07/16/2024
By Stephanie Madden

The College of Fine Arts, Humans, and Social Sciences, Department of Psychology, invites you to attend a doctoral dissertation proposal by Stephanie Madden on "Harmony in Health: Exploring the Interplay of Caregiver—Provider Alliance, Familial Factors, and a Multi-Rater Approach on Child Health Outcomes."

Candidate Name: Stephanie Madden
Degree: Doctoral
Defense Date: Friday, July 26, 2024
Time: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Location: Coburn Hall Room 410; Please contact stephanie_madden@student.uml.edu or samantha_miadich@uml.edu for a Zoom link if needed to attend.

Dissertation Title: Harmony in Health: Exploring the Interplay of Caregiver—Provider Alliance, Familial Factors, and a Multi-Rater Approach on Child Health Outcomes

Committee:

  • Advisor Samantha Miadich, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts Lowell
  • Joseph Gonzales, Ph.D., Chair, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts Lowell
  • Jiabin Shen, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts Lowell

Brief Abstract: Optimal health in childhood is essential to ensure not only wellbeing throughout childhood, but also has implications for health into and throughout adulthood. Individuals with whom children have close contact with, such as caregivers, healthcare providers, and families each have strong influences on child mental and physical health outcomes. Caregiver—provider alliance is an important aspect to consider for positive child health outcomes as this involves the partnership and relationship between pediatric providers and caregivers of children. Family factors, such as socioeconomic status (SES) and family functioning, are also linked to the health of children. Based on Bronfenbrenner’s Social Ecological Model (1977), this proposed dissertation will examine the influences of caregivers, providers, families, (microsystems) and their interactions (mesosystem) on health outcomes (global health, body mass index [BMI], lung function, internalizing symptoms) of school-aged children. Specifically, this body of work will include the scale development of a novel caregiver—provider alliance measure that will then be used to examine associations and interactions between caregiver—provider alliance, family functioning, and SES on child health outcomes. Further, this body of work will also assess the differences in associations between caregiver and child reports of child mental health with child physical health and if associations between child mental and physical health differ based on whether the child has asthma. Findings from this dissertation have the potential to contribute information for prevention programs and interventions for caregivers and families, information for healthcare providers/medical trainees, and highlight the importance of multi-rater approaches in pediatric health research.