Amber Martinson

• Ph.D.
• Psychologist at VA Salt Lake City Healthcare System; SL Psychology

This article describes the course of treatment for a 55-year-old woman presenting with a particularly challenging case of skin picking disorder. Treatment consisted of five phases (psychoeducation, habit-reversal training, cognitive training, exposure, and relapse prevention), over an 11-month period, in which each new phase built on to the previou...

Purpose Although cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is considered the preferred treatment for insomnia in patients with comorbid insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea (COMISA), the remission rate with CBT-I is generally considered lower than in insomnia-only populations. There is also a sizable variability in individual treatment resp...

Introduction: Chronic pain is a significant risk factor for suicide, especially among Veterans. The aim of this study is to evaluate the safety (i.e., the occurrence of suicidal behavior after treatment) and tolerability (i.e., treatment completion) of a Brief Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Pain (Brief CBT-CP) group in primary care among...

Background Approximately ten percent of US military veterans suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Cognitive processing therapy (CPT) is a highly effective, evidence-based, first-line treatment for PTSD that has been widely adopted by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). CPT consists of discrete therapeutic components delivered acro...

Introduction Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is considered the preferred treatment for insomnia in patients with comorbid insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea (COMISA). The remission rates with CBT-I are generally considered lower than in insomnia-only populations and there is variability in individual treatment responses. In this...

We sought to assess the augmentation of brief behavioral therapy for insomnia (BBTI) with eszopiclone (ESZ) over BBTI alone for the treatment of chronic insomnia on sleep quality, sleep indices, and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) adherence in PTSD veterans with COMISA. The pilot trial involved 53 PTSD patients (46 males and 7 females, m...

Psychotherapy incorporating horses (PIH) is often provided for veterans, though research is limited. Investigations are needed to explore how these services might be implemented and utilized. This study evaluated the safety, implementation and utilization of an PIH program. In addition to the overall program, data were collected for a specific PIH...

Substance use disorders (SUDs) are associated with profound sleep disturbances, including insomnia, sleep fragmentation, and circadian rhythm dysfunction resulting in serious mental and physical consequences. This minireview presents an overview of the neurocircuitry underlying sleep disturbances in SUDs and elaborates on treatment options with emp...

Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of a Brief CBT-CP Group delivered via VA Video Connect (VVC) among different age groups of Veterans with chronic noncancer pain being seen in primary care. A secondary aim was to evaluate participant characteristics of patients who completed vs. did not complete the group. Methods: Single-arm treatment s...

Objective: To replicate and extend previous research by examining, among a larger sample, the effectiveness of a Whole Health Primary Care Pain Education and Opioid Monitoring Program (PC-POP) at increasing adherence to the Veteran Affairs/Department of Defense (VA/DoD) recommended guidelines for long-term opioid therapy among chronic noncancer pa...

Objective: As part of the evaluation of the Whole Health Primary Care Pain Education and Opioid Monitoring Program (PC-POP), we examined the relationship between pain intensity, pain interference, and mental health symptoms among PC-POP enrollees. Design/methods: Retrospective cohort study examining self-reported symptoms of pain intensity, pain...

Objective: To describe the core elements of a Whole Health Primary Care Pain Education and Opioid Monitoring Program (PC-POP) and examine its effectiveness at increasing adherence to six of the Veteran Affairs/Department of Defense (VA/DoD) recommended guidelines for long-term opioid therapy (LOT) among chronic noncancer patients seen in primary c...

Objective: As part of the evaluation of the Whole Health Primary Care Pain Education and Opioid Monitoring Program (PC-POP), we compared demographic and health characteristics between participants and nonparticipants drawn from the same defined population. Design/methods: Retrospective chart review comparing participants and nonparticipants in t...

Primary Care Mental Health Integration (PC-MHI) visits are mandated to be brief, limited in number, and delivered in the primary care practice area. Current evidence-based protocols for Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Pain (CBT-CP) do not meet these PC-MHI requirements, however, and thus PC-MHI providers are often left with the daunting ta...

There are several challenges associated with evaluating the prevalence of sexual trauma, including child sexual abuse and adult sexual assault. The aim of this study was to assess sexual trauma prevalence rates among first year college students (N = 954) using behaviorally specific questions and a more representative recruitment sample that did not...

The etiology of premenstrual disorders, including premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and premenstrual dysphoric disorders (PMDD), is not well understood. In the current study, the relationship between self-focused attention (SFA) and premenstrual disorders was examined to explore the hypothesis that women with premenstrual disorders tend to respond to sym...

In this edited volume, Handbook of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings, there are chapters discussing the history, growth and details of psychology practice integrated in medical care venues. For psychologists who work in rural health care there are opportunities and challenges that are unique to the rural setting. In this chapter, we discuss s...

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) involve emotional, behavioral, and physical symptoms; however, there is little understanding of psychological factors that contribute to these disorders. It was hypothesized that rumination, a form of depressive self-focused attention, is related to premenstrual distress. Study...

Focus on bodily sensations may be involved in the etiology of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). This study investigated the relationship between two types of somatic self-focus (i.e., health anxiety and anxiety sensitivity) and health-related quality of life (QOL) in women with provision diagnoses of PMS and PM...

Having a history of sexual trauma, including childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and/or adult sexual assault (ASA), has been associated with the development of intimacy and relationship problems in adulthood (e.g., Blake & Weinberger, 2006; Peleikis & Dahl, 2005; Pistorello & Follette, 1998). Several models have been proposed to account for the emergence...

To fully understand the negative impact of sexual trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) upon adult intimacy-related functioning, cognitive models designed to investigate implicit processing of stimuli with emotional content are warranted. Using an emotional Stroop paradigm, the present study examined the impact of sexual trauma history (c...

Experiential avoidance (EA) is a maladaptive coping strategy that involves avoiding unwanted internal experiences (i.e., thoughts, emotions, and physiological sensations). Although a high level of EA is associated with increased psychological distress and several forms of psychopathology, there is a lack of research on cognitive factors involved in...

This study investigated seasonality in male and female college athletes and nonathletes. Given the literature on activity level and its positive impact on mood, it was predicted that athletes would beneft more than nonathletes with regards to seasonal symptoms. Participants completed measures of seasonality, depression, and cognitive processes duri...

Objective: This article summarizes current empirical support for Memory and Attention Adaptation Training (MAAT), a cognitive-behavioral treatment program that uses a compensatory strategy approach for management of late cognitive effects of chemotherapy among cancer survivors. A description of MAAT, in addition to other treatment approaches, is pr...

Pennsylvania State University, Berks This study investigated seasonality in male and female college athletes and nonathletes. Given the literature on activity level and its positive impact on mood, it was predicted that athletes would benefit more than nonathletes with regards to seasonal symptoms. Participants completed measures of seasonality, de...