Dissertations from the School of Arts and Sciences

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The Role of Consultative Alliance in Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation
Young children’s social and emotional development is powerfully shaped by their early environments, which for many young children includes early childhood education (ECE) settings. Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (ECMHC) is an intervention that pairs educators and mental health consultants (MHCs) to promote educators’ capacity to foster positive social-emotional development in ECE. While the outcomes of ECMHC have been well studied, little research has investigated how this model impacts educators and children. It has been theorized that the quality of the relationship between educators and MHCs – which is here termed Consultative Alliance (CA) – is a key mechanism of change, but this construct has yet to be thoroughly studied.Across two papers, this dissertation presents findings from multilevel models analyzing the role of Consultative Alliance on outcomes at the classroom and child levels after six months of consultation. Participants were 316 children, 289 educators, and 62 MHCs engaged in a statewide implementation of ECMHC at childcare centers in the Southwest.Paper 1 investigated the potential parallel process initiated in consultation, such that the strength of the CA may predict the extent of improvement in the teacher-child relationship. The findings suggest that a stronger CA was related to greater improvements to teacher-child closeness and teacher-rated child attachment behaviors. In addition, moderation analyses demonstrated that these effects were strongest for MHC-teacher dyads in which the MHC was more experienced or the teacher was less experienced.Paper 2 parsed the role of CA on educator and classroom level outcomes. Multilevel models demonstrated that a strong CA was related to greater improvement in classroom climate, teacher self-efficacy, and teacher perceptions of her job. Furthermore, preliminary support for the indirect effects of ECMHC was found. Mediation analyses indicated that CA was indirectly related to improved child-level outcomes (specifically, self-control and teacher-child conflict) via the classroom climate, though the cross-sectional data could not establish whether classroom-level changes preceded child-level changes.Taken together, this work upholds the centrality of relationship-building in mental health consultation. These findings should be considered exploratory in light of relevant limitations, including missing data, measurement concerns, and potential confounds. Nevertheless, these findings advance understanding of the mechanisms of change for ECMHC, with potentially salient implications for policy and practice., Clinical psychology, Consultative Alliance, Early Childhood, Mental Health Consultation, Social-Emotional Development, Psychology, Degree Awarded: Ph.D. Psychology. The Catholic University of America
The Titan Laboratory: Studies of Hazy and Reducing Atmospheres Near and Far
Titan is one of the most unique terrestrial worlds, besides our own planet, in our solar system. Orbiting Saturn at 9.5 AU from the Sun it is the only moon with an appreciable haze and so cold that instead of liquid water, there is liquid methane that forms when the methane condenses and rains out. The puffy extended atmosphere (1400 km high) hides the surface with a shroud of haze that forms from the photolysis of methane high up in the atmosphere which produce aggregates of tar-like particles. With almost 6% methane near the surface and 1.4% in the stratosphere this world is far more reducing (hydrogen rich) than the oxidized (oxygen rich) Archean eon of Earth and the Modern Earth. With such an alien world right here in our back yard it is paramount that we understand the processes that control it while comparing it to our own planet as we search the galaxy for terrestrial exoplanets.In this dissertation I focus on answering three main questions. The first one is: Using the Titan-Enceladus cryovolcano oxygen exchange as a starting point, can external material entering a terrestrial atmosphere trigger a methane-oxygen false-positive biosignature observation? Methane and oxygen are a strong biosignature pair due to the way the two gases destroy one another unless a constant source is provided. Using a 1D-photochemical model I produce atmospheres with abiotic and biotic levels of oxygen and water entering a terrestrial world and then observe the spectra of the planet with a synthetic spectrum generator to look for the presence of the methane-oxygen pair. Simulating observations with next generation and future generation space-based telescopes, my results show that a false positive biosignature will not be triggered unless unphysically high external fluxes of material are used and even than the signal-to-noise-ratios of the spectra are not strong enough to be considered reliable. The second question I answer is: Can Titan-like exoplanets be characterized with next-generation space-based observatories and what role if any does haze play? In this work Titan-like means a rocky body that is along the snow-line of its system where it is assumed to be cold enough for methane to condense, be highly reducing and have a hazy atmosphere. An exoplanet 6 light years away was recently detected by the radial velocity method, orbiting Barnard’s Star. The planet, Barnard’s Star b, is along the snow-line of its system with a minimum mass of 3.2 Earth masses. Using a 1D-photochemical model and synthetic spectrum generator I model this exoplanet as a Titan-like super Earth and apply a mass-radii relation to arrive at a minimum radius of 11053 km. With these parameters I simulated the observation of the exoplanet with LUVOIR-A, the 15 m mirror future-generation space-based telescope. My results show strong signals for methane in the visible and near-infrared and the suppression of the Rayleigh tail in the ultra-violet, that mirror the spectral methane windows seen in observations of Titan. The third and final question is focused on how atmosphere transitions behave on rocky planets as they move from reducing to oxidized atmosphere conditions and whether or not Great Oxidation Event similarities occur. The Great Oxidation Event (GOE) was a period in Earth’s past, during the Proterozoic eon, when the planet quickly transitioned from a reducing to highly oxygenated atmosphere. One of the hallmarks of the GOE was a sharp spike and stepwise behavior in the abundance of atmospheric oxygen. Titan is on the far end of the reduced atmosphere spectrum, in contrast to the Archean and Modern Earth, and in my work I use a 1D-photochemical model to simulate Titan transitioning to an oxidized state. Methane and carbon-dioxide are gradually adjusted to make the atmosphere more oxidized while looking for evidence of stepwise changes in the abundances and column densities of major oxygenated species. The simulations are also performed for G, K and M host star types. However, neither oxygen nor ozone were included in the model at this time. My results do not show signs of pronounced stepwise behavior, but they do show gradual stepwise behavior for atmospheric water in the G and M star cases, while K star simulations made it difficult for the atmospheres to transition very far in the direction of oxidation., Atmospheric sciences, Astronomy, Biosignatures, Exoplanets, Titan, Physics, Degree Awarded: Ph.D. Physics. The Catholic University of America
Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality--Integrated Training Model: Impact on Clinician Competency
Effective implementation of evidence-based practices is vital in clinical suicide prevention. Multiple factors influence the implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs), including mental health care clinicians’ access to training as well as the quality of training they receive. This study investigated the impact of a multi-modal training program for a suicide-specific evidence-based practice: The Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality – Integrated Training Model (CAMS – ITM). Survey data was used to assess the effectiveness of CAMS – ITM in increasing clinical competency to treat suicidal patients, as measured by improvements in clinicians’ self-report of skill in treating suicidal patients, knowledge of suicide-specific best practices, and attitude toward the treatment of suicidality. Pre-training survey responses compared to post-training survey responses were analyzed across groups of clinicians receiving CAMS training in the states of Oklahoma, Ohio, Colorado, and Alaska. The findings of this exploratory study showed good support for CAMS – ITM, as analyses showed improvements in attitude, knowledge, and skill by the end of training. Moreover, there was evidence that the first training, an online video course, was effective in improving competency in and of itself. This study adds to the extant literature on EBP training for mental health clinicians and adds to the body of evidence in support of CAMS as a tool for the dissemination and implementation of suicide specific best practices. , Clinical psychology, CAMS, clinical competency, clinician training, implementation, suicide-specific EBP, training outcome, Psychology, Degree Awarded: Ph.D. Psychology. The Catholic University of America
A Double-Edged Sword: Use & Abuse of American Exceptionalism
This dissertation scrutinizes how American Exceptionalism evolved from a collection ofChristian and English legends around 1776 into today’s well-organized narrative central to Americans’ self-perception and political discourse. It is based upon an extensive qualitative study of primary sources and focuses on how U.S. presidents have used the concept to further their agendas following the 1898 Spanish-American War. Specifically, this thesis shows that the use of exceptionalist themes has increased over time. It has become critical as a justification for an active foreign policy, particularly in times of war when it is used to enhance national unity abroad and further reform domestic policy reforms at home. Thanks to social and cultural changes that began in the 1970s, the concept’s effectiveness in the latter realm has diminished. Moreover, as Democrats, for ideological reasons, have distanced themselves from some of the concept’s themes, it has become ever more associated with the Republican Party, which has remained loyal to its notions. The concept is thus today as much a matter of political dispute as of national unity. Finally, this thesis probes how American Exceptionalism has been echoed in popular culture and official U.S. propaganda, especially during the Cold War., Political science, American history, American studies, American Exceptionalism, Ideology, Intellectual history, US Foreign Policy, US History, US Politics, Politics, Degree Awarded: Ph.D. Politics. The Catholic University of America
Preparing American Women Religious for the Teaching Apostolate in the 21st Century: Factors Influencing Programs of Study for Sisters and Their Experiences in the Teaching Apostolate
This study explores the ways the leaders of three American congregations of women religious have prepared their sisters for the teaching apostolate both in the past and in the present. The study includes information on the founding of the communities, how their apostolates have evolved over time, factors that have contributed to the development of their programs of study in preparation for the apostolate, and the current experiences of sisters engaged in the teaching apostolate. Recent decades have seen research studies on sisters and their apostolic works from a historical or sociological perspective or examined past educational practices of particular religious communities or their colleges. The current study examines how sisters’ studies have adapted over time to respond to various internal, external, and personal factors, and explores the contemporary experiences of women religious in the teaching apostolate.Site visits were conducted to each of the selected communities. Artifacts, observations, and interviews (one-on-one and focus groups) were the primary sources of data. Interviews were conducted with superiors or directors of studies, formation directors, archivists, and sisters who had entered their communities within the past 20 years and were currently engaged in teaching.Cross-case analysis of themes found that similar factors have influenced the evolution of the communities’ apostolates and programs of study. The younger sisters engaged in teaching identified common difficulties encountered in teaching and common supports provided by their communities. Impacts of aging membership, fewer numbers of new vocations, and changing backgrounds and needs of new vocations surfaced in all of the cases and provided insight into present experiences of many religious congregations and the schools in which they serve. Since women who have entered these religious communities in recent decades have entered with academic degrees and in fewer numbers, adaptation and individualization, rather than standardization, best describe the programs of study.Historically, women religious were the primary source of staffing, leadership, and foundational vision that enabled the growth of elementary and secondary schools throughout the United States. While sisters today comprise a small portion of staff in Catholic schools, their influence, witness, and leadership continue., Educational leadership, Teacher education, Religious history, Catholic education, Catholic religious orders, Sister Formation Movement, sister teachers, teacher education, women religious, Education, Degree Awarded: Ph.D. Education. The Catholic University of America
The Therapeutic Role of Ethnic/Racial Identity and Acculturation in a School-based Socioemotional Intervention
Ethnic/racial minority youth are disproportionately impacted by disparities in access to evidence-based mental health interventions compared to non-Hispanic White youth. Stigma, discrimination, acculturative stress, economic constraints, limited access to treatment, lack of insurance coverage, and negative attitudes and beliefs toward mental health services are some of the most significant barriers that prevent many ethnic/racial minorities from receiving adequate mental health care. School-based mental health interventions overcome some of these access barriers for ethnic/racial minority youth. However, it is important to understand the extent to which the effectiveness of interventions is impacted by youths’ ethnic/racial identity (ERI; the degree to which an individual explores and commits to their ethnic/racial group), along withacculturation processes. The current investigation explores how ERI and acculturation impact youth psychosocial functioning and how these cultural variables affect treatment outcomes of a school-based socioemotional intervention.Seventy-one children (52.1% male, 98.6% ethnic/racial minority) participated in the Resilience Builder Program® (RBP), a school-based resilience intervention for children with socioemotional difficulties. Correlation analyses explored the relationships between ERI and parent-, child-, and teacher-report of baseline functioning across internalizing and externalizing symptoms, social, emotional, attentional, academic, and adaptive functioning. Moderation analyses examined the effect of ERI on RBP treatment outcomes across domains of functioning and informants. An examination of differences in baseline functioning across acculturation-related variables (i.e., comparisons between U.S.- and non-U.S.-born participants; between participants from English-dominant households and those from other-language-dominanthouseholds) was also conducted. Additionally, qualitative analyses examined caregiver perceptions of their child’s difficulties.Primary analyses revealed strong associations between ERI and positive outcomes including greater emotional, attentional, and adaptive functioning, stronger academic skills and enablers (e.g., interpersonal skills, classroom engagement, academic motivation, and study skills), and greater resilience. Three-way interaction effects indicated that ERI played a key role in moderating RBP treatment effects across domains of internalizing problems, social, emotional, attentional, and adaptive functioning. Differences were also observed between subscales of ERI (i.e., Exploration and Commitment), such that ERI Commitment demonstrated greater effects on treatment outcomes compared to ERI Exploration. Acculturation-related analyses demonstrated clear patterns in baseline functioning between cultural groups. Non-U.S.-born participants and participants from non-English-dominant households endorsed better baseline functioning across domains. Differences were particularly salient for teacher-report. Acculturation-related analyses provide support for the immigrant paradox, suggesting that first-generation immigrant youth typically demonstrate better functioning compared to U.S.-born ethnic/racial minorities. Results demonstrate how cultural variables, such as ERI and acculturation, relate to baseline functioning and treatment outcomes.This was the first study to explore ERI and acculturation-related variables in the context of the RBP intervention, and one of the first studies to examine ERI as a moderator of treatment outcomes in a school-based intervention. Findings have direct implications for informing RBP adaptation in order to better meet the needs of culturally diverse RBP participants experiencing socioemotional difficulties. More broadly, results speak to the importance of developing and implementing culturally adapted, identity-focused interventions for ethnic/racial minority youth in schools., Clinical psychology, Acculturation, Ethnic/racial identity, Resilience, Schools, Socioemotional intervention, Psychology, Degree Awarded: Ph.D. Psychology. The Catholic University of America
An Examination of Treatment Planning Quality and Outcomes Within the Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS)
Although the majority of research investigating suicidal behavior has largely focused on generalized risk factors and warning signs, evidence suggests that such variables carry limited predictive or idiographic value. The “Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality” (CAMS) provides a therapeutic framework for the assessment and treatment of a novel construct called suicidal “drivers” in which the patient is asked to identify the two problems that most directly lead him or her to consider suicide (Jobes, 2016). Ultimately, the goal of uncovering such drivers is to help the patient understand their own suicidality, and to better inform effective treatment planning tailored towards specific drivers. Little is currently known about the ways in which various dimensions of CAMS treatment planning impact patient outcomes. Research is needed to better understand the optimal treatment-planning process of ongoing, patient-specific, suicide-focused care over the course of effective clinical treatment. The current study thus aims to investigate the impact of treatment planning on post-treatment outcomes. Based on previous research, three dimensions of treatment planning were selected to be investigated: Driver change (“static” vs. “dynamic”), clinician elaboration (word count), and adherence ratings. To evaluate the effect of treatment predictors, longitudinal regression analyses were conducted using hierarchical generalized linear modeling (HGLM) to evaluate whether (a) dynamic (vs. static) driver change, (b) clinician elaboration (word count), and (c) clinician adherence to the CAMS model were associated with differences in trajectories of change across the 12-month study follow-up period. The study outcomes evaluated were: (a) suicidal ideation (SI); (b) symptoms distress (OQ-45), (c) optimism, (d) hope, (e) suicide attempts, and (f) behavioral health-related inpatient unit (IPU) admissions. Results showed that both driver change and clinician elaboration were significantly associated with differential trajectories in SSI across the 12-month follow-up. Specifically, “dynamic” driver change and smaller clinician elaboration were moderately associated with more rapid and sustained reductions in SI. These results provide empirical support for the importance of suicide specific treatment planning that is both dynamic and succinct, and highlight the need for more rigorous training of CAMS clinicians. It is argued that these results have potential to transform future lines of research into optimal treatment planning for suicidal individuals., Psychology, Clinical psychology, Therapy, CAMS, suicide, therapy, treatment planning, Psychology, Degree Awarded: Ph.D. Psychology. The Catholic University of America

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