DeWitt, Roger

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  • Publication
    Do Good Time: Shining a Light on Character Strengths and Well-being in the Prison Population
    (2020-05-07) Cai, Iris; DeWitt, Roger; Elam, Erica; Rogers, Mary
    Defined by their last, worst act, prison inmates are an often-forgotten population. Rates of childhood and adult trauma, such as physical and emotional abuse and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are high among incarcerated persons (Wolff & Shi, 2012). Art can be a valuable tool in correctional facilities, benefitting inmates in the following categories: therapeutic, educational, prison quality-of-life management, and community involvement (Johnson, 2008). Through their intensive two-week art-based program, Shining Light (SL) offers a holistic approach to prisoner rehabilitation, reshaping inmates’ perspectives through intentional challenges intended to promote self-discovery, hope, meaning, self-efficacy, relationship skills, and overall enhanced well-being. In an effort to aid SL in supporting inmate well-being post-workshop, we propose an intervention which incorporates and utilizes character strengths in the following capacities: facilitator-training, a talkback, and journaling. This intervention proposes to amplify the positive effects of SL’s workshop and implement ongoing support post-program.
  • Publication
    ADHD, Willpower, and Interest: A Positive Approach
    (2020-08-03) DeWitt, Roger
    Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that typically presents with challenges of attention, impulsivity, self-regulation, memory, and sometimes, physical restlessness. Many practitioners, as well as the general public, often treat ADHD as a “disorder” that needs to be “cured,” and precious few researchers and practitioners look to understand and work with the ADHD nervous system rather than trying to align it to the “norm.” This paper will examine ADHD from a positive focus: that it is a nervous system that works extremely well as long as certain criteria are met. It will examine what ADHD is, where its unique challenges lie, and present a model of ADHD where the brain of the individual requires more interest-driven stimulation than a neurotypical brain in order to operate at its best. Positive psychology will be proposed as an essential component in any work with individuals with ADHD. Then, using the scientific debate around willpower failure (a common ADHD challenge), four differing theories of why willpower may fail will be examined and explored from the positive ADHD perspective of interest level, rather than as a dysfunction. This exploration may offer a new understanding of willpower that could greatly benefit people with ADHD, and potentially the non-ADHD population as well.