<p> The purpose of this research was to analyze a recreation therapy yoga meditation intervention, the Sanatana Yoga Prison Project (SYPP), at a California state prison. The SYPP had three interventions: pranayama (breathing techniques), asana (physical postures), and dhyana (meditation). The research question was, "What are the outcomes of a recreation therapy yoga meditation intervention on prison inmates' spiritual well-being?" This study used a mixed-method approach that included a modified Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWBS), demographic data sheet, and semi-structured interviews that were face-to-face and audio-recorded. There were 31 participants in the control group and 31 participants in the experimental group. Spiritual Wellbeing (SWB) scores were analyzed using the SWBS manual and SPSS 20. The results indicated significant difference between the groups. That is, the experiment group scored high on SWB compared to the control group that scored moderate on SWB. Ten interviews from the experimental group were analyzed using an existential-phenomenological approach. Two overarching categories emerged with four themes each: (a) concrete outcomes with themes of physical benefits, escape, quieting the mind, and reflection, and (b) psychospiritual development outcomes with themes of epiphany, connection to self and others, psychological and behavioral change, and coping skills. </p>

<p> In the United States, there are 507 amputations each day, a number expected to grow with the increases in obesity and diabetes. This study investigated the lived experience of yoga for amputees. The researcher studied the phenomena of amputees doing yoga&mdash;<i>ampyogis</i>&mdash;for the first time, what the amputees learned about their soma through yoga on the mat, and the significance of transference of their learning from the yoga mat to their lives off the mat. Existing literature defines rehabilitative practices for amputees to take care of daily life necessities, such as learning to walk with a prosthetic, as well as the impact of yoga on multiple populations, such as cancer survivors, those with multiple sclerosis, trauma victims, and children with attention deficit disorders. There is a current body of literature on somatic practices, moving the body with the intention to produce a certain outcome in the soma. This was a qualitative study informed by phenomenology. The researcher designed semistructured interviews to follow the participants' narratives about events that led to amputation, their postamputation felt sense of self, and the impact of yoga on shifts in their felt sense of self. Findings indicate themes of organizing principles for the ampyogis that reflect the embodied motivation to enact change on, through, and with their bodies. Themes observed included demonstrated increased capacity among ampyogis to self-accept, to appreciate their bodies and minds, and to self-generate their choices and decision-making. Findings suggest that participants shifted their somas; and increased capacity for self-accountability regarding somatic choices from, for example, feeling depressed and frustrated, to feeling more alive, balanced, and graceful. Participants reported increased capacity for self-confidence, self-appreciation, and self-accountability. This research adds to literature on yoga as a rehabilitative practice for amputees. It also adds to the body of literature on somatics and shifting the soma through intention and practice. Additionally, this study demonstrates that somatics in action creates change in the soma.</p>

<p> The importance of reducing the use of psychiatric-mental health mechanical restraints has been the focus of clinical nursing practice. A hospital with two psychiatric-mental health units has demonstrated a sustained success related to reducing mechanical restraints. In this qualitative case study, nurses were interviewed to understand how the reduction of mechanical restraints on the psychiatric-mental health units impacts the practice culture and the perception of the psychiatric nurses toward a mechanical restraint-free practice. This study provided new knowledge related to evidence from the psychiatric-mental health nursing practice, themes of barriers, and facilitators toward a restraint-free practice. The participants describe the complexity of the nursing role, how the decision to use restraints is complex, the first hand experience of the nurse who was a part of the leather restraint process, that moving the restraints off the units did not make a difference, that the removal of the restraints from the building was not supported by the nurses. The barrier themes are current practice, medication, and patient acuity or behavior. The facilitator themes are philosophy, CPI implementation, practice or culture change, and medication. This is an innovative study on a restraint-free practice. The recommendations stem from the new information obtained from the evidence and themes and include further inquiry into the passion of nurses to avoid restraint, understanding personal style as well as interaction and bias, environmental alterations, and theme-based recommendations. The evidence and themes provide nursing and nursing leadership knowledge for application to other facilities that are considering a restraint-free environment.</p>

<p> Responses to disclosures/discussions of trauma can have lasting impacts on survivors who choose to share their experiences and historically have been categorized as positive, negative, and/or neutral responses with corresponding effects on the survivor. Literature recommends the use of tenets and techniques reminiscent of therapeutic common factors (e.g., listening skills, empathy, support, validation, creating a safe environment and strong therapeutic alliance) when responding to trauma. However, existing research focuses on reactions to survivors' disclosures outside of therapy and there is little research focusing on therapists' responses. Specifically, there are no studies that investigate how therapists or trainees are actually responding in psychotherapy sessions (e.g., frequency and rate of such responses). </p><p> Accordingly, the purpose of the present study was to qualitatively explore the responses of student therapists in psychotherapy sessions with trauma survivors. A sample of 5 therapist-participants from university-based community counseling centers were selected and transcribed videotaped sessions in which client- and trainee therapist-participants discussed trauma were analyzed using a qualitative and deductive content analysis. A coding system was created to categorize responses based on extant literature. Results indicated that trainee therapist-participants responded in all proposed categories (positive: validating, supportive, empathic; negative: invalidating, unsupportive, unempathetic; and neutral: clarifying questions, and reflection/summary statements). Of these, neutral responses tended to occur more frequently than positive or negative responses. Overall, positive responses followed as next most frequent and negative responses as least frequent. Other findings included that in 2 of the 5 individual sessions, negative responses were more frequent than positive responses; empathic responses were the least frequent code across all 10 coding categories; and 2 sessions had 0 recorded empathic responses. Finally, there were numerous missed opportunities for positive responding throughout the sessions. </p><p> It is hoped that this study will raise awareness around the importance of therapeutic responses to trauma survivors' discussions in psychotherapy sessions and provide insight as to how trainee therapists might apply their existing competencies to respond to clients in positive ways. Findings have implications for both future studies and clinical training practices, for example in graduate programs for trainee therapists, an area of study that is currently under-researched.</p>

<p> This research investigates why typical strategies for promoting health, prolonging life, and preventing disease do not work in many communities. I use the liver fluke infection endemic in Khon Kaen, Thailand to explore the middle ground between Western science and Eastern culture. Prior work on the <i>O.viverrini</i> infection in Khon Kaen, Thailand has focused almost exclusively on developing effective medical treatment for the liver fluke infection. This dissertation employs a case study designed to explore the conditions that created and perpetuate the problem in the first place. In concrete terms, I analyze how the worldviews of local villagers shape their attitudes toward life (and death), which in turn determine if they engage in the high-risk behavior &ndash; eating undercooked fish &ndash; that makes them vulnerable to the infection. My research focuses on these people in-situ over a three-month period, and includes data from participant-observation, interviews, and video-recordings. This work seeks to illuminate how people&rsquo;s thinking and reasoning skills, and personal/cultural identities affect their abilities to learn and act on new health concepts. This potentially provides a window into future educational strategies in a complex world.</p>

<p> Chronic over-activity of the body's endocrine stress response system is detrimental to overall health and, over time, may have a negative impact on the structure and function of the hippocampus, a key brain area involved in episodic memory consolidation. Yoga is becoming an increasingly popular mind-body therapy used to reduce and prevent the harmful effects of stress on the body. This review presents a summary of the research investigating yoga as a therapeutic intervention to reduce both perceived and physiological stress in healthy adults. Studies looking at the effects of yoga on hippocampal-dependent memory function in children, adults, and elderly populations were also reviewed. Research investigating the stress-reducing effects of yoga has indicated that yoga may hold therapeutic value in reducing both perceived and physiological stress in healthy populations. In children, yoga has been shown to improve spatial, but not verbal, memory. In adults and elderly individuals, studies indicate improvements in both short and long-term verbal recall following yoga intervention. Elderly individuals also showed increased hippocampal volume following long-term yoga practice. Due to the shortage of empirical evidence, along with several shared methodological limitations, further investigation is still needed to fully determine the efficacy of yoga as a beneficial mind-body therapy for decreasing both perceived and physiological stress-response, improving memory, and preventing stress and age-related hippocampal volume loss.</p>

<p> The increasing prevalence of concussive injuries in the public consciousness has engendered increased research efforts in clinical and laboratory settings dedicated to understanding the nature and duration of neurocognitive deficits stemming from concussive injuries. The vast majority of the efforts, however, have been dedicated to understanding the consequences of concussive injuries in adult populations, with pediatric populations being oft neglected. Accordingly, the aim of this investigation is to examine the influence of pediatric concussion on neurocognition. Using a between-participants design, measures of cognitive control and event-related potentials and were assessed in children with and without a history of concussion. Children with a history of concussion evidenced a myriad of deficits relative demographically matched control children during neuropsychological and experimental task performance. On the behavioral level, children with a history of concussion exhibited deficits in (f) intelligence, attention, working memory, interference/inhibitory control and the flexible control of behavior. Further, children with a history of concussion exhibited a multitude of neuroelectric alterations suggestive of multidimensional deficits in attentional processing, action /conflict monitoring and resolution and error awareness. Together the current results point to pervasive neurocognitive deficits stemming from pediatric concussion and suggest further comprehensive evaluations of pediatric concussion are warranted.</p>

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Pacific Graduate School of Psychology, 1994. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 55-11, Section: B, page: 5086. Chair: Nancy Bliwise.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Pacific Graduate School of Psychology, 1999. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 60-06, Section: B, page: 2959. Adviser: Roger L. Greene.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Pacific Graduate School of Psychology, 1999. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 60-11, Section: B, page: 5763. Adviser: Cynthia Rosengard.