College of Education
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The collections in this community comprise faculty research works, as well as graduate theses and dissertations..
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Item Changing Attachments: The Client-Therapist Relationship and Outcome(2020) Hillman, Justin William; Kivlighan, Jr., Dennis M; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)From the perspective of attachment theory (Bowlby, 1988), this study examined if client attachment to therapist developed over the course of psychotherapy and if changes in attachment to therapist were associated with treatment outcomes. Clients (N = 112), receiving psychodynamic therapy from trainee therapists (N = 29), completed the Client Attachment to Therapist Scale (Mallinckrodt, Gantt, & Coble, 1995) and the Outcome Questionnaire-45 (Lambert et al., 1996) at baseline and every eighth session. Multilevel linear growth curve analyses showed that secure attachment to therapist increased and avoidant-fearful attachment to therapist decreased. Multilevel linear regression showed that when within-client secure attachment to therapist was higher, subsequent symptoms improved more. Client-level and therapist-level effects were explored. Results suggest that the development of a secure attachment to therapist is important for positive treatment outcomes. Implications for practice and research are discussed.Item Trauma, Depression, Early Attachment, and Neonatal Health Outcomes among African American Mothers and their Infants(2016) Morrison, Colleen Isabel; Jones Harden, Brenda; Human Development; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Young children whose mothers are depressed are vulnerable to a range of negative developmental outcomes beginning during the prenatal period and persisting throughout childhood. There is a large and growing need for evidence-informed pre-and postnatal services for pregnant women, especially in high-risk populations. More research is needed to inform practices relative to identifying pregnant women at risk for depression, providing treatment of depression and its concomitants during pregnancy and the postpartum period, and promoting positive developmental outcomes in infants who have been exposed to perinatal depression. The goal of this study was to enhance our knowledge of perinatal depression (i.e., depression that occurs during pregnancy or within the first 12 months following delivery) as well as its impact on maternal functioning in low-income, African American women and the health and developmental outcomes of their young infants. Participants were low-income African American women (N = 70), recruited during their third trimester of pregnancy, and their newborns. Data collection took place over two time periods: during the third trimester of pregnancy and at one month postpartum. Prenatal data collected include information on a range of risk and protective factors, including prenatal depression, health behaviors, and maternal-fetal attachment (i.e., mother’s feelings of attachment to her unborn child). Postnatal data collected include information on depression, neonatal outcomes (e.g., birth weight), and maternal feelings of attachment to her infant. Multiple regression, logistic regression, and measured variable path analysis were used to test the relationships between risk factors, maternal functioning, and neonatal outcomes. Although his study relied on a small convenience sample of pregnant women, and is not generalizable to a broader population, there are still several findings of note. Marital status and trauma exposure significantly contributed to prenatal depressive symptoms. Also, maternal-fetal attachment mediated the relationship between prenatal depressive symptoms and health practices, but only for participants who were not married or cohabitating. Finally, maternal-fetal attachment significantly predicted maternal-infant attachment. Implications for policy and practice are presented.Item WELL-BEING AND NEGATIVE MOOD OF SOUTH ASIAN AMERICAN COLLEGE STUDENTS: CONTRIBUTIONS OF ADULT ATTACHMENT, ACCULTURATION, AND RACIAL IDENTITY(2008-07-08) Patel, Sheetal; O'Brien, Karen M; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Traditional psychological theories of development (e.g., attachment theory) have been criticized for their inability to fully explain well-being and negative mental health outcomes in ethnic and racial minority populations (Rothbaum, Weisz, Pott, Miyake, & Morelli, 2000; Wang & Mallinckrodt, 2006). Specifically, the intersection of developmental theories and salient sociocultural variables in predicting the well-being of Asian Americans has not been well elucidated, as little research has been conducted in this area. Yet, the need for understanding the mechanisms underlying the well-being of Asian Americans has been rising as the Asian American population is the fastest growing racial/ethnic group in the United States (Zhou, 2004). The goal of this study was to extend knowledge regarding the applicability of attachment theory using a cross-cultural lens. Specifically, this study examined the joint contributions of a traditional developmental theory and sociocultural variables to better understand optimal development and well-being among South Asian Americans. This study advanced knowledge by finding that for South Asian American college students, adult attachment, acculturation and racial identity account for robust variance in the prediction of self-esteem, anxious mood, and depressed mood. Adult attachment, acculturation and racial identity accounted for variance in self-esteem, and more specifically, avoidant attachment, anxious attachment, and racial identity's internalization accounted for unique variance in self-esteem. The variance in anxious mood was accounted for by adult attachment, acculturation, and racial identity, with racial identity's conformity status accounting for unique variance in anxious mood. Finally, adult attachment, acculturation and racial identity accounted for variance in depressed mood. Implications for research and practice are discussed.