School of Public Health

Permanent URI for this communityhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/1633

The collections in this community comprise faculty research works, as well as graduate theses and dissertations.

Note: Prior to July 1, 2007, the School of Public Health was named the College of Health & Human Performance.

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Subject: search.filters.subject.Clinical psychology

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Now showing 1 - 7 of 7
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    PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITH ADHD: COGNITIONS, EMOTIONAL, AND BEHAVIORAL RESPONSES TO ADHD SYMPTOMS
    (2017) Salazar, Jaimeleigh Mercedes; Epstein, Norman B; Family Studies; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    The present study investigated the association between the cognitions and coping related traits of parents of children with ADHD and their behavioral and emotional responses to their child’s symptoms. Current research on ADHD suggests that diagnosis of this neurodevelopment disorder is rising, and parents of children with ADHD face challenges such as increased stress, burdens of the parenting role, and potentially tense relationships with their children. However, there has been a lack of research on relations among parents’ behavioral, emotional, and cognitive responses to their children’s ADHD behaviors. This study collected primary online survey data from 100 parents of children with ADHD who were members of the national organization CHADD. Degree of child ADHD behavior, parent coping related traits, and parent negative attributions about the child were associated with parent anger, anxiety, limit-setting behaviors, and encouraging/coaching behaviors. Research and clinical implications of these findings are discussed.
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    The Relationship Between Therapist Common Factor Behaviors and Client Evaluations of Couple Therapy Sessions
    (2017) Baker, Taylor Norene; Epstein, Norman B; Family Studies; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    There is an insufficient amount of research on therapist common factor behaviors during therapy sessions that contribute to the process of therapeutic change in couple and family therapy. The purpose of this study was to explore the association between therapists’ common factor behaviors during a couple therapy session and clients’ evaluations of that session. The sample was 40 couples presenting with mild to moderate psychological and physical partner aggression who received ten therapy sessions at a university-based clinic. A set of Pearson product-moment correlations were conducted and revealed that only the degree of therapist collaboration behavior was significantly associated with female partners’ positive evaluations of the session; statistical trend for males. Overall, male and female ratings of session helpfulness were positively correlated. The possible explanations for the lack of relationships between other therapist behaviors and session evaluations are discussed.
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    Therapist Common Factors and Changes in Client Anger Management in the Context of Couple Therapy
    (2017) Straub Barrientos, Magdalena Paz; Epstein, Norman B; Family Studies; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    The present study investigated the associations between therapist common factors behaviors and changes in client anger control in the context of couple therapy. Research on psychotherapy suggests that common factors are more strongly associated with therapy outcome than model-specific interventions. However, research on the effects of specific common factors on therapeutic outcomes is lacking. This study was a secondary analysis of data from 40 couples that presented with mild to moderate physical and psychological partner aggression and who received couple therapy at a university family therapy clinic. The study examined the associations between five therapist common factor behaviors (warmth, empathy, validation, systemically-based techniques, and session structuring) coded from couples’ fourth couple therapy session and changes in clients’ anger control, as well as the role of gender as a moderator. No main effects were found, and one significant interaction (session structure and gender) was found to be associated with improvements in anger control for males. Implications of these findings are discussed.
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    Common factors in couple therapy for partner aggression: A therapy process and outcome study
    (2014) Park, Woochul; Epstein, Norman B; Family Studies; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    The present study investigated roles of common factors related to outcome indices that exist across therapy models in couple therapy for partner aggression. As client common factors, individuals' pre-therapy levels of trust in their partners and degrees to which they vent anger were tested as predictors of change in relationship satisfaction and psychological aggression. As therapist factors degree of empathy expressed toward clients, use of systemic intervention techniques, and degree to which the therapist imposed structure on sessions were examined in relation to therapy outcomes. Based on social learning theory, not only main effects but also interaction effects of client factors and therapist factors on therapy outcomes were examined. Structural equation modeling was used to test an Actor-Partner Interdependence Model in which partners scores on measures of relationship qualities are assumed to influence each other. Female partners benefited more from the therapy than did male partners, particularly in increases in relationship satisfaction. However, females and males had equal reductions in psychological aggression. Unexpectedly, lower level of trust predicted more positive change in psychological aggression, but not in relationship satisfaction. As expected, higher venting of anger was negatively associated with improvement in relationship satisfaction and psychological aggression. Higher therapist use of systemic techniques predicted more positive change in relationship satisfaction only for female partners. Interaction effects suggesting a buffering role of empathy against the negative effect of a lower level of trust were detected. Overall, it was client factors and not therapist factors that made differences in therapy outcome indices. Also, predominantly actor effects rather than partner effects occurred. That is, clients' changes on outcome indices were related more to their own characteristics than to their partners' characteristics. Strikingly, regarding partner effects, only male-to-female partner effects were found, meaning that female partners' therapeutic changes over the course of therapy were predicted by their male partners' characteristics. Overall, the present study demonstrated that common factors do operate in couple therapy for partner aggression across therapy models, although those common factors are mostly client characteristics rather than therapist behaviors and involve male partners' characteristics.
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    LET'S GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT: HOW DIFFERENT TOPICS AFFECT CONFLICT COMMUNICATION BEHAVIOR
    (2011) Lowe, Adam Glenn; Epstein, Norman B; Family Studies; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    Past research suggests it is not what a conflict is about or how much conflict exists between two people, but rather how the parties interact regarding their conflicting preferences that determines whether the conflict has negative effects on their relationship. The current study examined the degrees to which couples' communication behavior in specific situations in which they discuss a conflict-related topic is influenced by the conflict topic theme that they discuss and by their general communication patterns. Conflict topics were assessed with the Relationship Issues Survey, general communication patterns with the Communication Patterns Questionnaire, and specific communication behavior during discussions with the Marital Interaction Coding System - Global. Findings indicated several significant effects of both content area and general communication style on communication behavior. Post-hoc analyses indicated that couples discussing conflicts regarding basic life values, priorities, and consideration for one's partner exhibited more negative communication behavior than those discussing issues regarding closeness, relationship commitment, emotional connectivity, and expressiveness. Possible implications of the findings are discussed.
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    The Effect of Perceived Social Support on Client Attendance in Individual Therapy
    (2011) Northey, Sarah Spencer; Leslie, Leigh; Family Studies; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    There is an abundance of research that seeks to understand what affects client attendance in therapy. Many of the most recent studies have begun to look at how relationship factors, such as the client and therapist bond affect client retention in therapy. This study aimed to understand how perceived social support from friends and family might make an impact on client attendance. Additionally the effect of gender was observed to look at how it might moderate the effect of perceived social support on client attendance. No significant results were found to indicate that perceived social support from friends or from family has an effect on client attendance. Gender, as well, did not have a significant impact on client attendance. Future research is proposed to better understand patterns of client attendance in therapy as well as the role of social support in therapy.
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    Couple Therapy: Does it Improve Individual and Relational Well-Being in Couples Experiencing Mild to Moderate Aggression?
    (2011) Valladares, Sherylls Yadira; Epstein, Norman B.; Family Studies; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    The present study examined effects of couple therapy in improving partners' emotional comfort regarding couple conflict-resolution communication and trust in each other, within a sample of 55 couples that experiencing psychological aggression and mild to moderate physical aggression in their relationships. This secondary analysis was conducted on previously collected data from a treatment outcome study that already had shown evidence that the couple therapy had reduced aggressive behavior and increased partners' relationship satisfaction. Paired t-tests comparing pre- to post-therapy indicated that women improved on all measures of well-being; men improved on measures of trust and positive mood, but not in state anxiety. Women's changes in positive mood and anxiety, but not their level of trust, were associated with some changes in their partner's level of physical and psychological aggression. Men's changes in all three measures of well-being were associated with changes in their partner's level of physical and psychological aggression.