<p> Although research has been conducted on the short-term effects of natural and human-made disasters on individuals and families, few researchers have examined the experiences of families during the recovery and rebuilding process when stressors may continue on many levels, sometimes for years later. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore the experience of recovery for families during the 3-year period following Superstorm Sandy in 2012 through the theoretical lens of Bronfenbrenner&rsquo;s bio-ecological perspective. A narrative approach was used in order to understand the experience of natural disaster recovery and the meaning of recovery and coping for these families. Families in the surrounding area of Long Beach, New York were invited to participate. Six families who experienced Superstorm Sandy shared their experiences through interviews. Common themes were found among participants during the preparation for the storm, throughout the storm, and again during identified stages in the recovery process. Participants displayed both positive and negative coping styles and rated the helpfulness of various interventions. Findings from the study suggest that future researchers should focus on understanding the individual factors that may affect the decision to prepare for and evacuate during a large-scale natural disaster. The results of this study can be used by support services staff to develop and target interventions that address the common themes identified during the long-term recovery process. More effective interventions may lessen the length and intensity of suffering. Additionally, highlighting the importance of disaster preparedness may encourage individuals and communities to better prepare for disasters, possibly diminishing damage and losses. </p><p>

<p> This dissertation aims to validate the Adolescent Internal Environmental Locus of Control (AINELOC) scales (green consumer, activist, advocate, and recycling attitude). The AINELOC was developed based on the lack of applicability in the original Internal Environmental Locus of Control (INELOC) scale to the adolescent population. This opportunity to adjust the language to make it more accessible for adolescents resulted in the construction of the AINELOC tool to research adolescents&rsquo; reasoning and innate ability to make interpretations about beliefs and motivations regarding the environment. It was demonstrated that persons with greater levels of internal environmental locus of control have positive mindsets and beliefs that affect their well-being, behavior, and attitude toward the environment. Collectively, the literature in this research explored the role of LOC as a driving factor and a strong predictor in shaping an individual&rsquo;s eco-centric thoughts and behavior. The factor structure of the AINELOC was examined and data collected from a sample of adolescents to validate the internal consistency of scales for this novel construct. Correlations between the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control (MHLOC) measure with the new AINELOC tool were conducted to provide substantiation for the convergent and discriminant validity of the AINELOC. </p><p>

<p> BDSM includes a variety of acronyms: Bondage and Discipline, Dominance and Submission, and Sadism and Masochism, and is rooted in sane, safe, and consensual sex. The understanding that BDSM is abnormal or deviant is rooted in the notion that sexual pleasure derived from unconventional methods is pathological, and is a manifestation of childhood trauma and/or poor adjustment to society. This additionally translates to the notion that one who engages in consensual non-conventional sexual behavior has poor self-esteem. The purpose of this study was to identify the prevalence of childhood trauma among individuals who practice BDSM and how this relates to their self-esteem. The exploratory study used a questionnaire including demographic data, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Self Report (CTQ-SR; Bernstein &amp; Fink, 1998) to determine the presence of childhood trauma, including physical abuse, physical neglect, emotional abuse, emotional neglect, and sexual abuse and Rosenberg&rsquo;s Self-Esteem Scale (Rosenberg, 1965) to determine the degree of self-esteem. A comparison was made between individuals who self-identified as practicing BDSM and those who do not. The research questions were as follows: Does childhood trauma, including physical abuse, physical neglect, emotional abuse, emotional neglect, and sexual abuse differ based on engagement in BDSM? Does self-esteem differ based on engagement in BDSM among individuals with a history of childhood trauma? Does self-esteem differ based on engagement in BDSM among individuals with no history of childhood trauma? A MANOVA and factorial analysis was used to analyze the data. </p><p>

<p> Suicide is a significant public health problem. It is among the top three chief causes of death for young people, ages 10-24 years (CDC, 2016). The majority of studies on suicide focus on what causes suicidal thoughts, suicidal attempts, and completed suicides (e.g., Dougherty, 2010; Shneidman, 1993; Van Orden et al., 2010). While these studies are crucial, it is also vital to understand why and how people survive and thrive. Focusing on adolescent suicide prevention through the lens of resiliency, the research questions are as follows: Why and how did suicidal adolescents decide against suicide? </p><p> Thirty-two participants (16 males and 16 females) from diverse ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds, ages 21 to 50 years, completed an anonymous online self-report questionnaire. The data were analyzed, using Braun and Clarke's (2006) thematic analysis. The results of the analysis identified four areas in which suicidal adolescents find resiliency from suicidal thinking: social support and professional help, positive life event or circumstance, responsibility and or purpose, and religious and/or spiritual experience. Drawing from the linkages of the themes, the adolescent suicidal ideation theory was developed and explained. </p><p> The theoretical explanation, the first of its kind in regard to understanding why and how suicidal youths decide against suicide, is an important contribution in the fields of psychology and adolescent suicide prevention. It also serves to inform mental health professionals, educators, parents, adolescents, and children. Implications in the research highlight the buffering effects of personal connection (i.e., social and professional help), positive emotions, responsibility and purpose, and a religious and/or spiritual foundation in fostering suicidal ideation resilience. Suggested recommendations for policymakers include developing comprehensive training classes to promote healthy families and effective parenting; promoting age appropriate coping and problem-solving skills and resilience strategies to children and adolescents, starting a kindergarten through the twelfth grade (K-12), and six other recommendations are outlined in the discussion section of the paper. Further research could be conducted to strengthen the evidence-base of humanistic, existential, transpersonal, integrative, and trauma-informed therapies to help depressed and suicidal young people recover and acquire positive mental emotional health and wellness.</p><p>

<p> Finding efficacious treatments for severe trauma and PTSD is an important endeavor in the field of clinical psychology. The present qualitative phenomenological study examines the experiences of clinicians (participants) and their patients, specifically veterans and soldiers suffering from severe trauma or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms. Giorgi and Moustakas&rsquo;s phenomenological methods were employed in the research process. This study illustrates the effects of the integration of somatic therapies and psychodynamic therapy for treatment of severe trauma and PTSD symptoms. The relevant themes which emerged from the study include: (a) the clinical orientation of each therapist, (b) integration of somatic and psychodynamic therapies, (c) psychological and physiological symptoms, (d) resolution or reduction of PTSD symptoms, (e) benefits or risks of integration, (f) psycho-education, (g) affect regulation and the tracking and integration of bodily sensations, (h) other modalities utilized in the session, (i) relational patterns, (j) consideration for best evidence practice. The implications discovered from this study contribute to the field of psychology, by offering relevant efficacious treatments for trauma and/or PTSD. The value of integrative psychological, physiological, and somatic approaches, which are demonstrated in this study, support resolution or reduction of somatic symptoms, including affect regulation for patients experiencing trauma and or PTSD. Keywords: somatic therapy, psychodynamic therapy, PTSD, trauma, sensorimotor psychotherapy, somatic experiencing</p><p>

<p> Individual trauma experiences can potentially lead to negative emotional and behavioral outcomes. In this study, the author explored whether the presence of trauma changed the direction or magnitude of the relationship between risky sexual behaviors (unprotected sex, sex with stranger, sex with drinking) and clinical symptoms, and whether such correlations are impacted by gender and ethnicity. The hypotheses proposed that each of the independent variables (depression, self-esteem, gender, and ethnicity) would be predictors of the dependent variable (risky sexual behaviors), such that having greater depression, having lower self-esteem, being female, and being an ethnic minority would predict a higher incidence of risky sexual behaviors, and that the level of trauma would moderate the relationship between the independent variables and the dependent variable. Findings showed that lower self-esteem was associated with a higher incidence of risky sexual behaviors, supporting one of the hypotheses. Contrary to the expected direction, males and White participants engaged in greater risky sexual behaviors compared to female and minority participants. Additionally, there was no moderation of trauma impacting risky sexual behaviors and the independent variables. The discrepancies between past and current findings may be due to varied definitions of risky sexual behaviors, effects of different types of trauma, and other clinical symptoms impacting behaviors. Future research should focus on trauma beyond college samples, verifying self-reported risky sexual behaviors, and exploring possible cultural features and protective factors that lower future risk for trauma survivors.</p><p>

<p> All children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) present with some form of impairment in social communication. Social cognitive learning theory suggests children&rsquo;s early joint attention skills provide a foundation for future language development. Preliminary research suggests social cognitive behaviors such as joint attention in the context of parent scaffolding may serve as a mechanism for language development in children with ASD. The current study utilized a parent-child free play task to explore the relations among parent and child attention and responsivity and child pragmatic language in 26 children ages 3:1 to 6:11 and their parents. Parent supported joint attention was assessed during a parent child free-play task. Pragmatic language ability was assessed by the Comprehensive Assessment of Spoken Language (CASL; Carrow-Woolfolk, 1999). Developmental status significantly predicted child&rsquo;s pragmatic language score while controlling for overall verbal ability, <i>F</i>(2, 23) = 6.37, <i>p</i> = 0.01, &Delta;R₂ = .15. Developmental status was not a significant predictor of parent supported joint attention, <i> F</i>(1, 24) = 1.09, <i>p</i> = 0.31, indicating that regardless of developmental status there was no significant difference in the percentage of time parents and children spent in parent supported joint attention. Children with autism spectrum disorders initiated joint attention with their parents (<i>M</i> = 0.28) about half as much as their typically developing peers (<i>M</i> = 0.55). Post hoc analyses indicated for children with ASD in this current study, initiation of joint attention was significantly correlated to child RJA, <i>r</i> = 0.60, <i>p</i> = 0.04, suggesting that child with ASD who initiate joint attention with their parents also spend a larger amount of time responding to their parent&rsquo;s bids for joint attention. The interaction between developmental status and child RJA was also significant, <i>F</i> = 6.16, <i>p</i> =.02, &Delta;R₂ = .13, indicating that for children with ASD, responsiveness to their parent&rsquo;s bids for joint attention of their parents plays a significant role for their pragmatic language ability in comparison to children with typically development. Collectively, the nature of these findings provides evidence for supporting social cognition in children with autism.</p><p>

<p> Limited research exists on what the general population knows about ASD. Previous research that does exist shows that there is variability in what people believe as symptoms, causes, and treatments of ASD. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect that ASD training has on university students&rsquo; general knowledge about ASD. One hundred two college-aged students were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: Myths and Facts condition, Myths condition, or Control condition. Pretest and posttest data were collected to examine the likeliness of participants correctly identifying general knowledge of ASD. A mixed-model ANOVA and independent samples t-tests showed that from pretest to posttest, an ASD Myths and Facts Presentation as well as an ASD Myths Presentation significantly increased the likelihood of participants correctly identifying knowledge about ASD. Qualitative data was also examined regarding the percentage of participants answering in agreement to each question from pretest to posttest.</p><p>

<p> Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in Singapore have access to government mandated conventional ASD treatment. However, parents often utilize other treatment methods for their child with ASD (AMS-MOH, 2010). The study aims to understand how cultural narratives affect Singaporean Chinese parents&rsquo; choice of treatment for their child with ASD. The data was gathered from the semi structured interviews of 6 parents of children attending a Singaporean government supported school for severe ASD. The data was transcribed and analyzed using Braun and Clarke&rsquo;s (2006) inductive approach to thematic analysis. The results indicated that the specific cultural narrative behind treatment choice is the concept of gaining and losing face. Face is integral to the parent&rsquo;s understanding of ASD, their relationship with clinicians, family members and their choice of treatment. This author poses that the concept of face is the cultural influence that, if properly integrated and respected, would greatly enhance adherence of conventional treatments, and reduce the use of alternative treatment for ASD in Singapore. </p><p>

<p> The following dissertation involves intensively entering into dialogue with those suffering from dissociative identity disorder (DID) regarding their perceived encounters with the Divine during severe psychological trauma. The nature of the overlap with those who have had spiritual awakenings during near-death experiences (NDEs) and during peritraumatic dissociation is investigated and studied phenomenologically, through an imaginal research paradigm. The insights gleaned from both populations should inform and guide treatment for dissociative disorders and help NDErs cope with and integrate aftereffects while further exploring how the soul apparently survives psychological and physical trauma. In addition, many survivors speak of perceived otherworldly protection from guardian spirits during their traumata. Are NDErs, mystics, and DID individuals accessing an archetypal Self-care system which guides, protects, comforts, and informs, and whose presence is more readily acknowledged during altered states of consciousness? </p><p> It is challenging to understand the spiritual implications of survival from torture and how the apparently &ldquo;disintegrated&rdquo; mind of DID may actually be more fully integrated and connected to the transcendent. In the attempt to make meaning and find solace during times of intense psychological agony, it is heartening to know that the mind appears to tap into a restorative energetic field, as substantiated by quantum physics, mysticism, near-death research, and work with dissociative conditions. Through a thorough exploration of the subject with those who have felt abandoned, betrayed, and then comforted and nurtured by the Divine, there may appear a set of phenomena, ideas, and insights that could prove transformative in the daily struggles of the severely traumatized individual. The role of an exceedingly helpful yet elusive Ally, Essence, witness, or spiritual helper as human-Divine bridge appears to be a construct validated by many who have elicited safety and comfort from this apparently compassionate universal energy. This Essence may be the key to understanding the nature of the life-saving defenses of the Spirit. This transpersonal agent of transformation and guidance appears to be available to us all if we can learn to open ourselves to its presence. Thus, those who have traversed the edges of &ldquo;sanity&rdquo; may well become our best spiritual teachers. </p><p>