Matching Items (1,014)
Filtering by
- Creators: Department of Psychology
Description
This project aims to help with the stigma and mystery surrounding mental health through the combination of art and psychology. The project was created by first interviewing individuals with different disorders and then researching the disorders further to acquire an accurate idea of the experiences of those afflicted. Then paintings were created to depict the emotions and struggles faced by individuals with psychological disorders. The project focusses on five different abnormal disorders: Major Depressive Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, and Schizophrenia. These particular ailments were chosen because they include the main diagnoses that the average American thinks of when mental health is mentioned. My thesis contains interviews that I personally conducted, descriptions of the five disorders included, and artistic representations of those disorders in the form of oil paintings. It is my hope that this project will help unafflicted individuals to better understand others who live with abnormal psychological disorders, as well as help the afflicted see themselves represented in a way that they otherwise might not.
ContributorsSanchez Rodriguez, Wendy (Author) / Solis, Forrest (Thesis director) / Cavanaugh Toft, Carolyn (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
The 284 residents of the rural community of Cooper Landing, Alaska are subject to many health risks. Cooper Landing is home to a large population of older adults whom suffer from a disproportionate physician to population ratio. Limited rural health care infrastructure and poor physician to population ratios are not conducive to primary health care implementation. Limited access to primary health care is linked to vast health disparities in rural communities like Cooper Landing. Preventive care and healthy lifestyle incentives have been largely overlooked as viable alternatives to primary health care access. In Cooper Landing, implementation of such incentives has proved to be either underutilized or unsuccessful by the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. To remedy this, the Rural Alaska Wellness Project (RAWP), a nonprofit organization, carries out its mission to promote health and wellness by providing a community resource for preventive care in Cooper Landing, Alaska. RAWP intends to increase the availability of the Cooper Landing School's gymnasium for community use, donate fitness equipment, implement TeleHealth initiatives, and host annual health fairs through grant funding, generous donations, and fundraising activities.
ContributorsNolan, Erin Sachi (Author) / Shockley, Gordon (Thesis director) / Hrncir, Shawn (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has become the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States with a combined 5-year survival rate of only 16%. Even with advancements in aggressive chemotherapeutics, there has been little improvement in patient survival. LKB1 (liver kinase B1)/STK11 (serine-threonine kinase 11) is a tumor suppressor gene mutated in ~30% of NSCLC adenocarcinomas and loss of LKB1 is associated with a more aggressive cancer phenotype. In LKB1-deficient NSCLC, we observe significantly elevated expression and secretion of the chemokines CCL2, CCL5, and CCL20, which are involved in macrophage recruitment. Numerous studies have shown that high infiltration of a unique subset of macrophages called tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) is associated with poor prognosis in patients with various cancers. mTORC1-HIF1-α and NFκB are two pathways that have been shown to regulate chemokine secretion and are often up-regulated in the absence of LKB1. Dosing LKB1-null cell lines with inhibitors of mTOR and NFκB in addition to silencing HIF1-α gene expression demonstrate that NFκB but not mTORC1-HIF1-α signaling may play a role in regulating chemokine secretion in LKB1-deficient NSCLC. Collectively, these results provide insight into the mechanisms responsible for the aggressive phenotype associated with LKB1-deficient non-small cell lung cancer.
ContributorsO'Brien, Kelley Xiao-Fung (Author) / Blattman, Joseph (Thesis director) / Inge, Landon (Committee member) / Friel, Jacqueline (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
While the concept of healthcare is largely respected in Arab culture, the stigma underlying mental health is particularly startling. This study examined the differences in mental health treatment-seeking behaviors using data from Arabs living in Syria (12.9%) and Arabs (25.6%) and non-Arabs (61.5%) living in the United States of ages 18-60. A Web-based survey was developed to understand how factors like religiosity, acculturation, and positive attitudes towards psychological treatment increased help-seeking behaviors. This survey was also provided in Arabic to include non-English speaking participants. It was hypothesized that Arab-American individuals will be more open to pursuing professional psychological help when suffering from mental symptomology (i.e. anxiety) than individuals who identified as Syrian-Arabs. In contrast, both Syrian-Arabs and Arab-Americans would definitely pursue professional help when suffering from physical symptomology (i.e. ankle sprain). Striking differences were found based on Western acculturation. Findings suggested that Arab-Americans were less inclined towards treatment and more trusting of an in-group physician ("Dr. Ahmed") whereas Syrian-Arabs were more inclined to pursue psychological treatment and preferred to trust an out-group physician ("Dr. Smith"). The results of this study identify main concerns regarding Arab attitudes towards seeking mental health treatment, which can better inform future research and mental health services for this minority.
ContributorsRayes, Diana S (Author) / Brewer, Gene (Thesis director) / Cohen, Adam (Committee member) / Olive, Michael Foster (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
Police use of force has become a topic of national discussion, particularly in the wake of the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner. Currently, the focus seems to be on individual officers and their individual attitudes and beliefs. Given that use of force is an individual decision it is intuitive to think that an officer's decision to use force would be impacted by his or her attitudes and beliefs. This reasoning ignores the larger social and organizational contexts within which police officers are situated. Specifically, an officer's peer culture and department may exert control over his or her attitudes and behaviors regarding use of force. The purpose of the current study is to determine whether these larger social contexts impact an individual's perceptions regarding use of force. Using data from a nationally representative survey sample, the study finds that individual attitudes significantly predict officers' willingness to report another officer's excessive use of force. However, this relationship weakens when including measures of peer culture and departmental influence. These findings suggest that perceptions of use of force are influenced by more than just individual attitudes towards use of force. Limitations and future research suggestions are discussed.
ContributorsMorse, Stephanie Jean (Author) / Wright, Kevin (Thesis director) / Ready, Justin (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Criminology and Criminal Justice (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
Early childhood language environment has an important effect on developmental language outcomes. Intervention and parent training for children who have speech and language delays often focuses on the implementation of strategies designed to enhance the language environment. With quantitative information on different aspects of the language environment, intervention and parent training can be better tailored to the needs of each child and can be made easier for parents to implement. This study uses the Language Environmental Analysis (LENA) system to explore differences in language environment across participants, settings (toddler group and home), and activities (general, outside, and organized playtime, story time, meal time, naptime, transition, public outside visits, travel time, TV time, personal care, and other). Participants were five children, ages 20-35 months who had speech and language delays. The children wore the LENA for one day and the adult words to the child, child vocalizations and turn-taking were analyzed during each activity and setting. We found that general and outside playtime activities, meal time, and personal care times were activities that consistently resulted in high levels of child vocalization across participants. Structured play and story time did not result in high levels of child vocalization. We also found that, for some children, there were differences in the quantity of adult language addressed to the child in language group and home settings. These findings have implications for training parents to provide language rich environments for their child.
ContributorsGlavee, Kelsey Marie (Author) / Scherer, Nancy (Thesis director) / Greer, Dawn (Committee member) / Bacon, Cathy (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Speech and Hearing Science (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
This study assessed the effects of running an eating prevention program on body image satisfaction/behavior and the leadership skills of collegiate women. The sample included a group of 43 undergraduate women who voluntarily chose to become peer-educators in the eating prevention program called the Body Project. Self-report questionnaires evaluating both the preoccupation with personal body image and general leadership skills were distributed and collected electronically. The results were analyzed to determine that being a peer leader in the Body project did not increase eating disorder symptoms but actually decreased the symptoms. It was also determined that being a peer educator had no effect on leadership skills. Therefore, being a peer leader is beneficial for reducing eating disorder symptoms, but not for advancing leadership skills.
ContributorsCamiliere, Taylor Marie (Author) / Perez, Marisol (Thesis director) / Cavanaugh Toft, Carolyn (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
The presence of evidence-based programs (EBPs) in serious mental illness (SMI) titled populations have been an important subject within clinical implementation research in recent years. The SMI population represents 24% of incarcerated persons, as well as has the highest rates of homelessness, sexual and physical abuse victimization, unemployment, and suicide; thus, this population presents specific challenges over other commonly studied implementation populations. Despite some advances, most existing literature has yet to take into account that many SMI titles individuals receive services through state-run systems. To build upon this gap in research and practice, a qualitative case study was performed on the barriers and facilitators to implementation in a state-run organization providing services solely to a large SMI population in the state of Arizona. Results indicate that what appears to be important about this population is not so much specific barriers that other populations do not encounter, but how barriers or facilitators are related. Important implementation barrier relationships were between organization and standardization and measurement, and between communication and attitudes. For facilitators, accountability and approach to service appeared to be interrelated. Researchers hypothesize that these distinct barriers and facilitators may be present due to the high presence of court-mandated individuals and limits of service depth and breadth in a state-run system.
ContributorsLokey, Savannah Brittany (Author) / Anne, Mauricio (Thesis director) / Berkel, Lady (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
Many studies have supported the theory that gain-framed messaging is effective in changing smoking behavior. However, the importance of focusing on long-term positive benefits or short-term positive benefits in this messaging remains a mystery. This study investigated the role that reward-delay within gain-framed messaging has on the self-esteem and behavior of cigarette smokers. Specifically, it sought to answer the question of whether short-term reward-delay messaging is more effective in increasing self-esteem and positive smoking behavior than long-term reward-delay messaging. An intervention was conducted in which participants, 16 female and 17 male, were exposed to either short-term reward-delay information or long-term reward-delay information. Self-esteem scores as well as smoking behavior were measured and compared before and after the intervention. Results from the study showed that participants in the short-term reward-delay group smoked 2 less cigarettes per day and 12 less cigarettes per week on average after the intervention than participants in the long-term reward-delay group. The results were also consistent with the findings of previous studies that suggest females are more heavily influenced by gain-framed messaging than males.
ContributorsHintze, Kellie Elizabeth (Author) / Chisum, Jack W. (Thesis director) / Brown, Carla J. (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Nutrition and Health Promotion (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
This paper explains what factors influence mental health issues and what type of care is provided in various countries. The countries in this study will include the United States, Japan, Ethiopia and South Africa, all of which have varying degrees of ethnic diversity, economic status and understanding of mental health issues. It discusses the specific healthcare systems in each country, as well as the attitudes and problems associated with depression and schizophrenia, two prevalent mental health disorders. This paper examines the different ways that a diagnosis is reached for schizophrenia and major depression in these different countries, as well as what methods are used for treating individuals with these disorders. It will also examine the prominent notion that schizophrenia has better outcomes in developing countries than in places that have wider medical care available. It then discusses what treatments are available in each country, as well as social constructs that exist regarding those treatments in order to understand the ways that treatments can be expanded to improve outcomes. This paper will then examine the different outcomes of these mental health disorders that are common in each country, and conclude with ideas on how to make global mental health a reality.
ContributorsOlsen, Rachel Lindsay (Author) / Gaughan, Monica (Thesis director) / Wood, Reed (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor) / School of Human Evolution and Social Change (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor)
Created2015-05