> R²</i> = .094, <i>p</i> = .000). Social support accounted for 4.1% of the variance in stigmatization using a multiple regression analysis, (adjusted <i>R²</i> = .041, <i>p</i> = .001). Social support explained 39% of the variance in wellness, (adjusted <i> R²</i> = .394, <i>p</i> = .000). Using a hierarchical regression analysis to control for stigmatization, social support explained 44% of the variance in wellness, (adjusted <i>R²</i> = .438, <i>p</i> = .000). Finally, social support mediates the relationship between stigmatization and wellness, when using path analysis. </p><p> This study provided support for specific treatment for females in substance abuse treatment; particularly concerning social support, stigmatization, and wellness. These females with SUD reported that social support increased wellness, correlating with decreased stigmatization. Conversely, females who experienced increased stigmatization and decreased social support also experienced decreased wellness. Social support mediated the impact of stigmatization and wellness. </p><p>

<p> Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) &ndash; characterized by deficits in social interaction and communication, and restricted and repetitive behaviors, interests, and activities &ndash;increasingly are being diagnosed in individuals of all ages. However, as children on the autism spectrum enter adolescence, self-report research on ASD and sexuality is currently limited to 14 empirical, peer-reviewed articles, misconceptions are prevalent, and professionals remain underequipped to support their sexuality needs. The goal of the current study was to expand the current knowledge base by exploring multiple aspects of sexuality (including relationship and family status, gender identity, sexual history, sexual orientation, sexual desire, sex education exposure, sexual behavior, sexual satisfaction, sexual victimization, and sexual awareness) and well-being (including symptoms of ASD, sensory sensitivity, depression, anxiety, and social anxiety) in a sample of 18-30 year old women with and without ASD. To capture a wide range of experiences, female-bodied individuals with more fluid gender identities (e.g., agender, genderqueer) and transfeminine women were invited to participate too. Overall, 248 individuals with ASD and 179 individuals without ASD (<i>N</i> = 427) self-reported on their experiences by completing a 20-minute online survey. Results showed a wide range of sexuality-related identities and experiences among women with ASD. Of note, a surprisingly high percentage of participants with ASD reported having a genderfluid identity, a sexual minority identity, and at least one lifetime incidence of sexual victimization. When compared to a non-ASD sample, participants on the autism spectrum reported higher levels of gender fluidity, sexual minority identity, and sexual victimization, and lower levels of romantic partnerships, sexual desire, sexual behavior, sex education exposure, and sexual awareness, including consciousness and monitoring; participants in both groups reported comparable levels of sexual satisfaction. Relations across sexuality-related variables, and between sexuality-related and non-sexuality-related variables, within the ASD and comparison groups also were assessed and many significant correlations were observed. The discussion focuses on how these findings expand the current knowledge base, and how they might inform the work of researchers and clinicians, and support the romantic partners, family members, and friends involved in the lives of young people with ASD.</p>

<p> Postpartum depression (PPD) is linked to diminished maternal, pediatric, and family health outcomes and is designated as the most common childbirth complication. PPD is an international public health concern and found in most populations. Studies suggest that American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) women suffer higher PPD prevalence (14% to 29%) than other United States' women, revealing a racial/ethnic disparity. Health disparities research is a national public health priority and substantiates the need to explore PPD in AI/AN women. Clinicians define PPD as an episode of major depressive disorder with a "peripartum onset" specifier that occurs within the first year after delivery. </p><p> This dissertation work explored and synthesized PPD research about AI/AN women, where there remains considerable mystery surrounding the causes and consequences of PPD. Even with federal regulations in place requiring the inclusion of minorities and women and other underrepresented groups in research, AI/AN women have been mostly excluded, as evidenced by few studies and small sample compositions that include AI/AN women in PPD research. </p><p> Using a comparative analysis approach, validation studies of the EPDS and the PHQ-9 were examined. While possessing excellent concurrent validity, the low predictive accuracy of both tools in non-Western samples suggests cultural bias. No PPD screening instrument has been validated in samples of AI/AN women. Cross-cultural adaptation advances the science of comparative effectiveness research, and is therefore a logical next step. Using a phenomenological methodology with a community-based participatory approach, AI/AN women's "lived" PPD experiences were described. AI/AN women who experienced PPD now or in the past were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide. De-identified demographic data were collected. Thematic analysis guided by Moustakas' (1994) procedure followed and seven major themes emerged. </p><p> This dissertation has advanced nursing science by providing an understanding of PPD in AI/AN women. Future research for AI/AN women with PPD should focus on: 1) their access to and use of PPD services; 2) the cross-cultural adaptation for PPD screening; 3) the possible relationship between PPD and intimate partner violence; 4) their preferences for PPD treatment; and 5) the possible relationship between PPD and acculturation.</p><p>

<p> Nestled into an isolated, rural community along the Pacific Northwest Oregon coastline, the first Victory Over Child Abuse (VOCA) Camp for girls was held in 1988. Four years later, VOCA Camp for boys was initiated. The two separate camps provide intentionally safe camp environments for child survivors of sexual abuse. The VOCA Camp program continues annually. </p><p> The VOCA Camp story disrupts the belief that humans are innately violent and presents the camp program as a working model of partnership, directly linked to Riane Eisler's Cultural Transformation Theory. </p><p> This dissertation weaves feminist ethnographical analysis with Eisler's description of four cornerstones necessary for cultural transformation to occur. Public and archival documentation, personal reflections, past participant statements, camp stories are used to illustrate the camp's culture and to tell the unique story of the camp program as a working model of partnership. As such, this dissertation portrays the VOCA Camp story as a step toward the elimination of child sexual abuse. </p><p> This research is significant because it acknowledges that cultures, organizations, and families that orient toward systems of partnership are more apt to manifest environments where the abuse of children is reduced and potentially eliminated. </p>

<p> Through the use of artistic-creative methodology and alchemical hermeneutic exploration, this production thesis examines the creation of images and the process of dialoguing with them as a therapeutic tool, helping to heal and empower female trauma survivors. By acknowledging and interacting with images from the unconscious, one may begin to reintegrate split or dissociated parts of the Self, ultimately leading to the reunification of psyche. Drawing upon the theories of Jung, depth psychology, and expressive arts therapy, the author presents her personal journey toward healing, selfexpression, and empowerment, which involves active imagination and dialogues with created images. The production, two original paintings, illustrates the process of accessing the unconscious through interaction with images as a way of making meaning and healing from trauma, splitting, and dissociation. Using these ideas, mental health clinicians can gain an additional modality for the successful treatment of trauma survivors. </p>

<p> This phenomenological study explored how cancer impacted female patients or survivors while striving for personal work-life balance. Since female cancer patients and survivors encounter unique stressors, challenges, and experiences related to their cancer journey, this study examined the narratives of 10 women identified as having cancer and a comparison group matched on age via random sample for the birth year. The 20 narratives were a subset of the larger Weber (2011) sample collected by Digital Women's Project research team. The foundational theoretical framework is provided by Giele's (2008) life story method, which analyzed narratives through the lenses of identity, relationship style, drive and motivation, and adaptive styles of women.</p><p> However, this study focused on the following two themes: drive and motivation and adaptive style. The personal experiences of the ten diverse women, who received a cancer diagnosis (Group A), described ways that cancer changed their lives. The comparative sample of women without cancer diagnoses (Group B) were also analyzed along these themes. The findings reveal the differences between Group A and B with their outlook, lifestyles, and how work-life balance was navigated. Successful strategies of navigating work-life balance for the two groups were explored: faith, support systems, healthy lifestyle, resources, therapy, and hobbies.</p>

<p> This phenomenological study describes the therapeutic potential of change for women who come together in collective creative process to perform their stories. The author examines women, aged 30-72, and their experiences of collective performance, spanning 29 years, in response to their life circumstances, emotional health, personal relationships, professional life, and community connections. Roles inside and outside of the group are explored, as are their group and individual processes. Research on women, collectives, applied theatre, and therapeutic theatre is presented. Perspective is gained through the lenses of feminist theory, social constructivism, and psychodramatic role theory. Comparisons are made between applied theatre and drama therapy, and the mutual exclusion of group versus individual, socio-political versus therapy, is questioned. Implications for the use of socio-political community drama in a therapeutic theatre format in drama therapy are formulated.</p>