The National University System Repository exists to increase public access to research and other materials created by students and faculty of the affiliate institutions of National University System. Most items in the repository are open access, freely available to everyone.
Recent Submissions
Item Recovery Through Connection: Bridging the Treatment Gap in Adult Substance Use Disorders(2024-07-02)Substance use disorder (SUD) is a prevalent and expanding global public health concern, impacting nearly 30 million people worldwide. SUDs are associated with significant physical and mental health concerns, as well as major economic, social and legal problems. Compelling research has been emerging, linking the roots of problematic substance use with early relational trauma or attachment wounds, positioning attachment theory as a comprehensive framework to explore and address these issues. While attachment-based interventions are well-validated and proven effective for various other presenting concerns, there is a lack of clinical awareness and understanding regarding their application in treating SUDs. This capstone research project aimed to examine the significant components of attachment-based interventions and the ways in which they promote change in SUD treatment. A review of peer-reviewed, English-language studies published between 2017-2024 and a thematic synthesis of study outcomes revealed that the psychological mechanisms of secure attachment formation, emotion regulation enhancement and improved relational competencies can support recovery and relapse prevention for individuals seeking treatment for SUD. Therapists can support positive treatment outcomes by exploring early childhood experiences, attachment strategies and their profound impacts on adult attachment styles in the development and maintenance of SUDs. The utilization of outcome-based measures can assist therapists in refining treatment approaches for the unique needs of adults who present to treatment for SUD.Item Factors Influencing Mental Health Professionals’ Ability to Provide Ethical and Unbiased Therapy for Sexually Deviant Clients(2024-06-28)Sexually deviant clients seeking assistance from mental health professionals face significant challenges, including societal prejudices and professional conduct difficulties. This literature research examines the multifaceted factors influencing mental health professionals' capacity to provide impartial and ethically sound treatment to clients with sexual deviations. The central research question explores the viability of delivering ethical and unbiased treatment to sexually deviant clients and identifies the factors affecting therapeutic experiences. Utilizing Social Learning Theory, Cognitive-Behavioral Theory, and Critical Theory as frameworks, the study’s goal is to illuminate the primary elements affecting professionals' approaches. These frameworks are chosen to address the interaction of external pressures, cognitive biases, and systemic barriers in the treatment process, each offering unique insights into the complex dynamics at play. An in-depth examination of selected pivotal studies that were found to be sufficiently relevant and comprehensive for this analysis offers insights into the professional challenges encountered in treating sexually deviant clients, including the barriers to practicing effectively. Analysis reveals that stigma, insufficient foundational knowledge, limited practical experience, inadequate support systems, and gender dynamics significantly influence professionals' ability to offer unbiased and ethical care. The investigation highlights a significant scarcity of focused literature, indicating a pressing need for further studies to fill these knowledge gaps. By elucidating the complex dynamics involved in treating sexually deviant clients, this research contributes to a deeper understanding and calls for enhanced training and resources for mental health professionals, ensuring more effective and equitable care.Item Promoting Resilience in Children and Adolescents Impacted by Adverse Childhood Experiences(2024-06)Evidence shows that early exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) results in lasting poor physical and mental health outcomes from childhood into adulthood. Resilience has been determined to help prevent or mitigate the adverse effects of ACEs. Children and adolescents need to have suitable systems at home, in school, in the community, and within the construct of society that promotes the development of resilience. This research project investigates how to foster resilience as an intervention during formative years in children and adolescents impacted by ACEs. This review of 10 recent studies shows several evidence-based therapeutic interventions and modalities for building resilience through the different levels of protective factors (individual, interpersonal (family), community, and policy), including CBT/TF-CBT, mindfulness interventions, EMDR, parent-child psychotherapy, and school-based psychotherapy. These findings benefit the study of ACEs as they provide clinical practitioners with evidence-based interventions that help minimize the negative impact and foster positive adaptation after exposure to ACEs.Item The Parallel Processes of Counselling Supervision(2024-07-22)The literature review explores various supervision models while highlighting key elements of developmental and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) supervision models to better understand the capstone research question: How can developmental and CBT supervision models be used together to support new counselling supervisees? Furthermore, the capstone research project explores additional supervision models, including reflective supervision, Functional Analytic Psychotherapy, and the Critical Events Model, to support the implementation of a new hypothetical model identified as the SAM CAM supervision model. The capstone research project emphasizes the gaps researchers brought forth that are useful in future studies, including longitudinal research, the use of evidence-based observational methods, and reflective practices to aid in best practices in supervision. The capstone research project highlights the implications for counselling psychology, including cultural and ethical considerations for best practices in supervision and when implementing the SAM CAM supervision model.Item Providing Mental Health Literacy: How High Schools Can Support a Youth’s Mental Health(2024-06-27)Students spend a significant amount of time within the school environment. Therefore, it is vital for schools to acknowledge the influence they have around a student’s emotional well-being. High school students across countries have vocalized a need for mental health education. While in British Columbia, there appears to be a gap in what mental health education is supposedly being offered and what is being given. To fill in this gap of desiring in depth mental health education, the capstone demonstrated how high schools can be participate in supporting a youth’s mental health by implementing mental health literacy into the curriculum, potentially saving a life and increasing an adolescent’s well-being. The incorporation of mental health literacy, providing social belonging, using technology, mindfulness, lived experience workers and gratitude are all shown to contribute towards good mental health. This initiative seeks to empower students with the knowledge to nurture and understand their mental well-being, while also equipping teachers with the skills to identify warning behaviours of declining mental health in their students. With the inclusion of these techniques, schools have the opportunity to improve the mental health of students.
Communities in National University System Repository
Select a community to browse its collections.