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Dissertation
An exploration of the relationship between executive functioning and stage of change in hospitalized pre-adolescents and adolescents
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Allegheny University of the Health Sciences
Aug 1997
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/00007929
Abstract
The rationale for admitting pre-adolescents and adolescents to psychiatric hospitals is based on the expectation that change will occur. Yet, not all pre-adolescents and adolescents admitted to in-patient units may be ready to change. The Transtheoretical Model addresses an individual's readiness for change and can predict the likelihood for change based on readiness. While frequently used with adults, the model has never been applied to pre-adolescents and adolescents involved in psychiatric treatment. Thus, one of the goals of this study was to provide descriptive information on the application of the Transtheoretical Model's stages of change to in-patient adolescents and pre-adolescents. A second goal was to examine the relationship between movement through the stages of change and executive functioning. Executive functions (e.g. attention, planning, and mental flexibility) have been shown to be deficient in subjects with the types of disorders treated on adolescent in-patient units. Because executive deficits can translate to impulsively acting out, poor attention and concentration, and poor planning abilities, an individual who manifests executive deficits may have more difficulty changing than an individual with intact executive functioning. Subjects included 89 adolescents and preadolescents admitted to a psychiatric inpatient unit. To determine stage of change, subjects were administered a measure of the stages of change (the University of Rhode Island Change Assessment Questionnaire) at admission and discharge. Subjects were also administered tests of planning, attention and mental flexibility. The results revealed that subjects were approximately equally distributed between the beginning stages of change and the later stages of change at admission and discharge. Additionally, there were significantly more subjects who did not progress a stage than subjects who did progress a stage. Analyses of variance revealed that there were no significant differences in planning, attention and mental flexibility between the group of subjects who did not progress a stage and the group of subjects who did. However, a Readiness to change score was negatively correlated with mental flexibility. The results are discussed in terms of their implications relative to the Transtheoretical model and the URICA.
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Details
- Title
- An exploration of the relationship between executive functioning and stage of change in hospitalized pre-adolescents and adolescents
- Creators
- Deanna Greenstein
- Awarding Institution
- Allegheny University of the Health Sciences
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
- Publisher
- Allegheny University of the Health Sciences; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Number of pages
- vii, 99 pages
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Allegheny University of the Health Sciences (1996-1998); Clinical and Health Psychology [Historical]; School of Health Professions (1996-1998)
- Other Identifier
- 991021888753104721