Clinical psychology graduate student publishes dissertation examining predictors of women's participation in cervical cancer screenings

Lilly Bengtson, an August graduate of the Clinical Psychology PhD program, published her dissertation in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence. In her research, titled "Trauma, PTSD, and Self-Efficacy: Predictors of Cervical Cancer Screening in Sexual Violence Survivors", Bengtson examined traumatic experiences, PTSD, and self-efficacy as predictors of women's participation in cervical cancer screenings. She conducted this research with psychology professor Shannon Lynch. They found that experiences of sexual violence, income, and health insurance predicted participation in cervical cancer screenings. Bengtson also just completed her internship in Washington and will be returning to southeast Idaho to provide psychological services in Pocatello.