Browsing by Author "Brown, Samantha, committee member"
Now showing 1 - 15 of 15
Results Per Page
Sort Options
Item Open Access An analysis on the experience of parenting for adults with autism spectrum disorder(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2022) Lee, Jonathan, author; Hepburn, Susan, advisor; Brown, Samantha, committee member; Daunhauer, Lisa, committee memberA paucity of research has been conducted into the unique experience of parents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This lack of scientific understanding about a parent's lived experience is an obstacle to developing effective psychotherapeutic approaches to parents who have identified awareness of characteristic features of ASD. In this study, we present a qualitative case study of two adults with ASD who are parents. Both parents participated in an extensive interview focused on several domains: impacts resulting from characteristics of ASD, life changes resulting from a diagnosis or recognition of characteristics, impacts on executive functioning related processes, experience as a parent prior to recognition of characteristics or a diagnosis, belief in parenting ability, and insight into recommendations for support. Findings highlighted three main themes: 1) a conscious choice in accepting change, 2) saturation of self, and 3) the necessity for clinicians to adopt a learner's mindset.Item Open Access Becoming fathers: feasibility, acceptability, and exploratory efficacy of a group intervention(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2019) Rayburn, Stephanie, author; Coatsworth, J. Douglas, advisor; Quirk, Kelley, committee member; Brown, Samantha, committee memberThe transition to parenthood brings changes to identity and relationships for new parents. Increasing expectations for father involvement in childcare are emphasizing the importance of the father role, but social supports for new fathers remain scarce. Emerging fathers experience stresses such as identity and role transitions, changes in their relationships, and challenges in developing caregiving skills and father-infant attachment representations. I conducted initial feasibility testing for a novel group intervention at the transition to fatherhood that provides expectant and new fathers with mindfulness-based coping skills, education on relevant topics, and an opportunity to connect with other new fathers. I also administered surveys at pre-test and post-test to assess for potential efficacy trends in the areas of stress, depressive symptoms, measures of father involvement, mindfulness, and relationship satisfaction. Results indicated strong feasibility and high acceptability among the participants. Participants highly valued the group discussion components of the intervention and noted that being able to learn about and process their experiences with other men in the same life stage was unique and important to them. Initial efficacy trends suggest reductions in stress and depressive symptoms, increases in the mindfulness constructs of nonjudgment and nonreactivity, and increases in father representations of attachment. Perinatal intervention specific to fathers remains a promising avenue for further inquiry.Item Open Access Examining barriers that predict mindfulness uptake in parents of children with autism spectrum disorder(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2020) Castells, Kara, author; Hepburn, Susan, advisor; Coatsworth, Doug, committee member; Brown, Samantha, committee memberThis study aimed to investigate barriers to mindfulness practice in parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). I hypothesized that I could reliably measure three barriers to mindfulness that parents could rate themselves on statements reflecting these barriers. I also hypothesized that the barriers to mindfulness vary as a function of parent characteristics (e.g., overall experience with mindfulness, trait mindfulness, level of mindfulness experience) and child characteristics (e.g., severity of ASD symptoms) and that parents in this population are less likely to use mindfulness to reduce parent stress due to the perceived barriers, (1) misconceptions about mindfulness, (2) beliefs that parenting stress is not relevant to child outcomes, and (3) lack of time parents allocate to focus on their own well-being. The study surveyed 91 parents of children with ASD using a demographics questionnaire, the Mindfulness Barriers Scale (MBS), created by the research team, and the Mindful Attention and Awareness Scale. Preliminary analysis of the measure was conducted, followed by a series of independent sample t-tests, an ANOVA, and regression analysis to test the hypotheses. Examination of the MBS showed that each subscale was distinct in what they measured and showed acceptable reliability. Results showed that misconceptions, time, and disinterest in mindfulness, a single-item variable found as conceptually interesting in the preliminary analysis, were predictors of mindfulness uptake. Significant differences were found between the levels of mindfulness experience and misconceptions about mindfulness, parents with neutral or negative overall experience with mindfulness reported time as a greater barrier and higher misconceptions than parents with positive overall experience, and parents with low trait mindfulness reported time as a greater barrier than parents with high trait mindfulness. The significance of the findings, limitations, and future directions are discussed.Item Open Access Examining parents' cognitive coping as a mediator or moderator of parents' trait mindfulness and children's behavior(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Krause, Jill T., author; Lucas-Thompson, Rachel, advisor; Brown, Samantha, committee member; MacPhee, David, committee memberChildren's behavior problems, whether internalizing or externalizing, are a risk factor for later mental, emotional, and behavioral health problems, and can be seen as the onset of a negative developmental cascade for both parents and children. Parent's mindfulness has been associated with lower levels of behavior problems, though the processes by which this pathway operates have yet to be thoroughly examined, let alone in diverse populations. One pathway through which mindfulness might operate is parents' cognitive coping; mindful parents are better able to maintain present moment awareness and nonjudgment, and thus are better able to cope with the stressors of being a parent, and thereby have better behaved children. This study sought to investigate this pathway and examine patterns in coping behaviors in a sample typically excluded from research: welfare-adjacent families with elevated levels of risk. Analyses revealed that cognitive coping could be characterized by four factors: adaptive, maladaptive, positive refocusing, and self-blame. Contrary to the hypotheses of the study, adaptive and maladaptive coping factors did not act as a mediator or moderator. However, the study did replicate findings of an association between parents' trait mindfulness and children's behavior, such that parents who are more mindful report children with fewer internalizing and externalizing problems. Limitations and implications for research and practice are discussed.Item Open Access LGBTQ+ adolescent and young adult mental and physical wellbeing: examining the effects of non-adapted versus adapted mindfulness-based interventions(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Klimo, Kasey D., author; Lucas-Thompson, Rachel, advisor; Shomaker, Lauren, advisor; Brown, Samantha, committee member; Carlson, Laurie, committee memberLesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and other gender and sexual minority identified (LGBTQ+) adolescents and young adults face mental and physical health disparities compared to their heterosexual and cisgender counterparts. These disparities in health are often due to minority stressors, like experiencing discrimination and oppression. Adolescence and emerging adulthood are vulnerable developmental periods for LGBTQ+ youth and young adults due to the prevalence of minority stressors while also navigating developmental tasks. Mindfulness based interventions (MBI) may be a potential method to intervene upon health disparities in this population, as the mindfulness stress-buffering hypothesis posts MBI may be the most beneficial in populations that experience high levels of stress. Chapter one explores the acceptability, feasibility, and effects of an online MBI, L2B, on sexual minority participants compared to heterosexual participants. Sixty-two college-aged participants completed baseline and post-test questions assessing mental health, mindfulness, self-compassion, emotion regulation, and substance usage (Mage=21.28, SD=4.17, 82.3% Caucasian, 85.5% Non-Hispanic/Latinx, 71% female, 37% LGBQ+). Results from chapter one indicated L2B was acceptable, but feasibility, as indicated by attendance and drop- out rates, could be improved. Furthermore, sexual minority participants saw statistically meaningful improvements in all outcomes except for substance usage and consequences of alcohol use. sexual minority participants may benefit more greatly from MBI related to mental health, internalized shame, consequences of Marjana use, accessing regulation strategies, and with goal-oriented behavior from just as much, or greater than heterosexual participants when related to mental health. However, further research is needed to explore the effects of MBI on substance use among sexual minority participants. Study two explores the initial acceptability and feasibility, along with the effects of an online MBI, L2B-Q, that was adapted specifically to meet the needs of LGBTQ+ adolescents. Twenty adolescents completed baseline and post-test assessments on mental health symptoms, mindfulness, stress-related health behaviors, and identity constructs. Participants also participated in a focus group to provide qualitative feedback on L2B-Q. Results from study two indicate L2B-Q was feasible and accepted, however further adaptations (e.g., changes in timing, and activity modifications) would be beneficial to the program. Furthermore, results indicate than an adapted MBI is highly effective in reducing mental health and stress, while increasing mindfulness and identity related variables. In the final chapter, I compare the effects found in chapter one and chapter two and discuss the ways in which each program differed from one another, and which program may be more effective among LGBTQ+ participants.Item Embargo Multidisciplinary representation in Colorado: an exploratory analysis of professional collaboration(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Ramous, Tara, author; MacPhee, David, advisor; Winocur, Marc, committee member; Brown, Samantha, committee memberThis research study focused on multidisciplinary representation (MdR), the collaboration of attorneys and social workers in client advocacy, in Colorado. MdR is used most in cases of child welfare and juvenile justice contexts due to the inherent nature of trauma that accompanies these cases. Past research on MdR has demonstrated significant benefit for clients, but little is known about the professional procedures that result in such positive outcomes. In this collaborative study between university researchers and the Colorado Office of the Child's Representative (OCR), attorneys and social workers were surveyed on their professional roles and their experience with MdR collaboration and present issues. Findings indicated that collaboration practices are largely positive, and professionals mutually agree on benefits. Attorneys' perception that social workers improved their ability to advocate, and improved client engagement, accounted for 43% of the variance in the number of reasons they would request social worker support. The greatest barrier to collaboration was misconceptions of roles and responsibility. Among recommendations, both social workers and attorneys endorsed more training opportunities on collaboration. Ongoing process evaluations will strengthen the research foundation and replication for MdR practice.Item Embargo Nothing about us, without us: elevating voices from the autistic community(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Banks, Tiffany N., author; Holmquist-Johnson, Helen, advisor; Williford, Anne, committee member; Brown, Samantha, committee member; Opsal, Tara, committee member; Gabriels, Robin, committee memberAutism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurocognitive, developmental disability that impacts social communication and is associated with restricted and repetitive behaviors. Autistic youth, however, are more likely than their peers to have a co-occurring mental health challenge and less likely to engage in outpatient mental health treatments compared to typically developing peers. Emerging evidence to support the efficacy of complementary and alternative medicines, such as animal-assisted interventions, lacks input from this historically marginalized and oppressed population. In this dissertation, I explore what the experience of engaging in animal-assisted interventions is like for 3 young people. Using a multiple case study analysis, I am sharing the lived experience of difference, voice, and individualization in a therapeutic horseback riding program. Ultimately this dissertation emphasizes the importance of voice in the evidence-based practice model and illustrates the value of being heard and seen in this world, regardless of our differences.Item Open Access Positive parenting as a mediator of the association between mindful parenting and adolescent adjustment(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2022) Adams, Melanie S., author; Lucas-Thompson, Rachel, advisor; MacPhee, David, committee member; Brown, Samantha, committee memberMindful parenting is characterized by parents paying intentional, present-centered, and nonjudgmental attention to their children and their own parenting. Empirical and theoretical support points to mindful parenting as a protective factor associated with lower incidence of adolescent behavioral problems and mental health issues such as externalizing and internalizing behaviors. Likewise, positive parenting behaviors that engender close and secure parent-child relationships have been shown to be a protective factor in reducing adolescent maladjustment. The current study was guided by three aims. The first aim was to examine whether adolescent reports of mindful parenting are negatively associated with adolescent reports of internalizing and externalizing behaviors, as has been found to be the case with parent reports. The associations between mindful parenting and adolescent adjustment were found to be negative and statistically significant across parent gender and adjustment outcome. The second aim was to examine whether adolescent reports of positive parenting practices mediate the association between mindful parenting and adolescent adjustment. The third aim was to examine whether mediation differs for reports of mothers' and fathers' mindful parenting. The interrelated positive parenting behaviors of parental autonomy granting, overcontrol, trust, and reaction to adolescent disclosure were analyzed as a factor variable and entered in the model as the mediator. Associations were examined at baseline without intervention and from an adolescent perspective rather than the more common parent perspective. Structural equation modeling was conducted using Mplus to test whether positive parenting practices mediate the association between parental mindfulness and adolescent adjustment. Adolescents' perception of mindful parenting on part of their mothers versus their fathers was found to make a larger perceived contribution to overall positive parenting in the household. Results of analyzing four separate models indicated that associations differed by parent gender and adolescent adjustment outcome, with significant mediation for all models with the exception of fathers' mindful parenting paired with the outcome of adolescent internalizing behavior. The finding of no significant direct pathways in the presence of significant indirect pathways of mediation models across outcomes and for either mothers or fathers is a consistent finding bolstering preliminary indications that the contribution of mindful parenting on adolescent adjustment may indeed be mediated. Overall, results provide preliminary support for the hypothesis that positive parenting mediates the association between mindful parenting and adolescent adjustment, while providing support for the notion that patterns may differ by parent gender. A better understanding of whether positive parenting practices might act as mediators of the benefits of mindful parenting has implications for parenting intervention work that could consider pairing mindfulness instruction with lessons on these specific positive parenting behaviors to optimize the buffer to adolescent maladjustment.Item Open Access Predicting and protecting postpartum relationship functioning among heterosexual parents: results from a conflict communication intervention(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Murray, Samantha A., author; Braungart-Rieker, Julie, advisor; Brown, Samantha, committee member; Cummings, E. Mark, committee member; Harvey, Ashley, committee member; Luong, Gloria, committee memberPostpartum parenting is a critically vulnerable period for parents. Adjusting to life with a new baby often comes with a variety of added stressors, for both new and experienced parents. This family turbulence with which parents must continue to maintain their romantic relationship commonly results in relationship decline. Despite these challenges, parent relationship functioning serves as the bedrock to a healthy family system. Understanding antecedents of the interparental relationship, such as parenting experience (new versus experienced parenthood), parent mental health, and initial relationship functioning, was the preliminary goal for this dissertation. Previous studies have highlighted several factors related to parents' postpartum relationship behavior and satisfaction often from mothers' perspectives; however, gaps remain in our knowledge of fathers' relationship experiences over this life transition. This study fills this gap by specifically investigating predictors of relationship appraisals and behaviors in terms of romantic attachment and constructive conflict behavior for both mothers and fathers. A dynamic change score modeling approach was used to address the secondary goal of the current study: to evaluate whether one parent is driving relationship trajectories for both parents. The third goal of this study was to examine the degree to which a conflict communication intervention, involving mothers and fathers, impacts relationship functioning postpartum. Results suggest an important divergence of the effects of the transition to parenthood for mothers compared to fathers, wherein having additional children may have a more negative impact on mothers' relationship experiences compared to fathers'. Furthermore, these results validate previous research linking parents' mental health to their relationship appraisals (romantic attachment), but not relationship behaviors (constructiveness), and highlight the need to further explore how each parent's mental health influences the other parent's relationship experience over time. In addition, mothers' and fathers' racial profiles played a unique role in their postpartum relationship appraisals and behavior in unexpected ways. Dynamic change score modeling further revealed that changes in mothers' and fathers' romantic attachment over time were co-driven by both parents, while changes in constructive conflict behavior occurred independently. Lastly, the conflict communication intervention appeared to alleviate problematic effects of certain variables for parents' relationship functioning, such as fathers' depressive symptoms on the trajectory of mothers' attachment security. Moreover, mothers may have been particularly benefited by the conflict intervention if they reported more depressive symptoms at the beginning of the study. Overall, the intervention had important protective effects on mothers' and fathers' postpartum behavioral constructiveness but had a limited impact on romantic attachment security. Implications for future interparental relationship and intervention research are discussed.Item Open Access Pressure to be thin and insulin sensitivity: an investigation of the potential moderating role of race/ethnicity among adolescent girls at risk for type 2 diabetes(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2021) Rayne, Lauren E., author; Shomaker, Lauren, advisor; Riggs, Nathaniel, committee member; Brown, Samantha, committee memberThe prevalence of youth-onset type 2 diabetes is a significant public health issue in the United States that disproportionately affects historically marginalized racial and ethnic groups. Previous research suggests that psychosocial stress resulting from poor body image and weight-related pressure may be associated with worsened metabolic health outcomes. This study examined the relationship between pressure to be thin and insulin sensitivity in adolescent girls at-risk for developing type 2 diabetes, who are susceptible to weight-based criticism and pubertal declines in insulin sensitivity. This study also aimed to explore the extent to which this association was moderated by racial/ethnic identity. Participants were 92 girls, (46% Hispanic; 34% non-Hispanic White; M±SD age = 14.95 ± 1.82 y), who completed a self-report measure of pressure to be thin from friends, family members, and partners. Parents also reported pressure to be thin of their adolescents by questionnaire. At baseline, participants' body mass index (BMI; kg/m2) was calculated, fasting blood samples were acquired to calculate insulin sensitivity, and body composition was measured with air displacement plethysmography. In contrast to hypotheses, there were no main effects, or interactional effects by race, of either adolescent-reported or parent-reported pressure to be thin on insulin sensitivity (all p-values > .05). Results indicate that future research is warranted to identify culturally relevant psychosocial stressors for adolescents of color.Item Open Access Race, sexual orientation, and childbirth: locating identity in the framework of social support(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2021) Porterfield-Finn, Bentley, author; Faw, Meara, advisor; Parks, Elizabeth, committee member; Brown, Samantha, committee memberSocial support is a growing field in Communication Studies. Scholars from a variety of disciplines have studied the influence of social support on health, but there is a need for more research which considers how identity factors, including racial identity and sexual orientation, influence supportive interactions. Using the case study of childbirth as a stressful event and investigating the role of doulas as support providers in this context, the present study explores how identity influences both provisions of support and evaluations of support. This mixed methods study, consisting of interviews with doulas (n = 16) and a survey of expecting parents (n = 168), deepens our understanding of how racial identity and sexual orientation influence how doulas communicate support to birthing persons as well as how these identity factors influence from whom expecting parents report a willingness seek support. Combined findings from these studies illuminate how doulas support birthing persons and the nuanced influence of racial identity and sexual orientation on this support. Limitations and future directions are discussed.Item Open Access Romantic conflict, interpersonal mindfulness, and cellular aging(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Rigsby, Brock A., author; Lucas-Thompson, Rachel, advisor; Brown, Samantha, committee member; Faw, Meara, committee memberInterpersonal relationships can affect health (Ellison et al., 2016, Laurent et al., 2013) including biological and cellular aging processes measured through telomere length (Rentscher et al., 2020). Despite established associations between romantic conflict and health outcomes (Cummings et al., 2007), empirical evidence has yet to emerge supporting a link between romantic conflict and telomere length. Given the frequency with which adults may experience romantic conflict (Papp et al., 2002), it is important to understand how multi-faceted romantic conflict experiences impact health so that targeted interventions can be developed. Mindfulness has well-established benefits for health (Lucas-Thompson et al., 2019) and close personal relationships (Pratscher et al., 2018; Townshend et al., 2016), thus mindful partnering (Seiter et al., 2021) may be a fruitful avenue for such intervention. Using a community sample of 30 couples, this study explored hypothesized associations between romantic conflict and telomere length, as well as the moderating effects of mindful partnering, through self-reported and observational data. A small but non-significant association was found between romantic conflict and telomere length, and no significant moderating effect of mindful partnering emerged.Item Open Access The effects of risk and protective factors on maltreatment for individuals with intellectual disability(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2022) Pinks, Miranda E., author; Riggs, Nathaniel, advisor; Fidler, Deborah, committee member; Brown, Samantha, committee memberResearch consistently demonstrates that children with intellectual disability (ID) are at a higher risk for child maltreatment than typically developing children. While the relationship between child maltreatment and disability is well-established, no longitudinal studies have assessed families of children with ID for early risk and protective factors associated with later maltreatment. This study drew on data from the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN) to examine children with ID in five samples across the U.S. who were at risk for abuse and neglect at an early age. The relationship between early risk and protective factors and maltreatment was explored through a series of regression analyses for children with and without ID. Results replicated the finding that children with ID experienced higher counts of child maltreatment than children without ID. Child behavior problems predicted later maltreatment counts for children with ID and without ID, and parenting stress predicted maltreatment only for children without ID. The findings indicate that at least some of the processes involved in child maltreatment are the same for children with and without ID, including child behavior problems. Future research should be devoted to better understanding why children with ID are more likely to experience maltreatment and higher counts of maltreatment allegations compared to children without ID.Item Open Access The relationship between therapist in-session mindfulness and the working alliance(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2020) Lotstein, Ben, author; Quirk, Kelley, advisor; Coatsworth, Douglas, committee member; Brown, Samantha, committee memberTherapists' levels of mindfulness are empirically supported as an influential factor in psychotherapy. The current study developed a questionnaire with which to measure the impact of therapists' levels of in-session mindfulness (ISM) on clients' ratings of the working alliance, symptom change, and therapist presence. Forty-one therapist and client participants completed questionnaires addressing these variables, and results showed that higher levels of therapist ISM were related to higher levels of alliance and client symptom improvement. The relationship between therapist ISM and therapist presence was not found to be significant. Exploratory factor analysis of the new measure demonstrated support for a five-factor solution matching the structure of the measure on which it was based. Finally, discussion is offered around uses for the new measure and areas of future research surrounding therapist ISM and related topics.Item Open Access The role of social relationship functioning in suicidal ideation among adolescents at-risk for adult obesity(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2020) Elliker, Elyse, author; Shomaker, Lauren, advisor; Lucas-Thompson, Rachel, committee member; Brown, Samantha, committee memberPrevalence of child and adolescent obesity represents a public health crisis in the United States and globally. Having tripled over the last 50 years, current rates of obesity show that approximately 18% of children aged 2-19 years in the United States are affected. While metabolic health consequences of obesity are of great concern, including insulin resistance and impaired glucose, obesity also is related to a range of adverse psychological concerns, including depression and suicidal ideation. Indeed, there has been an alarming rise in adolescent suicidal ideation and behavior, and a possibility that heavier youth are at higher risk. Yet, theoretical and empirical data support the possibility that positive social relationship functioning may play an important moderating role, by buffering the effects of weight discrimination on suicidal ideation in youth with overweight and obesity. In the current master's thesis proposal, I conducted a secondary analysis of the cross-sectional associations among social relationship functioning, suicidal ideation, and metabolic health characteristics in 90 adolescents aged 12-17 years (50% girls) at-risk for adult obesity. Adolescents completed survey measures of social relationship functioning and survey/interview measures of depression and suicidal ideation. Height and fasting weight were collected to determine body mass index (BMI) indices, and body fat was measured via air displacement plethysmography. A fasting blood sample was analyzed for fasting insulin, fasting glucose, and insulin resistance. I explored the bivariate associations among social functioning, depression, BMI, metabolic indices, and without suicidal ideation. Then I tested BMI/metabolic indices, social relationship functioning, and their interactions as a predictor of suicidal ideation, controlling for depression symptoms in order to evaluate the unique relation of BMI/metabolic indices and social functioning with suicide ideation. Nearly 30% of adolescents reported suicidal ideation. Contrary to hypotheses, results showed that neither BMI/body fat nor metabolic indices were related to suicidal ideation, nor did social act as a moderator of these associations. Accounting for age, sex, and BMI z, depression was robustly related to higher odds of suicidal ideation. Most dimensions of social functioning related in bivariate analyses to suicidal ideation, and some dimensions, even when accounting for depression symptoms and other covariates, showed a trend-level or significant association with suicidal ideation. These results point to the prevalence of suicidal ideation in adolescents at risk for adult obesity and suggest that elevated depression symptoms are the primary marker of risk for suicidal ideation in this population. Additional research with larger samples and longitudinal data are needed to further test the role of social functioning in mitigating, or perhaps mediating, suicidal ideation risk in adolescents at risk for adult obesity, as well as research into other possible protective factors.