Type
Text
Type
Dissertation
Advisor
Davila, Joanne | O'Leary, Daniel | Moyer, Anne | Friedberg, Fred.
Date
2014-12-01
Keywords
Clinical psychology | anxiety, depression, problem solving therapy, self help, social problem solving, well-being
Department
Department of Clinical Psychology.
Language
en_US
Source
This work is sponsored by the Stony Brook University Graduate School in compliance with the requirements for completion of degree.
Identifier
http://hdl.handle.net/11401/77183
Publisher
The Graduate School, Stony Brook University: Stony Brook, NY.
Format
application/pdf
Abstract
The efficacy of a six-week, self-help Problem Solving Therapy intervention for improving psychological well-being was examined in a sample of 69 college students. Participants were randomly assigned to either a treatment group (n = 39) or a waitlist control group (n = 30). Intent to treat analyses were performed (n = 34, treatment group; n = 27 waitlist control group), as were completer analyses (n = 29, treatment group; n = 24 waitlist control group). Self-Help Problem Solving Therapy (SHPST) is based on traditional Problem Solving Therapy, and it is intended for people who experience ongoing difficulty with everyday problems and stress. SHPST is a cognitive-behavioral intervention that develops constructive problem solving attitudes and skills. The SHPST manual that was used in this intervention, Solving Life's Problems (Nezu, Nezu, and D'Zurilla, 2007), outlines what problem solving is; defines important terms including problem, solution, and stress; and provides instruction in the five major problem-solving steps that are central to Problem Solving Therapy. We found that SHPST significantly improved participants' psychological well-being as measured by the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II; Beck et al. | 1996). Additionally, improvements in well-being as measured by the BDI-II, the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI; Beck et al. | 1988), and the Self Acceptance scale and the Purpose in Life scale of the Scales of Psychological Well-Being (SPWB; Ryff & Essex, 1992) were found to correlate with improvements in global problem solving ability. Implications for clinical practice are discussed. | 43 pages
Recommended Citation
Bell, Alissa, "A Self-Help Problem Solving Therapy Intervention to Improve Psychological Well-Being" (2014). Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions). 3017.
https://commons.library.stonybrook.edu/stony-brook-theses-and-dissertations-collection/3017