Date of Submission

2010

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Department

Psychology

Department Chair

Robert A. DiTomasso, Ph.D., ABPP

First Advisor

Stephanie Felgoise, Ph.D., ABPP, Chairperson

Second Advisor

Virginia Salzer, Ph.D.

Third Advisor

Victoria L. Vetter, M.D.

Abstract

The current manuscript, as part of a larger program of research, intended to examine whether long QT syndrome (LQTS), a chronic and life-threatening genetic cardiac illness, impacts adolescents' psychosocial functioning. After 2 1/2 years of involvement in the study and 13 months of attempted data collection, it was determined by the research team that the benefits of proceeding with an intervention plan outweighed the costs of waiting for data. Although the study was not able to be conducted within the anticipated time frame due to unforeseen logistical challenges, the study hypothesized that adolescents with higher ratings of self-reported social and school functioning have higher levels of self esteem (SE) and that social and co curricular restrictions, school accommodations, age of diagnosis, medical event frequency, social functioning, and school functioning predict ratings of SE. Given the hypothesized needs of the population and support based on previous literature and corroborating theories, this manuscript resulted in a detailed school-based accommodation plan, along with a crisis response plan, which will ultimately help advocate for the needs of adolescents with LQTS. The intervention plan will be revised as planned future work, once data has been obtained and analyzed and/or the intervention plan has been field tested.

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