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.

Browse

Subject: search.filters.subject.Counseling psychology

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 10 of 12
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Depression and Perception of Family Cohesion Levels and Social Support from Friends in Emerging Adulthood at a University Mental Health Clinic
    (2020) Roc, Sabrina; Barros, Patricia; Family Studies; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    Emerging adulthood is identified as a period of transition and uncertainty that occurs between the stages of adolescence and adulthood, often from ages 18-25. During this period, mental health issues are quite prominent, especially symptoms of depression. Previous research has explored what can ease the stress of depressive symptoms, and social support has had resounding effects. The present study used secondary analysis of data from 372 therapy-seeking individuals at a university-based family clinic to evaluate how perceived levels of familial cohesion and social support from friends are associated with depressive symptoms during emerging adulthood and whether or not age moderated the association. The results of this study show significant associations between familial cohesion as predicted, and social support from friends but in an unexpected direction. Age did not appear to have any significant associations. Potential future research as well as clinical implications are discussed.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Are We Ready to Serve? Couple and Family Therapists’ Attitudes Toward BDSM and Their Perceived Competence Helping BDSM Practitioners
    (2020) Berman, Zachary Lane; Fish, Jessica N; Family Studies; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    Cultural competence is a core component of delivering effective psychotherapy to clients with diverse sexual lifestyles, including BDSM practitioners, who constitute a substantial minority of the population. Couple and Family Therapists (CFTs) are uniquely prepared to explore relationships and power dynamics, but no research has explored CFTs’ psychotherapeutic relationship with BDSM practitioners. This study measures CFTs’ BDSM attitudes, perceived competence, and the relationship between these and related professional factors. Results indicated that CFTs (n = 132) have positive attitudes and moderate perceived competence; attitudes and perceived competence were negatively correlated. Controlling for various professional factors such as AASECT certification, we found that participants with at least three or more hours of BDSM-specific training had significantly more positive attitudes and significantly higher perceived competence. Including these hours in graduate training or continuing education credits could help CFTs to feel more “kink aware” and competent to deliver ethical care for this population.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    VICTIM DEPRESSION, POSITIVE PARTNER BEHAVIOR, AND TYPE OF PARTNER AGGRESSION AS DETERMINANTS OF WOMEN’S STEPS TOWARD LEAVING AN ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIP
    (2019) Thomas, Jannel; Epstein, Norman B; Family Studies; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    This study investigated factors associated with the degree to which victims of partner violence take steps toward leaving the relationship. It was a secondary analysis of clinic data from pre-therapy couple assessments of demographic characteristics; physical, psychological, and sexual partner aggression; victim depression; perpetrator positive partner behavior; and steps the victim took toward leaving. Females’ income and education were not associated with steps toward leaving. Physical, psychological, and sexual aggression were all associated with steps toward leaving. Greater depression was associated with more steps toward leaving and more positive partner behavior was associated with fewer steps toward leaving. Neither depression nor positive partner behavior moderated the association between physical or psychological aggression and steps toward leaving. The association between sexual aggression and steps toward leaving was positive when positive partner behavior was higher, but non-significant when positive partner behavior was lower. Clinical implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Couples Coping with Li-Fraumeni Syndrome: A Mixed-Methods Study of Family Strengths
    (2018) Young, Jennnifer Louise; Epstein, Norman B; Family Studies; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    Using mixed methodology involving qualitative and quantitative data, this dissertation fills gaps in knowledge regarding psychosocial implications for families living with the genetically-transmitted Li-Fraumeni cancer susceptibility syndrome, specifically targeting couple dyads. An initial review of the existing literature on couples coping with heritable cancer syndromes identified gaps in knowledge, and pointed to future directions for research in this area. The three papers that comprise this dissertation provide multiple perspectives on the levels of distress, coping styles, and social support patterns of couples in which one partner is at high risk of cancer. The first paper investigates spousal distress and coping styles in relation to cancer worry for individuals with Li-Fraumeni Syndrome, using quantitative data from one of the largest existing collections of Li-Fraumeni Syndrome cases. The second paper identifies couples’ coping and communication processes regarding cancer stressors, using semi-structured qualitative interviews of individuals with Li-Fraumeni Syndrome and their partners. The third paper utilizes a social network approach to illustrate shared patterns of emotional, tangible, and informational support that couples report accessing. The integrated findings from these three studies indicate that these subjects are low in general distress but high in cancer-specific worry. Couples cope with this worry by balancing multiple roles, exercising flexibility in family dynamics, and utilizing extensive social support networks. This research provides significant information that can aid in development of effective interventions for couples as they face their ongoing threat of cancer. Recommendations for clinical work with this population include an integrated blend of couple therapy, genetic counseling, and oncology practice that is sensitive to the unique needs of individuals with heritable cancer syndromes and their partners.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    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.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    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.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    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.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    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.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PSYCHOLOGICAL PARTNER AGGRESSION AND DEPRESSION: SOCIAL SUPPORT AS A MODERATING VARIABLE
    (2012) Rivero, Stephanie Christine; Epstein, Norman B; Family Studies; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    The association between psychological aggression within heterosexual couples and the level of depression symptoms was explored in addition to whether or not that association was moderated by the level of perceived social support from friends. Secondary analyses were conducted on assessment data from both males and females in 406 heterosexual couples who sought conjoint therapy at the Center for Healthy Families, a university-based marriage and family therapy clinic. Psychological aggression was assessed using the Multidimensional Measure of Emotional Abuse Scale (MMEA; Murphy and Hoover, 1999); depression was assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI; Beck, Steer & Brown, 1996); and social support was assessed using the Perceived Social Support Scale (PSS; Procidano & Heller, 1983). Findings support the hypothesis that the more psychological aggression the individual received, the higher their symptoms of depression were; however there was not a significant finding that social support served as a moderator of that association. Furthermore, there were no significant findings for the research questions, which addressed gender-based differences in the degree to which social support moderates the effects of depression and psychological aggression.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Narratives of Human Agency Among Low Income Incarcerated Fathers
    (2012) Fang, Jennifer Jing; Roy, Kevin; Family Studies; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    Prior literature has focused on studying low income or incarcerated fathers from a deficit perspective. For example, there is ample evidence showing that high risk behaviors are associated with children who have non-custodial fathers and about mothers' perspectives on father absence. However, there is still a lack of literature about how these fathers experience agency to take control and make change in their lives in spite of the barriers they face. I conduct a secondary analysis of life history interviews of 40 fathers in a work release program. The theoretical framework that guides this study is narrative inquiry, using sensitizing concepts from McAdams' (2001) four themes of agency: self mastery, status/victory, achievement/responsibility, and empowerment. Out of McAdams' four themes, self mastery and achievement/responsibility were the most prominent themes of agency. Additional emergent themes of agency are found in fathers' life history narratives.