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Ethnic Differences In Depressive Symptoms And Risky Behaviors Among Hispanics And Non-Hispanic Whites, Irma De Santiago

Honors College Theses

There is limited research on Hispanics in regards to experiencing depressive symptoms and the risk factors that accompany it. Understanding how these symptoms manifest in different ethnic groups can lead to the development of appropriate interventions to lower diagnoses. The purpose of this study was to examine ethnic differences in depressive symptoms, ethnic differences in risky behaviors, and to see if the association between depressive symptoms and risky behaviors differs by ethnicity. There were 401 young participants, ages 18 to 25; however, because of the goals of the study we only analyzed the data of 312 participants. Of the participants …

Utilizing Act Daily As A Self-Guided Mobile App Intervention For Depression And Anxiety In A College Counseling Center, Jack A. Haeger

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

College counseling centers (CCCs) have experienced funding and staffing setbacks in recent years, resulting in higher caseloads, counselor burnout, and bloated waitlists. Mobile Health (mHealth) interventions may offer a cost-effective and innovative solution. The authors developed ACT Daily, a prototype mHealth app based in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). This study examined the feasibility and possible efficacy of ACT Daily as a brief intervention for individuals placed on CCC waitlists.

A sample of 11 depressed/anxious clients waitlisted at a local CCC enrolled in the study, which followed a pre-post, open trial design. Participants received a brief online training that covered …

The Associations Between Reflective Rumination And Related Constructs, Bryanna P. Plummer

Honors College

According to the Response Styles Theory, the way in which an individual responds to depressed mood influences the duration and severity of one’s depressed mood (Nolen-Hoeksema, 1991). In particular, a ruminative response, or tendency to repeatedly think about the causes and consequences of one’s depressed mood is hypothesized to worsen depressed mood (Nolen-Hoeksema, Wisco & Lyubomirsky, 2008). Research examining the measure of rumination using the Ruminative Response Scale (Nolen-Hoeksema & Morrow, 1991), Treynor, Gonzalez and Nolen-Hoeksema (2003) has yielded two distinct subtypes of rumination: brooding and reflection. Brooding was conceptualized as a maladaptive form of rumination, while reflection was thought …

The Relationship Between Different Dating Violence Profiles, Mental Health Problems And Mental Well-Being Among Canadian Youth, Kelsey E. Macdonald

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The current study examined the relationships among teen dating violence, mental health problems and mental well-being in 338 adolescents aged 14-21 (54% female). Secondary data were retrieved from an evaluation of a small groups healthy relationship program. Participants were grouped into four different dating violence profiles based on self-reported perpetration and victimization: not involved, perpetrators, victims and combined. Generalized Linear Models were used to examine the similarities and differences across types on depression, anxiety, mental well-being and binge drinking. Results suggested that the victims and combined profiles experienced greater mental health problems and decreased mental well-being compared to other profiles. …

A Randomized Depression Prevention Trial Comparing Interpersonal Psychotherapy—Adolescent Skills Training To Group Counseling In Schools, J. F. Young, J. S. Benas, C. M. Schueler, R. Gallop, Jane Gillham, L. Mufson

Psychology Faculty Works

Given the rise in depression disorders in adolescence, it is important to develop and study depression prevention programs for this age group. The current study examined the efficacy of Interpersonal Psychotherapy-Adolescent Skills Training (IPT-AST), a group prevention program for adolescent depression, in comparison to group programs that are typically delivered in school settings. In this indicated prevention trial, 186 adolescents with elevated depression symptoms were randomized to receive IPT-AST delivered by research staff or group counseling (GC) delivered by school counselors. Hierarchical linear modeling examined differences in rates of change in depressive symptoms and overall functioning from baseline to the …

Insomnia Is Associated With Suicide Attempt In Middle-Aged And Older Adults With Depression, Daniel Kay, Alexandre Y. Dombrovski, Daniel J. Buysse, Charles F. Reynolds Iii, Amy Begley, Katalin Szanto

Faculty Publications

Background—Insomnia increases in prevalence with age, is strongly associated with depression, and has been identified as a risk factor for suicide in several studies. The aim of this study was to determine whether insomnia severity varies between those who have attempted suicide (n = 72), those who only contemplate suicide (n = 28), and those who are depressed but have no suicidal ideation or attempt history (n = 35).

Methods—Participants were middle-aged and older adults (Age 44–87, M = 66 years) with depression. Insomnia severity was measured as the sum of the early, middle, and late insomnia items from the …

Mediators Of The Relationship Between Depression And Alcohol-Related Harm: The Role Of Alexithymia, Impulsivity And Negative Reinforcement Outcome Expectancies, Andrew Brauer Mcgrath, Dennis E. Mcchargue Ph.D.

UCARE Research Products

Background and Objectives: The prevalence of alcohol misuse on college campuses is a considerable problem. Depression is commonly found to be related to increases in alcohol related harm; however, not frequently found to be directly related to increases in alcohol use. This pattern suggests that there are factors related to depression that exaggerate alcohol problems other than the association between depression and the amount of alcohol used. This study examined the relationship between depression and alcohol related harm in college binge drinkers, focusing on emotional, behavioral, and cognitive variables believed to mediate the association. The roles of alexithymia, impulsivity, and …

Relationship Satisfaction And Coparenting Over The Transition To Parenthood: Depression, Division Of Labor, And Child Temperament As Moderators, Jessica Block

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The transition to parenthood is a uniquely important time in the human experience. New parents must reorganize their patterns of behavior and respective roles in order to include and care for a new child. Parents’ ability to navigate this process has great implications for child adjustment and healthy development. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the association of relationship satisfaction over the transition to parenthood and early coparenting interactions. The archival data utilized were collected as part of a longitudinal study of first time parents funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) …

Determinants Of Resource Needs And Utilization Among Refugees Over Time, A. Michelle Wright, Abir Aldhalimi, Mark A. Lumley, Hikmet Jamil, Nnamdi Pole, Judith E. Arnetz, Bengt B. Arnetz

Psychology: Faculty Publications

Purpose: This study examined refugees’ resource needs and utilization over time, investigated the relationships between pre-displacement/socio-demographic variables and resource needs and utilization, and explored the role of resource needs and utilization on psychiatric symptom trajectories. Methods: Iraqi refugees to the United States (N = 298) were assessed upon arrival and at 1-year intervals for 2 years for socio-demographic variables and pre-displacement trauma experiences, their need for and utilization of 14 different resources, and PTSD and depressive symptoms. Results: Although refugees reported reduction of some needs over time (e.g., need for cash assistance declined from 99 to 71 %), other needs …

Depression And Body Mass Index, Differences By Education: Evidence From A Population-Based Study Of Adult Women In The U.S. Buffalo-Niagara Region, Ashley Wendell Kranjac, Jing Nie, Maurizio Trevisan, Jo L. Freudenheim

Sociology Faculty Articles and Research

The relationship between obesity and depression is well described. However, the evidence linking depression and body mass index (BMI) across the broad range of body size is less consistent. We examined the association between depressive symptoms and BMI in a sample of adult women in the Buffalo-Niagara region between 1997 and 2001. Using logistic regression, we investigated whether increased weight status beyond normal-weight was associated with a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms, and if educational attainment modified the association between obesity and depression. There was a trend for increased weight status to be associated with higher depressive symptoms (obese II/III, …

Male Psychological Adaptation To Unsuccessful Medically Assisted Reproduction Treatments: A Systematic Review, Mariana Veloso Martins, Miguel Basto-Pereira, Juliana Pedro, Brennan Peterson, Vasco Almeida, Lone Schmidt, Maria Emília Costa

Marriage and Family Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

BACKGROUND Similarly to women, men suffer from engaging in fertility treatments, both physically and psychologically. Although there is a vast body of evidence on the emotional adjustment of women to infertility, there are no systematic reviews focusing on men's psychological adaptation to infertility and related treatments.

OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALE The main research questions addressed in this review were ‘Does male psychological adaptation to unsuccessful medically assisted reproduction (MAR) treatment vary over time?’ and ‘Which psychosocial variables act as protective or risk factors for psychological maladaptation?’

SEARCH METHODS A literature search was conducted from inception to September 2015 on five databases …

An Examination Of The Specificity Of Economic Loss And Deprivation And Community Violence On Depressive Symptoms And Aggressive Behavior In Urban, Low-Income Adolescents, Jarrett T. Lewis

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Based on the current literature examining associations of stress and psychopathology in adolescents, several types of stress (e.g., violence exposure, economic-related stress) have been identified as particularly salient in lowincome, urban adolescent populations (Grant et al., 2003; Natz et al., 2012). This population also has been shown to be at heightened risk for problems including internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Identifying specific pathways through which urban, low-income adolescents develop specific emotional and behavior problems in response to particular stressors would be helpful in the development and selections of as the targets of interventions that disrupt mediators that link particular stressors to …

Impact Of Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback On Fmri Measures Of Cognitive Functioning In Depressed And Non-Depressed Individuals, Patrick Steffen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Evaluation of how well the academic objectives of the proposal were met The primary objectives of this project was to examine neurological changes in depressed individuals who were randomized to either a psychotherapy plus Heart Rate Variability (HRV) biofeedback training or to a treatment as usual group. A control group with no history of depression was also studied. In the past two years, we were able to collect psychological, physiological, and imaging data from 30 participants (10 in an experimental group, 10 in a treatment as usual group, and the other 10 in a healthy control group) at baseline and …

The Interactive Effect Of Major Depression And Nonsuicidal Self-Injury On Current Suicide Risk And Lifetime Suicide Attempts, Anne C. Knorr, Matthew T. Tull, Michael D. Anestis, Katherine L. Dixon-Gordon, Mary F. Bennett, Kim L. Gratz

Faculty Publications

Objectives: This study examined the main and interactive effects of MDD and lifetime nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) on current suicide risk and past suicide attempts. We predicted that individuals with a history of NSSI and current MDD would be at greater suicide risk than those with either risk factor alone. An interaction between lifetime MDD and NSSI was hypothesized for past suicide attempts.

Methods: 204 substance dependent inpatients completed self-report measures and a diagnostic interview.

Results: Patients with both a history of NSSI and current MDD, relative to all other groups, had the greatest suicide risk. No support …

Relationship Of Optimism And Suicidal Ideation In Three Groups Of Patients At Varying Levels Of Suicide Risk, Jeff C. Huffman, Julia K. Boehm, Scott R. Beach, Eleanor E. Beale, Christina M. Dubois, Brian C. Healy

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Optimism has been associated with reduced suicidal ideation, but there have been few studies in patients at high suicide risk. We analyzed data from three study populations (total N=319) with elevated risk of suicide: (1) patients with a recent acute cardiovascular event, (2) patients hospitalized for heart disease who had depression or an anxiety disorder, and (3) patients psychiatrically hospitalized for suicidal ideation or following a suicide attempt. For each study we analyzed the association between optimism (measured by the Life-Orientation Test-Revised) and suicidal ideation, and then completed an exploratory random effects meta-analysis of the findings to synthesize this data. …

Shared Risk Factors For Mood-, Eating-, And Weight-Related Health Outcomes, A. B. Goldschmidt, M. Wall, T-H. J. Choo, Carolyn Becker, D. Neumark-Sztainer

Psychology Faculty Research

Objective: Given the overlap among depressive symptoms, disordered eating, and overweight, identifying shared risk factors for these conditions may inform public health interventions. This study aimed to examine cross-sectional and prospective relationships among these 3 conditions, and identify potential shared eating-related and psychosocial variable risk factors (i.e., body dissatisfaction, dieting, teasing experiences).

Method: A population-based sample (n = 1,902) self-reported depressive symptoms, disordered eating (binge eating, extreme weight control behaviors), weight status, and several putative risk factors (body satisfaction, dieting frequency, weight-related teasing) at 5-year intervals spanning early/middle adolescence, middle adolescence/early young adulthood, and early/middle young adulthood.

Results: There was …

Neighborhood Matters: The Impact Of Hispanic Ethnic Density On Future Depressive Symptoms 1-Year Following An Acs Event Among Hispanic Patients, Ellen-Ge Denton, Jonathan Shaffer, Carmela Alcantara, Esteban Cadermil

Publications and Research

The Ethnic Density hypothesis posits that living around others from similar ethnic backgrounds reduces the risk of adverse mental health outcomes such as depression. Contrary to this hypothesis, previous work has shown that Hispanic ethnic density is cross-sectionally associated with increased depressive symptom severity among patients hospitalized with an acute coronary syndrome (ACS; myocardial infarction or unstable angina pectoris). To date, no study has examined the prospective association of Hispanic ethnic density on long-term depressive symptom severity following an acute medical event. We prospectively assessed the impact of Hispanic ethnic density on depressive symptoms, 1-year following an ACS event, among …

Depression In Mexican Americans With Diagnosed And Undiagnosed Diabetes, Rene L. Olvera, Susan P. Fisher-Hoch, Douglas E. Williamson, Kristina Vatcheva, Joseph B. Mccormick

School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Depression and diabetes commonly co-occur; however, the strength of the physiological effects of diabetes as mediating factors towards depression is uncertain.

Method: We analyzed extensive clinical, epidemiological and laboratory data from n = 2081 Mexican Americans aged 35-64 years, recruited from the community as part of the Cameron County Hispanic Cohort (CCHC) divided into three groups: Diagnosed (self-reported) diabetes (DD, n = 335), Undiagnosed diabetes (UD, n = 227) and No diabetes (ND, n = 1519). UD participants denied being diagnosed with diabetes, but on testing met the 2010 American Diabetes Association and World Health Organization definitions of diabetes. …

Depression, Suicide, And Performance Monitoring: Identifying Neuroelectric Markers Of Suicidal Behavior, Kaylie Carbine, Michael Larson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

From 2000-2009, suicide mortality rates increased by 15% (Rockett, et al., 2012) and 98% of individuals who complete suicide have diagnosable psychopathology (Bertolote, Fleischmann, De Leo, & Wasserman, 2003). Individuals at risk for suicide exhibit cognitive impairments in decision-making and problem-solving abilities (Pollock & Williams, 2004; Jollant, et al., 2005). These cognitive deficits may be related to deficits in performance monitoring. Performance monitoring is the ability to continually assess behavior in order to make adjustments and improve performance. Performance monitoring is mediated by the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), which is related to cognitive control abilities. Furthermore, suicidal thoughts and behaviors …

Where Does The Time Go? An Investigation Of Self-Reported Time Allocation, Cory Stanton

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Depression is recognized as a substantial contributor to the global burden of disease, as well as economic productivity. Behavioral activation has been shown to be an efficacious treatment for depression, drawing on the work of early behavioral theorists and research on the quantitative matching law. Recently, scholars have called for increased theoretical rigor in conceptualizing psychological health, as well as increased conceptual and methodological dialogue between basic and applied researchers. The present study examined the validity of a novel self-report measure of time allocation, an extension of the matching law. A cross-sectional sample of 204 undergraduate psychology students completed measures …

Cognitive And Neural Correlates Of Coping And Resilience In Depression, Catherine Lee

Dissertations

Depression is one of the most prevalent and devastating psychological disorders, often with a chronic or remitting/reoccurring course. The inability to effectively cope with stress and negative life events has been strongly linked to the development and maintenance of depression symptoms; yet, the cognitive and biological processes underlying the complex and multidimensional behavioral construct of coping are not well understood. Using a combination of self-report measures, computerized cognitive tasks, and scalp electroencephalography (EEG) methodologies, the present study investigated associations between specific executive function abilities (i.e., inhibition and set-shifting), underlying neural activity, coping strategy and flexibility, and depression symptoms. Results did …

Quadratic Associations Between Empathy And Depression And The Moderating Influence Of Dysregulation, Erin Tully, Alyssa M. Ames, Sarah E. Garcia, Meghan R. Donohue

Psychology Faculty Publications

Empathic tendencies have been associated with interpersonal and psychological benefits, but empathy at extreme levels or in combination with certain personal characteristics may contribute to risk for depression. This study tested the moderating role of cognitive emotion regulation in depression’s association with empathy using nonlinear models. Young adults (N=304; 77% female; M=19 years) completed measures of cognitive emotion regulation strategies, depression, and affective and cognitive empathy. Individuals with good regulation had low levels of depression overall and their depression symptoms were lowest when levels of affective empathy were average. Individuals with poor regulation had high levels of depression overall, particularly …

The Moderating Effects Of Protective And Risk Factors On Outcomes For Behavioral Smoking Cessation Treatment, Holly Reid

Wayne State University Dissertations

The rate of cigarette smoking is three-fold higher among adults living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)/Autoimmune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) than in the general population (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015). Relative to non-smoking HIV-positive adults, HIV-positive cigarette smokers have even higher mortality rates, more physical health problems, greater tobacco-related health disparities, lower quality of life, and more barriers to treatment. These barriers are often interrelated with the significantly higher rate of trauma and violence exposure reported in both cigarette smokers and persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA; CDC). Violence exposure not only predicts emotional distress and substance use, but also …

An Exploration Of Parenting Styles, Emotion Regulation, Depression, And Culture's Role, Krysten L. Monzon

ETD Archive

The present research examined whether cultural background had an effect on depressive symptoms through parenting style and emotion regulation strategies. Recent literature suggests that parenting styles differ across cultures, thus leading to different levels of depressive symptoms as a result differences of parenting styles aligning with cultural values. Additionally, it is suggested that some emotion regulation strategies are harmful in western cultures, but are not in collectivistic culture. Lastly, it is suggested that certain parenting techniques foster both harmful and helpful emotion regulation strategies. Participants (N=83) completed measures of PAQ (Parental Authority Questionnaire), ERQ (Emotion Regulation Questionnaire), and CES-D (Center …

The Interactive Effects Of Biofeedback-Assisted Stress Management And Training Acquisition In Predicting Health Outcomes, Cary M. Sears

ETD Archive

Thirty-seven chronic disease patients were randomized to either a biofeedback-assisted stress management (BFSM) experimental group or a usual care (UC) control condition. It was hypothesized that participants enrolled in the BFSM treatment group would demonstrate lower levels of norepinephrine and depression than those in the UC control condition. It was further hypothesized that training acquisition would modify the main effect of group assignment on depression and norepinephrine. The BFSM group demonstrated significantly lower levels of norepinephrine than the UC group. There were no main effects of BFSM on depression. The training acquisition X group assignment interaction was not significant. Results …

An Interpersonal Model Of Depression: A Psychophysiological Perspective, Kelsey J. Pritchard

ETD Archive

This study examined whether parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) activity predicts depression risk through excessive reassurance seeking (ERS) which subsequently erodes social support and generates stress. Recent theories suggest that the PNS evolved to regulate social interaction and that the PNS is associated with depression and interpersonal deficits. Therefore, PNS deficits may be associated to ERS, given its interpersonal function. Participants (N= 65) completed measures of ERS, interpersonal stressors, social support quality, depression symptoms, and a protocol that measured indices of the PNS (i.e., respiratory sinus arrhythmia; RSA) at rest and during a paced breathing task. Multiple mediator models …

Attitudes Toward Complementary And Alternative Medicine, Miranda Lea Cobb

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) usage has increased throughout the years, as many people are becoming interested in using less conventional interventions for common illnesses. As a whole, CAM encompasses any practice used to treat an illness or disorder that does not fall under the category of traditional medicine. CAM interventions not only treat the physical aspects of health, but as clinicians are beginning to realize, these interventions may also be effective in treating psychological problems, most notably anxiety and depression. This research focused on attitudes toward CAM for psychological disorders. I examined participants’ attitudes about the use of CAM …

Delinquency, Depression, Religiosity, And Social Support In The Prediction Of Substance Use: Findings From Add Health, Nicholas Francesco Heimpel

Departmental Honors Projects

Delinquency, depression, religiosity, and social support have been demonstrated to relate to substance use in adolescence. We examined relations between these factors and substance use (cigarette use, marijuana use, frequency of intoxication using alcohol, and lifetime substance use) using the National Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (ADD Health), a large-scale nationally representative epidemiological study (N = 6504). Our results suggested that: 1) in simple correlations, delinquency and depression appeared to be related to higher levels of all forms of substance use, whereas religiosity and social support appeared to be inversely related with all forms of substance use, 2) in …

Burnout-Depression Overlap: A Study Of New Zealand Schoolteachers, Renzo Bianchi, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Eric Mayor, Eric Laurent

Publications and Research

We examined the overlap of burnout with depression in a sample of 184 New Zealand schoolteachers. Burnout and depressive symptoms were strongly correlated with each other (r = .73; disattenuated correlation: .82) and moderately correlated with dysfunctional attitudes, ruminative responses, and pessimistic attributions. All the participants with high frequencies of burnout symptoms were identified as clinically depressed. Suicidal ideation was reported by 36% of those participants. Three groups of teachers emerged from a two-step cluster analysis: “low burnout-depression,” “medium burnout-depression,” and “high burnout-depression.” The correlation between the affective-cognitive and somatic symptoms of depression was similar in strength to the burnout-depression …

Development Of Cognitive Vulnerability For Depression In Youth: Sex, Emotional Maltreatment, And Depression Predict Negative Cognitive Style, Jessica R. Technow

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hopelessness theory is a prominent cognitive theory of depression that has been shown to predict depression in youth. However, research has yet to elucidate normative mean-level development of the cognitive risk factor in hopelessness theory from childhood through adolescence. The current study utilized a multi-wave design and hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) analyses to examine mean-level negative cognitive style growth and stability in late childhood, early adolescence, and mid-late adolescence. Participant sex, emotional maltreatment, and major depression were also tested as predictors of negative cognitive style. For three years, youth (N = 681, ages 7-18 at baseline) were assessed every 1.5 …