Social Support Following Pregnancy Loss and its Implications for Women’s Experiences of Posttraumatic Growth

The available literature suggests that social support can contribute to individuals’ positive psychological changes following a traumatic event. However, the effects of the social milieu following pregnancy loss on women’s post-loss adjustment continues to be vastly unexplored. This dissertation explores a gap in the literature surrounding the relationship of interpersonal and intrapersonal social factors on women’s posttraumatic growth (PTG) after miscarriage or stillbirth via three studies. Specifically, the following factors were investigated in relation to PTG: 1) Adult attachment and women’s experiences of dyadic coping; 2) self-disclosure, positive social reactions and deliberate rumination; 3) empathy and prosocial behaviors. Women who had experienced miscarriage or stillbirth were recruited online and completed an online survey that assessed the above mentioned variables as well as demographics and loss context factors. The hypotheses were tested via hierarchical multiple regression, analysis of variance and the PROCESS macro. Overall, the findings across the three studies provide some support for applying PTG theory to women who have experienced pregnancy loss, highlighting the importance of social support in facilitating positive psychological change after the trauma of miscarriage or stillbirth. Specific findings, clinical implications, limitations and recommendations for future research are included in each manuscript

Impact of Communication on Parents\u27 and First Year College Students\u27 Ratings of Student Academic, Emotional, and Social Adjustment

This study explored the effects of parents\u27 and students\u27 communication patterns on students\u27 social, emotional, and academic adjustment to college. It matched 118 pairs of parents and students (n = 236) and asked them to report their frequency and mode of communication, as well as the first-year students\u27 perceived adjustment to college. The results indicate that on average, parents and students communicate weekly, most often through text messaging. Parents tend to overestimate how well their student has adjusted to college, and asynchronous methods of communication such as texting or e-mail are more frequently positively associated with students\u27 self-reported emotional and social adjustment, whereas real-time communication methods such as phone calls, video chats (Skype), and in-person visits are negatively associated with students\u27 self-reported academic and social adjustment. Models of parent-reported student adjustment indicate that parents perceive their communication efforts as more instrumental to student adjustment than do students

Impact of Communication on Parents\u27 and First Year College Students\u27 Ratings of Student Academic, Emotional, and Social Adjustment

This study explored the effects of parents\u27 and students\u27 communication patterns on students\u27 social, emotional, and academic adjustment to college. It matched 118 pairs of parents and students (n = 236) and asked them to report their frequency and mode of communication, as well as the first-year students\u27 perceived adjustment to college. The results indicate that on average, parents and students communicate weekly, most often through text messaging. Parents tend to overestimate how well their student has adjusted to college, and asynchronous methods of communication such as texting or e-mail are more frequently positively associated with students\u27 self-reported emotional and social adjustment, whereas real-time communication methods such as phone calls, video chats (Skype), and in-person visits are negatively associated with students\u27 self-reported academic and social adjustment. Models of parent-reported student adjustment indicate that parents perceive their communication efforts as more instrumental to student adjustment than do students

The Relationship Between Social Support and Distress Following Perinatal Loss

Perinatal loss can be a traumatic event associated with high levels of distress and potentially PTSD (Berry, 2022). Strong social support is crucial in trauma recovery, though it is often counterproductive following perinatal loss (Meyer, 2016). Recent quantitative research done by Dr. Agata Freedle has shown that lack of adequate, culturally sensitive social support can contribute to elevated levels of PTSD. The specific experiences of perinatally bereaved women have not been captured in this data. Further exploration of this relationship to include the lived experiences of women is needed. The purpose of this study is to qualitatively explore how women experience the relationship between their distress and social support, as well as how women utilize formal and informal social supports to reduce their distress after perinatal loss. Findings will provide insight to both the population that is affected, and also to practitioners in the field who serve this underserved population

An International Comparison of Law Enforcement Stress and Professional Satisfaction

This study was a cross-cultural comparison of stress and coping styles in the U.S. and England. To date, no studies have directly compared police officer stress in the U.S. and England. Police officers were recruited to complete surveys on stress, coping strategies, and job satisfaction. Data collection in England is ongoing, but U.S. results indicate that organizational stress impacted law enforcement officers (LEOs) more than operational stress. Environmental and educational factors also had a significant effect on reported stress. However, marital status was the only factor that influenced which coping strategies LEOs used. This poster will discuss the findings of this study, as well as discuss policy implications relating to stress response strategies

Parenting capacity evaluation in Poland: A descriptive analysis.

High rates of child maltreatment and neglect by parents continue to be a significant problem worldwide, underscoring the importance of adequate systemic assessment of substantiated cases of parental incapacity. Given the complexity of determining a parent\u27s ability to meet a child\u27s needs, psychological evaluations of the family are being increasingly requested by courts in numerous jurisdictions, despite receiving considerable criticism about a lack of standardized procedures. This descriptive study sought to examine the content of forensic mental health assessments conducted in child protection cases in Poland. Given that there is very little extant research on forensic mental health assessment practices in child welfare cases in general, and virtually no research on such evaluation practices outside of the United States, this study sought to examine such practices in Poland in comparison to existing U.S. forensic mental health assessment guidelines. The content of Polish parenting capacity evaluation reports was examined and compared to aggregated relevant professional guidelines. Results indicated that evaluators in Poland appeared to utilize many practices consistent with those recommended in the United States, as reflected in professional guidelines. Study findings and their implications are discussed in light of cultural, philosophical, and global differences in forensic assessment and child protection

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Women’s Adjustment Following Pregnancy Loss

There are a variety of constraints to accessing social support following pregnancy loss that can negatively impact women. Being able to seek and receive needed social support following pregnancy loss may be further complicated by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The current study explored the experiences and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women who have experienced miscarriage or stillbirth. Results showed that the pandemic exacerbated women’s feelings of grief, trauma, depression and anxiety. These findings indicate that addressing the mental health needs of women who have experienced pregnancy loss during the pandemic should be evaluated and addressed

Informant Discrepancy in Trauma Reporting among Juvenile Offenders and their Parents

Extant literature indicates that mental health professionals receive a substantial amount of discrepant information from youth and their caregivers regarding the youth’s history of traumatic exposure and related symptoms. However, no studies to date have focused on discrepancy in reports of traumatic exposure between youths in the juvenile justice system and their caregivers. The aim of this study was to examine differences between reports of trauma exposure and current symptomology between juvenile justice-involved youth and their parents/caregivers. Based on the existing literature, it was hypothesized that parents would underreport trauma exposures experienced by their children as well as their child’s mental health symptoms when directly compared with their child’s reports. This study is part of a larger feasibility pilot study nearing completion. Recently arrested youth (N=27) and their parents or legal guardians were recruited for this feasibility pilot study from a Midwestern juvenile detention facility. Eligible participants included youth ages 18 or younger, who have pending and/or recently adjudicated criminal charges (i.e., within 30 days), and who were either residing in the detention center or at home under house arrest or probation status. Legal guardians completed the UCLA PTSD Reaction Index-Parent Version (PTSD-RI-P) and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). After obtaining parental consent, youth who assented to participate completed the PTSD-RI and the Youth Self-Report (YSR). Participant recruitment for the feasibility pilot study phase of this longitudinal project is nearly complete, with a total of 27 youth enrolled to date. The sample is predominately male (77.8%, n=21) and Caucasian (70.4%, n=19), with an average age of 16 (M=16.48, SD=1.67). To test whether caregivers would underreport their child’s exposure to traumatic events and trauma-related symptoms, a paired samples t-test was used to compare parents’ scores on the PTSD-RI-P to youths’ corresponding scores on the PTSD-RI. Results indicated that, on average, youth reported experiencing a slightly higher number of traumatic events (DSM-IV criterion A; M=2.18, SD=1.63) when compared to their exposure to such events as reported by their parent/caregivers (M=1.65, SD=1.73); however, the reported differences did not reach statistical significance. Moreover, no statistical differences were reported between youth and parent/caregiver’s reports regarding any other DSM-IV PTSD criteria. Although mean differences were not as large as anticipated, low inter-rater agreement, as reflected in intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) analyses, was observed as expected. Specifically, youth vs. parent agreement on youth’s trauma exposure and symptoms was observed as follows: Criterion A (trauma exposure): ICC=.287, p=.122; Criterion B (re-experiencing symptoms): ICC=.453, p=.053; Criterion C (avoidance): ICC=.157, p=.299; Criterion D (arousal): ICC=.558, p=.019; and Total PTSD symptom severity score: ICC = .395, p=.082. With respect to related psychological symptoms, significant differences emerged between parents’ and youths’ reports on the CBCL and YSR, respectively on the following subscales: rule-breaking [t(15)=-4.62, p\u3c.001], aggression [t(15)=-3.35, p=.004], internalizing symptoms [t(15)=-3.65, p=.002], and externalizing symptoms [t(15)=-4.48, p\u3c.001], and overall symptoms scores [t(15)=-4.24, p=.001], with similarly low ICC inter-rater agreement scores. This study is one of the first to begin to examine the informant discrepancy phenomenon among juvenile justice-involved youth and their parents/caregivers